Loon call...click here.
Admittedly, this is not the most compelling image. It's just that we don't often get to see a loon here in Maryland. Canada, Maine, Greenland...yes. DC, MD and VA? Not so much. Anyway, if nothing else, it has a call that is a little less gnarly than the last few I've put up!
Enjoy.
Heron call...click here.
I've been shooting this bird for years. They are everywhere at the canal. Quite often they'll fly right past you at eye level. Awfully cool looking bird, too! Look close enough and you can really begin see their prehistoric past. Birds as you may or may not know are direct descendants of dinosaurs. Dinosaurs! Fossils from the early Cretaceous period, discovered in the '90s, show bird-like therapods with "proto-feathers." Not only that, but modern day birds have a remarkably similar skeletal structure to some dinosaurs.
Pretty damn cool, huh? Anyway...as I used to tell my nephews, You want to see a dinosaur? Go look out in your backyard. Or, better, drive out to the C&O Canal or Great Falls and gaze at a few therapods! Til next time, peace.
Moose sounds? You know what to do... click here.
Still in Jackson Hole. Different day. Wet, cold, in search of big creatures. This guy was just sitting around, waiting out the rain. Next to me was (were?) four or five other photographers. I was driving by and noticed them standing out in this field, about a hundred yards from the road. Though I couldn't see what had their attention, I figured it was worth the stop.
I stood with them and shot on and off for about 30 minutes. The moose only moved to put his head down or lift it up to look around at the curious humans and their tripods. After I left one of the remaining photographers got a shot of him standing and shaking off the rain. I saw the photo. Water droplets spraying all around. It was a winner.
With wildlife photography patience is everything!
Next up in the series: Great Blue Heron.
Cheers.
I shot this fellow while at a workshop in Jackson Hole, WY. Actually he was a part of a huge herd. But then so was I! All around me were dorky little photogs like me snapping away in all directions. Must have been a truly ridiculous sight.
These beasts are very unpredictable. Seemingly mellow, peaceful one moment, the next they decide they don't really appreciate just how close you've gotten and whamo! ...you're twenty feet in the air then mercilessly stomped into the dirt! I was nervously on the alert for this possibility the entire time. I had the distinct impression few other photographers were, though, which made me even more nervous. Nevertheless, I--like all the others--continued to shoot away. I was at least using a 300mm lens, which puts some distance between the photographer and the twitchy beast.
Thankfully, none of them became irritated enough to go all postal on us. We all got our adrenaline rushes and our portfolio shots!
Very exhilarating.
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake.
Crotelus atrox.
Click here to hear this rattler!
I had been hoping to see/photograph a rattlesnake while we were out west. Several days went by. Looking here, looking there...nothing.
At the Pecos National Historical Park, however, we were told to keep an eye out. Apparently, other visitors had seen them a little earlier. Well, we walked around looking under rocks, in the shade of little bushes and cacti and had just about given up when Rachel calls out, "I think I see one!" And sure enough, there it was, cooling itself in the shady part of an ancient Kiva. (Click here to see what a Kiva is.)
And yes, I did actually consider climbing down in there in the hopes of getting close enough to have it rise up and start rattling...but thought better of it. I still get a little jazzed looking at this photo. My first ever rattlesnake. Didn't see another one the whole trip, though. Must go back!
Cheers.
Cheers!
Oh! And by the way... DeMatha beat Ireton for the Championship! 11 to 4 oops...11 to 3! Not bad. Congrats to my boys, Matt and Kevin! Thanks to Chris for informing me it was indeed the deciding Championship game! And for teaching me the finer points of the game as it went along.
Also, a little shout out to Kenny and Mary for being such a cute fucking couple! (Really, it's kinda gross how sweet they are!) Nice seeing you too Alyssa. Next time don't be a stranger!
Most importantly, though, is a big loving thanks to Paula and Ken (for the millionth time) for giving us Kenny, Chris, Matt and Kevin. No joke, you two done good. Lots o' Love.
OK...that's enough mushy crap! Here are the photos. Hope you like.
That is, unless you are aware of the difficulties and try to overcome them.
If I had exposed solely for the sky, the fisherman would have been too dark. If I exposed for fisherman, the sky would have been totally blown out, overexposed.
What I actually did was spot metered the blue part of the sky and just went with that reading...which in this case was 250th of a sec @ f 6.3. (ISO 100.) I then popped a flash in there for a little fill light. Help balance things out.
To be honest, I wasn't too sure I liked the overall photograph even after all that. But John said he thought it was cool. So this is for him!
Cheers.
