5 Tips for Making the Most Out of the Next Snowstorm

If you live in North America, you probably don’t get too excited about snow. For many, snow is just a nuisance that needs to be cleared out of the driveway, but there is much more to snow than just shoveling. For photographers, snowstorms will give a new and fresh look to a familiar sight. Even in New York City, one of the most photographed cities in the world, you can capture exceptional, never seen before, images during snowstorms. Ask any Eskimo, and he will tell you that snow can come in many forms, each is unique and will have different effect on the environment and therefore on your photos. With that in mind, I compiled some tips that will be helpful if you want to get the best of the next snowstorm.

1. Protect yourself

Leaving the house during a snowstorm or a blizzard can be a very bad idea if you are not prepared. Staying dry, warm and safe while being out in the storm should be your number one priority. Before leaving the house make sure to take with you waterproof gloves and knee-high snow boots. If you have ski equipment, don’t hesitate to use it for your photo shoot. I always wear my waterproof ski outfit when I’m out photographing in the storm. This includes ski mask and goggles. Goggles are especially useful during blizzards as the combination of wind and snow is very painful for the eyes. Underneath all of the above, I wear thermals long sleeved shirt, leggings and socks. Another thing that always helps me stay warm are hand warmers, and my favorite hack is to put them inside the boots.

2. Protect your equipment

As I see it, there are three main options to protect your gear during a storm. The first one, if you are dealing with light snow and no wind, is to go commando - hiding the camera under a jacket or umbrella if you have a friend with you. Some DSLR cameras are weatherproof and my Canon has suffered through many trips in snowstorms without any layers of protection. The second option is buying a camera water protector. I bought one around $10 and it worked beautifully during the latest, 2016 blizzard Jonas. Having said that, if you move around and don’t use a tripod it is not the most convenient option for operating the camera. So a third option is to create your own water protector by using the thickest garbage bag you can find. You simply cut a hole in the bag for the lens, then place the camera inside the bag with just the end of the lens sticking out through the hole. Now, you can mount the lens hood over the plastic bag to keep it from moving and blocking your view. A rubber band can be used as an additional safety measure.

3. Take a friend

During snowstorms the streets are usually empty. A person standing in the middle of the road, holding a black umbrella, can make the difference between a nice photo and an exceptional one. However, finding someone in that perfect position is not an easy task. Moreover, waiting for the right moment to come during a storm can be exhausting. Sending a friend to pose for you, holding that perfect colored umbrella you bought in advance, is much easier and highly recommended for the quality of your photos as well as your safety.

4. Look for landmarks


So you are out on the city streets, during a snowstorm, looking for your next shot. Including the city’s landmarks in your photos is going to be a safe bet. In New York City for example, aim for composition that will make the location recognizable, such as a subway station entrance, Empire State Building and yellow cabs. These will provide an instant context and their familiarity will be the initial bond of the spectator with the photo.

5. Put the finishing touches

Now, after walking in the storm and taking all these images, you come back home only to find out that the beautiful snowflakes are nowhere to be seen. No worries, a few steps in any photo editing app can transform your images from that old winter look to the new and fresh 'winter wonderland' look. A few basic steps that I always start from can help you make that change: Take the highlights down, clarity up and get rid of the shadows. As a result, more details will appear in the image, including the snowflakes. After doing these three steps, you can now better appreciate the quality of your image.

More Tips:
5 Tips for Capturing Beautiful Photos at the Zoo

5 Tips for Capturing Beautiful Photos at the Zoo

If you ever photographed animals at a zoo, you probably know that it is far harder than it seems. When taking photos at the zoo, you need to avoid bars and fences, dirty, stained and reflective glass, people that block the view and also bushes, trees and logs inside the exhibit. Sometimes you can’t even see the animals because they are hiding. Even with a clear view, the animals are most likely to be resting or sleeping, often facing direction opposite from the human spectators. On the other hand, the admission fee is much cheaper than a flight ticket to Kenya, and in one visit to a large zoo you can see more species of animals than you would if you took a trip around the globe. With that in mind, I compiled some tips that will be helpful if you want to get the best of your visit to the zoo.

