Michael Aagaard Photography

"Will camera gear make you a better wildlife photographer?" An age-old discussion that comes up frequently - not least because camera gear is quite expensive. As is often the case, the answer isn't a clearcut "yes" or "no" - it's somewhere in between. In this video, Ray Hennessy and I discuss the topic and offer our practical perspectives. Moreover, we also attempt to answer questions like "When is it time to upgrade your gear?" and "Is there an ultimate wildlife photography... lens?" Check out the video on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL7Z2ymHM5w

"Nemesis bird" - that's the term you use for that one bird species you just can't seem to get figure out how to get good photos of. If you live in the US of Canada, there's a good chance your nemesis bird is the Belted Kingfisher (they are insanely skittish and notoriously difficult to photograph)! My good friend Ray Hennessy and I have both been obsessively photographing Belted Kingfishers for years now. We went down the rabbit hole and lost minds several times along the wa...y - but finally we came out on the other side with deeper understanding of how to find, approach and photograph these birds. In this video we'll share everything with you in an attempt to catapult you over all the trial and error we put into learning this. Check out the video - link is in the comments! Thanks a lot! - Michael

Northern Flicker Juvenile. I was sitting in my hide in the yard waiting for something to happen. Suddenly this flicker flew in and posed perfectly as the last sunlight of the day was filtering through the trees in the background. Sometimes you do get lucky. ISO 180, 500mm, f/4, 1/320 sec. Nikon D850, Nikon 500mm f/4G. Check out more of my photography on Instagram: ... https://www.instagram.com/michaelaagaardphoto/ Thanks! - Michael

Check out my latest behind-the-scenes wildlife photography video on YouTube - all about photographing Common Loons from the water. I'll show you my approach for Loon photography as well as my personal favourite loon photos from this season. Thanks for your time! ... - Michael Aagaard

Just published a new video on my YouTube channel. This one is all about the Nikon Z6 and its strengths and weaknesses when used specifically for wildlife photography. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN_uuokxcKs&t... Let me know if you have any questions about the Nikon Z6! Thanks! - Michael

Great Gray Owl and Birch trees. Nature's art in all its glory. Nikon D850, Nikon 500mm PF, ISO 1000, 500mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec. Check out my Instagram for regular updates: https://www.instagram.com/michaelaagaardphoto/... Watch my wildlife photography videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp5NEfuMQeGIPRAWPzF9XQA Thanks for you time! - Michael Aagaard

Just posted a new video to my YouTube channel. This is a short gear-related video where I talk about using a gimbal head on a monopod for wildlife photography with heavy lenses. Check it out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yzbE8lkywg... Thanks for your time! - Michael Aagaard

My photo of the Anna's Hummingbird in the rain made it to the Top 100 images in the 2020 National Audubon Society Photo Awards. It is the second year in a row one of my hummingbird photos was among the Top 100. It truly is an honour as Audubon is an important conservation organization that I have enormous respect and appreciation for. There were over 6,000 submissions this year. Thank you very much Audubon! - Michael Aagaard

New video on my YouTube channel today! I recently had the huge pleasure of interviewing the extremely talented wildlife photographer Traci Sepkovic. She is one of my favourite photographers and I’m always blown away by the quality she is able to deliver time after time. One of the things that makes her images so strong is her eye for composition. She really is the master of composition and framing if you ask me. In the interview we talk about her approach to photography ove...rall and her thoughts on composition specifically (as well as some of her best tips). Traci also brought along a selection of images to show us examples of composition and to tell us the story behind the images. Thanks for your time! - Michael

Juvenile female Belted Kingfisher in all her glory. It's difficult to put into words how thrilled I am that I got this image. It's basically what I've been obsessing over for several years. I've literally spent hundreds of hours observing and photographing Kingfishers and learning the right approach for photographing them. For this one, I set up 15 feet away from the perch, all covered in camo and waited for her. She flew and landed on the perch and just as I started photogr...aphing her, one of her siblings did a close flyby and startled her. She reacted with this glorious wingspread and I was lucky enough to capture it. She sat there for about 40 minutes and then flew off having no clue I was there. It was a perfect wildlife photography experience. The silent shutter on Z6 was a real game changer in this situation. When you're that close, the sound of a DSLR shutter is enough to spook a skittish bird like the Kingfisher. So often you only get one shot before they take off. The mirrorless system made it possible for me to keep takin pictures without alerting her to my presence. Nikon Z6, Nikon 500mm f/4G, ISO 900, 500mm, f/5, 1/1250 sec. Thanks for your time! - Michael

New video on YouTube! Join me for an evening of photographing baby Barred Owls in the lush forests of British Columbia. These owlets are so funny, cute and curious. It is such a pleasure to watch them as they discover the world around them. In the video I’ll give you some tips for how to locate and photograph them. And I’ll show you some cool and intimate behaviour - including mom feeding them. It is quite magical walking through the forest and hearing the baby owls hooting... and calling out to their parents for food. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/UTUsDdeCx9Y Thanks a lot! - Michael

Just posted a new video on my YouTube channel. Join me for a behind-the-scenes look at how I photograph Red-Winged Blackbirds. The birds themselves are quite easy to approach and photograph, but getting the exposure right can be pretty challenging. In the video I'll give you tips for how to capture interesting poses and how to work with you exposure out in the field. This is a species I've ignored for a long time simply because they are common where I live - i.e. I didn't c...onsider them worthy of my attention. But I've come to realize that they are beautiful birds that are a lot of fun to photograph. So one tip I have for you is pay more attention to the common, "boring" subjects that are abundant in your area - you just might get some nice surprises https://youtu.be/xfQ414EEeAo Thanks! Michael Aagaard Check out regular photo updates via my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelaagaardphoto/