For some unknown reason (to me) there seems to be an unwritten or seldom-expressed-out-loud rule that ‘Big is Better’! That’s why elephants, whales, large birds, giant reptiles etc. are so popular. That’s also why so many photographers blow their images up beyond the ability and/or quality of the image—the ol’ ‘big is better’ syndrome.

In short, try having an attitude adjustment and look around for the little everyday things you can photograph or just enjoy the view.  You’ll be so surprised at what you discover, and learn, and how much fun it is.  Mother Nature is full of a sense of humor giving us a great way to lower our blood pressure.

Think about this……“It’s the little things that matter the most:  what good is a bathtub without a plug?”

This tour’s big gift was the Barred Owl & her chick. Right before our discovery, we encountered a fisherman who, when I greeted him with a cheery “hello”, blurted out….“I can’t believe what just happened to me. I’d just caught this fish & laid my pole down to remove the fish when this owl swooped down and grabbed my rod & reel (with fish) right off the boat & flew off! Shortly after the bird dropped the whole ‘catch’ in the river!”  Well, bye-bye rod & reel forever! Not wanting to appear indifferent, or revealing my ulterior motive I offered my sincere condolences adding “do you know where the owl is now?”  He took his finger & pointed up above our heads. Sure enough there was Mrs. Owl—-looking very smug. Seconds later I heard the distinctive & familiar (to me) sound of the baby, which we spotted on a branch not six feet from my boat! Let me just say this, if it had been still the ‘days-of-film’, I would have wanted to be a major stock holder in Kodak! It was machine-gun firing time! This was only the FIRST day into the trip, which usually sends feelings of panic up and down my spine, because as a tour leader I can’t help but fear this will be ‘it’ & the rest of the Pontoon Putt will be devoid of wildlife.  But, in my heart I knew better as my little ‘piece of paradise’ has pretty much always delivered….. we saw almost all the Egret species for Florida, Sandhill Cranes with chicks, American Bittern, Little Blue Herons in varying stages, immature Black-crowned Night Heron, etc.

A first ever for me was a tree full of Wood Storks in full view. Some were flying with twigs, others nesting and/or rolling eggs & a few chicks. I have another trip in two weeks which should reap great shots of chicks fledging or in various stages of ‘chick-hood’. All in all it was a wonderful four days, but I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

For me, one of the highlights of my tours is the interaction between the participants regarding equipment, techniques, results of experiments, etc. Almost without exception, my participants are highly educated in various fields of business, with varying educations, expertise, & backgrounds, not to leave out life’s experiences.  During our quiet time, or as we are patiently waiting for our subject to appear, a lot of information is passed back & forth. I’m going to share an e-mail my friend & tour participant, Mike, passed on to our little photo group—-maybe it will help you or ‘shed some light’ on just one of the mysteries of flash. I quote Mike’s e-mail, “I learned a valuable thing while shooting with Joanne this past week. Two of the other people were engineers. One had read somewhere that the use of an extender reversed the zoom characteristics of the flash. In other words, without an extender setting the flash zoom at 24 mm would spread the light and it would not go as far and conversely setting it at 105 mm would narrow and extend the light. I have used 105 with the extender to get the most reach when I thought I needed it.  Low and behold, the extender reverses the process.  We went outside at night and tested it. To get the most narrow focus with an extender shoot at 24 mm zoom. I know they recommend a setting of 50 mm. Does anyone have any thoughts on why one shouldn’t shoot at 24 mm to get the most reach?  The engineer thought it was because some people don’t have a flash that can go wider than 50 mm.” Interesting, isn’t it! Any input, information, thoughts or comments welcome. I will try and forward them in another e-mail/newsletter/or whatever. We never stop learning, do we?

Happy Shooting

Newsletter Archive

Visit my website’s Newsletter section for archived issues (#126 shows a lot) on my African Safari, & see more images. You’ll see just some of the wildlife you, too, can view and/or photograph, and the clean, comfortable accommodations and delicious food provided. Most of all, and to me, the ultimate positive facet of my tours is my ‘two persons only per van’ policy. None of this six, seven, eight passengers crammed into one van on these trips (unless you want more company than one companion—just let me know).