1. Overcoming barriers

To avoid the bars and the glasses, get as close as you can to them. When I’m shooting through glass, I take off the lens’s hood and place the lens against the glass. To avoid bars in the photos I open the aperture as wide as possible, usually f/5.6 and wider.

As for the crowd, I strongly suggest to get to the zoo during an ordinary week day. Although it is possible to get nice photos during weekends, holidays or pay-what-you-wish days, you should try your very best to avoid them. Another possibility is to buy a membership, which (in some zoos) allows you to enter before or after official opening hours.

2. Stay in one exhibit

Zoo visitors tend to move around very quickly between the exhibits. They will spend less than a few minutes looking at a specific animal. When I go to the zoo, I choose one exhibit and stay there for most of the day. Of course, choosing the right exhibit is crucial and following the next tip on this article will be extremely helpful for you.

After studying the animals for a while, you can learn about their favorite resting spots and walking paths, group hierarchy and daily schedule – when they are sleeping, feeding and playing. Soon enough, patterns emerge, and it is becoming easier to predict what the animals will be doing next. With experience, you can also predict the location where it is going to happen. This information is crucial because it allows you to set up the gear and be prepared when the action begins.

3. Babies are always a safe bet

Babies are cute, lovable and are more likely to move around the exhibit and play. They are also very curious and will investigate every inch of their exhibit. If there is a baby in the exhibit, odds are that the adults will also be more active and display natural behavior. Among the different animals at the zoo, baby apes are extremely lovable because of their resemblance to humans and because they display a wide variety of facial expressions and emotions. I for one, can never get enough of watching the great apes.

4. Telephoto lens

Not applicable for all exhibits, but in the right place and the right time, a telephoto lens can give you a great advantage over “civilians” with their point-and-shoot cameras (and, of course, their iPhones). It will allow you to get a nice close-up portrait, even if the animal is keeping its distance.

Long focal length, together with wide aperture will overcome some of the barriers and soften the artifacts in the background into a nice-looking bokeh.

5. Love and be emotional

I have a deep, profound love and respect for wildlife. I only go to modern zoos, like the Bronx Zoo, which I know spends a lot of efforts in wildlife conservation and education. When I photograph, I let my emotions go through the lens and translate them in the photos. If you feel that emotion when looking at my photos then I’ve reached my goal.

The article was published in 500px Prime

More Tips:
5 Tips for Making the Most Out of the Next Snow Storm

I dream of Colorado

After dreaming about it for so long, I finally made it to Colorado and this time I took my parents with me. My first goal was the Rocky Mountain National Park. The fall greeted us as we drove up the mountains. Patches of yellow, orange and red escorted us along the way. Yellow grass, blue sky and sheep-like clouds formed the view wherever we turned.

The first sign for what we were about to encounter next was literally at the entrance sign. As soon as we stepped out from the car we were surrounded by cute little squirrels like this Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel, beautiful jays and magpies. It seems that all these little creatures associate humans and food so they come right out to see if they are going to be lucky. One man standing next to me told me that the minute he opened the door a magpie immediately jumped in it to look for food.

It is very tempting to feed the wild animals, especially when they are begging for food. However, feeding wildlife is illegal and dangerous to the animals, as well as humans. One of the things one should always keep in mind is that different animals have different reactions to the same type of food. For example, most humans love avocados but it is extremely toxic to birds and also to horses, cattle and goats. Sometimes, feeding wildlife can be lethal. 

During our first day at the park we roamed around Horseshoe Park and Bear Lake. Around sunset we saw dozens of elks; bulls, cows and calves, coming from the mountain's forest toward the meadows. We heard the studs call and saw them rounding up their harems and chasing away satellite bulls who were fighting in the background.    

After seeing all the elks I was desperately looking for moose. When the sun set down I found one, but it was already too dark to take a photo. Meeting some of the locals, I ask them about the best places to see moose. They laughed and told me that the best place to see them is in their backyard. They also said that "moose are mean animals, they will stomp you to death. Mothers with calves are especially protective and you should keep away from them. You know, our old mayor was killed by a moose".

Early morning, two hours before sunrise we drove into the park. The moon, or should I say super-moon, was over the mountains looking very impressive. The sun began to rise and colored the meadows and the elks with gold.

