"Christmas Kitty"

Christmas Kitty loves the lights...He's in the spirit, and he's looking for Squirrels. So get your inner Kitty ready for Christmas. God loves kittens, you know it's true. Oh yeah, I guess He loves you too...

"LIL BLUE"

Shooting birds takes patience and or luck... My suggested minimum lens is 200mm. This one was shot at 500mm. Also, USE YOUR FLASH, Get down to their level if possible, be quiet and limit your movement, and THINK about what your doing. Take lots of shots and anticipate that strange quirk, approaching predators or prey, and enjoy what your doing.
    The Snowy Egret tolerates the close proximity of white Little Blue Herons more than that of dark Little Blue Herons. A white Little Blue Heron catches more fish in the company of Snowy Egrets than when alone. This relationship may be one reason why young Little Blue Herons stay white for a year. Another advantage of white plumage is that young Little Blue Herons are more readily able to integrate into mixed-species flocks of white herons, thus gaining a measure of protection against predators.
 Rodgers, J. A., Jr., and H. T. Smith. 1995. Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea). In The Birds of North America, No. 145 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
      Little Blues have a striking blue tint, and are fun to watch. One of my personal observations is that they are far more tolerant of people than other herons, egrets, etc. For more information on The Birds Of Florida contact me at: www.wildwoollyphotos.com. Experience the REAL Florida on a Wild &Woolly® BIRDING OR PHOTOGRAPHY INSTRUCTIONAL EXCURSION!

A special thanks to all involved in the "Be Her Freedom Run-2010" I am overwhelmed by how professional and dedicated this whole crew is. A great big thank you to those who enabled me to be a part of something truly worth the time and energy. If you don't know about the race or about the reality that some women and children are facing, then check out more at http://beherfreedomrun.com/ or check out where the money goes at http://www.thea21campaign.org/. Again, my thanks to all who make this race such and awesome event every year! Check out images of the participants at Be Her Freedom [The Run] 2010.

PHOTOGRAPHER ON DUTY

Take look at http://www.wildwoollyphotos.com/ If you are looking to improve your "image" or your images...I can help. Specializing in Nature photography, but stepping beyond all of that wild and woolly stuff. I prefer to work with people, whether in a classroom setting or in the deepest swamp. Give me a call and let me show you some stuff! I prefer an outdoor setting but I also provide one-on-one instruction in digital imaging software. I will gently critique your photos and help you to find your niche. If your shooting a DSLR that's great, but don't let your point and shoot scare you into thinking you won't take impressive and captivating photos. Some of my nicest shots were taken with a pocket camera. My most favorite shot was taken with a Kodak Disc Camera. Most people don't even remember that machine! Get motivated, get busy, and get outside. Click the shutter, and create your images based on what you feel...If you need help call me, I'll be excited to help you find your way through the jargon and pro-talk. We won't worry about the high tech talk, we'll concentrate on finding and creating good images.

© http://www.wildwoollyphotos.com/

NIKON D 7000 Announced WED SEPT 15 2010

Nikon announces another winner? I am glad I stood by and waited, it looks like this may the one! A 16 mega pixel beast, with dual card slots, an upgraded meter, dual presets to keep your settings how you want em' and the ability to shoot up to 20 minutes in video mode. These are basics....It has an internal focusing motor so it will operate all AF lenses AND it will meter all Nikon lenses made after the mid seventies.
$1200 street. For more information check out one of my favorite sites: http://www.kenrockwell.com/

NIKON D 3100 announced AUGUST 19, 2010

Nikon has released their newest player. I will say that I haven't played with it. But, it looks as if this maybe the permanent replacement for the D-40. Its lighter that the D-40? That's what they claim. If that is the case then it would be the lightest DSLR ever produced. COOL. Heavy bad. One of the newest and seemingly nicest improvements would be the dedicated advance mode switch. (Single Frame, Continuous, Timed, or Silent). Performing this task with the D-40 is a pain in the ying-yang. Yes, it shoots video, but only 10 minutes worth and there's no external mic input. (1,920 x 1,080/23.976p). One day there will be a camera that can do it all. That day is coming, so hold on to your hats!  It does supposedly allow auto focusing while shooting video in live view. If this is true then it is a first for a DSLR. 699.95 with 18-55mm.
Sounds like a nice machine, but I'll stick to my little D-40x for now. More updates later. Check out images taken with a D-40x @  Wild & Woolly

CREATIVE MANIPULATION NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS

The weather held out for our recent class...and while I hope our participants learned some good stuff, I certainly learned a few things....The most important is that I tried to cover too much, way too much. However I feel that we certainly sparked some creativity and learned a few things about basic digital editing. I thank everyone for their participation and look forward to holding some more classes in the not too distant future. A special thanks to Bonnie for her hard work and help with pulling off the class. Next time I will focus my concentration and look forward to narrowing our approach. THANKS TO ALL WHO ATTENDED and feel free to contact me anytime. Until next time!

