A Good Morning To Be Out

Submitted by Keith Bridgman

I walked all of 50 yards and realized I was already cold. A crisp, fresh scent in the air shoved along seemingly by a heavy winter chill penetrated all the way through my layered camouflaged clothing. With another 300 or so yards to go I hoped the pace would generate some much-needed warmth.

Underfoot the ground crunched in time with my steps as a heavy frost lay like a thin, white sheet over the dried, left over fall season leaves. As I rounded the wooded corner and stepped toward a clearing and onto the edge of the cornfield, I notice how the dried grasses that laced its surface glistened in the gray, half light of this chilly morning.

At least a year had passed since I last marched into an early winter morning. It felt good to finally get back to exploring some of the more enjoyable photographic adventures. Simple as it was, at least it felt like an adventure anyway. My goal was call in a coyote or two and get some quality photos of this elusive creature.

I walked along the south edge of the cornfield glancing with every other step or two toward where the sun was to first appear. A bright and clear sky laced with a few thin layers of high clouds forecast an optimistic sunny rise. Already the sky was beginning to glow with strong pastel oranges and yellows that gently filtered toward the higher up, once black of night, and blended into a softer blue.

Across the field a silver lining of that frost began to sparkle more as the light transitioned from soft gray to a warmer tone. Still shadowed at this point, it would not be long before the warming rays of the sun would lift the frosty coating. For now, though, I belonged to one of those down home, Kentucky mornings, where sky and landscape joined together to create a special moment in time.

I setup next to a six-foot cedar and deployed my DYI decoy contraption in the field about 30 yards out to one side. At first, I just sat in the crispy air and surveyed the fields spread out in front of me. About 175 yards away stretched the edge of a wooded area that wound its way across and around the northeastern end of the field. Probably 20 acres or so of corn stubble lay between and to the northwest another couple hundred acres rolled across the landscape. I figured this would be a good place for a coyote or two. I switched on the call and waited.

I waited some more…then some more. No coyotes appeared. Then some movement coming from the wooded area across from where I was caught my attention. Three deer, all does, were working their way along the edge and into the cornfield. One of them stopped several times and looked my way...not sure...but suspected something wasn't quite right. She lifted her leg...moved closer...snorted with burst of misty breath...stepped back...and took off.

Over the next hour and a half, I saw no coyotes, but I did see about 15 deer five of which came within about 25 yards. I managed to shoot over 400 images using a rapid-fire shutter. My 50 – 500mm Sigma lens with a 1.4 teleconverter attached performed flawlessly…even using manual focus. Eventually the deer grew wary of my presence, and wave good bye with their characteristic tail flag. By then though I had managed to capture a few good closeup images.

I was disappointed in not being able to call in a coyote or two, but the deer made up for it. Coyotes are tough critters to photograph and I’ll keep on trying. In the meantime, just being out in nature on such a glorious and crisp winter morning was reward enough.

As I struggled to my feet to relieve a building cramp in my leg, I realized just how much I had missed getting out like this. The sun full up now was beginning to thaw the landscape from its frosty cloak, so I gathered my gear and made my way back home. It was a good morning to be out.

Calling All Coyotes

Submitted by Keith Bridgman

Wildlife photography is probably the most difficult of photography endeavors to pursue. Wildlife in general can often be finicky and elusive. After all, they are wild. To be somewhat successful at it requires one to spend a great deal of time outdoors and to understand the ways of the wildlife being pursued.

Internet Photo

Over the years I’ve made various, mostly unsuccessful attempts to photograph wildlife, having captured a few lucky images from time to time, but nothing of real merit. I’ve even tried to photograph coyotes, unsuccessfully by the way, by calling them in using a hand-blown wounded rabbit call…which is a challenge to say the least.

Coyotes are fascinating, adaptable creatures. They can be found in all kinds of habitats and even though they are quite jumpy around people, they will readily take up residence in and around where people live. I recently heard that an estimated upwards to 20 million of them live in North America. That is incredible when you think about it, when so many animals are creeping toward extinction or have suffered dramatic reductions in their numbers thru habitat destruction, the coyote is thriving.

Prior to the 1940’s, coyotes were primarily a plains and western animal, but since have spread across the United States and can be found in every state. You’d think it would be an easy animal to photograph, but they are not as they are a wary and elusive animal.

