Robert OToole Photography
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  • May7

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    The Big Photo Show Report 2013

    Posted in: Presentation, Sigma, The Big Photo Show

    Example

    For an inaugural event The Big Photo Show went about as well as you can get, there were over 16,000 certified attendees, not including staff or exhibitors!

    The theater where I gave my presentation ran really smoothly and was packed with people sitting in the aisles and standing 2-3 deep, at least 250 people for each show. The entire event was very well organized and ran really well. I really enjoyed meeting so many photographers and having the chance to speak to people at the show and one on one. Thanks to everyone who make it to the show!

    It was so busy on Saturday that the Sigma booth staff ran out of catalogs, flyers and cards early on the first day. I was told Samys and Pauls had to restock the booth a few times due to the sales of Sigma lenses and other products.

    Big thanks to Sigma USA, Jobu designs, Pauls Photo for making it possible for me to part of the show. Being a Los Angeles native and growing up in the area it really meant a lot for me to be able to work at the LA convention center  since I have lots of good memories visiting there for different shows. Its always nice to work with Pauls Photo I have always had good experiences visiting Mark or his father for advice or shopping for items for a couple of decades!


    I am sure next years show will be even bigger and better!

    PMA reports on the show:

    PMA@CES, reflecting its rescheduling to coincide with International CES, a major annual consumer electronics trade show also held in Las Vegas.
    The PMA International Convention and Trade Show is frequently the occasion for the public introduction of important imaging products

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    All content (including text, design, photos, layout, and graphics) are copyright © 2013 Robert OToole.  All rights reserved.

  • Apr28

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    The Big Photo Show 2013

    Posted in: Presentation, Sigma

    Example

    Join me at the inaugural Big Photo Show that is happening May 4-5, 2013 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California.

    The Big Photo Show is the inaugural Photo Marketing Association International (or PMA) consumer show. PMA is best known for running the PMA@CES shows that coincide with the International CES, a major annual consumer electronics trade show also held in Las Vegas, each year. Unlike PMA@CES, which is restricted exclusively to trade visitors, The Big Photo Show is specifically intended for consumers.

    Sigma has sponsored me to give a nature photography presentation on Saturday 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. in the Education Theater 2. Join me there if you have a chance hope I will see you there! Looks like it will be an awesome show.
    The BPS will have lots of exhibitor booths, 2 education theaters for presentations,  shooting demos, ive hands on shooting demos, and much more. Check out the BPS class schedule: http://www.thebigphotoshow.com/class-schedule.aspx
    The Big Photo Show will be open to attendees Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5 from 10:00am to 6:00pm.
    For more info see the Big Photo Show site: http://www.thebigphotoshow.com/
    PMA@CES, reflecting its rescheduling to coincide with International CES, a major annual consumer electronics trade show also held in Las Vegas.
    The PMA International Convention and Trade Show is frequently the occasion for the public introduction of important imaging products

    Example

    All content (including text, design, photos, layout, and graphics) are copyright © 2013 Robert OToole.  All rights reserved.

  • Apr3

    1 Comment

    Eagle Tour Report Part 2

    Posted in: Alaska, Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle Workshop, Tour, Travel, Workshops

    Example
    Eagle landing in a snow storm, Kachemak Bay Alaska. Nikon D4 with Sigma 50-500mm APO DG OS HSM @340mm, 1/1250 s at f8 ISO 640, handheld, manual metering. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    2013 Eagle Tour Report Part 2

    Every year we hope for at least a couple of days of snow during a tour because for eagle photography a day with snow is about as good as it gets.  After a healthy snow storm overnight we had some good accumulation for the shoot the next morning. As soon as we reached our photography site, you wouldn’t believe how amazing it looked, every tree limb and log was covered in snow and the soft light was amazing. Once I found an interesting snow covered perch to stake out, all the group had to do was wait for an eagle to land and fire away. For this kind of image the eagle should face the camera with talons out, wings up and falling snow really adds a nice touch as in the image above.

    Each week this year had at least one or two days of snow with a couple of days with decent snow accumulation. Last year we had too days of heavy snow but this also gave us a few feet of snow on the ground to work with.

