Exotic Locations or Close to Home?

As the old saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt, unless perhaps you’re fortunate enough to live in an iconic place, like Glacier Bay, Yosemite, or Yellowstone/Tetons. Unfortunately, I’m not so lucky, and spend the majority of my days in Upstate New York, with occasional trips elsewhere. My guess is that most of us are in similar situations. So, my question is how do you keep the proverbial fire in the belly burning for nature and wildlife photography when everything is so familiar? How do you see the “ordinary“ in new and unusual ways? The reason for my question, of course, is to find new ways to rekindle my passion for nature at home.

Abinoone said:

As the old saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt, unless perhaps you’re fortunate enough to live in an iconic place, like Glacier Bay, Yosemite, or Yellowstone/Tetons. Unfortunately, I’m not so lucky, and spend the majority of my days in Upstate New York, with occasional trips elsewhere. My guess is that most of us are in similar situations. So, my question is how do you keep the proverbial fire in the belly burning for nature and wildlife photography when everything is so familiar? How do you see the “ordinary“ in new and unusual ways? The reason for my question, of course, is to find new ways to rekindle my passion for nature at home.

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I understand your dilemma. I usually need someone with me on other than a short local trip (for health reasons). However, we have adopted abut a three hour driving radius from home (Milwaukee). Within that radius are a few National Wildlife Refuges, many State Parks, rivers, dams, waterfalls and a long stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline. We also have the Ice Age trail, and while I cannot walk far, there are many scenic overlooks along the way. The state puts out a nice book about the state parks with maps, etc. so we can pick a place to aim for today.

I look at the local Facebook posts of Wisconsin bird and wildlife photos to see what might be out there and I check the State DNR and othe bird reports. We also look for local events like the upcoming International Crane Festival in Baraboo with the International Crane Foundation and the Aldo Leopold Center - we will attend and see the Sandhill Crane fall departure. There are also local small wildlife areas and other spots that we can choose.

For example, when there I am not picky about subjects. So, if the birds aren’t around at the Horicon Marsh, we can look for fall flowers, frogs, turtles, deer and other wildlife. So, pick a drive radius around where you live, check out the local options and just go. You live in a beautiful location, so a three hour drive might put you into a couple of different states with their own beauty.

Fall is coming. Just pick a few place and go. Going back to some spots often is good because the wildlife changes. Exploring landscape shots every few years let you see what is the same and what has changed.

I could go on and on, but it is all out there if you look around. If you look at my posts you can see I am not picky about subjects. I am just looking for beauty and enjoying the time out. Some days are great, some just ok, but almost all of them are fun and Even better with a camera in hand.

I retired just before the pandemic and planned to do a number of trips to "exotic" locations to photograph wildlife. I managed to get to the Antarctic Peninsula (and back) in January/February 2020, but then all the rest of my trips planned for 2020 and the first half of 2021 were cancelled or deferred due to the pandemic. That got me looking more around Minnesota where we live. And I found a lot of interesting creatures to see and photograph -- a benefit of the changes that the pandemic forced on me.

You may have local parks and widlife refuges nearby. There are a number of national wildlife refuges in Minnesota, several of which are an easy drive from where I live in the Twin Cities. Migration season can be interesting, depending on where you live. Minnesota is on the North American central flyway for migrating birds, which tends to mean you can see interesting birds in the spring and fall that do not live here, but are passing through. We live near the Mississippi River and the nearby Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge attracts lots of migrating birds. I just saw a migrating female surf scoter on our lake in Northern Minnesota today (rare to see here, even during migration) and yesterday a pair of migrating grebes -- probably Clark's or Western grebes (still trying to figure that out from my photos [added: turns out they were horned grebes]).

One advantage of seeing wildlife nearby is that you get to know where they can be seen/found and you can watch them over a season. In particular, I have watched bird families over extended periods of time. Loons with chicks on the lake in Northern Minnesota where we have a cabin. A great blue heron rookery on the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities metro area. Several great horned owl families in local parks. A great egret rookery in central Minnesota. Deer with fawns and black bears with cubs near our cabin. When you watch creatures over a season, you can tell a story with multiple photos. It's also great fun to see adults interact with their young.

I have found that talking to people I see in these places can also give me ideas of other places to go and creatures to see. That's how I found out about the GBH rookery and the GHO families. If you like to photograph birds, you may be able to find local hotspots and check on recent sightings through E-bird.

And while I love to phootgraph birds and other wildlife, I also love to just see and watch them. Even with species I see regularly. And I can always hope for a better photo than the ones I have.

Where I live we have 19 or so Metro parks. I have my choice of Lake Erie shore or several parks that are more wooded. I have had access to three eagle nests and I'm only a 45 minute drive away from world famous Magee Marsh. I was shooting today sparrows in my backyard.