Leaving Miami on August 25th, the tour commences in Nairobi August 26th, 2012 thru September 10th. Cost is $8,700.00 per person ($2,000.00 single supplement)…..$500.00 deposit to hold your spot due asap (this will be applied to the total balance due, but non-refundable if you cancel). There are two spaces available to date.
Enjoy your visual journey!!

Newsletter Archive

This year’s 16-day tour to Kenya, Africa will take place from August 26 until September 10th—departing Miami on the 25th, leaving Nairobi on the evening of the 10th. The cost per person is $8,700.00 double occupancy (single supplement is $2,000.00) all inclusive.

The most luxurious portion of my tours to Kenya is that I go the ‘extra mile’ and allow only two people per van leaving you ample room to move around the vehicle & photograph in all directions without any obstructions. We will be visiting Lake Nakuru National Park, Masai Mara Game Reserve, Samburu Game Reserve, and a few native villages to just give a quick overview of this adventure!! There is also some interest for another tour a little later in the year, which I am looking into.  For further information & images, visit my website: www.natureandwildlife.com or www.joannewilliamsphoto.com

Best & Happy Shooting!!!

Then we’ll fly from Sao Paulo airport to Campo Grande heading for the Pantanal, the world’s largest inland wetland. The photographic opportunities of the Pantanal are among the most abundant anywhere in the world.  There are areas of the Pantanal similar to the Everglades, but it covers 75,000 square miles, which is ten times the size of the Florida wetlands.  It is home to 1,000 species of birds, 360 species of mammals, 480 species of reptiles, 400 species of fish, and over 3500 species of plants!

On a recent Pantanal photo workshop, I was able to capture an amazing assortment of beautiful birds such as the Blue-crowned Trogan, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Plush-crested Jay, Great Potoo, as well as the increasingly endangered and rare Hyacinth Macaws, which are fetching over $10,000 on the black market.  Many mammals such as the Tapir, Capybaras, Giant Anteaters, many monkeys, but the prize for me was the illusive Jaguar. There aren’t many guarantees in life, but a Pantanal photographic safari is about as close as you can get! On my tour, I will place you in the best possible locations to maximize your chances of capturing spectacular images and lasting memories of the colorful wonders of the Pantanal in Brazil!

The tour begins June 3rd leaving from Miami airport and ends June 18th leaving from Sao Paulo airport.  The cost is $8,750.00, with a $1,000.00 due by March 1st  to reserve your spot.

What’s Included?
Pontoon boat trips, Full board (rooms and meals), One night drive at each Pantanal lodge, Tips for drivers and services, Bottled water for trip duration, Professional photographic assistance available.

What’s Not Included?
Airfare to and from location, Passport and visa fees, Airport taxes, Personal expenses (beverages,laundry, phone calls, e-mail/internet charges, etc.)

Come join the fun!!

This is a very nice event and a great way to acquaint yourself with the latest in birding and photography equipment, books on nature & wildlife,  wonderful artwork displayed at the many artists’ booths from wood carving to paintings to ceramics to photography and much more.  There are presentations and ‘how to’ workshops on varying topics.  I will be conducting three ‘In the Field’ photography workshops Thursday, Friday & Saturday morning.  Black Point Wildlife Drive & Blue Heron Water Reclamation Facility are two of the destinations thus far.  If either one or the other produces fantastic photo opps, I will return on the third day.  If not, we’ll head off into another direction of Merritt Island Wildlife Reserve.  Big camera lenses are Not necessarily ‘a must’.

