The Making of "Loons of Mount Desert Island".

It’s been a crazy year, but one of the perks for me has been working closer to home, and spending more time with family.  Last summer, I took on a project from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to film the early lives of Common Loons up in Maine, and my children Russell and Jessica, 20 and 16 at the time, were my crew.  We maintained our “covid bubble” while working out of a small cabin on Mount Desert Island.  Loons are spectacular and fascinating birds, and it was an amazing experience to spend so much quality time with them every day as we worked to tell their story.  Russell and I did the filming, and Jessica helped out in the field, made sketches and behavior observations, and then narrated the film.  So it was a true family project.  We are really happy with the result, and I think you’ll enjoy spending ten minutes with us as we explore the loon’s world.  The link is below…. Enjoy!

I’ve also selected a couple of my favorite still frames from the shoot to share here, and you can scroll down further to see a bunch of behind the scenes shots from the trip, and learn a bit more about how we filmed the loons in Maine.

 “Loon Birthday” 
This baby loon emerged from its egg during the night or early morning, and after a few hours in the nest, without ever being fed, walked down the ramp into the water and started swimming after its parents.  By afternoon they were feeding it small fish.  Loons rarely go on land except to breed.  They are strictly water birds, and this chick is no exception.  It may never set foot on land again until it begins nesting as a full adult.  It was amazing to witness and film the first day of this little chicks life, and the film features a sequence of it being fed its first fish.

“Afternoon Loons” 
Beautiful afternoon light sweeps across Echo Lake as the loon chicks ride on mom’s back while dad starts to rise up for a wing flap in the background.  Between feeding bouts, the loon family rests on the water, preens, and naps.  What I like about this frame is the way multiple elements came together to elevate the shot above the ordinary: light, behavior, composition, story.…

LOONS OF MOUNT DESERT ISLAND

View the short film here

The Making of "Loons of Mount Desert Island"

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  Filming from shore, we often tried to work our way ahead of the loons and take up positions so as they moved along the edge of the lake, hunting in the shallows, they would pass by us.  This was a very effective strategy in places where there were multiple access points, but did mean a lot of scrambling with the heavy gear along rough trails around the lake.  We often put our tripods right in the shallow water to get the best angle, as you see me doing here.
  

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   Russell shoots wide shots of the loon family on Echo Lake on a beautiful misty morning.  We used RED cameras as our main cameras for filming for their amazing quality, ability to shoot slow motion, relative compactness for field use.  A great aspect of the RED brand of cameras, is that every frame of video is a high quality raw file that also has the potential to be turned into a still frame, assuming it has suitable sharpness, etc.  All the images of the birds in this newsletter are stills from our RED cameras.
  

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  Photo by Russell Laman.  This is an example of the type of beautiful wide shot Russell was able to capture, while I focused on the closeup behavior shots.  These wide shots really add to the film by putting the birds in context with their environment. 
  

In the summer of 2020, Russell, Jessica and I filmed loons on Mount Desert Island during the peak of the season when chicks were hatching, taking to the water, and in their first few weeks of life.  We filmed at several lakes and ponds around the island where different loon pairs had territories, and were raising chicks that were at slightly different ages.  Here we are at Echo Lake, where two pairs of loons had divided the lake into north and south territories.  The loon families here saw people often since their territories included popular swimming beaches and kayaking areas, so that worked to our advantage because they were quite used to people, and would often pass by quite close to us if we were shooting from the shoreline as we are here.

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Jessica developed her interest and skills in sketching from nature during this trip.  This is a sample page from her journal, and a view of her sketching live in the field.  While of course worthwhile and enjoyable in its own right, her sketching also added a nice element to the film.

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  The less glamorous part of wildlife photography.  People often tell me they would love to be my assistant, but Jessica and Russell know what it’s actually like.  Here they are hauling heavy tripods and backpacks of camera gear to one of the filming locations on Somes Pond.  To create the best quality film, you need to use solid tripods and big heavy lenses.  Getting these to the right spot for filming can be physically demanding, but it’s all part of a days work in the field.
  

