Altamaha Riverkeeper gives Wildlife Photography Tips
At Harris Neck Wildlife Refuge

by Mary Stimmel

It was a perfect April morning, cool, bright and clear, after the violent storms that had recently swept the coast. James Holland, the Altamaha Riverkeeper, met a group of enthusiastic amateur photographers at the Harris Neck Wildlife Refuge, where he was going to share the secrets of how he takes such beautiful photographs of wildlife. The group from the McIntosh County Art Association was equipped with cameras, binoculars, hats and bug spray. But happily for them, the weather was still too cool for the gnats.

The first stop was the Woody Pond, an excellent spot for wildlife photography. There were plenty of storks, ibis and egrets busy building nests at the far end of the pond and on hammocks in the pond or, in the case of the male egrets, doing some fancy turns in front of their lady friends to show off their beautiful breeding plumage. There were blue herons, night herons, crowned herons and tricolor herons, along with marsh hens and cormorants. Plenty of turtles and alligators were sunning themselves on logs in the water or on the banks of the pond, and the young alligators, from 3 to 4 feet long, who were sunning themselves on the banks of the pond are so used to people with cameras that they didn’t move at all as the group strolled along the earthen walkway just a few feet away from them. This made it very easy to take some great pictures of the adolescent alligators.

Mr. Holland told the group that he moves quietly and will sit or stand in the same spot for a long time so that his wild subjects will forget his presence long enough for him to get a good picture of them. He talked about the birds they were seeing, how the wood storks are very particular about what kind of branches they use to build their nests, and the many different kinds of herons that live on our coast. People in the group asked him a lot of questions about his photography, and he said that it’s not so important what kind of camera you use, but how you approach the animals or birds you wish to photograph.

The group then moved on to another pond where they observed and took pictures of marsh hens and other water birds. Holland talked about the beauty of the flood plains along the Altamaha River since there has been so much rain in the last few weeks - he said that he is seeing wildflowers that he has not seen in a long time, and most of the regulars are blooming more profusely than usual.

James Holland is a humble man who loves the earth he lives on, and learned about it from his years as a hunter and crabber. It was his concern for the earth around him and what he saw taking place that pushed him to become involved with the Riverkeeper movement. His photographs are superb, and are on display and for sale at the Altamaha Riverkeeper office at 105 First Street West in Darien, with all proceeds benefiting the Altamaha Riverkeeper. Drop by to see his work; it will make you appreciate the natural beauty of our Georgia coast.