Charles Bush Photography Newsletter – December 2024

Thinking of Spring

Roseate Spoonbill at Rip’s Rookery Jefferson Island

As the year winds down, it’s the perfect time to start planning for spring! Our Spring Bird Photography Tours are designed to capture the stunning nesting wading birds of Southern Louisiana. You’ll have the opportunity to photograph majestic egrets, herons, ibis, the vibrant Roseate Spoonbills, and Osprey in flight in their natural habitats.

Tour Highlights:

• Locations: Cazan Lake, Miller’s Lake, Jefferson Island, Lake Martin, and Henderson Swamp.

• Structure: Three half days by boat and three half days on land to ensure a diverse range of photographic opportunities.

Learn more and book your spot today—limited availability for this unforgettable experience!

Great Egret Courtship–Cazan Lake

2024 Fall Tours Completed

Lake Martin early morning

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s fall tours! The stunning cypress trees with their fiery autumn hues and the golden-hour reflections made for some incredible images.

Want to see the best shots from this season? Click here to view the gallery.

Looking ahead, the 2025 Fall Tour Dates will be announced soon. Stay tuned for updates in early 2025 and be ready to reserve your spot.

Sunrise at Lake Dauterive

Photo Mechanic / Fast Raw Viewer Update

I’ve put Fast Raw Viewer and Photo Mechanic through their paces this fall during the tours. Here’s a quick update:

• Fast Raw Viewer: A fantastic tool for quickly checking exposure and sharpness, making it an essential part of my workflow. But it won’t replace Photo Mechanic as the import and keywording tools are lacking.

• Photo Mechanic: Still my go-to for downloading and keywording images efficiently.

I’ll publish a detailed comparison soon, including insights from real-world use on the fall tours. Watch out for this on the blog!

Photo Computer Backup Strategies

Backup strategies are a hot topic, especially as we handle ever-larger files. I’ve been working closely with a client to develop a robust backup system tailored to photographers, particularly those using Apple computers.

New options, including improved cloud integrations and hardware setups, are making it easier to protect your images. I’ll be sharing these insights in an upcoming blog post to help you create a backup plan that works for you.

Stay Connected

Thank you for being part of the Charles Bush Photography community. As always, your passion for capturing the beauty of nature inspires everything we do. If you have questions about tours, tools, or techniques, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Happy holidays, and here’s to another year of extraordinary photography!

Warm regards,
Charles Bush

Boats for Photographing in the Swamp

Aluminum Hulled Boat Used on my Photo Tours

Photographing nature in Southern Louisiana often means shooting from a boat. Previously, I discussed techniques for shooting in a boat. For this post, I'm talking about what type of boat to use in the swamp. Considerations include;

1. The ability to get into areas with shallow water
2. How quiet the boat is, mainly when photographing wildlife
3. What your point of view is, you want to be low for some subjects, high for others
4. The stability of the boat you don't want to fall in
5. Your ability to Photograph without the boat or anyone in the boat obscuring the view
6. You want to be able to transport the boat to the shooting location easily
7. The ability to operate the boat while you also photograph with the camera?
8. Cost

I include the following types of boats in this post:

1. Skiffs
2. Mud Boats
3. Airboats
4. Canoes
5. Kayaks
6. Perogues

Motor Powered Boats

Skiffs

I've been working with the folks at The Atchafalaya Experience since 2003. They use aluminum-hulled boats with outboard motors and a center console for steering and control. These boats get us into fairly tight places with several feet of water. They sit moderately low on the water so you can get a relatively low point of view, often ideal for landscapes and suitable for birds wading in the water. They are rugged and extremely safe. They are stable enough for you to stand so you can achieve a higher point of view for birds perched in trees or nesting on a treetop. They are relatively quiet, allowing reasonably close access to birds without stressing them. They can quickly cover a large area allowing you to shoot at multiple locations.

Ideal when multiple photographers are photographing and with people with limited experience operating a smaller boat that requires paddling.

Downsides include obscured vision with multiple people in the boat, vibration from the motor, difficulty transporting and launching the boat, and cases where you want to have a point of view at water level. This type of boat is best when the captain is not photographing.

