Sometimes a bad habit can give us a second chance and allow us to avoid making a mistake.
I’ve mentioned before how much I despise culling images but in the past I’ve been pretty good about keeping up with that painful process. Typically I quickly review my photos on the day they were taken and cull them that same day or very soon after. But in the last several months while I haven’t been feeling well I haven’t been doing it. Any of it. I was developing a bad habit and as the number of images built up it became more and more intimidating and depressing just to think about. So I didn’t. Much.
Until yesterday when I tackled that hideous monster. I had over 26,000 photos to cull and I just dug in and got started. After many hours I had it whittled down to 21, 519. Roughly… It’s a good start.
1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
This was one of them I ran across again during the process – an adult Burrowing Owl photo taken on Antelope Island two weeks ago. On the day I took this shot and others like it and then quickly reviewed them at home I planned on deleting all of them. After all, about a third of the owl is hidden by sagebrush and because of a thin cloud in front of the early morning sun there’s better light on the background than there is on the bird.
But when I looked at the image a little more carefully yesterday I decided I liked it. I tried to analyze why and finally came up with the answer(s) – there are two of them. First, I love fresh green sagebrush, for its soft gray-green color, for its smell and for its imagery of western history.
But for me the most important reason involves a memory. For years Burrowing Owls used to nest prolifically in this same small area. Many of my best shots of the species were taken here, including the middle photo in the Burrowing Owl panel of the rotating banner at the top of my blog. But all that ended when tourists and clueless and/or unethical photographers ‘discovered’ the nesting owl burrows. They would walk out into the middle of the burrow area and chase angry owls from sagebrush to sagebrush as they tried to get close with their cameras. Once I observed a group of folks with point and shoot cameras walking right on top of an active burrow and looking down into it.
All that cruel and unethical activity made the owls abandon the area. Until I saw this owl two weeks ago I hadn’t seen another Burrowing Owl in the area in at least the last 5 years, maybe more. So you can imagine how happy I was to see it there and why this image means more to me than it might to anyone else.
And that’s ok. It’s pretty typical for photos to have very personal meaning for some and not for others. That’s one of the joys of photography.
Ron
PS – Back in 2012 I documented and published a blog post about one of the ***hole photographers as he abused nesting burrowing owls in this exact location. He’s one of the clowns that chased the owls away from the area for years. If you’re interested in seeing that post it can be found at this link – “A Plea For Respect For The Burrowing Owl“. But be forewarned, it’s likely to make you angry.
I’m glad you submitted this photo Ron. The Owl is in its natural habitat. It’s a beautiful shot. I don’t get people at times either. Sigh…
And I’m glad you like it, Jean. Thanks.
Oh Ron. Such mixed emotions this post. I am glad to see you posting two days in a row. Very, very glad. And almost as glad that your very itchy delete finger didn’t operate as well as usual and left you this gem to revel in.
I did go to the loved to death post. Anger I expected. Leaking from the eyes I didn’t. I am so often ashamed of our species. Appalled, ashamed and despairing.
Thanks, EC. It’s a sad situation, isn’t it.
It is a tragedy. And as well as the tears I am ballistic with rage.
In these and similar situations I always think of this quote “Grieve. For them and for us”.
Yes.
I’m not even getting into culling images. I do that during winter break and I’m terrible with it and at it. I don’t understand, I can make quick decisions about many things, but when it comes to my camera shots, the rule book goes out the window.
Now, I’m sorry, but you hit sore spot in my brain. I have under the surface (probably age related) seething anger in reference to knowledgeable individuals who know better than to get out of the car or truck when wildlife is close. Or to get too close to wildlife in general and birds in particular. Before saying anything to them I try and take a picture of their vehicle and the individual or group. Then I will try and converse with him/her/them respectfully. In my book it can go only one of two ways – they understand and appreciate the concern, or they don’t care. The pictures are either deleted or sent to the local ranger with a summary of why the pictures were sent. Some birders are just as bad, and some can be even worse, since they seem to feel they have a right to do what they want. I would love to see some ethical training to everyone who birds or buys a camera. Unfortunately, the further man removes himself/herself from nature, their appreciation for subjects like wildlife ethics, picking up your trash, appreciating nature for natures sake seems to take a back seat.
Don’t be sorry about how you feel about this, Dick. It’s a reaction that I share.
I’m glad that photo was “rescued.!” We have those kind of photographers here in Florida. Many of the owl nests are in public parks and are surrounded by posts and tape or rope. Despite this and warning signs the same thing happens. There is no excuse for this behavior, especially from a person who can afford long lenses. One guy said that all he wanted was one “sale-able image.”
Yup, there are jerks everywhere, Ken. It’s pathetic.
So glad this image escaped the clutches of the Mad Culler! What a perfectly delightful shot of the most personable-looking (if not acting) raptor on earth! All the colors, including the background, add up to one terrific photograph. [I have to have a cup of coffee or two before I read about the idiot from a few years back — the kind of stuff that makes my blood boil.]
