Here are the best of the shots I captured.  The Milky Way was also out, but very faint and it will take some more work to try and get an image that contains both it and the comet.

I learned several things in this endeavor.  First, even though I can see fine, my eyes suck.  A lot of the other people were saying they could see the comet with their naked eyes, but I was not one of them.  Instead it took a little help from someone with binoculars pointing it out to me (quite a first impression) and then hunting around taking pictures until it was visible therein.  The second thing I learned is that you don't need to zoom as much as I had expected.  The first image below was taken with my 100-400 zoom, but the others were wide angle.  The comet is easily seen in all of them.  Third, meteors make a nice addition to any space scene.

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

The first two and last images are straight photos.  The others combined the two modes.

White Egret White Egret White Egret Trumpeter Swan White Egret Trumpeter Swan Trumpeter Swan Trumpeter Swan Trumpeter Swan Trumpeter Swan Great Blue Heron

The night we arrived up north, there really wasn't a chance of capturing a good night sky photo, so we ended up shooting around the harbor in Duluth (a place I've only driven through in the past, so my first first of the trip).  Duluth is one of the two cities in Minnesota that still has a working Lift Bridge (the other being in Stillwater).  The need for such a device becomes apparent when you see the varying sizes of boats/ships that travel under it, from regular motor boats to behemoths like this freighter.

Lift Bridge and Freighter Lift Bridge and Freighter

Here's a shot of Duluth at sunset.

Night Two proved to be the best night for shooting the night sky.  We started off at Split Rock Lighthouse (another location I've never visited, let alone shot at).  This is one of the most iconic and most photographed locations in Minnesota.  I enjoyed trying to capture different views of the lighthouse.  The first is playing with the pools that for amongst the rocks (unfortunately, massive mosquito breeding grounds).  The second is a more typical view, but I like the colors in the twilight.

Split Rock Lighthouse Split Rock Lighthouse

Unfortunately, because of the time of year, the Milky Way was not going to align itself with the lighthouse, so it was time to set up a different view for that.  Shortly after capturing this image (complete with some lucky meteors), I realized that I had not set up exaxtly where the Milky Way was, so I had to reframe my image.

Milky Way and Meteor This is a 7 shot composite, which was necessary to capture as much of the Milky Way as I could.

Milky Way

After leaving Split Rock, we stopped at Twin Point Park/Iona's Beach.  Here's a Milky Way shot from there. Milky Way over Trees

While capturing that and some other images, I couldn't help but notice how nice and bright the Big Dipper was over the trees to the right.  So, I had to get a shot.  Then I saw what else was going on and had to get many more.  Here's my favorite. Big Dipper and Northern Lights

Day Three brought us to Gooseberry Falls, yet another iconic location I've never been to.  It is much harder to get a shot than I realized because of all the people swimming in the pools around the falls.  This was the best I could manage. Gooseberry Falls

The Milky Way wasn't as bright and colorful that night, so I decided to convert it to black and white (this is a 6 shot stitched panorama).  The glow around the tree is from a city to the south, possibly Two Harbors. Milky Way Over Lake Superior

Our final day and night were on and off rainy, so we knew we wouldn't get night skies.  However, it did stop raining enough to get out and shoot around Two Harbors.  Here are some of my images from that.

Two Harbors is one of the largest loading areas for taconite in Minnesota [taconite is an iron ore that is shipped as pellets...it is the reason the hills around Duluth are called the Iron Range].  Here you can see the ore docks as well as a supply of the taconite pellets. Ore Docks

It was a really good trip and one I would do again, but at a different time of year (mostly to get the Milky Way and Split Rock Lighthouse in the same shot).  And now I know how to get similar results in other locations I want to visit.

So, shooting in December was a challenge (pun intended).

To start off, some Chanukah shots.  I thought my little baby gargoyle would add some fun to otherwise kinda ordinary shots, which is why it's perched at the top and bottom.

For these next two, I wanted to show the interesting patterns and textures left by the melted candle wax.

I play pub trivia every Wednesday with some friends.  This is Molly, the trivia mistress, on the night of holiday trivia.  She gave extra points for people who showed up in holiday dress.  The closest I could come is a green shirt.

Every year, my brother and sister-in-law bake cookies for the holidays and give them out to friends and family.  During the year they practice new recipes.  Here's this year's assortment. [side note: All this baking led them put publish a cookie cookbook.  If you enjoy baking, check it out at https://www.heritagecookies.net/]

Since it's December, holiday lights are a must.  Here are a couple of houses near met (and note how the neighbors get into the act in the second photo).

I have very geeky friends.  My friends Dave and Mary invited me over for a holiday meal.  Here's a small sample of how they decorate their tree.

Finally, one thing I knew I wanted to capture was a nice roaring fire.  It is endlessly fascinating and mesmerizing.

This is the third photo challenge my friend Cynthia has put out.  I'm starting this one off with the required self-portrait as it serves as a good starting point to explain my approached.  This photo was taken on April 1 of this year, after yet another snowstorm.  In fact, this has been either the 2nd or 3rd snowiest year on record.  In fact, I could have taken a very similar photo a week later as that's when we had another 8.5" of snow.  Even now, trees are barely starting to bud.

So, I realized very early that I wasn't going to be able to approach this challenge in a normal fashion.  Instead, I thought "why not try it in reverse?"  So, there is no greenery in any of these photos.  No leaves.  No plants.  Nothing that normally makes you think "green/spring".

So, I started off at home.  I enjoy interesting looking rocks and minerals.  The first image is a malachite ?geode? I've had for a long time.  The second one is a slab of jasper.

These are some alibrejes that I bought down in Sayulita, Mexico on one of Cynthia's photo workshops.

This is the next subject I knew I wanted to include.  It is a Jade Mountain that is on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  I'm constantly amazed at the detail that was included in this.  The first image shows one side of this massive piece of jade and gives a small sense of the amout of carving that went into its creation.  The others are details from different areas.

Since I was already at the MIA, I thought I might as well go and see their current show, which is on Chinese Ritual Bronzes.  After all, there had to be a lot of green there.  My favorite of these is the second one.  I love the shadows.

Mallard portrait

I still wanted to include some outdoor greenery if possible.  The obvious example was this mallard.  Unfortunately, none of the other birds or other creatures I expected to see were out, probably due to the cold.

Minneapolis at Night

The last image I knew had to be included was this one.  Street signs are a ubiquitous green and show up better at night when they are lit.  I've also wanted an excuse to capture an image from here for a long time (Franklin Avenue bridge over 35W for any locals).

So, those are the images I managed to capture for this challenge.  To give you a sense of what I wasn't able to include, here are some older photos that fit the theme:

kiwiThis image was inspired by Denis Brihat. He does amazing black and white images that he tints by replacing the silver with other elements (so his kiwis are green due to copper). kiwiThis image was inspired by Denis Brihat. He does amazing black and white images that he tints by replacing the silver with other elements (so his kiwis are green due to copper). kiwiThis image was inspired by Denis Brihat. He does amazing black and white images that he tints by replacing the silver with other elements (so his kiwis are green due to copper).

I did think about buying an avocado and including that, but none of the ones in the supermarket were ripe.  Instead, here's a kiwi I shot after my first workshop with Cynthia.  These were inspired by here friend and neighbor Denis Brihat.

Juvenile Painted Turtle

This is actually the first year I haven't seen painted turtles out yet.  I'm still surprised I couldn't include one.

snapperI came upon this snapping turtle while going for a walk in a local park. It was nice enough to stay fairly still so I could work to get some good images.

Snapping turtles are maybe more of a May reptile than April, but are so primordeal that it's worth including them in any collection you can.

Leopard Frog - Burnsi Phase

This Leopard frog might also be more of a later spring reptile, but oh well.  Besides, considering the blog title, I had to include a frog.

wood ducks

I was really hoping that some wood ducks would be out.  The above image was taken in April, so it was certainly a possibility. Green Heron

This guy would have been a great ironic image to close on.  It's a green heron, although I have no idea where it got that name since I've never seen any green on them.

I chose to shoot waterfalls.

Turns out I should have tried to think of a different subject.  Not because I didn't get some images I'm happy with (I wouldn't share them if I wasn't), but because circumstances conspired against me in multiple ways.  September has been fairly dry, so the waterfalls i went to were mostly at a very low volume.  It has also been a very hot September and I don't do well when it is hot.  I'm not a morning person and all of these really wanted to be shot early in the day in order to avoid hot spots/shadows (overcast would have also worked, but it's been sunny).

I also decided to avoid anyplace I have taken photos in the past year or two in order to make these fresh.  So, nothing from the Arboretum, Minnehaha Falls, or St. Anthony Falls.

So, without further complaining or downplaying things to what I am realizing is an absurd degree, here are the results.

Shingle Creek Falls - Webber Park, Minneapolis

I'm not sure how to classify this waterfall.  It has obviously been altered by people, but its location indicates that it is probably a natural waterfall.  I wanted to include the surroundings, and I also like the way the foam outflow adds an extra area of interest.

Shingle Creek Falls - Webber Park

Hidden Falls - Hidden Falls Park, St. Paul

One of the reasons I chose waterfalls as a subject was to visit some places I haven't been to in a long time.  Hidden Falls is one of those.  I actually went there a couple times since I had some equipment and light issues on my first visit.  One of the things I discovered is that, if the light is not great but still OK, convert to black and white.

Hidden Falls - St. Paul Hidden Falls - St. Paul Hidden Falls - St. Paul Hidden Falls - St. Paul

I don't know if that last one actually counts as a waterfall since it is maybe a foot from the top to the bottom (it is a series of drops in the river downstream from the falls above).  What struck me was the individual bright falls spots while the rest of the image was much darker/almost black.  Processing was really hard, but I'm satisfied with the result.

Shadow Falls - St. Paul

I had never heard of Shadow Falls before this project.  I found out about it by Googling "waterfalls near me" (I also found out about Webber Park that way).  Turns out there is a lot of scrambling required to get down to the falls along an all natural, somewhat sketchy trail.  And, 2pm was not a good time to visit because the light was all over the place.  These images were 7-image HDR composites in order to get as much detail and color as possible.  I do like the texture that comes out in the black and white version.

Shadow Falls Shadow Falls

Normandale Lake Falls - Bloomington

This is another one that I'm not sure if it actually counts as a waterfall since it is 2-3 feed from top to bottom.  It also seems like it might be man-made, but since it is overflow from a lake, I don't know for sure.  Because of the lack of water flowing, I only got decent shots of the bottom level.

Normandale Lake waterfall Normandale Lake waterfall

Hidden Falls - Nerstrand/Big Woods State Park

I haven't been to this park in probably 20 years, so it was another of the ones that made me want to shoot waterfalls.  This is one I actually got to early enough to avoid bad highlights. 

Hidden Falls - Nerstrand/Big Woods Park Hidden Falls - Nerstrand/Big Woods Park Hidden Falls - Nerstrand/Big Woods Park

Those last two images were inspired by my friend Angie, who joined me there and at Hidden Falls in St. Paul.  She showed me her version of this shot, which had a lot more foreground; and later sent me a copy that she had converted to black and white.  I personally prefer having less foreground and color since it shows the falls better.

Cannon River Falls - Northfield

I went to college in Northfield, so I was fairly familiar with the falls in downtown.  It is also on the way back from Nerstrand/Big Woods State Park, so stopping there for lunch and to shoot made a lot of sense.  The falls image turned out OK, but what really intrigued me was the way the current was reflecting on the underside of the bridge.  The last image is that reflection, which might be my favorite on in the entire set.

Cannon River Falls, Northfield Cannon River current reflection

Obviously, the first requirement was to include the city in the image.  And, since Minneapolis is "The City of Lakes" including the lake seemed requisite as well.  The final element is people.  Minnesotans use their lakes...swimming, sailing, fishing, etc.

So, after capturing several images, I narrowed the selection down to these four.  What I can't decide is which one sums up the city best (or which one I prefer).

In it I noted that I had taken more photos at Minnehaha Falls than would work in the narrative I was telling.  What I left out were mostly close-ups or images that in some way were duplicated by other images.  Also, if it wasn't clear, I don't know who any of the people in any of the photos are.  They were just out there enjoying themselves the same way I was. 

So, without further comment, here is the complete set of Falls pictures (excluding the one of the statue). 

Minnehaha Falls in Winter Minnehaha Falls in Winter Minnehaha Falls in Winter Minnehaha Falls in Winter Minnehaha Falls in Winter

Location:  Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy

The Task:  Document photographically what life is like where you live

The Challenge:  All photos must be taken on the same day

The Overview:  My friend Cynthia issued the above challenge to friends of hers from around the world (I believe people from 4 continents accepted).  So that left me thinking about how I wanted to respond to the challenge. 

The first question was whether I wanted to do so, considering what Minnesota is like in winter - COLD.  For instance, while it was a seasonably mild 24 degrees Fahrenheit when I actually shot all the photos you will see, it was 7 the weekend before (with a -20 windchill). 

The next question was where to shoot, but that was fairly easy to decide since there is so much to see in the area.  My thought was to start at the Falls, hit several lakes, and end up downtown. 

Finally, what to shoot when I got to a location in order to really show Minneapolis.  This is both easy and hard because Minnesotans are crazy.  Really.  Since winter can last 4-6 months, Minnesotans have adopted the attitude that whatever doesn't freeze you makes outsiders shake their head in wonder, shock, and confusion.  They embrace the season in ways that are truly odd to those who are not from here (like me).

The photos and commentary:

Minnehaha Falls is almost at the end of 9 Mile Creek, just before it flows into the Mississippi River.  The name, as well as those of other locations, was later used by H.W. Longfellow in his poem "The Song of Hiawatha".  Longfellow never actually visited Minnesota, but the poem was of such popularity that a statue of Hiawatha and Minnehaha was placed in the park just above the falls.

The Falls themselves are a popular photography site since they are the only large waterfall in Minnesota.  While you can capture some decent views from the top, lower is better.  To get to the bottom of the Falls, you walk down a long stairway that is theoretically closed in winter since the park board doesn't clear the steps and it can therefore be slippery.  When I was there, the fences blocking the stairway had long been knocked over and the gratings removed or trampled.

Minnehaha Falls in Winter Minnehaha Falls in Winter Minnehaha Falls in Winter

I have seen photos that other people have made from behind the Falls, but being a sane person, I figured I would never think about putting myself in a position to make my own.  However, as that last photo shows, on this day it was possible to get REALLY close to the opening while still being on snow.  So, being a crazy photographer (and having lived here long enough to occasional see things as a local), I decided to make the attempt.  All it took was maybe 5 steps up, bracing myself using some of the icicles on the side.  It was SO worth the effort!