Mud Boats

Gator Tail Mud Boat on the way to Cow Island Lake

Mud boats are similar to skiffs, except that they have an outboard air-cooled engine allowing them to traverse areas of little or no water. As the best swampy areas to photograph are in shallow waters, this can prove a significant advantage. My friends at Atchafalaya Experience used this type of boat for several years. However, they proved to be unreliable, and for wildlife photography, their propensity to backfire when restarting the engine proved to be problematic. These boats are as stable as the skiffs with the same issues with transporting and launching. As with the skiff, you need a dedicated captain, who is not photographing.

Airboats

A flat bottomed boat fitted with a large automotive engine and an aircraft propeller. It does not require water and can go over swampy areas. Very noisy and vibration prone. Hearing protection usually needed when in use. Wildlife doesn't tolerate the noise, and the vibrations make photography very difficult. The point of view is high, and there is little ability to move about in the boat when in use. The only practical function is to drop off photographers in remote locations not reachable in any other way. A skilled, dedicated captain is required.

Human Powered Boats

Perogues

The Perogue is the classic cajun boat used for fishing and trapping in the swamp. Originally a dugout made from a cypress tree, the most common form of it is now handmade from 1/4 inch marine or exterior plywood. Classically the boat is push polled with the person standing in the Perogue, but many people sit and paddle with a single-headed paddle. Flat bottomed, it has a very shallow draft and can operate in very shallow water. It is typically less stable than a canoe, but more stable than a Kayak. I've never photographed from a Perogue; however, many years ago, my wife and I paddled in Bayou Dularge south of Houma in one built by her Grandfather. Unfortunately, it had developed a leak, and the two of us slowly sank. I think of this when I consider photographing from one. A Perogue may be a good option for swamp photography. Perogues are inexpensive if you're able to construct it yourself, stable, quiet in the water, reasonably simple to transport, and low in the water. Like all human-powered boats, you're not able to move from one area to the next rapidly, so you need to pick your location carefully. Also, being small, you're limited to shallow protected waters; you don't want to be out in rough weather.

Kayaks

Kayaks are the modern replacement for the Perogue. Lighter and available at low cost, they don't require construction. They ride lower in the water than the Perogue so they may offer a better point of view. I haven't photographed from one, but know many who have. They represent an easy, inexpensive way to get on the water. Again, you need to pick your location, you can't quickly paddle across and a large body of water. They are quiet, easy to transport, and you can launch nearly anywhere. Typically they are paddled with a double-headed paddle, but foot-powered kayaks are available, which would leave your hands free to photograph, and you are less likely to splash water on the equipment.

Canoes

A Canoe may also be an excellent way to photograph on the water. Heavier than either the Perogue or the Kayak, they are more stable, but they are harder to transport or launch. Like the Perogue and Kayak, they are quiet and have a shallow draft. Typically they are paddled with a single-headed paddle, a disadvantage over the Kayak as it is more likely to splash water on equipment. Like the other human-powered boats, moving quickly to another location is not possible.

I've relied on motor-powered boats for the 19 years I've been doing photography in Louisiana. Over the next year, I hope to explore one or more of the human-powered alternatives to allow me to get out more on the water.

Infrared Photography to Extend Shooting Window

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Oak Tree–Lake Martin Visitor's Center

Infrared Photography (IR)

Why Infrared–Extending the shooting window

I've been frustrated for some time about having a very short window of good light early and late in the day. The middle of the day has always been a challange. Fortunately there's one form of photography that is best in the middle of the day with bright light, Infrared (IR) photography.

Basically IR is a lower frequency radiation than we can see (red is the lowest we see so it is a wavelengh longer than red). the image is brighter for those objects emitting the most of this longer wavelength radiation which tends to be things that are warmer. IR images often taken on a dreamy other worldly look.

How to Shoot IR

There are two primary methods of capturing IR images, using a filter over the lens of a normal camera, or having a camera converted to capture IR and not visable light. Our normal sensors have a filter over them to block most of the IR frequencies, so the filter doesn't work very well, involving very long shutter speeds, so for most of us that is not a good option.

