Andrew Kelley Photography

2012 Art Show Schedule

Andrew — Sun, 13 May 2012 15:09:18 +0000

This year, I began selling my work on the art show circuit. Our schedule for summer and fall is starting to round in to shape, so we just posted our preliminary schedule. I’ll update the schedule as we are accepted to additional shows.

One of my great photographic pleasures is sharing my work with others. I hope to see you at one of the shows!

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Good Art vs. Salable Decor

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Collared Lizard

Andrew — Sat, 12 May 2012 21:17:28 +0000

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A Collared Lizard warms itself in the sun, Cayon of the Ancients National Monument, Cortez, Colorado.

My self-assigned task for 2012 is finding more ways to avoid making “nature guide” photos of animals. But simple portraits like this image of a common collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) remain a guilty pleasure. Something in our primeval brains likes tracking down and capturing a new or elusive subject. And though photos like this do not exhibit much in the way of “authoriship”, they can be technically challenging.

Sorry for the dearth of posts lately. More desert images soon.

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© Andrew Kelley Photography, all rights reserved

Alzheimer’s Association Memories in the Making® Art Auction

Andrew — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:31:15 +0000

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A flock of ducks takes flight into backlit fog, Bosque del Apache, NWR, San Antonio, New Mexico.

We donated my “Blastoff” photograph (above) to the Alzheimer’s Association Memories in the Making® Art Auction in Colorado Springs. The auction pairs art from Alzheimer’s patients with complimentary art from an artists in the community. I am honored to have been paired with the signature image for the auction.

Incidentally, the community artists (present company possibly excluded) are very, very good, including such names as John Fielder. Check out the art, and please consider making a bid to support this worthy cause.

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Good Art vs. Salable Decor

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Mallard Touchdown

Andrew — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:35:34 +0000

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A Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) hen lands on a mirror-still pond. Broomfield, Colorado.

Jumping from some old images to new, I captured this Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) hen last weekend. I was out photographing herons, but these two images (taken within a half-second of one another) are my two favorite captures from the outing. I love the reflection of the bird on the mirror-calm water.

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A Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) hen prepares to land on a mirror-still pond. Broomfield, Colorado.

Fortunately, I was set up for flight photography when this duck flew in. It was a relatively simple matter to pick it up in the viewfinder, swing the camera to match its trajectory, and capture a few frames. Note that simplicity in execution is deceiving. Flight photography takes practice. You must practice being able to quickly pick up a fast moving object in the viewfinder, using a long lens with a narrow angle of view. Also, you must practice, practice, practice panning with the bird, keeping it in the frame (hopefully, slightly back in the frame) and squeezing the shutter at the right moment. With practice, a good photographer picks up and tracks his flight subjects almost without thought. Otherwise, the ducks are on the water long before you’re ready to photograph them.

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| One comment | Post tags: Bird in Flight, Duck, Flight, landing, Mallard, Reflection |
© Andrew Kelley Photography, all rights reserved

Red-winged Blackbirds

Andrew — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 16:26:45 +0000

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It is nearly time to start photographing at my favorite local marsh. In anticipation, I processed these Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) images from last spring. (Yes, Jay, I am shockingly far behind on image editing.) Though common, the red-winged blackbirds are a perennial challenge to photograph. It’s difficult at times to open up the deep black feathers without simultaneously over exposing the brightly colored wing patches. The best bet is to shoot them in soft overcast light. But then it’s a challenge to get enough shutter speed to freeze the action. I enjoy the challenge.

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Though the background is somewhat busier than the first image, I like the pastel, almost water color tones in the background of this image.

Apologies for the lack of new content lately. I plan to update the blog on a much more regular basis going forward.

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| One comment | Post tags: Blackbird, Greeley, Latham, Lower Latham Reservoir, Marsh, Red-winged Blackbird |
© Andrew Kelley Photography, all rights reserved

Mountain Bluebird

Andrew — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:22:15 +0000

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Spring is coming early to Colorado this year. I visited a new Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) location near Castle Rock, Colorado this morning. Though there is still a little snow on the ground, it looks like the bluebirds are preparing to nest. Its wonderful to have our summer birds back; I am ready to begin a busy summer season of photography. My first order of business will be photographing one of these guys on a more natural-looking perch.

More spring birds tomorrow.

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Monthly Newsletter

Andrew — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 17:58:56 +0000

We now have a monthly newsletter. Please subscribe below for news about Andrew Kelley Photography, including

New images
Upcoming events, and
Occasional discounts on prints.

We will never spam you or share your e-mail address with others. You may opt out at any time.

If you already subscribe to our bog-entry-by-email service, we will include you on the monthly e-mail list as well.

Thanks!

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Sandhill Crane and Full Moon

Andrew — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 03:10:23 +0000

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A sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) flies in front of the full moon, Bernardo Wildlife Area, New Mexico

I just returned home from a successful show at the Monte Vista Crane Festival. I met many interesting and friendly people, received far more kind remarks about my work than I deserve, and sold many prints.

During the show I received several requests for a crane flying in front of the full moon. I have a nice crane-and-moon image in my portfolio from my trip to Bosque del Apache last year — beautiful full moon, with the crane illuminated in sweet evening light. Unfortunately, I did not have any prints with me at the show. (Just not enough hours in the day to prepare – I just found a print of this image on my framing table waiting for a mat.) By way of response to the requests, however, here is the image. I hope that some of the show visitors will enjoy it here.