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I’ll show you how to & why you can make wonderful images with what you already own.  The Festival will require advanced sign up for any of these workshops, which you can do on line.  In the auditorium of the college,  I will also have a double booth with signed, mounted prints, tour information & brochures on my trips to Brazil, Africa, Madagascar, Ecuador & my Pontoon Putts around various parts of Florida.  On a limited basis (as time allows) and ‘first come first serve’ I’m happy to offer critiques of your work.  I will have a sign up sheet with times for your convenience (& my memory). By popular request, I will be presenting my “Born Free” slide presentation again this year, which I consider one of my finest pieces of work.  It is about 50 minutes long, set to music & images captioned with some ‘words of wisdom’ Mother Nature has taught us all, especially me!  My message is fairly simple – Dare to leave your comfort zone, go out and try new challenges & adventures, and never allow anyone to let you think you can’t do something.  Basically, in reality, we are all ‘born free’ and should lead our own lives as we choose to lead it to the best of our ability.—I have practiced what I’m preaching for the past eighteen years, and never been happier.

Come Join Me!!!  “ Keep Your Aperture Your Priority” & Happy Shooting!!

Plans are in the works to include, as part of my early June tour, a trip to the Atlantic Forest area which sits right on the beautiful beach areas of the coast of the Atlantic ocean. Ninety-five percent of the world’s population of hummingbirds live south of the US & Mexican borders, and are easy for us to get to.  Ecosystems within the Atlantic Forest also include oceanic islands, mangrove swamps, marshlands, as well as high altitude meadows. This great diversity of ecosystems lend themselves to a richness of species, a large number of which are found nowhere else on earth (endemic)! Endemism of plants in the Atlantic Forests is around 40%. In comparison to the Amazon Rainforest, the Atlantic Forest  hotspot has a rich diversity of species. For example, the Atlantic Forest has 264 species of mammals, while the Amazon contains 353 mammal species but in five times the area! The country of Brazil is the world leader in primate diversity, with 25 of its 77 species found in the Atlantic Forest. However, primates are also 9 out of the 10 critically endangered mammals found in this hotspot. The Golden Lion Tamarin, whose numbers in the wild are estimated at only 1500, is one of the region’s most endangered primates.   Scenic photo-opps are multiple with the foothills & slopes of the Serra Do Mar, oceanic islands, mangrove swamps, marshlands, as well as high-altitude meadows—all full of critters of all shapes & sizes!

Hopefully, soon the dates will become definite.  In the meantime, consider saving the first portion of June (14-days usually). You might want to take a look at my new website www.natureandwildlife.com open the galleries and take a peek at some of my images of parts of Brazil, but particularly the fabulous Pantanal.

“Keep Your Aperture Your Priority” & Happy Shooting!!

We will travel to the huge game reserve, The Masai Mara which is famous for its big cats, as well as The Great Migration of wildebeest & zebras.  Certainly one of Nature’s greatest spectacles!!

Often I’m asked to give slide presentations.  A major revelation (or shock) to me was when I gave a presentation, which was totally about my Kenya Safaris, and realized that not only did I have all the mammals, but also over 160 different species of birds in my Kenya image library!!  “Who would’ve thunk it” ?  When we think of Africa we think of lions, elephants, cheetahs, giraffes, baboons & leopards.  We know about the pretty & comical Secretary Bird and the strange-looking Yellow-billed Hornbills, but what about the beautiful Yellow-red Barbet, or the tiny Somali Fiscal?
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I always include Samburu National Reserve as one of our destinations.  There is a wide variety of animal and bird life seen throughout this arid land. Several species are considered unique to the region, including its unique dry-country animal life:  All three big cats, lion, cheetah and leopard, can be found here, as well as elephants, buffalo and hippos.  Other mammals frequently seen in the park include gerenuk, warthogs, Grant’s gazelle, Kirk’s dik-dik, impala, waterbuck, Grevy’s zebra, Beisa oryx and reticulated giraffe. There are over 350 species of bird. These include Somali ostrich, grey-headed kingfisher, sunbirds, bee-eaters, marabou stork, tawny eagle, bateleur, vulturine guineafowl, yellow throated spurfowl, lilac-breasted roller, palm nut vulture, red-billed hornbill, secretary bird, Verreaux’s eagle, superb starling, yellow-billed hornbill and vultures.