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  It was a wonderful experience working as a family team, and spending so much quality time with the loons to work on this project.  We couldn’t have done it though without the help and support from Billy Helprin of the Somes-Meynell Wildlife Sanctuary (www.somesmeynell.org), who monitored all the breeding loons on Mount Desert Island and generously shared his knowledge with us.  Please check them out and give your support to this worthy organization that does so much for loons.  We also would like to thank Acadia National Park for their support and providing access, and of course the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, who sponsored the project and made it possible.  

 We will continue to add new images and galleries to TimLamanFineArt.com.  Our latest additions include a new Hummingbird gallery.  Please check it out!

Tim Laman

Once In A Blue Moon

Dear Friends,

I’m sure you have all heard the expression “Once in a Blue Moon”, but did you know that a blue moon refers to the second full moon that falls in one calendar month?  This is pretty rare, occurring only about once every 2.5 years, but we had one recently on Oct 30, and I happened to be in the right place to photograph it.  Not that a blue moon looks any different than any other full moon, but still, the novelty of it added an element of interest.  This second full moon of October coincided with our first snowfall here in Massachusetts, and while it was snowing in the evening and the moon was not visible on Oct 30, I went before sunrise the next morning to one of my local haunts, Walden Pond, planning to photograph the sunrise after the fresh snow.  When I got there, still well before sunrise, I saw the full moon setting over the pond and raced to get set up and get a few shots before it disappeared.  The pond had not yet frozen, so the water, being warmer than the air, was creating a beautiful mist over the lake.  Combined with the fresh snow and moon, it was a very atmospheric scene, and I felt very lucky to be there to witness it that morning and capture the image below.  You make your own luck, as they say, and that certainly applies in nature photography!

Blue Moon over Walden

The full moon setting over Walden Pond on the morning after our first snowfall of the season.  Concord, Massachusetts, Oct 31, 2020.

New Book Release:

I’m honored to share that I am a part of a new book that has just been published:

HUMAN NATURE: PLANET EARTH IN OUR TIME

As describe by the publisher, “In Human Nature, 12 of today's most influential nature and conservation photographers address the biggest environmental concerns of our time.  Alongside their reflections, they present curated selections from their photographic careers in a powerful call to awareness and action.”

It is an honor to be part of this crowd:  Joel Sartore, Paul Nicklen, Ami Vitale, Brent Stirton, Frans Lanting, Brian Skerry, Tim Laman, Cristina Mittermeier, J Henry Fair, Richard John Seymour, George Steinmetz, and Steve Winter.

It is now available in several international editions. Learn more at:  https://www.blackwellandruth.com/human-nature

As the year winds down, there are good signs of hope for a better year ahead for all of us and for the planet.  Here’s looking ahead to 2021.  Thanks for joining me on the journey.

Peace,

Tim

Learn Wildlife Photography From Tim Laman

Check out Tim Laman's latest publication "The National Geographic Guide to Landscape and Wildlife Photography".  Tim prepared 12 lectures on wildlife photography while renowned photographer Michael Melford has 12 lectures on landscape photography.  Tim teaches the practical, technical and artistic aspects of wildlife photography while showing you how he took some of his world famous photographs.

The Great Courses provides multiple options for learning.  There is a monthly or annual online plan or you can purchase the lectures on DVD.  The 4 DVDs come with a 248 page course guidebook.  Check out The Great Courses website to watch the trailer or start a free trial.

New Species Discovered In Lost World

If you missed Tim's article in Australian Geographic you can now read it online.  In the Cape York Peninsula of Australia, the boulder fields are a spectacular sight.  Tim and biologist Conrad Hoskin traveled by helicopter to discover new species during their expedition.  You can read the article on Australian Geographic's webpage - Cape Melville's Lost World.

The boulder fields and rainforest of the Cape Melville Range, with Araucaria trees rising above the rest of the forest.Cape Melville Range, Cape Melville National Park, Cape York Peninsula

Orangutans - Out on a Limb Published in Dec 2016 NatGeo Magazine

It's been several years in the works, and I'm happy to share that my latest National Geographic magazine story "Orangutans - Out on a Limb" has just appeared in the December 2016 issue.  Check out the Dec print magazine, or one of the digital editions online or on your iPad to see the extra videos.

