Use a real camera instead your Phone

Phones have come a long way in the past two decades, but I still advise my friends to use a real camera instead of their phones.

The following video explains why. 

The reality of Instagram

 Instagram came from a page for photographers to be another TikTok. 

A quick timeline:

• Launched on October 6, 2010, Instagram started as a photo-sharing app with built-in filters that made it easy to stylize mobile photos.

• You could only post square images (1:1 aspect ratio), and videos were not part of the platform at all.

• The focus was entirely on mobile photography, creativity, and visual storytelling.

Evolution:

• 2013: Instagram introduced video sharing (up to 15 seconds).

• 2016: They added Instagram Stories (inspired by Snapchat).

• 2020: Reels were launched to compete with TikTok

From what I have experienced in my comeback to use it since 2020 when I created my account, it's not longer a tool for photographers. If you do not create videos, basically it's hard for you to get any exposure and followers. 

At this point, only Flickr remains an option for photographers.  

19 Years on YouTube!

 Unbelievable. It has been 19 years since I created my account at YouTube!

Please subscribe to my Channel to receive Nature shorts and videos. 

Do you use a tripod?

 I do not. Do I own one? I do. I feel that it limits me from moving around when needed, especially if I'm doing wildlife photography. Besides, current cameras and lenses with image stabilization are really good nowadays. 

More than 80 thousands pictures

Just something to think about:

If you like my pictures, keep in mind that it took me over 80,000 shots to reach the level you see today — and that’s not even counting the 20,000 to 30,000 photos I deleted because they weren’t good enough.

If you don’t like my pictures or my style, remember that even after 80,000 photos, I’m still learning.

Practice, practice and more practice.

  

I'm ready for my next adventure: short nature videos.

The story behind a photo

Here’s something interesting: during our visit to the local zoo, we spotted a barred owl perched in a tree — right inside the open enclosure where the barred owls were on display.

I’ve also spotted a few other birds in the area around the zoo — species that are usually quite hard to find there. It seems like the zoo’s environment attracts a surprising variety of wildlife beyond the exhibits themselves.

From the last long weekend

 Last weekend was a long one, full of great photo opportunities. It started with a bit of rain, and for a moment, I thought it might ruin our plans. But that didn’t happen — and here are some of the pictures to prove it.

 

These pictures were taken at Homosassa Springs Park — a beautiful place. The rattlesnake photo was edited using the new Lightroom Classic feature that removes reflections from glass. As you can see, it worked very well.

Later in the weekend, I visited the local park near home, where I took a few more pictures worth mentioning — like this one of an alligator stealing a huge catfish from a fisherman.

Or this shot of a spoonbill in flight. Flying spoonbills are as striking as flamingos in the air.

I shot three short videos (1, 2, and 3), and if you haven’t hit the 'Subscribe' button on my YouTube channel yet, I’d love to see you do it — you won’t regret it!