Blogging about Wildlife, Photography, Conservation and Everything In Between
Happy New Year!
Just a quick post for another free wildlife photography wallpaper. Just click on the image for the full sized version or use the link Free Nature Wallpaper – Snowy Egret.
As many of you know, I love to take pictures with digital SLR camera traps. I am still learning a ton about it and people are always getting new and exciting pictures. So I wanted to point out that the BBC released the winners for this years camera trap competition. There are amazing pictures in their gallery — I would highly recommend checking them out!
Two of my images made it as well, both as commended wildlife portraits. The Genet from Yemen.
Small-spotted Genet (Genetta genetta) at night, Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
and our local Bobcat from Aptos.
Bobcat (Lynx rufus) in forest, Aptos, Monterey Bay, California
As you can see, the other people in the group are amazing camera trappers, it is an honor to be commended and have my photos displayed alongside theirs.
Ps: My personal favorite is the snow leopard (what can I say, I am a sucker for cats!)
It’s been too long since I have posted some digital SLR camera trap shots so I figured I’d get my butt moving and show you what has been walking through the woods as of late.
I have had the first picture in my mind for years, I wanted to get a deer jumping over a big log. I set the camera up over a year ago but kept only getting deer butts instead of them jumping at the camera. Patience finally paid off as this buck jumped our way.
Mule Deer buck jumping over log, Santa Cruz, California
Some animals prefer to take the easier way apparently:
Juvenile Bobcat on log at night, Santa Cruz, California
A little bit further down the path I set up another camera trap set-up. The first thing to come by was the ever reliable Mule Deer (or Black-tailed Deer, which ever name you prefer):
Mule Deer buck in forest, Santa Cruz, California
…and then, my first Coyote image using camera traps. I know, I know, for my fellow camera trappers this is not a big deal, but when you can add another species to your camera trapping list you are jumping up and down, running down the street (it leads to some awkward and perplexed stares from the neighbors).
Coyote in forest, Santa Cruz, California
That’s it for now, but hopefully more coming soon!
It’s almost time for Open Studios again!
Quick Facts
Santa Cruz Open Studios
Artist #106 (South County)
Location: 1174 Brommer Circle, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Dates and Times: October 6th and 7th from 11am until 5pm each day.
There are a few changes this year. One, I will only be open the first weekend of Open Studios which is the 6th and the 7th of October. The Open Studios calendar states that I am open on encore weekend which is not actually the case due to a film project in which I am participating, so please note that in fact the above dates are the only times I will be available. The doors will be open from 11am to 5pm each day.
Secondly, I will be doing open studios at a new address:
1174 Brommer Circle, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
The 2013 calendars will be released, we have some new greeting cards this year, and of course new fine prints. I also decided to re-implement my offer for a 40% discount on your whole order for anyone donating $50 to the Foundation for the Protection of the Arabian Leopard in Yemen (cash only please, cashing checks in Yemen bears tremendous bank charges). It was a huge surprise to the foundation when I handed in all the donations last year and being there personally I saw the increased conservation opportunities for the people who are working hard to create the change needed to protect the Arabian Leopard. I will have a donation box at Open Studios for this purpose.
As usual there are a few friends of mine whose work I would recommend seeing as well:
Stacy Frank (North County, open the 13th–14th, 21st–22nd) – etchings, lithographs and monoprints of natural scenes
Gero Heine (South County, open the 6th–7th, 21st–22nd) – nature photographs, mostly from Africa and India
If you are unable to attend, you always have a chance to order online.
I hope to see you on the sixth or seventh of October!
Finally, as a heads up….no Bavarian pretzels this year; the pretzel baker (aka my dad) has moved back to Germany.
Finally, finally 
the Santa Cruz Open Studios are organized by the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County. They do an amazing job each year and all participating artists are better off due to all their hard work. Please check them out at http://www.ccscc.org/
Last weekend, I went to photograph Tule Elk in Point Reyes National Seashore on Saturday, camped out, and then took some sunrise pictures in Mount Tam State Park. I made a short video of the whole thing. This is my first video, ever, so go easy on me .
