My photographic pursuits blossomed in 2003 with my first small digital camera. I had spent much of the previous 30 years learning the art of wildbird sculpture in wood. "Bird Carvers" styles can vary greatly and my passion for detail and the quest for good reference photo's eventually got me into the field, with camera in hand.
I soon learned that my first 2.5 megapixel camera was not going to get me close enough or capture the detail I was after. I purchased a Swarovski spotting scope and thru trial and error learned how to hold the small cameras lens up to the scopes eyepiece. This method is called "digiscoping" and I was able to achieve some success in using the scopes powerful lens while out birding. Later I upgraded my hand-held camera to a 35mm SLR Canon Rebel with spotting scope lenses that made huge improvements on the images.
After digiscoping for a few years the challenge to improve my images through equipment and technique had me upgrading to a Canon 20D 35mm digital SLR, later purchasing a Canon 600mm telephoto lens with converters and eventually adding a Canon 40D 35mm digital SLR. By this time I was so involved with the success and challenges of good bird photography that I had given up bird carving altogether.
While I occasionally miss the carving and satisfaction it gave, I embrace the challenges that Nature Photography offers and the reward of capturing a rare bird photo or spectacular sunset.
My plans for 2009 are to capture additional quality images for the landscape, waterfall and flower galleries. I also will be hunting digitally for that rare and unusual bird shot.
Thank you for visiting and browsing through my galleries. I hope you will bookmark this site and visit often. I appreciate your passing along this site to your family and friends. Please direct any question or suggestion to my email address.
Craig