I experimented with that many years ago with a Coolpix 950 2.1 megapixel camera, and while it did a good job of capturing IR images, it required a tripod and the resolution was very low so prints were not really pracitical.

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Bayou Scene Taken with Coolpix 950

The most practical method is to have your camera converted by one of several companies specializing in this process. They remove the filter over your sensor and replace it with one that blocks visible light and passes the IR frequencies.

Camera Conversion

I got an older D800 camera converted by Kolarivision. There are several wavelength options from displaying only black and white images to allowing a bit of color through. The filter I chose was a 665nm filter which they call an enhanced color filter. With a bit of post processing, which I will discuss in a later post, you can achieve a look with dark blue sky and white leaves. I also got their AR coating which helps reduce hot spots visiable with many lenses. Kolarvision did a very good job with the conversion and turned the camera around very quickly.

Another well respected company doing conversions is life pixel. While I've never used them, I know several people who have who were very pleased.

There are people on the web who have converted their cameras themselves, I would recommend against attempting this as it is a complex process prone to errors and with the risk of trapping dust between the filter and the sensor.

Shooting with the converted camera

While shooting with the camera in color mode you see the image with a deep red tint. This tint with most cameras can be corrected with a custom white balance. Unfortunately it took a bit of effort to make that work with my D800. The image was out of range for the camera to make the white balance, but I was able to work around this by shooting a light blue card and then applying the maximum amount of correction in the white balance fine tuning control in the custom settings menu. Another option would be to set the camera to monocrome, shoot in raw and post process using the resulting color image.

Another consideration is that the focus point is different from visible light and while the conversion company makes a correction for this, not all focal lengths of lenses work the same. The best approach is to use live view to focus where both the contrast detect autofocus and manual focusing will give accurate results.

Next Steps

I'll discuss Post Processing in another post. Suffice to say it's a bit of effort to get good results.

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Oak Jefferson Island

Verdict

I'm really glad I had the D800 converted and I'm pleased with the results that can be achieved. It does in fact extend the shooting window.

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IR Pano–Houma, La

Playing with Photoshop

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Playing with Photoshop Polar Coordinates

Today I played with a technique I learned on Lynda.com to turn a panoramic image into a circular composition using the distort polar coordinates filter. The original panoramic image looked like this.

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Original Panoramic Image Taken in the Atchafalaya Basin

Not a realistic representation of what I saw, but at least it was a fun project.

Buying Bird Photography Equipment on a Budget

White Ibis in Breeding Plumage Millers Lake - Taken with Nikon D2X and Nikkor 300 AFS F/4 with TC-14e Teleconverter

This article is an update to my 2015 article, with much of it duplicated here. The good news is that with the switch by major camera manufacturers to mirrorless cameras with new lens mounts, there are bargains available for excellent systems. It is now possible to purchase a good starter system for approximately $1500, about $500 less than five years ago when I wrote the original article. The camera bodies now have more resolution, a faster frame rate, and are lower in high iso noise.

The equipment for bird photography can be costly. Part of this is the nature of the business, photographing small moving objects requires long telephoto lenses and effective autofocus systems Beginning bird photographers would be well served with a good cropped sensor camera body and 400 mm f/5.6 lens or a 300 mm f/4 lens with a 1.4x teleconverter. By applying several common-sense strategies, you can acquire such a system at a reduced cost. For Nikon, currently available suitable camera bodies are the D7200 and the D500, for Canon, the similar camera bodies are the EOS 7D Mark II and the EOS 7D Mark III.

Strategies for Reducing Equipment Costs

There are several strategies for reducing the cost of such a system. These include:

1.    Buying Refurbished Equipment
2.    Buying Last Years Model
3.    Buying Used    
4.    Buying Grey Market
5.    Renting

Buying Refurbished Equipment

The two major camera system manufacturers used in bird photography, Nikon and Canon, both offer equipment that has been returned and then repaired and resold as refurbished equipment. I frequently use this strategy, and the savings are significant. Often the testing performed on refurbished equipment exceeds that done on new, I've purchased many camera bodies refurbished and numerous refurbished lenses, and I've never had a problem. However, one downside to this strategy is the length of the warranty, typically 90 days rather than the one year for new equipment, in some cases, a camera store will supplement the warranty with one of their own, but I'm not sure how well this works. I make sure I do a thorough job of testing any equipment purchased in this way as soon as I receive it to reduce the risk of a problem.

