How a retired Adobe employee photographs wild birds in West Virginia

Meet RicohMatt

Home base: West Virginia, United States

Some of the best photography advice has nothing to do with gear. RicohMatt, a retired Adobe employee in the West Virginia Panhandle, will arrive at a meadow just before sunrise and stand nearly motionless for an hour, waiting for a songbird to return to its favorite perch. Sometimes he goes home with nothing but a tick crawling up his leg. He still calls it “good morning.”

That mindset stood out to me when I read through RicohMatt’s answers for this installment of “What’s in your bag?” As he puts it: “My approach is rooted in patience, observation, and natural light. Rather than simply documenting the birds I encounter, I hope to create photographs that capture their beauty, character and connection to the environments they inhabit.”

Our ‘What’s in your bag?’ community spotlight series features readers sharing their favorite gear and photography, including from past DPReview collaborators. See below for what RicohMatt has to share about his unique bird photography.

What’s in RicohMatt’s bag

RicohMatt’s camera bag.RicohMatt

Favorite cameras(s): Nikon Z8

Favorite lens(s): NIKKOR Z 180-600mm F/5.6-6.3 VR and a NIKKOR Z 24-120mm F4 S for general shooting.

Favorite gear: “I used to wait for songbirds to take flight and found I could only hold my rig steady for a couple of minutes. Fortunately, the LEOFOTO Carbon Fiber Camera Monopod gives me near-handheld flexibility, and I can now wait much longer for birds to take flight.”

Favorite bag: “Definitely the Think Tank BackLight 26L Camera Daypack Backpack. It’s rugged and gets the job done on those days when you’re crawling through dense woods.

Also with the bag, I carry a LEOFOTO Carbon Fiber Camera Monopod 65″ Tall 4-Section, LEOFOTO NFC-01 Lens Collar and a Wimberley MH-100 Wimberley MonoGimbal Head. The monopod fits my setup just right and is built tough as nails. I get it wet and muddy, and it looks like new when I clean it.”

Where do birds nest that allows for great photography?

Red cardinal in flight with wings spread against a blurred green background.RicohMatt

“I love the West Virginia Panhandle. I’m within an hour’s drive of Washington, D.C., so there’s plenty to do beyond the nature West Virginia offers. I always know I’m within a 15-minute drive of home, where it’s silent except for the sounds of nature.

I spend early mornings exploring the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding countryside. My favorite locations are shooting by rivers, in meadows, by ponds and in marshlands. There’s something about sitting on a boulder with my feet dangling over the river in the early morning light. The sound of the river flowing beneath me as the sun rises over the mountains is peaceful, even therapeutic.

The river produces species such as Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, Spotted Sandpipers and many others. I also shoot in marshlands where I’ve successfully photographed Gray Catbirds. I try to make it to at least one large meadow a week to shoot songbirds, especially Northern Cardinals, Indigo Buntings, Bluebirds, American Goldfinches, Mockingbirds and the occasional Red-shouldered Hawk.

Photographing birds must take extraordinary patience. How long do you wait for them?

Gray-brown bird in flight with wings spread near tree branches against a blurred green background.RicohMatt

“Many times, I arrive at a location just before sunrise and stay for 3–4 hours. It’s not unusual for me to stand in a spot as motionless as possible for an hour as long as I see and hear bird activity. I enjoy watching the birds around me, how they frustratingly fly high above the meadow to reach the canopy of trees that make up its perimeter, how songbirds will often return to the same perch and how they can fidget endlessly and fly from perch to perch.

There are times when they find a perch and sit still for extended periods. Sometimes I come home with nothing but a tick crawling up my leg, but even those days are enjoyable because I’ve spent several hours in nature.”

How has your photography changed since you started?

RicohMatt

“I’ve loved photography for many years. It began with taking photos of my family and evolved into becoming a part time portrait, and finally bird photography, which I find is my true passion. I photograph locally, mostly throughout the Panhandle of West Virginia and western Virginia. Sometimes I’ll go to the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, as I talked about earlier. I would like to visit Cape May someday during bird migrations.

I almost always shoot in manual with auto ISO and use exposure compensation heavily. One minute I’m photographing a Great Blue Heron standing in a pool with a clear reflection, and then a Great Egret comes along in the morning sun. These two scenes are hugely different in how to take a shot, so the manual with auto ISO helps a lot.”

How can other photographers get a great bird shot?

“While waiting for the cloud cover to thin, I started putting the ankle weight on the legs of my tripod because there was no way it could remain stable considering the strong winds.”

Sony a7CR | Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS @ 70mm | F6.3 | 1/200 sec | ISO 200RicohMatt

“My approach is rooted in patience, observation and natural light. That’s crucial when shooting wildlife. Rather than simply documenting the birds I encounter, I hope to create photographs that capture their beauty, character and connection to the environments they inhabit. I believe that purpose elevates my photography.

I first let them get used to my presence, hoping they will come near me. Most of the time it works, but not always. I try to guess at the settings I’ll need for the current environment and the bird I hope to photograph, since there are often only seconds to react.”

RicohMatt really enjoyed participating in this spotlight article and would love to hear what you think of his photography and to answer any of your questions in the comments below.

You can check out RicohMatt’s other work and photography methods right here on DPReview in the community forums.

Editor’s note: This article continues a series, ‘What’s in your bag?’, highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like your photography to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself by filling out this form.