As the new year 2020 approaches I’ve decided I want to capture some quality images of coyotes. As I live in the middle of farm country, there are no shortages of them around. I hear them all the time especially of an evening when a family unit begins their greeting yelping and howling. They often sound like they are in my backyard, but logic suggests they are farther away than they sound. I figure this will not be an easy task as they most often are not seen during the day but can be found late of an afternoon just before sundown and just after sunup.

I plan on using an electronic call…downloaded to my phone and played thru a speaker, along with a manually operated dyi decoy/attractor that waves around. The idea is to place the decoy and call some distance from where you set up so as to focus any curious coyote’s attention on the call and decoy instead of you. Camouflage is a must, from head to toe, and a blind is also a useful amenity. Any movement at all and a coyote will see it and be gone, so you must be hidden.

Camera equipment…well, you need a long lens something like 500mm preferably with a 1.4 teleconverter attached. A tripod for low light situations and shooting with a high ISO and fast shutter speeds along with rapid fire 8 to 10 frames per second shooting.

You gotta also place yourself with the wind in your face and be willing to brave the cold and early hours. Fortunately, I can just walk out my backdoor a few hundred yards and be in prime coyote country.

So, there you have it…my next challenge for 2020. Hopefully, the coyotes will cooperate. Even if they do not, the challenge of trying to do something like this carries its own just rewards. I’ve spent too much time sleeping in, too much time sitting around, and not nearly enough time doing the things I enjoy. Hopefully, that too will change for 2020.

A Photographic Journey - Through the Lenses of Alan and Sheila Reeves

Submitted by Keith Bridgman

It has been quite some time now, a good many years, when I first met Alan and Sheila Reeves. I recall it was during a Sunny Sixteen Camera Club meeting when we assembled in a much smaller and tighter venue. The club itself was growing not only in numbers but in the quality of the photography being created by the members. Seems the first thing I can remember about both of them was how they expressed their desire to improve photographically. Best I can remember Alan made a comment something like, "We take a lot of travel snapshots, but we want to learn more so we can move to a higher level of skill." 


I do believe their skill levels have grown a great deal since then and without doubt they have developed into two of the finest photographers in a club that has a good number of skilled photographers within it.

Both Alan and Sheila love to travel and this great love of theirs sparked into life a desire to capture their experiences...not just as snapshot memories, but to showcase the magical wonders of the beautiful locations they visit. Snapshots just would not serve justice to the natural beauty they experienced during their travels. So they began a journey to improve their photographic skills not only from a technical aspect, but from an aesthetically artistic form.

The more they traveled, the more they desired to improve upon their photographic skills. They began to look beyond what the ordinary traveler might see, to visualize the emotion and excitement of moments in time that spoke to their inner feelings.

Along the way, they discovered an important aspect about how their personal feelings influenced their photography. It was there, within the emotional depths of their soul, their visions took root to eventually become reality, and their skill as photographers caught up with the beauty of the world they explored.

Alan Reeves Photo

Alan began to focus a great deal on photographing birds and some of his amazing images have won awards as a result. He also recognizes the profound gracefulness and intriguing virtues of the world around him, and possesses an uncanny ability to interpret what he sees visually into photographs that captures much more than the visual elements; they capture the pure and essential light of a given moment.

Alan's ability to find just the right moment to snap the shutter captures the amazing world of birds in the finest of details. His eye, his instinct serves him well when reaching beyond the simple realm of a photograph to capture nature at its best.

Alan Reeves Photo

Sheila turns her lens toward the natural world, including landscapes and closeup visions within the macro realm, to not only explore what is there, but to explore more deeply from within what creation means to her personally.

She does not see a photographic point of time as a single element, but recognizes how the multitude of elements blend to form one single moment of importance. There is at once a complexity and simplicity seen within her photographic work, often a perfect blend of light, place, and emotion.

Alan and Sheila have become synonymous with what it means to become a photographic artist. Their work transcends the ordinary to touch not only the visual senses, but to stir the emotions of those who see their images. Thank you Alan and Sheila for humbly sharing not only your wonderful talents, but your vision and inspiration with Sunny Sixteen.

