Natural Vision Photography Blog 
06-22-09
100 Photos in 100 Days
I'm attempting to take 100 photos in 100 days to challenge myself as a photographer. I will be taking more than my usual wildlife/landscape photos. I'm going looking deeper than before to see what I can come up with. You can follow me @ derekgriggs.blogspot.com
- Derek Griggs
06-08-09
Yellow-headed Blackbirds!
New images have been added! It’s a long story, but trust me it took a lot of work and a close call to make these images. One almost flooded boat later I think we came up with some excellent Yellow-headed Blackbird images. Which reminds me, not only do you need to remember to put the plug in the boat, but also make sure you put it in right!
- Chad Griggs
06-02-09
Flickr!
Be sure to check out Natural Vision Photography on Flickr. Our Flickr group is a place for people to post their own Nature and Wildlife photos. So join the group and show us what you have!
- Chad Griggs
04-21-09
Update!
It's been a busy couple of months, and hopefully we won't go this long again without updating the website. There are new photos that have been added, so check them out! With the changing of the seasons, there are many photo projects that we have been working on. We have been out for a couple of weeks chasing around migratory water fowl, so hopefully we will have some quality pics up soon. I've also seen many Kingfishers around, the Osprey are back and many many songbirds. More updates to come!
- Chad Griggs
02-09-09
Back From Burlington:
The trip to Burlington was a success. We woke up at 4:45 Saturday morning and drove a hour and a half from Iowa City to Burlington. Only after missing the turn and driving further than expected into Illinois, did we find where we were going. By the time we made it to the lock and dam we had missed breakfast and the sun was coming up.
On the final road toward the lock, we could tell we were getting close. Over the treetops to our right we could see three Eagles flying, then four more to our left. We rounded the bend and saw about five over the road. Then we pulled into the parking lot at the lock and dam and saw what we came for. There were too many to count, but the report was that there were over 400 in that area alone.
We started shooting right at sunrise and wrapped up around noon. At that point we were tired, hungry and sore from standing in the same spot for so many hours. It was time for lunch. Burlington is best shot in the morning, so after lunch we headed home. But this location was amazing, and we’ll be back…
-Chad Griggs
02-06-09
We are heading to Burlington tonight, and will be photographing eagles by 7am tomorrow. Last Saturday I wanted to get some practice before Burlington, so I went to Monticello, MN to photograph trumpeter swans. I was instantly amazed the size of these animals. It was a bright and warm morning for early February (30 degrees). I spent around an hour shooting and watching the swans come and go. Getting out and shooting in Monticello made my blood flow and get excited about Burlington’s Eagles. We are off, and we'll try to keep you all posted on how the trip went.
-Derek Griggs
01-30-09
Bald Eagle Photo Trip!
A trip to Burlington, IA is almost set! Burlington, IA is a city along the Mississippi River that is known to be a wintering location for Bald Eagles. The counts for this winter have been impressive and it looks like a good time to go. There is a website I check for current Eagle counts and the most recent count is over 400 Eagles. We have never been to Burlington, IA and photo trips to new locations can be difficult. We have done some research but we still won’t know exactly what to expect until we get there. We are hoping to shoot on Saturday and Sunday morning and hopefully we’ll have some photos up on the website soon after that. Wish us luck on our trip!
Reference: US Army Corps of Engineers - Natural Resources Management website
- Chad Griggs
01-16-09:
Eagle Watch Update:
It's time to face the facts. The Eagle season for my neck of the woods is all but over. The pair of Eagles that have been seen chasing other Eagles away seem to have moved on. Over the last week I haven’t seen them in their normal tree over watching the spillway. I have seen a few Eagles in the area but at this point becomes just like any other time of year in Minnesota. There are Eagles around, but it’s few and far between and it becomes hard to set up for a photograph.
The good news is there have been reports of hundreds of Eagles near the Mississippi River in Iowa. Typically January and February are very good in Iowa for Eagles and I’m already planning my trip. I haven’t gotten my fill of Eagles yet this season, so the good fight goes on.
-Chad Griggs
01-09-09:
I just returned from my ski trip to Big Sky, Montana near Yellowstone. I knew this wasn't a photo trip, but it was my first visit out west since I was 6 years old. Although, I didn't get the photo opportunities that I was hoping for I did end up with a couple of shots that I am very happy with. I was able to see wildlife that I don't get to see near home. To name a few I saw Buffalo, Pronghorn, Big Horned Sheep, Moose, Golden and Bald Eagles. Now that I have a better idea of where to go in the Yellowstone area Chad and I are hoping to plan a trip out there soon.
-Derek Griggs
01-02-09:
Happy New Year! Here comes the first post of 2009!
The never ending pursuit of Bald Eagle photos continue. Being that it’s January, the peak time for Bald Eagles in Minnesota is getting farther in the rear view mirror. I went down to my local spot and found about 6-7 Eagles in the area, 5 adults and 1-2 juveniles. The problem we are having this year is a pair of Eagles have claimed the territory. They have been chasing out any invaders that have come to use the open water near the spillway. What we’ve seen in the past have been several migrating Eagles that come from northern Minnesota and Canada. They typically share the areas of open water, then as the winter moves on, they move farther down the river towards Iowa.
Not all Eagles in this area migrate and the two I'm talking about seem like year round residents. Therefore they won’t be tolerating intruders. As other Eagles fly by or land on nearby trees, the two Eagles will scream telling the intruders to leave. If an intruder lands on a tree they both immediately take to the sky to chase them off. It’s really cool to see and you see how fast and agile Eagles are. Then once the intruders are gone, they go back to their favorite perch and continue to soak up the sun. Like I said, it’s really cool to watch, it’s just a little frustrating from a photography perspective. I’d like to see as many Eagles using that part of the river as possible. Thus, the pursuit continues…
-Chad Griggs
12-21-08:
Happy Holidays! It's been a little while since the website has been updated, so here it is. Unfortunately Derek and I didn’t win the Aperture Nature Photography Workshops. There are still 2 more contests with 2 more great locations. We will let you know when the next contest starts.
So we’ve been busy, not the kind of busy that has taken us away from photography, quite the opposite actually. The Bald Eagles have been migrating since October and the Mississippi River is on the flight path. Bald Eagles stay on the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers in areas where there is open water. This time of year there isn't much open water. It has been pretty cold and there are still a few Eagles near by. It’s unclear if they’ll stay here for the rest of the winter or if they’ll move down into Iowa soon. While we wait for that answer we will be spending as much time with them as we can in case we show up one day and they’re all gone. Stay tuned as we add more and more Bald Eagle images!
-Chad Griggs
10-02-08:
Raptor Attack! Check out our Avian section of images. Over the weekend Derek and I were able to photograph some of the most beautiful and seldom seen raptors in Minnesota. I'm pretty sure I can speak for Derek when I say, IT WAS A BLAST! Please check out our newly added photos. Avian photos
-Chad Griggs
9-05-08:
Natural Vision Photography Grand Opening this weekend! We are proud to announce an official grand launching of our website. To celebrate this launch we are offering FREE SHIPPING for most orders. We are working to increase our marketing efforts but we will be relying greatly on word of mouth. So remember to share our website with co workers, family and friends. Our prints work great for the home or office. Please browse our Image section above and make an order today!
-Chad Griggs |
