Living on the Gulf Coast is a dream come true for a bird photographer as it’s hard to go just about anywhere and not find something interesting to shoot. I started photographing birds seriously in 2008 inspired by outings to places like Anahuac NWR, Smith Oaks and San Luis Pass and I was excited to just get one of these magnificent birds in my viewfinder. Over time, with practice and spending time in the field with some of the best bird photographers in the country, I started to learn how to manage the chaos of a rookery, the impact of getting low and shooting at the bird’s level and how to anticipate and capture behavior – most importantly, I learned to be patient.

During this talk will we’ll visit some of my favorite locations along the Gulf Coast and I’ll discuss equipment, technique and my style – what inspires me in the field and my quest for capturing birds in the best light and doing something interesting.

Randy is a geologist who has been working in the oil and gas industry since 1978. His first interest in photography began as a means of documenting his geologic fieldwork in school and during the early part of his professional career. In 2008 he took up photography as a hobby primarily driven by his love of nature and travel. The hobby quickly turned in to a passion and has taken him all over North America, Iceland, South Africa and East Africa learning his craft, developing his style and experiencing and capturing the beauty that nature has to offer.