I need to clear up a few things involving a recent article I  wrote here at Earth Images called Technology Break..

When I write generically about society, or just about people in general, you are reading my personal observations that I see in the world around me. If you think I am writing about you specifically, whoever you are, you are most likely wrong. If I write specifically about one person, I will name them if I can.

When I wrote Technology Break, I also included some facts about my previous life as a photography workshop teacher.

Most of the workshops I taught, were taught by me alone. There were up to 16 participants, and normally I was brought in by nature sanctuaries and paid to do the job. At one point, I decided to find a partner/teammate to work with me, and to help promote what would be our own workshops.

I’ll explain this by working backwards.

In the end I found a good partner who asked if I could please teach the technical aspects of photography, while she concentrated on other things. I said yes, and we made a good team. Before that there were three photographers in a row who turned me down. Each of them was concerned that they would not be able to teach technical photography.  That is when I realized, that because I could walk the walk when it comes to technical photography, I was considered by some to be a tech type person.

There was also an agreement with another photographer when I first began to pursue partnerships.  That partnership broke up before it began, but that photographer never showed any concerns about any knowledge I had, or lack of knowledge they had, for teaching photography. I am sure they were confident in their own knowledge. I want to make it clear that my first partner was  not intimidated in any way by any technical knowledge I might have possessed, and I have never suggested that.

In the article (Technology Break) I wrote about those photographers today who use math formulas to calculate how and where the moon or the stars will appear at a specific given time and latitude or longitude, in respect to earthbound objects. In other words, using science and technology to get the picture that they wanted to get.

I was not criticizing them for doing that. I admire them for that, I was saying that I myself am very likely too ignorant or stupid to find those equations.  I am better off just photographing sunrises or wildlife.

The overall theme of that post was not really about photography, but instead  was meant to say that for those of us who love the outdoors and nature, sometimes we need to just put down the technology, and be there (in nature) in our totality. At least once in a while, turn off the phone, leave science behind, and just appreciate the flowers,  the birds and the sky.

Nuff said about that.

Because this is supposed to be a photography blog, I thought I would leave you with a photo of a Rough-legged Hawk. This is one of my favorite species, as they visit this area (Wisconsin) only during the winter months, and then return to nest at the Arctic Circle much like a Snowy Owl. Although my exif data connected to this picture shows that this image was made in 2015, 2008 was actually the year the trigger was pulled.

Yes I shot this bird…..with my camera of course.

Thank you,                                                                                                                                                    Wayne