I have purchased refurbished equipment from Nikon directly, B&H, and Cameta Camera (Currently offline, not sure of their status).

For example, right now, Nikon USA has a refurbished D7200 699.96 and a D7500 for the same price, I'd choose the D7200 even though it's an older camera because it only has one card slot. Older, Nikon manual focus lenses aren't supported, if those things aren't relevant to you, the D7500 may be better as it shoots 8 FPS versus 6, and it has an articulating screen. A new D7500 is going for $899.99 on the same site.

Buying Last Years Model

Both Nikon and Canon have recently released mirrorless cameras, with significantly higher prices, and they probably don't handle flying birds as well as the DSLR's. For now, if you're looking for a budget system, I'd go with one of the DSLR's

The newer Canon 100-400 is $1799 at B&H, and the Nikon 300mm f/4 pf is $1996.55. While these are indeed very lovely lenses, for the budget-conscious, the older lenses are a better choice.

Buying used

Frequently when new equipment is released, people sell their older models to finance the latest camera equipment. This behavior is certainly correct now with the Nikon and Canon Mirrorless systems and with many people moving to Sony or Olympus Mirrorless systems. Looking at sources like KEH camera and eBay, you'll notice used camera equipment prices are much lower now. For example, I saw a used D500 on eBay for $845, which sells new for $1496.95. However, on eBay, if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Check the seller ratings carefully and stick to one that has a high rating and a large number of sales. Usually, you're better off going to someone like KEH or the used department of B&H.

Buying Grey Market

Another strategy is buying "imported" or "Grey Market" equipment. Stores often purchase equipment outside of the country at a lower cost and then sell them in the US for less. The downside of this is that Nikon and Canon in this country will not honor the warranty or even service the equipment. I'm cautious not to buy any expensive Grey Market products. However, for low maintenance items, for example, a teleconverter, I would undoubtedly consider Grey Market if the price were right.

Renting equipment

One strategy for a one time equipment need, such as for an assignment or to do a photo tour, is to rent the equipment. Several good rental companies rent appropriate equipment. Two I'm familiar with are:

Lens Rentals Borrow Lenses

One caution is to be sure that you either have insurance or purchase their protection in case something goes wrong.

Camera Company Deals

Nikon and Canon are also running many specials discounting older cameras they still have in stock. If you're interested in a specific model, be sure and check that the used or refurbished camera or lens is really your best deal.

Conclusion

You can put together a good beginner's bird photography system with roughly equivalent Canon and Nikon equipment now for approximately $1500, roughly $500 less than five years ago, and have a better system.

What I do in the "off season"

As I write this, Southern Louisiana is in the grips of an unusual cold snap. Not the kind of weather I would go wandering around finding things in nature to photograph and certainly not the kind of weather I want to be out on the water. I would argue, however, now is the most important time for my photography and the success of the shooting season is dependent upon much of what I do now.

Here are some of the activities for the next several months:

Planning

At the beginning of the year I like to set my photography goals. What would I like to photograph? What can I improve upon? What trips would I like to make? I firmly believe in the mantra “Plan your Work and then Work your Plan”. So I spend an hour or so each week working on the plan. I try to get this in writing so I solidify it in my mind and break things down into steps. While things never really go as planned, getting this on paper helps move things in the right direction.

For example, this year I want to spend more time creating good landscape photographs and panoramic images. I’ll be looking for good opportunities to create these images in the off-season so I can focus on getting the photograph when the conditions are right. I also will set up the pano head and make sure I have the proper nodal point for each of the lenses I expect to use.

Maintaining Skills

In order to be at my best in the spring, I need to be photographing all winter. So I create some self assignments to keep at it even though most of the resulting images will go into the trash.

