Developing Stories Images and insights from life on the road
Photo of the week
I had the pleasure of spending a day at Yellowstone National Park. I can’t wait to go back next year. Here is this weeks photo of the week from Yellowstone.
Along with a about 100 of my closest friends, I stopped along the side of the road to photograph this young male grizzly. Every time I see a grizzly, my heart starts racing with excitement. I don’t think that will ever change.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
I’m a photographer not a writer….
I’m a photographer. I tell stories through pictures because I have limited ability to tell them through words. I love to read and I love to listen to authors talk about how they create their amazing works. It is a skill I don’t possess. When you read my writings, it’s basically a stream of thoughts typed out. Of course I check it for spelling and grammar issues but I don’t create, edit, revise etc. these muses. That’s because I’m not a writer. Do I want to be a writer? Not really. I’m a photographer, that’s where my passion lies but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop writing. I hope you continue to follow along.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
What happens after you press the shutter.
Sorry for no post yesterday. I’ve been feeling a little off lately and I spent most of the day resting. The last think I want is to be sick for my upcoming trip. Yesterday was going to be an editing day so it was bumped until today. So what happens after I press the shutter in the field?
I have been in this area for several weeks which means I have been out in the field multiple times photographing the horses. The last time I was out, I had to swap out the memory card in my camera because it was full. It was time to download the images off the camera. Since I have basically been shooting from the car, I have been using both camera bodies. After downloading the images, there were 2110 images to cull. I have been working a lot the last three months on workflow in processing my images. I think I have it set but you never know. Now, I will never turn all those images into finished photos for posting, sale or the website. The vast majority will simply be deleted during the culling process. I admit, I’m probably making this process harder on myself than I need to but I don’t like to use the various culling programs available. What does this mean? It means I look at each image (all 2110) individually and make a decision to delete, skip or process the image. Out of the first pass, I have decided on 76 images to consider for processing. Step one is completed. I spent about two hours on this process this morning.
For step two, I review the images again and decide if I still want to keep them and what I plan on using them for (socials, website, calendar, printing). I then crop the image accordingly and further delete images I no longer wish to process. Once this is done, I’m now ready to do the real work of editing the images. It can take 10-20 minutes to complete each image which includes descriptions and keywords. The image is now completed and ready to use.
To say this entire thing is a process is an understatement. It is the “work” of photography that I spoke about in the past. It’s not my favorite part but it is a necessary part. My goal from now until the end of the year is to be more diligent on keeping up with this “work” part. I need everyone keeping me on track.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
Happy Labor Day
It’s the unofficial end of summer. Kids are back to school. The everyday hum drum has returned and people start think ahead to the holidays. I’m prepping for my trip to Grand Tetons in a few weeks. I’m trying to learn as much as I can about the moose and elk rut. Those are my target species and I will be there at the peak rut time. This will be my first time experiencing the rut. I’m excited and nervous in equal measures. I hope to leave with several pictures. Wish me luck.
Photo of the Week
I had a blast visiting Glacier National Park for the first time. One I evening, I had the pleasure of photographing the mountain goats. Without further ado……..
Doing what they do best, climbing up the side of the rock, this mountain goat was heading off for the night. It is absolutely amazing how naturally they climb these rock faces.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
Reading and research
I’m in preparation for a photography trip to Grand Tetons in a few weeks. I’ve been looking forward to this trip for months. Now the real work begins. I will be reviewing notes and observations for the various different animals I anticipate seeing during my visit. I have meetings most of the day tomorrow to review the schedule for the trip. The good news is that I don’t have to plan the specifics of the trip as I’m going with a group of photographers. Along with trip prep, I’m still editing images and getting things ready for the 2027 calendars. The work never ends. I wouldn’t change a thing!
It’s hump daaaayyyyy!
I saw one of my favorite commercials yesterday. The one with the camel, “Mike, Mike, Mike, what day is it? It’s hump day!” I laugh every time I see it. I was just doing my daily task of editing photos while streaming a show I don’t even remember the name of now. Editing seems to be all I do these days. I’m making great progress on my backlog and have started picking photos for the 2027 calendars. That’s right, there will be more than one calendar to choose from this year and a discount when you purchase more than one calendar. I’m so excite for everyone to see the final product. As my newsletter said, they will be available November 1. Check back for sneak peeks a the images I am using and the link for purchase.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
August Newsletter
The August newsletter is up on Substack, you can read it at https://macturkphotos.substack.com/. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox below or on Substack.
Start of new week.
