Nature Photography
Bird, wildlife, and landscape photography by Jon Rista
New photography blog!
Well, having been a nature photographer for several years now, its high time I started a blog where I can talk about and post photos of some of my work. So, welcome to my new Nature Photography blog! For those of you who do not know me, my name is Jon Rista. I started getting into photography a number of years ago when I purchased a Canon EOS 450D (Rebel XSi) DSLR camera for a trip to several of the United State’s renown state parks and monuments, including Mt. Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. Along the way we also visited several caves, such as Wind Cave and Jewel Cave, as well as Custer State Park, all near Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills. I was technically ready to use a camera as complex as a DSLR…I’ve a tech and gadget geek most of my life and I had wanted such a camera for several years. It did not take long for me to realize that a technical understanding of photography is only the first of many stepping stones to actually becoming a master of the photographic art!
It’s been about three years since my first camera purchase, and while I am still most definitely a student of photography, I’m well along that stepping stone path towards becoming the kind of photographer I want to be. I’ve found my niche in nature photography, of all kinds. I started out with landscapes, shooting waterfalls like Shell Falls in Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming, as well as various waterfalls and landscapes in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. More recently, wildlife photography with an emphasis on birds has particularly captured my interest lately. Birds are some of God’s most wonderful creations. Energetic, emotional, and particularly joyful among God’s creation. If you ever need a pick-me-up, just watch a Sparrow sing! Birds also present a challenging photographic subject, requiring not only good quality equipment but also a tactical skill that is unnecessary with landscape photography, and to a large extent even wildlife photography. Birds in flight are particularly challenging, possibly one of the most challenging photographic subjects of all. Tracking a bird in flight is almost like trying to catch a fly in flight…chaotic, random movements and sudden changes in direction…all the while trying to maintain sharp focus and keep exposure correct!
Today I start a new phase of my photographic journey. Today I start a blog, and share with my friends, family, and interested viewers about my work and experiences as a new and growing photographer. I hope to present beautiful photos of God’s wonderful creation to my readers, and learn from your feedback. Welcome to my blog!
(NOTE: This blog has been backdated to Jan. 1, 2012, in order to provide a window of time within which to write about my photography from the beginning of the year. Starting in 2012, I began to put considerably more effort into my photography, and I wanted to chronologically narrate my journey and document the growth in my skill. This blog was originally posted on Jul. 29, 2012.)
Nature Photography 