I know I a lucky to live in Colorado, but even here there are times of the year when things really slow down. None the less, I don't really get tired of seeing the same species in the same location. Here are some examples:

1. When I see a lake full of Canada geese, which are in every lake and pond here in big numbers in the winter, I challenge myself to find a new behavior, an unusual color morph, a flight shot with especially nice background or light, etc.

2. I go to spots where I can track wildlife over time. For instance. there are a couple of breeding eagle pairs nearby that I can check up on all times of the year. I've watched them long enough to know their favorite perches, places to hunt, etc.

3. I continue to find new locations. Even living here all my life, I keep finding new spots, or hearing about them from other photographers. I just learned of a spot I didn't know about that has an owl pair and some unusual woodpeckers, for instance.

4. I often go out with the attitude that even if I don't get a good shot, a bad day outdoors is better than almost any day indoors.

We've lived in northcentral Pennsylvania for 52 years and for all that time I've worked, recreated and photographed in the great outdoors virtually every day over all those years; the only exceptions have been a few trips west and visits to family in other states. I've never failed to find something new to see or somewhere new to go although I often return to the same favorite places where I still find new things to photograph. I've undertaken four projects to take a good or interesting photo each day for a year, and results in an average of more than 100 photographs a day being taken and processed.

I photograph anything from lichens and moss to old growth forest giants and springtails to elk and bears and don't expect to ever run out of subjects. Normally I don't drive more than 2 1/2 hours from home and then it's got to be something special like 100,000 snow geese, the elk rut, a great gray owl or a rare orchid.

For another long-term project I'm considering a photo a day within 200 feet of our back door. We're fortunate in living on the edge of a large wooded area, but we do have a lawn and trees out front so I'm pretty sure I'll be able to find something interesting every day -- we'll see.

Larry Shuman said:

Where I live we have 19 or so Metro parks. I have my choice of Lake Erie shore or several parks that are more wooded. I have had access to three eagle nests and I'm only a 45 minute drive away from world famous Magee Marsh. I was shooting today sparrows in my backyard.

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You must live somewhat near me. You skipped the national park. We do that since it is not on a par with Yellowstone, et al. I'm in Shaker Hts. What's the best time of year for Magee marsh?

I have recently started to photo waterfalls. I'm lucky to be in New England were there are tons and most within a 2 -3 hour drive. In the Buffalo area of NY I'd gotta think there are plenty. Just one ides.
Good Luck

bleirer said:

You must live somewhat near me. You skipped the national park. We do that since it is not on a par with Yellowstone, et al. I'm in Shaker Hts. What's the best time of year for Magee marsh?

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Mid April to the end of May. Some folks hit Magee in the fall , I've tried but to little success. In April the parking lot eagle nest will be active.

If you have a local bird club and are not already a member, consider joining. I am constantly amazed at the variety of birds that members of my club can find, and that I had no idea you could see in my area. It's fun trying to get a pic of something you've never seen before.

Birds! They are EVERYWHERE.

I’m fortunate to have moved to Texas just 7 years ago and have thousands of places to still explore. However I also make 3-5 trips around the US to photograph. I also don’t focus on just wildlife/nature. Having different types of photography at home helps keep things interesting. I always enjoy trying new things.

I used to think that all the really cool birds were far far away but this meant I was taking all the local birds for granted:

Yellow-billed Magpie
Nuttall's Woodpecker
California Towhee
California Scrub-Jay
California Thrasher
Acorn Woodpecker
Oak Titmouse
several species of Hummingbirds
Phainopeopla
Lawrence's Goldfinch

... and much more. Winter brings its own delights in the form of hundreds of thousands of waterfowl at the state's several wildlife refuges, most of which are within a two hour driving radius.

I fell like I've only begun to scratch the surface of California's birds and with a wide range of habitats there's a lot to explore, each varying through the seasons.
Having mentioned this there are a few North American locations I'd like to (re-)visit because when I lived in these spots I didn't take advantage of the birding and bird photography opportunities as well as I can now, being retired. I don't have a great desire to travel halfway around the globe because there's way too much nearby to be bored.

Why not both? What is exotic to one person is likely local to another.

Lucky to call the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica home.

BillW said:

I retired just before the pandemic and planned to do a number of trips to "exotic" locations to photograph wildlife. I managed to get to the Antarctic Peninsula (and back) in January/February 2020, but then all the rest of my trips planned for 2020 and the first half of 2021 were cancelled or deferred due to the pandemic. That got me looking more around Minnesota where we live. And I found a lot of interesting creatures to see and photograph -- a benefit of the changes that the pandemic forced on me.