Mondays am I right. Some look forward to them and some do not. I had a very relaxing weekend and now the grind begins again. More editing is on the slate for this week. Then designing next years calendar. My to-do list is never ending. Lets get to it.
Here is a picture from my trip to Alaska several years ago. Have a great week.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
Photo of the Week
I recently spent time at Glacier National Park. It was my first time there and I was in complete awe. The only animals I saw on this particular morning was chipmunks. They were incredibly friendly, maybe a bit too friendly.
My goal with this image was to blur out everything but the chipmunk. I hope you like it as much as I do.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
Resilience
Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from tough challenges, setbacks, or stress. I’ve had to have a lot of resilience that last couple of weeks. You see, I’ve been exhausted. I feel like I’ve been exhausted for the last 20 years and fight through it to live life on a daily basis. Many years ago I was told that I have chronic fatigue syndrome. That basically means that the doctors have no idea what is causing my fatigue and therefore they can only treat the symptoms. That is the most frustrating thing I think I have ever heard from a doctor. So this is how I’ve lived the last few decades of my life. I function very well all things considered. I’m resilient. For all those who struggle just know you can fight through it with the appropriate help. I’ve been to therapy and take the appropriate medications. I’ve set my mind to find the beauty in every day life, the small glimmers we experience on a daily basis. Today has been a productive day of “work.” I have another hour to go and then I can rest until tomorrow when I start a new day. I hope you too have had a productive day. One more to go until the weekend.
Here’s a cool cloud picture I took a couple of days ago.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
Day of editing.
I took s trip out into the Salt Wells Creek HMA to visit the wild horses. It was relaxing and just what I needed to start my day off. Then the afternoon was spent editing. It was a long day but a successful day. Another new collection is up on the website.
Today is also National Dog Day. For Scout it is Wednesday because every day is National Dog Day. He is spoiled beyond belief and adorable as ever.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
It was a great day……..for my feet!
It’s funny because it is true. I want to start this post by stating I don’t like my feet being touched. The unfortunate truth is that our feet are very important and we really need to take care of them. I spend quite a bit of time on my feet as a photographer so every few months I try to get a pedicure to keep them in good shape. Let’s just say it has been more than a few months since my last pedicure and my feet were showing it. I bit the bullet and had it done today. I appreciate that some people love this type of experience but I am not one of those people. I usually distract myself by playing games on my phone. When it was over I further rewarded my feet by getting a new pair of sneakers. My feet are eternally thankful.
On a much sadder note, the incredible Dolly Parton passed away today. She was an absolute icon and beacon of light in what sometimes can be a dark world. Her Imagination Library has provided millions of books to kids worldwide. As an avid reader, this is one of the things I admired the most. Let’s honor her by reading to your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews or neighbors today. She would love that. I have a favorite quote from Dolly: “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” RIP Dolly.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
Wild horses and slaughter
Horses have been rounded up from their native lands by the Bureau of Land Management. I’ve written about this in the past and will continue to bring attention to it in the future. There is a recent article in the New York Times I wanted to share here. I encourage everyone to read it.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
Photo of the Week
Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. This weeks photo of the week my not be a technically great shot but it puts a smile on my face every time I look at it. It was taken last year here in Wyoming.
I had located a group or band of horses along this two-track road. I was all set up with my 600 mm lens and had taken several shots. These horses seemed very curious and kept moving closer to where I was set up. They eventually were too close for me to shoot with the long lens so I walk about 50 yards back to the truck to grab a different lens and when I turned around the young horse had decided to check out my camera. Her friends eventually joined her and I had to move them away but I laugh every time I see or think about this shot. Have a great weekend everyone.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
The “work” of photography and life.
As I’m sitting down in the early afternoon to write this, I realized I wasn’t sure what to say. You see, my mind has been all over the place today. I have so much work to do that I have been putting off for months. For me, there are two parts to photography, the fun and the work. The fun is going out into the field and actually making photographs. Finding the wildlife, watching and observing their behaviors, finding a setup that works and actually pressing the shutter, that is the fun part. I find tremendous joy in this part of my job. Scouting new locations, coming up with ideas and executing them. It feeds my soul. Then there is the “work” part of photography. I’m a one woman show as I have been my entire adult life. I mange my website and social media. I process all my photos on my own. Cataloging, sorting, culling and editing sometimes seems like it could be my full time job especially when I get behind on these activities. Add on top of that the logistics of travel planning for this life on the road. It can sometimes be overwhelming. My mind starts to race with mental lists of all the things I need to do and time frames of when these things should be completed. I suffer true “paralysis by analysis” moments. I don’t even know where to start and I therefor don’t start at all. It has been that kind of day. I’m not saying I haven’t accomplished anything today but I haven’t finished anything either. I’ve started researching the best way to set up a shop so I can sell prints. I finalized a new collection for the website but it hasn’t been uploaded. I’m halfway through a series of articles I have been reading for the last few days. I have countless more photos to edit so that I can decide which ones will make the 2027 calendar and which ones will be available for purchase. I’m in the process of planning the rest of this year and next years travel schedule. The list of things to do goes on and on. Then there are the everyday life things that need to be done. The boring cooking, cleaning, laundry, groceries and most importantly making sure Scout has his needs met. I get lost as to where to begin. Hence my feelings today.
