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Warning: Totally unrelated to photography, but hopefully this might help some of you out there going through a similar scenario.
Many years ago I was working for a software company and let's just say that I and they were not really mixing too well. Every day I went into work, determined to be a better employee, and get along with everyone, but it just didn't happen. Actually, the divide only got worse. In speaking with my boss at the time, who did some digging into this social nightmare, I learned that the other employees were intimidated by me and he agreed with them.
I actually laughed out loud when he said that, because no one had ever told me this before. I mean I was in total shock. Only a couple years later another person told me the same thing while I was working out at the YMCA. Again, shock and dismay flowed through my pitiful little brain pathways. How could this be? At the YMCA, I had never even talked to this person or said a word against them. Yet they were intimidated.
Another time, my wife and I were talking to another couple and they seemed to agree with all we were saying. After I got home, I asked my wife if she thought the couple really agreed with us or were they just avoiding conflict. She informed me that they were avoiding conflict. I was totally floored by this!
It was after these experiences that I began a long look at who I was and who I am as a person both from a physical, spiritual and mental perspective.
The Physical
I think it is important to stop here and take a real look at how you are built and how you hold yourself as a person. In my case, I have a fairly large frame, but don't have height. I am only 5'11 with shoes, so height is not the issue. I do have a large shoulder and chest girth and a thick waste. I guess when I am thinner I have more of a bull dog look.
When I stand straight, which I often do, my arms hang naturally away from my body and do not go flat against my frame. Move up to my head and here is where things get interesting (or stupid depending on your perspective). I have a large brow and honestly a fairly large head. This leads to kind of a perpetual scowl, and the more I concentrate on something the deeper the scowl. It actually doesn't mean a thing as I can be in deep concentration and completely happy at the same time. I have actually had people ask me if I was angry because of this scowl. Then of course I have to go into this long thing about how people think I am angry and I am really not. Ugh! How many times must I say this in life :)
So for people like me, there is no doubt the gene pool is working against us on a social level with body type alone, but I think we need to dig a bit deeper. Much of this is about how you carry yourself. If you project strength and have a body to match, then it stands to reason folks might find you intimidating on the surface. Don't get me wrong, I am no Thor! I am not even remotely close. I'd hate to see how people acted if I had that kind of body and demeanor. God help me!
The Social/Mental
So I have established that I have body traits that certainly could be interpreted as intimidating or at least something to think about on the intimidation front, but how many people have this type of body type. I personally know several who do. Do I find those people intimidating? I think the answer is yes and no. Do I want to get into a physical altercation with these folks? Heck no, but are we really talking about that? It's not like some guy is going to just come and beat me up at work. OK, lets get on with what I really think ads the fatal ingredient to the soup. That fatal ingredients are projection and mental strength and those really are not physical.
When I talk, I am loud and project in a booming voice. Kind of a chest thumping baritone voice. This has more to do with the mental and my upbringing than physical. When I speak I wish to be heard and I project out in loud voice. As a child, I spoke too fast and mumbled. To compensate I began to slow down and speak louder. Something like people tend to do with foreigners, but not quite as condescending.
Next, I am a strong willed individual who has strong opinions about politics, religion and general living. It is who I am and it is unlikely to significantly change in the future. When I was younger I often saw myself as the protector and defender of those who couldn't defend themselves (both verbally and physically). Whether I really was that person or not, that is how I saw myself and why I project strength. I think this is probably one of the reasons my wife was attracted to me. Strength means security and protection.
During my younger years, I had great sympathy for the underdog, the nerd, the person who couldn't seem to get it together. Perhaps these were qualities I feared were in me or what I feared I would become. Maybe even empathetic is a better way to describe this strange code of underdog morality.
Finally, I think over the years, I have just become hardened. Hardened by all I see on the news and all I see around me. I have lost some of my sympathy and empathy, but I still remain largely as I was all those years ago. I do not get along with fakes, elites or those who would subjugate others for their own gain.
