Phocal

Joined February 2021

8 stories

Bio

I am outdoor adventurer and wildlife photographer who also enjoys story telling.

See as well as purchase my photographic work here: https://phocalart.com

Stories (8)

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Little Tuna Meets the Colt. Top Story - June 2023.
I recently moved back to Michigan after being gone since childhood. I asked in a few Facebook groups about good places around me to photograph herons/egrets/bitterns. One place highly recommended was Kensington Metropark, so off I went.
By Phocal3 years ago in Photography
Using Lightroom Classic for Wildlife Photography:
Using Adobe Lightroom Classic for Wildlife Photography I’ve been a wildlife photographer for over 30 years, and I’ve seen many photographers struggle with getting their photos just right. It takes time to learn how to use your editing software properly, but you can save so much time if you use Adobe Lightroom!
By Phocal4 years ago in Photography
The Baby Gator Project: Part 1
After a year of photographing baby American Alligators (Alligator Mississippiensis) I became completely obsessed with them and started The Baby Gator Project. The projects mission was to seek out and explore ways to photograph these amazing animals to show off their beauty and grace. You have to admit, baby gators are just so cute you want to pick em up and pet em.
By Phocal4 years ago in Photography
Olympus Lens Shootout, Consumer Zoom vs Professional Prime
When I started experimenting with Olympus cameras in 2014 the first telephoto lens I purchased was the Olympus MZ 75-300mm ƒ4.8-6.7 II (75-300). I only used it for a few months before deciding to dive a little deeper into Olympus and picked up a better telephoto lens. That was the beginning of the end as I slowly made a full switch to Olympus from Canon. Since putting the 75-300 to the side 7 years ago I have only used it once, when doing this Olympus 300mm Lens Comparison. I do recommend taking a look at that comparison as well, has a lot of useful information.
By Phocal4 years ago in Photography
Olympus 300mm Lens Shootout
I arrived at Brazos Bend State Park, Texas in a good mood despite my pack weighing in at just over 48 pounds. Pulling the F-stop Ajna from the back of the Jeep and throwing it over my shoulders I couldn’t help but think if all this work was really worth it. Just about every photographer who does an article comparing two or more lenses photograph some stationary subject like a target or brick wall. I have always felt those types of test do nothing to illustrate how the lenses operate in a real world shooting environment. For that reason I have always conducted my lens comparisons in the field photographing the subjects I would normally use the lenses for.
By Phocal4 years ago in Photography
Kissed by a Gator. Top Story - October 2021.
The American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis) is my favorite wildlife subject. Many of my friends call me Gator Bait because I do things they think is crazy and will one day actually turn me into gator bait. Like in the below photograph when I crawl close to an alligator for a photograph (resulting photograph is the one above). A gator will typically hiss or outright take off into the water if it feels you are too close. When they do hiss at me (every gator is different in how close it will allow you to approach) I back off and respect their uneasiness.
By Phocal4 years ago in Wander
A Gentle Reminder
I got to my favorite alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis) photography park (Brazos Bend State Park, Texas) over an hour after sunrise because I accidentally slept in. It is the middle of mating season and I can hear them down in the swamp bellowing as I get my gear together. Unfortunately by the time I made my way to 40 Acre Lake they had finished establishing their territory for the day and there was only the occasional bellow. This time of the year the park is full of Yellow-Crown Night Herons (Nyctanassa Violacea) hunting crawfish and it didn’t take me long to come across one on the hunt.
By Phocal4 years ago in Photography
Wildlife Photography. Top Story - October 2021.
I am a wildlife photographer who likes to get close to my subjects since that is where the details are. The downside to getting close is dealing with a narrow Depth of Field (DoF), like the photograph above, when I can’t stop-down because the light is low and it will raise my ISO beyond what I’m comfortable with. There are also times when close with good light that I can stop-down to capture all that amazing detail like the image below.
By Phocal4 years ago in Photography