Light and Shadow

Nikon D750, Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 + TC14II @ 700mm, 1/320, f/8, ISO 320

Three days ago I wrote about looking for light here in Ohio and I'm still looking.  The thick cloud cover has continued but it has not deterred me from getting out.  Lake Erie holds its own allure so I headed over to Sheldon Marsh to see what I might find there.  Though the mallards are a very common sight I love the way the iridescent colors show up on this male.  Too many times we don't get to see these colors as their heads simply look dark green or even black, but the muted light and my angle to the duck worked in unison to bring out the beauty of this bird.  It even makes me wonder what other colors might be hidden and in need of exposure. 

Rehabbed Red-Tail Hawk

Nikon D750, Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 + TC-14EII @700mm, 1/500, f/8, ISO 250 

I found out this Red-tail hawk was hit by a car, rehabbed by Tim Jasinski and released at Sandy Ridge Reservation where he is hanging around and learning the ropes of being a raptor.  Hope to catch him in action sometime soon.  Beautiful creature.

Christmas Cactus Flower

Nikon D750, Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Macro, 1/125, f/11, ISO 100, Flash

It's been a while since I've posted a picture of a flower so when my wife brought home a Christmas cactus given to her by her boss it was prime time to do so.  

Frozen - Behind the Shot

Nikon D750, Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 + TC-14EII @ 700mm, 1/800, f/8, ISO 640

I was walking around the Ottawa Nat'l Wildlife refuge on Dec. 5 in the cold and fog and having a nice time when I came upon this scene.  It was 1:49 in the afternoon and still quite foggy and cold.  In fact, when I started the day it was 28 deg. F and only rose to 34 for the high.  Earlier in the day this place was covered in fog so thick I couldn't see very far at all.  There were hundreds of Tundra swan both in the water and in the air and I'd hear them long before I could see them.  Anyway, I saw this view and felt compelled to shoot it.  The tall grass was somewhat golden and backdropped by the clear, whiteness of frozen limbs.  It hadn't snowed.  This was the frozen dew of the fog clinging to its host.  It reminded me (and still does) of infrared pictures I've seen taken by camera's modified with special filters but this time no special filter was needed.  The two birds in sky complete it, I think, for their position in the frame and the touch of interest they provide.  

Nikon D750, Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 @ 500mm, 1/250, f/5.6, ISO 100

Nikon 200-500mm First Impressions, Part 2

This will pick up where Part 1 left off.  I've only had opportunity to get out a few times since then due to work and weather but I'll say right up front that I'm enjoying this lens quite a lot for its focal range, image rendering, sharpness, and focus accuracy.

Shooting the Moon Over Cleveland

Recently, I joined a group of photographers at Upper Edgewater Park in Cleveland for a "Full Moon Over Cleveland" event.  I had never done anything like it before and thought it would be fun and I'd get to meet other photographers in the area.  Well, both turned out to be true.

Fly Me to the Moon

At 17:52 on 11/24/15 I took this photo.  What are the odds?  I'd been at the computer going over images and reading blogs I follow when all of a sudden I had an urge to step outside and shoot the moon.  It's something I like to do from time to time and hadn't done it for awhile so I stopped what I was doing, mounted the camera to the tripod and stepped outside.  The moon was above the horizon but had not yet cleared the trees that surround our backyard so I waited.  Just as soon as it was clear I pressed the remote once for Mirror Up, waited a couple seconds and pressed it again to trip the shutter.  When looking at the image on the camera screen to check for exposure it appeared as though a tree branch was over a small part of the moon so I took a couple more photos without the interference of the "tree branch".  Imagine my great surprise when viewing the images on the computer and learning the "tree branch" was really a jet plane racing to the moon.  This is by far the best moon shot I've ever done.     

Nikon 200-500mm and First Impressions

My lens arrived earlier this week and I've not had a chance to really get out with it because by the time I get off work it's dark outside this time of year.  I've taken some photos in the house and was impressed with image quality but today was the first day I took a few photos outside during lunch and am really impressed so far.