Archive for August, 2011

Aug
31
2011

Pitt River Sunset Reflection

sunset at the pitt river/addington marsh
Pitt River Sunset Reflections
-click to enlarge-

   A few weeks ago I shared another photograph from this location – the Pitt Addington Marsh near the Pitt River. I made this photograph and a few others of the great reflection in the pond in front of me. When the great light showed up in the sky later on, I tried to get back to this spot to make some more photographs of the reflection with the better light but it was not to be. I am hoping to get back to this location when it snows. Fresh snow on the mountains and the ground with a reflection would be pretty cool I think.

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Aug
29
2011

Trying Something New ‐ Peas and Pods

peas and pods
-click to enlarge-

   As you know I shoot primarily landscape and nature stuff – some macro, and some cityscapes. I have never really tried to do any sort of staged product photography (if thats what you call it) like this before. Trying something new is a great way to learn something new. I ventured outside (for some ambient light) used photocopy paper for the white background, a built in flash, and a snoot made out of a Pringles can with white paper towel as a diffuser. What could possibly go wrong with high end equipment like that?

   I do think this went rather well, and better than I had expected. Here are a few more from my experiment:

peas and pods peas and pods peas and pods peas and pods

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Aug
19
2011

Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides)

woodland skipper ochlodes sylvanoides sipping nectar from a lavender flower
Woodland Skipper
(Ochlodes sylvanoides)
-click to enlarge-

  A few years ago I made it my quest to pursue the “perfect” bee on a flower shot. I took hundreds of photos – but my technique and understanding was not (apparently) very good. I wound up with a few keepers but nothing that really made me feel like I nailed it. Having to go through all of those shots burned me out on the idea and while I have shot the occasional bee since, I’ve generally avoided trying again.

  I have a much better understanding of how to shoot this sort of thing now, and inspired by this post by Robin Black, I decided to try again. The lavender flowers in the backyard are somewhat past their prime, but the insects are still all over them collecting nectar. I found this Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides) to be a more interesting subject than the plain honeybees, though the Skippers seem to be a lot more manic in their movements. I am quite happy with this shot, but is it the “perfect” Skipper photo? Not yet!

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Aug
18
2011

Pacific Tree Frog (Pseudacris regilla)

pacific tree frog - pseudacris regilla
Pacific Tree Frog
(Hyla regilla)
-click to enlarge-

   I noticed this small Pacific Tree Frog (Hyla regilla) sitting on a lilly pad a few weeks ago. Luckily I had my macro lens on the camera, and was able to at first get this “at a distance” shot before I got down on my stomach and tried to get closer. The 2nd image here shows how close I was able to get before the frog ultimately decided that it was not interested in my advancing lens hood and jumped into the pond.

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Aug
08
2011

Mycena Mushroom in Campbell Valley Park

mycena species mushroom in campbell valley park
Mushroom (Mycena sp.)
-click to enlarge-

   A few months ago I walked through Campbell Valley Park with only my macro lens on my camera. The point of this exercise was that I wanted to focus on just type of shot and not get distracted by other sorts of shots. I wanted to concentrate on the small things like this mushroom, or another subject from that day – a Bleeding Heart flower.

   Unfortunately I am not adept at identification of fungi, so I’ll get as close as possible and merely identify this as some sort of Mycena sp.
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