f-stops and gas money

I hit the road at the end of April, destined for a job in Alamagordo, New Mexico and then onto continue working on another story in California.  I’ll be gone for about a month and I thought it would be a great opportunity to stop and see some places that I had never been.  While I didn’t have enough time to really stop and photograph as much as I would have liked I did however have a chance to stop and fly the Monument Valley, AZ area. This had been on my to do list for quite sometime, so I started watching the weather and hoping that I would run into super windy days ahead.  After a night in Moab, Utah I continued on to Monument Valley.  Showing up around lunch time the wind was fairly strong and I was wondering if it would be flyable.  After signing some releases from the Airport administrator I was walking back to my truck when I ran into a small group of commercial fixed wing pilots and figured I could ask them about flying in the Monument area.

“I think it’s dangerous” was the repeated reply (along with the details of how another paramotor pilot died doing the same), and they didn’t offer up much in the way of help.  So I set up camp and went on the self guided drive through the monuments.  Impressive was the first word that comes to mind, and anticipation the second.  Anticipation thinking about flying in such an exciting and interesting landscape.

After waiting for the rest of the afternoon, the wind finally began to die around 7 pm.  A little late, but still plenty of time to get up and see what it looked like from the air. With fairly strong winds still coming from the North West, I decided to stay out in front of most of the Monuments and not think about the possibility of getting slammed by any rotor on the back sides of any of the mesa’s.  The first stop was Eagle Mesa, and then onto Mitchell Butte.  I only had an opportunity to fly for about an hour, but I would take what I can get as I have heard that if you get 50% flyable days while you are there you are ahead of the game and considering I was there for less than 24 hours I knew I would fly back to the airport and land happy with the opportunity that I had been given.  What a great experience, it’s something that I’ll truly never forget.

Getting ready for takeoff

I’ve been looking at this project for a while, and it’s something that will definitely get you excited if you’re a paraglider/paramotor pilot.  Defenitely worth a look.  Click on the photo above to check out their videos.  A group of friends and a rather large 4×4 paramoto/paraglide their way from Egypt to South Africa.  What an adventure!  They are capturing some amazing footage while they are doing also.  With the summer flying season right around the corner, it’s the perfect thing to get you (even more) excited to get out and get flying.  Enjoy.

I had a chance to work in Thailand a few months back as an Assistant/Cameraman on a commercial video shoot for software company AVG.  We shot the video in 4 days of wet sloppy weather and made it out in one piece.  A few months later, the finished product has had almost 2.5 million views on Youtube!  Not to shabby.  Check out the finished product by clicking on the picture above.  Go to the official web site at www.weprotectus.com

I am happy to say that the film I spent 5 months working on last winter/spring is out and playing on National Geographic Wild! From their webpage, they state:

American Cougar tells a unique story of a community of cougars whose skills are illustrated and tested as they struggle to survive in the severe landscape of the Northern Rocky Mountains. A determined team of researchers, lead by houndsman and researcher Boone Smith, mount grueling expeditions in attempts to gain precious scientific data. The story features F51, a young crafty female who makes her way through the winter, but is tested as she struggles to bring her unborn litter to a healthy birth after a cruel winter. The matron, wise F109, carries the key to crucial scientific data, but she’s a ghost, and a true master of escape.

Click on the image above to watch previews of the show, and find the next showtimes in your area.  I even manage to make an appearance in the film so check your local listings and enjoy!

Thanks to Greg Winston for the production stills!

Flying at home in the mountains of Wyoming.

It has been a long time since I’ve had a chance to post anything on the blog here.  I have had a wonderful year, working on projects for National Geographic Magazine, and recently finishing shooting on film for National Geographic Wild.  I have been extremely luck to have been given the opportunities that I have had in the last year, and I have every intention of grabbing the bull by the horns so to speak and try to continue to capitalize on these opportunities.

