 I've been asked a lot lately about ISO and picture sharpness. I have an opinion. Just ask anyone that knows me. They will tell you I do! I know we are all sick of hearing this ....we all have our own way of doing things. In photography there is no perfect condition, or equipment. It's our our personal preference. That being said...high ISO does NOT affect sharpness(not considering low shutter speed, subject movement and camera movement). At any ISO sharpness is up to the person holding the camera. What confuses some is sharpness and "grain". Let's pretend that graininess in a photograph is like a persons complexion. Some lucky beautiful people have amazingly smooth, flawless skin. Now let's add some grain. A man for instance has a more "grainy" face. The pours are more obvious along with the hair follicles. There is a significant difference in the fine grained beautiful women and the more obvious course grained man. In film the higher ISO-the more defined the grain. The lower the ISO the less obvious the grain. Here's the gist. A sharp picture is a sharp picture. It does not matter how much grain there is. Two different things. I prefer sharpness over the low ISO/low grain. I feel much greater confidence in low light if I pushed up the ISO a little. Many times my photo opportunity feels like one of a kind. Only one chance to get "that one" shot. It's like risk management. I lower the risk of a photograph being not sharp with low ISO/shutter speeds. Tripods are a must. Bright sun helps. Flash fill is good. Then there is that one rainy day with the White Faced Ibis were running and I wanted a sharp photo. Up went the ISO. The picture above was taken late today in my front yard. Just for the purpose of this demonstration I hand held the camera. Low light macro shot. It was shot at 1/250 of a second at f/11. The ISO 3200. Pretty dang sharp.
 My daughter and I were out last week at Bear Lake looking for wildlife to photograph. Listening was the objective here. For a great distance this woodpecker could be heard. I am not sure what all the banging was about. Looking for food? Testing for a spot to make home? Whatever the case this little guy has a head of steel. And no brain. How can he bang his head against the wood at a high rate and not get a headache. It's all weird. Another oddity of nature. Somehow, somewhere people believe that we all came from a single ameba. Cell splitting, a lot of evolution and then ....banging your head against hard wood. Somewhere in that theory of evolution I get a little confused. This winter and spring my camera has been aimed at birds. A change for me to take such interest in the winged world. This woodpecker was just another new adventure out there. There's more waiting for all of us. And endless supply. Get out and shoot. It's a blast!
  The blogs have been slow in coming..... Last week a few days of relaxation at my house at Bear Lake. No phone lines, no cable, and no internet. Peace and quiet. Before that Yellowstone...THE BEST. This week 24 hours counting holes in a grid ceiling, on my back at LDS hospital. At my age (54) it's always on your mind. Chest pain, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations a definite sign of a heart attack. Hope is that these conditions never are felt. Entering an emergency room with these conditions three things happen. First, you get a pass. No waiting to check in. No long conversations about insurance and symptoms. Right to a bed with friends all around. Second, an invisible sign is place around your neck that says - "pin cushion". And another that says "free, unending supply of blood here. help yourself". Third, a stamp is placed on your forehead that says "no sleep required" I don't think I have ever had the opportunity to spend time in the hospital as a patient. Except one time as an out patient. What an experience. LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah has to be the best hospital in Utah. Maybe anywhere. Truthfully, the staff at LDS Hospital made my personal experience there not too bad. An example..Claustrophobia is a little gift I carry with me everywhere. One test that potential heart attack patients get places you in a piece of equipment that is literally a tube. Good thing for tranquilizers and very kind doctors and nurses. At one time I am sitting on this camera/testing machine with two nurses and technicians waiting for me to give them the OK to go ahead. Now I know what the Norbest turkey feels like in the oven when we wait for the little red thing to pop up. More attention than I have had since I tried to exit a plane while airborne (claustrophobia is a bugger sometimes). After enough Xanax to put down an elephant I did it. Couldn't be more proud. Thanks to the nurses, the doctors, the admitting group, the cleaning ladies and especially Jon my nurse. He offered to hold my hand during the big test if the Xanax did not work. Just kidding. But he was sincerely interested in my welfare. Great people, and a great hospital. Both photo's above were taken tonight on my way home from Washington Park. Washington park is located up Parley's Canyon. While there I had some discussions about photography with some friends and educators. All while wired with a heart monitor. Though I was little weak it was a great time. My heart today was still with photography and as the Doctors told me, doing very well. Another great day.
