Many months ago, Kathaleen Donnelly approached me about using five of my photos in a book she was compiling about Long Island.  I was happy to oblige, and arranged to provide her with some images I took locally.  Some time passed and I forgot about the project all together.  Just the other day I got a pleasant surprise with an e-vite from Kathaleen to celebrate the book's release at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington.  I headed over, got my free copy of the book, and was very pleased with its quality.  It's hardcover, heavy, and filled with beautiful photography and poetry.  Yet, nothing could have prepared me for the feeling I got when I saw my photo below next to a poem written by the great poet Walt Whitman!  I think his words are rather inspiring.  Check it out below:

Inscriptions: Song of Myself #46 

I know I have the best of time and space, and was never measured and

      never will be measured.

I tramp a perpetual journey, (come listen all!)

My signs are a rain-proof coat, good shoes, and a staff cut from the woods,

No friend of mine takes his ease in my chair,

I have no chair, no church, no philosophy,

I lead no man to a dinner-table, library, exchange,

But each man and each woman of you I lead upon a knoll,

My left hand hooking you round the waist,

My right hand pointing to landscapes of continents and the public road.

Not I, not anyone else can travel that road for you,

You must travel it for yourself.

It is not far, it is within reach,

Perhaps you have been on it since you were born and did not know,

Perhaps it is everywhere on water and on land.

-Walt Whitman

The book features work by many other excellent photographers and poets.  It was published by Cross-Cultural Communications in New York, and is available now at amazon.com. 

Animals can not speak for themselves, therefore someone needs to stand up for them. Enter the Volunteers for Wildlife, a non-profit hospital for wild animals, funded by donations and supported by the work of volunteers. Their organization was founded in 1982 and is dedicated to preserving Long Island, New York’s wildlife and natural habitats through education and wildlife rehabilitation.

Therese - Eastern Screech Owl

"Solomon", the beautiful Barred Owl below was injured in an automobile collision, and suffered from a fractured wing. His wing was surgically repaired by a veterinarian. Although the rehabilitation center had planned to release him after the surgery, it was then discovered that he was blind in his left eye. As owls rely heavily on their keen vision to hunt for prey, he was found to be unsuitable for release to the wild. Although once found on Long Island in large numbers, Barred Owls have been seldom seen here in recent years due to a lack of suitable habitat.

Solomon - Barred Owl

Taylor - Red Tailed Hawk

Animals who can not be released into the wild are used in educational programs to help bring more awareness to the public. The cost of care for each of their permanent education animals ranges from $30 - $150 per year, and some animals may live as long as 50 years! To help, you can choose to sponsor one of their permanent animals. Wildlife sponsorships can also be given as gifts! Recipients will receive a card, certificate, and photo of the animal sponsored. For more information, click here to download a sponsorship brochure.

Orlando - Eastern Screech Owl illegally hand raised and imprinted by humans.

For the latest news from the Volunteers for Wildlife, check out their blog.

You can now also follow on twitter and facebook!

A few days ago, on a crisp morning at Connetquot State Park, I finally found the Deer I was looking for. It was a big beautiful buck, probably a year away from being fully grown. The light was low so I worked in ISO 800. All shots were taken with a 400mm lens at f5.6. Shutter speed was 1/80th which was just enough to freeze the deer, and yield sharp images. When photographing wildlife, I always recommend using a fast shutter speed of at least 1/250th. Yet, sometimes it's just not possible due to the ambient light conditions. Of course I could have gone to ISO 3200, but in my opinion it's just way too noisy even if you use a noise reduction plug-in. Generally I use"Neat Image" for noise reduction which works quite nicely with CS4.

When you see a big deer like this, it stops you in your tracks, especially when it is looking right at you. That is one powerful animal, and I would not want to be gored by an antler. I keep my distance, and pay very close attention to its behavior. The trick is to try not to make eye contact, or else they feel threatened. Also, I try to never corner a deer, or walk in a straight line towards it. My approach is to walk very slowly, and quietly, on an angle. If the deer sees me, I'll put my head down and wait a minute or two. I continue this routine until I am in position. They can hear the sound of the shutter, and sometimes this will scare them away. With wildlife photography, patience is key. If the deer runs away, it's best to just hang around and watch them from distance. Eventually they may settle down, and you can get closer without disrupting them.

Wishing everyone a safe, and fun Halloween weekend! Rather than working on the usual jack-o-lantern shots, I've been having a good time photographing these gourds below. We have the mini-like pumpkins, the strangely shaped and multi-colored gourds, and then the blue pumpkins. I hope you get a chance to photograph some of the festivities in your neighborhood.

The forecast called for rain and cloudy skies, so I got up before sunrise and drove to Connetquot River State Park. I only took three lenses: a 100mm macro, 17-40 wide, and 400mm.
I was hoping to see some fall color, and possibly adult male deer. I found most of what I was looking for, except the male deer. I did see a nice group of Does at a distance, and used the 4oomm to grab a few shots. Once they noticed me, I left them alone, and followed the trail through the woods.

I found a few nice quiet scenes and shot them with the wide angle lens. For the closeup shot of the tree trunk, I used "live view" to get down on the ground and micro focus. I chose an aperture of f4 to throw the scattered leaves out of focus. Not one single rain drop fell while I was there.

This is a Snowy Owl shot from last winter that I just reprocessed in B&W.

I've passed Caleb Smith State Park dozens of times on my way to Sweetbriar Nature Center. Until today, I've never checked it out. This morning, Sue and I headed over and I'm glad we did. Once you get a few hundred feet into the park the hum of the highway disappears, and many miles of trails unfold before you.

The first thing photographers should know, is that the gates are locked at sunrise. You can not get in until 8am. This makes it a perfect spot for cloudy days. Although the foliage wasn't at its peak, there was some beautiful fall color around the pond. There were also an abundance of incredible spider webs complete with glistening morning dew.

Here are a few of my favorites along with the camera settings I used with my Canon 4oD.

17-40mm, ISO 100, f22, 2.5 sec

100mm, ISO 100, f10, 1/10th

17-40mm, ISO 100, f8, 1/20th

400mm, ISO 400, f7.1, 1/100

17-40mm, ISO 100, f13, 1.6 secs

Over the past few weeks I've watched Sue hand feed, and care for Hope, a five month old female Virginia Opossum. Due to lead poisoning, and various other medical issues, Hope requires special attention. This is where the Volunteers for Wildlife make an impact. At their hospital facility, they provide medical care for wildlife who need help. Hope is just one of the many animals that they are treating. To learn more about how you can help to make a difference, please visit online at http://www.volunteersforwildlife.org/donate/

Special thanks to my wife Sue for her incredible narration skills. Also, many thanks to Kevin MacLeod for allowing me to use his music.

Tech details: Filmed with my new favorite pocket gadget, the Flip Video Ultra, and edited in iMovie. The sound was recorded with the Zoom H2 and edited in Garageband.

Thanks for watching.

I was walking home from the train station, crossing through a parking lot when I saw this amazing scene. It was an oil leak on the blacktop. Yet, this wasn't any ordinary puddle. The oil mixed with the rain water to create this psychedelic design. First I shot it with my iPhone, then I used my Canon 40D with a 17-40mm lens. I figured I probably looked ridiculous photographing the parking lot, but I didn't care. I was amazed at how beautiful something like oil could create. I made six more exposures before continuing on. Here is my favorite.