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P. Brian Machanic: Insights on a Career in Wildlife and Nature Photography

Brian Machanic LambsP. Brian Machanic’s wildlife photography has been published throughout the world, and we’re privileged to have had the chance to ask the native Vermonter a few questions about his career. He offers valuable insights to aspiring wildlife photographers, and reminisces about the film era, shooting wildlife around the globe, and his personal relationship with nature.

Forest Forward: You started Nature’s Eye Studio back in the film-era of photography. What are the challenges you’ve experienced shooting wildlife with film versus digital?
Brian Machanic: I began serious wildlife and scenic photography over 35 years ago, prior to the advent of digital photography. As the digital industry evolved, the advantages quickly became apparent. You were exonerated from the tedium of choosing the appropriate ASA film for the project at hand and hoping that you captured the quality image(s) that you sought before the interruption of having to put in a fresh 36 frame roll of film. I can’t tell you the number of times that I missed a great image while in a film-changing interlude. Then, too, there was the huge advantage of being able to see immediately on an LCD panel the image that you had captured, rather than having to wait until you received the developed slide film back from the lab. As a corollary, it was far less expensive to shoot digitally, where you could immediately delete unsatisfactory images and make adjustments in exposure and composition before tripping the shutter again. Also, as memory cards evolved from a few hundred MB to 16 or more GB, it became possible to shoot hundreds of images on the card before storing the pictures on a remote hard drive, reformatting the card, and starting all over again. Bonanza! Gone, too, was the need to scan the print or slide film before making computerized image adjustments.

Brian Machanic CardinalForest Forward: Your wildlife photography includes subjects from all over the world. Do you have a favorite place to shoot nature photography, and how does the Northeast stack up against the other places you’ve traveled when it comes to shooting wildlife?

Brian Machanic: I’ve been privileged to be able to do nature photography on many continents, and have found myself totally captivated by the subjects at hand, whether  it’s a back yard hummer, a polar bear in the Arctic, or penguins in the Antarctic, etc.  Nature is so diverse and exciting! From a business standpoint, magazines and stock photo agencies will accept a diversity of subject matter, and web sites facilitate the sale of the same, but there’s no question that local retail sales are largely driven by the clients’ desire to acquire images of scenes and wildlife indigenous to the area. Also, we are blessed to have a diversity of wildlife and topography here in the Northeast, and one could easily spend many years photographing just in this area. Bottom line is that you’ve got to go where the desired birds and animals are, whether it’s finding a bog in Vermont that a big bull moose is frequenting, or a river in Alaska where brown bears are gorging on salmon.

Brian Machanic Moose

Forest Forward: Many of Forest Forward’s readers are amateur photographers and nature enthusiasts. What advice would you offer to young photographers in this field seeking a career in the profession today? How has the business changed since you established Nature’s Eye Studio in 1990?

Brian Machanic: To make a profitable business out of wildlife and scenic photography takes a great deal of devotion and willingness to cope with hardships and frustration. You have to capture top quality images and be able to merchandize them.  It’s all about establishing a name for yourself. There are millions of folks out there now who are eager to see their images in print, and are clicking away with everything from cell phones to sophisticated professional gear. I’d recommend getting the best camera bodies and lenses that you can afford, since that gives you a leg up technologically. Do as much internet research as possible, both on photographic technology and techniques, as well as on recommended sites for photographing your desired subject matter. Be prepared to spend hours and days waiting for that “magic moment” when you can capture just the right pose or just the right light, etc. The adage that “patience is a virtue” certainly applies to nature photography. Also, to minimize non-productivity, be sure to know the locales that your subject matter frequents. You won’t find a ruffed grouse in a cow pasture or a bobolink in deep woods!


Brian Machanic Katadhin FallsForest Forward: Forest Forward’s primary goal is to share the beauty of our region’s natural landscapes and wildlife in an effort to advocate for conservation and stewardship. How has your photography career influenced your relationship and appreciation for the natural world?

Brian Machanic: Our ecology is fragile throughout the world,  During the years which I’ve spent photographing nature, I’ve witnessed a progressive usurpation of both woodlands and wetlands, as well as pollution of lakes and streams. The coexistence of man and wildlife is a delicate balance. There is no question that unfettered development of land is a serious threat to wildlife. Individually, we all can play a beneficial role in protecting wildlife by curtailing littering and polluting, and by encouraging conservation. From a photographic standpoint, be respective of your subject matter. Such activities as frightening birds off their nesting sites or pursuing animals throughout their natural habitat is both disruptive and counterproductive.