You may have local parks and widlife refuges nearby. There are a number of national wildlife refuges in Minnesota, several of which are an easy drive from where I live in the Twin Cities. Migration season can be interesting, depending on where you live. Minnesota is on the North American central flyway for migrating birds, which tends to mean you can see interesting birds in the spring and fall that do not live here, but are passing through. We live near the Mississippi River and the nearby Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge attracts lots of migrating birds. I just saw a migrating female surf scoter on our lake in Northern Minnesota today (rare to see here, even during migration) and yesterday a pair of migrating grebes -- probably Clark's or Western grebes (still trying to figure that out from my photos [added: turns out they were horned grebes]).

One advantage of seeing wildlife nearby is that you get to know where they can be seen/found and you can watch them over a season. In particular, I have watched bird families over extended periods of time. Loons with chicks on the lake in Northern Minnesota where we have a cabin. A great blue heron rookery on the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities metro area. Several great horned owl families in local parks. A great egret rookery in central Minnesota. Deer with fawns and black bears with cubs near our cabin. When you watch creatures over a season, you can tell a story with multiple photos. It's also great fun to see adults interact with their young.

I have found that talking to people I see in these places can also give me ideas of other places to go and creatures to see. That's how I found out about the GBH rookery and the GHO families. If you like to photograph birds, you may be able to find local hotspots and check on recent sightings through E-bird.

And while I love to phootgraph birds and other wildlife, I also love to just see and watch them. Even with species I see regularly. And I can always hope for a better photo than the ones I have.

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Bill... you and I should hook up some time.
I live in Stillwater and am enjoying my final year as a high school biology teacher and instructional coach. While I'm sure we photograph some of the same locations, I bet that each of us could add a few new spots to our lists. I think that this is my final year in MN. I moved here from CA and I'm trying to find a way to move back where I can be closer to some family.
Anyway, I completely agree with your description. After reading a few posts, I know that many of us are stuck close to home. For some, it's the pandemic fears, for others it physical limitations or cost of travel. I canceled a long awaited summer trip to South Africa because my wife and partner now has some severe physical limitations. As a result, I've devoted my time and energy to photograph landscapes and wildlife near my home. This has allowed me to develop some intimate knowledge about the migration patterns of birds, movements of mammals, and the way variations in light impact local landscapes.
I have found that if I restrict my shooting to pre-dawn through early morning light, I have the opportunity to make striking images where light and morning fog can make an otherwise pedestrian photo appear unique.
While I would much prefer to be on the road traveling to Africa, Costa Rica, British Columbian, and... I am not going to let my inability to explore distant places squash my desire to make beautiful photos of nature.

bruce

I'm not a traveler so I do local spots ( 2 hours or less) and hyperlocal (walking distance or short drive). I live in Yavapai County in north central AZ, my place is 5300 feet above sea level so please don't think Phoenix. We have several nice artificial lakes nearby, and I can walk to a riparian (creek) area. A wonderful resource for any area is ebird.org - look for hotspots in your area of interest.

I do "exotic" trips - either international or extended traveling in our 5th wheel. AND (drum roll) we just got back from a week in Frankfort, Ky where I photographed the Ky State Capitol.

Seriously I only pick up a camera about 3-5 times a year. I shoot during our trips which I plan hoping for photo ops along the way.

FWIW, even though I live right outside the Tetons and not far from Yellowstone in recent years I do much if not most of my wildlife photography outside the parks. I much prefer getting to know an area well and working wildlife away from the roadside crowds. It may not be as productive as working the parks but overall I find it more enjoyable and many of my favorite wildlife images weren't captured in the parks.

National Forest, regional wildlife refuges and even local parks have been very productive over the years and though I still spend time up in the parks and usually have a camera handy, other than occasional visits to some of the iconic landscape locations I do more photography outside the parks even though I live here.

I really think you need to travel. Variety is the spice of life — and photography. There are only so many times you can take pics of the same thing, though I’d make an exception in the case of bird photography. If you live somewhere where there are a lot of birds, such as Florida, I think you can be satisfied for a long time.

I went last fall to Glacier/Yellowstone/Grand Tetons. LOVED IT! I could probably go again. But if I lived there, how many times can you take pictures of the same thing before you’ve done it from every angle and lighting situation?

Having said all of that, I think we can fully explore our own hometowns more than we do, and can also adjust the genre we shoot. Matt Kloskowski talks about the fact that he used to be a nature photographer, but then moved to Florida, which is pretty flat. So he switched to wildlife, and birds in particular, as there are a lot of those opportunities in Florida.

Where I live the wildlife is shy and fearful of humans (and for good reason) and so there is more need to arrive at a location before sunrise and to make use of a blind. I have looked into using a floating blind but with the ongoing drought this is less useful than for other parts of the USA where water is plentiful.

We are experiencing June weather in October with climate change and that alters animal behavior and I have much less light to work with in the fog and illuminating subjects with flash becomes more of a consideration.

