By Andrea K. Hammer
As the light shifts in the sky and days come to an earlier close, artists respond to the winter season in different ways.
“Winter months in New Jersey are very good for snow owls, Harlequin ducks, long-tail ducks and a variety of winter ducks inhabiting the bays and ocean. Motivation is very high to get great images of the winter duck population, and my creative process is the same all year,” says award-winning photographer Anthony Ferraina.
With recognition from Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, National Geographic Your Shot, King Birder and Pinelands Preservation Alliance, Ferraina is the senior photographer at Wetlands Wildlife Photography and a Stockton University graduate. He has remained interested in spotting birds and ducks in the woods and along the beach since his youth.
“The Jersey shore has some of the best wildlife in the country,” adds the photographer who recently exhibited his images at local craft shows. In addition, Ferraina has held seminars at Stockton University and The Art Society of Monmouth County. One enlightening tip is to photograph wildlife between 6.30 a.m. and 9.30 a.m.
“I do believe that images shot between that time frame are substantially better than those taken later in the day when the sun is high,” he says. “One to two hours before sunset is also a very good time for shooting wildlife images—the golden hours.”
With shimmering light creating a painterly effect in his photo of four egrets, Ferraina describes them as friends when asked if they came from the same family. Along with his gift of conveying a sense of spirituality in Nature, this wildlife photographer’s images tell engaging stories—and convey beauty in every season.
Andrea K. Hammer has written arts and business articles for local, regional, national and international publications.