Posted by  |  May 16, 2013 | Categories: Animals, Bird Photography, Camera Talk, Four-legged and Furry, Interviews, Landscape, Waterfall | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Selective Focus: How to Take Interesting Nature Photos Under Lackluster Conditions

Harper HawkOne of the most common barriers to an aspiring nature photographer is their lack of  access to a photogenic wildlife habitat. I’m fortunate to live in the Northeast which is full of wildlife opportunities; however there’s always potential for a great shot regardless of your surroundings. Travel and wildlife photographer Chris McLennan, snapped one of his most publicized images, sitting in a cafe while a hummingbird was passing by. He happened to have his camera at the ready and captured a stunning image of the ruby-throated beauty.

The best way to work around an unattractive backdrop is using a very shallow depth of field. I captured this harper hawk image in a rather lackluster setting. By using a large aperture and focusing on the beak and eyes, I was able to “pull” the hawk out of the scene making the background obsolete.

HY2A8712Another important consideration is the angle of your shot. I snapped this crab photo at high noon on an empty beach. This is not exactly an ideal setting for an interesting photograph. By laying down on the wet sand I was able to get eye to eye with the crustacean, providing for a more stately portrait. This angle also created a reflection on the wet beach that I wouldn’t have captured had I shot this standing up. Using an aperture of f2.8 was helpful to this scene as well. The sharpness of your subject is more dramatic when juxtaposed with a blurred foreground.

Lastly, don’t wait for a trophy specimen to stumble by you before getting out the camera. I find that shooting everyday subjects can be just as rewarding. In fact, it offers a fun challenge and puts your photographic creativity to the test. I’ve spent hours photographing blue jays, robins, and other abundant species around the backyard. Doing so, forces you to be creative and will lead you to explore new functions on your camera that you didn’t dare experiment with before.

HY2A9509You’d be hard pressed to walk around my yard without hearing a chorus of tree fogs and peepers, but I don’t take for granted the photographic possibilities. The bottom line is, work with what you have at your disposal. Perhaps its just an iphone, and a butterfly on your porch. Does this mean you can’t make a great image? I think I know how Chase Jarvis would answer that question.

Posted by  |  May 9, 2013 | Categories: Animals, Camera Talk, Invertebrates | Tags: , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Getting Started in Wildlife Photography: The Latest Cameras, Lenses, and Marketing Advice from Jim Harmer

Jim HarmerForest Forward is excited to kick-off our spring interview series with a discussion with photographer Jim Harmer from Improve Photography. Jim’s site is very popular in the photog community, receiving 15,000+ visitors a day reading up on the latest gear, signing up for Jim’s online classes, and listening in on his popular photography podcast. Our discussion ranges from Jim’s camera and lens recommendations for nature and wildlife shooters, to advice on expanding your photography business and sharing your work with a wider audience. The interview is accompanied by some of Jim’s spectacular wildlife and nature images. Enjoy!

Chris Mazzarella For Forest Forward: We know that you came into this profession in a rather indirect way. Can you briefly tell our reader’s about your own path to discovering photography?

Jim Harmer: Only a few years ago, I was a law student. All day long during law school, I read cases where the litigants were willing to ruin one another’s lives for money, or I’d go to the courtroom when I worked at the prosecutor’s office and pour over the disgusting details of criminal prosecutions.  I found that the only things that helped me see the good things in life were (1) my wife and kids, and (2) going out at night to do landscape photography.

Jim Harmer Fox PhotoForest Forward: As avid listener’s to your podcast we know that you’ve done your homework when it comes to choosing photography gear. What advice would you give to an enytry level outdoor photographer when it comes to purchasing their first dSLR and lens kit? What should they be looking for, and how much should they expect to spend on gear they won’t outgrow right away?