“Mad Culler – I’ve been given a lot of culling monikers but I think this one is a new one. I’m sure I deserve them all…
😁
And now I’ve read that previous post about the idiot photographer and I’m wishing you could have given him a rumpful of buckshot or something (without endangering the owls, of course). This is the kind of person for whom “it’s all about me,” and it’s unlikely anything you could have said would convince him of the magnitude of his error … but a citation from the rangers — better yet, a jail sentence! — might do the trick. Some days I do wish for — and half-expect –that apocalypse that wipes the human race off the face of the earth so the animals have a chance. 😡
Personally I’d vote for a jail sentence to go along with a hefty fine and confiscation of his photo gear.
Beautiful owl photos. The first in one of my favorite. Maybe one day they will return, but I fear as the Wasatch front population grows there is more use at Antelope Island and more intrusion into the owls natural habitat.
You are nicer than me. I would have asked him move away from the owl and nesting area. Not too long ago there was a man with a drone chasing a group of bison, I approached him and mentioned that I didn’t believe drones were allowed on the Island. He stated he had a license. I asked if it was a license from the park officials. He angrily said he had a license. I snapped a photo of him and his truck license plate, at which point he packed up and left. One of these day I might get punched!
He know precisely what he was doing, April. I know from experience that folks like him are usually belligerent at best, especially with other men who confront them. What I should have done was report him to the rangers.
Perfect bsckground, too….even the dark spot is “right” and adds to the composition……too bad there are so many genuinely stupid people pestering wildlife, taking up space, water, oxygen and other resources…How I wish I could vaporize them…POOF! GONE!!!
Exactly, Patty.
WOW!!! One of the best owl shots ever!!! Love the owl,the silver sage and the composition…a real winner!!! (Hope you’re on the road to feeling better…still think a photo of you while shooting, Pretzel Man, taken by Mia, and shown to doctor is a good idea–so he/she knows what kind of nut they’re dealing with and what happens to your poor back in the process)—also hope finger is healing well…am so sorry you hsve so much to deal with…wish I could help…..
Your feedback from an artistic perspective is always welcome, Patty. Thank you. Actually the finger is healing unexpectedly quickly.
That is such unexpected, but VERY good news!!! So glad it’s healing so well…unfortunately, the hart is much slower to heal when it comes to humaln stupidity and its terrible effects…once again, I find myself wishing I was a poisonous snake…at least I have the personality to be one….sad and mad’!!!
I remember that post. Yep. Angry. I do love this picture.
I’ll never forget that jerk, Arwen. I’m betting he’s local and I hope he saw that I made him ‘famous’.
Great photo and story Ron! I love the soft color of the sage and the background, I can actually smell the sage now 🙂
Oh yes, culling photos. A chore that I often put off. Embarrassingly, I recently found ~ 50 gigabytes of bear photos from a Katmai trip years ago that I had not even looked at yet (other than on the camera LCD when I took them).
I am torn between reviewing and culling photos the day I took the photos, so the memory is fresh in my mind, versus waiting a week or more to intentionally not include my memory/story of the photo. It is a dilemma. I read that for publishing photos, with no written story or narrative attached, it is better to wait since my memory and emotion of the image is not available to someone looking at the photo alone. Including my experience in reviewing the photo might bias my decisions. On the other hand, it is the story behind the photo that frequently “makes the photo”.
Humans are so predictable in their getting too close to wildlife for a photo. The vision of a person walking directly at wildlife as they stare into their smartphone is all too real these days. ( I also see photographers with DSLR’s and big lens walking in that trance towards the wildlife). Not only does it disturb the wildlife, it usually results in lousy photos since the context is lost. I try to teach people to refrain from this bad technique in the workshops I teach, and even though some still continue to walk as close as they can — like some invisible hand is pushing them forward. Somehow the association of a wildlife photographer, stalking their target, seems to be an inherent behavior, especially for less experienced nature photographers.
The value of “look at me, or my photo” outweighs any concern for the welfare of the wildlife. I get it, and a conscious decision must be made to include the welfare of wildlife first.
Social media, smartphones, and the “golden age of photography” with the proliferation and advancement of camera technology increase the numbers of people trying to get nature photographs. This is another reason why I do not give out exact locations to photographers or birders, or really anyone, anymore — even park officials and refuge staff have “leaked out” sensitive location information in some cases. I ask myself now, why does this person need to know where I took the photo? “New Mexico” or “Colorado” is now good enough for me — since those that ask for specifics will be there the next day so they can “get their photo” — I find this to be the motivation for wanting to know location 99% of the time, versus just curiosity. Our advances in information sharing can hurt the wildlife, more than help the wildlife unless a new level of responsibility with that information is taken.
Please pardon my “rant” here, I know you realize these challenges and are one of the most responsible photographers I know out there.
Wow, 50 gigs of bear images that you completely forgot about for that long, ED! An unexpected gold mine I’m sure. I have to ask – do you know how many clicks you put on your cameras on your most recent Alaska trip? I’ll bet that would be an interesting number…
You make some excellent points and you make them very well. I couldn’t agree more.
