Photo Tours May-June15

Hey Eric,

We really had a great time this evening.  When we got home we were looking through our photos and I think we both got several keepers.

It was great meeting you and thanks again for the adventure.  Hopefully we'll be able to do it again sometime soon !

Eric Mitchell- contact-ffmitch@gmail.com

Oyster Catchers

Here are a few of my favorites from yesterday.  Molly hasn't gone through hers yet but when she does we'll get 'em out to you.

"Eric was a great guide/teacher and was very knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife there.  He was also a genuinely nice guy and it was a pleasure to meet him." 

Hey, if you look close at the dolphin on its back you can see marks on its fins.  Are those teeth marks from where they may have been playing or fighting or are they natural marks in the skin?

Bottlenose Dolphin

We followed a couple of groups of Dolphin for about 30 minutes. These groups seemed to be families with young calves. Their behavior was a mix of feeding and play Molly and Eric Mitchell got some great pictures. These are all Eric's images

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John Bodouroglou and I were out one day earlier last month and had a great time observing and photographing Osprey feeding.

Eric, "This photo compositionally holds some interest for me". John Bodouridou- contact- yanibfoto@gmail.com  I should say so it's an awesome image;  just before the bird get's back in the air.

I was happiest with these two shots - top showing the bird leaving a perch and below , about to land

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Mink

Though we were a distance off from this mink, they are always a thrill to see in the wild. This shot grabbed by John Edgar

Eric,  What a great day!  You were a terrific partner for the day. The tour was indeed unbelievable, I can't imagine a better day!!!  I ended up with a count of just over 700 photo's.  Some of them are I think terrific shots.  I was able to get this shot of the MINK and the mating Oyster Catchers!   Thanks  JOHN- contact- jwedgar@verizon.net

Oyster Catchers mating

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Michael Long is and aspiring photographer and based on what he has written below, a very good writer!

Dear Eric,

First and foremost thank you for taking the time to take me out last Saturday, it was a very special treat.  I hope that I have a chance to come do that again.  I would love to come for a fall/winter shoot. 

 The photos I like for the most part but they could be better.  Practice more practice I know.  Something that I have not been doing enough of lately.  Hope you can use them.  

Again thank you for your time.

Take care,

Michael Short- contact- shortmg@gmail.com

Short-billed Dowitcher

Sunrise Saturday I am at a marina just across from Paris Island, I can here the unison yells of future Marines drift across the waters of Port Royal Sound.  Sounds of a past long gone.  I have a pack on my back full of camera gear and I am waiting to meet with Eric Horan to go for a photo shoot off somewhere out there.  I am a bit apprehensive about going with him.  He a professional photographer who has made a living off capturing images of creatures that inhabit this area and I but a want-a-be still working on a craft that at times really alludes me.  Where are the birds?  This should be prime time and the beach just to the east of the dock should have more activity than a crow.  So I sit and wait, take stock of my experiences of the past and wonder what is the best way to shoot the morning’s activities.  Full manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, awwww heck just wait maybe Eric will clue me in and give me a nugget.  So I wait.

Soon a man drives up and is looking at me like this must be the guy what with a bulging pack and a tripod attached to it.  I greet him with a hearty “Eric?” and sure enough it is he.  Fifteen minutes later the boat is in the water and we are underway.  There are some basic questions from Eric to me to get a feel for my experience and actually I am feeling pretty comfortable.  I have decided to set the camera to Auto and just concern myself about seeing the sites to come.  We spy a pod of dolphins swimming not far from where we launched and Eric maneuvers the boat around to try to get close.  Of course the waters grow still and I get a reminder of the most important lesson in nature photography – patience.  Soon the dolphins start coming to the surface again and it is obvious they are feeding.  What a thrill.  I have watched this kind of activity from shore but never have I been this close.  We hang around for several minutes and I just click away hoping that my timing is right.  Immediately I realize that the lens I am using is too short for what I want but there is no time to change now.  After just a few minutes Eric turns the boat and we begin to head down river.  Not to far away from where we started the birds begin to come into view.  Within a very short period of time at least a dozen different species of birds have been spotted and I have captured a few good shots.  Eric rattles off the species like the seasoned pro that he is.  More important is that he understands how they operate and is able to get in close so that I have the opportunity to get some good looks and take a few great pictures.  We had good light that day. It was partly cloudy and the light was fairly even.  Thanks to the conditions and Eric, I saw and captured on the camera some beautiful sites. 

Oyster Catcher

When the trip was all over and I had a chance to reflect on the time while I went through the pictures I realized that Eric never talked about technique only the animals.  We did talk a little “shop” but it was minimal. The real secret was being there where the animals.  Eric was knowledgeable about the area and knew right where to go to give me the opportunity to take some very nice photos.  I would love to have the chance to go with him again.  Maybe a fall or winter trip when the sky produces spectacular colors and there is an entirely different range of creatures around.  But I will have a longer lens with me for that trip.

Spotted Sandpiper

Michael is not only an excellent writer but he came away with some really nice images this day as well.