Of Shotguns and Cameras

Washburn's Outdoor Journal / February 26, 2017

Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.

Everyone loves to share good photos — the duds not so much. Thought I’d make an exception on this one though, and have attached one of my most recent heart breakers. I took the shot on Wednesday afternoon while sitting in the decoys and enjoying an incredible spring waterfowl migration. I didn’t have any snow goose decoys, just laying in the mud set up for ducks alongside a small sheet water pond in the cornstalks. When the late afternoon light was perfect, a flock of about ten or so green-winged teal came roaring over the horizon and straight for the decoys. The birds were all over me in an instant. Sitting up, I picked out a colorful drake and hit the shutter just as the flock flared – point blank — in my face. As it turned out, the color exposure was absolutely perfect with some pretty good focus to boot. The down side – of course – was that the teal was so close that I totally ran out of frame space. If I could have pulled it all together just a fraction of a second sooner, I would have had an incredible shot – maybe the best of the season. Woulda – shoulda – coulda! My conclusion: When it comes to pointing shotguns and cameras at fast moving ducks, I’ve found that there are a lot of painful similarities. Know what I mean?

About The Author

Lowell Washburn

Born in North Central Iowa, Lowell Washburn has enjoyed a lifelong interest in the out of doors. He began photographing wild birds at age 10, and outdoor photography soon became his passion and eventually a career. Washburn is best known for images that portray migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife in their natural habitats. His best photographs are often obtained after spending hours floating amid natural marshlands, half submerged within the dark confines of a floating muskrat house blind. Upon completing military service as a sergeant with the Fourth Infantry Division in the central highlands of South Vietnam, Washburn returned to Iowa in 1970. His wildlife photos began appearing in Iowa newspapers in 1971 and he began authoring outdoor news columns in 1978. Today, his photos and writing have appeared in over 50 national and international magazines including Outdoor Life, International Wildlife, Field&Stream, Ducks Unlimited, Pointing Dog Journal, the NAFA Journal, and others. After working as a naturalist for Iowa’s county conservation board system, Washburn was recruited by the Department of Natural Resources in 1984. His primary duties included statewide communication with Iowa newspaper, television, and radio news agencies with a primary goal of increasing the level of public awareness and appreciation for Iowa's natural resources. During his tenure he also served as staff member for the Iowa Conservationist Magazine and for the DNR’s Iowa Outdoors Magazine. Washburn retired from the DNR in 2010. In addition to wildlife photography, his ongoing outdoor passions include falconry, traditional bow hunting, waterfowling, spending time with hunting dogs of all types, and herpetology.

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