For years, I have dreamed of learning how to fly a motorized paraglider in the hopes of being able to capture unique pictures from the air.  In 2008 I began learning how to fly paragliders in the hopes that as time went on I would be able to add the motor and realize my dreams of aerial photography.  This year I decided it was time to take the plunge.  Paramotoring in the U.S. is not exactly a common sport, and as a result there isn’t exactly a lot of information out there regarding equipment choices etc.  Finally after doing as much research as possible, I decided on the Flat Top Ninja (www.totallyawesome.com), and paired it with a Sol Ellus 3 paraglider (www.solparagliders.com.br/en/).

As a photographer, I am constantly looking at other peoples work as a source of inspiration.  One person in particular is National Geographic photographer George Steinmetz.  To look at his work, is to realize the awesome potential of aerial photography, and he is the undisputed king.  He has flown countless hours over the continent of Africa, capturing amazing images along the way.  If you are interested in aerials or photography in general, I highly suggest checking out his website (http://www.georgesteinmetz.com/), or you can even purchase his new iPad apple through iTunes.

Learning how to fly an airplane can be prohibitively expensive.  However, for those determined folks who don’t want anything to stand in their way there are other options.  Paragliding and Powered Paragliding just happen to be the means that I chose to fulfill the dream.  Do your homework, see who’s doing what and try to figure out the best way for you to realize yours.  Whatever you do, make sure that you receive quality instruction from reputable instructors.  You can’t shoot pictures or video if you can’t fly safely, and (especially after recently getting married) coming home safely at the end of the day or end of an assignment is absolutely critical!

The possibilities are endless when trying to figure out how a motorized paraglider can help get pictures and video that otherwise may be out of reach.  At the end of the day, it’s a tool that can be used to help stories and assignments achieve their full potential.  As George says, “I am a photographer who flies, not a pilot who takes pictures”.  I intend to take his lesson to heart and focus on producing exceptional results.  And believe me that is no easy task considering it is one of the most fun things that you could ever imagine doing!  I can’t wait to see what happens next!

note:  Thanks to my dad Tom Rush for being there on my first flights and taking some great pictures!

A trapped Black-footed Ferret awaits transport to the lab

I recently had a chance to work with the Wyoming Game & Fish as they were surveying Black-footed Ferret populations in the Shirley Basin of South Eastern Wyoming. The success of the black footed ferret reintroduction in the Shirley Basin is testament to the hard work that people like Martin Grenier and his team of biologists and technicians put in to make sure that these animals have a strong foothold in Wyoming.

For three nights Martin and his team of researchers went looking for ferrets in the survey area from 6pm to 6am. Using spotlights and looking for “eyeshine”, researchers would pinpoint areas where ferrets were located and set their traps. Black Footed Ferrets have a distinctive coloration when the spotlights hit their eyes that is best described as a briliant turquoise blue color. Through repetition and persistence, researchers were able to capture multiple animals each night. Not too bad when you consider that Black Footed Ferrets only spend about one hour above ground each day.

David Wilckens heads to the trailer with two captured ferrets.

Considered to be the most endangered animal in North America, the Black-footed Ferret once had a range that extended as far north as Alaska, and as far south as New Mexico and Arizona. As prairie dog colonies were exterminated across the west (a ferrets primary food source), the Black-footed Ferret populations took a nose dive. For many years it was thought that Black-footed Ferrets were extinct until in 1981 a dog in Meeteetse, Wyoming came back to the house with a dead ferret. The owners of the dog did not know what type of animal their dog had found and took it to the local taxidermist to find out. Much to everyone’s surprise, it was identified indeed as a Black-footed Ferret, and soon after a population of 130 animals was discovered near there. Unfortunately soon after, the population suffered an outbreak of disease that almost wiped out the animals. At that time, the last 18 Ferrets were transported to the Sybille Canyon wildlife facility near Laramie, Wyoming where a captive breeding program was started. At that time it was believed that the Black-footed Ferret was the most endangered species in the world.

