Shutterbugs

Featuring Don Henderson

My photographic journey began in the film days with this Red-shouldered Hawk photo.  After one hour following — standing, kneeling, and lying on my stomach — the RSH finally accepted me and my camera.  CLICK.  I was hooked. 

After retiring from a career as a community college counselor, my wife, Alice Cahill, and I moved to Morro Bay in 2008 to pursue our passion for nature photography.  The subject matter continues to evolve, but I find great satisfaction and challenge in capturing images of landscapes, wildlife, and close-ups. 

I approach my work with subjects in mind, but I am constantly noticing the lighting conditions of my surroundings and asking myself, "What am I being given to see at this moment?"

Nature photography for me is first about lighting conditions that constantly change.  Second, it's about the technical craft, which also changes with camera and computer software upgrades, and is a challenge in itself.  And finally it's about art — capturing and processing an image that conveys an emotional impact to a viewer. 

Documentation of an animal, bird, or scene, is fine, but I want to go beyond that.  My goal is to create images that viewers will pause to visually savor, images that connect viewers with a deeper part of themselves and possibly touch something universal that all humans, regardless of cultural background, can appreciate and wonder about.    

Occasionally, I pre-visualize a scene or animal behavior I'd like to capture.  But again, the current situation is the momentary gift and I frequently remind myself to slow down, be here now, and ask myself, "What am I seeing?" and "Do I want to capture it?"  Those become the big questions. 

I consider my preparation for a photo shoot and behavior while in the field to be a discipline that encompasses becoming a better student of nature.  I check weather conditions, tide tables, and moon phases, scout out locations, and keenly observe animal and bird behavior.  During post-processing I will intentionally add clarity and vibrance to an image if that result more accurately conveys how I felt at the time.  Also, I actively strive to shoot concepts such as family, dominance, and play, for example with animals or birds. I look for serenity, individuality, or beauty in a landscape.

My wife Alice — an exhibiting pro — and I are co-creative partners in our photographic pursuits.  We share many photo outings, but usually produce very different outcomes when shooting the same subject, generally as a result of the lens we have chosen and the angle of view we've taken.  That's the fun of sharing this photographic passion. 

I recall one occasion when we were on a ridgeline about 150 yards apart, waiting for a sunset to occur along the eastern Sierra Nevada Mt. Range.  It just wasn't happening for me.  After about 20 minutes I turned toward Alice and she was shooting in the opposite direction, the Panamint Range, where the sunset was casting a glorious glow.  From that experience I learned to turn 360 degrees at any location I'm shooting and make no assumptions about where the best light may be or what subject I'm there to capture.   

Other lessons I've learned are:

1. Know when nautical and civil twilight will be and arrive at the best time before a sunrise.  In a group situation, don't be the first to leave a sunset.
2. When shooting along back roads, have the camera gear set up and readily available.  The camera gear is put away only when I'm on the main highway home or have arrived home.
3. Have camera settings checked before the trip starts, make frequent setting checks in the field, and have extra batteries and flashcards at hand.
4. Lethargy is a photographer's great enemy. I've learned when I need to get out shooting and away from the computer work, if I just heed the signs. 
5. I've become a ruthless editor of my work. If I'm emotionally attached to an image but it doesn't meet my overall standards, it's time to hit DELETE.
6. I continue to challenge myself.  The best image is not the one missed. I accept that there have been and will continue to be many, but I still affirm that the best ones are yet to be captured. 

Photo sharing opportunities abound here on the Central Coast. I have a Yahoo Flickr site  and enjoy sharing through that resource.   Other venues of the active photographic community are  — SLO Camera Club, the Photomorrobay Yahoo group, and Light Photographic Workshops, that offer encouragement and opportunities for greater skill development.  It's a privilege to have this formal and informal learning network so readily available. 

Queen Butterfly on Banner by Elizabeth Henderson