 Another image of spring for the wildlife in Yellowstone. Click on the picture and look at the ribs and ridge on the back of the buffalo's. These guys and gals are tough. In no time they will be fat, butting heads and rolling in the dirt.
 Spring in Yellowstone is tough as a winter recovery period. Although, monogamous parenting is in the air. Unlike big game, many wild animals that fly pick a mate and stay with them for life. These two Sandhill Cranes have made Floating Island Lake their nursery. Technically a pond, it is prime for a nest site. Once the eggs are laid the vigil of long hours in the same position begin. As seen above the two are spending most their time feeding around the lake. At all times one or the other is at guard for predators. They must have keen vision and other senses. Several times I notice that as a large bird would fly overhead they would look up to see what it was. It intrigues me how these beautiful animals identify each other. While I was there no names were shouted out. Not even "Hey you". There is a definite bond. A bond so great defense from predators can extend to death for each other in that protection. An interesting "tid bit" about Sandhill cranes is they have been known to eat their young if they see a deficiency. Their wing span can be as wide as eight feet. They are graceful in the air and on the ground. This was one of the first photo op's we had the first day in Yellowstone.
 
I think there is a saying that goes like this - "The bad part about vacation is when it's over". It's been an incredible time away. Spring brings new life in Yellowstone. It's good and bad. New life often means easy targets for predators. The good part is the energy, curiosity and ignorance of the wildlife young. The parents of each newborn shows skills that have been passed on for centuries. My thoughts as I witnessed these relationships is that we humans can learn a few things from the wild. It really is a great time to be in Yellowstone. Be prepared. This time of year the incredibly tough winters show it's rage on the wildlife. It's common to witness elk birthing calfs only to immediately be taken by predators. All sorts of animals with obvious signs of starvation. I witnessed a two year old grizzly that had encountered a porcupine. It's face was covered in quills. One of the more heartbreaking natural scenes this photographer has witnessed. It was within hours of losing it's precious life. Barely moving and never lifting it's head. Only enough energy to pick at grass and eat it. Another occasion revealed an elk that had been attacked by a predator. It was wounded bad enough that it could do more than stand. Many times it would stand and attempt to move only to lay back down. The next morning it was gone. It is a sure thing that this elk provided sustenance for another living creature. The "tough" scenes are far outweighed by the beauty and new life in the park. It's the start of a yearly cycle that if missed will occur again next year, and the year after and the year after that. I hope to miss few. There is story to the picture of the buffalo calf in the river. Stay tuned and I will post the rest of the story. Tonight while driving home my eagerness to sleep in my own bed was tempered by the beautiful scene in Randolph, Utah. Laziness is not a trait of a photographer that loves to capture beautiful scenes like the one above. Roadside. Waiting for that perfect placement of cloud and sky. Nature usually gives a lot if you are patient. It was an incredible week capped by a sensational drive home.
 What a day! Beautiful, sunny, low temp's and great company. About a mile past the Tower Junction we found these beauty's. They were accompanied by seven ewes. These poor girls sure were getting a lot of attention......... It was obvious that one of these guys was in charge. No sharing today. And he made dang sure his buddy was not getting any lovin'. A couple of times they had some words. In fact boss man approached me once to make sure I was not interested. Wasn't even on my mind. He charged to me as if to butt heads. Then he saw my head. He had no chance. Seriously my knees shook for a minute or two. Not really big animals. Just not afraid of a good solid head butt. Saw a lot of cool things today. It's late and have to go.......getting up early.
   Is this heaven? How can anyone smile all day. Today is another first. I have wanted and tried to photograph sand-hill cranes in the wild for a few years now. Wow was I lucky today. On the road from Mammoth to Lamar Valley is a pond that every year has a mated pair. This pair calls it home for a short while and hatch and raise their young here. My experience at this pond has been great. From a black bear to moose to fighting coyotes. But today it was "Crane day". Today we saw two grizzly's two black bears, several bull elk, a ton of cow elk and buffalo, sand-hill cranes, great blue herons, a hunting golden eagle, a nesting osprey and last but not least a bratwurst dog with chips. What a day! What will tomorrow bring????? When purchasing the bratwust the counter person asked me today how I was. My response - "better than I deserve".
