My Guide and Spider Monkey Calling Extraordinaire (1/320 at f/4.0, 85mm ISO 200)

Spider monkey picking a fruit (1/40 sec at f/5.6, 280mm, ISO 250----ouch!)

Spider Monkey Eating (1/30sec at f/5.6, 280mm at ISO 250 too slow!)

Spider Monkey w/baby 1/320 at f/5.0, 280mm at ISO 250

Lens selection for any trip can be a headache.  What to take and what to leave behind are always the nagging questions.   Typically, I travel with my 16-35mm, 24-70 and my 70-200.  However, on my last few trips my 70-200 hadn’t been getting much love, so I debated leaving it behind to lighten my load (and considering my bag was searched in airport security because it surpassed their “maximum density” allowance, it maybe have been a good idea).  But, at the last minute I scrambled to make room and threw  it in the bag.    I even decided to throw in the 1.4 extender for good measure.  Of course  I’m really glad I brought the lens because  later that week I had an opportunity to photograph spider monkeys in the Mexican jungle.  Now,  I know most photographers never want you to see all their bad shots but today’s blog is just about that….all my bad shots from this shoot.  I ran around the jungle for two hours, swatting at mosquitoes, walking with my guide as he made these super cool monkey calls by blowing into his fists.    There I was with my 70-200mm lens w/1.4 extender on, scanning the trees along with my guide looking for any signs of life.  My anticipation was growing, but at the same time I was thinking that this was all a hoax and there weren’t any monkeys in these woods.   It wasn’t until 45 minutes into the walk that we finally ran into a few families of spider monkeys feasting on fruit.   Well, if I had one word to describe the scene it would be “fast.”  I felt like I was in a Donkey Kong game.  These guys were moving so fast that my camera was shooting faster than my card could write (note to self, time to upgrade memory cards).   Autofocus wasn’t working for me because of the dense foliage. And of course, because I was on the ground and they were up in the trees, they were always backlit, so exposure was an issue.   At the end of the excursion,  I finished with two or three shots that worked.  I mean, I didn’t even know I was going to be shooting monkeys when I left for this trip-  let alone the Wizard of Oz’s flying  monkeys.  I shot nearly 400 frames and less than 1% of the photos were decent…but listen, sometimes that’s what happens.  So, with that said, I hope you enjoy the video…it’s sort of a reminder to myself that we’re not perfect.  Especially, when shooting crazy monkeys!

Kajsa here for the Sunday post. I’ve been in the Green Mountain State for the past week visiting family and friends and loving every moment of it. The other constant beside Volvo grocery-getters and Subaru Outbacks with ski racks is a community of people who love their state. And what’s not to love? In one day we split our time between Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory, Cabot cheese, Cold Hollow Cider Mill, and Magic Hat Brewing company. Sure that’s all touristy, but where else can you walk through a cemetery for retired ice cream flavors? When I haven’t been feeding on the local delicacies, I’ve been skiing and warming up with Green Mountain Coffee – a staple in every gas station and almost every local coffee shop. Every trip that I take I try to do as the locals do – otherwise, what’s the point of going in the first place? Traveling internationally is one thing, but the mantra in my family applies to domestic travel as well. In a time when you can find the same restaurants in California as you find in Maine, I always try to shop local. I hope that when you travel you open yourself up to new things and live like the locals do; after all, “When in Rome…”

Cloud Gate or "The Bean" (1/8th at f/3.5 ISO 2000)

I’m happy to announce my Chicago workshop coming this June 19th-20th .   My game plan is pretty simple- to have fun teaching eight willing participants the in’s and out’s of how I go about taking photos. We will spend some of the time in the field shooting. and some time in the classroom discussing post processing using software programs like Lightroom. This class is perfect for beginner and intermediate photographers looking to take their skills to the next level. We will cover such subjects as aperture priority, f-stops, exposure, speed, equipment selection, ethics, best practices, marketing, networking, etc.

AGENDA

Saturday

9 a.m.-10 a.m. (meet and greet)

10 a.m.-1 p.m. (shooting in the field)

1 p.m.- 4 p.m. (post processing /Lightroom instruction)

9 p.m. (optional night photography shoot)

Sunday

9 a.m.- 12p.m. (recap, critique, Q&A)

12p.m. (workshop concluded)

The cost of the workshop is $475 payable via PayPal or personal check. If you’re interested in the workshop please drop me a note at john@batdorffphotography.com.

