Information – The More You Know the Better Filmmaker You Become

As a wildlife and nature filmmaker, you’re always looking for locations and subjects to film. I know I spend a lot of time researching areas and trying to find out as much information as I can about them before I head out with camera in hand.

You can find out a lot about a location and the species that call that habitat home, but the best information is from people who live or work there.

Indian Creek Nature Center is like a second home. You can find me in the tallgrass prairie and the woodlands throughout the year. As much time as I spend there, I still don’t know as much as the people who work there and are out in the field every day.

The naturalists are out every day observing and learning. They’ve recorded over the years when certain plants bloom or when they’ve seen not often seen wildlife.

Over the years I’ve built not only friendships but a lot of trust. They know that they can tell me where a yellow lady slipper is growing and know that it will be safe and protected by me as well.

Just because a book says something should be found in an area, doesn’t mean that it will be. Green Dragon’s are supposed to be found here in Eastern Iowa but I’ve never seen them when I’ve been out looking for them. Jean the land steward at Indian Creek however knows where a couple of them are growing and shared that information with me. It took three years to get good footage of them but I finally was able to get some great shots of a Green Dragon.

I encourage you to do a lot of research on the locations you plan to film at as well as develop relationships with people who know those locations intimately.

You can never have too much information when it comes to filming nature and wildlife and the more you have, the better your chances are of getting some great footage!

And as always, shoot the ordinary and make it extraordinary!