    Example
    95mm bank, Kachemak Bay Alaska. Nikon D4 with Sigma 50-500mm APO DG OS HSM @95mm, 1/2000 s at f8 ISO 800, handheld, manual metering. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    This uncropped bank image was made with a zoom at 95mm on a full frame camera, but there is more to the story than the super short focal length. Right after I made this image while looking through the viewfinder I felt something slam into the right side of my head. I have been making annual trips to this location to lead photography groups since 2005 and I have never experienced anything like this before! As I pulled back a little dazed I could see a brown blur out of my left eye in my peripheral vision right before the eagle smacked into our boat! Thankfully the eagle wasn’t even slightly slowed down and seemed to be in a-okay shape even after hitting our boat. That was definitely a first for me and I thought I had seen everything.

    Example
    Eagle bar landing, Kachemak Bay Alaska. Nikon D4 with Sigma 50-500mm APO DG OS HSM @300mm, 1/3200 s at f8 ISO 400, handheld, manual metering. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    With literally dozens and dozens of eagles to choose from you need to concentrate on something specific to get results. I like to concentrate on certain behavior and when presented with a choice I always target certain individual eagles. I target individuals with clean while plumage and good undamaged feathers on my target birds when I have a choice. After some patience and a little luck everything will pay off.

    The eagles are used to handouts from fisherman in the form of by catch or throw aways. When our craft turns up at the photography locations the eagles will sometimes turn up and land close by to check out the action. Sometimes we have a dozen or more, sometimes in a few minutes. This has not changed at all over the years, we still have superb numbers of eagles, sometimes we can even have too many targets at one time.

    Example
    The bald eagle bar, Kachemak Bay Alaska. Nikon D4 with Sigma 50-500mm APO DG OS HSM @50mm, 1/1250 s at f8 ISO 1250, handheld, manual metering. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    As soon as one eagle lands others will almost always follow as they instinctively gather in groups this time of the year. There is not much to add to an image like this, eagles of all ages in great soft light, wind at your back with gorgeous mountains in the background. Sometimes I have to stop and think about how lucky I am to be able to do this each year with good friends and colleagues. This moment was so nice it was easy to forget the temps are in the 20s without the windchill factor.

    Example
    Barye and a new friend, Kachemak Bay Alaska. Nikon D4 with Sigma 50-500mm APO DG OS HSM @120mm, 1/60 s at f16 ISO 800, handheld, manual metering. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    As a rule the younger sub adult eagles are almost fearless of humans. Sometimes even a 300f2.8 can be too much lens in situations like this. Here a zoom lens has a huge advantage over a fast fixed focal length lens. Not only in terms of focal length but in minimum focus distance. In the case of Nikon a 300f2.8 can focus to seven and a half feet, a Sigma 50-500 can focus down to 2 feet.

    Thanks

    A huge thanks to all of this year’s tour participants. The great weather, incredible opportunities and the amazing experiences with friends and colleagues are what I will remember about this year’s tours. If you were not able to join us this year, you should join us for 2014. The areas we photograph on this tour every year are the very best in Alaska and have proven to be very reliable year after year. I have been all over Alaska photographing eagles and I have never been able to find a place that can rival our locations.

    Even after all my time photographing eagles this year I am already looking to get back up there next year. With special permits we have access to private areas that other groups cannot visit legally and our special landing craft boats make easy landings really easy and very safe. I always keep my group sizes limited to 5 photographers so everyone has plenty of space and one on one help when needed. So if you have ever dreamed of photographing bald eagles in Alaska think about joining me next year for the trip of a lifetime. You wont regret it, this year I had at least 5 returning participants, for two people 2013 year was their third year in a row.

    2014 tour dates will be March 14-18, March 20-24, and March 26-30. Tour fee is $3900 and the deposit is $1950. I can offer previous tour participants a $200 discount. Please let me know right away if you have any questions or would like register for next year. Sign up as soon as you can. This tour always sells out each and every year.

    All content (including text, design, photos, layout, and graphics) are copyright © 2013 Robert OToole.  All rights reserved.

    March 14-18
    March 20-24
    March 26-30

  • Apr2

    3 Comments

    Eagle Tour Report Part 1

    Posted in: Alaska, Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle Workshop, Travel, Workshops

    Example
    Eagle in golden light, Kachemak Bay Alaska. Nikon D4 with Sigma 50-500mm APO DG OS HSM @240mm, 1/1600 s at f8 ISO 800, handheld, manual metering. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    Eagle Tour Report Part One

    Last year’s tour series was so unbelievably good I knew it was going to be a lot of hard work and a little luck to match the opportunities this year. Looking back now I think that overall the opportunities this year even surpassed last year, it was truly awesome tour series. Trying to share my experiences and images from 23 days of shooting into a few paragraphs is a bit challenging so I will have to split this report into a few parts so I can share as much as possible.