A major feature and big attraction to my tours is that I have made arrangements with my host & guides that there will be only two people per van, eliminating unhappy overcrowding giving everyone (photographer or just viewer) plenty of room to move around, & plenty of room for their gear for maximum viewing opportunities and superior images to go home with.

There will be fifteen & one-half full days to photograph or just sit back, relax and watch the sites while being chauffeured around one of the world’s most beautiful countries and all its wildlife.  Personal instruction and/or help is always available.  More details & images are on my new & improved website:  www.natureandwildlife.com
Contact me to sign up for the August 25th departure date from Miami to Nairobi, until September 10, 2012 Safari!!!
“Keep Your Aperture Your Priority”  Joanne

The site presently houses over 1200 (and always growing!) of my images from all over the globe, which are readily available for your viewing pleasure, or conveniently setup & priced for purchase directly off the site eliminating any middleman.  We call it my “Stock Shoppe”, which is side by side to the “Gallery of Images”.  Have a look!

The season is about here for those of you who love all of nature and wildlife, as Florida is a mecca for both, not to mention beautiful, balmy weather.  The migrating birds are settling back in for the winter.  Nesting, partnering up, feeding and flight shots are readily available for great photographic images.  The weather has cooled off allowing us long comfortable days out in the wild allowing for more photo ‘opps’.  I’ve have some dates to share for the Pontoon Putts on the St. John’s River in Central Florida.  I’ve been cruising this river for over 30 years on one of my many owned flat-bottomed, or fiberglass-type pontoon boats.  I keep the group to a minimum of no more than six participants per trip giving everyone plenty of space for tripods, bean bags, & camera gear, and my cooler full of snacks & goodies.

Early on in my quest for wildlife photos, I realized the critters usually return year after year to where they were born and raised—or nearby—making my job (hobby!) easier.  Your very nice accommodations are right on the river, allowing us early morning, quick access to the wildlife and late afternoon to dusk when the feeding is done out in the open.

Right now for 2012, I have two firm dates:  March 26th thru the 29th and April 2nd thru the 5th (check out by 10:00 on Friday).  Please visit my new website for more pictures and details.
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Also, keep in mind I’m usually available to customize dates around your schedules, and have ½ day & full-day “Strolls with the Pro” in the Ft. Lauderdale to Palm Beach areas.  I’m flexible and open to work with you. Soon, I’ll be sending more information on the 2012 Africa Tours and the Pantanal, Brazil Tours.  Please mark your calendars and join us at the Kennedy Space Center Wildlife & Birding Festival on January 24th thru the 29th.

Don’t forget “Keep Your Aperture Your Priority” and happy viewing!!!

Follow me on Twitter! Follow @jojopictours

Joanne

Often, midway through my tours, a guest will suddenly pop up with a comment about how many birds they’ve been able to photograph and that they had no idea there were so many different species.

Little they know, but they can attribute a lot of that success is due to my experienced driver and guides who are not only educated about the native species, but often times are devout wildlife experts and bird enthusiasts in their own right.

Over the years and countless trips, I’ve encouraged the guides to learn about the basics of nature photography to help them better understand the specific needs of my photography safari clients.

When dealing with nature it’s all about being in the right place at the right time. Which is why our guides have been instructed on the basics of lighting, angles of a shot, judging distances, etc. This ensures that when that great photo opportunity suddenly pops up, they know exactly what to do– and do it quickly!

Thanks to their expertise we rarely have an issue getting an photo we want. In this newsletter I feature some of my favorite birds of Africa!

As my past Africa photography safari clients and frequent readers of my newsletters know, there’s one special feature rarely seen in African tours: two photographers per safari van, not four. You’ll enjoy the freedom (and elbow room) to get the shots you’re after!

I’ve talked a lot about photography, but I want to stress that you don’t need to be a photographer to enjoy my trips– just someone that loves viewing African wildlife in its natural habitat.

Both my guides and I strive to make every wildlife adventure or photography tour, regardless of the destination, memorable.