Here is the link to the youtube page for bigger viewing.
My very good friend, Dan Shively was awesome and not only helped me shoot this video but was an all around champ! Thank you Dan! The music was provided by Javier Suarez (Jahzzar), please check out his facebook page.
All gear was carried in an Osprey Aether 70 Backpack and the whole video was shot on a Canon 1D Mark IV.
Finally, special thanks to:
Kailani Polzak (post production assistance)
Marshall and Mallory Moore (scouting assistance)
Last years backpacking and nature photography workshop in the Sierras was a blast. It was a unique workshop to instruct and a great experience for all involved. So, we decided to do it again this year!
Sunrise over Sierras
Check out the full details here!
Juvenile California Condor male, Pinnacles National Monument, California
Our most Endangered Neighbor is the California Condor with less than 200 individuals in the wild (There are about 181 in captivity). Like the Sea Otter, the low California Condor numbers are due mainly to historical reasons. Many were shot since they were seen as threats to livestock (sadly not true as they are strict carrion eaters) and for museum specimens. Then, as for so many other bird species, came the problem of pesticides, specifically DDT. It caused their egg shells to be too thin, causing them to break.
Soaring juvenile California Condor, Big Sur, California
Though Condor numbers are on the rise the still face modern day threats:
California Condor juvenile male flying, Pinnacles National Monument, California
Though these guys are not as cuddly and cute looking as our beloved otters, there are still people who are devoting their life to saving this amazing species. Mainly, the people from the Ventana Wildlife Society’s Condor Project are responsible for their increase in numbers by managing and conducting a few different projects.
Replacing batteries on radio transmitter on California Condor, Big Sur, California
Monitoring California Condor at Release Site, Big Sur, California
California Condor release, Big Sur, California
They (here Lyla Hunt) also get to clean out the dead rats used as food for the California Condors in their holding pen, Big Sur, California - yummy!
Radio tracking California Condor, Big Sur, California
In fact, the wild flock in central California, aka along the Big Sur coast is a direct result of their dynamic efforts.
Now as always, there are plenty of little steps we can all take to help condors out. Trust me, if for no other reason than this one, you want these guys to survive to see one of them soar near you. Their impressive nine foot wing span is awe inspiring!
So here are the steps you and me should be taking!
California Condor and Turkey Vulture flying, Big Sur, California -- oh yeah, there is a size difference
Waleed Al'Rail with Leopard Foundation's camera trap, Hawf, Yemen
As I wrote in a previous post, using camera traps in wildlife photography provides its own unique set of challenges and possibilities for unique photographs. Using camera traps in a different country is a totally different story.
Before this assignment I was only operating one camera trap, but by the time I was getting on a plane to try and get some pictures of the mysterious wildlife Yemen has to offer they totaled five. There was surprisingly little resistance by the immigration people of Yemen to my equipment and me coming into the country. This was mainly due to the fact that I am not a journalist and even more importantly all the work David Stanton and Yousuf Mohageb had put into making this step of the project go smoothly (David is from the Foundation for the Protection of the Arabian Leopard in Yemen and Yousuf Mohageb runs Arabian Eco-tours).
David Stanton (right) and Yousuf Mohageb (center) eating dinner, Yemen
Bureaucratic problems avoided, it was time to focus on placing the cameras in spots where there were good chances of animals coming by. While Waleed Al’Rail and Murad Mohamed (both are Yemeni Arabian Leopard researchers) were checking their cameras and showing me the area, I was imagining all the good locations for the camera traps along the game trails we were using. When I expressed my ideas, Waleed and Murad made me aware of a problem I had not even considered. Yemen is a Muslim country, and in Islamic law it is not accepted to take pictures of woman. Sure that’s easy to control when you are behind the camera but when you put the camera out in nature, especially in an area like ours where people use the land and a daily basis, it is incredibly challenging. There was a fine balance between a good location for the cameras and one that women may use while they were deployed. If women saw the cameras, I was told, they would get destroyed.