Minnehaha Falls in Winter

What looks like water at the bottom is actually slushy ice.  The texture in it is from footprints. 
Of course, once you are back there, it is natural to look out and see where you've come from.

[Please note that I am planning on posting a more complete set of photos of this experience in the near future, but including too many here would interfere with the narrative]

Anyway, once you are back there, the question becomes how do you get back down.  Some people I observed sat down and slid, but as I was preparing to do so I put my gloved hand in a pool of slush and instantly decided that there was no way I was going to sit.  Instead, I reversed how I got up there, with people kindly waiting for me to get out of the way before taking my place above. 

Obviously, this person slid. Note also that she took her dog up there with her (how, I don't know).  Minnesotans are crazy that way.

My next stop was at the Lake Harriet Peace Garden.  This is one of five Japanese Gardens in Minnesota (and yes, I have been to them all).

My thought shooting there was twofold.  First, I wanted to show the effect snow cover has on a landscape (the last image above is because I like the way shadows show form).  Second, I wanted to visit Lake Harriet because there was an art exhibit on the lake.  Yes, ON the lake.  Here's a shot of a mooring buoy (for sailboats) to illustrate.

The art exhibit was a series of "Art Shanty" installations of various sorts and themes.

The third and fourth ones above show a series of very large kaleidoscopes and a shot of what you could see inside one.

Above is a choir (or quintet) that was performing, masked due to COVID.  Below are a couple of painters that were also creating images of the event.

Of course, art wasn't the only reason people were out of the lake.  Some were exercising their dogs.  Some were exercising themselves (crazy Minnesotan, biking on a frozen lake), and some were fishing.

Ice Fishing is a long standing tradition in the state.  Or, as many have said (including the fisherpeople in these images), it is an excuse to go outside and drink beer.  Normally they would be in a fish-house like the red one above, but it was warm enough that they only using it as a warming shed.

The hole is augured through the ice until you hit water.  In this case, maybe 20 inches.  You only need around 15" to safely drive a truck on the ice.

And, as always, when you are out making photos, be sure to look around.  You may spot something interesting like the way the wind has sculpted the snow on the lake.

Next stop was at Lake of the Isles, where a section of the lake has been cleared and turned into an outdoor ice rink (with plenty of snow around it for cross country skiers to enjoy themselves).  One of the area nicknames you hear is that Minnesota is "The State of Hockey."  Seeing how many people were out playing, practicing, or teaching in the late afternoon, as well as how young they start, makes it easy to understand where that one comes from.  And again, note that dogs are full participants.

The last stop is downtown Minneapolis.  More specifically, photos taken from the Stone Arch Bridge, a former railroad bridge that crosses the Mississippi river.  The river was integral in the growth and development of the city as they provided a way to ship all types of goods all the way down to New Orleans and out to the rest of the world.  St. Anthony Falls (seen in second the image below) was equally important because it provided power for the grinding of flour.  In fact, one of the nicknames of Minneapolis was Mill City, and two of the biggest companies to find their birth here were General Mills and Pillsbury.

St. Anthony Falls in Winter Looking over the bridge railing, I found the patterns made by the ice to be oddly interesting.  So many angles and patterns.

I should mention that I was hoping, but not expecting, to be able to shoot some wildlife as there are lots of varieties in the city, especially raptors.  What I never expected was someone on the bridge to point and say "Hey look, there's a beaver over there."  This is the first time I have ever seen a wild beaver, let alone had a chance to photograph one.  It made for a great end to a day's shooting.

CODA:

The last requirement for the photo challenge was to include a self-portrait, so everyone could see who was taking the photos.  This one was in one of the art installations on Lake Harriet.

That said, I did manage to get some photos out of the year that I'm quite pleased with.

I was able to add some interesting insects to my collection

Ebony Jewelwing damselflyClick to purchase

Painted LadyClick to Purchase

Appalachian Brown butterflyClick to Purchase

Fiery SkipperClick to Purchase

There was a young bald eagle:

Juvenile Bald EagleClick to Purchase

And then there was the series of photos I made the dock at Lone Lake under water, which worked well in both color and black and white:

Dock Under Water

Dock Under Water

So, not much to show for a full year, but definitely some keepers.

I don't know if this counts as a post-script,  I noticed there was one photos that I like that I hadn't uploaded for some reason.  Here it is:

Bud and BranchClick to Purchase

This photo was taken on May 5.  It has only gotten worse as the year has gone on.  For instance, here's a shot taken August 22. 

To better compare, note that the waterline in the first photo is just past the second set of dock posts.  In the second, the water is past the shoreline, and only 8 sets of posts are visible compared to 12 in the first one.

However, the flooding is only incidental to the image I want to discuss here.  What really intrigues me about this scene is the way the dock disappears into nothingness, with the posts sinking and converging to a vanishing point on the shoreline.  So, how to capture that feeling.

The first option was, obviously, shoot the dock.  Based on the top image, I knew this wasn't something that I could capture with a telephoto lens; the trees are distracting and I couldn't get an angle that was satisfactory.  So, something wide-angle seemed the best bet.  As you can see in the below image, the converging lines of the dock posts do show up nicely.  However, there are several aspects to this image that are unappealing.  First, the sunlight on the dock is too reflective (meaning it stands out too much against the water).  Also, I don't like the piles of dead leaves and such in the middle.  Finally, I'm not fond of the way the bottom of the image works.  To better give the feeling of receding lines, I think the dock needs to fill the bottom of the frame.

My next set of attempts happened on an overcast/drizzly day.  The lack of glare is much better, but the dock itself is still too different from the underwater parts to get the proper feeling.  Also, the tree branches on the right are distracting.  However, I do like the bit of sky showing at the top, so that is definitely something to work with.

This one was a significant step closer to what I was after.  I thought at the time that having a bit of the dry dock visible would help anchor the image and make it clear that the dock is under water, but instead I find it really distracting.  At the same time, the posts at the base are prominent but don't add anything, so future images don't want them.  I also realized that I'd need to clean up the waterline to get rid of random floating stuff.  On the plus size, I really liked the way the clouds look reflected over the dock.  They add some framing to the dock slats that I really like.  [FYI, while going through images to put together this article, I found an image that, with a little cropping, fixed all those problems.  It is included below.]

This next one has some different issues.  First, I wanted to see whether eliminating the trees would enhance the perspective, but there's too much relatively empty space.  Second, the sky was too overcast.  Compare the color in the below image to the one above and you can see what I mean.  Nothing stands out.

The final issue that needed to be resolved was orientation.  All the ones above were portrait, but I thought landscape might also work.  Comparing these next two images I find that the dock doesn't stand out enough in the landscape photo, even though I do like the way the clouds frame it.

Dock Under Water Dock Under Water

So, I knew I needed a partly cloudy day with enough blue sky to set off the dock, but with enough clouds to provide texture and interest on the dock.  Here are my two favorites.  This first one is the cropped image I mentioned above.  The clouds are nicely place while still allowing the dock to be visible in all the darker areas.

Dock Under Water

Here's the second one, and my personal favorite.  Enough of the dock is visible under the water to know what you are looking at, while the clouds give really nice texture to all the different parts of the lake (and the actual sky, for that matter).  Plus, being later in the summer, the assorted lilypads provide a nice frame to the dock, letting the empty space stand out.

Dock Under Water

Maybe sometime in the fall the water will recede enough to try making some new images.  Plus, fall colors might add extra interest.  Until then, though, there's not much to shoot unless I try wading out on the dock, which doesn't seem very safe, and I'm not sure if the ripples from standing there would work in the photo.

Addendum #1 - On a couple of occasions there were waterfowl that could be caught in the shot.  In both cases, I found that they really didn't add all that much.  This first one is a Canadian Goose that was swimming past.  I timed this shot so it would be in the middle of the vanishing point formed by the dock posts.

Dock Under Water

This one is a mallard that was swimming around the lake, up and down the dock area.  It stopped to dry off its wings and I got some shots.  Again, it is fun, but kind of distracts from the image.

Addendum #2 - After looking them over, I though there might be enough contrast and shapes to make an interesting black and white photo. 

This first one looks decent, but you can't tell that the dock is underwater until the water starts rippling about a third of the way from the bottom.

Dock Under Water

This one works better, but it doesn't flow together nicely.  There's the trees and reflection at the top, empty dock, and clouds over the dock, but for some reason they don't feel tied together.

Dock Under Water

Here's my favorite one.  The textures work well.  The clouds and lillypads tie the image together.  I'm just not sure if there is enough of the dock clearly visible to make it work in the same way as the color versions.

Dock Under Water

It's time again for my annual review of my favorite photos of the past year.  And this year it is really kinda hard to put this together since, for the most part, I didn't get a huge number of new subjects.  Rather, I've added to assorted collections and ongoing projects.

For a long time, I've had a weird fascination with dead trees.  I've found the way they decay can be beautiful, and the way new life can flourish on top of them can be inspiring.  So, I'll start things off with some of the tree stumps/dead limbs that I added this year. 

Stump-scapeClick to purchase

Mushrooms in dead treeClick to Purchase

Tree StumpClick to Purchase

Knotty BranchClick to Purchase

Stump with ReflectionsClick to Purchase

While I generally don't try (or appreciate) black and white photography, I did come across a couple subjects that seemed like they would work well.

Cactus tipClick to Purchase

Water Hemlock in black and whiteClick to Purchase

I was also able to add a couple new and interesting dragonfly photos to my collection

Four-spotted SkimmerClick to Purchase

Green Darners MatingClick to Purchase

Black Saddlebags DragonflyClick to Purchase

For the most part, though, I think this was a year for the birds.  While the only new one I captured was a trumpeter swan, I did get some shots of familiar birds in ways I never thought I would.

Trumpeter SwanClick to Purchase

Red-Winged Blackbird chickClick to Purchase

GoslingsClick to Purchase

EgretClick to Purchase

EgretClick to Purchase

Great Blue Heron with fish -1Click to Purchase Great Blue Heron with fish -1Click to Purchase

Ring-Billed Gull with FishClick to Purchase

Wood DuckClick to Purchase Wood DuckClick to Purchase

Barn Swallow FledglingClick to Purchase

So, those are some of the highlights from this year.  Hope you enjoyed them.  And here's wishing you a new year of joyful surprises and unexpected beauty.

Barn SwallowClick to Purchase Barn SwallowClick to Purchase

Then I looked up and spotted a 4 or 5-year-old bald eagle slowly circling overhead (that's the age at which the head turns white).

So far, nothing all that unusual.  Except that, apparently, the eagle caused some egrets to take flight.

EgretClick to Purchase EgretClick to Purchase EgretClick to Purchase

As I stood there, chatting with a naturalist who works there, watching a muskrat and the eagle and everything else, one of the egrets landed in the top of a tree for maybe a minute, then took off again.

EgretClick to Purchase

Looking back, the eagle had left, but an osprey showed up briefly, as did a great blue heron.  Then the heron dropped down to water level and started flying at us

Great Blue HeronClick to Purchase

only to fly past maybe 5 feet away.

That was pretty much it for the birds, except that, on my way out I decided to stop at the dock to see if there was anything interesting going on there.  And there was cormorant swimming past, showing off the fish that it had caught.

Double-Crested Cormorant with fishClick to Purchase Double-Crested Cormorant with fishClick to Purchase

As a sort of post-script, I need to share one last image.  This was the first time I saw a snapping turtle at Wood Lake.  And next to this one was the weirdest, freakiest thing I have seen for a long time.  Some friends tell me it is a bryozoan, which were around before the dinosaurs.

Snapping Turtle with BryozoaClick to Purchase

I know...I've been a very inconsistent blogger and poster of images.  Blame it on weather, occupations, and circumstances beyond my control.  Still, it wasn't until this past weekend that I really had a lot to share or discuss.

A couple of weeks ago, I was out at Wood Lake and got some fun shots.  There were these of a painted turtle:

Painted Turtle

Painted Turtle

This one is a young muskrat:

Juvenile Muskrat

And I got this one of a green heron flying overhead:

Green Heron in Flight

I've also managed to add to my collection of dragonfly photos, both at Wood Lake and Lone Lake:

This is a White-Faced Darter (also called a Yellow-Spotted Darter, for reasons made clear in the second image):

White-Faced Darter dragonfly

White-Faced Darter dragonfly

And this one is a Chalk-Fronted Corporal:

Chalk=fronted Corporal dragonfly

So, after all that, I thought I'd head back this past Saturday, both to see what was new and to reshoot a couple of images that needed work.  Plus, this provided an opportunity to go out with a couple friends from my photo club (for some reason, it is almost always more fun to go out shooting with someone else, maybe because you get a chance to bounce ideas off each other or point out an interesting subject).

As we started walking around, a glance to the left revealed something I had never seen before...trumpeter swans.  A trip to the dock and closer views was obviously called for.

Trumpeter Swan

Trumpeter Swan

Trumpeter Swan

Looking around a bit, we spotted a pair of red-winged blackbirds flying into the weeds next to the dock.

Femaile Red-Winged Blackbird

A closer look revealed the nest and the reason the female above was carrying a bug in its beak:

Red-Winged Blackbird chick

And, on the rail on the other side of the dock were some fledgling barn swallows:

Barn Swallow Fledgling

Barn Swallow Fledgling

After a lot of fun shooting these birds (and others), we started around the lake again, and got farther this time.  All the way to this dead tree with HUGE mushrooms growing in it:

Mushrooms in dead tree

I had actually seen these types of mushrooms in that same tree a couple of weeks before, but they were dead and gone the last time I was there.  So, it was a nice surprise.

The others had to leave shortly after this, but I needed to continue in a different direction to reshoot a great tree stump I had seen my last visit.

Tree Stump

I had spotted this stump and really liked the miniature landscape growing inside the stump.  However, I wasn't all that thrilled with the images I had managed to capture (the above one was the only one that seemed close to decent).  So I went back, tripod in hand.  And it was even better than I had hoped:

Stump-scape

Stump-scape

Don't those small orange mushrooms just make the shot SO much more interesting?  Plus the texture in the decaying wood and the plants (new trees?) sending up shoots.  These shots really encapsulate the decay and rebirth that I find so interesting in tree stumps.

After that, everything I managed to capture was just icing on the cake.  And BOY DID I GET A LOT OF ICING!!

