Tim Laman

| Wildlife Photojournalist

Wildlife Diaries

The Wildlife Diaries newsletter is the best way to keep up to date with Tim Laman’s latest work and travels, and to learn about photography and natural history as well. Read through his recent posts here or sign up to receive the posts via email using the form on the right.

Maine’s Fall Splendor

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I hope you are all doing well, and if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, have been able to get out and enjoy the fall season.  Since I’m not traveling internationally quite yet, I took the chance to spend time up in Maine earlier this month, where the fall foliage this year was quite extraordinary, and I thought I’d take this chance to share a few of my new images.  

You can also scroll down and check out my latest idea on how to share my images and spread our shared love of birds.  I’ve created a line of 5×7 inch greeting cards featuring my backyard birds-in-the-snow and other images.  Have a look and maybe you’ll find one that will make a perfect holiday card.

My timing was perfect on my trip to Acadia National Park this October, and the fall colors were at their peak.  After passing Upper Hadlock Pond and seeing the potential for a beautiful image of the hillside with the amazingly variety of color in the trees, I kept checking back to try to get the right conditions.  I actually waited till after sunset on this day, when the afterglow reflecting from clouds in the West lit the scene evenly.  The wind also died at sunset, as often happens, and I got the perfect reflection that I was hoping for.  For you photography enthusiasts who like to hear these details, I made the broad panoramic image below taking a series of seven vertical images, each about 50% overlapping, and used Lightroom to stitch them together.  Since nothing was moving in the scene, this worked beautifully, and the result is very high resolution file that I could easily print ten feet across if I wanted.  The square portion above it just a section from the center of the larger image.  I love the amazing variety of hues of yellow, orange, pink, and red that came out in the trees under this soft light.  And of course, a perfect reflection just ads a lot to an image.  

Loons In The Fall

Some of you may recall that last summer, I spent considerable time in Maine filming loons for our short film “Loons of Mount Desert Island”.  (You can see it here if you missed it).  In October, the loons had not left yet for the winter, so I went to check on them and photograph them amidst the fall color reflections.

This adult is molting to its winter plumage, and you can see the bold black and white summer markings beginning to be replaced by the more muted winter feathers.
Juvenile loons, like the one you see here in the middle (easily recognized by its pale bill) will soon make the bold move of leaving their natal lake and their parents, and flying off to the ocean to spend the winter.
It was spectacular to see the loons swimming among the colorful fall reflections in the lake.  Adult loons may remain on the lakes for several more weeks, but need to leave before the lake freezes over for the winter.  They will spend the winter in the ocean before returning again in the spring, often to their same territory, to pair up and breed again.

NEW IN OUR STORE – HOLIDAY CARDS

For those of you who have shown so much appreciation for my pandemic project photographing my backyard birds, especially in the snow, thank you!  You have inspire me to create a line of cards that are now available in my store.  They are beautifully printed 5×7 inch cards that I hope will solve your greeting card needs for the holidays, and let you share these backyard beauties with others.  You can see the full selection and place orders here.

Thanks for tuning in to my adventures.  Fall isn’t over yet, so I hope these images might inspire you to head outside!  It’s a beautiful time of year.

Warmest regards,

Tim Laman

PS.  I will be launching my annual HOLIDAY PRINT SALE  in the next week or so at  TimLamanFineArt.com.  So if you’re starting to think about your holiday shopping, please stay tuned!