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How to Drive Your Passion as a Photonaturalist to the Next Level

August 29, 2011 by Wes Gibson 15 Comments

Dickcissel (Spiza americana) / Photo by Wes Gibson
Dickcissel (Spiza americana) / Photo by Wes Gibson

This is a guest post by Wes Gibson, who’s been reading PhotoNaturalist for a few years now, but has been a photographer for over 20 years. After reading his post, please be sure to check out his blog for more of his posts. And, if you’re also interested in writing a guest post here on PhotoNaturalist, please contact me, thanks! –Steve

One of the things that attracted me to the PhotoNaturalist blog a few years ago was Steve’s philosophy of being more than a nature photographer. How we should go beyond just making images of our environment. How we should expand our knowledge and learn more about what we photograph. How we should become photonaturalists.

And, while I have a bookshelf full of nature books that I routinely refer to, I have recently discovered something that propelled my journey in becoming a photonaturalist to the next level: I started donating my photographs to local nature organizations. [Read more…] about How to Drive Your Passion as a Photonaturalist to the Next Level

Filed Under: Philosophy Tagged With: bird, burn, gibson, Grasslands, illinois, Nachusa, nature, photo, photography, photonaturalist, prairie, prescribed, wes

Photo Essay – Wintering Raptors in Indiana

February 9, 2009 by Vic Berardi 1 Comment

Photo by Vic Berardi
Photo by Vic Berardi

A chill in the breeze, a beautiful prairie grassland, a retreating bank of dark clouds and a loneliness that’s hard to describe. Winter in the Dakotas? No, Indiana. Specifically southwestern Indiana where re-claimed surface mines are in abundance. And with them an array of wintering raptors that live virtually unnoticed.

Nestled between the small towns of Dugger and Pleasantville in Sullivan County, Indiana lies Hawthorne Mine. At first, one might suspect that this is an unlikely spot for wintering raptors but upon closer examination the careful eye of a hawk watcher will reveal a sizable wintering population of Rough-legged Hawks and Northern Harriers as well as Short-eared Owls. Also present to a lesser degree are Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, Red-shouldered Hawks and Merlin.

This was our destination for New Years 2009, to explore and hopefully photograph the surroundings as well as any raptors that were present. [Read more…] about Photo Essay – Wintering Raptors in Indiana

Filed Under: Wildlife Tagged With: american kestrels, hawks, hawthorne mine indiana, indiana, indiana raptors, merlin, northern harriers, photo essay, prairie, red shouldered hawks, red tailed hawks, rough legged hawks, short eared owls, sullivan county, wintering raptors

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