First, here's another type of dragonfly that I hadn't captured before, a four-spotted skimmer:

Four-spotted Skimmer

Four-spotted Skimmer

Four-spotted Skimmer

There was actually another shot that I wanted to retry:

Water Hemlock in black and white

I had seen these flowers previously and thought they would work really well in black and white.  I think I was right.

Then, there was a pair of Canadian Geese sitting next to the path, standing guard over several goslings:

Goslings

As I got towards the entrance, I saw the trumpeter swans were still sitting in the same place, so I went back to the dock to try and get some more interesting shots (one of the ones above, as well as the single barn swallow images above were part of this stop).  However, maybe a minute after I got there, this happened:

Great Blue Heron with fish -1 Great Blue Heron with fish -1 Great Blue Heron with fish -1 Great Blue Heron with fish -1 Great Blue Heron with fish -1 Great Blue Heron with fish -1

Actually, I got there in time to watch the Great Blue Heron jump off the log to catch that fish in the first place.  Those shots were much more interesting to watch than they were to view as still images.  And, the fish was too big for the bird to swallow in that last image, but I got tired of watching and, instead, decided to call it a wonderful morning of shooting.

But, that begs the question of what to do photographically until the weather is nicer.  Yes, I could go tromping through the snow looking for something photogenic, but I don't really have the equipment for that (meaning boots, thermals, etc.).  So, find stuff indoors to shoot or go through old photos and see if there is anything fun to play with.

Last week at my photography club, it was mentioned that one of the keys to good black and white images is having strong contrast in the initial image.  Good dark areas, definite light areas, shading and texture between.  So, I went and looked for some shots of mine that fit those criteria and decided to see what they look like in black and white.

Golden Eddy

This is the first image I decided to play with.  It happens to be one of my favorites.  But, the textures in the rocks and water, the dark areas of the stream and light of the water all fit what I was looking for.

Eddy

This was actually a lot more difficult to convert than I had thought it would be.  The tops of the rocks are a lot brighter relative to the rest of the image, so I had to tone them down a bit.  The moss on the rocks on the right are a lot darker than I liked, so I had to bring that section up.  Still, I'm happy with the result.

orchid

Here's another image I really like in color, especially the contrast between the yellow in the center with the pink petals.

Orchid Detail

It's surprising how the shades of pink changing to gray makes the petals look like they have much more texture.

Yes, I still prefer the color versions.  That said, the black and white does work well and having that as an option means that I have lots that I can play with until spring.

As the year flies past us into the sunset of that which was, it is time to reflect on what has been a very strange year in many ways.  So, I'll start out the retrospective with a couple of new shots, taken while flying home from DC after Thanksgiving:

Sunset out the Window Sunset out the Window

In many ways, the best part of the year for me from a photographic standpoint was finding out about Wood Lake.  I've lived here over 20 years now and didn't realize this wonderful place existed.  And it was there that I captured my first muskrat pictures, lots of new painted turtles, several types of birds, and several types of dragonflies and grasshoppers (you may not be as interested in those latter two, but I'm finding the variations of species fascinating and fun to shoot).

Muskrat Muskrat

I've not seen beavers up close, but am pretty sure I've seen beaver dams/huts in the area.  Because of this I was never sure what the small rodents I've spotted but not captured might be.  After stopping in at the visitor center at Wood Lake, where they have taxidermy examples of both, there's NO question they have all been muskrats.  Beavers are 10x the size.

Painted Turtles on a Log Painted Turtle

It has been a couple years since I spotted any painted turtles in the area, so finding them at Wood Lake was a treat.

Hidden Egret Osprey Osprey Northern Harrier Double-Crested Cormorant

Some of the many birds images I captured at Wood Lake.  In order they are a blue heron, osprey, northern harrier, and double-crested cormorant.

The dragonflies/damselflies and grasshoppers below are from Wood Lake and elsewhere.  No reason to split them up by location.

Variegated Meadowhawk dragonfly Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly White-Faced Meadowhawk dragonfly

Common Whitetail Skimmer (female) Widow Skimmer (male) Blue Damselfly

Carolina Locust Differential Grasshopper

I also managed to add several fun examples to my collection of tree stumps and dead branches:

Moss on dead tree Mossy Knot Devil's Tree Stump

I also got some fun shots of Minneapolis itself this year.  The first one was at Lake Calhoun and shows a small sample of the number of birds that stop there each spring.  The second one was me experimenting with HDR at sunset below the Stone Arch Bridge.

Minneapolis and coots

Minneapolis at NightCreated via HDR

Finally, this was the first year I've had a chance to shoot fireworks, so I'll leave you with those and wish you all the best in the year to come.

Fireworks Fireworks Fireworks Fireworks Fireworks

Needless to say, it is something that I've enjoyed playing and watching for many decades now.  However, being a player in a team sport doesn't leave a lot of opportunities to take pictures during a game.  This past Tuesday, though, I was able to bring my camera with me to the last game of the TCUL summer league for this year.

7 on the line.  Getting ready to receive.

Because Ultimate is a fast sport, it is not easy to take good photos.  Use a fairly large aperture (most of these were at f8 or wider) and a fast shutter to freeze the action.  I also found that I needed to zoom a lot less than I normally do.  Too close meant that part of the picture inevitably got cut off.  This is one case where cropping in camera was not a good idea.

Thanks to this year's team and all those I've played with in the past and in the future.

p.s.  The term Frisbee is trademarked.  Since other brands of flying discs are generally used, the name "Ultimate Frisbee" is now just "Ultimate".  For more information about the sport, check this:  http://www.whatisultimate.com/what-is-ultimate/

White Water LilyClick to Purchase

The water lilies are blooming.  And, because the lake is much higher than normal right now, lots of them are quite close to the dock and easy to shoot.

Great Blue SkimmerClick to Purchase

There are lots of dragonflies cruising around the lilies as well.

Fishing Green HeronClick to Purchase

I even saw a green heron there.  I've never seen one at Lone Lake before, and haven't seen any for a couple of years.

Click to Purchase

While ambling on the trail around the lake, I spotted some interesting types of fungi.

Moss on dead treeClick to Purchase

Mossy KnotClick to Purchase

I even spotted some new possible additions to my stumps and branches collection!

Unfortunately, none of the photos I took on Sunday came out decent.  Many were not as sharp as I'd like.  Others were too grainy or shaky.  That happens sometimes.  It doesn't ruin the memory or the enjoyment of the day.

The above photos, if you are wondering, are ones I took on Monday in order to replace the ones that didn't turn out.  The exception is the green heron photos, which is quite older.  I did spot the bird again, but it wasn't anywhere I could get close enough for a photo.  Again, that happens sometimes.

Anyway, I went down to the Arboretum a couple weeks ago to see what was blooming and what else looked interesting.

StumpClick to Purchase

Actually, one of my goals was to reshoot this tree stump.  While I like parts of the image, other parts annoy me, like the way the shadows and sunlight fall.

Click to Purchase

Here's the replacement shot.  To begin with, I got really lucky with the weather.  It was a bright, overcast day, so no shadows but good light.  I also like that there are more plants growing around the stump, giving a more solid contrast between the dead tree and life around it.  The texture also comes out better in this shot.  Finally, I like the fact that you can see through the stump, which, for me, adds a little extra interest.

Devil's Tree StumpClick to Purchase

I think I'm going to call this the Devil's Tree Stump because the shape and weathering reminds me of pictures I've seen of Devil's Tower.

Click to Purchase

I spotted these mushrooms growing in the Iris Garden.  They are quite small and next to the ground, which made it tricky to shoot properly.  I do like the result.

Click to Purchase

The Wild Calla Lilies were also blooming.  I love these flowers.  They are so different from the cultivated varieties.

Female Red-Winged BlackbirdClick to Purchase

Female Red-Winged BlackbirdClick to Purchase

These two birds actually caused me a bit of annoyance; not to shoot, but because I couldn't identify them.  I checked through all the swallows in my bird book, but couldn't figure out which one they were.  Turns out there's a good reason I couldn't figure it out.  They are actually female red-winged blackbirds.

Great Blue HeronClick to Purchase

I spotted this Great Blue Heron on across a small channel.  It didn't seem to be calling and I didn't see a second one, so I have no idea why it was posing in this fashion.

MuskratClick to Purchase

My last visit to Wood Lake included my first photo of a muskrat.  I like the way this one looks, dragging a stick or reed.  I especially like the way the water ripples around it.

MuskratClick to Purchase

What was really cool, though, was when this muskrat swam onto the shore next to me.  It took some maneuvering to get a clear shot of the face, but well worth it.

Wood DuckClick to Purchase

Finally, this was my first wood duck sighting of the year.  It always makes my day when I can get a shot of one.

Common Mergansers

Here's a small example of what I mean.  This is a small flock of common mergansers (a bit far off shore, which is why I had to crop it so much).  There were lots of others around.

Minneapolis and coots

For instance, you can see lots of American coots in this shot, all over the lake in the foreground (note that I have a better one from last year if you look in the Minnesota folder).

American CootClick to Purchase

Here's a nice close-up of one of the coots.  It's nice that they come close enough to the shore to be able to capture detail.

Lesser Scaup pair

This is a pair (female is the reddish/brownish one) of Lesser Scaups.  They were swimming amongst the coots, but got close enough (with a bit of cropping) for me to isolate them in a shot.

Easter Biker

And finally, because it happened to be Easter Sunday, a typically Minnesotan approach to celebrating a holiday.

So, here are some of the images that I managed to capture.

MallardsClick to Purchase

Mallards are so ubiquitous that I generally skip them as a photo subject.  This pair, though, really attracted me because of the highly saturated green in the head, brighter than I've seen for a while.

Red-Winged BlackbirdClick to Purchase

Red-Winged Blackbirds are another VERY common bird, but I liked the pose on this, coupled with the fact that it was calling to others to let them know we were around and taking pictures.

Canada GeeseClick to Purchase

I love trying to capture birds on the wing, but rarely get a successful shot.  This one was one of the best I've managed.

MuskratClick to Purchase

My first ever muskrat.  Well, technically I had seen others earlier in the day, but this one was much closer and ultimately a better shot.  I had not idea they are that big.

Painted TurtleClick to Purchase

For some reason, I haven't seen a lot of painted turtles in recent years.  That day there were lots (including babies).  This is the best painted turtle shot I've ever gotten.  The lower angle shows makes it obvious why they got their name.

It was a really fun park to visit and one that I'll have to get back to throughout the year.  I can foresee lots of different photo opportunities and can't wait to take advantage of them.

Last year my project was dead and decaying trees/stumps/branches and such.  And this is something I'll continue to look for while wandering around, especially somewhere new.  The same way I always look for birds, butterflies/insects, larger landscapes, etc.  But, these are harder to come by in familiar settings.  So, what's the next focus?

Right now, I thinking abstracts and/or in-camera manipulations of images (that latter being what happens when the camera or lens or subject are not fixed).  I was out last week and made some examples of abstracts over at Lone Lake that I thought I'd share:

Rippled LightClick to Purchase

The sunlight was creating interesting shapes under the rippling surface of the lake, while the blue sky was reflected on the surface.

Tree ReflectionClick to Purchase

Here, I like the way the ripples distort the tree's reflection, creating a recognizable but abstract image.  In the past I've inverted or flipped images such as this, but I like the image as taken.

Reedy ReflectionsClick to Purchase

The bold straight lines of the reeds contrast nicely with the reflections that are broken up by the rippling surface of the lake.

Sad EntClick to Purchase

The technical term for seeing an recognizable shape where none exists is "pareidolia".  In this case, I was wandering around the lake and saw a scowling face in the tree.  I decided to title this one "Sad Ent" after Tolkein's tree-folk.

Frozen LeafClick to Purchase

WaveletsClick to Purchase

Last week was the tail end of Winter on the lake.  Most of the ice had broken up and the rest was probably going to be gone in a day or two.  The two images above show both aspects of this.  The first one is an oak? leaf that is still frozen in the ice, while the second is the small wavelets on the open water.  I was attracted to the repetitive pattern of the latter and the concept of capturing something that had been captured in the ice for the former.

On Thin IceClick to Purchase

The final image, for me, exemplifies the end of winter.  There was a pair of Canadian Geese sitting by the shore who noticed some dogs nearby and decided to saunter over to the open water.  One had no problems doing so.  The other...not so much.  As I was watching, it broke through the ice and struggled a bit to get out.  Having seen this, I swung my camera around and, sure enough, maybe 5-10 steps later it went plop once again.  You can see the hole it made. 

By the way, the THIRD time that same goose broke through the ice it was close enough to the open water that it was able to force a channel through the ice rather than flapping its way back to the surface.

That said, there are ways around this limitation.  One of the most common and easiest nowadays is HDR (High Dynamic Range).  Using this technique, you take multiple shots of the same scene, varying the exposure so that you have a large range of exposures covered (i.e.  -3 stops, -2 stops, -1 stop, normal, +1 stop).  You then load all these images in a software package that combines all the images in such a way that dark areas in one shot have detail while overly light areas have a correct exposure.

Tuesday was a gorgeous night.  Partly cloudy, unseasonably warm (60s).  So I decided to head out to the Minneapolis waterfront and play around with HDR.

Here's an example of the unprocessed files:

Note the illuminated sign and the streetlights are close to correct.

This one the clouds are slightly lighter.

The water here is looking pretty good, but the clouds are lighter than I like.

The buildings and bridge are good in this one, but the sky has lost the color.

The files were then combined into this image.

Minneapolis at NightClick to Purchase

Here are some other images I made before and afterwards.  I'm not totally happy with every detail, and I had problems with other attempted captures, so I need to play around some more.  I'm OK with that.

Minneapolis at NightClick to Purchase

Minneapolis at NightClick to Purchase

Minneapolis at NightClick to Purchase Minneapolis at NightClick to Purchase

One obvious thing you can try is taking portraits of the flowers.  Shoot individual buds, close-ups of parts, etc.  In the next couple of shots I wanted to try and get full branches filled with flowers and buds.  All were taken with the same lens and used a tripod.

The first considerations were framing and direction - portrait or landscape orientation, should the flowers be going from left to right or the other way. 

Next consider how much to show.  Since they weren't in nice pots, I didn't want to include the whole plant.  Instead, I framed the image to get all of the flowers mostly centered in the top half of the image, including enough of the leaves and enough blank space to avoid crowding the edges.

