The PhotoWILD Podcast

In season one of the PhotoWILD Podcast, we talked about how we prefer not to use camouflage in the field, relying instead upon our body language and behavior to help keep animals calm. However, there are times in which camouflage is a necessity in wildlife photography. Whether it’s working with animals that experience hunting pressure or photographing sensitive situations such as nests and dens that require the upmost stealth and concealment for the protection of the animals, camo is a tool that should be used strategically. Not all camouflage is created equally, however. Most of it is completely useless for wildlife photographers. The vast majority of mass marketed camouflage works only inside of one extremely specific situation. Outside of this scenario, it works against you. In this episode we take a look at the art of concealment, how predators make a living by staying hidden from prey and how wildlife photographers can emulate the tactics of predators to get closer to wildlife. But to understand how and when to use camouflage first requires an understanding of how our subjects experience the world. Humans are unique in how we see the world around us. Very few animals see what we see. And to assume that what looks “good” to us will offer concealment from other animals is a recipe for failure in the field. https://photowildmagazine.com

Ethology is the study of animal behavior. As wildlife photographers, what could be more important to our success in the field? Things like autofocus systems and exposure, while important, are the most rudimentary aspects of the craft. The ability to create in-focus photographs that are properly exposed only means you are now able to properly use the equipment in your hand. This doesn’t translate into a compelling or beautiful photograph any more than learning how to hold a paintbrush and mix paints allows you to create the next great masterpiece. In this episode of the PhotoWILD podcast, we discuss animal behavior, the importance of educating yourself on the subject, and how understanding our subjects allows us to anticipate their behavior and set our selves up for success in the field. Understanding our subjects, their behavior, their ecology, what makes them tick, and therefore where we can find them and photograph them, is the secret sauce of wildlife photography. To put it simply, if you can’t consistently and predictably find and approach wildlife on their terms, then it really doesn’t matter how sophisticated your autofocus system is or how expensive your lens was because you are going to have a very difficult time being a wildlife photographer if you can’t put yourself in front of wildlife. While the importance of understanding animal behavior cannot be overstated, so to is understanding how our own behavior is being interpreted by animals. Every time we step into the field, forest, tundra, or whatever habitat or ecosystem you wish to substitute into this statement, we are entering into a two way conversation with every sentient creature within eye, ear, or smell (?) shot. This episode discusses all of this and more. And for that reason, it may be one of the most important episodes we have done thus far. PhotoWILD Magazine The PhotoWILD Podcast is brought to you by PhotoWILD Magazine, where we take the discussion in these episodes much further. If you are serious about your wildlife photography, if you are someone who realizes this is not just a hobby but a way of life, then PhotoWILD Magazine is for you. photowildmagazine.com Workshops Would you like to join us in the field? We offer small group hands-on field workshops designed to not only put you in front of incredible opportunities, but to help you take your wildlife photography to the next level. photowildworkshops.com

things hummingbirds Hummingbirds are some of the most extraordinary families of birds in the world whose natural history often defies belief Understanding the natural history of these species is important for trying to sell photographs of these birds as 99% of photographs we see of hummingbirds are created with non-native species in situations that would never occur in the wild Understanding how to use flash will dramatically elevate your bird photography, especially when working with hummingbirds Flash is one of the most important creative tools we wield as visual artists Using flash to think outside the box can elevate your photography to new levels The lost episode has been found! In this show, Jared Lloyd and Annalise Kaylor discuss photographing hummingbirds 8,000 feet up in the cloud forest of Panama. Far from being diminutive and delicate little birds, hummingbirds are some of the fiercest, most territorial, and biologically extraordinary species of avifauna in the world. Did you know the Aztec god of war was named after and depicted as a hummingbird? Did you know the cold weather of mountains helped to drive the evolution of hummingbirds? Did you know that at any given moment, hummingbirds are no more than 20 minutes away from starvation and are forced to go into a state of torpor (true hibernation) every single night to survive! And when it comes to biological diversity, Panama plays home to roughly 1/4 of all hummingbirds in the world. Photographing hummingbirds in the tropics can be one of the most impossible tasks you will ever encounter as a wildlife photographer - if done wrong. As anyone who has laced up their boots and trekked down a muddy trail into the emerald kingdom of the rainforest can attest, wild encounters with these birds are extraordinarily fleeting and often mere flashes of color in the mid-canopy. For this reason, 99% of hummingbird photography occurs at purpose built setups with anywhere between 1 - 5 off-camera flashes. Professional nature photographers the world over utilize field set-ups, or outdoor studios, for creating images that would not be possible otherwise. However, far too often, non-native species are used to create these photographs. While hummingbirds are only found in the Americas, often we see them depicted with flowers from South Africa such as the bird of paradise because these are planted around eco lodges where most of these photographs are created. Likewise, species of poison frogs that may be rare and endemic to a small isolated region of Central America, are more often than not, depicted on flowers from Asia such as the Asian ginger. How we create field set-ups matter. From how we work with the animals to keep them safe to ensuring that we creating photographs that actually tell the unique story of the species within our photographs, a lot of thought and intention should go into how these set-ups are created. Flash is an important component of photographing not only just hummingbirds but most wildlife when working in the dark recesses of the neotropical rainforests. While flash is a staple of so many genres of photography, when it comes to nature photography it is the least understood aspect of the craft. But it shouldn’t be this way. Learning how to utilize flash will revolutionize your photography in so many ways. Interested in learning more about the workshops we do in Panama? https://www.photowildworkshops.com/cloud-forest-panama-workshop https://www.photowildworkshops.com/panama-wildlife-photography-workshop The PhotoWILD Podcast is a production of PhotoWILD Magazine. Not familiar with us? https://photowildmagazine.com