It’s important to give ourselves grace when we feel overwhelmed and exhausted. Almost no problem needs to be solved in this second. I’m going to start by taking a little break and relaxing with Scout. Then I’m going to make a list of the things I need to get done. I’m not going to put a specific time frame on them but instead list them in the order of importance with the goal to tackle one each day. Wish me luck!
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
Some days are better than others.
First I would like to apologize for no blog yesterday. I had internet problems after a storm passed through and was unable to get a post up. I’m going to try to post earlier in the day to avoid this problem. All that being said, it was a pretty good day out in the field.
My plan for yesterday was to have two photo sessions at sunrise and sunset. I did get a bit of a late start in the morning but it was very overcast so I was able to shoot a bit longer after sunrise than I normally do. I am back in a familiar area. I spent several months here last year and in my eyes that gives me a bit of an advantage over some of the other areas that I have visited recently. I spent hours observing my main subjects (wild horses) and the other subjects (pronghorn, mule deer). That time helps me better predict their movements. That was never more evident than last night. I saw a group of horses in the far distance through binoculars. They were moving east and I instinctually knew where they were going, the water hole. I was able to get ahead of them, set up and wait for their approach. I was able to grab some cool images as they came down the hill kicking up dust and eventually plunged into the water. Since the horses only stay at the water hole for a short time (less than five minutes), it was a bonus to be set up before their arrival. That is the biggest benefit of knowing your subject and the area you are working in. That is one of the downside of my travel, basically not spending as much time getting to know a spot as I would want.
I saw countless wildlife yesterday. Pronghorns, deer, wild horses, rabbits, squirrels and many birds I could not identify. I had the biggest smile on my face all day and had a great nights sleep. Today is an “office” day. I’m working on the final edits for a new collection from my trip to Badlands National Park earlier this year. Keep an eye out for it to come up on the website soon. Here is a picture I snapped with my phone yesterday.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
The best of intentions.
I had today all planned out. It was going to be an “office” day. I had a couple of errands to run in the morning and then I was going to settle in and do some editing. It did not go well to say the least. I opened my editing software and it had an update. No problem, I ran the update. Alls set, I opened the program to start and I got an error. I tried a couple of different things with no success. I did the usual restart, no success. By this point, my laptop was getting low on battery and I was completely frustrated. I plugged it in and decided to do some reading for the rest of the afternoon.
About four hours later I got back to it with the same result. I tried the Adobe help chatbot to see if that could solve my problem, no dice. I request an actual human to chat with and we started trying different things. After about an hour, it was determined my external hard drive had gone bad. Unbelievable, I had three years of photos on that drive. This is where we get the lesson every photographer has learned at one time or another, always have multiple copies of your photos. Good news, I plugged in my backup drive, relinked the photos in Lightroom and now I’m off and running. Or at least I will be off and running on Wednesday when I have another “office” day. I’m heading out tomorrow to photograph wild horses and any other wildlife I might happen upon. I can’t wait.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
Photo of the Week
Here is this weeks photo……
This photo was taken this year at Badlands National Park. this burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) was hanging out in the prarie dog town along Sage Creek Rim Road. It was a pleasure to photograph it.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy
Bust
I woke up well before dawn to head to Grand Teton National Park with the plan to photograph the wildlife but it was a total bust. I mean a bust for photos. I only caught a glimpse of a moose and saw some sandhill cranes. I didn’t take a single photo but that happens. On the other hand, it was a great day. I spent the morning outside, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful morning. So on second thought, it was a completely successful day.
For more content from me check out my Substack at macturkphotos.substack.com, Instagram at instagram.com/macturkphotos or Facebook at facebook.com/wendy.macturk
Keep exploring,
Wendy