Finally, lighting and background.  In the first shot, the flower was under an overhead light, so the entire thing was lit fairly nicely.  The wall in the background is a fairly neutral color (slightly varied because it also has overhead lights hitting in spots).  Still, I felt a starker background would work better.  I don't remember if I used my black winter jacket or a felt backdrop (which some friends had brought with them), but I definitely think the black makes things pop.  The third image is obviously a different plant, but the only other difference is that I moved it so that it wasn't under the overhead light.   This gets rid of any unwanted highlights and provides a slightly softer feel.

Those are some examples of what you can get if you want to take straight-forward image.  Here are some examples where I'm playing around with different techniques.

These are both intentionally long exposures which allowed me to create something more abstract.  In the past, I've found that I can get interesting shapes and colors by moving the lens (zoom, rotate, shake) while taking a picture.  However, doing this can also lose the identity of the subject (ie. you can't tell it is a photo of a flower).  So, this time I decided to see what would happen if I only played around for half the exposure.  So, on a 4 second exposure I'd sit for 2 seconds to embed a definite sense of the flower, but then shake things up as much as possible to overlay an abstract/painted feel to the overall image.  I suppose I could have tried doing this as a double exposure, but that might set details that I would rather not stand out (such as the label sticks still visible in the top left of the first image).  Overall, I'm quite happy with the results, especially in the second photo.

So, head out if you want (or bring something home).  Play.  Enjoy.  Even if the results are not what you were hoping for, you'll learn from the experience.

Close-Up - a photograph that shows all or part of a subject.

The reason I'm starting this post with definitions is because the terms Macro and Close-Up overlap and tend to be used interchangeably.

For instance, this is an image of a butterfly that is the size of my thumbnail, but was taken with a telephoto lens.  Many people might incorrectly call it a macro shot since it shows the butterfly larger than life.

Eastern Tailed-BlueClick to Purchase

On the other hand, this image was taken with a macro lens, but it shows a full flower:

Blazing SaddlesOne of the fun features at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is their Iris Garden. This image was taken there. It is a "Blazing Saddles" tall bearded iris.

Now, you may notice that I titled this post "Extreme Close-Up".  I'm using that term for those images that had to be taken with a macro lens because they show a subject at much greater than a 1:1 ratio.  In this type of photo, the subject becomes much more abstract and revealing of the structure and patterns that make it up.  For instance, consider this self-portrait (or is it a landscape).

Ocular ReflectivityClick to Purchase

I was quite surprised the first time I tried something like this and discovered just how reflective the eye is (can you see the camera's reflection).

Extreme close-ups are especially fun with flowers because of the colors and textures that you can highlight when you look really closely at them.  This first flower becomes other worldly.  The second is a play of shapes and colors.

White Wings Tea RoseClick to purchase

orchidClick to Purchase

So, that leaves us with the technical question:  How do I go about capturing an image like this?  There are several key features you need.

1.  You probably need a macro lens.  These are subject that you need to be able to focus on from a very close distance (sometimes less than 6 inches).  While extension tubes can be used, a macro lens is much more flexible and better quality. [Note:  Extension tubes are empty rings that sit between a lens and the camera, thereby shifting the area of focus much closer.  However, they will also lose you several stops of light and can be very tricky to get to focus correctly).

2.  You need a tripod.  The close you are to a subject, the more obvious any movement becomes.  You need a tripod to remove any slight jitters you may cause from the equations.  A remote release might also help, but something similar can be attained by using the timer.

3.  The closer you are to a subject, the smaller the slice of the image that will be in focus.  You want the most depth of field you can get.  f22 is a good place to start.  At the same time, try to make your camera as square to the subject as possible.  The flatter the focal plane, the more apparent depth you get.

4.  Depending on how comfortable you are working with your processing software, experiment with focus stacking.  This is a process that lets you combine multiple photos of the same subject into a single image.  In this case, you take a shot that keeps the closes part of your subject in focus and then change the focus so a part just behind that is good, and then repeat until you have photos of the entire subject in focus.  I believe some cameras can do this for you automatically, so check you manual.

I hope you can get out and play with some subjects this winter.  It's fun and keeps you active.

"You take a picture, but you make a photo."

"People take snapshots, photographers take photos."

These are not meant to be disparaging.  Instead, they reflect the idea that there is more to photography than pressing a button.  There is a way of approaching a scene or subject that develops as you become more invested in the artform; a different way of seeing what is before you.  Once there, I don't know if you can actually take a snapshot anymore.

Here are some examples from the Arboretum's Conservatory this past weekend [Note:  The snapshots were taken with my lens at 50mm (which is close to how the eye sees a scene, neither zoomed or wide-angle) and my camera was set to Program (so I had no control over aperture or shutter speed).]

Here's an example of what might be a typical snapshot.  It shows many types of flowers sitting on their racks.  Photographically, though, it is a very chaotic and boring image since there is no subject.  Plus, the sunlight in the middle causes large bright areas that can be very distracting.

Another snapshot of the same scene improves it greatly by focusing much more closely on only two types of orchids.  However, the top half of the image is still very chaotic because of the bright light and shadows on the back wall.

The photographer will recognize those problems and (in this instance) focus on only one type of orchid at a time.  Using only the lower ones eliminates the sunlit wall.  Further blocking the sunlight with your body prevents distracting highlights and results in an acceptable image.  If I were to try this again, I might go even further and shoot a single bud to further reduce the background to a blur while framing it to block the wood dowel and black clip, which I find unattractive.

This one's not a bad snapshot.  The highlights on the fronds behind the flower are annoying but not too distracting.  However, the whole left side of the image is really not adding anything to the image.

So, here I've come much closer in and focused solely on the flower.  I also intentionally used a large aperture to blur the background.  Again, if I were to rework this image, I'd probably move a tiny bit to the left so that both types of orchid in the background are more integrated into the image, and the tiny bit of stem in the lower left corner would be removed.

The only real problem with this snapshot is the background.  It is busy.  The white sign(?) is distracting.  The wall and pipes are distracting and ugly.

Here again, focusing on a single bud vastly improves the image.  Taking it from the side eliminates the distracting background.  A large aperture further reduces background by blurring the leaves and making it so you can't see the lines in the brick.  In this case, I also held the camera over my head to get a straight-on angle.

None of this is to say that only avid photographers can get good photos.  That's obviously wrong.  It is the ability to consistently get better photos that comes with experience and practice.  It is knowing to look at the background and angle, the way light is hitting the subject (are there shadows on a person's face), understanding how the camera handles large contrasting areas of bright and dark, as well as basic composition.

This was an incredibly hard set of images for me to capture.  Not because of subject or environment, but from trying to intentionally ignore all the rules and approaches to photography that have become second nature.  I honestly don't think I can take a snapshot anymore.

First, there's the shot from last week that I've wanted to finish off for years (to check it out)

Then, there are some bird shots that I've wished to capture for many years:

Pileated WoodpeckerClick to Purchase

Red-Bellied WoodpeckerClick to Purchase

Click to Purchase

Bald EagleClick to Purchase

Then there's the tree stump project I've thought about for years and finally started:

Click to Purchase

Click to Purchase

Dead TreeClick to Purchase

There are always surprises along the way, like these:

Painted Turtle Laying an EggClick to Purchase

Wild Turkey at FeederClick to Purchase

And finally, those subjects you shoot thousands of times and then find a new perspective:

Click to Purchase

Click to Purchase

Click to Purchase

Small Yellow Lady SlippersClick to Purchase

So, that's it for 2016.  I'll leave you with the same wish I always do:  May the best of the year that has passed be the worst of the year that is to come.

That said, this post is about one that failed.

Over 10 years ago, I was on a trip to Spain and was able to spend several days in the Alhambra.  What a magnificent place to see and photograph.  The gardens and architecture are stunning and full of history.  With that in mind, we were given the following challenge:  Imagine it is 1492 and you are the last Moorish king in Spain and are being forced to leave forever.  You have a camera and can take 3 images with you and can leave one behind for the new occupants.

Ones to take with you are easy to figure out.  Just look for your favorite images, like these:

Click to Purchase

Click to Purchase

Click to Purchase

The real challenge was figuring out a good image to leave behind.  I thought about it and wanted it to send a message.  And then an idea came to me.  I'd create a double image.  One would be a shot of the gardens and the other would be a close up of a face with eyes closes.  The message is that you can force me to leave, but all I need to do is close my eyes and I can return in thoughts and dreams.

Unfortunately, this was before I had a digital camera, so the only way to get a double image was to take a double exposure and hope it came out.  Right at that time my father came by and agreed to help me.  I framed and shot the garden image, then handed the camera over and he took the close-up of my face.  It wasn't until many days later that I got the slide back and found that we somehow messed things up...the face was upside down in relation to the garden.

This failure has stuck with me all these years.  So, I decided to try and finally get the image I wanted.  The first step was to take some fairly tight self-portraits.  Next, I found a slide that I had previously scanned from that trip that, I believe, is close to the one I was planning to use.  Finally, combine them digitally, making sure both aspects are clear.

Here's the result.

Alhambra MemoryClick to Purchase.

As I came close to the end of the path, I saw some birds circling in the distance quite close to where the moon was.  At that point, my goal became getting a shot of a bird against the moon.

Hawk MoonClick to purchase

I tried tracking the birds (I think it is a red-tailed hawk, but could use some independent verification. but this proved to be very hard and tiresome since they were a good distance from me and moving quickly.  So, instead I decided to focus on the moon and shoot when one of them got in position.  And I actually manage to get one.

And, here you can see my problem.  In the first picture, the hawk is quite sharp, but the moon doesn't show any detail.  In the second, the moon detail is there but the hawk is not sharp.

Because these are digital images, it would be fairly easy to take a sharp hawk from one picture and put it in a different one that has a sharp moon, exactly where I would want it.  The question is whether that is cheating (or how much cheating it is or how you label the image to reflect the processing done).

What do you think?

I really haven't done much shooting in the past month, though.  Just two trips to Lake Harriet.  The first one was getting together with a couple of people in my photo club and the second (yesterday) was partly because the weather was incredibly gorgeous and also because there were some subjects I had spotted on my last visit that I needed to reshoot.

Here's the highlight from the first trip.  Right as we entered the Bird Sanctuary, I heard a woodpecker tapping away.  Looking around I spotted this little guy.  I shot 50-100 images, moving around a bit, getting different angles.  This is pretty much the only one that is decent.

Downy WoodpeckerClick to Purchase

The rest of these images are from yesterday.

Click to Purchase

I had spotted this dead tree on the last visit, but didn't get any good shots.  I really like the shapes and textures.

Click to Purchase

This one was basically next to the the previous shot.  Maybe I'll say it's inspired by Georgia O'Keefe.

Click to Purchase

What I like in this image is the different layers and types of decaying tree/stumps.  It really shows the theme of death and rebirth that I find inherent in the subject.

Next are a couple of wildlife rareties.  The first is an albino squirrel (it ran away just as I got to where it is, so this is the best I managed to capture) and the other is a very red gray squirrel (a color variant I haven't come across before).

Red Gray SquirrelClick to Purchase

And finally, due to the end of daylight savings, it was getting dark as I left, so I snapped several shots and merged them into this final panorama.

Lake Harriet SunsetContact me about prints

Every year, the Arboretum Photographers Society has a juried show and sale at the Arboretum starting in January.  The submission deadline is in October, so I need to figure out what would be good submissions.  That's where you come in.  I'm going to show a bunch of photos below and I'd really appreciate feedback on which ones you think are worth submitting.
 

The title of the show is "Seasons of Light", so interpret that however you wish when judging.
 

1) Click to Purchase
 

This first one I'm just going to submit since I already have a framed print sitting at home, so it is essentially a freebie for me.
 

These next images show how light is bent by heat during a controlled burn [For those of you who are not familiar with those, there used to be massive wildfires on prairies that would burn off all the growing plants, leaving prime soil and helping native plants propagate.  These are now done in very controlled circumstances to make sure they don't spread  to unwanted areas, like houses.]
 

2) Click to Purchase
 

3) Click to Purchase
 

4) Click to Purchase
 

5) Click to Purchase
 

My personal preference is for the first one showing the Fireman, but I'm curious what you people think of the others; especially the last two.
 

This next set are more abstract, showing light more as color:
 

6) RipplesClick to Purchase
 

7) Click to Purchase
 

8) Spring RunoffClick to Purchase
 

Finally, some landscapes taken at dawn, when the quality of light shows itself.
 

9) Sunrise SilhouetteClick to Purchase
 

10) Click to Purchase
 

So, thoughts?
 

Downtown ReflectionClick to Purchase
 

At first I thought I'd go out to Lake Calhoun and see what was around, but I had other things going on that made it inconvenient.  So, instead, I decided to finish the book I was reading and go over to Lone Lake and see what the path down to Bryant Lake was like.
 

Click to Purchase
 

Not much was of interest at the lake itself; the water lilies and lotuses were basically gone.  I did come across a small broken tree stump that I likes.  Took a couple of shots and continued.
 

A little ways past, I heard a quiet thumping, rhythmic.  Similar to woodpeckers that I've frequently heard there, but much deeper in tone.  Probably from a dead tree with thick bark. 
 

I heard it again and looked up at the tree I was next to.  No sign of anything.
 

A couple of steps up the path and I could see the other side of the tree.  And there it was.  The woodpecker I had heard.
 

Now, if this was a normal excursion, I would have taken a couple of shots of a downy or hairy woodpecker and continued on my way feeling please with having seen them.
 

But it was not a normal excursion nor a normally spotted woodpecker.
 

No, this was a pileated woodpecker.  The kind Woody was based on.  The kind that has teased me for years without providing a chance at a photo.  The kind I've been wanting to get a good image of for over 15 years.
 

Pileated WoodpeckerClick to Purchase
 

I start shooting and smiling.  But, there is a lot bright sky, which leads to silhouetting.  So, I overexpose some shots in order to get the bird bright enough to see.  And, change to auto-ISO so that I can concentrate on getting the depth of field deep enough and still fast enough to stop motion.
 

Pileated WoodpeckerClick to Purchase
 

Pileated Woodpecker
 

The bird jumps to the side of the tree away from me, so I go back to the other side and try and get some more shots.  But, it is amongst some leaves and not clear.

I back up hoping to get a better angle, and capture the first couple of clear images.  Boy is he wonderful (and yes, it is a male - females have a black forehead and don't have the red moustache).
 

But, I'm too far away, so I make my way back up the hill and to the side.
 