In this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss their time photographing rare and endemic species in the cloud forests of Panama. Forget everything you think of about the tropics when it comes to exploring the forests that grow at 8,000 feet in the mountains. Dripping with moss and bromeliads, the high mountain peaks are like islands in the sky. Each mountain holds its own menagerie of endemic species and thanks to the elevation, each and everyone must be cold adapted despite being so close to the equator. Working from purpose built blinds to photograph species of birds that are rarely seen, let alone photographed, an ornate hawk eagle made an unexpected and dramatic cameo appearance in the forest nearby. Jared and Annalise discuss the challenges of suddenly finding themselves confronted with such an extraordinary opportunity in the deep forest. One of those challenges is getting past, psychologically, the urge to create knee jerk documentary photographs. Despite the rarity of a situation, composition and story are still of upmost importance - likely even more so that normally from the perspective of making a living with your photography. And in this episode, the hosts discuss how they worked to pull together creative compositions to move past the oh-so-boring bird on a stick composition, and instead create images that go beyond the trite and cliche to tell stories that sell to magazines. Jared and Annalise offer workshops to the cloud forest of Panama. If you would like to know more about this opportunity, check out: https://www.photowildworkshops.com/cloud-forest-panama-workshop

In this episode, Jared and Annalise do a deep dive into how camera companies are adding Artificial Intelligence to our autofocus systems and the ways in which this is truly revolutionizing wildlife photography. Making several treks by boat to a horned puffin colony this summer to experiment with the new autofocus modes that capitalize on this new technology, Jared and Annalise discuss how this has dramatically improved action photography like birds in flight. Photographing puffins in flight is a challenge for every photographer. Small and fast, flying at nearly 60mph, there is nothing easy about keeping up with and capturing in focus images of puffins in flight. However, with these new AF area modes, success rates are skyrocketing to 90% or better. Key Takeaways Every camera manufacturer today has introduced Artificial Intelligence to their autofocus systems, but this is largely limited to flagship models. The one exception to this at the moment is the Sony A7RV and the Nikon Z8. Understanding how to use these new AI autofocus modes will dramatically improve your birds in flight photography. The real revolutionary aspect to this is the fact that these settings now allow us to focus on the things that actually make a great photograph: light, backgrounds, composition, etc. This episode discusses a number of birds in flight techniques throughout the entire show. Are you ready to finally master birds in flight? Jared and Annalise have two spaces open on their Epic Eagles workshop in Alaska next winter. Find out more here: https://www.jaredlloyd.com/epic-eagles

