|
|
| Every Picture Has a Story |
| Journey Through Five States |
|
I made a 3600 mile road trip in June with my good friend Joe Zinn, another professional nature photographer who asked me to accompany him. After my successful shoots of hummingbirds in Ecuador and the songbirds in south Texas this year I felt the need to photograph something different. We first met in Cody, Wyoming to photograph wild horses and a Native American PowWow costume and dancing competition, which were both amazing experiences for me. Then we journeyed to the mountains of southern Montana and Grand Teton NP, and on to Utah and Colorado. We both agreed there was too much driving involved on this trip but the rewards were worth it. The beginning of my trip was a two day drive from Arizona to Cody, Wyoming. When I arrived I spent the day with my friend Jack Russell who moved there from Arizona several years ago. He gave me the grand tour of this wonderful town and I was shocked at how sophisticated it was. It even has a Starbucks, my favorite coffee! It was great having a tour guide with the knowledge of the town's rich history and all that goes on there. It is certainly worth a visit for anyone.
Early the next morning I met Joe and he took me to where he found the wild horses. The time I spent with the horses was astounding, having never experienced this opportunity before. Joe has been photographing these majestic animals for many years and through his dialog and knowledge about the herd and their interactions made this shoot much more meaningful for me. Finding the herd was a feat in itself and Joe arrived there a couple of days before me and with some luck it didn't take him long to find them. We were able to get real close but had to hike to them, sometimes about a mile or so, and we had encountered more prairie rattlers hidden in the tufts of grass than we wanted. Thank God they would rattle to warn us before we stepped on them. We had to approach the horses slowly and cautiously so they would get accustomed to us and they did. There were times I felt like I was part of the herd as they would walk very close accepting us with kind gestures. However, when they get riled within the hierarchy of the herd, Joe warned me to be careful, because they can be unpredictable. They chase each other around at full speed and they can also throw a kick that can be dangerous for the photographer. As I was shooting one day a dominant male started chasing another and I was following them through my viewfinder, clicking away at 8 frames per second. Before I knew it they were coming at me at full speed, totally oblivious to the fact that I was standing there. They seemed focused on only one thing, and that is the chase. I was in my glory shooting the action when I realized they were coming directly at me fast and furious. I could see the determination in their eyes that they were not going to stop at any cost. Joe was right! When I visualized myself being trampled I quickly raised my tripod over my head and yelled with authority to let them know I was there and they stopped dead about 40 feet in front of me looking confused. I had no idea how loud I could yell until that time. But nature has a way of defending itself in times of peril and I'm glad it worked this time.
The weekend up in Cody gave way to one of the best Native American PowWow's in the country, the Plains Indian Museum PowWow at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. This was a costume and dance competition that went on for over 8 hours non stop with many Native American tribes participating from all over the country. I shot over 1600 photos until I dropped. I have to admit the dancing, the costumes and traditions of these wonderful people were extremely emotional for me. It brought tears to my eyes to witness the talent and dedication they have for their culture and it emanated from them to the audience. I share a lot in common with this culture in their natural spiritual sense and I also play the Native American flute so I felt a strong bond to these beautiful people. I had lots of time to try many different photographic techniques as the colors of their costumes danced by my lens. If I had a video camera I would have captured the entire feeling of their movement and costumes, but I did not. So I decided take a photo of one still frame at a very slow shutter speed to capture the moment of movement and color of these incredible dancers. I took many photos at slow shutter speeds and I only captured a few of what I visualized. This is my favorite.