    Over the course of the tour series each week had distinct weather patterns and photography opportunities. Some people decided to maximize their opportunities and joined two tours back to back. The first group had lots of rain and some snow the first week. The next tour had lots of variable weather, we had clouds, rain, snow, wind, fog, then sunshine all in the a single day. The last group had mostly sunny days with only a day or 2 with rain or snow. Sunny days sound great and they can be but in Alaska north winds mean clear skies but really challenging photographic opportunities but thankfully the weather changes almost constantly. In terms of weather this year overall we couldn’t ask for anything more.

    This first image was made at one of my favorite and most reliable spots we visit during my tours. On sunny late afternoons the sunlight hits a wall reflecting on the smooth water below bathing everything in golden light. Thankfully the eagles at this spot called the wall, are as reliable as the lighting. In a split second everything can come together and an eagle will swoop down directly at our boat and strike the water a few feet away and fly right at us in the reflected golden light. The biggest problem in this situation is the sheer number of eagles make it difficult to concentrate on any one type of action. To give you an idea of the distance, this lightly cropped image was made at 240mm on a full frame camera.

    Example
    Eagles in afternoon light and mountains, Kachemak Bay Alaska. Nikon D4 with Sigma 50-500mm APO DG OS HSM @170mm, 1/800 s at f8 ISO 640, handheld, manual metering. Alaska, Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    On a dropping tide newly uncovered gravelbars are really attractive to the eagles as they like to gather in group. In this image there are 23 eagles, not a large group for this location by the way. Moments like these are why I always recommend having access to a zoom lens on this tour. Sometimes the images in the viewfinder seem almost unreal. Thankfully this time it wasn’t just a dream.
    Example
    Juvenile eagles trying to keep dry, Kachemak Bay Alaska. Nikon D4 with Sigma 50-500mm APO DG OS HSM @340mm, 1/2000 s at f8 ISO 800, handheld, manual metering. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    A 21 foot hight tide peak coinciding with the best light of the day means awesome opportunities. For this image we staked out an empty perch on a gravelbar as the tide came up.  Then as the tide peaked eagles started looking for a dry place to perch. For a couple of minutes there were great opportunities, like the image above, then a moment after this image there were 8 eagles crowded on the perch. To some this image looks to good to be true but it is 100% real. The juvenile bald eagles above have different plumage variations according to their ages.

    This year we had an unusually high number of sub adult and juvenile eagles, some years there are almost no young birds. I really like the younger sub adult’s plumage like the ones in the image above although sometimes they have very worn plumage so you have to be careful which birds you target.

    Example
    Eagles locked and spiraling, Kachemak Bay Alaska. Nikon D4 with Sigma 50-500mm APO DG OS HSM @500mm, 1/2000 s at f8 ISO 400, handheld, manual metering. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    This behavior is always interesting and will never get old since it is not very common and when it does happen its usually off in the distance but sometimes it will happen close enough to shoot. Eagle talon locked spirals usually occur in fights over food. Sometimes the participants will spiral right into water or into a stand of trees. I have never seen any eagles hurt doing the this as the spiraling seems to slow the fall to a safe speed.

    Example
    Low tide sunset, Kachemak Bay Alaska. Nikon D4 with Sigma 50-500mm APO DG OS HSM @78mm, 1/400 s at f8 ISO 320, handheld, manual metering. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    On the way to a shoot I saw these clouds in the distance before any color started to show and immediately I rushed to this area with the low tide mud flats. We pulled off the road just as the colors started to intensify so we had time to experiment with framing. I shot a few panos but I like this single straight image the most. We were lucky to still have some snow and ice from the night before the tide washed it away. interestingly my 50-500, already on my camera when I picked it up, worked really well for this image and the tighter panos. This has to have been one of the best sunrise scenes I have photographed in Alaska.

    The second part of this report including 2014 tour info will be posted tomorrow. Let me know if you have any questions or leave a comment below, thanks.

    All content (including text, design, photos, layout, and graphics) are copyright © 2013 Robert OToole.  All rights reserved.