THE YELLOWSTONE/GRAND TETON ODYSSEY OF Ronnie Ryne and Bob Smith Sept. 23rd – Oct.2nd. 2019

Submitted by Bob Smith - Photo's by Ronnie Ryne and Bob Smith.

The objective of our visit to Yellowstone was to see as much of the wildlife in YNP as possible and to focus on waterfalls and other landscape. In particular, we wanted to see Yellowstone’s famous wolves, grizzly and brown bears, moose and the big Bull Elk during the rutting season. Other wildlife such as Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn Deer, Coyotes and other wildlife would be a great catch.

The actual Odyssey began with our arrival in Cody, Wy. Leaving Cody at 4:30 AM on the 24th we entered the YNP at the SE entrance and immediately observed a herd of Elk (without a Bull). We went over the Sylvan Pass (8,530 ft) and other high peaks all displaying a nice covering of fresh snow. Saw some Tundra Swans but no other wildlife. Not deterred, we began our photographic journey at the famous Artist Point by shooting the iconic Yellowstone River Falls where it drops 308 feet into the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Tripods and filters are a must.

Our next stop was the Grand Prismatic Springs, Yellowstone’s largest hot spring with a diameter of 370 feet. Breathtaking and magnificent are inadequate to describe the spring. To see the spring in all its glory, we suggest taking the steep .8 mile upper trail. This places you above the spring where you have a view of the deep blue color of the spring and its rings of yellow and orange colored thermopiles which create the prism effect.

No trip to Yellowstone would be complete without a visit to Old Faithful and that was our next point of interest. It did not disappoint and the weather and light allowed us to get some nice photos of the geyser. Travelling south past Grant Village and Lewis Lake we left YNP and entered the Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), heading to our destination of Jackson Hole, Wy.

Our plan was to photography the Tetons at sunrise so we scouted out several places: Schwabacher Landing and Mormon Row, to select a preferred location for the morning shoot. We took photos at both locations as darkness descended upon us. We decided to head to Schwabacher Landing first thing in the morning.

We rose up at 4:45 and headed back to Schwabacher Landing Sunrise was at 7:15 so we wanted to get set up early. Our scouting the evening before paid off big in that we knew right where we wanted to set up. Prior to sunup the banks of the waterwaywere lined with photographers and more were coming. Our purpose was to catch the sun as it rose and painted the Teton Mountains, the surrounding trees and the waterway. It did not disappoint.

Leaving this site at about 8:40 we heading back to Mormon Row to photograph Moulton Barn and a second beautiful old barn. With the barns in the foreground and the Teton Mountains in the background it results in an especially nice photograph.

Back on the road again, we re-entered the GTNP and headed to Oxbow Bend on the Snake River. There is a particularly good pull off where one gets a nice view of the Teton Mountains with a reflection in the Snake River. We were pleased to see fall colors of gold and yellow in addition to the evergreens. The clouds covered the mountain peaks but it still resulted in nice images.

Heading back to Jackson for some much needed rest we made a stop at the Snake River Overlook. This is a location that Ansell Adams made famous. After a late, late breakfast, we rested for several hours in preparation for a late night/early morning shoot of the Milky Way.

The Milky Way was predicted to make its appearance over the Teton Mountains at 12:07 AM. We headed out at 10:55, knowing exactly where we were going; even the place where we were to set up our tripods. The night sky was so dark you could see “zillions” of stars. Neither of us had seen so many stars, ever. At 12:07 sharp the Milky Way made its appearance. This proves the absolute necessity of having an app that provides such information before going out on a night shoot. We continued to shoot images of the Milky Way until about 2AM, before heading back to Jackson Hole.

The next day we re-entered YNP and headed to West Yellowstone, Mt. Continuing our search for wildlife to no avail, we stopped and photographed the really nice Lewis Falls. They flow out of Lewis Lake and form the very serpentine Lewis River. Had breakfast at the less than 5 star Old Faithful Café and drove the 2.8 mile Firehole Lake loop.

The Parks largest geyser, the Great Firehole Geyser is on this loop as are many features unique to Yellowstone. We missed the eruption of this geyser by several hours.

Our next point of interest was the Firehole Canyon Drive, loop of 1.8 miles. This drive is really nice. Firehole River is a very fast moving river that runs through a canyon of the same name. It is very deep and rugged. There are several real nice waterfalls and several long cascading parts of the river. The lighting was poor so we decided to return to this location the next day. Flexibility is a watchword on your trip to Yellowstone.