CREATIVE MANIPULATION NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS

Nature Photography Class

Bicentennial Youth Park

3300 New York Ave., DeLand

Saturday, July 24, 2010

9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Join nature photographer Chris Kincaid to learn more about you camera’s capabilities-and yours.
We will learn about some of the latest editing software, including some that are FREE. The workshop will consist of a nature walk to capture images with your camera. We’ll then spend the remainder of class exploring the different techniques to process your photos to create one of a kind images that you will be proud of. Let Chris Kincaid with Wild Woolly photos help you unlock your creative potential behind the cameras eye!
Wear comfortable clothes that match the weather and hiking or walking shoes. Bring your camera and water to drink. Space is limited, please register. http://www.volusia.org/growth/learning.htm

SEE YOU THERE!

"SHE KEEPS GETTING BETTER"

Well, she went to Washington D.C. she took her camera, and this is some of what she came back with. I really have a difficult time with this! Why can't I take shots like this! But seriously folks, this child has an eye, and while she has a long way to go technically....I am truly proud of her ability to "see". She has only been using her point and shoot for a little while. I have tried to show her, but I have learned to leave her alone. She is a photographer in her own right. She likes taking pictures of what appeals to her, not what appeals to me. I am 40 years old and am currently pursuing photography in a professional sense....I would be proud of any of these shots. God Bless this child and her vision, her motivation, and ability to "see" with a child's eyes.
I shudder to think how good I could be if I started at that age....(no pun intended)... Buy a child a camera! DO IT NOW.

"I GOT COTTONMOUTH"

Hello Little Friend...Since taking this photo I have had way too may people ask me "How close did you get to that snake!?" When I tell them, they undoubtedly say..."YOUR CRAZY!" I then go into the long drawn out explanation about animal and reptile behavior and my deep respect for venom and fangs...Their response: "YOUR CRAZY!" My need to capture nature in a compelling fashion leads me to these exciting encounters. While I am not suggesting that you chase snakes into the bushes, or endanger yourself in anyway to capture a great image, I do highly suggest arming oneself with the knowledge and experience to know "right" from "wrong". Snakes do what snakes do...they react instinctively. Snakes and other creatures behave in a fairly predictable manner. I have been around venomous snakes and other fun stuff since I can remember. My father would capture snakes and "show" them to my brother and I. He worked with exotic venomous snakes for a time back in the day;  South American vipers, cobras, among others... I have found that my daughters have an innate fascination with snakes and this concerns me a great deal...They don't seem to have the fear that most children, or adults for that matter, might have of these beautiful nasties. I am trying to teach them about the difference between the "bad" ones and the "good"ones. Regardless, don't kill snakes. It's just stupid. Most people bitten by snakes are either trying to capture or kill them. Check out other interesting photos at http://www.wildwoollyphotos.com/. After that, go check out the Florida Cottonmouth; Agkistrodon piscivorus or "conanti" in the case of the FLORIDA sub species. If your interested in photographing the Flora and Fauna of Florida contact me through http://www.wildwoollyphotos.com/ ©

"FLYING KITES"

These birds are too cool. They arrive in February or March in Florida and spend the summer gracefully hunting the skies. They feed primarily on insects and arboreal vertebrates, including frogs, lizards, and snakes. My first sighting this year was March 2nd in central Florida, and I really look forward to photographing these graceful hunters. They are easily recogized by their deeply forked tail and contrasting black and white color. Due to urbanization the numbers have declined over the years...Go Figure. A few areas that are currently protected that Kites inhabit are Big Cypress National Preserve, Lake Woodruff NWR, Everglades N.P,  and Apalachicola N.F. to name a few. These birds sometimes gather in large pre-migratory roosts before thier journey to South America...They are quite social for a Raptor (Bird of Prey) and will often soar and hunt in groups. In three years I have never seen one perched, they seem to fly forever. If you would like to learn more about this species or photograph them, contact me through my webpage:
http://www.wildwoollyphotos.com/ ©

"A CHILD WITH A CAMERA"