After the sun came out we took the "Trail Ridge Road" up to the sky. During our first stop on the trail, we were again surrounded with squirrels and birds looking for food. This time, the Clark's Nutcracker, also appeared. The squirrels were fearless and they climb the humans as if there were rocks. One of them was climbing my hand while I was taking their photos. 

The weather and landscape changed dramatically as we drove to the top. It was freezing cold and occasionally snowing. At the top of the trail I was looking for pikas. If the pika looks familiar it is probably because of the pokemon Pikachu which is basically a pika. We started walking and found some elks and bighorn sheep. After a few minutes of sitting near the rocks and staring at them they finally showed up, running between the rocks and collecting food for the upcoming winter.

Stopping at the Alpine Visitor Center along the way we saw two yellow bellied marmot as we were walking through the back door of the center. They were collecting food and couldn't care less about all the people that gathered around to watch them. 

At this point we all had mild symptoms of  mountain sickness in the form of a headache, so we headed down the mountain. The Rocky Mountains were breathtaking, the view was spectacular and looking back it all felt like a dream. I only wish I could dream this dream forever.    

More Photos from Colorado - Mount Evans, Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak:

California Dreams

I always wanted to see wild elks. I spent hours looking for them at Yosemite National Park, but I never saw one. Finally, a few years ago I found out that there is a small herd of elks about an hour drive from San Francisco in a place called Point Reyes National Seashore. That same weekend I drove to Point Reyes and I was not disappointed, with all the wildlife I saw there it was almost like going to the Safari in Africa.

Last weekend I visited Point Reyes again and this time I found the famous cypress tree tunnel. I'm not sure how I managed to miss it during the previous two times I have been there. To a photographer the tree tunnel is a must! It is located on the main road, near Point Reyes beach north, just look for a sign that says: "North Historic Operation Center". As it was almost the middle of the day the sun was not in the best position but, I did my best. My first priority was to photograph the elks during sunset so I knew this was my only chance to capture the tunnel. After enjoying the tunnel for about half an hour, I drove directly to the lighthouse and elephant seal overlook.

The elephant seals were laying far away on the beach but I was delighted to see a group of dolphins approaching. The first sign for dolphins was a flock of birds (pelicans, seagulls and cormorants) aggregated in the water before me. A quick look around and I spotted a group of dolphins swimming in circles, some of them were mothers with calves. After looking at the photos, and with the help of Point Reyes staff, we identified them as Harbor Porpoises.

Not to far from them, while walking towards the Historic Lifeboat Station, I saw some colorful birds. At first I mistook them for puffins, but a closer look reveled they were Surf Scoters. These large ducks were the perfect ending for this part of the park.

Driving away from the elephant seal overlook I looked for the Black-tailed deer. They are very easy to spot at Point Reyes and always a delight to look at. After spotting the first deer it is very easy to spot the rest of them and it is also a good practice for finding other animals in the bush,

Birds of prey are also very easy to spot at the side of the road. They will usually stand on poles and road signs. Mostly I saw turkey vultures and red tailed hawks but a few times I was fortunate enough to see the peregrine falcon and burrowing owl. After practicing on spotting deer and birds of prey while driving I caught in the corner of my eye a Black-tailed jackrabbit.

The jackrabbit was sitting in the grass, near a farm house. By the time I processed my thoughts I already passed it with my car. I pulled back and took a quick photo, I was worried that a bird of prey will spot it because of me so I quickly drove away and continued my way to the Tule elk reserve.

I didn't have to look too far to see the elks, a big herd was standing on the side of the road. There was one bull, about 20 females, 4 calves and a few adolescents males. The sun was beginning to set and the light was perfect for taking photos. Howling coyotes added a soundtrack to the wild atmosphere.

After spending two or three hours with the elks I decided to take advantage on the remaining light and look for animals on my way back home. Driving back, every few minutes, I saw a brush rabbit grazing. Later, I was greeted by the California quail, standing on a pole a few miles after the elk's exit gate.

