Episode 13
In this episode of Beyond the Wild Podcast, host Mark Raycroft discusses Jason Loftus’ upcoming trip to Africa and his preparations for this epic wildlife photography. It’s a trip that can easily sidetrack any photographer’s conversation, but the spotlight in this episode is guest Kevin Konitshek’s unique wild cat quest in Colorado. Kevin has captured incredible, rarely-seen images of these wild animals in their natural habitat exhibiting iconic behaviour. Kevin shares his passion for wildlife photography and his recent project to capture images of all three wild cat species in Colorado: bobcat, mountain lion and the elusive lynx. He explains the challenges and environmental factors affecting the lynx population in Colorado and the importance of camera trapping in capturing unique and dynamic images. The conversation also touches on the management of wildlife populations and the need for science-based decision-making. Kevin Konitshek discusses his camera trap setup for wildlife photography, including the equipment he uses and the cost of the setup. He also shares tips for setting up the camera traps in different weather conditions and terrain, along with the challenges and successes he has encountered in his passion project to capture images of these top predators. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the behavior and patterns of the animals to increase the chances of capturing compelling images. Kevin shares his passion for winter wildlife photography the extreme dificulty and work effort required to make these unique opportunities. The conversation also touches on the tragic loss of a young wildlife photographer, Carson Hughes, and the importance of cherishing every moment in life.
Episode 12
Summary
In this episode, Ron Hayes, Jason Loftus and Mark Raycroft’s primary goal was to answer Listener questions, but they quickly get lost catching up on past trips and discussing the ethical questions around image manipulation and the newly developing confounding factor of AI-generated images on social media. They also delve into the challenges and opportunities presented by new technology in the field of photography. The recent trip conversation covers Mark’s spring canoe adventure into Algonquin Park’s interior and Jason and Ron’s trip to Yellowstone, where they discuss the significance of shared nature experiences with family. But the piéce de résistance in this episode is the Listener questions which dive deep into the questions around photographers’ facial hair and aging, photography ruts, GoPro use and more. They also get a little more serious and discuss positive social media interactions and the importance of sharing positive encounters in wildlife photography.