The Galapagos with National Geographic Expeditions and Travel Photographer Susan Seubert

This year began with a remarkable assignment on board the National Geographic Endeavour in the Galapagos Islands.  The Galapagos are located about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador.  Being a National Geographic Photography Expert for National Geographic Expeditions is one of the highlights of my career as a photographer and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to travel to a variety of destinations with National Geographic and Lindblad.  This was my first trip to the Galapagos and I was fortunate enough to visit all of the islands where people are allowed to go ashore to hike and observe the unique landscape and wildlife that this remarkable archipelago has to offer.  Of course, the animals are the stars of the show, but these islands have a rich history, most famously tied to Charles Darwin and his theories of evolution.  The trickiest part of this journey was trying to absorb the immense amount of information that the naturalists provided both in the field and on board the ship and at the same time, concentrate on making pictures.  I’m just now beginning to edit some 20,000 images that I took during this 20 day adventure and have started to post some on my stock photography site here.  I hope to add more images regularly to my stock photography site, but for now, here are a few of my favorite moments from the expedition.  Thank you for visiting!

The National Geographic Endeavour, a ship that serves the Galapagos

A sandy beach at sunset with Galapagos sea lions on the island of San Cristobal

A newborn sea lion pup on a sandy beach on the island of San Cristobal

A colony of sea lions nap on a sandy beach on the island of Espanola

A solitary Galapagos sea lion on a sandy beach on the island of Espanola

Nazca Boobies nesting on Espanola Island in the Galapagos

A morning hike on Floreana Island, looking for wild flamingos

Marine Iguanas basking on the beach of Espanola Island

Santa Cruz Island, home to wild giant tortoises and the Charles Darwin Research Center

the fish market in Puerto Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos. Brujo, a sea lion, hangs out and waits for scraps from the fishmonger

El Trapiche, a small, family run farm, sells small batch, organic coffee. Here, they are roasting the coffee beans

While snorkeling at Champion Islet we encountered some very playful sea lions who seemed to enjoy posing for the camera!

Please remember that all images on this site are copyrighted and may not be used in any form without express permission from Susan Seubert Photography.

Thank you!!!

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Portland Photographer Susan Seubert shoots 2013 Chicken Coop Calendar

Last year I worked on my first calendar project with Amber Lotus Publishing.  The topic was something I was vaguely familiar with: urban chickens and their coops.  I’ve done a fair amount of assignment work photographing various gardens and a few stories about people who have urban farms, but this was the first time I’ve worked on a project specifically for a calendar.  The 2013 version is now available either directly from the publisher or on Amazon.com.  I’m sure you might run across this in garden stores too!  It was great fun working with each coop owner as every chicken coop had wildly different personalities.  It was also wonderful meeting the ladies, who turn out to make not only great pets, but also great eggs.  I’ve posted a few photos from the shoot on my stock photography site and will add more in the near future.  This is the perfect gift for anyone who keeps chickens as the coop ideas featured in the calendar are all very original.  We photographed the 2014 calendar this past summer and it was neat to be able to show those coop owners the ideas that are featured in the 2013 calendar.

City Chickens and Their Coops 2013 Wall Calendar featuring photos by Susan Seubert

Lydia Hess, the art director, and yours truly working on the perfect light for those glorious eggs

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Travel and Editorial Photographer Susan Seubert shoots Oregon

One of the finest pleasures in life is exploring one’s home territory through the fresh eyes of someone new to the place.  In this case, I got the call asking if I was interested in shooting a story about Oregon for the Dutch edition of National Geographic Traveler.  The editor-in-chief would be traveling from the Netherlands to Oregon to explore the bounty of the region.  It was a fantastic experience, driving around the state, showing off some of the places that I love, and exploring new places together.  The adventure paid off and this month’s issue of the Dutch edition of National Geographic Traveler, I’ve got a 12 page spread featuring the beauty of the state I call my first home, Oregon.  The feature story is below.  Currently I’m in Maui, preparing my gear to head out on assignment here on the island.  Maui is my second home, and I’m anxious to see what this next adventure offers up.

Proost and Aloha!

The opener! Roses at the Portland Rose Test Garden and sunset at minus tide in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

The view of downtown Portland, Oregon, with Mt. Hood in the distance and a vignette of the Portland Farmers’ Market.

Oregon Wine Country, the cowgirl who helps out with the Equestrian Wine tours in Dundee, Oregon, and Oregon Hood River Pears.

Thump Coffee in Bend, Oregon and the trail leading down to the boat ramp at Crater Lake.