Jim Harmer: Buying your first “serious” camera can be intimidating. Unfortunately, there is a lot of advertising behind camera models that can cloud your buying decision. Since readers of Forest Forward are mostly interested in landscape and wildlife, I need to break up my recommendation into the two categories.
For landscape photographers, a DSLR is the right choice.  DSLRs allow photographers to use much wider angle lenses than any compact camera, which is important for landscape photographers.  If you’re starting out in landscape photography today, I would recommend the Nikon D3200 or the Canon T4i as your first DSLR.  Sony is another option for DSLRs, but I still find that Canon and Nikon are leading the pack for landscape photography due to the low light performance and lens selection.
Jim Harmer YellowstoneAn entry-level DSLR costs approximately $650 and comes with a standard 18-55mm lens.  The lens that comes with your camera is called a “kit” lens.  Given its short focal length, it is a decently wide lens.  However, more serious landscape photographers will eventually want to purchase a true wide angle lens, as it captures more of the scene in the frame and gives the viewer of the photos a feeling of “being there.” A quality wide-angle lens for an entry-level DSLR costs approximately $700-$1000, however.
Wildlife photographers, on the other hand, may find that the best choice is to choose a different camera than a DSLR.  While DSLRs have many features and capture outstanding image quality, wildlife photographers need super telephoto lenses to capture wolves that are far away, or to capture small animals like birds on a nest.  The cheapest super-telephoto DSLR lens that captures acceptably sharp images costs well over $1,000, and professional super-telephoto lenses cost approximately $10,000.   However, camera manufacturers have released several ground-breaking cameras in the last year that may be better options for wildlife photographers. Micro Four-Thirds cameras are much smaller than DSLRs although the cost is about the same for the camera body.  The benefit of these cameras for amateur wildlife photographers is that they have a smaller image sensor, which gives them significantly more “zoom” due to the crop factor.  The leading Micro Four-Thirds camera today is the Olympus OM-D.  If you pair that with a 75-300mm Zuiko lens, you’ll have the same focal length as if you used a $10,000 600mm lens on a DSLR because of the crop factor.  While you can’t expect the exact same quality as an expensive system, a micro four-thirds camera and telephoto lens is a VERY powerful setup and I know some professional wildlife photographers who have switched to this system to save weight and money.
Jim Harmer Duck PhotoForest Forward: Many of us have tried to find cheap alternatives to professional gear when we’re first getting started only to find out that it quickly needs replacing. Do you think there are any good alternatives to buying the expensive name brand gear in our camera bags?
Jim Harmer: Generally, I recommend buying a new DSLR rather than purchasing a used camera. This is for two reasons: (1) The shutters on cameras tend to wear out after a few years, and shutters are expensive to replace.  (2) If you buy a DSLR today and then replace it as the model is replaced in a few years, you usually don’t lose much money.  This is because DSLRs are in such hot demand right now that some users are willing to buy used to save a few dollars.  I sold my first DSLR for only $150 less than I bought it for 2 years earlier.

Improve Photography Jim Harmer Photo

Forest Forward: Your website Improve Photography has grown at an impressive rate since its inception in 2011. How have you succeeded in making such a big splash in the online photog scene? What advice would you give to our readers who are trying to get their work seen online?

Jim Harmer: The key to getting your photography noticed is: (1) Be yourself, and (2) earn every single fan one at a time.  ”Be yourself” is advice we all know, but very few people follow. Because there are so many photographers on the Internet, people feel like they need to prove themselves with expensive gear and condescending advice to new photographers.  I took the opposite approach.  I write on Improve Photography the tips I learn as I progress as a photographer.  Looking back at the photos I used in posts when the blog began makes me chuckle because I was really just a beginner. Now that I have been working on Improve Photography for a couple of years, I’ve had incredible opportunities to have my work published and sold to some of the biggest names in publishing, millions of people follow my photo tips, and I have a job I love.  I think a big part of that is because I was able to swallow my pride a bit in the beginning and just explain to people what I was learning–without pretending I was the expert that I wasn’t. The other thing that helps to get your work noticed is to earn every single fan.  When I started my site, I had a contact form where anyone could email me questions and see if I could help them with their photography.  I answered tens of thousands of emails without pay.  I earned the trust of those early visitors to the site.  Now that the site has grown to millions of visitors, I simply can’t answer all of the questions of each visitor, but now there is a large enough community that the photographers are answering each others questions on the Improve Photography facebook page.  However, I still offer advice one-on-one to photographers who take my online photography classes through the site.
Jim Harmer Ram Photo YellowstoneForest Forward: In addition to shooting landscapes, you also run a portrait studio and teach a popular online photography course. Your entrepreneurship is an inspiring example of how to succeed in this profession. How important do you think diversification is in today’s competitive photography environment? What advice would you give to photographers with a passion for landscape and/or wildlife photography, who are trying to make it their profession?

Jim Harmer: I think too many photographers “branch out” before even establishing a single “branch.” What I mean by that is that we all see the importance of diversification in our businesses, but if you spread yourself too thin in chasing different opportunities, you’ll likely fail in all of them.  Most people didn’t realize that my business started out as a portrait studio.  Then, I added teaching local classes, then I started a site, then I started selling stock photos of my landscapes, and then finally I’ve added online classes. Create one profitable venture at a time.

Posted by  |  March 20, 2013 | Categories: Camera Talk, Interviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments »

Forest Forward Season Two!

winter squirrelThe daylight hours are finally beginning to stretch out a bit in the northeast. So too are our beloved forest dwellers, awakening from their long winter slumber. I thought I’d join the trend and rouse from my own hibernation here at Forest Forward. The ice shanties are swiftly disappearing from the region’s waterways, soon to be replaced by paddling anglers and photo enthusiasts alike. While I haven’t taken to the water just yet, I’m encouraged by last year’s mid-March maiden voyage which brought me eye to eye with a feisty river otter and a host of feathered spring arrivals.

