CMSA STETSON Summer Classic, Guthrie, OK

What a beautiful facility.

All images by Canon 1D's and 7D's. 70 to 200 L IS version 2 used for most images.

http://www.mrquigleyphotography.com/

Last week we had a chance to go to Guthrie OK, for the CMSA Summer Classic. This event was held at the beautiful Lazy E facility. If you have never been in this part of horse country well simply said its beautiful! Gently rolling hills decorated with white fencing and beautiful horses... fill these pastures.

The Lazy E is one of the finest arenas in the nation.

Jessie Kuka wins overall!

Jesse Kuka was the top winner of this fulfilled mounted shoot! Her and Rock Clark were close but girls prevailed in the end.

Cody Clark breaks new world record!

Speaking of Rock Clark his son Cody broke a world record here and boy was dad proud!

Indoor arena.

The Lazy E arena is one of the largest indoor arenas in the nation. Its climate controlled and even the warm up arena is inside!

Got it!

Reaching back for the last rifle shot.

CMSA hosted a barbecue by the lake.

A beautiful small lake is next to the arena and we all had a fun time... country barbecue by the lake! The burgers were the best and there was so much different food! Ummmmm.....

Good food!

Got the balloon... but lost my hat.

A great place for a family portrait.

Come join us next year at this fantastic facility. You will love the beauty of the area and riding in this indoor arena. By the way it has some of the best dirt in the nation. I didn't photograph any crashes all weekend.
Not the norm for me.
 Ride safe and travel smart.  Mark

Influencing People and Photography

 Canon 40 D 100 - 400 IS Canon lens, 1.4 dupp, TN

Have you had people in your life that were influential in shaping your life? Yes we all have.
Here at Mr. Quigley Photography we are often asked the question ...who influenced your photography style? Id like to share a bit about that in this post.

Canon D30,  28 - 105 Canon lens

                                                                      Northern, AZ

Early on it was my mom and dad. They introduced me to the great outdoors and the magic and intricacies of it all. My mom and dad were  photographers and always snapping photos so they naturally influenced and created a desire for me to be a photographer. In my teens I began picking up a camera and began creating images with 110 film. Soon I moved on to 35mm and next 6x7 cm and as soon as digital hit I embraced it with the Canon D30.

                                            Canon 40 D, Canon 70 - 200 IS lens, FL Keys

As I studied photography styles through the years some photographers and their styles really influenced me.

Early on it was a high school teacher named Ron Hildreth. Ron took the time for me as well as others and really cared for those young ones around him. He taught science and photography as well as other subjects. I'm just one of the many that he may not realize he deeply influenced. Ive stayed in contact with Ron and in fact he photographed our wedding.

I have always loved Rons photography. To me its practical, inspirational and spiritual. Ron taught me to use my camera as a means for visual and emotional communication. Ive tried to include those elements into my work.

http://ronhildrethphotography.com/Site/Welcome.html

Canon 40 D, Tamron 18 - 270 lens. TN

Being from Arizona David Muench was a photography style I admired and studied. I ran into David and his wife once while working my wildlife department job in the Kofa mountains. He was of course making powerful images of this unique mountain range.

D30, 200 to 400 Canon L lens.

For me there is no better western photographer that has influenced my western photography style... then David Stoecklein!

He is the best and I love the mood and colors he uses to create images of the modern west.

http://www.stoeckleinphotography.com/

 

Canon 40 D 70 - 200 IS Canon lens, FL coast

One of the best wildlife photographers I know is Thomas Mangelsen. Tom is so good at captuering those perfect wildlife moments. If you ever pass through Jackson Hole, WY.... make sure you make it a point... to step into his beautiful gallery.

http://www.mangelsen.com/store/catalog?Args=

I have always loved Gary Irvings style. His images have such mood to them. My favorite book of his is Beneath the Open Sky. Its a collection of panoramic photographs in the heartland of America. Ive always tried to create mood and feeling with photographs.

 http://www.lightboxinc.com/gallery6/gallery06.html

Canon 7D. 70 - 200 IS Canon lens Gen 2, Central AZ

I just love Shinzo Maeda work. He really had an eye for capturing the natural world. His use of color, unique light and composition are some of the best combinations Ive ever seen. Of course Shinzo is no longer with us but his style influenced me. Would have liked to meet him and chat for a while. Of all his books I liked "A tree, a blade of grass... the best.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinzo_Maeda

Canon 40D, 28 - 200 Canon lens, NC

And of course for me there is Ken Duncan. I love Kens view on life and his images just capture me and draw me in. He has always been so open about sharing his style and techniques. I always enjoy getting an encouraging email from Ken or his staff once in a while.

 http://www.kenduncan.com/

Canon 7D, Canon 10 - 22 lens, Western AZ

There are so many good photographers out there but I would have to say these influenced the personal photography style I use today and my life. Study other photographers but create your own unique style.

Canon 20D 70 200 IS lens, 4 Peaks AZ

Who are you influencing with your life in a positive way? If you are not you should be. Your kids, coworkers, friends to name a few.

Dare to be a Ron Hildreth and use your life to influence others around you.

Photograph and shoot well. Mark

Death Comes to Us ALL

Canon 7D 10 - 22 lens
Kind of squirrel?

While walking up a canyon this week I came across a desert squirrel that had gotten into some jumping cactus and apparently couldn’t get it out of its back legs... and died. It made me think that animals are not aware that death is coming to them someday. Only human beings are precognizant of death. Only one human had the power to come back from the dead and we measure history and time by Him.
So for years I have photographed death in the animal world. I know it’s weird and strange.

Canon D30 14 mm Sigma lens

Kind of deer?

