Travel Photography

Gwinnett Daily Post, June 1, 2022

Author: Holley Calmes

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Duluth resident and photographer Mary Buck

discovered that instead of taking pictures in exotic locales such as Cuba, she was housebound like the rest of us.

Good photographers can find beguiling subject matter regardless of their situation, and Buck found great beauty in the birds that were bountiful in her own back yard.

Since then, Buck has become very popular for her bird photography. Always seeking new places, and new avian subjects, she received an email from the Georgia Audubon Society about a birding trip to Southwest Spain.

“It sounded like such a great adventure, so I called my BBFF (best birding friend forever) Susan and said, ‘Let’s go!’”

Buck and her friend flew to Madrid on April 23. Over 11 days, they covered 1,000 miles throughout the regions of Extremadura and Andalusia. There were 11 individuals in the tour group, mostly from Atlanta.

One of the goals of these tourists was to bag as many “lifers” as they could. A “lifer,” in birding terms, is a bird that a person has successfully sighted and identified for the first time in their life.

The expert guides of the wild bird company “Wild Donana” were named Maria and Sergio.

Between them, they sighted 190 species of birds during the 11-day tour, so many “lifers” were obtained by the group.

Buck used a Canon Mirrorless full frame camera and very long lenses.

“I did a little homework before I left and was eager to see and photograph raptors,” says Buck. “When I finally did see them, I was so far away that they were barely a speck in my viewfinder. I found much more satisfaction photographing smaller birds that were closer and practically posing for me.”

“I was thrilled to photograph the Eurasian Hoopoe,” Buck said. “It really does make that ‘hoopoe’ sound! I photographed the Eurasian Bee-Eater which really does eat bees, the Bald Ibis, and the Iberian Magpie, just to name a few. My only disappointment was not seeing a Cuckoo bird.”

Buck’s greatest experience was witnessing the migration of birds from Africa to Europe

, in Punta Carnero where the eastern end of Gallows Hill descends 600 feet to the Mediterranean Sea.

“It was fascinating to watch the migratory birds such as buzzards, eagles, vultures and black kites make the trip across the straits,” Buck said. “They utilize thermals, warm rising air columns, and soar to great heights. They can then glide great distances without flapping their wings.”

An unexpected detour led part of the tour to Seville during a colorful festival

, where parades of big-hatted horsemen, beautiful carriages, and women in traditional dress performing Andalusian folk dances provided a colorful experience, and a few photos.

Buck has traveled to many fascinating places, but this trip was special in unique ways.

“I was able to experience nature on a new level,” she said. “Although I took over 3,000 photos, the best view was unobstructed by a camera. I’ll be back.”

To view more of Mary’s Travel Photography, visit her website

To learn more about Photography lessons and workshops visit her Photography Immersion Website.

My travel photography brought me to two spots this year

before the pandemic stopped all travel.  I flew to Panama in early February, and in the first week of March, I visited Arizona. Both places are completely different, but I found that I was drawn to the same subjects. I photographed landscapes, flowers, birds, and architecture in both locations.  It was so wonderful to have experienced the travel before social distancing became the new norm.

The beauty of the country of Panama in Central America

was captured ferociously with my Canon EOS R and Canon EOS 80d. I chose to bring two cameras, so I would not have more latitude in focal length choices and not have to change lenses frequently. My favorite telephoto lens is the Tamron 18-300mm lens, which I choose to use with my cropped sensor Canon 80d camera, which gave me an effective focal length of 28-480mm. The maximum focal length is perfect for bird photography. My Canon EOS R is a full-frame camera, which I chose for sunrises, sunsets, and other low light situations where I had to use a high ISO.  My lens of choice with that camera was the 24-105mm. The 24mm provided a true 24mm and was the perfect wide-angle focal length for landscape photography. In my one week in Panama, I created over three-thousand images of

• beautiful birds
• architecture
• flowers
• sunrises, and sunsets
• the rainforest
• and the Harpy Eagle

I would like to share my travel photography in Panama

for the readers of this blog.  For easier reading or skimming, I have categorized the remainder of the blog into the sections which I listed above. Because every picture tells a story, the description of images is kept short and sweet. For more information on a trip to Panama contact Condor Tours and Travel. Read Lori’s blog about Panama.

Beautiful Birds

The hummingbirds are abundant in Gamboa, in the Panamanian rainforest. I used a fast shutter speed of 1/500 sec. to capture this image.

Architecture

The Catedral Basílica Santa María La Antigua is in Old Town Panama. This church was built between 1688 and 1794, its main facade presents a series of architectural elements typical of the prized churches such as the Caravaca Cross, the Papal Emblem and the city keys.