Some examples of self photo assignments:

1. Photograph a week with a single focal length and then the next week go to the opposite extreme.
2. Create one photograph a day from the backyard for a week.
3. Create one photograph a day of my cat or dog for a week.
4. Create 3 good macro shots.
5. Create a panoramic photograph of the front of my house.

I also make to sure to notice things on my walks with the dog and perhaps take a shot or two with my iPhone. I make it a point to pick up my cameras every day, even if I’m not photographing and go through the photo making process. I also try to take a camera with me on trips to the grocery store or shopping and take and few shots along the way. The key is practice, automatically connecting with my camera rather than needing to think through the technical aspects of shooting. See my article here.

Maintenance and Testing

During the winter months I do extensive testing of my equipment to make sure it is in the best condition for the spring photo season. I set each camera up and go through each of the lenses. I check for any potential problems with back or front focusing. I run a test on each autofocus lens with ReiKan FoCal that identifies the sharpest aperture, checking aperture in turn, generating a report for each. This identifies problems with my lenses. I also do an exposure test at each aperture for each of my lenses. Using this test this year I identifies two lenses with sticking apertures. I then either send the equipment in for repair, repair the problem myself or replace the problematic equipment. Finally I do a thorough cleaning of all the equipment and put things in their proper place.

New Equipment

Now is the time I like to purchase new equipment. During the active shooting season I don’t like to learn anything new. I prefer to have some time to get used to new camera bodies, lenses, computer software, etc. during the off season when I’m not under pressure to get the shot. Having gone through process of assessing the condition of my equipment and setting the goals for the shooting season, I can make intelligent choices concerning purchases I need to make.

Computer

This is also the time to make an assessment of the computing strategy and equipment needs. I check over things such as the amount of free storage on my computers, any potential problems with hard drives, etc. I run diagnostic software to find any hidden bugs. If I need to make any changes to my workflow, now is the time.

Study

Also I spend time with photography and wildlife textbooks and doing research on the web. I subscribe to Lynda.com and now is the time to learn new software and shooting techniques. I like to spend time looking at the work of other photographers on Web sites like 500px.com. It’s also the time to reread camera manuals and guides like those published by Thom Hogan for my camera bodies.

While this time of year is not when I make most of my best images, it really is an Important time for getting things set for the rest of the year.

Photo Tours

Space is still available for the 2015 Photo Tours, check it out here.

Photographing from a Boat

​Photographing from a Boat

Living in Southern Louisiana, we are surrounded by water. Over 40 percent of the wetlands in the lower 48 states are within Louisiana. The crown jewel of Louisiana Wetlands is the Atchafalaya Basin. The Atchafalaya Basin is North America's largest swamp and has an abundance of wildlife. With all this water, a nature photographer in Southern Louisiana will at some point spend time photographing from a boat.

On my photo tours, we spend a lot of time on boats and to get the most out my tours it is important to know how to shoot from boats.

Besides the fact that many of the best photo locations are only accessible by boat, when photographing wildlife, it is often possible to get much closer in a boat without invoking the fright or flight response. In a boat we are typically much lower and don't look as large or frightening as when standing. We also frequently camouflage the boats to further disguise the human form.

However there disadvantages as well. The largest disadvantage is the lack of a stable platform. Motion caused by wave action makes making sharp images challenging. Closely related to this is the fact that due to rocking motion of a boat it is often difficult to maintain a straight horizon.

Another disadvantage is space limitations. Many of the locations we photograph in are only accessible by skiffs powered by outboards or betting yet air cooled "mud boat" motors. The Gatortail "mud boats" used by the folks at Atchafalaya Experience, can only comfortably accomodate three photographers with limited space for camera equipment.

Finally one must not overlook the risk of getting your equipment wet, either from rain you can not escape, or water splashing into the boat.

Getting sharp images

While it's possible to use a tripod on a boat, I rarely do, setting a tripod on the deck of a boat transmits all the movement directly from the deck to the camera through the tripod. When hand holding the camera your body acts as a shock absorber and is able to correct somewhat for the motion of the boat. Here are some tips to help get the sharpest images:

1. Use your body like a tripod. Cradle the lens under your left hand, grip it with your right. Keep your arms to your side and if possible rest your elbows on your knees.