Pileated WoodpeckerClick to purchase
 

As I get close again, it occurs to me that I haven't actually heard it pecking in quite a long time, even though I can see him doing so.  Then, some tree bits start to fall.  Peck and clear..peck and clear.
 

Pileated WoodpeckerClick to Purchase
 

Pileated WoodpeckerClick to Purchase
 

A beam of light shines right by the head.  The head disappears when he pecks and comes into the sun when he stops.
 

I'm at this for somewhere between 5 and 15 minutes and my shoulder really starts to ache from holding the camera and lens steady above my head.  So I bid him a fond farewell and continue on my walk as planned.
 

Did I find anything else interesting on the walk?  Butterflies - not really, other tree stumps - not really, deer - no, other birds - no.  Do I care?  Sure, because it would be nice to capture those as well.  Does any of that affect my enjoyment of the day, though?  Absolutely not!
 

And it occurs to me just how lucky I had been.  I could have gone somewhere else to shoot.  I could have been there at a different time.  Even a minute or two later would have made a difference because the pecking sound became inaudible due to him pecking in the looser dead areas, and I would have just walked past not realizing what was happening.
 

But, in the end, I was there and got some shots that I've been waiting over 15 years for.  Sometimes you DO get lucky.
 

Japanese Garden at Como Park
 

This year I have visited all 4 Japanese Gardens in the Twin Cities area (Como was the last).  Here's my favorite shot of the garden.
 

Water Lily
 

And, here's a close-up of one of the water lilies.
 

Orangutan
 

Orangutan
 

I also finally got some good shots of the large male orangutan.
 

Baby Orangutan
 

The baby was out and having fun.  Most of the shots were not quite up to snuff (no face visible or slightly out of focus), but this one works.  And ending with extreme cute is always a good idea.
 

So, here's a couple that I am happy with.
 

Flamingos
 

I went to the Como Zoo almost two months ago in order to check out the butterfly exhibit there (I haven't processed the butterfly shots yet but I think some turned out pretty decent).  While wandering around I noticed these flamingos resting off in the pond.  I liked the way they became almost abstract shapes due to the way they were standing.
 

Orangutan
 

I also liked this orangutan.  They have the most expressive faces (or poses).
 

Dead Tree
 

Finally, here's the newest addition to my Dead Tree/Stump/Branches project.  Besides the large arch formed by the tree, I found it quite interesting that the only bit still remaining was bark (and such a large piece, well over 10 feet).
 

**Please note that all of the below portraits were taken at CONvergence this year.  I have not talked to the people about using their picture in this posting and do not intend to identify them.  They are used strictly for illustrative purposes.  The rest of my favorite shots are available here: http://www.pavellephoto.com/p817444870
 

Starting with the obvious, there are two ways a picture can be oriented:  Horizontal (landscape) or Vertical (portrait) [**square is not an orientation, since all sides are the same, and panorama simply changes the proportion of the sides, not the orientation].  It is not a hard and fast rule that portraits must be done in portrait orientation, but that is how they are done classically because that is how people best fill the available space while sitting or standing.   Go with whichever works best.
 

The next consideration is the circumstances in which the picture is taken.  How conscious of you taking the photo is the subject.  Are they actively participating (posing, as in the above photos) or is it a candid image (as below)?
 

The last thing to consider is how can you go beyond simply capturing a picture of someone.  How can you make the image special?  How can you show the character of your subject, the inside as well as the outside?
 

I want to first say that it is much easier showing character when people are in costume, because they are playing a character at that time and know how that character acts and thinks and are showing that to you.
 

This is also why I prefer taking candid shots.  You can capture the emotion in the moment it occurs.  They say a person's face lights up when they laugh and it is certainly true that the amusement and joy can come through in a picture.
 

Even thought can come through.  Shoot people talking and listening to each other and you can see the interest that is generated.
 

I have one final thought that I want to share with you.  I was told this in a class I took many years ago that was given by John Gregor of Coldsnap Photography.  We were out shooting flowers, and he said that there is a difference between making a good flower picture and a good picture of a flower.  The former is pointing your camera and clicking the shutter.  To make the latter, treat it like you are making a portrait.  Find the character or essence of the flower and make that your subject.  It's a piece of advice that I use whenever I'm out shooting.  It works for flower, birds, butterflies, and anything else.  Capture the character of your subject.  Make a portrait.  The results are worth it.
 

Blazing SaddlesClick to purchase
 

Yellow Lady SlipperClick to purchase.
 

Here are a few of my favorites from last year.  Check the menu to see LOTS more.
 

It started out like many others had before.  It was a gorgeous afternoon that begged me to be outside and enjoy it.  Not too hot, sunny, wonderful.  So, I went over to Lone Lake, camera in hand, no plan but to walk around and see if there was anything interesting to shoot.
 

The water lilies and lotuses were OK, but not close enough to get anything worth keeping.  I almost got a longed for shot of a dragonfly in flight, but it wasn't sharp enough for me (they move fast).  So I started walking around the lake, hoping there might be some deer, or birds, or butterflies, or wildflowers.  But nope.  None of those were around.
 

I did come across a nice lady walking her dog who hadn't been to the lake for a long time and wanted some directions.  So we walked around the path, stopping occasionally to shoot something that didn't really turn out.  We helped out a couple who had gotten turned around somehow.  I pointed to places I had seen interesting things in the past.
 

For instance, there was the place I had come across a snapping turtle in the middle of the path.
 

snapperClick to Purchase
 

and where there were some jacks-in-the-pulpit a couple years ago
 

Jack-in-the-Pulpit
 

Then, when we were almost at the end of the path, we saw something unexpected.  A painted turtle sitting by a pile of mud, no where near water.
 

Painted TurtleClick to Purchase
 

So, we went a little closer and saw something neither of us had ever seen before:
 

Painted TurtleClick to Purchase
 

Yes, she was laying eggs!  While I wandered around, trying different angles, my boon companion started counting. 1..2..3..4.  And I realized how really strange it felt to be zooming in on the back end of a turtle.  5..6..7..8.  Noticing that many seem to come out in pairs (one quickly after the other, not two at the same time).  9..10.  And the turtle would push them down and backwards into the mud, always with the back left leg.  11..12.  Amazing!  How can something that size hold so many eggs?  How can eggs that size come out of such a thin turtle?
 

She eventually stopped laying (or, at least, took a long breather).  So it was time to leave her in peace, having had an experience that will probably never be repeated.
 

Unless I head back there in approx. 72 days to see the baby turtles hatch.
 

A couple weeks ago, I knew exactly what I wanted to capture.  I had seen a really interesting tree stump a day or two before, but the shots I captured that day were utter garbage.  So, I resolved to go back and get some good ones.  One of the issues I had noticed in the previous set was that they weren't as sharp as I wanted, so I knew that this time I'd have to bring a tripod.  The question was then what type of lenses I'd need.  I always take my 100-400 lens since it lets me get close-in to a subject from a distance, meaning that I could control the depth of field in the background if necessary.  I also wanted my macro lens so I could get closer and sharper images if they seemed to work better.  Finally, I made sure to bring my remote shutter release to reduce the chance of camera shake.
 

So, I went out to capture the shots I wanted.  Here are the best of those.  I'll also note that the preparation helped in an unexpected way.  It was a fairly nice, sunny day out and the tree ended up being much brighter than I liked.  I found that I could cast a shadow over everything if I stood in the right place.  Using the remote shutter control meant that I could do this and still capture the image with ease.
 

Click to Purchase
 

Click to Purchase
 

That's not my typical way of shooting.  Normally I just go out somewhere and see what is interesting.  A week or two ago I was out at the Arboretum to wander around and see what wildflowers are out.  No plans.  Just an excuse to go for a walk and, if I got lucky, capture some images that I liked.
 

Click to purchase
 

Small Yellow Lady SlippersClick to Purchase
 

This last one was interesting.  I was sitting on a bench by a fountain, relaxing in the shade after walking around for an hour or two in the hot sun.  All around the fountain are tulips.  It was just a nice feeling.  And then I noticed that I could see some tulips through the water falling in the fountain.  I was intrigued by the possibility and took several.  You can't really see the water in the final image, but that is what is causing the softness in the flowers.  It may not be the most successful experiment of mine, but it was a nice way to end the day, and certainly not something I could have planned for.
 

Click to purchase
 

Turkey in the TreesClick to purchase
 

Flowering TreesClick to purchase
 

In this case, I've been expanding my collection of photos of tree stumps.  I mentioned before (last fall, I think) how fascinating and inspirational I find tree stumps.  They combine feelings of death and rebirth, reality and abstraction. 
 

And, they're a challenge to capture in a way that does them justice.
 

StumpClick to purchase
 

I like the way the roots stick out, giving it an interesting shape.  Throw in the plants growing inside and you get the cycle of life.
 

Click to purchase
 

Here's an abstract, and it is an unaltered detail of the stump.  I love the shapes, colors and textures.
 

Broken RingsClick to purchase
 

Broken RingsClick to purchase.
 

This is a macro image of a tree branch that is falling apart.  The rings are slowly separating in an interesting way.  Works decently in both color and black and white.
 

The early wildflowers are blooming.  And the flowering trees are flowering.  Which, unfortunately, only lasts for a week or so based on experience.  So, get out and see them while you can.
 

I'll try to post some of the photos I took today later this week.  In the meantime, here are a couple of my favorite flowering tree images from years past.
 

The GuardianClick to Purchase
 

Highpoint PanoramaThis stitched panorama (made from 4 images) was taken from High Point looking down at the hawthorn and crabapple collections.
 

Sunday was REALLY nice.  Maybe a bit windy, but sunny and warmer than it has been (20 degrees warmer than today, for instance).  So, after going out for a cup of coffee, I decided to stop by Lone Lake to see what was around.
 

Shortly after I got out of the car, a nice gentleman came up and asked if I had seen the bald eagles.  My answer was no, I had never seen ones at Lone Lake (several in the area, but never there).  He had seen three playing around there the day before and one was fishing earlier in the day.  Then he pointed and asked "Isn't that one in the tree over there?"  Sure enough, part way around the lake was a bald eagle...my first of the year.  So I decided to wander over and try to get a closer shot.  He said it wasn't worth the effort since it would probably fly away before I got close enough [note:  this was said aloud; you can see where this is going].  I'd seen bald eagles sit around in a tree for an hour or so when it felt like it, so I decided to try anyway.
 

About 2/3 of the way to where I had seen the eagle, I heard woodpeckers tapping.  Looking around, I saw a downy woodpecker in a tree off to the right (no good pictures, too many branches in the way).  In front of my, though, I spotted this little guy.
 

Junco
 

This is a dark-eyed Junco.  A new type of bird to me (meaning I may have seen them before but never got a shot).
 

And, as I went another 10 feet or so, I saw the bald eagle fly away, just like the guy by the parking lot told me it would.  Fortunately, I could still hear some woodpeckers, so I continued on.  A red-bellied woodpecker was soon spotted.  The big problem with capturing good images of these birds is that they usually move all around a tree trunk, so it takes time to move slowly so as not to scare them away.
 

Red-Bellied Woodpecker
 

Once I was satisfied with the shots I had gotten (and the woodpecker had flown away), I returned to the dock by the parking lot.  There I ran into the same gentleman as before who asked if I had gotten my eagle shot, since it had just flown a little bit farther away from me.  I answered no, since I couldn't see where it went.  He also mentioned that it then flew around the lake looking for some fish, but at that point had flown away.
 

So, disappointed at not getting a picture but happy to have seen it and gotten the woodpecker as a consolation prize, I thought I'd walk around the lake for a while.  First, though, there was a lady sitting down on the dock with a big lens (600mm) and nice looking camera.  Never one to pass by another photographer, I stopped by to say hi.
 

She mentioned having gotten some nice shots of the eagle with a fish in its talons the day before, as well as some fun ones of the seagulls that I could see flying around.  So I stayed and chatted and shot seagulls for a while.
 

Ring-Billed GullClick to Purchase
 

I love the texture on the wings.  Enlarged you can clearly see the pattern of the white feathers.
 

Ta-DahClick to Purchase
 

[Note:  This one looks to me like it is holding up its wings in victory, so I'm titling it "Ta-Dah!"]
 

After an hour or so of shooting gulls, and with no sign of eagles, I decide to go for my walk.  I say goodbye and that I'd be back in a while and thank my shooting companion for a nice chat.  As I get to the start of the path around the lake, she calls out to me "It's back!" and back I go to the dock.  And there's the bald eagle flying around on the other side of the lake.
 

Bald Eagle
 

I get a few usable shots (like this one) in the next 5 minutes or so and then it flies off again.  But, my appetite whetted, I stick around for another 45 minutes until the coffee I had drunk before getting to the lake catches up with me and I need to wander away for a bit.
 

When I get back, maybe 5 minutes later, I am told that the eagle had made another appearance, again right after I had left.  And I am jokingly told to go away again so that it will come back (remember, prankster).
 

Bald EagleClick to Purchase
 

Bald Eagle
 

Eventually, the eagle does return, flying circles overhead looking for something to eat.  Besides my occasional frustration with the autofocus on my camera throwing everything into disarray, I do manage to capture some nice flying eagle shots.  Unfortunately, it doesn't spot anything edible and, instead, lands in a nearby tree.
 

Bald EagleClick to Purchase
 

Of course, it has to land in a tree right behind a branch that cuts through the head when it is upright, or casts an annoying and distracting shadow when it isn't.  But, I lie down on the dock to change my angle a tiny bit and, when it is scrunched down a bit more to preen its feathers, I do manage to get some clean images.  And, after a while it flies away.
 

By this time, I'm excited for it to come back, so I stick around a while longer.  But, it is slowly getting colder and the wind is still blowing and my hands are getting cold.  So, I decide to leave.  And, as I stand up to go, here comes the eagle again [note: that's the third time it has done so as I am leaving the dock area, and fourth since I got there; prankster]. 
 

I do some more shooting, but don't get anything worth sharing and, 10 minutes after it leaves again, so do I.  It was a good day for the birds, a good day for the photographers, and I discovered that bald eagles are pranksters.
 

My favorite of the very early Spring perennials are snowdrops.  These are generally the first flowers of the Spring and, I believe, will actually come up through snow.  In the past, I've usually tried to shoot them with snow, albeit after they've emerged and been covered by a subsequent storm.  This year I really wasn't in the mood to go shoot in such conditions, so I waited until it was a bit warmer.  The below pair of shots from this past Friday show the mature flowers.
 

