The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum is located in south Philadelphia, by the airport. I’ve been there on numerous occasions for bird watching with friends, but it’s also a good location if I feel like getting out to do some macro photography without having to go very far. It’s pretty amazing that there’s actually a wildlife refuge within Philadelphia!
Macro photography is one of my favorite types of photography and something I’ve been doing since I began doing photography. There’s a big world out there just waiting to be discovered with a macro lens; things that you don’t see with the naked eye. I prefer to shoot plants and insects in the macro range, but over the years I’ve found an obsession love in photographing dead plants. I prefer to call it “necrofoliage”.
My recent visit to Tinicum yielded some pleasing photos…despite my annoyance with the Philadelphia residents who make their cell phone conversations known from a mile away…and the families that let their children run wild throughout the refuge and then yell for/at them from across the way…forgetting that there are people there who are trying to get a break from other people and city life. I guess you can’t expect to have everything!
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I’ve developed quite a liking for photographing animals in the studio. However, it is definitely some of the most challenging photography that I’ve ever done. Animals generally aren’t of the posing type so test shots are pretty much out of the question so you have to get the lighting perfect from the get-go. You have to be fast with the focusing because they move around A LOT and it’s really difficult to get any part of their body in focus, let alone their eyes. They’re generally small so it’s difficult to position the key light in such a manner that you get a well-lit subject without blocking the light while also still letting them see their owner. I got about 15 minutes of shooting time with the cute and precious, Bella, before she was tuckered out from her model shoot. Nevertheless, I did manage to get about a dozen decent shots. Here are a few samples! Many thanks to Mike, my website guru, for providing the great model!
If you have a pet that you’d like to be photographed, please drop me an email!
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I’m not a fan of summer on the eastern seaboard, but I’ve been pleased that autumn is finally showing its face. The weather has been lovely…and perfect for doing nature photography at that! This past weekend I took advantage of the great weather and drove to Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster County, PA. It’s been over a year since I last visited Middle Creek, but the beauty of the area never fails to impress me. This day was no different. It’s a known place for birders throughout the region who frequent the area looking for migrants, rare birds, and the snow geese (that show up in the winter). Raptor migration is occurring right now so no matter where you go in this region, you’re likely to see large groups (kettles) of raptors in flight, almost invisible to the naked eye because they’re flying so high. Without even trying to look for raptors, I spotted about 5 kettles of raptors during my drive to and from the area. Anyway, the weather was perfect for getting some great landscape photos as well as macro.
With much help from friend and code guru, Mike Panic, andipantz.com is back online! It’s been a few months, but stay tuned for frequent posts and updates once again and check back often!