2. Carefully squeeze the shutter button, think about walking on egg shells when you do it. Minimize any potential movement in the process of firing the camera.

3. Maximize your shutter speed. Think about the least amount of depth of field you can get away with and set your aperture to as wide a setting as possible. Increase your iso sensitivity to the practical limit on your camera. Newer cameras give great results even at iso 1600, this is a time to use the higher sensitivity and use noise reduction in post processing to deal with the higher noise.

4. Use Image Stabilized lenses at slower shutter speeds. However at shutter speeds above about 1/500th it usually won't be of much help.

5. If all else fails, think of creating intentionally motion blurred shots.

Dealing with space issues

When shooting from a boat I like to travel light. Usually I have two bodies, a wide angle lens, a med-range zoom, and a moderate telephoto. Using a long telephoto on a boat is usually unnecessary and very difficult to do. Since you can usually get much closer than shooting on land, it is very seldom you would need one anyway. Dealing with a lot of equipment on a boat simply leads to a high degree of frustration and a lot of missed opportunities.

Keeping organized on the boat and getting to what you need quickly makes the difference in getting the shot.

This is another reason not to use a tripod. Setting up a tripod takes a lot of space and if there are other photographers on the boat it limits what you can shoot, because they're always in the way and usually you're in their way as well.

If you must use a camera support, consider using a monopod instead of a tripod. While you still will be dealing with vibration and movement issues, at least you'll take a smaller footprint wish will be easier for you and the other photographers to deal with.

Dealing with the elements

1. A small waterproof case is a very good idea. Last year I had a couple of cases where water washed over the boat and got onto my equipment, no damage, but a good warning.

2. Carry a couple of very good pancho's. On our tours, the folks at Atchafalaya Experience are equipped with large military pancho's, on several trips we got caught in serious rain and the panchos kept us and our equipment dry.

3. Head for shore at any hint at a thunderstorm. A small boat on the water is quite a target for lightning. Don't chance it.

4. Carry a few black trash bags. I've often shot in the rain with a trash bag keeping the equipment dry.

5. Remember when you're on the water it feels a lot colder, high humidity and wind from the moving boat equals a low wind chill temperature. Even in the fifties dress in layers with a good Gortex shell as the outer garment. For my December tours, thermal underwear is essential on the boats.

Use professionals for running the boats

I use Atchafalaya Experience for my tours for the following reasons:

1. They have the right boats for the job. They have many boats and depending upon the shoot one may have an advantage over another. If we need to get in tight places they have the gator tails that will go almost anywhere, if it's going to be cold or may rain, they have a cabin boat (very good if you need to shoot high by the way). If we need a bit more stability or have a few more people, they have crawfish skiffs.

2. They know the area, they're out there all the time and know the subjects and where to find them. Many of the places we go to are well off the beaten path, knowing the area is essential, you really don't want to get lost.

3. They've worked with me long enough to know where I want the boat in relationship to the light and wind. It's to the point we don't even need to communicate that, they just know where we need to be.

4. They know how to get the boat as stable as possible.

If you're planning to shoot from a boat spend the time to search out the best service you can, it can make all the difference. I don't own a boat and really don't want to, there's a lot to it and I have enough to do with the photography.

So to summarize:

1. Don't use a tripod unless absolutely necessary. If you must use a camera support consider a monopod. Use good telephoto lens techniques and high shutter speeds.

2. Use Image Stabilized or Vibration Reduction equipment if you have it.

3. Prepare for adverse weather, waterproof case, panchos, and plastic trash bags.

4. Use a professional service that knows where you're shooting and how to work with photographers.

5. Don't take a chance with lightning, at any hint of a thunderstorm, go back to the dock as soon as possible.

6. Pack light, take only what you know you will use, not everything you have.

7. Leave your long lens behind, it will just get in the way and you rarely will need it. I've only used my 600 mm lens twice on the boats and was very disappointed with the results. Trying to aim a 600 mm lens with everything moving is an exercise in futility.

8. Remember it feels colder over the water, even with temperatures in the fifties, dress in layers and plan for temperatures at least 10 degrees cooler than air temperature.