I bought a pickup and added a fiberglass cap and installed a truck tool cabinet so I can travel locally (within 1500 miles of my house) and not worry about theft. Overseas the theft of gear is far less of a concern. Even with insurance it would be very difficult to replace a 800mm PF or a 1.4x teleconverter or Z9 camera or Gura Gear backpack.

Wildlife? Try macro. In Covid lockdown I set up a macro cage and could easily spend as much time in this genre as the thousands of hours I spent birding before spending the same on bird photography. Beware - it is very addictive! Below is an 80 image stack of a scorpion sitting on a rock that contains the oldest animals on earth - 550 million years. The rocks sat behind my shed for 40 years until I took up macro. Beware again - you will want to purchase stacking software once you start. If you include plants with wildlife there are more amazing things to shoot locally than you could shoot in a few lifetimes. Third beware - if you think birds are skittish try some live insects (Clue - find them in the day and then go and look early morning when it is cool - NO CHANCE when they are warm). You will also become a master of flash.

While I love to travel and have spent many years (if I were to sum my travel days) on the road, nothing beats knowing your home intimately. While home base can become humdrum, it also can be an outlet for great creativity. Catching a once in a lifetime shot from a remote destination is exhilarating, but making something unique is often the product of the prior knowledge gained from shooting the same set of subjects...

regards,
bruce

I wish I had a magic answer for your question. The overwhelming majority of my photography is within 100 miles of my home. I am fortunate to live in area where there are very distinct changes of season (Kentucky). I love to photograph during the transitions from one season to another. Fact is, regardless of season or weather, my wife and I just enjoy being out in nature. Some days I take hundreds of photos some days I only shoot dozens. For us it isn't about the quality of the photos it is about the quality of the experience.

One thing I do to mix it up is macro and landscapes. Around here, we have no big mountain vistas, rocky shorelines with crashing waves or other classic landscape scenes but we have a lot of what I call "intimate landscapes." By that I mean a branch hanging over a stream, fall colors on moss covered rocks, gnarled roots of blown down trees, layers of colors in the fields, old fallen down barns in fields of flowers, etc.

You may want to think about giving macro a try, shoot insects, wildflowers, intimate landscapes. Go out for a day with only a 24-70 and a macro leaving the telephoto home. Sit on a rock by the shore of a lake or pond and photograph the dragonflies, frogs, turtles, snakes and birds that come along. If you live in area where you have cold winters, photograph patterns in the ice. Look at little puddles that froze overnight and take photos of the patterns and bubbles with your macro lens. Photograph frost on the edges of leaves in autumn. I don't call myself a "wildlife photographer". I say I photograph nature and wildlife. There are many exciting things to photograph when slowing and looking at the tiny details of insects hiding in flowers, spiders waiting to pounce on a meal, snakes sunning on branches alongside streams and those intimate landscapes where you can play with light and textures on the bark of trees.

One thing I like about photography close to home is I have a pretty good idea, before I leave the house in the morning, what I can find out there. The only advice I can offer is if you're getting bored with the wildlife, try some other things and see if that rekindles your passion.

Hope this helps.
Jeff

jeffnles1 said:

I wish I had a magic answer for your question. The overwhelming majority of my photography is within 100 miles of my home. I am fortunate to live in area where there are very distinct changes of season (Kentucky). I love to photograph during the transitions from one season to another. Fact is, regardless of season or weather, my wife and I just enjoy being out in nature. Some days I take hundreds of photos some days I only shoot dozens. For us it isn't about the quality of the photos it is about the quality of the experience.

One thing I do to mix it up is macro and landscapes. Around here, we have no big mountain vistas, rocky shorelines with crashing waves or other classic landscape scenes but we have a lot of what I call "intimate landscapes." By that I mean a branch hanging over a stream, fall colors on moss covered rocks, gnarled roots of blown down trees, layers of colors in the fields, old fallen down barns in fields of flowers, etc.

You may want to think about giving macro a try, shoot insects, wildflowers, intimate landscapes. Go out for a day with only a 24-70 and a macro leaving the telephoto home. Sit on a rock by the shore of a lake or pond and photograph the dragonflies, frogs, turtles, snakes and birds that come along. If you live in area where you have cold winters, photograph patterns in the ice. Look at little puddles that froze overnight and take photos of the patterns and bubbles with your macro lens. Photograph frost on the edges of leaves in autumn. I don't call myself a "wildlife photographer". I say I photograph nature and wildlife. There are many exciting things to photograph when slowing and looking at the tiny details of insects hiding in flowers, spiders waiting to pounce on a meal, snakes sunning on branches alongside streams and those intimate landscapes where you can play with light and textures on the bark of trees.

One thing I like about photography close to home is I have a pretty good idea, before I leave the house in the morning, what I can find out there. The only advice I can offer is if you're getting bored with the wildlife, try some other things and see if that rekindles your passion.

Hope this helps.
Jeff

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This was very nicely done, Jeff. I found it inspiring. Thanks!