Give a child a camera...Go do it now. What happens? Well, I can tell you this you will probably get lots of blurry shots, photos of  birds and puppies, and other stuff...HOWEVER, you will also find that hidden in those shots are some things that will make you think. Shots that will make you think about your photography. These shots have been on the computer for probably a year. I was cruising through the files the other night and I stopped. I stopped in my tracks. I didn't even understand what I was looking at. Then it dawned on me; these were my daughters photos from the Kennedy Space Center; a field trip she had taken a while ago. I understand that she probably didn't think to herself..."WOW what a great shot", but alas does it matter? How different were her thoughts than mine when she captured these images. I will leave it at that. I pray that her little mind will take her to places she never dreamed. Her imagination is surely as big as the rockets she photographed that day. Buy a child a camera, and if they break it, buy em another. Do it now.
CHECK OUT http://wildwoollyphotos.com/ for more cool stuff...

"Floundering about with Paralichthys lethostigma "

Since moving to Florida, I have caught two in three years...until yesterday. This one was worth the wait. I prayed, I read, I cussed... Oh yeah, one of them was caught in a cast net. (lame) Flounder are one of those things in nature which are quite hard to wrap your fragile eggshell mind around. They are truly a strange fish. Flounder are crazy...they begin life like a normal fish, but start to change as they mature. (just like we do). They eventually start to hang out on their side, watching to much TV, eating lots of mud minnows and shrimps. They live a somewhat sedentary lifestyle. An ambush predator; they lie in wait for little sea-snacks and BAM! As they move into the juvenile stage, a metamorphosis unlike most any other in the animal world takes place. Much of the fishes skeletal system changes dramatically as it morphs into a electric doormat. Okay, that was stupid.  Additionally, the eye on the side which faces the mud begins to migrate up top. Instant Flounder. To learn more about flounder...buy a fishing rod, bug spray, hang out in the salt marsh, and pray. Pray you'll get to experience catching a fish that looks like a doormat, fights like a bulldog, and has teeth like one too. Oh yeah...(My wife grabbed it and pulled it in the boat.) I AINT Grabbin' THAT CRAZY THING! © CHECK OUT http://www.wildwoollyphotos.com/ for more fun stuff.

" G e t S o m e ! "

Did you ever so something really, really, REALLY stupid? Did you ever do it and then "somewhat recover" the issue? How about catching a shot like this? Then I realized...ISO 800. For those of you who don't speak "techie" camera stuff that means...CARELESS. If your going to be prepared, if your going to shoot wildlife, if your going to be GOOD, then you have to be smart. So my Wild & Woolly photography TIP OF THE DAY is this; Reset you're camera every time you're done shooting. I am sure there are cameras that do this automatically. Heck, mine might even do it. These things are so advanced today, even I have trouble keeping track of it all. So again, don't shoot in broad daylight with your ISO set at 800. If you like this photo and its quality, or in my opinion lack thereof...you should know that I have applied the Orton effect. This is my attempt at recovering this shot to make it 'mo betta. The moral of this story. Pay attention and be prepared, your next shot maybe the "money shot". Check out more about the Orton Effect here: http://http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0106/dw0106-1.html

"MY TOP TEN FAV-OR-ITE BOAT QUOTES"

1. "I remember how my great uncle Jerry would sit on the porch and whittle all day long. Once he whittled me a toy boat out of a larger toy boat I had. It was almost as good as the first one, except now it had bumpy whittle marks all over it. And no paint, because he had whittled off the paint. ~ Jack Handy

2. My Mom said she learned how to swim when someone took her out on the lake and threw her off the boat. I said, "Mom, they weren't trying to teach you to swim." ~ Paula Poundstone

3. "I love the ocean. Boats, not so much."~Jeff Goldblum

4. "There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." ~Kenneth Graham

5. "Basically my wife was immature. I'd be at home in the bath and she'd come in and sink my boats." ~ Woody Allen

6. "There are a lot of mysterious things about boats, such as why anyone would get one voluntarily." ~ P.J. O'Rourke

7. "A boat is a hole in the water into which one throws money"~unknown

8. "A Ship is safe in harbor but that's not what they are made for"-John Shedd

9. "If you boat a lot, you're known as a boating enthusiast. I like to boat, but I just don't want to ever be referred to as a 'boating enthusiast'. I hope they cal me 'a guy who likes to boat'." ~Mitch Hedburg

10. "Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit."- Brooks Atkinson

"Happy Belated Birthday"