Have you ever wondered… when an animal dies how come we don’t see more of their remains about? The reasons I believe is most of the remains I have found through the years are hidden under brush rocks etc. One can usually count on a sick or old animal, lying down in cover and expiring. So sick and old creatures will choose secretive safe places to hide when they are not feeling well..

Canon 1D First gen. Sigma 14 mm lens

What is this?

Sudden death circumstances can that take the life of creatures. Here in the west a sudden summer thunder storm quickly fills a normally dry wash and drowns animals. Fences can hang up an animal… or a predator catching its prey off guard. It’s interesting looking for these circumstances and photographing them.

Canon 40D Tamron 18 to 270 lens.

Here a coyote is partly covered by brush in a northern AZ slot canyon.

Caught in a sudden flood.

You can make out his face and teeth bottom right of the fur.

Devolope your own photography style. Dare to be different and photograph unusual subjects where you live.

Photograph well and stay safe.

Death is coming…Mark

If the eye could see...

Canon 1 D 70 to 200 IS lens (first generation). I pushed the shutter when I thought this shooter would pull the trigger thus capturing the muzzle flash.



Cameras capture things the eye cannot see. Even high speed video cameras must be slowed way down to see the flash of gunfire and never really at this level. I love to TRY and capture the powder burning as it leaves the barrel. Black powder is classified as an explosive and at the right moment in time this type of an image can be captured.

I love to shoot black powder guns and use them to hunt with. From my old flintlock muzzleloaders, cap and ball pistols, long range sharps rifles to 1870 cartridge guns these old black powder guns are fun to shoot! I think if our eye ever really saw the explosion coming from our barrels we would probably never shoot them again.

Shoot well and stay safe!


Mark

Where Are the AZ Wildflowers this Week?

We have received some question and requests to write about more wildflower hotspots. As I told you in an earlier blog post … follow the wildflower bloom up Interstate 17. Last week I was near the Castle Creek Wilderness border and took a short hike up Castle Creek. This is the Castle Creek on the east side of the Bradshaw Mountain Range.

The sides along this high desert creek were aglow. This is a place seldom visited except by serious hikers and hunters. A 4x4 road follows the creek up to what I call the Castle Creek Waterfall. About a mile before reaching the waterfall the wildflowers appear thick.

Watch for rattle snakes. Came across one! Diamond backs and Arizona Black rattlers live here.
Enjoy! Shoot well and stay safe! Mark

To catch an ELK

One of the interesting projects I work on each year with our department biologists is capturing collaring and tagging elk. Last week we were doing this. You might be asking yourself "are you crazy ... elk are big and dangerous. Well you would be right. When a big bull is caught we release it because of the possibility of being stabbed by antler. We only deal with cows and young bulls, but young bulls can be dangerous.

Elk grazing along highways.

The reason we capture live elk in AZ is for human safety. When an elk is hit by a automobile it can kill or seriously injure occupants within the auto and elk commonly cross roads. So after collaring and capturing these large creatures we track their movements for two years and develop patterns where their favorite and most common road crossings are. This aids in building crossing points over or under highways in the future thus making travel by auto, in elk country safer for elk and humans. Now you hunters are probably thinking that you would sure like to get your hands on this elk movement data. Sure would aid in hunting...huh? Sorry your out of luck.

Lariats are used to capture feet first.

The way we capture an elk is to set a big live trap similar to a trap you may rent from your local humane society.  By the way drugs are not used. We place a trap in a know elk area near a highway. For several months the area around the trap is baited with alfalfa. After the animals become use to the trap the alfalfa is next moved to the inside of the trap. An unaware elk walks into the trap ... trips a trap wire and bam... the door closes and now they are trapped.

The entire mechanism is triggered by a high dollar well just kidding here ...rat trap and fishing line.

Photo by Chuck Dillion

Hey that me in the background.

We can then approach the trap use and use lariats to rope their feet and pull the elk to ground and tie off to T-posts. Pulling to the ground is the hard part as these big animals are strong! In the above photo I am in the background. At this point we open the cage and place a hood over their head to calm them down.

Next a radio collar is placed around the neck of the animal and a numbered ear tag placed in the animals ear like cattle ear tags.

Sometimes school groups are invited and the whole ordeal is made into an educational activity. Once every thing is complete the animal is released to rejoin their group.

Here a young bull is released. Antler missing because of time of year.

At times young bulls have been known to come after us.

The elk is released with its now pretty jewelery...GPS necklace, ear piercing with a new earrings. No doubt they go back to their heard bragging and showing off their new jewelry. Collars are programed too fall off in two years.

Airplane flights are scheduled every once in a while and we fly over the collared elk and upload the data. Some collars transmit data directly from the collar to a satellite and then to a laptop. Older technology collars need to be physically retained to gather the data and radio telemetry is used to locate these older pre-programed fall off dated collar. After they are found we download the information to a computer.

Let me know if you enjoy these types of stories and I will post more of my game warden work related stuff.


Shoot well and be safe.



Mark Quigley

CMSA National Championship

What a great time of year to be in Tunica Mississippi! The trees are blooming and the Mississippi River is full! Mounted shooters from all over our great nation... come to this shoot... (251) this year! This is one of my favorite arenas in the nation. This year the temps and weather were just perfect!
 Kenda Lenseigne and John Clark won overall!
Enjoy a few images from the event.
To see more photos visit our website.
http://www.mrquigleyphotography.com/

Winners.

What a blessing!

Flags.

Jim Rogers.

A nice place for portraits.

Roping a motorcycle.

Shoot...Shoot

Our future shooters!

Colt Elim.

Hope you can make it next year! Shoot well ... stay safe ... MQ