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| 0 comments | Post tags: Bosque del Apache, Flight, Monte Vista Crane Festival, Moon, Request, Sandhill Crane |
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Monte Vista Crane Festival

Andrew — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 16:50:39 +0000

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Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) display dominance behavior. Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, Monte Vista, Colorado

We will have a booth at the Monte Vista Crane Festival – March 9-11 in Monte Vista Colorado, with a broad selection of matted and framed prints for sale. Each spring the migrating sand hill cranes rest at the Monte Vista National Wildlife refuge during their migration north. The migrating cranes are spectacular to behold, and this is one my favorite spots to photograph.

Hope to see you there — please stop by to say hello.

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Help!

Andrew — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 16:41:02 +0000

I need your help! I am frantically preparing for my first art show next month. The only problem? I am really, really bad at guessing which of my photos people will purchase as art for their home or office. I get tired of my older work. I value the photo for how hard it was to capture (or how technically perfect it is) rather than for its aesthetic merit. Etc.

So . . . If you could spare a few minutes to tell me which of my “Art Show Selects” you think would be popular, I would be grateful. As a thank you for spending the time, I will send you a coupon for 20% off your next purchase from Andrew Kelley Photography. Click the box next to the twenty or thirty photos that you think would sell well, fill in the very short form at the bottom of the page, and click submit.

Thanks in advance!

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Forest Blurs

Andrew — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:17:26 +0000

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Forest Path, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Created in-camera by moving the camera during the exposure.)

Time for a brief respite from wildlife photographs. I made these blurred images during a camping trip last summer in Rocky Mountain National Park. I produce these images entirely in camera, by moving the camera during a relatively long exposure. No Photoshop needed. I am fascinated with the marvelous texture.

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Blur of pine trunks and forest grasses, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. (Created in-camera by moving the camera during the exposure.)

In addition to the great texture of the image, I love the sense of experimentation and luck involved with this type of shot. Usually I am a photography control freek: I carefully set the exposure, manage depth of field, and ensure that my camera is locked down as solidly as possible. With these images, by contrast I guess at the shutter speed, press the shutter, wave the camera around a bit, and see what I get. There is an element of craft to be sure — I look for strong lines that I think will make beautiful images. But there is a lot more spontaneity, experimentation, and luck, than my normal work.

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© Andrew Kelley Photography, all rights reserved

Flight

Andrew — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:47:47 +0000

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A Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) with wings and tail flared to land, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico

I spent the better part of the day today editing images from my recent trip to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. By editing, I don’t mean Photoshopping. I mean slogging through thousands of images looking for the keepers. For me, Bosque is mostly about flight shooting. And flight shooting means heavy shooting: a bird flies by at thirty miles an hour. I track it with my camera. When it’s in just the right spot, I hold down the shutter button for a second or so. The camera makes a staccato rattle as I capture six or eight frames. (Gotta love 8 frames per second.) The next bird flies by. Repeat. It’s exhilarating, nonstop action.¹

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A Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) lands in a snow-covered field, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico

The downside is when I get home. There are many, many images to edit. And there are many similar images, with only slight variations in sharpness or composition. Carefully sorting through a day’s worth of heavy flight shooting can take a week or more of spare time. It is mentally taxing, and sometimes a bit tedious. However, there is an upside: hidden among the mass of images, there are always a few gems.

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A Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) with wings extended, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico. Note mud on bill from feeding in wet fields.

These images are the gems. I made a couple of “wow” images during my expedition to Bosque. I either knew it when I captured the photo or the first time I looked at the file in Lightroom. These images did not leap out at me immediately. But what a reward for a day of editing to find these lurking among my captures. Great action, light, and color.

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Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) landing in a farm field, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico

Hope you enjoy these photos. As a reminder, these images are available as fine art prints, printed and matted in our studio. Please consider purchasing a print to support my photography.

I don’t always use the “machine gun” approach to photography. To the contrary, a deliberate approach is usually better. But if you want to capture a decent bird in flight image — sharp, wings in a pleasing position, with a decent background — there’s really no choice. ↩

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Frost on the Forest Floor

Andrew — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:43:57 +0000

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Small forest plants with a dusting of early-morning frost, Rocky Mountain national Park.

After all of the in your face color in the last few posts, I decided to change things up with much more subtle image. I captured this image last fall on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. I was shooting moose when I paused to look down and saw something much more interesting. These tiny leaves were flocked by an early fall frost, which beautifully highlights the texture of the plants.

On a purely technical note, this picture is sharp. On the full-sized image, I can see the ice crystals on the leaf at left. Sharpness is generally overrated: strong seeing is way more important that technical perfection to a successful image. Still, there’s something pleasing about taking a tack sharp, highly-detailed photo.

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Cranes in Backlit Fog

Andrew — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:39:31 +0000

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A flock of sandhill cranes roosts in backlit ground fog at sunrise, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, New Mexico.

Here’s another favorite image with the “fire in the mist” backlit ground fog. I like this one because of the wider perspective and sense of billowing fog. This looks best BIG. Be sure to click on the image for a larger version.

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Finally on Facebook

Andrew — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:41:48 +0000

We’re finally on Facebook: Andrew Kelley Photography, Ltd. Facebook Page. Please check it out and “like” the page to receive our status updates. As it grows, the page will feature new work, special offers on prints, and news about my photography. As always, thanks for your support.

(I would drop the facebook widget into this post, but it isn’t playing nice with my blog software.)

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Bosque Images (Finally) Up