The old barracks once occupied by the US military are now empty shells. Their photogenic nature draws many photographers.

Flowers

Although I do not know the name of this flower, it was flourishing in the rain forest of Gamboa. The flowers are pink or red. The softness of the petals led me to this flower.

Sunrises and Sunsets

A colorful and mesmerizing sunrise was taken at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. A high dynamic image provided a blend of several exposures by using my camera’s built-in HDR setting.

Sunset on the Pacific Ocean does did not disappoint me with its array of golden tones. I also got lucky with the birds. My ISO was set to 400 for this image and I exposed for the sky for a silhouetted effect.

The Rain Forest

One of the highlights of my trip was to visit the indigenous tribe on the Chagres River. The village of Tusipono welcomed us with music and ceremonial dance.

A local guide led us for a jungle tour on the Chagres River. Disneyworld will never be the same. Our canoe driver was a member of the Tusipono Village.

The Harpy Eagle

Mytrip to Panama would not have been complete without a photo of their national bird, the harpy eagle. I was not fortunate to find one in the wild, so this guy was photographed at the Summit zoo. My 400 mm telephoto came in handy for this shot.

For more information on my photography lessons and workshops visit the website.

Learn more about Private Lessons for Adults

Learn more about Private Lessons for Teens

Learn more about the one-day Photography Immersion Workshop

My trip to Cuba was a dream of a lifetime. People often ask me why Cuba? Why not Hawaii, Europe or another Caribbean Island? As a photographer, I have been fascinated with Cuba for years and decided I wanted to go before everything changed.  I signed up for a group trip under the leadership of Peter Turnley, former Newsweek Photographer.

What I found in Cuba, I don’t thing you could find anywhere else in the world. I was mostly struck by the beautiful color palette of the pastel buildings, the textures, the classic cars and finally the wonderful spirit of the people. There are photo opps just about everywhere.

In my forty years, as a photographer, I have never been exposed to the ‘photo-journalism’ side of the craft. I learned a lot from Peter about how to tell a story within your frame. What I learned was a different way of thinking from being a portrait photographer. I was there the last weekend of Fidel’s mourning, so it was a very historic moment. What I found in Cuba is a treasure of photography moments and I can’t wait until I go again.

I challenge all of you to try something new this year with your photography. Try not to be too stuck in your ways. Capture an image that tells a story and that needs no words. Look through the frame of your camera and examine all four edges. Is your story complete within the frame? Zoom in or out as needed and do not omit anything necessary that will convey your message. Focus on the eyes of your subject.  A more extreme depth of field is sometimes necessary so the viewer can sense the time and place of the story.

Below are some of my favorite photos from the trip. To view the entire galleries from my group you can visit the Cuba Gallery here.

The weather is finally getting nice and many of us will start our travel planning for this summer. If you are like me, you probably love to take photos while on vacation; but how much can you learn about your craft while you are on a ‘vacation?’.  This blog post on Travel Photography Tips, has a lot more do to with what type of trip you should plan rather than what equipment to bring and what techniques to use.

You basically have three choices for pleasure travel:

1. go by yourself (not very much fun)
2. travel with a group of non-photographers
3. travel with a group of photographers

The best choice in my opinion is Door #3.  Although many tours will include a guide and a group, how much time do you actually have for photography when on a whirlwind type of vacation unless it is a photography group?   In this category, others may not share the same passion you have and may not have the patience to photograph the same scene for hours.  Don’t get me wrong, most people do like to take snapshots while on vacation, but the level of detail and time is usually not the same.

I recently met someone who toured a very popular tourist destination but was disappointed there was not enough time to explore all the photo opportunities. She saw “more” than the non-photographer and came back a little disappointed.

While family vacations are important, I always set aside sometime to venture to new places with a group of photographers. I love the camaraderie of being with a group of like-minded individuals. Many opportunities exist for photography travel where you can learn as you travel.  I prefer the smaller, more intimate groups where you share and critique images at night.  Some of the best travel groups I have found are;

Nomad Travel Tours

Photography Adventure Vacations

Equipment for Travel Photography

Equipment can range from DSLR cameras to the newer mirrorless cameras. I own both and have found the Sony Mirrorless a6000 or the newer a6300 to be an excellent alternative to the heavy, bulky SLR camera. Pack light, but bring a good range of focal length lenses (18-300mm), a good prime lens, polarizing filter, ND filter, tripod or monopod, SD cards, batteries and charger and a protective covering for your camera in case of rain.  A backpack camera bag is a great choice for travel.

I am so ready for my next photography journey to be Cuba?  Anyone want to join me?