My kayak is still hanging up in the garage, but I did take my snowshoes out for a stroll in Washington State Forest this past week. Breaking trail before sun-up afforded me a healthy dose of solitude as I scouted the knee-high snowpack for signs of life. As is often the case, I found myself wandering off the trail before I’d even lost sight of the truck. It never fails that my curiosity leads the way, as my eyes scan for tracks in the snow. The perfect companion for exploring the forest this way is a smart phone with an app like My Tracks that enables you to track your course as you wander through the woods and lose your sense of direction. After a half an hour or so, I looked down at my phone to discover that I’d only covered a half a mile. Between the deep snow, and my busy forest scanning, I wasn’t going to be breaking any land-speed records. I had, however, already found something that sparked my interest and added some excitement to the hike. It was a day old set of moose tracks trailing off down the bank.

march deerI had a blast following the moose trail that exposed a thorough record of the previous day’s exploits. The moose’s heavy browsing revealed the scope of his 9,000 calorie-a-day appetite. Seeing the trimmed saplings a foot above my head also brought his impressive height into perspective. Ambling along I uncovered more and more browsing, clumps of hair snatched up by the dense brush, and of course plenty of scat. Eventually I came upon a wide depression in the snow where the moose had made its bed. Looking beyond—as if turning the clock ahead several hours— the trail had grown much fresher. Clearly, it had not been long since the moose awakened.

Clutching my camera with excitement I continued on the trail. The time was flying by, and my winding path through the forest had grown long. I looked down at my trusty smartphone to check my status only to discover something I hadn’t planned for. The cold weather and aging battery had rendered my phone useless, along with my not-so-clever escape plan. I now knew that I wouldn’t be plotting any short cuts back to the truck, but I set this minor detail aside and continued after my moose.

mourning dove in winterThe path that had once seemed so promising was becoming more complex. The tracks were circling back on themselves and I was unable to isolate the freshest route in the mix. I was at a three-way crossroads of moose tracks and had to decide on one at random. The path I chose led me to a snowmobile trail which made for considerably easier trecking. I also happened to know that the sled trail would lead me to a road a couple miles from my truck. Rather than follow my five-hour path through the deep snow I decided that the VAST trail was an easier way home. With the afternoon approaching, I was considering calling off the moose hunt altogether. It was just then that I heard a stampeding crackle of broken tree limbs just up the bank from me. The moose had spotted me first (what else is new) and was not interested in any company. He bounded off in the opposite direction I had been hiking, and without a second thought I turned back around hoping for another look.moose

I never caught back up with the moose, but he certainly led me in the right direction. After following him for no more than fifteen minutes the scenery became awfully familiar. It seems that he had led me right back to my tracks from the early morning. I was now only a quarter mile from the truck. While I may have hoped for a front cover photograph, it was nice just to finally get a glimpse of the majestic animal in the snow—never mind the short cut home.

Posted by  |  March 14, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | 43 Comments »

Forest Forward: Looking Back

The short days and fallen leaves, as well as increased traffic in the forest (it is hunting season here in the northeast) have prompted me to take a brief reprieve from Forest Forward. While I’ve still been bundling up and getting out for a bit of late season hiking and paddling, I have been spending most of my time putting together a new website for my other photographic endeavors. The new site, mazzphoto.com, showcases my event, portrait, and commercial work. These are the projects that enable me to fund Forest Forward, so if you’re interested in supporting my wildlife and conservation efforts you can do so by simply checking out mazzphoto.com and sharing it with others.

One Year Anniversary

In the meantime there is much to celebrate here as I reflect on Forest Forward’s one year anniversary. I started the blog last fall by posting some wildlife images and emailing a link to a handful of friends. Since then it has grown into a community of thousands of followers from around the world, and gathered media attention throughout New England. The project continues to be a source of inspiration for me, and a genuine pleasure to pursue. The feedback I get from my followers here and on our Facebook page have fueled this venture from the start. Your comments have also shaped the content and subject matter of this continually evolving blog. 

Since its inception, the goal of Forest Forward has been to celebrate the beauty of our natural landscape and its inhabitants, as well as advocate for stewardship and the conservation practices that preserve it. I began by simply posting my wildlife photographs with brief captions. Over time, the descriptions began to include interesting facts and anecdotes about the subjects I was shooting. The questions and comments came pouring in, and I began to talk more about the photography itself, and my experiences both in the woods and aboard my kayak. It’s because of your engagement and inquisitiveness that I’ve continued on this journey and look forward to doing so long into the future. Thanks for following along, sharing your thoughts, and helping to spread the word.

-Chris

Posted by  |  November 11, 2012 | Categories: Animals, Bird Photography, Four-legged and Furry, Landscape | Tags: , , | 30 Comments »

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