Valentine's Boy celebrating his 4th B-day at friend's house (1974)

February means cold weather, chocolates, cards and Valentine’s Day, which happens to be your favorite blogger/photographer’s birthday.  So I thought to celebrate my birthday we would do another photo contest. Batdorff Photography wants your best image that emanates the spirit of Valentine’s Day with people, objects, locations, signs, or colors. So be creative, put your heart into it, and enter for a chance to win! All you need to do is submit your photo to Batdorff Photography Facebook Fan site.

The steps are simple.

1. If you aren’t already, become a fan of Batdorff Photography on Facebook.  Click on this link HERE.
2. Go to the Wall tab.  Type in your name in the box that reads “Write something” and directly under that box click on attach photo and upload your favorite contest photo.
3. Giving your image a title is always nice touch.
4. Make sure to comment on other people’s photos…but remember, this is for fun!

First place will take home a $50 gift card (treat yourself and someone special to a nice dinner, perhaps?), second place will get a $25 gift card to B&H Photo. February 14th is the cut-off date and winners will be announced on February 16th. Winners must contact Batdorff Photography with their address in order to receive prizes. First and second place winners from contests held within the last 6 months can submit, but they will not be chosen for this contest. Have fun and good luck!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  February’s calendar is available for download.  Today’s shot is looking over the Gulf of Mexico from the beaches of Tulum. For the 1280X800 click HERE,  1600X1200 click HERE, 1920×1200 HERE and iPhone HERE.   Tomorrow I plan to announce February’s new photo contest – so make sure to check back tomorrow.   That’s it…just a short one for today.   Happy Feb. Catch you guys tomorrow.  John

Simple objects in the style of Walker Evans. Photo by Kajsa Stolberg

Kajsa here today and as we finish off January I’m looking at the results of the last poll, “What is your New Year’s (photography-related) resolution?” with the majority of you striving to take more pictures.  We’ll see how each of us owns up to our resolutions come next December, but I wish everyone luck!

The next poll is in consideration of our forefathers in photography. One of my favorite classes in college was The History of Photography where I was introduced to everything from pinhole photography to debates on the exploitation of human images found in modern magazines. Many of our tests covered the lives and work of the prominent photographers in history and I still find it interesting to reflect on their lives and the influence they’ve all had on photography as we know it today. Photography has taken many roles in its relatively short lifetime and these photographers made something great of the medium that has evolved from an experimental process into a way to document history and eventually has become a major form of art. How cool would it be to practice landscape photography with Ansel Adams in the West, or follow Diane Arbus and her social outcasts, do portrait photography of the famous with Richard Avedon, capture the decisive moment with Cartier-Bresson, document the Great Depression with Walker Evans or Dorothea Lange, photograph World War II with W. Eugene Smith, help establish photography as an art form with Stieglitz, Steichen, Weston, or Strand, or be at the scene of grisly crimes with Weegee? There are too many late greats to list them all, but from this list,

Taxi Driver's Waiting (1/320th at f/2.8 ISO 250)

Coba Taxi Loaded (1/60th f2.8 70mm at ISO 125)

Off They Go (1/50th f/2.8 70mm ISO 200)

Holding hands (1/200 f/2.8 70mm at ISO 200)

Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula is well known for its many Mayan ruins and  thousands of tourists flock there each year.   I visited Tulum’s ruins overlooking the Gulf of Mexico as well as Coba’s ruins which are located slightly inland.  Both ruins were heavily populated with visitors, although the ruins at Cobá were spread out in a dense forest, so it didn’t seem nearly as busy.  Whenever I visit an area with a ton of tourists I try to step back from the crowd and just observe.   I think we miss a lot of photographic opportunities when we just follow along and get lost in the herd.   I think stepping back and taking note and looking for those opportunities is every bit as important as photographing the attraction itself.   Today’s photos are of the many bicycle taxis that were waiting to cart tourists around the ruins.   Many people chose to use their services, while some chose to walk.  I imagine it must have been a very different experience for those who zipped by on a bicycle taxi, compared to those who walked the 1-2 kilometers to see the ruins. A process I think I would have failed to document if I hadn’t stepped back and simply observed.