Martin Grenier measures the upper canines of a captured Black Footed Ferret.

The ferret population that we were surveying in the Shirley Basin is approaching the twentieth anniversary of it’s reintroduction, and to the casual observer it seems to be doing very well. Every night, you could sense the excitement in the team as they went out on their survey routes to locate these animals. Battling strong winds and sleep deprivation, once an animal was trapped it was brought back to the mobile lab where data was collected as to the age, sex, and size of each individual animal. Needless to say, this was a very interesting time for everyone involved, many of us never having seen a black footed ferret before let alone been within 5 feet of one. Once the data was collected on the animals, they were marked to prevent recapture and released back into the burrow they were trapped from. With the surveys continuing for the next several weeks, I’m sure that Martin and his team will have a chance to see many more ferrets and get a first hand account of the health of Black-footed Ferret populations in Wyoming. With their help, Black-footed Ferret populations may one day be considered strong enough to be removed from the endangered species list.

A ferret captured from a previous night displays the distintive eyeshine that helps researchers locate them.

To learn more about Black-footed Ferrets, or to find out more about what is being done to help ensure their survival in the wild check out www.blackfootedferret.org

Camera equipment is expensive. A close second is accessories for your gear. Companies are starting to produce video accessories that cost more than the next lens I want to buy.
Sometimes, and more than you think it’s possible to manufacture your own equipment for a fraction of the cost. It may look a little different and not have such a polished design but that doesn’t matter. It does the job.

Above is a picture of a recent project to build a zipline and video rig for my camera setup. It didn’t take long to build and functions well. The frame around the camera can be removed from the line to shoot handheld. Building a frame for your camera will probably run you about $40 bucks with some basic nuts and bolts from the hardware store. Chances are they will have the metal you need too.

the basic setup

Similar systems sell for well over $1,000 and don’t do much different. So the next time you’re looking at that expensive new camera bracket take a minute to stop and think if it’d be possible to do it yourself and instead think about where you can go use it with all the money you’ve saved. Plus, it will give you an excuse to get out into the garage for a while. Sweet.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MOOSE CLIP

A lot has been said lately about “new media” in the photography world as a result of camera manufacturers producing DSLR’s that shoot HD video. The quality coming from these cameras is simply amazing. For me, pairing these digital bodies with the L series lenses that Canon makes produces exceptional results. As a photographer on a budget, this video has been produced with minimal equipment (i.e. no follow focus or expensive rail systems etc. ) and basic software (iMovie).

While shooting, I think the process is the same. I still look to capture interesting behavior and unique moments, but shooting video allows me to continue shooting when still photographs may not be the best option. There is a learning curve involved with shooting video, especially editing, so check back often and I hope to promise that the production quality will continue to get better and better.

Zach Orenczak on dawn patrol.

Perhaps the best thing about photography is the opportunity to spend time with friends. Recently, I had a chance to work with Zach and Rachel Orenzak from Extreme Angles Publishing (www.extremeangles.com).  Heading to a workshop in Colorado was the perfect excuse to catch up with some folks who live in Laramie, and climb the fat cracks in and around Vedawoo.  Zach is an old friend, and with his climbing partner and wife Rachel managed to bang out some great routes so I could do my best and photograph the trip.  They’re working on an updated guide book for the area, so if you’re a climber these guys have you covered.

Weather was not the best, and we had to deal with the wind that is a constant reminder that you’re in south east Wyoming. Combined with snow and hail, it really made life interesting. Thanks to Zach and Rachel for such a great time, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there in the future.  Perhaps a Devil’s Tower trip  is in order.

Climbing out on Convict, 5.7.

A new year. A new look. With much excitement, the new web page has met rave reviews with it comes a new blog. I hope that you enjoy the material to come, and have a chance to leave some feed back, and let me know what you’re thinking. My hope is that in some way you will experience the up’s, down’s and what now’s of making a career of the most exciting profession in the world.