The other really early ones I see are crocuses (croci?).  While more colorful than snowdrops, they always seem to be cultivated rather than wild, and therefore in some weird sense less interesting.  Anyway, here are a couple of crocus shots, also from Friday:
 

This time, not so much.  There weren't a lot of birds around yet (a couple of mallards, fewer crows and gull or two).  The lake was still mostly icebound, but no wind to cause shelving (which, by the way, makes an incredibly fun tinkling sound).
 

But, there were some spaces of open water.  One of those definite signs that Spring really is almost here.
 

The below image is my favorite one from this weekend.  I like how the opening looks like a river in the lake.  And, if you look closer, you can see how the ice actually is two pieces that formerly were one.  The slow separation between seasons.
 

Saturday was sunny and in the low 60s; a day that begged me to go out with a camera and try to find interesting things to shoot.  So I went over to Lone Lake and started walking around the path.  I spotted a woodpecker (I think it was a red-headed one), but it flew away before I could get a shot.  Spotted some warblers and nuthatches, but no decent shots of them presented themselves.
 

Given my previously stated interest in dead trees, it is not surprising that the below image was the only subject that warranted processing (the ones of just the bark separating from the log weren't sharp).
 

Of course, as I was leaving a pileated woodpecker flew out of a tree on the far side o stand, and away into the woods.  And I could hear it laughing at me as I reached the parking lot.  Maybe just from evading my camera yet again, or maybe because it knew the following would be my only shot on Sunday:

I know..."So why are you living in Minnesota?" - as if that were the singular characteristic of the state.  The simple answer is that I say indoors more in winter, because it is warm there.  But, being indoors does limit the photographic subjects available.  That means it is time to try something new.
 

Winter is a good time to experiment with subject, techniques and ideas.  If you're like me and prefer shooting in color, try playing around in black and white.  If you like landscapes, try macro (and focus-stacking) or still-lifes.  Curious what happens if you try a technique in a new way, find out..
 

Here are some examples from years past:
 

In early 2001, I took a course on developing black and white photography. This image was scanned from the original negative from that class and fixed up using Photoshop.
 

Probably 15 years ago, I wanted to learn more about printing (this was pre-digital).  So, I took a black and white printing class.  This is a macro shot of a gerbera daisy.
 

There are several really nice greenhouses and conservatories in the area.  The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum has one, plus they also have an orchid show running now.  Those provide a great chance to experiment.
 

This was a stitched panorama I took several years ago.
 

orchid
 

Want something more abstract but recognizable, try macro.
 

orchid fantasyThis is a photo of orchids made by zooming, rotating the lens and maybe a little movement at the same time.
 

Orchid Abstraction
 

Want to try something crazy, go ahead.  I knew from previous experience, for instance, that you could get a really interesting effect if you zoom you lens while shooting neon lights (they give you solid streaks of color)  So I thought I'd try the same concept on flowers (in these cases, both zooming the lens and simultaneously moving the camera in some way).  As you can see, I got some impressions of flowers amidst washes of color.  Most of the time the result is garbage, but others can be really interesting.
 

I'm going to finish this by paraphrasing a quote from Neil Gaiman (actual quote can be found here:  http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2011/12/my-new-year-wish.html):
 

Go you and try something new.  Even if it fails spectacularly, you'll learn from the attempt.
 

Dreams
 

The above image was easy, for some reason.  I like the dreamy feel of the moon in the clouds.  I've always wished I could go into space/walk on the moon.  So, I called the photo "Dreams".
 

Ocular ReflectivityThis is a straight photo.I remember seeing several drawings or etchings that showed images in the eye (like a skull symbolizing the person seeing their own death). I was curious if I could capture something similarly in a photograph. This is the result.It's amazing how reflective eyes actually are, isn't it.
 

This one is descriptive in a pithy way.  "Eye Reflection" would be boring, so I named it "Ocular Reflectivity", which says the same thing in a more interesting way.
 

The next several, though, don't have names and I think they need one.  Any suggestions are appreciated.
 

dog on beachBlack dog sitting on a sand dune.
 

I'm thinking maybe "Canine Beachcomber" for this, but would welcome something more interesting.
 

I use this on my business cards, but have no idea what to call it.  And, since I don't know what type of bird it is, I can't even go for something simple.
 

This one has lots of elements, from the view of Minneapolis, taken at Lake of the Isles, and the Canadian Geese.  How to combine them all, though, has eluded me.
 

And here's wishing everyone who reads this a Creative and Productive and Happy New Year.
 

Downtown Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge
 

Lichen
 

Great Blue Heron
 

Pair of Bald Eagles
 

Least Skipper
 

Fort Snelling painted firing line
 

Fort Snelling Cannon Fire sepia
 

I saw this menorah there and thought about how best to shoot it.  Then I noticed the light coming in from the window.  And it then occurred to me that, lined up correctly, the light could act as a ghost candle, lighting the menorah again.
 

Happy Chanukah to all! 
 

menorahI liked the way the light from the window made a virtual candle.
 

Preening Wild Turkey
 

paris and pastry
 

Over the years, I've taken LOTS of images of tree stumps in various stages of decay.  I love the textures and colors.  Some seem like they contain miniature landscapes inside themselves.  And I've not been happy with the way any of those came out either.
 

This past weekend I was down at the Arboretum, wandering around taking some shots of a new statue that was recently installed.  Close by there I spotted the stump seen below (across the path was the second one).  Both of these shots work for me.  The stumps stand out enough to be the subject of the image, but the leaves let them blend into the rest of the scene.
 

Interestingly, none of the shots that were closer worked as well.  On their own, the stumps couldn't provide enough interest.  So, maybe next year I'll try using this approach to many of the ones I've failed to capture to my satisfaction.  That possibility excites me.
 

Tree Stump
 

Tree Stump
 

As a thank you from the Arboretum to our photo club, we've been invited to participate in a annual juried show and sale that runs January to March or April.  This year, the theme is Close-up and Macro.  The only rule worth mentioning is that all photos that are submitted for the show must have been taken at the Arboretum.  Here are the ones I'm submitting this year.

White Wings Tea Rose
 

Bleeding Hearts
 

Eastern Tailed-BlueI was wandering through the prairie at the arboretum one day duirng the summer when I saw these tiny little butterflies (smaller than my thumbnail). I tried to shoot them with my 100-400 lens, but it was too small, so I added a 2x teleconverter to capture this image.
 

Great Blue Heron
 

Great Blue Heron
 

I understand the last one isn't really a close-up, even though it was taken from almost the same exact place as the previous one (the difference being in the amount of zoom used).  So, I cropped the one I'm submitting to 10x8, which gets rid of almost all the foliage on both sides of the picture and makes the heron much more prominent.
 

Now, it is wait and see which ones the judge likes.  Wish me luck.
 

I'm not a big fan of lists.  To me, they are reminders of things you've failed to do or things that others think you must.  But, a couple of days ago that I do have a mental bucket list...of photos I'd like to get at some time.
 

Note:  I am not talking about vacations/destinations; just ones that I can get within easy driving distance.
 

I love raptors (that's owls, eagles, falcons, hawks, etc. for those unfamiliar with the term).  At this point I've gotten a lot of closeups of several captive ones.  I've managed to get some wild shots as well.  What I REALLY want, though, are some action shots; flying, taking off, landing.  I've gotten one or two at a raptor release, but the above shot of an osprey is the closest I've come in a totally wild situation.  If it was sharp, it would be exactly what I'm after.  Maybe next time.
 

There are lots of other birds I'd like to get shots of.  Barn owls (which I may be able to get at the Raptor Center) are up there.  But, at the top of the list, is the pileated woodpecker.  I've seen these, I think, three times.  The first time I didn't have a camera with me and it was sitting pretty on a tree stump.  The second was a dead one stuck in a crack in a tree.  The third (seen above) was one where I couldn't get close enough for a good shot or an interesting pose.  I got three photos total, two on the ground and blurry, and this one.  Every now and then I can hear them off in the woods, teasing me, laughing at me.  Someday it'll be my turn to laugh and do a happy dance.
 

I'm not just interested in birds.  There are lots of animals and scenes I've not captured yet.  I'd like a deer with a nice set of antlers, wolves, bears, moose or almost any other wildlife.  I've never been to Split Rock Lighthouse or Gooseberry Falls.  I've not had a chance to shoot the Northern Lights or the Milky Way or star trails.  I'm still missing a Showy Lady Slipper image that rocks.  Most of those would take a drive up north and away from the city lights, but are doable.
 

Ruby-Throated HummingbirdThis one is male. Females don't have a ruby throat.
 

That's not to say I haven't check off a lot of images yet.  I got the ruby-throated hummingbird last year.  It took 5 years or so to find a Jack-In-The-Pulpit.  I've gotten nice sharp shots of wild bald eagles and several types of owls.  And lots more of things that I never thought about, but make me happy.  I'll end this with one of those.
 

Ocular ReflectivityThis is a straight photo.I remember seeing several drawings or etchings that showed images in the eye (like a skull symbolizing the person seeing their own death). I was curious if I could capture something similarly in a photograph. This is the result.It's amazing how reflective eyes actually are, isn't it.
 

I want to submit one of the photos below, but am torn.  I like the first one more, but the second one seems like it might fit the theme better.
 

So, what do you think?
 

Great Blue Heron
 

Great Blue Heron
 

wood ducks
 

Before yesterday, I had only seen wood ducks in the spring and summer.  And I knew that male wood ducks lose their color after the breeding season ends in the spring.  And then, as I was going for a walk around Lone Lake yesterday, I found out that males have their full color this time of year.  I learned that their breeding season actually runs from the Autumn through the Spring.

White-Breasted Nuthatch
 

During the same walk, I heard a tapping on a nearby tree.  I looked around hoping to see a woodpecker (I actually went out hoping to spot a pileated woodpecker since several people had mentioned seeing them recently).  Instead, what I saw was a white-breasted nuthatch.  I learned that woodpeckers are not the only birds that will peck wood in hopes of finding a meal.
 

I also learned that I need to go through all my old photos again.  Until the past couple of years, none of them have keywords entered, which makes it really hard to find decent shots of things like a white-breasted nuthatch when the ones you took that day are not worth sharing but are needed to tell a story (fortunately I had previously gotten good wood duck shots to share so the bad ones I took could be skipped as well).
 

And I also learned that there are a lot that I never deleted even though they are not up to snuff.  And, there are others that I never processed or uploaded that are definitely worth sharing.
 

Not a bad week educationally.
 

But, this was the fourth or fifth release that I've been to.  And I've been at a dozen or more events that the Raptor Center puts on, all of which include them bringing in birds.  Many times the same birds.  So, finding new and interesting ways to photograph them can be a challenge.
 

This year I decided that I wanted tight close-ups, straight on if possible.  Especially of the owls
 

This is exactly what I was hoping to capture.  Eyes and beak.  Only a tiny bit of cropping and straightening was required to get the eyes level.
 

Bald Eagle
 

Here's a bald eagle.  Same concept of getting as close in as I could, but the shape of the head and distance from the bird made this the closest I could get.  The sun/shade contrast really makes the image for me.
 

Bald Eagle
 

I like this one because it reminds me of many postage stamps I've seen over the years. 
 

Saw-Whet Owl
 

Finally, here's a saw-whet owl.  These are the smallest owls in Minnesots.   And CUTE!!
 

I don't know what kinds of shots I'll try for next year, or next event.  Hopefully I'll think of something new or different.
 

In a work situation, this can be a good thing because it leads me to find and catch mistakes or inconsistencies, and to ask enough questions to understand what needs to be done and why.
 

In photography, it can be an issue.
 

My photographic process is to generally wander around somewhere until something interesting catches my eye.  Some detail in a scene strikes me.  That, then, becomes the subject of my photograph.  Anything that does not help highlight that subject then is removed or de-emphasized as much as possible.  This translates to zoom/cropping in the camera and determining the correct depth of field.
 

The problem with this approach is that you can lose sight of the big picture.  There is not only the flowers that you see, but the entire garden in which they are planted.  You can literally miss the forest for the trees.
 

Here's an example:
 

Pelicans and Gulls
 

I was walking along a beach in Mexico when I came across this scene.  Pelicans and seagulls in abundance.  So, carefully (since I was using film at the time and didn't want to scare them away), I start shooting.
 

pelican
 

pelican
 

pelican
 

I love the pelicans and make sure to get some good shots.  Together and separately.  Maybe get some of the seagulls and/or the rocks (I can't find all the slides from the trip, so those aren't here to see).
 

And, I love these portraits.
 

My point, though?  You can guess what the last photo I took was, right?  It only occurred to me after spending a long time taking in all the details that I should try and capture the entire scene.  The first photo in this post was the last one I took.  And, in some ways, it is the most essential because it conveys the setting; what it feels like to walk along the beach and come across the scene. 
 

Always try to remember and capture the Big Picture.

It was slightly discouraging.  There might have been one hummingbird (or a big dragonfly or something else entirely), but it flew away before I could get a good look at it.  The dahlias were nice, but mostly the same as the past couple years.  A couple of butterflies were around, but not many and not staying still long enough to shoot.  The rose garden is nice, but I wasn't seeing anything new (or in a new way).  In fact, the most interesting thing I saw was that there were irises growing in the Iris Garden (interesting because I thought they were dug up and saved or sold after they were done blooming).
 

And then I saw it.  About 10 feet in front of my, at the end of the Iris Garden.  A Great Blue Heron slowly strolling along.  I'd never seen one at the Arboretum before, and I don't think I'd ever gotten this close to one anywhere.  So I start taking some pictures and trying to get a better angle on it without scaring it away.  Just as I was getting there, it jumped...onto the dam in front of the Iris Pond.
 

Great Blue Heron
 

I'm not sure how to describe the feeling, standing 10-20 feet away from a gorgeous bird who is just standing around, occasionally trying to peer through duckweed to see if there is anything to eat.  Watching as it gets tired of that and decides to preen and scratch, because it feels good and comfortable.
 

Great Blue Heron
 

Great Blue Heron
 

(notice on the one above that it is actually the lower eyelid that is partially closed)
 

Great Blue Heron
 

Some days you just get lucky.  Monday was one of those for me.
 

I did notice something weird, though, when I started reviewing the images I took...most of them didn't look right.  The ones that were just shots of the fort were fine, but any that had historical elements seemed off.  So, I played around with them a bit and discovered that they looked best if I processed them with a sepia tone.  Straight black and white wasn't good enough; it had to be sepia.