Conclusion
Honestly, most of what people see when they see me is a big dude who doesn't take anyone's nonsense and this is at the very least, untrue. I am large framed, but like most big framed guys I am quite tender hearted. Honestly, I want to avoid danger if at all possible. However, if I am outnumbered and feel like I am being attacked or my character is under attack, I will fight back with that big voice and strong posture. TV has much to do with how we view intimidation. We all remember "Biff" from Back to the Future, right? What a big, mean jerk, right? Yeah, except the actor who played him was kind and tenderhearted. To be honest, I have seen more men who are short and skinny who are much more like Biff than Thomas Wilson(actor). He sure does fit the part though, right? Tall, big head, big brow and a scowl.
I think in the end, it's really all about genetics and life experience. It is who I am. You can like it, learn to live with it, or embrace it. The choice is yours. You can let others define you and become a drone or blaze a path forward accepting who you are. Just understand that trailblazers face a lot more danger than the conformist. Those who choose to have an opinion can very easily be labeled and become targets. This I think is especially true in the politically correct world in 2016. The age of the strong, opinionated man has largely come to a close. Society prefers the weaker, drone bee who is easily pushed around and has no sting. I fear for our future when we marginalize people based on looks and demeanor, rather than what is in the heart. What will we become without strength and passion?
Whatever you do, don't change who you are to fit in! You might need to watch anger or frustration levels and know when to keep your mouth shut, but don't change who you are to match someone else's idea of what a person should be. Strive to be more like Jesus Christ and test what you are about to say against the Bible if at all possible. Even if you don't think Jesus was God, you can't argue with his character. Try to be tenderhearted and forgiving. Pick your battles and make sure you understand the cost before opening your mouth. Our tongues can be used to fight for others or destroy others. The latter is a path of anger and frustration, but the former is one of respected strength.
There are times in life where I chose to destroy with my tongue, and honestly I regret those days and beat myself up over them more than most know. There are also times I fought for the truth against hateful and angry people. In times like these you also can feel pretty bad and it is hard to convince yourself it is worth it. Again it is so much easier to be a drone. But don't do i! Be you!
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I am just finishing up my second season of "The Joy Of Painting" by Bob Ross. For those who don't know much about Bob, he was a painter who lived in the latter 20th century and was known for his gentle nature and "simple" wet on wet painting technique. He was often quoted as saying, "you can do this!"
The fact is most people completely tuned out what he said moments later, and rushed out and bought his latest painting kit in hopes of becoming the next great painter. What he said moments later is that you must practice these techniques, and when you learn those techniques, you can apply them and great wonderful paintings. I believe, in essence, he was correct on both accounts.
I think in many ways photography is the same way. The beginner often looks at great wildlife photographers like Art Morris and Moose Peterson, and truly believe they can run right out and create beautiful images. In fact they are right, but the timetable to get there is all wrong! Look back over your life. Did you do anything that didn't take some practice? Swimming, biking, basketball and soccer took years of your time before you really began to grasp the finer points. Why then do so many think photography is different?
I think the answer is this: everyone has a camera, and so everyone thinks they can make great images. In the back of their mind they are equating a snapshot of the family dog with a shot of an eagle snatching a fish from the water. The two, of course, are very different indeed.
The other huge mistake people make is equating equipment to great images. Although it is true that cameras and lenses do play a major role in creating great images, only practice and patience combined with gear will make you a better photographer. I can't begin to tell you how many times someone has said, "wow, you must have a nice camera to make that image." Well, actually it is a fairly nice camera, but it is about 9 years old and way off the current specs. The camera is only about half the equation. The other half is YOU!
In conclusion, let's use our painting analogy one more time. If I were to go out and buy the whole Bob Ross kit, with all the accessories and play his DVD in the background, do you think I could create his painting? Well, the answer is yes and no. My first attempt would no doubt fall flat, but as I kept going and practicing, my chances of making it to his level increase day by day. The same is true of photography. You will never get good, by sitting on the couch and watching videos of how to be a great photographer. The only way is to get out there at least several times a month and make it happen. Get out there and do it! Practice, practice, practice!!
