… it seems a little funny that in shooting wildlife shots of them finding food, capturing and eating it is such a big deal … but it is, for without it we and they would all perish. I have photos that were taken very long ago of me, my brothers, dad and other family members after a good day of hunting for ducks or pheasants in western Minnesota and I enjoy those too. While hunting was a sport for us it was also learning to be self-sufficient, and we always ate what we killed.
One day (I was maybe fourteen) I read a recipe for squirrel stew in one of the hunting magazines, and it looked very good so I went on a hunt and brought five squirrel’s home … then came the dressing out of them and after cleaning one I didn’t think I could make it through five … in pops a neighbor lady and the usual questions about what I was doing … I really laid it on about the delicious squirrel stew I was going to make … she seemed interested, so I offered her three of the five squirrels, and she took them, Yay! I only had to clean two of them … the stew was not entirely awful, but it was the last I ever made … I’ll leave the squirrels to the bobcats, coyotes and hawks.
Fish are pretty much universal food for everyone including larger fish … above is a photo of a Snowy Egret that had just nailed a small fish and was getting the day off to a good start … below is a shot of a Coopers Hawk enjoying a meal of lizard or a small snake. Coopers Hawks primarily consume other birds, quail and such, but they need to survive too, and, in a pinch, they will take what they can find if the preferred meal is not available.
Leaving for the lake at an obscene hour of the morning which means I have to be up at 3AM so will close this one out. Have a beautiful day, smile and keep breathing.
My aerial shots of Sedona which will be in my show Wednesday are very special … I took a lot of time in processing them to remove the city from them and you will see what our little area looked like before we got here … pretty cool stuff! Hope to see you at the show … click on the red button below to get your tickets!
Cheers,
Ted
I am the dawn, the whisper of winds, the perfume of morning.
The passing night fondled me, hovering close to me, softly, silently.
The breaking day builds the spirit temple of my joy. I abandon myself!
excerpt from on a May Morning by Max Ehrmann
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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com
In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.
Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.
More about Ted Grussing …