  • Mar19

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    The First Ten Days

    Posted in: Alaska, Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle Workshop, Workshops

    Example
    Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    Alaska Eagle Tour Series Update

    The first ten days of my eagle tour series are now history and with just one week to go Alaska has delivered again. The eagles are out in force and things have been interesting up here to put it mildly. Nature has delivered everything we have come to reply on, changing weather, sometimes in a single day, tons of eagle photography opportunities and much more.

    Wish I could share more right now but I need to prepare for a shoot this afternoon so lots of images coming soon and a full wrap up report including 2014 tour dates and prices.

    All content (including text, design, photos, layout, and graphics) are copyright © 2013 Robert OToole.  All rights reserved.

  • Mar5

    7 Comments

    First Day Back in Alaska

    Posted in: Alaska, Articles, Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle Workshop, D4, Nikon, Sigma, Travel report, Workshops

    Example
    First eagle bank of 2013, Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Nikon D4 and Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM 1/1250s, f/8 ISO 1000, Manual mode with +1 compensation, handheld. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    My first day back in Alaska began with scouting for photography locations and set-ups with my co-leader Alan Murphy, and my guests Clemens Van der Werf and Jon Saperia. Once the job was done we enjoyed a couple hours of seriously good eagle photography out on the bay. Judging by what I saw today this year seems to shaping up to a very productive year with some really large numbers of eagles and mild conditions.

    Considering this was my very first eagle photo session of 2013 I can only hope there will be lots more days coming up just like today, great weather, perfect conditions and shooting with friends and colleagues.

    All content (including text, design, photos, layout, and graphics) are copyright © 2013 Robert OToole.  All rights reserved.

  • Feb12

    4 Comments

    Macro Photography at 20X Life-Size

    Posted in: Equipment, How to, Macro, Technical

    Example
    Butterfly wing close up at 20X. Make sure to click on the image to see this image at 1024 pixels. Nikon D800E with Nikkor 200mm f4 Ai lens and microscope objective at 1/40 sec, f/4.0 ISO 200, Manual mode. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    Exactly how big are the wing scales in this image of the butterfly wing? To  give you an idea, the entire frame measures about 1.5mm edge to edge. At magnification levels greater than 1X and especially when you reach levels like the image above shot at 20X the world looks very different, almost alien.

    There are a lot of special considerations and techniques you need to use about 10X mostly due to the distance from the subject and the limited amount of depth of field. In the image above the working distance is 20mm, which may not seem like a lot but it is actually quite a bit at this magnification.

    Looks for a lot more information coming soon including images of the set up and techniques I used to make the image above. Since late last year I have been spending a lot of time with updating all of my macro gear and putting together some new new high magnification gear up to 100X. So I have a lot of information and details to share over the next couple of months. My main goals in putting my set ups together are making sure all the gear is readily available and easy to get a hold of, also I have made sure that the set ups are non brand specific so both Canon and Nikon users can use the information to put together similar set ups. If you dont have a lot of experience with macro, dont worry I will show you what you need to know. Photography at his range can be very interesting, fascination and a lot of fun so I hope you can try it.

    Example

    Actual pixel 100% crop of the butterfly wing image above. Nikon D800E with Nikkor 200mm f4 Ai lens and microscope objective at 1/40 sec, f/4.0 ISO 200, Manual mode. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    The details in the 100 percent crop image above shows the kind of quality available with modern techniques and quality equipment.

    Dont forget you can stay up to date with new information posted here by hitting the subscribe button in the upper right corner, then selecting email or RRS. Also you can follow me on twitter , Google + or Facebook.

    All content (including text, design, photos, layout, and graphics) are copyright © 2013 Robert OToole. All rights reserved.

  • Feb6

    No Comments

    March Eagle Tour Opening

    Posted in: Alaska, Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle Workshop, Tour, Workshops

    A single opening has just been made available for my March Eagle tour series

    Example
    Eagle call. Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Nikon D700 with AF-S Nikkor 500mm f4 G VR ED 1/1250 sec, f/4.0 ISO 250, Manual mode with +.7 compensation, Jobu Jr-3 head and tripod. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    After being sold out for some time a opening has been made due to last minute cancellation. A $200 late registration discount is being offered. Phone or email right away if you can join the tour.

    Example

    Eagle tour photographer at work. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography
    The tour dates perfect for tons of eagles, lots of action and almost unlimited opportunities. All the images in this post are from past tours, most from March 2012 like the image above.

