Abstract
Some of Mr. Krell's fine work is on display in this issue. He was one of the winners of last year's AFA photo contest. The front cover is his 3rd place winning entry, "Melba Finch." Page 14 shows his tst and 2nd place photos, Zebra Finch and Nonpareil.
John Krell is a mathematics teacher at Orangewood Academy in Garden Grove, California. He has been interested in photography for the last thirty years and for the past eight years has specialized in photographing birds.
The interest in birds generated when a friend gave him a pair of Mrs. Wilson's tanagers. It was so difficult to get good pictures of them that Mr. Krell developed a photo box, feeling that the best results could be obtained when the lighting could be controlled. He uses six strobe lights and the photo sessions last from thirty minutes to several hours, depending upon the cooperation of the bird.
His most difficult photo subject was a Gold Breasted Finch that bounced around the box with the speed of light. The most agreeable subjects have been the European Gold Finch and the Saffron Finch. Each bird, however is difficult and even birds of the same species will react differently when in the photo box.
Mr. Krell has his own darkroom and does all his own lab work both color and black and white. It is, he feels, the only way to get the quality that he demands. He uses a Hasselblad camera with a 55mm extension tube and a 150mm Sonar tense. The film used is ektachrome professional 120.
The Watchbird is very pleased to add Mr. Krell to its staff of photographers. His work is superior and of the quality the magazine strives for. We look forward to a long and satisfying working relationship with Mr. John Krell .