Our next stop was Jackson, Wyoming and Grand Teton NP where one of my favorite places to photograph is Schwabacher Landing. We arrived late in the afternoon to relax and have dinner after our long drive. We picked the landing to do this because of the beautiful view of the Teton's and the Snake River. This particular destination is a morning shoot and so many wonderful images came from this area during the fall and winter. We thought we would like to capture an image of the tranquility of the summer season here. We were camping in the back of our trucks and rose about 4:30 AM for the short drive back over to the landing to pick our spots for that perfect image when the light was right. I found this superb area in the river where the water was calm reflecting the Teton's in it. Waiting for the light to get better, I was just about to press the shutter for the first time when a beaver swam by to ruin the reflection. It was cool to see a beaver but his timing was horrendous. I and several other photographers were groaning as he swam by. Now I was anxious because I did not know when the water would calm down again before I would lose that magic light on the mountains. I waited what seemed like an hour but it was only a few minutes and the water finally flattened out. Luckily the light just got better on the mountains as I shot many different angles. This is the image I captured of the summer serenity I envisioned.
Our next stop was Moab, Utah where we were photographing in Canyonlands NP. After shooting some morning landscapes and resting under a big old shade tree after lunch, Joe and I decided to hike to a water hole he knew. Just a short way into the hike we came upon a family of Western Screech Owls. They were scattered around their nesting site which was located in a crevice of the large red rocks that Utah is known for. The young were just about able to fly and some were perched in the trees and some near the nest site. Having worked with these owls before I knew they would stay put for us to get some great photos. Joe said he never saw me get so excited as I sprinted back to my truck to get my gear and then sprint back at half speed with the heavy load over my shoulder. I'm sure we worked off our lunch. Hey, I love owls, what else can I say. They were extremely cooperative and we captured several endearing photographs. When I returned home I received an email from one of my clients requesting images of owls and we sent a bunch out including this one. The next day they asked for a high res file of this cute little owl for publication. This is the fastest image that has ever been published from the time I took the image to the time it was published. I could illustrate a book with all the fantastic images I took on this trip and except for the driving, I brought back some fond memories. Join me on a Galapagos Photo Tour in 2008. In July 2008 I will be leading a Galapagos photo tour through Distinctive Journeys to the Galapagos Islands from July 23rd to August 2nd. We will be traveling aboard the Beluga, a 110 foot yacht, that is fully air-conditioned and extremely comfortable with each stateroom having it's own private bath and shower. We will visit various locations across 8 islands photographing many species of birds and reptiles. For more information, please read Galapagos Photo Tour in 2008. My new book Wings of Spring wins an award!
Here's what they had to say: Wings of Spring represents some of the finest photography of birds ever published: A Great Egret tossing a stream of brightly-lit water droplets, a Wilson's Snipe standing on one leg forlorn in June snowfall, a Western Screech-Owl dangling a lizard from it's beak. One is amazed at the days and countless hours photographer Tom Vezo spent patiently waiting for these moments that he has so elegantly captured. Complimenting Vezo's photography is a comfortable and inviting design, and just the right amount of text to make the book useful as a bird guide as well as a work of artistry. How to order a signed copy of my books: WINGS OF SPRING - $40.00 S & H are included in the prices. Checks should be made out to "Tom Vezo" and sent to: Tom Vezo Be sure to include your name and shipping address and who you would like the book signed to, as it will make a great gift. How to order screensavers of my pictures: Second Nature Software has compiled has just compiled a new screensaver called Colorful Songbirds, which you can purchase online at www.secondnature.com. On this site, you can also view my three other screensavers: Backyard Birds, Birds of Prey, and Wings in the Wild. Second Nature Software is a proud supporter of nonprofit environmental organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, and through their sales has contributed more than $2.5 million dollars to help preserve the world's natural wonders and wildlife. Visit my exhibits at the following galleries! Galleria Tubac The Nashville Gallery |
Editor's Comment: Let us know what you think! Please email the Editor to let us know your thoughts. |
| HOME FORUMS CHAT LINKS ID RESOURCES ARCHIVE HELP |
|
Wings
of Spring: Courtship, Nesting, and Fledging Photographs by Tom Vezo,
Text by Chuck Hagner, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA is the winner of
the 2006 National Outdoor Book Awards in the category of Design and
Artistic Merit.