Two comments from fellow tourists:

The wife says, “Honey, I want to take a photo of you over here.”  Her husband’s response, “But, I’m not over there!”

A gentleman commenting on the ruins, “These weren’t built very well.”

Both comments put a smile on my face.

Good Morning

I would like to tell you that while I was in Mexico I was taking photographs 100% of the time. But truth is I could be found on occasion enjoying my killer view of the Gulf of Mexico with my Kindle and a strong cup of coffee.  I’m really starting to fall in love with my Kindle.  The device is crazy slick.  I’m not sure why I waited so long to get one, but I really enjoyed reading all my newspapers, books and even my own blog while abroad.   I even created a protective photo skin for it using Uniqueskin.com… so you know it’s true love.  The really nice thing about an e-reader is it’s small and portable.  It was very convenient having some of my favorite e-books available for reference without having to haul around my bulky laptop.  It’s always nice to have access to such titles as   “The essential guide to Portrait Photography,”by DPS “Understanding Post Processing” by Mitchell Kanashkevich, “Digital Photography Book” by Scott Kelby, plus all of David duChemin’s e-books with just the click of a button.   Tomorrow I’m hoping to have a few photos of some crazy little spider monkeys that I photographed on a Mayan Reserve so stayed tuned.

Side note: If you have a Kindle and you’re interested in reading my blog then click HERE (Amazon charges .99 a month for delivery and if I could I would make it free but Amazon drives the bus on this one.  I have no control over the rate or I would make it free.)

Tulum Dancer (1/80th at f/8.0, 35mm at ISO 200)

Tulum 2 (1/250 at f/4.5 70mm at ISO 200)

I’m back in Chicago after a wonderful week in Tulum, Mexico.  It was my hope to be able to post while I was there, but it ended up being a bit of a hassle so I decided to postpone it until I returned.   Whenever I travel the first day out with the camera can be the worst.  I’m not sure why, but I’m sure it has something to do with being a tourist and feeling slightly out of place.  It’s not  uncommon for me to take a few days to warm up to my surroundings.  To unthaw I typically try to focus my first day of shooting at public events or parks.  In Tulum, near the center of town, there’s a  central park with a large gazebo and as luck would have it there were some folks practicing a local dance routine.  I watched for a while as I prepared my gear and slowly approached the gazebo stairs.  I found a good place where I would be out of the way but still able to get a few shots. The gazebo wasn’t my favorite in terms of aesthetics, but this was where the action was and the people didn’t seem to be annoyed by my presence – so I sat back and relaxed for the next hour taking a few shots here and there.     I wouldn’t say I was blown away by any of these shots, but that wasn’t the point either.  The point was to get a feel for the area, relax and get into the groove of things.  I think all too often as photographers, and especially when we are traveling to new places, we put way too much pressure on ourselves to get “the shot”.  Well, I don’t know about you folks, but it’s never really worked out that way for me.  The killer shot usually happens when I’m least expecting it and without a doubt when I’m relaxed.    I’ve never nailed a good shot when I was uptight.   So day one worked for me…I felt good, enjoyed a really cool local dance and met some very interesting people.

Millennium Park, Chicago, Kajsa Stolberg

I spent a few days last week with John, scouting out the sites we’ll be taking people who join us for the Chicago workshop later this year.  I grew up visiting Chicago with my parents and I’ve continued with periodic trips to visit with friends and take part in all of the cultural activities that can be difficult to find in a small town.  My brother and I are so accustomed to the offerings of Chicago that all we had to do was say, “I feel like looking at fish today” and “I miss the Art Institute, let’s check out the armor exhibit this time” to establish a schedule for our short visit.  But back to the workshop: I’m here to report a solid line-up for shooting opportunities for the Chicago workshop. Think Lincoln Park, Millennium Park, the lake shore and all the great flavor that Chicago sprinkles over the top. Continue to check the blog for updates (we should have details out in the next week), or contact John to join the mailing list for when the date and price are set.