Who knows which of any of us will become critics. For this week it is all of us! Here is some help. Really I think, like photography itself, it's a personal thing.
Tonight I sit in a hotel in WEST YELLOWSTONE. Hope to get some sleep tonight. It's like Christmas eve when I was 7.
 For those of you that have access, this weeks assignment is to be a critic. Review the photographs of those involved in the assignment and make comments to their photo's. No Mr. nice guy (or girl). Find things that you actually think will help the photograph. Be specific. Mention likes and dislikes. Rate 1 to 10. In the end the photographer should have a clear picture as to how you think the photo may improve with the subject involved. My photo above is waiting for your critique and observations. I have had it filed for some time. As you follow my blog one thing you will notice that is a preference of mine is to limit the clutter in a photograph. Is there a limit to how little can be in a photo? To each his own interpretation. The lovely bird above has a very unique feature. It's red eye. My goal was to find this guy in an area that would compliment his feature with a complimentary color. But not over power it. Overpower an eye ball? You know what I mean. The subject is the bird. The "statement" is his eye. In all aspects of visual perspective your eyes are drawn to red first. In almost the same way the eye is drawn to bright spot(s) in a photograph. So my goal here was to have a complimentary color to the red eye. Also to have very little distraction in the photograph to keep the eye the "statement" in the photo.
  Friday night. What a night. These guys are like watching the "Keystone cops". At times one would sit on the other. Like a hunting cat they would hide and wait to pounce on their sibling. Then without notice they would stop and peer up the hill. Licking their chops as they dreamed of mom returning and regurgitating dinner for them. And often their looks would be directed at me. I laid low in the tall field grass. In an attempt to be inconspicuous I covered the camera and tripod in grass. But their keen senses knew something what out of sorts. My ability to remain motionless except for the occasional twitch of my finger helped keep them from diving to the safety of their den. Jumping, biting, chasing and wrestling was only interrupted by me with the sound of my motor drive. Instantly the activity stopped, heads turned and ears were up. This was only for the first few firing of frames. Soon it was not a curiosity for them. There must have been some level of risk management by the pups. My presence was noted but not escapable. I wonder what is in store for this family. Only two hundred yards from the base fence line. Just over the hill from a new development. The recent encroachment of drilling rigs is evident with their man made tracks passing within feet of either side of the den. Life must procreate. It is inbred into all species. Can this Fox family be relocated successfully? Is it necessary even to do so. Whatever the case may be my time with them will always be remembered and cherished.
 Assignment...lines! I really wanted to push the limits with this one rather than do the traditional converging lines. These lines have no beginning and no end. Crazy huh? Fun Stuff this photography!
 
Just another day in Utah enjoying the wildlife!!!!! Thanks to Duane I was able to photograph a fox den tonight until dark. Five beautiful pups enjoying every second and every little thing. My position was held for almost 4 hours. TB to the max. But it was worth it. A couple of hours of naps. A couple of hours of play. Not me the Fox! It wasn't until I was getting ready to leave when Mom shows up. Too late and too dark. I spooked her a little when I left. Maybe she deserves it for not showing up earlier. What a great end to the day.
This weeks assignment is "Lines" I have had so many opportunities to photograph the wild I have not done the assignment yet. Bet it will get done tomorrow!
 
What a difference a day can be! Last night I made the presentation at Inkley's for their photo education week. What a riot! It was fun. Great people. All with the same passion as I. Thanks to all of you for attending and also the many wonderful comments. This morning was a little bit of a nightmare. As usual the sun crosses the sky and things find their place in life. Stresses lessen and things always calm down. Up night last night...down morning.....BUT!
