Wildlife Photography Tips

 Here is an article that I found very useful for those already into wildlife photography. 

For decades, OM SYSTEM Ambassadors Joe and Mary Ann McDonald have traveled the globe, documenting wildlife in its natural element through their photography.

This husband-and-wife team photographs birds, reptiles, mammals, and marine life across all seasons and continents. Their extensive experience, from photographing bison and wolves in Yellowstone to penguins in Antarctica, has yielded invaluable insights. The photography team shares practical tips that have helped them improve their wildlife photography, especially when tackling challenging conditions.

Why you should shoot in RAW format

The answer to this question has been debated so much that, for a moment, I hesitated to post this note. Then I thought, "What the heck—this topic never gets old. After all, there's probably someone out there picking up a camera for the first time, eager to start shooting and wondering what to do to get nice pictures". So, here’s an article that will help you find an answer.

What Were They Thinking? The Silent Drama of Sports Faces

One of the things that fascinates me most when photographing sports is the look on athletes’ faces just before they perform—or immediately after. There’s a quiet intensity in those moments, a story unfolding in their expressions. Unfortunately, no camera can capture what’s going on inside their minds. All we have is the image—and the lingering question of what they might have been thinking in that split second.

 That’s part of what makes sports photography so compelling. It’s not just about action shots or peak performance—it’s about emotion, anticipation, and reflection. A single frame can hint at triumph, doubt, exhaustion, or resolve. As a photographer, you become a silent observer of these raw, human moments, trying to preserve something that goes beyond the physical act of competition. And sometimes, it’s those quiet, in-between frames that say the most.

Here are few pictures that illustrate the above. 

 

In the end, that’s the beauty of photography—it invites us to pause and wonder. We may never know exactly what was going through the athlete’s mind, but the image invites us into that moment, asking us to feel something, to connect. And maybe that’s enough. Sometimes, the power of a photograph lies not in the answers it gives, but in the questions it leaves behind.

From last weekend

Last weekend was a busy one. I took more than 800 pictures, and on Sunday, I edited them down to 463 high-quality images, which can be downloaded here. Facebook kills any picture published there. If you want any of my original pictures download it using this link. 

This last weekend I photographed a Karate event whose theme was the Terracotta Warriors from China. All the pictures from this event were taken using a Canon R6 Mark I and the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 Lens Mark II. This lens was first released by Canon in 2010, but looking at these pictures, you would never guess they were taken with a 15-year-old lens. If a lens is good, it doesn’t matter how old it is.

Why am I still using an older lens? Price. You can buy this lens for less than half of what you would pay for the latest RF version.

But a good lens alone isn’t enough to create great pictures. I spent more than 12 hours editing all the photos. First, I reviewed them all and selected the ones I wanted to edit. After that, I ran the selected pictures through DXO PureRaw to remove noise. Then I imported the cleaned images into Adobe Lightroom Classic, where the real editing process began.

Adjustments to contrast, white balance, blacks, and whites were made to achieve the final results, which you can enjoy on my Facebook page and Flickr. Pictures straight out of the camera are an unfinished product that require work to reach their full potential.

The main difference between someone simply taking pictures and a photographer is the time the latter spends on post-processing. Keep that in mind.

Here are few more pictures from this event.

Banning Under Water Cameras

According to News published at PetaPixel, "Thailand has introduced strict new regulations targeting underwater photography". On "... a ministerial order published in the Royal Gazette, divers must now hold an Advanced Open Water certification or prove a minimum of 40 logged deep dives to carry cameras underwater. These documents must be presented upon request by authorities. The rules apply to all recreational dives, including training and examination dives."

To be honest, I really do not think that there is in any country around a world enough underwater photographers capable of causing any damage to the fragile coral reef ecosystems. This is one of those cases of unfounded extremism. 

 Coral reefs are being damaged by a combination of natural and human-driven factors. The main causes include:

•     Climate change – Rising ocean temperatures cause coral bleaching, where corals expel the algae they rely on, leading to their death.
•     Ocean acidification – CO₂ absorption lowers ocean pH, weakening coral skeletons and slowing growth.
•     Pollution – Runoff from agriculture, sewage, and plastic waste introduces toxins and excess nutrients that harm coral ecosystems.
•     Overfishing – Disrupts the balance of reef ecosystems and removes key species that help maintain coral health.
•     Coastal development – Dredging, construction, and land clearing increase sedimentation, which smothers corals.
•     Destructive fishing practices – Methods like blast fishing and cyanide fishing physically destroy reefs.
•     Unsustainable tourism – Anchoring on reefs, touching corals, or careless diving/snorkeling can damage fragile structures.
•     Invasive species – Predators like the crown-of-thorns starfish can devastate large areas of reef if not controlled.

I doubt that prohibiting photography will do much to control careless diving or snorkeling. Usually, those who seek out photos are very mindful of leaving nature just as they found it.

Leo's Karate

Leo, our youngest grandson, is following in his brothers’ footsteps and received his second belt yesterday —Yellow. He was eager to showcase his new moves for us. Here’s a short video shot at Kaufmann's Karate.

 Today I'll be covering another event and this Saturday a big competition with our grandson Liam!

How Tariff could affect photographer...

It seems that photographers will be affected highly by tariffs and this could happen faster than what we initially thought. Even when most of the professional cameras are coming from Japan there are many parts made in China which tariff is 145%. More about this in this video. 

Will this affect clients? Of course, if a photographer pays more for the gear that cost needs to be passed down to the clients.