Category Archives: birds

Anatomy of a photo #27: Great blue heron, boats and mist Part I

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

As I drive my local roads I am usually on the look out for interesting animals in interesting places, that are fairly accessible- i.e. safe place to park, I can get good views and angles without spooking the subject away, … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #21: Great Blue Heron

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

I noticed I somehow missed entry #21, so I am heading back in my posting numbers a little. I was hiking in one of my local state parks (I won’t name which one, as it is nearly undiscovered, and I … Continue reading →

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Birds of Tomales Bay: The Common Loon: A video

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

The Common Loon. I see these birds often, as I kayak along Tomales Bay and the Point Reyes National Seashore, and I am always sure to tell them, “There’s nothing common about you.” They are a fun bird to watch … Continue reading →

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The Eureka Sand Dunes: An essay in photos

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

It used to be that my friends and I would head down to the Eureka Sand Dunes (found in the Death Valley National Park) every year for a few days to a week. Amazing place. Tallest sand dunes in California, … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #14: Three Willits in pickleweed

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

As I look through my photographs of animal images, I notice more and more that there are two main lighting conditions that most of my favorite portraits were taken in- early/late low angle sun, or else while the subject was … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #10: Freezing the flow of water in an image: Gull and crab claw

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

This post relates to the importance of shutter speed. A fast shutter speed can freeze action, making something like water appear solid- almost like crystal or an ice sculpture. The picture above for example was taken with a shutterspeed of … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #3: Egret fishing in fog

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

This image was made while kayaking early one morning on Drake’s Estero. When I saw this egret on the local oyster farm’s racks, I knew right away that I wanted a vertical orientation to the picture. The structure of the … Continue reading →

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Using a flash when photographing wildlife

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

The simple rule for using a flash to photograph wildlife is just that- don’t. If it is a mammal, and truly wild (not a zoo or farm animal, or animal that has become overly acclimated to having humans present) the … Continue reading →

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New Zealand’s Oystercatcher’s and Shags

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

Two of my favorite varieties of birds that I’ve come across in New Zealand are the Oystercatchers and the shags. This is a brief sampling of them.

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New Zealand Visions: Northland and Back

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

This is just a brief intro to all we’ve seen on the journey from Auckland to Cape Reinga at the northern tip of New Zealand. It is by no means a complete representation of the journey, or New Zealand itself. … Continue reading →

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New Zealand’s Red-Billed Gull: Feeding on 90 Mile Beach

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

The Red-billed Gull is one of those ubiquitous birds here in New Zealand, but as such it is a good bird for providing a study in their habits. This short video shows one of its styles of feeding. Enjoy, Galen

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New Zealand’s Pied Shag: A short video

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

Here is a very short video of one of the first birds I came across in NZ-

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