It even goes a bit further, because the ones I posted last week, with their more painterly quality, were much better in color.  Partly that is because the flaws that make them interesting to me are exacerbated in sepia (or b&w).  But, moreso, the idea that they are "painted" means they need to be in color, while photos from 100 years ago are sepia.  It is the mental training we have unconsciously received by always seeing them that way.

Below are some examples to demonstrate what I'm talking about.

This first one is probably the best of the color versions.  That said, the clothes just don't seem right.  The color seems artificial for some reason (and yes, I did try playing with it but it didn't make a difference).  The sepia toned version makes everything look "correct".

Fort Snelling Cannon Fire

Fort Snelling Cannon Fire sepia

These next two really shouldn't make any difference since they are basically landscape images.  Still, the sepia gives a better sense of the "historic".

Fort Snelling Cannon]

Fort Snelling Cannon sepia

These last two, for me, have the most dramatic difference between the two.  The color image is fairly boring.  It just shows the standing rifles (or muskets).  The sepia one has a better feel to it for me.  Maybe it is in the way the grass and dirt blend into the background (where the green grass stands out more).  

Fort Snelling Rifles

Fort Snelling Rifles sepia

In general, I like my photos sharp, at least somewhere in the image.  Selective focus, of course, can lead to portions of the image being out of focus (generally a blurry foreground or background).  Then there are the shots where I've intentionally done something to make the image more abstract.  A lot of the time this involves rotating or moving the camera to cause streaks and blurs.
 

And then there are ones like these.  The ones that are purly accidents.  The ones you composed just like you wanted but, for some reason, the camera wasn't still when you clicked the shutter.  I love these.  They have a painted, impressionist quality to them that transcends both painting and photography.  They are sharp enough that you can get all the details, but at the same time, there is a motion or life to them caused by the camera shaking or moving that tiny bit.  Put them on canvas, or watercolor paper, or anything that has an inherent texture, and they would come to life even more.
 

I just wish I knew how to do this intentionally.
 

Fort Snelling painted soldiers
 

Fort Snelling painted soldiers
 

You see, I've been out shooting recently and have managed to capture some shots of really tiny butterflies. 
 

You know the ones.  They look like small dots of color flitting about the grass and flowers.  The ones around the size of your thumbnail.
 

But, there is no official term that I've been able to find for butterflies based on their size; only breed or type.
 

So, let me introduce you to some THUMBNAIL BUTTERFLIES.
 

I think what suprises me about these thumbnail butterflies (besides the fact that there isn't an official name for them) is that they can be as ornate as the larger ones.
 

Least Skipper
 

Least Skipper

(a slightly closer view)
 

Eastern Tailed-Blue

(yes, that is a clover it is sitting on)
 

Common Ringlet

(this last one is the largest, and may actually be the size of my thumb knuckle, but why quibble)
 

One experience that helped drive this feeling home to me occurred on my first workshop in France, which I went on with my parents back in October of 2000.
 

One day we stopped by a local vineyard/winery to look around, do some shopping and take some pictures.  I was standing near my father as he set up a shot.  When he was happy with what he had, he called me over to show the view.  I noticed two things...First, it was an interesting shot.  Second, I would do it differently.  So, when he was done, I borrowed his tripod and set my camera on it.  Exactly the same place.  Exactly the same height.  Just a slightly different composition.
 

Here's the shot I took.  I wish I had a copy of his as well, to show the differences.  Because they are different.  And that's one of the great things about photography:  Everyone sees differently.  Everyone is attracted to different things or notices different details or has a different idea of how to capture a scene.
 

Chateau La CanorgueVineyard in Provence, France.
 

One final note while on this subject.  My parents would travel with two cameras since they each wanted to make their own images.  But, sometimes they'd go out with just one to save space or weight.  It didn't matter.  They could still tell who took which picture, days or weeks later.

Back in the spring of 2007, I was back in NY for Passover.  Staying with my parents in the house I grew up in.  We had a really large living/dining room (big enough to seat 30 people for Thanksgiving).  Windows along the wall, with plants in 3 or 5 macrame hangers.  The centerpiece on the dining room table was a collection of carved animals that my parents had accumulated over the years.
 

So, we were sitting at the dining room table one afternoon, chatting about something or other when I noticed something kinda fun and bizarre.  It wasn't just that the sun shining through the window was casting shadows of the animals on the wall.  It was also that the light through the hanging plants was giving the shadows a leafy, jungly atmosphere.  And, there was a slight breeze blowing the plants, so there was movement to the shadows.
 

After pointing this out to everyone, I ran up to my room to grab my camera, sprinted back down and started taking some pictures.  Here's my favorite of those.  Welcome to Africa in Suburbia.
 

Shadowplay
 

I was walking around Lone Lake without a camera (which is almost always a mistake).  I came across a nice couple who were looking at some trees.  When I asked why, they quietly pointed to a barred owl, which soon flew away.  They mentioned that they had seen the same one in that same tree the past several days, so I resolved to come back with my camera.
 

The next day, or maybe it was the one after that, I went back and, sure enough, there was an owl sitting in the same tree.  It was looking away from me, but I started taking some pictures anyway.  This must have gotten its attention, since it lazily looked around to see what was causing the very quiet clicking sound (that being the shutter).
 

Barred Owl

So, I continue shooting and shortly someone else comes along the path.  I quietly motion towards the owl and point.  They then point out that they hadn't noticed that one, but instead had seen the one much higher in the tree.  So, I look up and, sure enough, there's a second barred owl, staring down at me/us.  So I switch subjects and start getting some shots of the second one.
 

Barred Owl I learned a valuable lesson that day...don't miss seeing the owl for the owl.
 

And now some shots from last year.
 

There's a new art gallery in St. Paul that opens its doors for the first time on Wednesday http://theshowartgallery.org/.  The official opening is in August. 
 

They had a general call for artists over the weekend, so I stopped by to discuss particulars with them and to see what type of stuff they were looking for.  To make a long story short, I dropped off two framed prints there earlier (see images below).  I encourage anyone who can, go visit the gallery.  It is in Lowertown St. Paul, on 4th St. between Wacouta and Wall St.
 

As with almost all the images I include in these blog posts, prints are available if you click on the image (or any other on the website). 
 

If you go to the gallery, you will see that the prints here are less expensive than those in the show.  The reason for this comes down to matting/framing costs and effort (ie. I don't have to print, matte or frame anything you purchase through this site).
 

resting flamingo
 

cedar waxwing
 

Here's a shot I got flying home from NYC.  It may need a bit more processing, but I like the feel.
 

Flying into Minneapolis
 

First, downtown Manhattan is not all that large an area, so there are lots of different locations of historic significance within a block of each other.
 

Second, downtown Manhattan has been settled for well over 350 years and there are still a lot of historic sites still standing (or memorials to those that aren't).
 

So, let's start our wandering at Pier A, which is the southernmost tip of the island and also the point closest to both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (second image).
 

Pier A
 

Ellis Island
 

A fairly short walk from there, you can visit Wall Street (but I didn't get a decent picture of the Stock Exchange) and then a block or so later, to Federal Hall, which was where the US government convened and where George Washington was inaugurated as President.

Federal Hall and Trinity Church
 

On the far left of the above photos, you can see Trinity Church, which dates back to the 1700s (the version seen here was rebuilt in 1846 (after a fire destroyed the original in 1776 and the second was damaged by weather).  Wander around there and you will quickly see the grave/memorial below (and many others I didn't know to stop and look for):
 

Associated with Trinity is St. Paul's Chapel, which has another historic, picturesque graveyard.
 

And then, across the street from St. Paul's Chapel is where the twin towers of World Trade Center once stood.  The 9/11 memorial is still under construction, but the footprints of the two towers have been excavated and converted into a very touching site.
 

9/11 Memorial
 

9/11 Memorial
 

No, I do not know the person named or who put the flower there.  It does add to the sense of the place, though.
 

Finally, next door is where the new Freedom Tower looms over the downtown skyline at 1,776 feet tall.
 

Freedom Tower
 

Freedom Tower
 

Freedom Tower
 

The first two images of the Tower were taken at the base, looking up to get a sense of the height.  The final one is a stitched panorama taken by the South Tower pool at the 9/11 Memorial.
 

This first image is a stitched panorama taken of downtown Manhattan from the first supporting tower.
 

Downtown Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge
 

This next two were along the river about a block away from the base.  I think the moon gives the images a needed bit of balance.
 

The rest are from the bridge itself.  I think I (and everyone else who shoots there) feel a bit in love iwth the patters made by the support cables.  Not that that's a bad thing.
 

Gosling
 

I was on a photo trip in the Czech Republic almost 7 years ago now when we stopped in Telc.  As you can see in the first image, many of the buildings are quite decorative and decorated.  Someone on the trip mentioned that, back in medieval times, it was quite common to have that sort of drawing and writing on buildings.  In fact, they said that this sort of decorative style was the origin of the word "grafitti".
 

But, that's not right.  It actually comes from a pottery process of scratching designs into pots, and was later applied to inscriptions and pictures done on walls that were seen in ancient sepulchres (examples of which are apparently visible in Pompeii).  So, that term and practice go back millenia.
 

Then I got to thinking.  I had heard that the word "story" (in reference to a floor of a building) originally came from a practice of writing stories or drawings on buildings.  Maybe this wasn't grafitti but a story.
 

But, that may not be right either.  I checked and there is no accepted origin of how building stories came to be called that (some say it derives from the same root as "history" and ties to the drawing of biblical pictures/stories on buildings; others thought it might be based on "stair"). 
 

It apparently was a medieval (14th century) practice to draw pictures and such on each floor of a building (so that part fits), but the term is older (12th century or older).
 

And thus endeth today's lesson in theoretical etymology.
 

So there I was, ambling around Lake Calhoun, enjoying being outside and wondering if there would be anything new or different to shoot (or, even more of the same, meaning assorted birds).  The place was nice and crowded, with people doing all sorts of games/sports/etc., relaxing, enjoying the water.  So I stopped and tried to get some shots of the people with the city in the background.  None really special or worth posting, so I continued along the path.
 

And then I spotted someone levitating several feet in the air.
 

I stopped and looked for wires, but didn't see any.  So, I walked closer and, once there were no people obscuring the view, I could see what was going on.
 

If it's not clear, the strap is several feet off the ground, even with him standing on it.
 

Needless to say, I was intrigued, so I wandered over to get a better view and see whether it would be alright to take some shots (the answer to which, obviously, was "no problem").  Here are some more shots.
 

The gentleman's name is Jordan Below.  He told me that he does this as a form of meditation.  It is fascinating to watch, from walking to bounching to posing, to, for want of a better phrase, surfing (that's what the last couple of shots show, him swinging the strap from left to right while balancing in the middle).
 

He even offered to let me try.  The combination of jeans, camera, and feeling out of shape led me to decline.  I've regretted that ever since.  Maybe I'll run into him again sometime.
 

I was walking around the lake and someone mentioned there was a bald eagle in a tree a bit farther along.  So, I kept walking and, when I got to the place indicated, saw nothing.  Continuing along another quarter mile or so, I found this one:
 

But, as you can see, it was hiding behind small branches.  And it didn't like me trying to get closer and flew off back the way I had come.
 

So, I turned around and sought to follow, presumably after it settled in somewhere.  I asked some people along the way, but they only said it had flown past.  Then, somone pointed out a pair circling high above.  I tried to get sme shots, but only managed some eagle dots.  At that point, I figured I'd just head back to the car and leave.  But, on the way, I came across this:
 

That's right.  A pair of bald eagles sitting on a tree over the path back to my car.  So, I settled in for the next hour trying to get some decent shots and hoping to capture a good image when they decided to leave.  That last hope was in vain (since they caught me unprepared), but I did manage to get a couple more shots I like.  Hope you do too.
 

It still does.
 

I got lucky (but the extent of that is a story for another day).
 

The coots were out in force.  Hundreds of them, densely packed together.

Sometimes, as they were swimming along, a group of 20-100 would race to the front.  Taking flight, but no altitude.

I wanted to capture a sense of what it was like.  The cityscape on the other side of the lake made an obvious background.  I also knew I wanted as many coots as possible in the foreground to give a sense of the numbers.  I first looked at using a smaller zoom setting (maybe 100mm) while close to the shore, but that didn't catch enough birds.  So, I backed off quite a distance and increased the zoom to 400mm.  This moved the birds closer visually to the city and included many more (closer to half the flock, rather than a third).  I'm happy with the result.

What's weird about shooting them, though, is that I appreciate them more when they are actually surrounded by snow.  White flower with white background, green stems standing out shouting that "Spring Has Arrived!"

But, and here's the strange thing, I only see them that way after a late snowstorm.  They need fresh snow to shine.  Old, dingy, dead snow doesn't do it.  Growing through dead fall flowers doesn't do it.

So, paradoxically, my favorite sign of Spring is tied directy to what should be the last snow of Winter.

Now, look below and tell me you disagree.

SnowdropClick to Purchase

You see, I had a strange realization the other day...if I count time spent in college, I've been living in Minnesota over half my life (if I don't include college, half-life will hit on my birthday next year).  And I have no idea how I feel about that.

I can certainly say that I love living here and have no interest in moving.  If asked, I'd say that my home is in Minnesota (before my parents moved out of the house I grew up in, that was always home).

But, I don't think of myself as a Minnesotan.  There are too many small things that I just don't get/understand/feel to make me one.  I grew up in a different culture.  Different rules and interests.  Different vocabulary and mindset.

I don't think any of that will ever go away.

And I don't know how I feel about that.

Nic at NiteNicolette Avenue at night Click to purchase.

Then there are the other things you might come across.  Sights that show up for a brief time and then aee gone.

A couple of years ago, I was walking along 3-mile Drive by the Iris Pond.  Looking over, I saw the runoff from the pond was different than I've usually seen it...a rootbeer color.  Since there wasn't anything else about the scene that was overly interesting to me at the time, I decided to create an image that would highlight the color in an abstract sort of way.  Here are two shots I took that day, showing the color and motion of the runoff.

Spring RunoffThis was taken at the end of the iris pond at the arboretum. The small runoff waterfall had this incredible rootbeer color.

Spring RunoffThis was taken at the end of the iris pond at the arboretum. The small runoff waterfall had this incredible rootbeer color.

Normally, I prefer to create an image in the camera.  Something catches my eye and I compose and shoot to capture what I saw.  If, while making that image something else occurs to me, I'll recompose for that and get that shot as well.