The magnificent Latourell Falls in the Columbia River Gorge and the historic Liberty Theater in Astoria, Oregon

Fly fishing in the Deschutes River in Central Oregon, near Bend, and the inset of the historic Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood

 

 

 

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Canon 7D with the 70-300 f4/5.6L IS USM at high ISO: Hummingbird in the evening

We have a summer resident female rufous hummingbird that often visits the feeders and plants that we place for them on our deck.  As their migratory season comes to an end, which sadly means we’re entering into the early throes of autumn here in the Pacific Northwest, I thought I might test out my Canon 7D with the 70-300mm that I’ve been using on assignment lately.  I bitterly complained about the auto-focus when I first purchased the camera and, as usual, it was trial by fire.  I knew that I needed to have a higher fps than my Canon 5D Mark II cameras, so I decided to go with the 7D.  Now that I’ve been shooting it for a while, (and after reading a bit of the manual ,  I am now really loving the autofocus system and, although the camera is noisy at the higher ISO’s, it’s still pretty darn good.  The other night we were out on the deck and the female rufous came by to check out the salvia and other flowers.  She hung around long enough for me to get a few snaps.  These were all made at iso 6400 shooting in aperture priority.  I processed them in Adobe’s Lightroom using some capture sharpening and luminance noise reduction and I must say I’m impressed.  The focus is tack sharp, the shutter speed was fast enough to stop most of the movement and the colors look beautiful.   I do enjoy birdwatching and although it’s only a simple hobby that I do at home, it’s fun to use this as an opportunity to practice outside of assignment work.  I hope you enjoy these little snapshots of the wee bird.

female rufous hummingbird perched in a Western Cedar tree in the Marquam Greenspace in Portland, Oregon

Female rufous hummingbird investigating the salvia on our porch

Female rufous hummingbird investigating the salvia on our porch, showing off her diminutive gorget

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National Geographic Expeditions Photographer Susan Seubert heading to Baja

Hola!  Today I leave for La Paz, a city on the Baja Peninsula on the Gulf of California for the Baja California Odyssey as the on-board Photography Expert for National Geographic.   I will be on the National Geographic Sea Bird for eleven days to explore with naturalists and guests the Gulf of California and its islands, the Baja Peninsula, and some whale watching in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side.  Every year, the Eastern Pacific Grey Whales migrate to the protected inlets along the Pacific Coast of Baja California to give birth.  Last year was magnificent, as I was on board later in the season and there were many whales with their calves.  This trip will focus on not only the natural beauty of the Gulf of California and its islands, but will also have an archeological component, making this trip a particularly special one.  I look forward to working with my colleagues on board and meeting all the guests who share our interest in education about and preservation of this unique environment.  Here is a link to some images I made last year from the trip that emphasized the whales in Bahia de Magdalina.  Enjoy y hasta pronto!

An adult female gray whale in Bahia de Magdalena, one of the birthing grounds of this species on the Pacific Ocean side of the Baja peninsula in Mexico

The National Geographic Sea Bird, Baja California, Among the Great Whales. A baby grey whale comes up to greet our zodiac.

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Back Yard Barred Owl -or- Why We Live in Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon is an amazing place to live for so many reasons:  the food scene, the forward-thinking development, the great public transportation  but for me, our home is the reason we have firmly planted roots here in the Pacific Northwest.  Our house backs into the Marquam Green Space which is tangential to Forest Park, the largest in-city park in the United States.  If you can figure the maps, it’s possible to walk out our back door and join up with the Pacific Crest Trail.   The other great part is that literally steps, (with a little bush-whacking), from our back yard is the newly developed 4-T Trail:  Trail, Tram, Trolly, Train.  If you are a resident or visitor, this is one great urban hike and a fantastic way to tour the city for under 5 bucks.  Last year we began the process of becoming certified for Backyard Habitat, a joint program between the Audubon Society and the Columbia Land trust.  This program acts as a guide in transforming your property to a haven for urban flora and fauna.  Since our property butts up against the Marquam Green Space, it made sense to get on board.  We’ve removed the bulk of invasive plants and re-planted our back yard with native plant species.  Now the battle with bindweed, holly and ivy begins!  The great part is that we’ve already noticed an increase in the wildlife that visits us, including this Barred Owl who spent a good deal of time on a branch about 5 feet from my office window.  You can hear us whispering to the owl as it sits nearby…

Back Yard Barred Owl

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Here is how difficult it was to photograph the owl

Wildlife photographer, in action!

In addition to the Barred Owls, we have regular avian visitors.  Tonight, while sitting outside having dinner, I noted the following species: Black-Headed Grosbeak, Spotted Towhee, Rufous Hummingbird, Anna’s Hummingbird, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Black Capped Chickadee, Steller’s Jay, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Lesser Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, Band-tailed Pigeon, House Finch, Red Shafted Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Song Sparrow, and to top it off, a mother/son pair of Hairy Woodpeckers.  Below is our regular summer set-up for dinner.  Bon appétit!

summer backyard dining

a steller’s jay joins us for supper

The video was shot with a Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS USM L series lens and edited in iMovie.  The stills were shot with a Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon 24-105 IS USM L series lens and edited in Adobe’s Lightroom software.