TONIGHT!!! Oh TONIGHT!! A very thoughtful individual at the presentation last night put me onto where I can photograph an Owl! Barely slept last night. Tonight after work I went to the location. There I was greeted by a volunteer who picked me up in a golf cart took me to the PLACE! In front of me was this beautiful Big Horn Owl. Nesting no less. The little white tuft just below the owl is two chicks. What do you call baby Owls? Chick? Owelette's? Little big eyes? Maybe just wonderful little thing-a-ma-jiggers. Thanks for the information so I could take photo's of a big horn owl, a life long dream. The funny part was the gentleman that greeted me and was so kind says this Owl and her mate are there year round. He kinda acted like he was going to McDonalds for lunch. No big deal. HUH? Yikes where have I been? The reality is, like I mentioned last night, is shoot often and good things will happen. I shoot everyday! Look what has happened. Guess where I'll be for the next.......................:)
 Very busy night..Dancing with the Stars, 24, and preparing for the presentation at Inkleys this Wednesday, 6 to 8 p.m. at 2150 South State in SLC, Utah.
And a great laugh here of my grandson. I laughed until I cried! Enjoy!
 Nikon D-3, ISO 800, 1/6000 sec @f/4.0, -.33 EV, 600mm
There is only one way to stop water droplets at the beak of an American Avocet. A very fast shutter speed. The photo above was late in the day (my usual outing time). The sun low in the sky but direct. To get the 1/6000 of a second shutter speed I had to be wide open and push the ISO up to 800. No digital darkroom work was done with this photo. Simple and basic. This bird moves incredibly fast when "beak diving" for food. A fun bird to watch. Even more fun to photograph.
 This is a second shot in a series. The other shot I posted a couple of days ago of this Great Blue Heron just taking off. This second shot I believe is better than the first. The Heron was flying across in front of me but was getting a little closer as he flew by. As mentioned before this type of shot is easier to focus with the 600 mm manual focus lens. Some day when my wife is not looking I will invest in the 600 mm autofocus. Zoweeee! That will be THEE day. Anyway I like how the framing turned out with the waves of the water are just below the Heron. The lighting coming directly from the left adds great dimension to the Heron. What do you think? My first opportunity for a presentation is this Wednesday the 13th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. It is part of Inkley's Photo Education Week. The classes and presentations are at the Salt Lake Inkley's located at 2150 South State.
 In the next couple of weeks I will be leading discussions and making presentations about photography. The presentations and discussions could be very short. Because in photography it's all about the LIGHT!
 Nikon D-3, 24-70 f/2.8 lens, 1/250 second @ f/10, 65mm, ISO 100, -1.3EV
 Nikon D-3, 24-70 f/2.8 lens, 1/250 second @ f/13, ISO 100, -1.3EV
This time of year the Boise outlying areas are beautiful. Especially today. With the beautiful sky as a backdrop and few minutes to myself, the camera came out.
 Not sure what to say more than the photo already does!
 Soccer Pappa then Bokeh seeker. Yea that's me. You had better believe that if I am passing with 30 miles of the Bird Refuge I feel the need for.........shooting- photography. After my grandsons game my spot at the bay was the same as a couple of nights ago. A lot of action and a great variety of birds. This Bokeh thing is way cool. I thought I spent a lot of time avoiding bad Bokeh. Tonight I was obsessed to get good Bokeh. Oh by the way I booked my first two weeks in Yellowstone last night. Not much sleep for me for a while. Realistically it's difficult to insure good Bokeh with wildlife. I shot several species of birds tonight but had little success. Finally I worked around this Great Blue Heron until I found a spot that I thought would work. The Heron like other birds that fish like this are constantly on the move. This close to their nests they don't stay too long in one spot. To my great pleasure my last position was the best when he took off. The shot was taken with my D-200 on the 600mm effectively giving 840mm. Just what the doctor ordered. The manual focus lens was not too much of a challenge. The focal distance stayed close to the same as the bird flew in front and I panned. The aperture was wide open at f/4.0. Shutter speed was 1/1250 second. ISO 200. The photo was taken just before sundown. It was nice that the Heron was flying directly into the sun. Another lucky night with my feathered friends! Learning the Bokeh!