Keeping this in mind, we deployed three of the five cameras into the cloud forest habitat of the Hawf Protected Area. Three days later a cyclone arrives (the worst in forty years) and destroys, or better yet, completely obliterates one of the cameras. One camera down, it was beyond repair.
Cloud forest, Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
Flooding in the Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
Broken camera from camera trap, Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
Nonetheless the camera captured one image before being flooded.
Honey Badger (Mellivora capensis) pair, Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
The other two cameras also snapped a few images.
Indian Crested Porcupine (Hystrix indica), Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
Arabian Caracal (Caracal caracal schmitzi), Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
White-tailed Mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda), Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
Small-spotted Gennet (Genetta genetta), Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
Honey Badger (Mellivora capensis) juvenile, Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
After a couple of weeks we placed the two remaining cameras into the far desert inlands. Animal densities are definitely lower in this area but a few different animal species are present there as well.
Desert, Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
Arabian Wolf (Canis lupus arabs), Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis), Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
Spiny Mouse (Acomys cahirinus), Hawf Protected Area, Yemen
Throughout camera trapping in Yemen I was surprised by the lack of camera trapping results. It was quite interesting how much more wary the animals are of foreign objects here, I think caused by the constant human pressure on them. As you can see from the pictures as well, most wear taken at night. Animals in Yemen are more nocturnal than in areas where hunting pressures are not as strong. While I was there I heard three live rounds go off, no doubt each time the rifle was aimed at an animal.
Now if only this was an Arabian Leopard
I recently scheduled two photography workshops for the month of May. Many of you expressed interest in upcoming workshops so I wanted to let you know about them. Both workshops are very limited in terms of number of participants since I want to ensure everyone gets the individualized attention they deserve. This also means though that they fill up really quickly.
May 5th, 2012 – Moving Away from Auto
This workshop is designed to get you moving away from shooting in the auto function to allow you to be in control of your camera. With the gained knowledge in this workshop your creativity can take off and you can create the images you desire. This workshop is appropriate for people who have recently purchased their cameras and are ready to move to the next step or for people who are ready to make the leap into the manual modes of your camera. Limited to 4 participants. Full Details
May 11th and 12th, 2012 – Taking Your Images to the Next Level
This workshop is designed to get you to make pictures not just take them. We will cover a range of topics and will stress the importance of making conscious decisions about what picture you are trying to achieve and changing your camera settings to get those results. This workshop is appropriate for people who know basic camera functions but are looking to improve their picture quality. Limited to 8 participants. Full Details
Finally, feel free to message me back if neither of these workshops suits you and why. If I get enough of a response with common interests/needs that are different from the above I will try to arrange a workshop that fits those requests. Also, check back since I will be scheduling more workshops in the future.
There are a few blogs I really love to read and I thought I would share them with you to check out as well.
Jake and Christian are not only friends but they write a great blog about camera trapping as well. They concentrate most of their camera trapping efforts around the UCSC campus, therefor the name Camera Trapping Campus (though to be honest this is me just assuming that) as well as in Marin county. They are maximizing the use of their pictures by sharing their insights on how the pictures were achieved through their blog as well as in the classroom.
They were both nice enough to answer a few questions that I think can provide a very helpful tool for your own camera trapping adventures and its applications. Plus if you have a chance to check out their blog you will get hooked, just as I was about their nature adventures!
Camera Trap Image: Gray Fox in Sierras - Copyright Jake Kirkland
Q: How did you two first get into camera trapping?
Jake: I first got into Camera trapping when I found a picture on the internet. It was of a bobcat carrying a gopher snake in its mouth. The picture was taken in Marin County near where I grew up which was extra exciting. I learned that it was taken by a camera trap and by this scientist who ran a blog and just happened to teach a class on the art of camera trapping. As I am sure you know by know the blog was www.cameratrapcodger.com and the scientist was Chris Wemmer AKA The Codger. Well the class was happening in three weeks and I was not going to be able to attend, so Christian, Sean and I vowed to take the course the following Summer, which we did. I got an off the shelf camera the Christmas before the class, but only got to try using it a few times before the course. At the course we got a chance to use homebrew cameras which I had always wanted to use. After the course the Codger, held a workshop for four of us at the Cal Academy where we learned to hack our own cameras. I should also mention that I had been a reader of http://natureofaman.blogspot.com/ and Randomtruth was also taking the course. We all became friends and have gotten to do some great camera trapping together over the last year and a half.
