Father's Day

This dapper gent is my father, seen here in about 1960 with his beloved Bolex H16 movie camera. For those of you with DVD or hard disk camcorders, consider these specs -- he tells me it is spring-driven (no batteries!) and accepts 100 feet worth of film at a time, for a total of three minutes of shooting between changing reels. He sent me this photo earlier this summer when I reported to him someone still using a Bolex at my local Egret rookery. Dad has moved onto to more current technologies -- DSLR's and are the medium of choice for both of us now.

Anyway, the more I get into photography, the more I appreciate Dad's quiet mastery, his awareness of and keen eye for the world around us. I recall how we went for a walk around the neighborhood one Christmas a few years ago, shooting landscapes and Christmas decorations. I was struck by how effortlessly and simply he turned these everyday scenes into visually interesting compositions. I hope someday to have that knack.

So, on Father's Day 2007, I want all of you to know what a great Dad I have, a photographer, a teacher, a gentleman, an inspiration.

-Bill

High Sierra Workshop slideshow

Lower Sardine Lake
Originally uploaded by Bill Walker.

Well, we're just back from Bob Power's High Sierra Workshop. We spent three and a half days birding Yuba Pass, Sierra Valley, Carmen Valley, and Plumas-Eureka State Park. I'll post more detailed notes soon, but meanwhile I thought you might like to see the full trip slideshow at flickr. Note that some of these images are not marked public, so you can only see them by using the guest pass link above. Or by getting your own flickr account

Sports shooting is fun, too!

Running fast
Originally uploaded by Bill Walker.

Yesterday some friends and I saw the USA Men's National Soccer team defeat China's National team 4-1 at Spartan Stadium in San Jose. The intimate scale of the stadium combined with the fact that athletes are much larger than birds to allow me to make shots like these from the stands using only my Canon 20D and a svelte 70-200mm f/4L. I saw the guys on the sidelines with their 500mm f/4L's, I guess they are only shooting plays on the opposite of the field, or they really like shooting individual fingers and eyelids. Anyway, more photos here.