MORE BISBEE PHOTOGRAPHERS INCLUDING LARRY ELKINS (SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION)

Today,I'm going to continue to profile Bisbee Arizona photographers. At some point, I'll need to include myself in this list. So it might as well be now. As I noted in an earlier post, I'm quite proud of the designation, Larry Elkins - Bisbee photographer. Shameless self promotion however, does have its limits. You can find my bio on my website www.elkinsphotos.com. A close friend of mine and fellow Bisbee photographer is Pete Larkin. Pete has run multiple color photo labs over the years. He also used to do a lot of commercial wedding and special events photography. I'll continue with this seemingly endless list at a future date. However, next week I'm going to post some photo tips on photographing one of the most intriguing locations in the western United States - I'll be posting tips on photographing TOMBSTONE ARIZONA - THE TOWN TOO TOUGH TO DIE.

I SHOT THE CONGRESSWOMAN (WITH A CANON REBEL)

I am interrupting my listing of Bisbee photographers past and present in order to report that I had the honor and privilege of photographing U. S . Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Saturday afternoon at the Warren Ball Park in Bisbee AZ as she threw the first pitch of a game between the Bisbee Copper Kings and the Tucson Nationals. The event was part of a year long celebration of the Centennial of the historic Warren Ball Park, the REAL FIELD OF DREAMS.

BISBEE ARIZONA PHOTOGRAPHERS PART 2

Another Bisbee photographer is Ann Widmann. Ann is an active photographer and website designer. She is also an experienced news journalist. She is presently employed as a reporter and photographer for the Bisbee Observer. You can find info at Ann's website, az-image-is. Liz Hampton is another important Bisbee photographer. You can log onto her site lizhampton.com for info on her background and present activities. There are several other photographers, both current and historical who should not be forgotten. I will deal with listing more details concerning them in coming days.

LARRY ELKINS - BISBEE PHOTOGRAPHER

Bisbee, Arizona is my hometown. Because of that, it has at times been difficult for me to recognize the town's true potential when it comes to photography. Yet I would encourage any photographer to explore Bisbee's potential. However, that's not what I want to talk to you about today. Instead, I'm going to talk about some of the photographers, including myself, who have made Bisbee their home over the years. I have photographed Bisbee extensively for decades. I know of no title I am prouder of than that of Larry Elkins - Bisbee Arizona photographer. You can view my photography and read my bio at my website, www.elkinsphotos.com. There is a link from this blog. One of the most colorful characters I have met over the years was the late Nicholas Devore III, an immensely talented photographer who shot extensively for Life Magazine and National Geographic. Nick resided in Bisbee the last several years of his life, and I considered him a dear friend. Google Nicholas Devore III National Geographic. You'll find all kinds of info on Nick and his work. Nick's lifestyle was off the charts, but he was an extremely talented man. I learned a lot from him during our few years of friendship. Another long time Bisbee photographer is Richard Byrd. An easy means of obtaining info on Richard is to google RICHARD BYRD PHOTOGRAPHER BISBEE. If you google Richard Byrd or even Richard Byrd photographer,you'll wind up being overwhelmed with info on Richard's great uncle, famed arctic explorer Admiral Richard Byrd. Richard, who early in his career shot the Beatles, has produced an immense number of photographs, many of them intimate photos of early rock stars. Richard, who moved to Bisbee in the 1970's still makes this his home. Another long time Bisbee photographer is Boyd Nicholl who presently serves as a Bisbee city councilperson. Google Boyd's name and you'll find information about his book of photos, BISBEE THEN & NOW. Another Bisbee photographer of note is Sandy Upson, a devoted conservationist a respected entomologist and an incredibly talented macro & nature photographer. Just google Sandy Upson photographer for oodles of info on this multi talented individual. I'll continue this list of talented Bisbee area photographers tomorrow.

