Preparing for Spring: A Photographer's Checklist
As winter fades and nature awakens, spring offers incredible opportunities for photographers. Birds return from migration, flowers bloom, and landscapes transform. To make the most of the season, it's essential to prepare in advance. Here’s a checklist to ensure you're ready to capture spring in all its beauty.
1. Review Camera Settings and Operation
Before heading out, take time to review your camera settings. Ensure the date and time are correctly set—especially important if you’ve traveled across time zones or recently changed batteries. Verify your preferred shooting modes, autofocus settings, and custom functions to make sure everything is optimized for the type of photography you plan to do.
2. Explore Camera Features You Haven’t Used
Modern cameras offer a wealth of features, and there may be settings or functions you haven’t fully explored. Take this opportunity to experiment with different autofocus modes, metering settings, or advanced tracking options that could improve your results. If your camera has features like focus stacking, silent shutter, or custom function buttons, now is a great time to test them out.
3. Ensure Equipment is in Proper Working Order
Inspect your camera, lenses, and accessories. Clean the lens elements and camera body to remove any dust or smudges. Check memory cards for available space and format them if necessary. Inspect tripods, gimbal heads, and straps for any signs of wear. A quick checkup now can prevent equipment failures in the field.
4. Get Comfortable with Your Camera Again
If you've had a slow winter season, spend time with your camera at home. Practice changing settings quickly, adjusting exposure, and switching focus points. The more familiar you are with your gear, the easier it will be to react in real-time when photographing fast-moving subjects like birds and wildlife.
5. Review Last Year’s Spring Photographs
Go through your spring photographs from the previous year. Identify what worked well and areas for improvement. Look at composition, lighting, and technical aspects such as exposure and focus. Reviewing past work can provide valuable insights and help you refine your approach for the new season.
6. Create a Shooting List
Make a list of subjects and behaviors you want to capture this spring. Are there particular birds you hope to photograph? Specific landscapes or floral blooms you want to revisit? By planning ahead, you’ll have a clear direction and won’t waste valuable time deciding what to shoot when you’re in the field.
7. Practice Photographing Pelicans Near Home
If pelicans or other birds frequent your local area, use them as practice subjects. Observe their movements, test different autofocus settings, and experiment with exposure to handle bright highlights and shadows. This practice will sharpen your skills for capturing more elusive birds in the wild.
Join One of My Spring Photo Tours
If you're looking to take your spring photography to the next level, consider joining one of my spring photo tours. These tours offer guided opportunities to photograph birds, landscapes, and wildlife in some of the best locations. You'll gain hands-on experience, refine your skills, and capture stunning images with expert guidance. Don’t miss the chance to immerse yourself in nature and improve your craft!
Final Thoughts
Preparation is key to maximizing your success in the field. By taking these steps now, you’ll be ready to embrace the opportunities that spring brings. Whether it’s capturing the return of migrating birds, blooming landscapes, or dynamic wildlife behavior, a little preparation will help you make the most of the season.
What are you doing to prepare for spring photography? Let me know in the comments!
March 2025 Charles Bush Photography Newsletter
Spring is right around the corner, and with it comes incredible opportunities to capture Louisiana’s unique landscapes, wildlife, and swamps in their full glory. I still have a few spots for my Spring 2025 and Fall 2025 Photography Tours. Whether you’re hoping to photograph cypress-lined bayous draped in Spanish moss, migratory birds, or the vibrant colors of autumn reflected on the water, these tours offer hands-on instruction in some of Louisiana’s most photogenic locations.
Each tour is carefully planned to take advantage of the best light and seasonal highlights, ensuring you’ll leave with not only great photos but also new techniques to improve your photography.
Please reserve your spot today and join me for an unforgettable photography experience!
New Website Features – Photo Subjects Dropdown
I’ve been working on expanding my website, and there’s now a new "Photo Subjects" dropdown menu. While it’s still a work in progress, you’ll already find pages for many birds we’ll encounter on the spring tours, including species profiles, photos, and tips for photographing them.
I’ll add more species and subjects over time, so keep checking back!
Check out the photo subjects drop down when you have a chance and check back periodically as I’ll be adding more over time.
Digital Asset Risk Assessment – Protect Your Work
One of the most overlooked parts of a photographer’s workflow is digital asset management and risk assessment. To help with that, I’ve added a new page to my website focused on assessing your digital asset risks — including a form you can fill out to evaluate your exposure.
I also offer consulting services to help photographers create solid backup, recovery, and asset protection strategies. Whether you need guidance on setting up a system or reviewing what you already have, I’m here to help.
Start your risk assessment today.
Stay tuned
More updates coming soon!
I’ll be adding even more resources to my website in the coming months, all designed to help you improve your photography and protect your valuable work. Whether you’re planning to join me on a tour or just looking for expert advice, I’m always happy to help.
Thanks for being part of the community — and I hope to see you out in the field this year!
February 2025 Newsletter–Charles Bush Photography
Here is my February 2025 Newsletter, in which I discuss my photo tours, updates to the website, and the winter storm here in Louisiana.
Louisiana Photo Tours
Spring Photo Tours
Join us for a Spring Photo Tour focusing on nesting wading birds at several rookeries. You'll have the opportunity to photograph the following species:
Roseate Spoonbills
Cattle Egrets
Snowy Egrets
Little Blue Herons
Great Blue Herons
Green Herons
Ibis
Least Bittern
Additionally, we'll photograph Ospreys in flight over Henderson Swamp, part of the Atchafalaya Basin—the largest river swamp ecosystem in North America.
Find out more and sign up for the Spring Tours here.
Louisiana Fall Photo Tours
Late fall in Louisiana offers breathtaking opportunities to photograph Cypress Trees in the swamps. We have scheduled Find out more and sign up for the Spring Tours here. Louisiana Cypress Tree Photo Tours, carefully timed to maximize the chances of capturing these majestic trees on misty or foggy mornings.
Our tours visit three locations featuring old-growth Bald Cypress trees rising from the water, providing stunning compositions in the soft autumn light.
Find out more and sign up for the Fall Tours here.
Website Updates
Over the past month, while taking a brief break from photography, I’ve been upgrading the website. Though the new Squarespace version is an improvement, it has introduced some challenges:
Navigation Changes
The update moved the navigation bar from the side to the top, requiring some adjustments.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Issues
Google indexed some pages that weren’t intended to appear in search results, leading to some confusion. While I’ve implemented workarounds, some inaccuracies remain. If you have any questions while signing up for a tour, please feel free to call me.
Blog Post Menu Adjustments
Previously, blog post excerpts were displayed with a photo and a “read more” link. Now, the full post appears by default, making it harder to browse older posts.
To improve navigation, I’ve added a summary of recent posts. If you're looking for an older post, check there.
Blog Content Cleanup
As part of the site update, I’m removing outdated posts and rewriting relevant ones with new insights and updated images.
New “Subjects and Locations” Menu
A new dropdown menu now organizes content by subject and location.
This is a work in progress, but I’m actively researching bird species encountered on our tours and incorporating that information into new pages.
I’ll continue making site improvements as time permits.
Winter Storm in Louisiana
A record-breaking snowstorm recently brought 8.5 inches of snow to Houma, LA—an extraordinary amount for our area! In my backyard, I measured 11 inches. Unlike northern regions, we have no equipment to clear roads, which made for an unusual and challenging experience.
I took the opportunity to photograph the snow-covered landscape around the neighborhood and have posted images in a new blog post.
Check out the winter storm photos here.
Thank you for following along! If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to reach out.