I was born in 1944, which means I am now older than dirt. As a child I used a Kodak Brownie camera and a German Rolleiflex. In the 60s I got my first 35mm camera, a cheap fixed-lens Petri model from Japan.
In 1967 I became a mountain climber and in the 1970s and 1980s I took pictures in mountain ranges on 5 continents. I needed cameras with interchangeable lenses and internal exposure meters. They had to be lightweight, work in cold temperatures, and withstand bumping into rocks. I collected an assortment of 35mm single lens reflex cameras from Pentax and Olympus.
After 2000, the camera world abandoned film and adopted electronic sensors. I donated my film gear to the Bishop schools and entered the digital photo world with a Canon point-and-shoot in 2008. In 2012, I upgraded to a Sony RX100, an 8-ounce wonder that could take superb digital images. In 2017 I bought my first Fujifilm camera, a light fixed-lens X100V. I loved the retro design and terrific image quality. Within a few months I had a Fuji X-T2 and started collecting interchangeable lenses.
I’ve made over 1000 successful mountain ascents and I have dozens of slide-carousels to prove it. So I have an interest in landscapes and nature. But I’ve never been a birder. I’ve owned bird guidebooks, but I ignore their checklists. I have walked with birders to learn how they do it. These experts are generous with their knowledge. But within hours of these walks I return to my natural condition of avian-ignorance. I carry binoculars in my car, but while using them I get irritated. The birds never hold still long enough. They actually hide. Their songs all sound the same. They should have nametags or barcodes, instead of looking so alike.
I bought my Fujifilm cameras for landscape photography, not birds. But things changed quickly. I finished writing and published a book, “Analysis of Incidence Rates,” about statistical methods. Now I had more time for outdoor walks. One knee was replaced; to get back my strength, I walked more on local dirt roads. Roberta and I started to haunt the Buckley Ponds and the Bishop Creek Canal, areas with birds. I carried my new cameras and started snapping pictures of large birds that let me get close. This low-hanging fruit included Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, and Mallards.
The pandemic hit in early 2020; suddenly I did less travel, more local walks. In June of 2020 I photographed the flight of a Great Blue Heron and became excited about the technical aspects of bird photography. I ditched my camera case and carried the camera on a strap, always ready. Camera settings were reset to capture action. Telephoto lenses were added. I read “Mastering Bird Photography” by Marie Read. In 2021 Keith Hansen published a book about Sierra birds; a practical (and funny) guide to local birds. I went from 13 bird photos in 2018, 19 in 2019, to 383 in 2020, then 1753, 2707, and finally 3247 pictures in 2023.
I process and catalog my photos in Adobe Lightroom. Sitting at my computer, I thumb through Hansen’s book or compare my photos to those in books by Richard Crossley. Suddenly I was identifying birds. When I was stumped, I emailed photos to friends who are actual birders: Mary Merriman, Pamela Blair, David Harden, Loretta and Bart O’Brien. By walking the same roads, I began to remember which birds were in particular spots. I started to distinguish the shape of a distant Kestrel from a Shrike. Now Roberta and I say “Harrier” in unison when that raptor suddenly appears low over the rabbitbrush. I’m still not a real birder, but I’m getting comfortable with the idea that I’m a beginning bird photographer.
Peter Cummings
Posted Jan 21, 2024
Birds of Bishop 