In this episode, Jared and Analise begin their series on photographing brown bears along the coast of Alaska. Wildlife photographers the world over know about the legendary opportunities the combination of salmon and bears provide. From July through September, wildlife photographers willing to go the extra mile, willing to hop on bush planes and float planes and travel to the remote wilderness of this landscape are presented with what can be non-stop action photographing bears as they fish for salmon - the lifeblood of this ecosystem. This year in Lake Clark National Park, Jared and Annalise found themselves spending day after day with two sows with spring cubs. While they travel to this remote roadless national park each year for the salmon run, this year the tiny spring cubs stole the show. Key Takeaways Summer and fall provide different photographic opportunities in Alaska for bears. Anyone who is trying to plan a trip to Alaska for brown bears needs to understand the differences so they can capture the types of photographs they are looking for. When it comes to raising cubs in the wild, every bear has wildly different parenting styles that have an impact on how these bears behave around people, other bears, and most importantly, the survival rates of the cubs themselves. In this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss the psychological impacts that compositions have on those who see our photography. Simple tweaks to our angle of view dramatically change the look and feel of our photographs by creating the perception of three-dimensions in our wildlife photographs. Wildlife photographers can borrow strategies directly from portrait photographers and painters to dramatically enhance their images of wild animals. For those who are interested in learning more about composition, Jared is in the middle of publishing an on-going series on the Art of Composition which can be found on the PhotoWILD Magazine membership dashboard. In addition access to all of the back issues of the magazine, and our library of ebooks, subscribers also have exclusive access to articles series such as the Art of Composition and Zen and the Art of Finding Wildlife.

In this episode, Jared Lloyd and Annalise Kaylor talk shop after spending 10 days on boats photographing in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska. Kenai Fjords is one of the most dynamic landscapes on Earth and plays home to an extraordinary diversity of wildlife from marine mammals to pelagic seabirds. The PhotoWILD crew timed their expedition to the edge of the world for the peak of the orca migration. Following huge schools of chinook salmon, each day was filled with countless orca sightings in addition to humpback whales, Stellar sea lions, harbor seals on icebergs, sea otters, three species of puffin, and so much more. Key Takeaways Photographing from little boats in a big ocean can be challenging and how to overcome those challenges There really is no such thing as bad light, only our lack of knowledge of how best to exploit that light When the photography gods throw you lemons, make high key images Ice drives the entire ecosystem here Mastering Light book discussed in show: https://www.photowildmagazine.com/mastering-light Want to join us in Kenai Fjords next year? https://www.jaredlloyd.com/wildlife-of-kenai-fjords-photography-workshop

Sometimes it's the ancillary equipment, all the other stuff we use in the field, that can be the most important pieces of equipment we own. As wildlife photographers working in the 21st century, we are bombarded by marketing and advertising for the latest greatest cameras and lenses. Should we buy this camera? Should we switch camera manufacturers? "If only we had ___ lens, our photography would be so much better!" But the truth of the matter is that the equipment you already have in your hands will get the job done. Working professionals like ourselves used to use manual focus lenses, with film that had only 5 stops of dynamic range, and only 36 frames per roll of film. And yet, we still managed to create compelling photographs and make a living selling those photographs to magazines and such around the world. In this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss one of their all time favorite pieces of gear that has absolutely nothing to do with cameras and lenses: floating blinds. Floating blinds have the power to completely transform the way you approach you wildlife photography. From your ability to approach and photograph birds and mammals around the water, to the type of images, the look and feel of the compositions, floating blinds are a critical piece of gear in our kit. Because floating blinds are a unique concept that most photographers may not have heard of or are not familiar with in North America, Jared and Annalise discuss all the ins and outs of the different floating blinds they like to use before the next episode of the podcast where they dive into the stories behind their time photographing in the endangered Prairie Potholes Region of North Dakota. In the Summer issue of PhotoWILD Magazine, there will be a feature article all about the the strategies we use for working from these blinds: how to use the topography of the landscape to funnel animals to you, how to eliminate 90% of the landscape around you so you concentrate your efforts where the lion's share of the wildlife is guaranteed to be, and so much more. https://photowildmagazine.com