LIONS & TIGERS & BEARS PART 2

Well, despite my best intentions, it's been about a week since my last posting. As I stated last week,
many wildlife photographers, while secretly shooting much of their work at zoos, wildlife parks, etc., publicly denounce this form of wildlife photography as fake. I will take issue with this attitude on two fronts. The first concerns the fact that most wildlife photography takes place under varying degrees of controlled conditions. The photographs taken in wild game preserves in Africa for instance, or on expeditions to Antarctica are taken under conditions which fall far short of the lone photographer camped with his (or her) camera for months deep in the Amazonian rain forest in search of whatever jaguars, monkeys or whatever cross his path. It's just a matter of degree. Secondly, shooting at a zoo or wildlife park actually presents less ethical concerns than does shooting photos in a more natural environment. An inexperienced photographer, or worse yet a jackass who just doesn't give a damn, can do irreparable harm to a fragile habitat. That's not to say that photographing at a zoo does not come without its own ethical considerations. I was photographing at a zoological park several years ago when, suddenly, Mr. Obnoxious arrived with several thousands of dollars in photographic equipment in tow. "Stay out of my way!", he shouted at the other zoo visitors. "I'm a professional." Mr. O then began firing his flash at a 90 degree angle directly at a glass enclosure frightening away the bobcat which promptly hid, thus depriving the zoo's visitors from being able to view the animal. And to boot, he didn't get a photo of the bobcat, just the flare of his flash boomeranging back into his camera. The moral of the story? One idiot is all it takes to ruin things for everyone. However, the damage Mr. Obnoxious can do during a day trip to the zoo is far more limited than the carnage he can cause in a fragile environment like a tropical rain forest. So enjoy a photo trek to the local zoological park and if someone asks where you took the photo of a mountain lion climbing up a rock outcropping, proudly proclaim, "I took it at a zoo, thank you.".

LIONS & TIGERS & BEARS - OH MY.

LIONS & TIGERS & BEARS - OH MY. As everyone knows, wildlife photographers travel the world, spending months each year on safari in remote regions of the world in search of exotic animals. As an example, take the wildlife photos posted on my website, elkinsphotos.com. The photos of a swimming polar bear were taken during my 2006 expedition to the arctic. The photo of the baboon and the African lion I took while on safari in Kenya a couple years ago. The photo of the Indian elephant was taken just outside of New Delhi. The images of frigate birds and a blue footed booby on my Journey through Ecuador gallery page were taken on a recent photo excursion to South America. Well, the truth is that the photographs of the booby and the frigate birds were indeed taken on the Isla de la Plata, a small island off the Pacific coast of Ecuador. As to the rest of the wildlife photos mentioned, the all too mundane truth is, they were taken at a zoo. Most wildlife photographers are loath to admit that many of their most impressive images were made under controlled conditions (at zoos, wildlife parks, etc.). While there is a certain level of debate in the photographic community as to whether wildlife photography should be shot "in the wild", many of the most iconic wildlife images have been made under controlled conditions. It is a fact of life that little 7 year old Susie Periwinkel's snaphots taken at the local zoo won't be appearing in the upcoming issue of National Geographic Magazine. However, this does not mean that credible, even sensational, images of exotic wildlife cannot be made at that same local zoo. The trick is to take photographs that do not shout out to the viewer, "I was taken in a zoo." This is not easy to achieve. Shots of animals pacing back and forth on concrete floors behind bars are not going to make the viewer say, "Oh, wow!". A more likely response will be a bored "Ho hum.". One tip I'll give you is this. Make an initial scouting visit to the zoo. In preparation, visit the zoo's website. Pay attention to which animals' images appear on the website. Those are probably the exhibits you want to pay closest attention to during your scouting visit. Why? Because whoever photographed for the website probably found these exhibits the most interesting and - or photogenic. Take your camera just in case. However, your primary goal will be to scout out which exhibits present the best photo opportunities for your next visit. Forget the exhibits where there is no opportunity to isolate the animal from the zoo elements. Try to visualize how to use blurring of background elements, natural looking backgrounds, etc. to obtain photos which appear to have been made in the wild. Also, be aware that early morning, late afternoon and feeding times are good times to obtain photos. I would recommend lens ranges from moderate wide angle to telephoto (up to 400 mm equivalent). Tomorrow I will post a continuation of this posting covering more hints on obtaining quality wildlife photos under controlled conditions.

PHOTO WORKSHOPS

I am posting from Bizzart Gallery in Bisbee, Arizona. Be sure to check out my JOURNEY THROUGH ECUADOR photos on my website www.elkinsphotos.com. You can link from this blog. I would highly recommend a travel/nature photo workshop such as the one I took to Ecuador. A good source for info is Outdoor Photography Magazine. Near the back of the mag is a section called Travel/Workshops as well as numerous adverts for both domestic and international workshops. So research what's available, then jump into the deep end and live the dream.