Continuing our drive to West Yellowstone we spotted a nice Bull Elk and a herd of 6-8 cows on the north side of the Madison River. They were at extreme range and without long lenses, shots would have been impossible. Arriving at the town of West Yellowstone we noted that it is loaded with accommodations of various types and has ample places to eat. We tried the Slipper Otter and our favorite Pete’s Rocky Mountain Pizza. The best EVER.

After some well deserved sleep we arose and visited the non-profit Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. Worth a visit as they have bears and wolves in a very natural like environment. These and other animals for various reasons cannot be returned to the wild. Very family oriented.

Returning to the YNP, we retraced our steps back to the Madison Junction area an on the way photographed the very beautiful Gibbon Falls and drove through the Virginia Cascades Canyon area. This drive is very beautiful and rugged but there are limited access points.

We hiked in the area where the Lewis and Gibbon Rivers converge to create the Madison River. Saw nice Bison grazing nearby but no other wildlife so we headed back to West Yellowstone.

While unloading at West Yellowstone we had a mishaps resulting in a damaged camera and lens. We share this to inform club members that the next day we drove to Bozeman, Montana which is convenient to both the West Yellowstone and Gardiner entrances to YNP. In Bozeman we visited the very nice Bozeman Camera Store and met several very friendly, competent and knowledgeable staff.

They are authorized Nikon, Sony and Canon dealers and carry a full line of cameras and related equipment and rental supplies. They were able to help us gear up and continue on our Odyssey. They have a very large supply of just about anything a photographer would want. Montana has no sales tax so that is a plus and they will often ship free. We both highly recommend this store to any of our members who may have need of their services; ONE of us purchased a Nikon Z7!

On the 29th we got up at 4:45 in preparation to a long day in search of wildlife. It was a cold 34 degrees in Gardiner with sleet, snow and wind. Travelling in darkness on slick roads we made our way to Lamar Valley, famous for its wolves and bears. We travelled through LV and the Soda Butte area without seeing anything other than Pronghorns and Bison. We photographed the unusual Barronette Falls and turned to retrace our steps. We spotted a moose at a distant tree line, again at the extreme range of our lens (900mm & 1200mm).

The temperature had dropped to 25 degree with light snow. In the area between Soda Butte and Lamar Valley we did observe 4 black wolves that were on a fresh Pronghorn kill. We photographed them for several hours, again at a long distance, was especially nice to see this. After leaving this location we saw a nice herd of Bighorn Sheep, all females and young and took photos of them.

We drove all the way back to the Madison area and west toward West Yellowstone. We again saw the nice herd of Elk with a very large Bull. We observed them for several hours before heading back to Gardiner, after a 14 hour day.

On the 30th we visited the town of Gardiner and the site of Roosevelt Arch, the original entrance to YNP. We drove into Mammoth and visited Mammoth Hot Springs, a place anyone visiting Yellowstone should consider. A large Bull Elk known as Broken Antler was on the square with a herd of about 20 cows. He had a bad disposition causing security staff to keep a close watch on him.
On Oct. 1st we returned to the Lamar Valley in search of those elusive bears and maybe additional wolves. We did spot another young Bull Elk with a small herd of 6 cows. They seemed totally devoted to him. We travelled the entire route through Lamar Valley and the Soda Butte area, seeing two large herds of Bison, Pronghorns and Bighorn Sheep but no bears, wolves or moose. We visited Tower Falls and using tripods and filters photographed them. We drove over Dunraven Pass and on to Mt. Washburn (10,000 ft) exiting at Canyon Village before returning to Gardiner. We did make a quick detour at Mammoth to photograph the Undine Falls which also a must see for those who like waterfalls.

On Oct. 2nd. we intended to drive to the SE entrance of the Park and return to Cody. Stopping first at Mammoth Hot Springs and photographing this beautiful spot with a nice covering of snow. Here we received a text from the Park Service indicating that all roads south were closed due to heavy snow.
Like all travelers to Yellowstone, one must have alternative plans; so we turned north out of Gardiner to Livingston Montana and east to Columbus Montana before turning south to Cody.

