(Ed. Note–As you know we are pro critter in the Springs, so assured that the Tuxedo Cat in one of the following images was merely aiding a Bird who had fallen. Regardless, these are some truly stunning images provided by Christopher–LA)
The Photography of Christopher J Ananias Vol II
Saragun Springs 
Hi Christopher
These are stunning images. It makes me want to buy an actual camera (haven’t owned one since a Polaroid land camera circa 1979).
Just heard from the Cat’s agent. Says “Sly and Tweety are good friends, but the Cat thinks that the ‘heel turn’ will help his career in the industry.”
Didn’t know Cats had heels!
Great work again!
Leila
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Hi Leila
My former wife uses a Nikon P950 (point and shoot camera) for bird and nature photography. It has a fantastic built in zoom. A little pricey about 800-900. But top of the line for still shots and might have the most powerful zoom on the market.
I have a cheaper canon PowerShot SX50 for still shots (sitting birds) and landscapes. Small and powerful. Light on the neck for hiking. Might be a little dated. It’s a pretty good camera with a great zoom. Doesn’t have an eye viewer but I learned to use it fine without one. On eBay $100-150 (used). New around $250-300. This is the camera I would have started with and still use. I use it for eBay too. Nature photography has been a series of experiments with different cameras. Basically you need a powerful zoom for the crisp shots. Birds are probably the hardest things to photograph, but the most common of wildlife. Plenty of chances, which is a lot fun.
I used my Nikon 7500 DSLR for these pics (shorter range). DSLR’s are fast and can be used for action shots like the humming bird. But they can get expensive and even cumbersome if you get a large lens. These camera don’t have a fixed lens, so you juggle different lens for people, landscapes, and birds. I had an old Nikon D80 that did a really good job. I don’t know how much better my new camera is if any…And it cost a shit load more money. I would go to eBay and get a used one with a compatible 300mm lens and forget about it. I bought a 200-500mm lens that cost 1500 and it just sits around gathering dust. Too big to carry. And I don’t want to take a hit selling it. This is where all the experiments turned costly lol. I’ve had a lot of other buy/sell cameras and lens exchanges too, but this is turning into a book.
So there’s two types of cameras–fixed and DSLR. Fixed are still shots (sitting birds), DSLR action (flying birds) and stills.
Cat’s definitely the heel in this one. We see it sometimes on the nature route we take. It’s always slinking around the woods. Pretty cute, though. We kind of worry about it and what it might be up to.
Thanks!
Christopher
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Hi Christopher
That is not too bad a price for photo equipment! As I get older I try to buy the better items because it is definitely you get what you pay for.
Last winter I brought a good phone, a Samsung Galaxy and I am impressed by its camera. But you can tell when work, like yours, is done on a “real” camera. You captured beautiful stillness and such wonderful colors!
Leila
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Hi Leila
I hear what you are saying about price. I’m amazed by some of these cell phone shots. I’m not sure if they will make regular cameras obsolete but they are getting there, only limited by a short zoom.
Awhile back I walked around the State Fair with my camera around my neck. I think I was the only one. This cop or DNR guy gave me a suspicious look like I was some kind of a pervert. I did take pictures of people’s tennis shoes. I left it home the last time. They can stick the State Fair.
Christopher
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Hi Christopher
“Mall Cops” are scary when they are armed. Something Barney Fife about them. I worked on a Federal Base and the MP’s were serious men and women. I got aling with them brilliantly. But there’s this “shaky gun” guy at Fred Meyer (a local grocery chain) who scares me because any real criminal could disarm him. The guy has something in his holster (hope it is a tazer). Sadly it is legal, but he can’t weigh more than 120 and he is an abrasive sort of annoyance who gives everyone the Don Knotts’ eye.
In fact I amvoff to that store to do my grocery run!
Will return soon!
Leila
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Hi Christopher!
I’ll have more to say about these tomorrow but want to say now that whoever took these pictures is in tune with their environment like a Native American or Ansel Adams and that means you! It takes more than camera skill to get pictures like these.
It’s cool that yourself, Leila and I are all fascinated by the animal creatures of North America!
Beautiful work! More tomorrow…
Dale
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Hi Dale
Thanks!
Yes it’s great! Glad you like the pics!
Christopher
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CJA
I still can’t figure out how you managed to get some of these pictures.
The butterfly and the hummingbird!! WOW!! Only “WOW” can say it!
The picture with the empty porch swing is resonant Americana. It reminds me of something straight out of William Faulkner’s GO DOWN, MOSES, that tale of the Big Woods and the Small Town in the Deep South. Indiana has that Southern element in it, after all. (Especially in the southern part of it.)
And that cat and bird, a truly amazing action nature photo that is top-notch professional quality but better than that because of its allegorical implications.
All the above proves you to be an American visual artist of the first rank.
I don’t think any of us quite know where the visual arts are going in the modern world now, because of technology, spirituality, and many other aspects.
One thing we do know is that we live in a culture at least as visual as it is based upon the word, and some say more so (even though all our laws, etc., are still made up of the word).
You are out on the cutting edge of all this stuff, so that this is an exciting time!
Thanks! Inspirational at all levels and in every way! Makes me want to take some pictures, some good ones, in the name of art…
DWB
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Hey Dale
My camera is pretty fast it can snap 8 pics in one second. I sat at our patio table and got the pics of the humming birds. The butterfly was from a nature park.
I can do a lot of birding right from the backyard. I got a Tennessee warbler on the birdbath today!
Sometimes we go on these big trips and don’t get anything until we get home, lol.
I’m glad the picture of the empty swing resonated. I thought it had some feelings of loneliness. Felt artistic.I really like to take abstract shots, too.
Thanks for your comments!
Christopher
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