Photography, Phillip Colla Photography

Today I would like to recognize Doug Perrine, one of the worlds most accomplished and respected marine wildlife photographers. Last night, his amazing photograph of a feeding Bryde’s whale was awarded highly commended at the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in London. Honestly, I cannot imagine why this image did not actually win the underwater category. It is one of the finest underwater whale photos ever achieved. I have spent a lot of time in the water with whales, and pursing photographic subjects in the open ocean, and I cannot over-emphasize how spectacular Doug Perrine’s photograph is. For those of you who do not take your cameras underwater, it may look like a simple portrait. In truth this whale was speeding by Doug, who captured the image breathhold diving, at the perfect moment when the whale’s body was aligned gracefully and fully visible, and while its throat was fully engorged from a feeding strike just a moment earlier. This behavior occurs in the open ocean, which is nothing like your casual vacation SCUBA dive. The open ocean can be disorienting, and having enormous creatures swimming by at high speed and at very close range, silently and from any direction including directly below, is intimidating. As he mentions in his caption to the photo, Perrine was nearly engulfed in one of the earlier feeding passes. Given these circumstances, capturing a once-in-a-lifetime image like this is a testament to his professionalism and composure. As I said, I consider Doug Perrine’s Bryde’s whale feeding pass image one of the best underwater photos I have ever seen and really congratulate Doug on his achievement.

This WPOTY award is on the heels of Perrine’s Bryde’s whales photos appearing in National Geographic Magazine.

It should be noted that Doug Perrine won the overall Wildlife Photographer of the Year championship in 2004 with some amazing photos from South Africa’s sardine run, so you know he is no stranger to top ranks of the competition! He is a really nice guy too, and has helped myself and many other photographers in myriad ways over the years. Doug Perrine founded the marine photo stock agency Innerspace Visions in Florida in the 80s. Now known as Seapics.com, and since sold although Doug still maintains a close connection, the agency is a premiere source for worldwide marine imagery by virtue of having most of the worlds best marine photographers as contributers (and me too). I may see Doug on a trip in a few weeks, where I will congratulate him on his wonderful photo and award. I am certain he will reply in his usual modest way: “Oh, we just got lucky.”

Note: why don’t I show a copy of Doug Perrine’s amazing image? It would be easy to do, but out of respect for Mr. Perrine’s work, not to mention copyright law, I instead just link to those places where his work is displayed properly. I’m sure his photo will be copied and pasted around the internet, by kids and bloggers and people who just don’t respect a photographer’s right to control where his work appears. But you won’t see it done here. Please go check the links I mention above to see Doug’s work, you’ll be glad you did.

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Today’s post is a recommendation for Michael Frye’s guide book for photographers, The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite. I’ve owned this book for years. While I know Yosemite National Park quite well, having made frequent visits to the park my entire life (now that’s saying something!), I now carry Michael Frye’s book with me when I am in the park and routinely flip through it to make sure I haven’t forgotten any of the park’s iconic shots or to seek inspiration for a hike to a new spot. The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite is one of only a handful of photography guide books that I routinely recommend to others. In the last 24 hours I’ve had the occasion to recommend it on Twitter several times, so I figure it’s time to say something on my blog too. If you are a photographer and plan to visit Yosemite National Park, buy it beforehand and study it, you won’t be sorry. It will help you make the most of your photography time in Yosemite National Park, especially the Valley which is so rich in photographic potential, and it will ensure that you are in the right spot at the right time for many iconic views.

The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite

Disclaimer: I do not have any arrangement with Mr. Frye or the book’s publisher, other than I am an admirer of his photography and love his book.

Curious what I have been able to shoot in YNP? Here are my Yosemite photos. Most of these are drop dead easy to make and The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite will help you as it has me.

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I’ve known Brandon Cole by reputation since about 1992 (I think), having seen his wonderful marine life images appearing in publication frequently both editorially and in advertising, and I have been fortunate to know him personally since we had the pleasure of getting out on the water some years ago when I had a boat. Brandon is considered one of the most skilled and professional marine life photographers in the world. He works hard and his standards are quite high. He often shares what he has learned through his efforts with other photographers (including me) and in this way he is a real asset to the community of underwater shooters. There is no better time to tip my hat to Brandon Cole than now since he, along with Doug Perrine and Marc Montocchio with whom he was shooting, has some awesome photos of Bryde’s whales featured in the latest issue of National Geographic Magazine. You really should check out his website, the depth of his stock portfolio is just amazing.

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