LINK TO ARTICLE ON NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM

The article, by Mel White, features new discoveries about orangutans by researchers such as my wife Cheryl Knott and her team (learn more about their work at www.saveGPorangutans.com), and many other researchers.  Also, the realities of orangutan conservation are also dealt with.  I'm really proud to have this come out, and hope you will all take a look and get engaged in this important issue.

Mission Critical: Orangutan On The Edge Premiers on Earth Day

This Friday at 9 pm, the Nat Geo Wild Channel will premier Tim's show on Orangutans.  As you can see below, if you check out their website now you can view clips from the show along with a slideshow of Tim's images.  Learn about Orangutans and Tim's mission to save them at Nat Geo Wild's website.

National Geographic Traveler

Tim's pictures were featured in the April/May issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine.  The story was written by his wife and 2 kids about their summer adventures to Borneo as a family.

Flashback Japan - feature in Japanese National Geographic

Happy 20th Anniversary to National Geographic Japan, the first international edition of National Geographic magazine!

In honor of their anniversary, National Geographic Japan created a special section called Flashback Japan in their December 2015 issue, and I am honored to be featured.  They selected one of my images from my story about Japanese Winter Wildlife, originally published in the January 2003 issue of National Geographic.  Here is the spread from Japanese National Geographic. I have provided an English translation of the Japanese text below.

Here is the English translation of the text on the spread above, published in Dec 2015 National Geographic Japanese edition:

Deer and Sea Ice, Hokkaido, Japan

One morning, photographer Tim Laman was exploring the remote coast of Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido. While he was making landscape photographs of the sea ice, several deer appeared, walking along the beach. "I became very excited at what they might add to the composition," Tim said.

Laman, a world-class wildlife photographer, is also a field biologist with a doctorate from Harvard. He says, "I like to capture images showing animals in their landscape." After a while, two of the deer, coming from opposite directions, met and gently touched noses, perhaps in greeting. "It was a brief moment, but I snapped the shutter and captured it."

Japan is a second home to Laman, because he was born and grew up in Japan -- in Tokyo, Sasebo, and Kobe, due to his father's job. So the story, Japan's Winter Wildlife in NGM 2003 January issue, was like a dream come true. "I wanted to show the broader world the beauty of nature in Japan. I chose the winter season for its clean beauty," he said.

On his assignment, he worked in Nagano, Iwate, and Hokkaido, to capture monkeys in Jigokudani or swans in Lake Kussharo, and many other subjects. Tim says some of his favorite photographs are those of Red-crowned Cranes in Kushiro Shitsugen wetland. "Sunrise on the river, and the roosting cranes backlit through the mist. Or a couple making a mating call as snow gently fell through the air. I had many unforgettable moments."

Borneo Is Burning

Yesterday, National Geographic News posted Tim's photo story on their website, Photos: Indonesia's Rampant Fires Threaten Rare Orangutans.  A couple of weeks ago Tim was on assignment in Indonesia photographing the devastation.  He was on the front lines where people were desperately trying to put out the fires.  Not only is this a huge ecological disaster threatening orangutans and other wildlife but it is also effecting the air we breath.  Check out Tim's Instagram (@TimLaman) to see other pictures of the wildfires.  To see more pictures of the endangered orangutans the fire is threatening, visit Tim Laman's Wild Orangutan gallery.

National Geographic PROOF Blog

Young adult female Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)(Walima aka Martina)

This summer follow Tim's adventures with his family in Borneo documenting orangutans for an assignment with National Geographic on their PROOF blog.  View his first post: Postcards From Borneo: A Family Adventure Begins Anew.

BBC Wildlife Portfolio

BBC Wildlife magazine published Tim's Birds of Paradise images in their December issue.  The 13 page portfolio includes 12 of Tim's best Birds of Paradise photographs.

Birds of Paradise in Outdoor Photographer

This months issue of Outdoor Photographer features a story on Tim's Birds of Paradise project.  Writer Amy Gulick tells of Tim's 8 year journey culminating with the publication of "Birds of Paradise: Revealing the World's Most Extraordinary Birds".  It features some of Tim's best Birds of Paradise photographs.  You can view the article online at Outdoor Photographer's website:  Birds of Paradise.  If you live in the U.S., you still have a couple more days to order the book to receive it before Christmas.  Purchase the Birds of Paradise book at Tim Laman's store.