Careful planning allowed this trip to be about as good as it could be from a planning standpoint. Not seeing wildlife was not unique to us. Others were experiencing the same thing. So we shot what was available and enjoyed every minute. Sleep is important but getting up early is more important. It was important for us to eat good meals whenever possible and have wholesome snacks and plenty of water. We had bear spray which we “would have liked to use” – sure! Always being flexible and being willing to push yourself was a key.

Would we return? Absolutely.

Sunny Sixteen 2019 Jamboree A Big Success...!

Submitted by: Keith Bridgman

It started as an idea with a simple premise: Provide a venue to connect with other photographers. At first it was just a concept that required a great deal of refining. For the better part, and more, of a half year, the Sunny Sixteen board members planned and schemed as to how to pull off the idea.

Jason Reagan Photo

John Humkey Photo

What we are to do...where will we do it...when will we do it...and just how best to make it a success, were the questions that were discussed and eventually answered. So on October 19, 2019 the first annual Sunny Sixteen Jamboree kicked off under the canopy of an amazingly beautiful, and chilly, fall sky.

John Humkey Photo

Our location was Basil Griffin Park, also known as Three Springs Park, in Bowling Green, KY. Popup tents were erected, class instruction stations were setup, dressing stations anchored down, power chords stretched, ice coolers filled with drinks were rolled into place...and the people started pouring in. Attendees included folks from Nashville, Paduca, Lousiville, and Indiana among other locations including Bowling Green.

John Humkey photo

John Humkey Photo

 The venue included photographic opportunities for birding enthusiasts, nature, macro, and of course our wonderful models, we had 15 of them, became one of the focal points throughout the day.

Sophia - One of the Models
Keith Bridgman photo

We provided classes on capturing nature with macro photography, how to pose and work with models, capturing and watching birds, Shooting with Models on Location, and Creative Lighting.

Sophia - Model
Keith Bridgman Photo

Jason Reagan Photo

Jason Reagan photo

Brianna
Keith Bridgman Photo

All the instructors provided a great deal of insight along with pointers and tips of how to move forward with your photography.  All the classes were well attended.

John Humkey Photo

John Humkey Photo

The day began with a chill in the air but the sun brought some much appreciated warmth and before long jackets were removed. As the day progressed, more clouds began to filter across the sky until by early afternoon the sky was indeed cloudy.

Alan Reeves Photo

Alan Reeves Photo

Alan Reeves Photo

Neither the clouds nor the cool temps placed a damper on the day's festivities as groups began to filter across the area with a model in tow, or searching for birds, or just simply enjoying the scenic beauty provided within the park which included a waterfall, wooden bridge, a creek, a wooded area, a rock wall, a wood fence, the lake itself, wildlife...and I could go on. In short it was a great location for the Jamboree.

John Humkey Photo

Pizza was ordered for the models...and some of the club members sampled the pizza's as well...:). We even had a puppy...everyone loves a puppy...of course all of the young ladies loved it.

Thousands of photographs were captured, lot's of smiles, and many new photography friends were connected. It turned out to be a near perfect day, and one the Sunny Sixteen family can be proud of.

Special thanks goes out to the S16 Board Members for all of their hard work to put this together, as well as to all of the volunteers who devoted their Saturday to help out. We also want to thank all of the visitors who traveled near and far to attend...they, of course, is why we did the Jamboree.

(We will add more Jamboree photo's as they become available...so don't be shy...share and post your day with us.)

Beautiful Exhibit at Bob Kirby Library

A new Sunny 16 Photo Exhibit is now showing at the Bob Kirby Library in Bowling Green. There are some fantastic images on display so find time to stop by and take a look. (post images provided by Julie Barrick)

We are going to have a full agenda of exhibits through the end of the year.

October 1-31 we will be at the Smith Groves Library.

October 17 thru early December we will be showing at the Presbyterian Church in Bowling Green. This will be our "BIG" show as part of the Gallery Hop with up to 60 photo's on display.

December 1-31 we will be at Bob Kirby Library.

December 4 thru early January we will have another showing at the Little Fox Bakery. Special opportunity here as we will be able to setup for selling small prints and cards as part of the Gallery Hop event.

Okay...four shows in three months. Let Julie Barrick know if you would like to particiapte in one of or all of the shows. The only restriction is to not exhibit the same photo more than once in the same location. It's okay to use the same photo at different exhibits though.