Don't be looking here for any pictures of the assignment! It may take me days for me to figure out this Bokeh thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bokeh..the new assignment. Thanks Lindsay! I had no idea what this is. Lindsay and I spoke this afternoon. I guess I am the dumb oner here! So I am on the same page with all you smart people here is a definition.
 It is a Sunday afternoon. Shopping, washing your car, relaxing, playing with the kids? Or like me. Church and Extreme Makeover. I love Sundays. A day of relaxation. If your a church goer you may or may not have been taught to keep the Sabbath (Sunday for me) holy. For me a day to unwind and contemplate my life and my family's future. As a famous comedian once said "Can we talk?" With everything that is stressing us about this country right now we need more. More things to look forward to. Young or old it should be a requirement. To have something that we enjoy and DO! Do is the keyword here. Don't get me wrong. We must always commit to our responsibilities-work, family, etc. It's just that little extra bonus to put the smile on our faces. It may be anything, as long as we enjoy it and it does not consume us to the point that our obligations are forgotten. For some their career. Others it may be exercise, bowling, parachuting, knitting, reading, cycling or photography. Dan, in your case you can have two things. That brings me to the photo above. The bikes above are worn and tossed out. They have traveled miles and miles. Is there use complete? Have their lives been fulfilled? No. Now they serve a new purpose. Two-fold. One is they are there for the photographer to capture their colors and artsy positioning. Look close. They are also used for parts. One is just a frame. Maybe the bright yellow seat will be used tomorrow. At 54 years old I am still young. My color is not that of these bicycles. But I may still have a great purpose. Or at least some kind of purpose. If I am to be tossed aside and not used for my experiences, history, or abilities then my life will be wasted. So I must see myself that I, that is I, insure that my future is plentiful. No government, people, church or influence can make me be who I am. I will decide. I will decide to wake up everyday with a smile. The option of not waking up doesn't sound good. I will decide who I associate with. Who my true friends are. I will decide if I believe there is a God. Nobody will change that. I will decide to love my wife and family. I will decide to take a few minutes everyday to record by photography something in nature or manmade that intrigues me and makes me better appreciate the world I live in. The only thing that is not my choice is when I go. God has already decided this. It's part of a big plan. I just hope and pray that I may for a lot longer enjoy all that he has blessed me with.
Nikon D-3, 105 f/2.8 Macro lens, 1/40 sec @ f/10, ISO 200, Gitzo Tripod, Really Right Stuff B-55 Ball head
If you came across this cute little guy on a cold rainy day would you rescue him? He was walking across my new garage floor and looked really down and groggy (you can see it in his eyes). I was compelled to help. I took him in my hand and lifted him to the leaves of our peach tree. As soon as he touched the leaf he began to drink the moisture off the leaf. Before long he was himself again. Click on the photo and look close. He is thanking me for the life saving event of his day. My reward? I'm grounded. When sharing my heroics' with my wife she proclaimed "what if he stings our grand kids?". Not this one. He is my little friend. Lind's has shot with the 105 that I used for this photo. It not only is a macro lens but a great portrait lens. It is a VR lens with an aperture of f/2.8. I love this lens. When shooting macro shots it would be a waste of time to do so without a tripod. To get sharp photo's the camera must be stable. To see more about this lens look here.
Try not to laugh at this baby! My son and I went out tonight so he could witness what I talk so much about. This Black-Necked Stilt took a lot of our attention. And humor! Pink Legs!!!! Come on. This has to be as bad of a mistake at the planning table as the onion. We really should not be eating onions. That's why the warning is there when you cut into an onion. On the bird committee when the world was created a slight mistake happened between the Stilt and the Flamingo. At least in the resurrection they will get their "perfected" bodies. This bird is moving constantly. Dunking it's beak just like the Avocet. In fact that act of procreation is identical to the Avocet. The male has a dark black back with some "blueing". The female is a little smaller and has a slight brown colored back. Beauties in most respects. Just didn't look in the mirror before going out this morning.
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I've been asked a lot lately about ISO and picture sharpness. I have an opinion. Just ask anyone that knows me. They will tell you I do! I know we are all sick of hearing this ....we all have our own way of doing things. In photography there is no perfect condition, or equipment. It's our our personal preference. 