In this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss everything you could ever hope to know about photographing bighorn sheep. Given the extraordinary amount of snowfall in the Yellowstone this past winter, the bighorn sheep opportunities were truly incredible. Jared and Annalise spent two months this winter in Yellowstone and much of that time was spent working with and photographing these mountain monarchs. Key Takeaways Where to find bighorns in the winter and why you will find them in the same place every year The biggest conservation challenges facing bighorn sheep today Winter brings unique challenges, but none more so than falling snow When the snow is falling, you need a solid focusing strategy as the success rates of most AF Area Modes falls to 25% or less in falling snow Backgrounds with bighorn sheep are more important than most other species in the Yellowstone Ecosystem Creating separation between our subjects and the background will make or break your compositons and is one of the most important considerations we make in the field day in and day out Creating three-dimensions in our compositions is critically important The importance of slowing down and dedicating yourself to working with one species at a time when on a photography trip Want to join us in Yellowstone National Park next winter? https://www.jaredlloyd.com/winter-wildlife-yellowstone Don't forget, subscribers to PhotoWILD Magazine will have a chance to join Jared and Annalise in Alaska this summer for a private workshop photographing brown bears. Want to know more? https://www.photowildmagazine.com/brown-bear-workshop-giveaway

Winter brings a host of different challenges for us wildlife photographers. More often than not, we tend to think of enduring the cold and slippery road conditions as the big challenges of winter. However, when it comes to photographing animals this time of year, there is so much more to overcome than just our own physical comfort. Quite frankly, the very nature of physics is working against us this time of year. Key Takeaways Snow absorbs more red light than other colors. This tends to give snow, especially in low light conditions, a blue tint that can completely destroy our photographs in ways that no amount of post-processing in Lightroom or Photoshop can ever correct. Cold temperatures often results in out of focus images. In this episode we discuss exactly why this occurs and the ways in which you can quickly and easily solve this problem in the field. Falling snow often renders autofocus systems obsolete. However, there are AF area modes that we can use to easily overcome this. Winter offers us incredible backdrops to photograph wildlife against while the deep cold often provides us with amazing behavior we simply cannot see and photograph at any other time of the year. However, the obstacles we discuss in this episode are tremendous hurdles that must be understood and overcome to take advantage of the photographic opportunities this season offers the serious wildlife photographer. But to be able to solve these problems requires us to first understand why they happen and how to handle them in the field.

In this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss photographing pelagic seabirds at a nesting colony along the Caribbean Coast of Panama. While many different species utilize the island, the red-billed tropicbirds and brown boobies stole the show. The word “pelagic,” means open ocean. These are species of birds that spend their entire lives on the wing out over the ocean, returning to land only once a year to breed. Of all the many species of birds around the world, pelagic seabirds are both the least understood and also the most threatened group of birds on the planet. Key Takeaways in this Episode When it comes to photographing birds in flight, backgrounds are everything Contrasting colors are one of the most important considerations when it comes to choosing how and where to photograph a species. Experiments are beginning to suggest that turning off eye detect autofocus increases success rates with birds in flight Understanding how to use close-focus priority autofocus area modes will dramatically improve your bird in flight photography. Equipment Considerations Bird in flight photography is always easiest when hand holding a lens. But when it comes to photographing from a boat, this is a must. Finding a balance between weight and focal length is important. On this particular trip, Jared used a Nikon 500mm PF f/5.6 lens with the FTZ adaptor on a Nikon Z9. While this is a fantastic little lens, Jared said he will never do it again. The weather sealing of this lens was just not up to par with what was demanded of the equipment this year in Panama. And by the time they were in boats photographing pelagic seabirds, the 500mm PF lens had condensation INSIDE of the lens itself. This dramatically impacted the lenses ability to find and accurately lock focus. Instead, Jared had to switch to his Nikon 120-300mm f/2.8 lens instead. This lens, while perfect for photographing monkeys and sloths and various mammals in Panama, was not brought with the intention to be used to photograph birds on the open ocean. Next time, Jared will bring the Nikon 400mm f/2.8 w/ built in 1.4 teleconverter instead for this situation. Annalise used the Sony A1 with the Sony 400mm f/2.8 and had no trouble with weather proofing. While a heavier lens then most would opt for using to photograph birds in flight, the superior glass, weather sealing, and autofocusing capabilities of this lens proved to make the additional weight well worth the effort.

There is so much that goes into planning a photography trip. It doesn’t matter if you’re heading out for the afternoon in the field or taking off on a monthlong expedition to some exotic destination, when it comes to what we do, there are always decisions to make and chief among those is what equipment to bring and why. In this very first episode of the PhotoWILD Podcast, recorded in a hotel room in Panama City overlooking the Pacific Ocean, we discuss how we go about making the gear related decisions that we choose. Regardless of where you travel, deciding which gear to drag along always boils down to the conditions you will be working in and the subjects you will be working with. Identify these things, and you will find you have a very clear road map to use when making gear related decisions.