Parade

Not to long ago, there was a major controversy with all levels of photographers as the transition from film photography to digital occurred. At the time, there was some advantage to one or the other. So let’s look at the controversy

Film photography involves the quality of image, the picture taking process (more on that later) and…Gee I can’t think of anything else. Maybe you get the idea where I am coming from. Actually, I have several friends which still shoot film and I know of professionals who’s portfolio is composed of black and white monochrome images and they take pride in the fact that the images were produced in the film darkroom. Clues to this process includes the statement there the print is a “Gelatin Silver Emulsion”. You may also notice this in museum displays. This means the print was processed from film using film paper, both of which use silver salts to produce the image. The process can produce stunning black and white prints which are difficult to equal with digital processing. Artists can use the same process for other proposes but let’s stick to photography. The automatic processing of film meant that unless you had a darkroom to do your own processing someone’s computerized processing unit decided on what your photo looked like. Some of us resorted to converting the upstairs bathroom into a darkroom when needed. Anyone want a portable darkroom? Because of the cost of processing film and the time it took, photographers were much more careful about each shot and learned to get the basics- composition and exposure, correct in one or two tries. Color slides were fun because there were no automatic adjustments made in processing. Being a Chemistry teacher, at the time, I enjoyed developing them in the kitchen sink and that was not too difficult. Speaking of Chemistry, the example of photography was an excellent teaching tool.

Digital photography has revolutionized the profession and hobby. Anyone can become an exceptional photographer with some education and effort. The image files, if done correctly, can give a great range of results. Less time is spent in processing and it can be as simple and automated as the photographer wants. Where the majority of time was spent in the darkroom now, by the choice of most of us, we spend more time taking the images. The expense has shifted to how much is spent on software and digital printing instead of film, enlargers, chemicals and paper. Is there any reason to take film?

Images from the Id – Close Encounters of the Moose Kind Part 3 or So What is Wrong with this Picture?

In a span of two summers, I was able to get about 300 shots of moose. Most of the images I could not have gotten in any other place and most are quite nice. But… There are some problems that bother me and have tempered my enthusiasm for wildlife photography. I was trained as a biologist and have always had a love for nature and wildlife and modern wildlife photography has become a competitive “sport”. In the days of film, a good portrait was a good wildlife shot. Now with digital and its advantages of high ISO, fast cameras and long lens along with the ability to shoot a very large number of images and keep the “best”, the results are lightyears better. Now the animal photographs must be active and showing behavior. Sometimes exceptional portraits will score but that is rare. At present when the photographer wants to get that special shot, there is a major competition in the very act of shooting the “shot”, For example, in the moose shots, the first time I went to the site there were 9 moose and 3 photographers within two months there were the same moose but 15 photographers. Shooting the elk rut in Rocky Mountain National Park, about 50+ photographers of various levels. Because of the ability to communicate (social media etc.) along with increasing population of photographers and increased access demand, everyone knows where to go. Apache Bosque in New Mexico attracts millions of migratory birds each winter and thousands of photographers. Arguably, this can effect the lives of the animals. Probably not so much the birds at Apache Bosque because they are so far away but in many cases the proximity of the photographers have changed the behavior of the animals. Moose and Elk are losing their fear of man and man is losing the fear of the animal. It is becoming hard for some to think of the animal as wild. Many people are getting much to close for safety. The poor Park Rangers are going nuts trying to enforce Park rules which are for the protection of both people and animals. It is very hard not to do something dangerous when everyone else is. Environmentalist and conservationists claim that one of the worst practices has become the baiting of animals and birds, most notably the Snowy Owl with mice. There is definite proof that this adversely effects the behavior and survival of the owls and many locations have outlawed it but it is still practiced. The video is an example of the moose getting to close to the photographer not visa versa. The photographer, my wife, had little choice.  

This week’s image is a rutting bull elk at Rocky Mountain National Park last October. The shot is a result of experience and knowledge of the behavior of the animal. I was in a group of 5 photographers using a car for protection “just in case”. I predicted the place where he would appear and location of the bull on a hill above us. I also was ready for his charge back to his harem. Metadata – 1/100 sec, ISO 200 f-13, 400 mm (600 effective) Processed in Adobe Lightroom 5