Geez...I know I dont remember my friends or family, but to forget Smokey's birthday? I'm a really bad Natural Resource worker! For those who forgot to mark it on your calendar, Smokey Bear's birthday is August 9. Some might debate his exact break out onto the scene, but thats not all that important... What's important is that this iconic bear has been holding that shovel for 65 years! Dang, I thought the DOT employees were bad. Smokey has been fighting fires and educating people since he was found clinging to a charred limb terrified and burned. Most wildfires are caused by humans and most could be avoided by being prepared, and using common sense. But like "they" say, common sense aint all that common. So, all hail the bear! and remember "Only you can prevent forest fires."
By the way, Smokey is Wild & Woolly. www.smokeybear.com

"Lizards and greensnakes and tiny treefrogs"

I'm straying from my typical post, but I felt compelled to share this little chunk of fun... A Christian play for children that speaks of the glory of God and His creation... SO CUTE it'll make you vomit! The girls rocked it at the lil ole Church the other night.

There's crickets and tadpoles Turtles and frogs Down by the creek bank By the old holler log There's spiders and fireflies Earthworms that crawl Down by the creek bank By the old holler log God made the animals Both great and small But I guess my favorite Ones of them all Are crickets and tadpoles Turtles and frogs Down by the creek bank By the old holler log There's spiders and fireflies Earthworms that crawl Down by the creek bank By the old holler log God made the animals Both great and small But I guess my favorite Ones of them all Are crickets and tadpoles Turtles and frogs Down by the creek bank By the old holler log God made the animals Both great and small But I guess my favorite Ones of them all Are lizards, green snakes Tiny tree frogs Down by the creek bank By the old holler log There's spiders and fireflies Earthworms that crawl Down by the creek bank By the old holler log God made the animals Both great and small But I guess my favorite Ones of them all Are crickets and tadpoles Turtles and frogs Down by the creek bank By the old holler log Down by the creek bank By the old holler log...By Dottie Rambo

"Wet and Woolly"

Once in a blue moon you find yourself asking, "Is this really happening"? The photo you see was certainly one of those times. When you experience something so raw, so wild, so woolly...I dare say it can change your life. Why? Because it opens your mind to what your missing-lost in the concrete jungle. Have you ever seen a bear swimming across alligator infested waters? We hadn't and as we sat shaking as she crashed through the forest...I thanked God, I praised God. I almost cried...WHY? Because God's creatures are awesome. Wild, untamed, and just downright amazing. While the photo is not the best technically, the subject matter is-in my opinion stunning. I approached her carefully, and stayed back to avoid trouble for all involved, mainly her. I shot in auto...with no time to think about f-stops, flash, etc. She exited the water, looked back at us and disappeared into the dark swamplands.

WILD AND WOOLLY YA'LL! ©

"Getting a buzz"

If you've never been "buzzed" then you don't know what your missing. If your an adrenaline aficionado, junky, or if your just looking to scratch something off your "bucket list" then you simply must experience a warning from the Great Eastern Diamond Back Rattlesnake. Now, I am not suggesting you harass, bother, molest, or disturb this fascinating nasty. First know, that they aren't hunting you, looking for trouble or even remotely interested in harming you... Unless you bother one. So, just a suggestion. DONT. They are fairly common in certain areas of Florida and a few other states, but alas they aren't very "cute or cuddly", thus many are killed without a care. Snake bite statistics tell us that most bites occur when someone is attempting to capture, harass, or kill one. Out of those individuals many have been drinking. Go figure!? So the next time you get a buzz...Don't get a buzz. Does that make any sense? Many times you will see them crossing a road...just let em be. They aren't hurting you and they are just looking to get their mouse on. So don't be hating on the the incredible Eastern Diamond Back; The largest North American pit viper. Wild huh? Woolly-YES...©

"No time to wallow in the mire"

It's been a while...Fires burn throughout Florida but it seems that many burn in the central part of the state year after year. Florida is a landscape that needs fire, but not really like this. Beginning back in the early 1900's we started to fight fire. We ran out all of the natives, and cut down all the trees. This-among other things, created the problems that we face today... Development of course didn't help. Then there's climatic changes; La Niña, El Niño, and burritos; all affect the fire regime. Continued drought in Florida has lead to "tinderbox" conditions. The shot above was taken at 1.00 am, that gives you some perspective on the conditions. A fire usually lays down at night, but stiff winds and extra-dry conditions let this one cook. My main concern while shooting this was not fire, it was alligators and snakes. Indian Lake has a few, and I was standing in waist high vegetation and a half-foot of water. Man, I go to great lengths to get these incredible shots! Whew... Wild and Woolly ©