And over the years I’ve become well aware of how protective you are of your subjects which I appreciate very much. Not only because of what it does for the critters but because it reflects well on wildlife photographers in general. No question we need more photographers like you!!!
Thanks, Ron. On this past trip, I took 16,364 images. Not that many for a month, since I was tent bound with a nasty cold for 8 days and it rained much more than I am used to. When I do landscape only trips, the number of photos is down to ~ 300 per day, however trying to get the action shots on wildlife the number is more like 2,000 per day.
Finding the “unseen” 50 GB of photos was an eye-opener for me, to try and be more purposeful and patient in reviewing images. It so much more fun to be outside in nature experiencing the wildlife, and taking photos, than it is to wallow through Lightroom all day 🙂
I can’t even imagine what 8 sick days confined to a tent in rainy weather would be like, Ed. Glad you apparently survived it with all your marbles!
I’m glad you felt differently about this picture and didn’t cull it. To me, the half-hidden owl is beautiful, a natural portrait of a shy (or just solitary?) fellow. I mean, would you object to a picture of a child playing peekaboo because only the eyes were visible?
Interesting point, Mary. I can’t argue with it…
I think this image is exquisitely poetic, and it’s a good illustration of the frequency with which an artist’s state of mind will influence his/her perception of the worth of a piece
of work currently in progress, especially if the artist is one given to technical perfectionism as a “tic”………hypersensitivity to certain objective aspects of an image can totally blind one
to other, more subjective, less consciously “found” qualities. That’s especially true if he’s feeling irritable, hurried, or frustrated . Years later, on reexamination of a long-stored piece, he’ll
think—“this is actually quite special– I wonder why I hated it at the time ?”—I’d be willing to bet this image won’t be the only gem you recover in your “dig” !
Of course you’re right, Kris.
Even with the images I do keep I often go back in my archives and find hidden gems that at the time I thought were only marginal.
I know how you feel about culling and that ‘it became more and more intimidating and depressing just to think about.’ I have the same project ahead of me because when my husband was able to travel after his diagnosis, we traveled. Did we ever! Now, after 18 months, I’m ready to tackled those memories and the images.
I do love this shot and it’s the sagebrush as much as the owl as that caught my attention first. You’re right, I could smell it!
I’m so glad they are back and I hope that the idiots are not!
Judy, If I had 18 months of culling to do I’d be simply overwhelmed. Not a fun thought and I wish you luck and perseverance with your culling project.
Burrowing owls always look a little grumpy to me — like you’ve just interrupted their nap — and your shot caught that expression perfectly!
I don’t envy you the culling.
I agree, Marty – the adults often have that look and this one is an adult. The juvies are different in that regard…
Definitely worth culling to find that one Ron. You should have taken pictures of all those clueless, stupid, or just plain arrogant folks and posted them:) Hope you are feeling better.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Next time I will, Everett. And sadly, I’m sure there’ll be a next time.
It’s a wonderful shot, thanks for sharing Ron!
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
A lovely picture in every sense…bird, colors, textures! I’ve not been lucky enough to see this species. I sure wish we had the sage around here…it is such a soft color which enhances a photo rather than the bright yellow-green we have which overwhelms the scene. Even the fine texture is better. Oh well, I wait for fall/winter and the color change that brings. I know the ‘swamped in photos’ feeling! I tend to take too many when I’m out and often don’t finish reviewing entirely…I keep thinking ‘that’s what winter is for’ but well you know how that goes.
Yes, I sure do know how ‘that’ goes, Kathy.
Typically I delete significantly more than 90% of my photos and I take a LOT of them so culling is always a huge and unpleasant chore.
I am also glad you didn’t get rid of this photo. I love the colors – they are very peaceful. I am glad you finally saw another Burrowing Owl on Antelope Island. It boggles my mind that people, especially those who want to photograph birds, would behave so stupidly. My natural approach has always been to stop and admire because I am in awe of what I’m seeing. And I can’t fathom disturbing nests.
I agree, Susan. That jerk I documented abusing the owls couldn’t have done it out of ignorance. He had the best and most expensive photo gear for birds so he’d been around the block and knew exactly what he was doing and it’s implications for the owls. He’s one of those folks that consider “The Shot” to be the most important thing and the birds be damned.
It was early morning and there were very few people on the island so he obviously figured no one would see him. I was about a quarter mile away from him when I took the photos so he had no idea I was documenting his activities.
Beautiful! 🙂 🙂 🙂 SO glad you didn’t pitch it! 🙂 The pale green sage with the owl is perfect – whole image is “dreamy”. Lots of “them” out there that “anything for the shot” to hell with what it does to the critter…..:( Don’t envy you having to purge all those photo’s! 🙁
I don’t envy me either, Judy.
One of the only positives about culling photos soon after you’ve taken them is finding the occasional ‘gem’ of an image you didn’t expect. But I’d already reviewed those 26K photos for gems so I’m pretty sure there aren’t any more of them. That means the process is just plain drudgery with no gems to be found.