Daniel Uribe-Restrepo has been chasing birds since 9 years-old thanks to the contagious enthusiasm of his uncle Rodrigo Restrepo, an accomplished birder that shared his love for birds and nature with nephews in joyful hikes through forests and rural roads in Rionegro and Sonsón, eastern Antioquia (Central Andes). Besides, during numerous family excursions to nature places of great beauty, Daniel's parents were instrumental in building a deep and genuine appreciation for nature. At their farm "La Esmeralda" in Sonsón, bedroom walls where Daniel slept were covered by colorful prints of John James Audubon's birds, and those expressive birds were ever present friends at night and early mornings. At age 16, Daniel received from uncle Rodrigo an important collection of Colombian and South American bird books, and with its first binoculars, begun a long chase of Mockingbirds, Orioles, Tanagers and Guans, wanting to see them closer and better.

 

Daniel traveled to Manizales in 1979 to study Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science at the University of Caldas, where he met Jesús Hernán Vélez-Estrada, his first teacher in photography. For his bachelor's thesis, Daniel studied the structure and composition of Rio Blanco's bird community, being his thesis Director José Ignacio Borrero, renowned biologist and founder of modern Colombian Ornithology.

 

As a university student, Daniel was co-founder of the Caldas Ornithological Society and environmental organizations such as Fundación Herencia Verde, acting later on as Director of the Central Andes Conservation Program in the Quindío Region, with headquarters in Salento and cooperation programs with WWF, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and BirdLife International. Daniel also collaborated with the Valle del Cauca Ornithological Society, performing numerous birding excursions to the Cauca river wetlands, Central and Western Andes forests.

 

Daniel pursued graduate studies at the University of Illinois where he followed on his photography, inspired by the vision and techniques of three great North American photographers: John Shaw (Closeups in Nature, Focus on Nature), Galen Rowell (Mountain Light) and Ansel Adams. 

Dedicated mainly to conservation and sustainable development projects, Daniel has been a consultant to the Colombian Network of Private Nature Reserves (Resnatur), CIPAV Foundation, Regional Autonomous Corporation of Quindío (CRQ), and chief of the Land Planning Division for the Department of Quindío. Daniel currently serves as Executive Director for the Corporación Colombiana para el Agroturismo y Ecoturismo Sostenible - AGROECOTUR (www.agroecotur.org), where he assists rural families and landowners of private nature reserves in Colombia in the establishment of agritourism and ecotourism services. Also, Daniel has assisted Proexport in its efforts to present Colombia as a birding destination.

 

For the above reasons, Daniel wants to close links between nature conservation, environmental education, birds and ecotourism. Thus, Daniel established in 2009 the company Birding Tours Colombia, where he coordinates tour operating services and provides specialized guidance in birding and nature photography excursions.

PHOTO TECHNIQUE

 

Daniel has always used Nikon cameras and lenses, with which he feels at ease for their optical quality and ergonomic design.

 

All photos on this web page have been taken under natural conditions, with birds and animals free in their habitats (no photo taken at zoos or captivity).

 

Basic camera settings for bird photography are set at Aperture Priority, favoring open diaphragms (in between f 5.6 - 8.0), aiming at high shutter speeds and the freezing of bird movement. Open diaphragms also enable diffused backgrounds, improving contrast in the subject and diminishing distracting elements that confuse the human eye.

 

The combination of open diaphragms and low ISO (ISO 100 to 400) allows for sharpness and better definition of the bird image. Focus point is always centered in the bird's head, seeking for maximum definition of the bird's eye, since it is through the eyes that the observer make contact with the image.

 

Nearly 99% of all images that Daniel takes are based in the constant use of the tripod (the "appendix" that can never be forgotten in a photography excursion). Although carrying a tripod in long hikes through forests, rivers and mountains can be uncomfortable, there is no better way to improve the quality of an image.

 

"Fill flash" is used, allowing the ambient light to be the principal light on any photo, and filling those shaded spaces with necessary light. Nonetheless, this is no always possible, especially for those birds that live in the forest understory, where very week sun rays penetrate through the canopy.

 

Daniel believes there are two main requisites for a good photo: 1) Good quality in natural light; and 2) Proximity to the subject. When these two ingredients are present, it is possible to maneuver camera controls and buttons in order to achieve high shutter speeds (minimum 1/200 second, ideally 1/500 second or more). Getting close to the subject requires knowing the behavior of the bird, achieving a privileged position that can close on the distance between the bird and the camera. With the camera mounted on a tripod, it is possible to work comfortably, achieving good framing and composition, coming closer to the unsurpassed beauty of the bird.

 

Camera equipment: Nikon D80 with Nikon 70-300 mm f4.0/5.6 VR ED AF S, flash Nikon SB-800, Gitzo 3531S tripod (Series 3 Carbon Fiber 6X Systematic) equipped with a Markins Ball Head Q-Ball M20 L and Camera Plate Markins PG-80. Cable release or remote control.