Every week, rain or shine, winter or summer, I try to find something fun, interesting and positive to talk about in my column. This is actually an easy thing to do, but what can be somewhat problematic is finding a photo that will pair nicely with the idea that I have in my head. For me, it is the photo that drives the column.

During the warmer months, the acquisition of new photos is easy. In fact, it is delightful and I spend hours just sitting and observing nature with my camera at the ready. Regular readers of my column will be familiar with my Thinking Chair, but there are many other favorite spots that I have where I can pause and wait to see if something interesting comes along. I have a regular route that I walk to and from the meadow and over the years I have found some real treasures.

The arrival of cold weather does put a bit of a damper on things. I can still go out and wander, but the opportunities are fewer and further between. So, perhaps like many of you, I set up shop inside and spend my time looking out into my yard from the warm, dry and wind-free shelter of my home. The Thinking Chair is replaced with the Kitchen Chair and instead of gazing out across a meadow I spend my time looking at my deck and the many birdfeeders that I have arranged there.

I have taken many photos and written many columns on the birds that visit my feeders in the winter. I want to make sure that all of my readers understand that birds and mammals will readily approach your homes if you put out some food and keep a sharp lookout. Chickadees and cardinals are common enough, but I have also seen hawks and turkeys on my deck. Squirrels are the most common mammals to visit, but I also see rabbits and raccoons from time to time.

The photographer in me is happy to take photos of all of the birds that visit, but the artist in me sometimes wishes that I could do something about the background in my photos. Does that bird really need to be standing on the railing of my deck? It makes the photos “real,” but not always as beautiful as they might be. So, after reading many articles in photography magazines, I got the idea of bringing tree branches to the deck and propping them up so the birds had a “natural perch” to land on. This has worked reasonably well, but this year I really went all out.

Just about one year ago we had a major snowstorm in March that caused all sorts of trouble. Temperatures had been relatively warm, which meant that the ground was not completely frozen, and when we received almost 12 inches of heavy, wet snow, the trees paid a price. Some lost large branches, others lost parts of their trunks and still others just tipped over and pulled right out of the ground.

I have a birch tree in my yard and it lost the top of a particular stem that was trying to become a vertical trunk. The section that had snapped off the tree was about 10 feet tall and because it had broken free in March it had no leaves. During my spring cleaning I dragged this stem over to a brush pile and forgot about it, which meant that it had a chance to “cure” in the warm months of summer. Thus, at the beginning of winter, this section of tree trunk was a perfect candidate for a natural perch on my deck.

Named the “Birch Perch,” I positioned it so that it was behind my feeders, but close enough to them so that the local birds would find comfort in finding a place to land and survey the situation before committing to land on the deck. It also happens to be directly in front of my kitchen window, where I can get a direct shot at any bird courteous enough to pose for me. Even with this advantage I have still had to contend with the myriad issues that face all photographers. The weather has to be right, the lighting needs to cooperate and the birds have to sit at the right angle.

Because the Birch Perch is right there I have been able to do a little pruning to remove troublesome twigs. I have also had to contend with the fact that the smaller branches are fragile and have a tendency to break off when larger birds and squirrels arrive. However, at this point the most vulnerable bits have fallen away and the branches that remain are fairly robust.

I spend at least an hour at my kitchen window every Saturday and Sunday and during that time I have captured many beautiful photos of birds on the Birch Perch. The one that I share with you today features a stark monochromatic background with a stunning Blue Jay in the center. The careful observer will note that there are a couple of snowflakes in the frame (from one of our rare snow days this winter) and that there are birch catkins on some of the smallest twigs. This is a legit wild bird that has come to my deck for free food and I have merely managed the appearance of its perch.

So if you are a bird enthusiast and you are looking for a way to improve your photos, one strategy is to get closer to the birds, or to bring the birds closer to you. Even at a distance of only 20 feet you may find that the details just aren’t good enough and that can only be fixed by spending lots of money. For now, however, why not try setting up a sort of outdoor photo studio where you can bring the birds to you. I promise you that the struggle of trying to get things just right will be a lot of fun.

Bill Danielson has been a professional writer and nature photographer for 26 years. He has worked for the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, the Nature Conservancy and the Massachusetts State Parks and he currently teaches high school biology and physics. For more in formation visit his website at www.speakingofnature.com, or go to Speaking of Nature on Facebook.

Aerial photography has never been more popular. The rise in use of drones has been very apparent in Norway in recent years. Before you get started, make sure you’re up to date on the regulations or you risk a big fine.

Flying a drone in Norway might sound like just another fun adventure, but before you let your buzzing buddy loose in the land of the fjords, there’s a bit of homework to do.

Ignore local rules, and capturing stunning footage in Norway’s majestic landscapes could end up being a lot more expensive than planned.

We’re here to point you in the right direction. Read on and we’ll tell you everything you need to know and do, long before you press that lift-off button.

Ready to find out how to keep your drone soaring high and trouble-free in Norway? Let’s dive into the details that will keep you, and your drone, happily airborne and on the right side of the law!

Careless flyers risk heavy fines

Some people have learned the hard way that not following drone rules in Norway can be expensive. If you break the rules, police can confiscate your drone and issue you a fine of up to NOK 12,000.