Tim Featured In Canon Ad

In the October issue of National Geographic Japan, Canon has taken out a multipage add featuring Tim.  This picture was taken while photographing birds for his mangroves assignment.  The ad is 4 pages and folds out from behind the front cover.  To see some of the things Tim was photographing in Florida visit Tim Laman's Mangroves Gallery.  (Photo by Zafer Kizilkaya)

About what he is doing here, Tim said "I waded into the water with my tripod to try get closer to the  roseate spoonbills I was photographing.  The sea was flat calm, and the bottom was pretty solid, so I kept slowly moving closer.  Pretty soon I was in over my waist, but it really helped me get closer.  I'm always willing to take some risk with my gear to get a unique angle...."

Cleaner Shrimp feature in Daily Mail

In August I photographed my son Russell diving off Bali, Indonesia, and getting his teeth cleaned by the cleaner shrimp that usually serve the needs of the local fish.  The UK newspaper Daily Mail has now published the story.  See it on DailyMail website:

Diver Russell Laman (age 13) visiting a "cleaning station" on the reef, where fish come to have parasites and debris removed from their skin and teeth by shrimp. The White-banded Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis), recognize Russell's mouth as a source of food, and enters and begins to clean his teeth.

Hornbills Of The World Available Now

You can now purchase the book Hornbills Of The World through our online store!  This soft cover book by Pilai Poonswad, Alan Kemp and Morten Strange features photographs by Tim Laman and 61 other contributors.  All 57 species are described with multiple photographs showing both the male and female birds.  Each species has a description, distribution map, and information on the breeding ecology, habits and status of these unique birds.

New Book on Hornbills

Tim started shooting hornbills many years ago and did a story for National Geographic Magazine in July 1999.  Hornbills Of The World is a photographic guide that gives descriptions of all the species and other general information like their unique breeding behavior.  Tim's photographs are used for most of the Asian species of hornbills.  Soon this book will be available to purchase on our website, Tim Laman's Wildlife Photo Archive.  You can see Tim's spectacular hornbill photos here - Tim Laman Wildlife Photojournalist.

Birds-of-Paradise in the TREES Exhibit at LOOK3

It was a real thrill to see my Birds-of-Paradise images showcased on huge banners in the TREES exhibit at the LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph this past week.

Forty of my images were printed double sided on twenty large banners that now hang all along the beautiful outdoor pedestrian mall of historic downtown Charlottesville.  The exhibit will be up until mid-July, so check it out if you are in the neighborhood.

I could not be more pleased with how well the printing was done and the exhibit hung.  Thanks to the organizers of this fabulous event!

Featured in New York Times Lens Blog

My work on the Birds of Paradise is featured today in an interview and gallery on the New York Times Lens Blog.

This is one of the leading photojournalism blogs in the world, so it is an honor to be featured.  Check it out.

Little Explorers in Borneo

The terrific nature magazine aimed at kids called "Ranger Rick" has recently published a story which is a collaboration between my two kids Russell and Jessica, and me.  Story by the kids, photos by me.  My wife also played a key part, of course.  She is primatologist Cheryl Knott, Professor at Boston University, and she has been doing research on wild orangutans in Borneo for many years.  In recent years our kids have been traveling with us to her research site in Borneo nearly every summer.  Now Ranger Rick has published the story of my kids adventure traveling deep into the rain forest in Borneo with their Mom and Dad to study orangutans, and they have told it in their own words.

And Russell even made the back cover.  We found this very large stick insect right near our camp, and Russell picked it up and was letting it crawl up his shirt.  When it crawled right up on his face, he didn't seem to mind at all!

Exploring Mangrove Biodiversity - the Forests in the Sea

Red mangrove trees, with sponges, tuncates, and other invertebrate life growing on their roots in the Belize Cays.

Mangroves are the trees that can stand to have their roots in salt water - the buffer between land and sea.  They form incredibly important nursery grounds for marine life, and habitat for lots of other wildlife as well.  They also protect coastlines and provide lots of useful resources.  I was tapped to do a story on Mangroves for National Geographic magazine, apparently because I have a high tolerance for mud and mosquitos.

See my full photo gallery of mangrove images at www.timlaman.com.