Christian: About two years ago, I was searching online for any tips on sea caves to explore in Point Reyes. The Codger’s blog came up as a search result — of course a post about Mountain Beavers — and I was immediately intrigued. I had never heard of a Mountain Beaver before or camera trapping and the idea of photographing all of these amazing creatures was an truly thrilling concept. I think I immediately emailed Jake, completely stoked on pursuing the idea. One thing led to another and the next summer I was enrolled in the Codge’s Sierra Workshop.
Q: What would you consider the advantages and disadvantages of camera trap photography?
Jake: The biggest advantage for me is it allows me to do some wildlife photography when I really don’t have much time for it. With a camera trap I can spend a half a day once a month setting up and picking up cameras and get some good shots. Another advantage is that since you are not around to scare the wildlife, you may get some good behavior that you would not get stalking them or from a blind. The major disadvantage is that you don’t get to frame the shot as you would with traditional photography. One of the best things I learned from the Codger is to frame your camera trap shots with an eye-catching background. I still have a long ways to go in improving on this.
Christian: The advantages of camera trap photography would be time efficiency, safety in regards to both humans and animals and also the ability to capture reclusive animals that are virtually impossible to capture with live photography.
From what I have experienced, the disadvantages are primarily not being present to monitor the cam — those pesky problems of batteries running out, a leaf or branch that has grown over the lens, or even pickiness over how the animal is framed. However, for the latter issue, a skilled cam trapper can develop skills to create a set that has a high probability of success in terms of framing.
Camera Trap Image: Bobcat - Copyright Christian Naventi
Q: How do you select a specific site to set up a camera trap?
Camera Trap Image: Gray Fox - Copyright Christian Naventi
One of the great features of my school is the collaboration that exists between staff. The high school class this year is teaching an Environmental Science class and elements of camera trapping will tie in with that curriculum. In general, I believe camera trapping can be a useful tool to introduce students to different environments, animals and their behaviors. The payoff for only a small amount of work can be quite fantastic.
Camera Trap Image: Bobcat - Copyright Jake Kirkland
Jake: We still have many many goals we have yet to achieve. No Mountain Lion yet and every camera trapper needs one of those in the bag. I aim to get kit foxes next year in the Mojave Desert. That should be a very attainable goal. I would also love to get ringtail and the Mojave may be a place for that. We both are very excited by trying to get Red Tree Voles back in Sonoma County in collaboration with the Codger. I have yet to get a bear or a Mountain Beaver on one of my cameras so that will be the goal for the Sierras next year. I will have no excuses for not being able to get either of those after the great success others had up there this past season. For Santa Cruz I really still want to get Long-tail weasel. They may or may not be in YLR but they are certainly within a few 100 meters of there so hopefully we can catch a wanderer in the reserve. I also think it would be a ton of fun to take a camera or two with you on vacation. I love to go to Central America and even on short sets I could get some really fun things. Now to figure out a way to actually go on vacation while still in grad school.
Christian: Aside from the aforementioned curriculum, I have a few fantasy projects. One being camera trapping the endangered Pomo Tree Mouse in Sonoma County with cameras high up in Doug Fir trees. I have also caught the ringtail fever and am curious if any are still around the North Bay and Napa County. The annual Mojave Desert trip that has been blogged about on our site is something that I hope to finally participate in next spring. Kit Foxes!
It sounds like you guys really agree on these issues (especially since you answered these questions independently) which is exactly what makes your blog one entity, rather than two individuals writing it. Keep up the great work guys, we are all looking forward to follow you and see what new things you can come up with!