This is exactly what happened to an American tourist in May of 2023. The unnamed individual was approached by the police and had their drone seized after flying it on the grounds of the royal palace on 17^th of May, the country’s national holiday.

Flying a drone over the palace grounds is prohibited, and flying a drone in the centre of Oslo on National Day is also not allowed, so this particular tourist was doubly at fault.

Finding out where you can and can’t fly requires a bit of effort, but avoiding obvious mistakes is not too difficult. Let’s go through the basics.

New drone rules in Norway in 2024

Rules regarding drones have been tightened in Norway on January 1^st, 2024. According to those new rules, drone operators must be registered if their aircraft is equipped with a camera, regardless of its weight.

Previous rules had an exemption for drones of less than 250 grams, but this exemption is now only given to drones that are classified as toys and those of less than 250 grams that don’t have a camera.

The registration process is relatively simple and can be done online. Registration is not the only requirement though; there are several other rules to keep in mind. Let’s go over them.

Flying a drone of less than 250g in Norway

The rules we will summarise for you now apply to drones weighing less than 250 grams. Stricter rules apply for heavier drones, but this article will not go into those.

1. As we said earlier, register your drone.
2. Keep your drone within your line of sight while flying. If you are unable to do so because you’re looking at your screen, get the help of a “spotter” who can help you keep track of where your drone is.
3. Do not fly over large groups of people (the crowd at a concert or a busy park, for example).
4. Do not fly in forbidden areas (see our section about this below).
5. Do not fly over the maximum allowed altitude of 120 metres.
6. If your drone is equipped with a camera, respect people’s privacy (see our section about this below).
7. Ensure you have liability insurance.

Where can’t I fly drones in Norway?

Many areas in Norway are a no-go when flying a drone. The most important rule to remember is that flying is forbidden within a radius of 5 kilometres around an airport.

Do not measure this distance yourself on Google maps. Instead, consult official airport maps.

In some smaller places, the entire city fits within the 5-kilometre no-fly radius. This is the case in Tromsø, for example: the whole of Tromsø island is less than 5 kilometres from the airport.

This is important to keep in mind because you might see amazing photography on social media that were created by flying a drone in the restricted area.

If you see such images, remember that they were either created by someone who broke the rules, or by a professional who went through the proper channels and contacted the control tower to get permission to fly.

In other words, just seeing that “it’s been done before” doesn’t mean it’s allowed. It certainly is not a great defence when the police approach you.

Other no-fly zones in Norway

Other areas that are out of bounds are military installations, embassies, sporting events and outdoor concerts. National parks and some nature reserves also have stringent restrictions.

In the city centre of Oslo, the parliament (Stortinget), the palace grounds and the government buildings (Regjeringskvartalet) are out of bounds for reasons of security. Several of the fjord islands are also entirely or partially a no-go.

Check out the UAS Norway map to plan your flight. You can toggle the various layers on and off. Google translate can be helpful here.

If you are a Russian citizen, you can’t fly at all. This rule is part of the sanctions raised against Russia in the wake of the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking of the invasion, be extra careful if you plan on flying near sensitive infrastructure. Enquire about the rules beforehand and be on the lookout for signs – the war has made the authorities nervous about unidentified drones flying near things like power plants and oil and gas terminals.

Privacy rules when flying a drone in Norway

There are no privacy laws written especially with drones in mind in Norway (so far). This means that drone operators are subject to the general Norwegian privacy law–the Personal Data Act or Personopplysningsloven–and EU privacy laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Here are a few golden privacy rules to make sure you don’t break any laws.

1. Avoid taking video and pictures where individuals can be identified. This means keeping a respectful distance from people and using privacy-friendly systems such as image blurring.
2. Be visible when operating drones. Proactively inform people nearby about what you are doing.
3. Remember that you’re a guest. In some very scenic areas like Reine i Lofoten, there are so many drones flying in high season that locals can sometimes get annoyed. Try to see things from the locals’ perspective and be respectful of their concerns.

Flying a drone on Svalbard

The archipelago of Svalbard boasts fantastic, out-of-this-world landscapes attracting photographers and drone pilots alike. The same rules apply here as in the rest of Norway, but there are a few extra considerations to keep in mind.

Two thirds of the archipelago’s land area is covered by national parks and nature reserves, which are out of bounds to drones.

In addition, disturbing the wildlife on Svalbard is strictly forbidden. This includes approaching reindeer and polar bears with your drone, as tantalising as that sounds.

Finally, remember the 5-kilometre rule? The entirety of the city of Longyearbyen falls within the 5-kilometre no-fly zone surrounding the local airport, so no flying there.

PhotoMuse, a photography museum, has opened a permanent museum at Chungal, near Kodakara, in Mattathur panchayat, on Sunday.

Herbert Ascherman Jr., American photographer and founding director of the Cleveland Photo Fest, USA, inaugurated the museum. The museum will open up aspace where the public can delve into the socio-cultural, natural, and photographic history of the country and beyond.