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multimedia photographer Susan Seubert shoots baby goats for Culture Magazine

Culture Magazine is one of my new favorite niche publications.  It’s all about cheese, one of my favorite things to eat.  It’s a beautifully printed quarterly journal about all things cheese – travel, cheese-making, wine pairings… It’s obvious to me now that a magazine about cheese is just as, if not more so, useful as one about wine or other specialty periodicals.  I was assigned last year to photograph at Pholia Farm, a beautiful organic farm in southern Oregon, near Rogue River.  The back story is heartwarming – a young girl (Amelia) decided to raise Nigerian Dwarf Goats for her 4H project which ended up blossoming into a family cheese-making business.  My husband and I spend a day and a half with the Caldwell family – Gianaclis (mom and head cheese-maker), Vern and Amelia – along with their 60 or so herd of Nigerian Dwarf Goats.  The mothers were kidding while we were there and despite the warning from my art director to not take too many photos of the babies, I found it difficult to restrain myself.  You can see more photos from the story by clicking here to be taken to the outtakes.  Below is a video we took of two-day-old goats, just learning how to walk and stand.  I was literally lying on the ground, holding my 5D Mark II on my elbows and trying to follow focus on these adorable little critters who bounce around as though they’ve had too much coffee. They play classical music in the barn, which you can hear in the audio, as it’s been discovered that the music helps the gals produce more milk.

Baby Goats

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Vern, giving me a "lift" so I can get the shot of the farm

I’ve also posted a couple of behind the scenes photos, because we spent so much time trying to shoot the centerfold.  Unfortunately, the cheese we shot was the wrong age (groan) so they ended up sending the cheese to another photographer to shoot, so I didn’t get the whole story in photos in the issue.  Nonetheless, it was a marvelous assignment, and I look forward to my next story about cheese.

 

the challenges of working out of a studio environment - you use what you can get your hands on. Say cheese!

goats will, and do, eat anything... cameras included

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National Geographic Expeditions Photography Expert Susan Seubert going to Baja

I am pleased to announce that I will be on board an upcoming expedition on the National Geographic Sea Bird as the resident photography expert in Baja for an adventure in the Sea of Cortez.  We will be observing California Grey Whales in Bahia Magdalena on the Pacific side of Baja as well as hiking among the huge cactus, kayaking, watching migratory birds or swimming with sea lions around the islands off the coast of Baja in the Sea of Cortez. This trip will have many opportunities for observing wildlife with the added benefit of a team of naturalists and marine biologists at your disposal.  It will be a magnificent adventure.  I suggest that if you are interested, you book your itinerary with National Geographic Expeditions early!  I will be on board for two departures: February 26th and again on March 5th, 2011, so come join us on board the National Geographic Sea Bird.

 

click on the image to be taken to the itinerary page

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Portland Garden Photographer Susan Seubert shoots for Garden Design

It is with great pleasure to announce the publication of a story that I shot last July here in Portland for Garden Design Magazine’s Green Living section.  The garden belongs to Maryellen Hockensmith and has a mid-century Modern designed Pietro Belluschi home on the property.  Maryellen’s life partner, Michael McCullock, who is an architect, designed the yoga house and the design of the garden was a joint effort by a team of regional designers including Ann Lovejoy, Beth Holland, Eamonn Hughes and Laura Crockett.  There is a saltwater swimming pool and views of the coast range along with outdoor rooms, an amazing stone fireplace and cascading waterfalls.  Lee Kelly was commissioned to create a large piece which is entitled, “Window to the Gone World” that both captures views of the garden and frames the coast range in the distance.  Although it was July, while I was shooting the weather ranged from the 40′s at dawn to up into the 70′s during the day.  There was a marvelous bee balm “hedge” that attracted many hummingbirds, which were my constant companions during the shoot.  It’s a marvelous garden with the added bonus of enlightened and generous homeowners who are good stewards of the earth.  You can check out the story on Garden Design’s web site here and see outtakes from the shoot on my Stock Photography site here.

The Lee Kelly sculpture and the yoga pavilion

the waterfall and outdoor fireplace

detail shots of the outdoor rooms and view of the Coast Range from the property

All the images were shot with Canon’s 5D Mark II and various lenses.

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Editorial Photographer Susan Seubert and Hawaii Stock Photography

Now it’s easier than ever to peruse my stock photography archive that is hosted on Photoshelter.  I have put all the images of Hawaii into one folder, then also divided the photos up by island.  The galleries are listed alphabetically. If you are a photo researcher in need of images from Hawaii, please feel free to peruse the individual galleries of Oahu, The Big Island, Maui and Kauai.  If you have more specific stock needs or would like an estimate for a shoot, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.  I can be reached on my cell at +1-503-819-6692.  Aloha!

Ka'anapali Beach in Maui, Hawaii

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