Last but not least, after practicing on spotting wildlife the whole day, I saw the Great horned owl standing at the top of a tree. This owl, unlike the frightened rabbits, was not impressed by the car. He flew directly above my head, from the tree to the field across.

As I drove out of the park I saw a small but colorful rainbow hiding in the blue-purple skies, it was a beautiful sunset and a perfect day, I can't wait for my next visit at Point Reyes.

Eversunny in Everglades

For my birthday, I took a break from the snow and went to Florida! Visiting Everglades National Park was definitely the highlight of my trip. I saw so many animals there: alligators, crocodiles, manatees, dolphins and birds, lots of birds. I also got the best present ever, a private tour with captain Dave Hunt. We got up before sunrise and drove all the way to Flamingo, Everglades National Park. 

It was pouring rain as we drove through the park and we were worried that we might have to cancel the trip. When we arrived to Flamingo, I put on my rain jacket and went down to the marina to look for manatees. Standing in the rain, I was looking at the muddy water and a manatee raised its head high above the water. This was the first sign that this was going to be a perfect day.

Just a minute later, the rain stopped, we got on the boat and sailed out of the marina, through the mangrove forest to the bay. As soon as we were out, we were met by two bubbly dolphins, who were playing alongside our boat. As we were on a very tight schedule, dictated by the tides, we had to leave them and sail to the crocodile sanctuary.

The sanctuary is a huge, muddy swamp area, which is flooded during the high tide and exposed when the tide is low. We arrived at the low tide, when the mud becomes a feeding ground for birds. We saw some very rare birds for the area, such as the Long Billed Curlew.

Action was all around us and some of the most interesting photos I took were of animals that caught their prey. On one occasion, on the right side of the boat a crocodile just hit the water and on the left a raccoon caught a crab and ran with it to the forest.  

I also really like this photo of a Wilson's Plover, who looks very pleased with the huge shrimp he just caught. The plover was straggling with the shrimp for a while, so I was able to get some nice photos of the scene. 

A very disturbing sight was of what appeared to be an eel holding on to legs of white ibis. The ibis was laying flat on the ground with its wings spread and was surrounded by other curios birds. The Asian swamp eels are invasive species in Florida and are causing damage to the local wildlife population. The scene was unpleasant and also far away from the boat, so I prefer to just share an unrelated photo of two juveniles of white ibis.

The swamp was a fertile ground for reflection photos, like this photo of a Willet walking between the puddles. 

It was time for us to take a break. We stopped the boat next to a flock of Royal Terns. Dave brought freshly baked banana bread and star fruits from his garden. These, with the combination of ice cold water, were absolutely perfect. 

After the short break, we headed towards the open area of the bay, where we looked for land patches that the birds are going to occupy when the other parts of the park are flooded at high tide. We were eagerly waiting for the Roseate Spoonbills and the Black Skimmers, but, unfortunately, while several flocks of skimmers have passed near our boat, none of them landed in areas that our boat could reach.

We then left the skimmers and went to look for the dolphins. We found a school of about 20 dolphins, playing and hunting in the mud. The dolphins were in very shallow water, less than one meter deep, where they have developed a unique way of catching fish: one of the dolphins will circle the fish while using his fin to raise mud from the bottom. The stressed fish try to escape, jumping out of the water, above the mud barrier, right into the open mouths of the awaiting dolphins. We saw them repeat the drill several times, but getting a good photo of fish and dolphins together proved challenging. I did, however, get some nice photos of the dolphins. 

After a wonderful time with the dolphins we sailed to the mangrove forest and from there back to the marine. In the marina I spotted five manatees, three adults and two cubs, all swimming just a few centimeters away from the edge of the platform. Around the area, there were quite a few nests of osprey who appeared to have very little fear of humans, one of the nests was directly above the canoe rental. Also near the marina, across the bridge, you can usually find the American crocodile bathing in the sun.

As I anticipated, the Everglades were the gem of our visit, I can't imagine going to south Florida without visiting the them. Birding with Dave was a wonderful adventure and I can't wait to go back. 

More photos from this trip to Everglades:

Reddish Egret 

Blue Heron 

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

Anhinga

Black Vulture

Alligator

Peregrine Falcon

Snowy Egret 

Wood Stork