A seminal exhibition of photographic history, titled The Evolution of Photograph as a Palpable Object, curated by Unnikrishnan Pulikkal, the director of PhotoMuse, was also opened on the same day at the museum. Murali Cheeroth, chairperson of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, inaugurated the exhibition, which will be open for three months.

The exhibition will showcase a collection of historical and modern photographic printmaking processes. Spanning from the 1850s to the present, it traces the evolution of the photograph as a handheld object over the centuries, exhibiting originals collected from different parts of the world, according to the organisers.

PhotoMuse, arguably the first-of-its-kind institution in Kerala, has more than 15,000 museum objects related to photography, photographic equipment, cultural documents, books, and digital images in its permanent collection.

PhotoMuse is run by a public charitable trust Better Art Foundation (BAF) and managed by photographers, artists, and educators.

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Action and cheering photos from the recent Class B Region 1 Boys Basketball Tournament held at the Jamestown Civic Center.

The first official photograph of Catherine, the Princess of Wales, since she underwent abdominal surgery about two months ago was released on Sunday. It showed Catherine, also publicly known as Kate Middleton, posing and smiling alongside 10-year-old George, 8-year-old Charlotte and 5-year-old Louis, her three children with William, the Prince of Wales. 

The image gave photography credit to Prince William and was posted early Sunday morning to the official social accounts belonging to the royal couple on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram. With the new image came Catherine’s first message to the public since her surgery in January. It acknowledged Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom, which this year is being celebrated on March 10.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C,” read the message from the princess.

Questions have swirled online in recent weeks about Catherine’s health status, after Kensington Palace announced in a Jan. 17 statement that she had been hospitalized for a planned abdominal surgery and would remain for 10 to 14 days at the private London clinic where she’d had the procedure. In that statement, the palace said she would then continue her recovery at home in Windsor for the next couple of months. The British monarch was not expected to return to her royal duties until after Easter, which will be March 31.

The palace did not share details about the nature of Catherine’s surgery but stressed that it was not cancer-related. Its initial statement about the procedure said that Catherine “hopes the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.”

Amid ongoing speculation that ensued about her health, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said in a statement released late last month that Catherine was “doing well.”

“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands,” the spokesperson said.

Catherine’s recovery from surgery and related absence from the public eye has coincided with another health scare for the royal family. Shortly after her procedure, in early February, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment. The king said in a statement issued around that time by the royal family that he would like “to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days.”

“As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement,” he said.

NEWS RELEASE
BROCK UNIVERSITY
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When the total solar eclipse takes place over North America on April 8, many people will naturally reach for their phones or cameras to capture the moment.
Brock Associate Professor of Visual Arts Amy Friend, an internationally recognized photographer, is offering tips on documenting the rare phenomenon safely while also encouraging the public to consider different ways of experiencing what for many will be a once-in-a-lifetime event. 

The chair of visual arts at Brock first points to taking safety precautions for viewing and documenting the eclipse, which can be found on Brock’s Eclipse on the Escarpment web page. Friend says it’s crucial to have a proper solar filter on any camera, including on a smartphone. 

“Solar filters for traditional cameras and cell phones are available online from several retailers, but consumer research is key to ensuring the purchase of an international standard filter (full-aperture and off-axis) with regulated qualities, making it safe for photographing the eclipse,” she says.

According to the award-winning photographer, practice is also key. Practise beforehand by photographing the everyday sun, without looking directly at it, Friend 
says. Taking photos of the sky on a sunny day will help determine appropriate aperture and shutter speed for such bright light. She also suggests getting comfortable with outdoor night photography.

“During totality, when the sun is fully blocked by the moon, turning the sky dark, the camera will need adjusted shutter speeds and aperture settings to take a successful photo,” Friend says.She recommends experimenting with the high dynamic ange (HDR) setting on cameras, which 
captures high-contrast photos. With this setting, many photos of the eclipse could be put together to create one image.

“The visual effect of this is very interesting as the second-to-second variations in the sun flare created by the eclipse combine creating a beautiful image capturing unique details,” Friend says. 

For those looking to get creative, there are other ways to view the solar eclipse, including pinhole projectors or building boxes that filter the sunlight and create a projection of the sunlight onto a nearby surface.

“Using this approach, the person would be looking at the projection instead of the eclipse itself,” Friend says. “What they would see is a darkening circle in the form of a crescent, which is the moon starting to cover the sun.”

While many people will want to capture a photo of the eclipse themselves, photographers throughout history have cautioned against photographing the celestial phenomenon, as it is difficult for the average person to achieve a great photo. 

“We know what it will look like, and yet we still want to photograph it. But we don’t want to miss an incredible experience in the process,” Friend says.

Through her research into the role of photography as proof of experience, however, Friend says the desire to personally capture the moment is very natural.

“There is also the excitement of going online and sharing your photo — the ‘after’ of the experience — that can be quite engaging and stirs up response and dialogue, simultaneously amplifying the experience and documenting it in popular culture,” she says.

Friend is fascinated by historic images of people experiencing celestial events in group settings as a visual time capsule into the culture and technology of the time. 

“I think there is something quite beautiful about that moment, where we all just stop and view something rare and spectacular in the sky together,” she says. “The sun and moon have paused life for a moment.”

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