I’m a creature of habit. That serves me well with most things, but not photography. One of the toughest challenges that I have in creating marketable imagery, is overcoming my tendency to shoot the same angles when returning multiple times to a favorite locale.
Last week, my son Blake and I drove down to Rockport for our annual duck hunt with Brad Smythe. I loaded the typical pile of guns, waders, dry bags and camera boxes, and then took a spin through my photo archive from previous coastal duck hunting trips. What I noticed, were several hundred images that didn’t at all convey what duck hunting is all about: mud, water, and cold.
So I tossed my underwater case into the truck and spent the drive down to Rockport pondering how I’d use it.
Besides great hunting with hordes of decoying ducks, I got a kick out of poking delicate electronics into places that I normally wouldn’t. I didn’t get a couple of the shots I was hoping for, but only because Boom the wonderdog had to stay home on our second morning due to extremely low tides, bare paws, and too many oyster bars. But he’s a young pup, and my duck dates with Brad are already rebooked for next year. I’ll get those shots eventually.
To see the rest of this shoot, and others from my duck hunting archive, please click here.
Be Social
It was bound to happen at some point. I’ve just opened a Twitter page where I’ll post daily photos, gear reviews, and other newsworthy oddities. I hope you’ll give it a follow.
At the ramp
Blake at first light
Headwind, flaps down, gear deployed
Sloshing through the decoys
Bounding Boom
Picking up the spread
Muckity muck
Banded pintail
They do this every day for three months