    Example

    Eagle head on attack. Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Nikon D700 with Sigma 50-500mm APO OS HSM @ 350mm 1/1600 sec, f/8.0 ISO 400, Manual mode, handheld. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    The opportunities available on my eagle tour series are like no where else on the planet.

    Example

    Eagles, mountains and photographer working with wide angle lens on an Eagle Tour. Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    2013 will be my 7th straight year leading eagle tours at our location so my team and I know how to put our tour participants in the best possible situations to allow them to make the best eagle images of their lives. Call or email right away if you would like to join us of if you have any questions.

    For more info: http://www.robertotoole.com/workshop/bald-eagles/

    All content (including text, design, photos, layout, and graphics) are copyright © 2013 Robert OToole. All rights reserved.

  • Jan28

    4 Comments

    Gray Whale Surfing

    Posted in: California, Ocean

    Example

    Juvenile Gray Whale cruising behind the face of a wave. Torrance Beach, Los Angeles, California. Nikon D4 with Sigma 50-500mm APO OS HSM 1/1250 s, f/8.0 ISO 2000, Manual mode with Auto ISO with +.7 compensation, handheld. image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    Winter time is my favorite time of the year in Southern California, its normal to see seals, dolphins and whales  swimming right offshore. This time of the year its not unusual to see dolphins and seals riding waves, but on Friday I saw something amazing. A juvenile gray whale took a close up look at the waves at torrance beach and even tried to ride a couple believe it or not!

    Now its not unusual as I mentioned to see them up close near shore, sometimes half a dozen or more, but they are on the move. This Whale was swimming right at the shore line trying to catch waves right at me. Unfortunately the waves were not big enough so it was forced to turn back under the waves since it was too shallow where the waves were breaking.

    Example

    Gray Whale rolling up the face of a wave. Torrance Beach, Los Angeles, California. Nikon D4 with Sigma 50-500mm APO OS HSM 1/1250 s, f/8.0 ISO 2000, Manual mode with Auto ISO with +.7 compensation, handheld. image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    At one point the whale met up with a small pod of dolphins and it was interesting that the dolphins at first stopped swimming and waited for the whale to approach. Then they reversed direction and swam with the way and continued down the beach at one point swimming right by a surfer. You can see the group waiting for the whale in the image below.

    Example

    Something you dont see everyday, a surfer, dolphins and a gray whale spouting, Torrance Beach, Los Angeles, California. Nikon D4 with Sigma 50-500mm APO OS HSM 1/1250 s, f/8.0 ISO 2000, Manual mode with Auto ISO with +.7 compensation, handheld. image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    What an experience to be able to watch the whale play around in the surf, it something I know I wont forget. Not only were the actions of the whale interesting to see but it was good to see the whale swimming strongly, rolling and swimming to catch waves and not at all distressed or dragging any man made objects.

    All content (including text, design, photos, layout, and graphics) are copyright © 2013 Robert OToole. All rights reserved.

  • Jan22

    2 Comments

    The Perfect Day

    Posted in: Alaska, Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle Workshop, Tour, Travel, Workshops

    The Perfect Day March 24th, 2012

    Example

    Eagle on the prowl. Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Nikon D700 with Sigma 50-500mm APO OS HSM 1/1600 sec, f/8.0 ISO 1250, Manual mode with Auto ISO with +1 2/3 compensation, handheld. image copyright 2013 Robert OToole Photography

    Being able to travel and experience nature while making a living is something I appreciate each and every day. Sometimes the conditions on site are really challenging with blizzards, volcanic eruptions (I have been thorough two so far), tsunami warnings(I have been though two tsunami warning periods) but every so often the conditions come together and it is just perfect. March 24, 2012 was one of those days, huge snow drifts on land, soft light, light winds, smooth glassy sea surface, good friends, and tons of eagles. It doesnt get any better than that.

    Example

    Eagle Strike. Perfect wind, light, tide, surface conditions and tide. Kachemak Bay Alaska. Nikon D4 with AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II + Nikon TC-14E II1.4x TC, 1/1600 sec, f/4.0 ISO 500 in Manual mode with Auto ISO with +.7 compensation, handheld.

    Important note: Soon I will be back in Alaska leading my bald eagle workshop series in March and there are two openings due to cancellation.  If you would like to join us or for more info email me as soon as possible. Link for more info: http://www.robertotoole.com/workshop/bald-eagles/

    All content (including text, design, photos, layout, and graphics) are copyright © 2013 Robert OToole. All rights reserved.

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