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Florida is rapidly becoming my favorite place to photograph wading birds, shorebirds, gulls, terns and for that matter any bird who loves water. Florida, is about 20% water, making it ideal for these various species of birds.
If you look at a map of Florida, pick out Orlando and draw a line west of the city and east of the city, you essentially have a belt consisting of heavy bird populations year around, but specifically in the Spring and Fall. In the first blog entry, I am going to specifically look at Orlando and what it has to offer in the springtime, and finish up in the next installment with Fort Desoto in western Florida.
Gatorland
Located in the Orlando area is a long running attraction called Gatorland. Gatorland is essentially that. It is a chunk of land with a high number of captive alligators. So what do alligators have to do with birds? Well, I am glad you asked. In essence there is a semi-symbiotic relationship between the alligators and the wading birds. You see, the alligator is a formidable foe for any animal, and so the fact they are there in the bird rookery, protects the wading birds from egg predation. That's right, the gators protect the newly hatched chicks from the evil predators lurking nearby. In return, the gators try to lunge at the birds from time to time to see if they can get a snack. It is a win-win for both animals. Don't worry the birds win most of the time.
So, the fact has been established that wild birds come here for protection during the breeding season, but I didn't tell you just how many. How about hundreds, all in a small rookery, with gators lurking in the waters below. It is something amazing to behold!
The rookery itself is a small area in the back of Gatorland that was designed so visitors can view the birds and the alligators pretty much living in peace and they are very photographer friendly. They offer day passes, photography passes and ticket add-ons to satisfy anyone's needs.
What Types of Birds Can I Expect?
During my visit, I saw almost entirely, wading birds. The liittle blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, wood stork, great blue heron, osprey, red-shoulder hawk and black vultures were all in attendance.
As you enter the rookery, you walk along a boardwalk, which winds down the west side of the pond. To the east, is a large pond where the alligators live and surrounding this pond are an abundance of plant life native to Florida. The birds can't resist this flora for nest building. Literally, you are surrounded by birds at almost every step. In the morning the sun will come up over the eastern side of the rookery, and illuminate the western nests and boardwalk, while in the afternoon, the sun shines on the far side of the pond. The morning time is best for taking shots of the nests themselves, and gathering portraits of the birds. Late afternoon is excellent for flight shots and environmental shots of the birds across the pond. Don't worry these birds are highly accustomed to humans and do not fear you hurting them or their chicks.
What Gear Do I Need?
The list of equipment you need is relative to what kinds of images you wish to capture. If you only want portraits of birds and shots of their nests, then a 70-200 would be the perfect lens. However, if you want shots of birds in flight, I highly recommend a long telephoto zoom such as the Sigma 150-600 or the Canon 100-400. As far as bodies, I recommend taking advantage of the full frame camera, if you have one, because it will give you the sharpest and cleanest image quality. Personally, I love my 1 Series camera and used it quite effectively (in my opinion). You may also want to bring a flash with a soft box attached, for portraits in the shadows, but that is completely optional. Fill flash did help a time or two for me. If you want to reach the far side of the pond for shots, I recommend a 500-600mm lens with possible use of a 1.4x teleconverter.
Sample Shot List
Here is a sample shot list that might help you:
- Tight head shot portraits of the herons/egrets in the morning hours along the boardwalk
- Flight shots: birds landing, taking off and in transit between nest and food sources
- Parent and chicks shot: look to take these in April and early May
- Shots of birds taking sticks to build nests : look to take these throughout the spring breeding season, but particularly in early April and late March.
- Possible silhouettes as night falls
So that is pretty much it for Gatorland. It is a great opportunity to photograph wild birds nesting and carrying out other important mating rituals. You can spend a week here and get the photography pass for $80.00 and it is money well spent! You will not be dissapointed here.
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