When processing an image, though, I'll occasionally see something unexpected.  Something new and exciting.

Example 1:  Wonderment

In the Shrub Rose Garden at the Arboretum, there is a statue titled "Wonderment".  The first time I ever saw this statue, I captured the below image.

Wonderment

I really like the way the reflection is separate (colorwise) from the image.  Then it occurred to me that the reflection would make an interesting image on its own.  I cropped the reflection and flipped it so that it was right-side up in relation to the statue's placement.  The texture caused by the rippling water makes it seem painted.

Reflected WonderThis is the reflection part of the Wonderment statue photo. I cropped and flipped it in photoshop to isolate the image

Example 2:  Self-Portrait

My friend Sarah has a lot of reptiles.  One day she allowed me to come over and shoot them [with a camera, obviously].  Here's an iguana I shot that day.

Iguana

While processing the image, I noticed something strange in the eye.  Enlarging it on the screen, I discovered myself.  So, I cropped the eye, keeping all the texture and color (since they are interesting on their own).  The result is a unique self-portrait.

Iguana EyeAn unexpected self-portrait

The first one I read was "A Storm of Witchcraft" about the Salem witch trials (1692).  I had heard the author on MPR and it sounded interesting.  Plus, I knew very little about the subject.  Besides the historical facts of the trials themselves, what the book brought home was their place in history.  They took place 70 or so years after Plymouth (1620) was founded (even less for Massachusetts Bay-1628).  So, the grandparents some of the people involved were amongst those founders.  And, it was only 80 years or so before the Revolutionary War, so some of the participants grandchildren were involved in that.  They were also only 5 years after the Glorious Revolution in England (1688), and the political turmoil there affected the people.  In fact, this was the same year that Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay were rechartered into one colony.  People like Cotton and Increase Mather, who I just knew as early Puritan leaders, were active and affected by the trials.  All that history that I knew about separately was all happening at the same time.

The second book was "Who Murdered Chaucer", which, as the authors state, is more of a "was-it-done" rather than a "whodunnit".  Basically, Chaucer disappeared in 1400.  No word about him alive after that year.  And, no mention of his death.  None of his manuscripts survive.  No will.  Nothing in any chronicles written at that time.  But, why is the year 1400 significant?  Because, in 1399 Henry IV deposed Richard II.  And Chaucer was involved with both.  He was technically related to Henry by marriage.  He was a spy and courtier and functionary in Richard's court.  And, at the time, there were competing ideas about books written in English, especially around religion or criticism of religious figures (especially after Henry took over).  So, besides learning about Chaucer himself, you get a whole new perspective on the end of the 14th century.  Very different from what Shakespeare wrote, by the way.

Here's a photographic example:

In January 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella kicked the last Moorish king out of the Alhambra (and Spain)

This photo was taken around 9 a.m. and the sun was so bright already that it totally blew out the floor.

 A few months later, still in Granada, they funded Columbus's first trip to the Indies/America.

columbus and isabella statue

That was when several issues became apparent.  The first was figuring out how I wanted the water to look.  I knew I wanted a somewhat slow exposure in order to smooth the flowing water and to help emphasize the circular motion of the eddy.  But, even at the lowest ISO setting and smallest aperature, I couldn't get the effect I had in mind.  Then I remembered reading that a polarizing filter was neutral (ie. won't affect color) and could slow an exposure by 2 stops.  So, using that setup, I was able to get the 2 second exposure that I was ultimately after.

The next problem was situational.  The whole idea was to show leaves circling in an eddy.  But, there were no leaves in the eddy.  And, the ones that were in the water weren't moving.  It occurred to me that dropping leaves into the water might work.  But, the camera was set up on a bridge and the eddy was a significant distance away.  So, I set the timer and ran, dropping a couple of leaves in the water; above the small drop and then directly into the eddy.  Neither showed up well in the final image.  So, next step was larger handfuls [fortunately, it was later in the fall, so there were plenty of leaves].  Dropping them up top didn't do much.  Dropping them into the eddy, though, seemed to do the trick.

So, here are the best two photos from that shoot.  The top one has better color (I especially like the mix of red and yellow), and I like the sorta paisley shape.  The second one has stronger color and a better composition (the rocks framng the streamlet, and the water at the top right  balancing the eddy at the lower left, creating a good diagonal).

Eddy - Upper Falls

Golden Eddy - Upper Falls

Partly, it's a holdover from when I first started making photos using print and slide film.  In those days, if you wanted any darkroom work done (even simple cropping) would cost extra.  Then came digital cameras and home printers.  Processing a digital file is much easier, but you lose data when cropping (which was a big problem with the smaller files that were common in older cameras).

That said, there are times when you can't capture the exact image you wanted.  In these cases, selective cropping is necessary to make a photo really pop.

To demonstrate, I'm going to do something you will rarely see.  I'll include a copy of the uncropped image followed by my preferred image.

1)  Straight cropping.  Sometimes you can't get as close to your subject as you might want.  This is common with any sort of wildlife.  Get too close and the subject will flee.  Another reason to straight crop an image is to fit a frame.  Standard 35mm images have a 3x2 proportion, but many papers and frames are not that [example:  a full frame image would be 8x12, which means that you lose 2 inches with an 8x10 frame, or other pieces if you use 8.5x11 paper).

Original:

Cropped - I cropped this one to better show off the hummingbird.

Ruby Throated HummingbirdThis one is female. Only males actually have the ruby throat.

2)  Excess blank space.  Too much foreground or background is boring.  Remove a bit and the whole composition can become much better.  Note that this can result in a panoramic image (ie. one that is much longer or taller than expected).  Panoramas can be much more interesting and dynamic than straight images.  The downside is they are harder/more expensive to print and frame (but it can be worth it).

Original:

Cropped - There's a bit more sky than I like in this original.  Cropping makes the image much stronger.

A Day at the BeachThe horses on Assateague Island are "wild," meaning that people are supposed to leave them alone. However, they are so used to people that they'll wander through campgrounds and anywhere else they want. They usually avoid the beaches, but when I was there it was so hot and the mosquitos on the other side of the island were so voracious that they decided to hit the beach.

This was cropped to eliminate some blank sky. I think it makes for a more dynamic image.

Original:

Cropped - This image has a lot of excess sky and foreground water.  When I cropped some of those, however, I found the still felt wrong.  So, a bit of cropping on the left and right was necessary.  I love the resulting panorama.

3)  Too much distraction.  Sometimes you just can't get the image you want.  Maybe it is because of the proportions.  Maybe it is because of other things around the subject.  Cropping can fix all of that.

Original:

Cropped - What drew me to make this image was the shape of the orchid.  I wanted a silhouette so that the shape was emphasized.  But, there was not a lot of space available to capture a single flower.  So, this original has a bit of the window frame showing, as well as unwanted flowers above and below.  So, I cropped initially to eliminate all of those.  However, it wasn't satisfying when the image was closer to a portrait.  Cropping to square works better to my eye.

When I saw these flowers, my first thought was "cool...dragons". The silhouette helps emphasize this.

Yes, I also tweaked the color on these in small ways (most obvious in the panorama of the geese in front of the Minneapolis skyline).  But, it is the cropping that really makes the composition and, therefore, the image really work.

None of the photos was close to decent.  Too much camera shake.

So, I went back the next week, tripod in hand, to reshoot the lichen...and further problems arose.  Turns out the spot that attracted me is too high to shoot the composition I had in mind.  Even at full extension of the head and the legs almost together, I couldn't get what I wanted.  The shot below is the closest I came, but I'd have really preferred the round yellow and white clump on the bottom of the image rather than the top.

Lichen

What I did like, though, was the texture and detail in the lichen, especially contrasted with the tree bark.  So, I recomposed to landscape.  Then I spotted the single piece of fluff (cattail seed?) on the left, which provides a weird sense of balance to the image.

So, keep working at it.  Even if you don't end up where you expected, the final result may surprise and please you equally (or more).

Lichen

Style comes in how you frame the image, the depth of field you select, what catches your eye in the frst place.

Still, every now and then you see or capture something atypical.  Maybe you were in a different mood, or something happened that prevented you from getting your nomal image.

Cherish these occasions!  They can lead to something special

The image below was taken in Provence, France.  I was on a photo trip, and we had gone to this small town to shoot water.  Except the weather was lousy and there weren't reflections available where I wanted them.  So, when I saw this shop window, I snapped a picture.  Just one.  Just so I could say I got a reflection shot while in the town.

Turns out, it is one of my favorite shots.  There's so much going on.  So many layers.  So many stories.  And not something I've ever been able to dupicate.

So, if you ever encounter circumstances where you can't shoot as you normally would, embrace the challenge.  You can get somethng special.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when shooting in snow.  First, the camera reads snow (and everything else) as gray.  So, pay close attention to exposure (both when shooting and also when processing).  Try to keep the snow white, but don't over- or under- expose the rest of the image while compensating.

That said, there are several ways to approach shooting in the snow:  subjects covered in snow, subjects on top of snow, subjects that are wintery (regardless of snow).

Going back to front, here's an of example of a wintery setting:

Frozen FallsMinnehaha Falls frozen in winter.

This was taken several years ago at Minnehaha Falls (although something similar is available every winter).  When the Falls freeze, you get very interesting sets of icicles.  It is even possible to go behind the Falls, but that requires better footing than I was comfortable with, especially carrying a camera.  Note that the blue is both from the water and from reflecting the blue of the sky.

I took this on the way to work one morning.

Here's a different sort of wintery landscape.  This one highlight the snow on the trees.  I was especially fond of the way the snow sticks to the side of the tree. 

I love shadows.  They clearly show something that is not actually there.  They're real and fake at the same time.  They also show up great on/against snow.  One thing to keep in mind, though, is that providing an anchor point can greatly help the viewer understand what they're looking at (like the trunk in the top right corner).

Trunk and ShadowIn early 2001, I took a course on developing black and white photography. This image was scanned from the original negative from that class and fixed up using Photoshop.

Obviously, snow and winter can also work well in black and white.  Textures stand out well and any white in the snowy areas are expected.

Plants (and other things) covered in snow can also be interesting.  The yucca plants here become abstract and repetitive shapes, recognizeable but unexpected.

Or, finally, you can just play around with the snow itself.  Small mounds become hills and dunes.  Windblown textures abound.  Shadows stand out and define the shapes.

So, play around and see what else you can do when out in the snow.

Play!

Try to do something you've never tried.  Something absurd.  Something you would normally hate.  Anything new, just to see the result.

If you like the result, do it again.  If you hate it, delete them pixels.

There's an orchid show opening down at the Arboretum this week.  Admission is free through January.  These are a great subject to go crazy with.

Here's what I mean:

This is a stitched panorama (that I wish hadn't been cropped off the top).  Shoot the whole flower, or bunches.  Or try stitching ones together for a different perspective.

orchid

Try macro or close-up shots.  The colors and shapes are fantastic.  You could try convering them to black and white if you really want to experiment.

orchid fantasyThis is a photo of orchids made by zooming, rotating the lens and maybe a little movement at the same time.

What happens if you move the lens in some way while making your exposure?  Zoom in or out?  Rotate from landscape to portrait?  Kick the tripod? The easy answer is that you get lots of artifacts, like in this shot.  But I love the play of colors and the way you can almost see some of the flowers.

Stop reading.  Go play!

This year's juried show at the Arboretum should be up soon (if not already).  It showcases 24 images by members of the Arboretum Photographers Society.  The photo of mine that was selected this year is the hooded merganser shown below.

I encourage everyone who can to come out and see the display.  Especially in January, when admission is free.

Female Hooded Merganser

The first thing that comes to mind is a reflection of some sort.  Of course, that is something of a cliche.  But, reflection of a different sort can lead to something appropriate.

In a lot of ways, this past year has been (for me) one for the birds.  Yes, that means just what you think, but also more.

I've taken a lot of good bird photos this year, and a lot of them are ones I've never managed to capture before.  Hooded mergansers, hummingbirds, horned grebes.  I've also been happy about some of the mallards, turkeys, coots and others that I came across.

It has also been a good year for travel/flying.  I got back to New York for the first time in over 5 years.  Visits with family over holidays and weddings.

So, flying birds is a good theme.  Since it is the end of the year, it should be a sunset image as well.  That makes the choice easy.

Here's an image from several years ago of sandhill cranes at sunset.  This image has not been tweaked in any way whatsoever.  No changes to hue, saturation or contrast.  No cropping.  What you see is what I saw.

Happy New Year to everyone who reads this (and everyone who doesn't as well)!

sandhill cranes

Happy Holidays to all!

http://www.amazon.com/On-The-Run-Cancelled-Volume/dp/162622014X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1418840419&sr=8-1

Now, you may be asking why you will want to buy a copy.  The quick answer is that it is a quick and interesting read.  The longer answer is that Kate's background is unlike most people's.  She was born is Prague and defected (with her family) while Czechoslovakia was still part of the Eastern Bloc (and, for that matter, still existed as a single country instead of two).  The book contains stories about those experiences,  It has stories about being a refugee (in multiple countries), about being an immigrant in the US with little or no knowledge of English, about culture shock, about the problems that come with leaving behind everything and everyone you knew.

Now I have to wait for the next volume.  Looking forward to it.

On page 1 of the book, as the family is driving out of Prague (as far as they knew, forever), her mother tells her to look back at Hradcany:  "Across the river, panoramic, loomed th famous Prague Castle, seat of ancient Czech kings and modern usurpers.  It looked unapproachable.  Only the cliff and battlements jutted out into the breaking light of day."  This image of Hradcany was taken at night decades later (and doesn't show the cliffs), but hopefully gives a sense of why you'd want to keep an image of the castle in your head.

That said, it snowed quite nicely the day after I arrived at my brother's house.  Here are a couple shots taken out of different windows.

I enjoy flying.  I especially enjoy the view out the window.  Fortunately, the last flight I had, my seat was far enough away from the wings that I could get a clear shot.  Here are a couple examples.  Both of them have been cropped a bit since there was too much sky.

Wild Turkey

So, here's a macro shot of an orchid.  Just because.

orchid

I don't want winter yet.  Not for another month.  It shouldn't be winter until after Thanskgiving.  That's my story and I'll stick to it.

So, here's a nice hot weatehr photo I took many years ago in Mexico.  Sure, it was the middle of winter at the time, but in Mexico you don't noice those things.

cactus flowers

This one was fun and interesting.  The heron started out out relaxing under some trees by the shoreline, which put it somwhat close but also somewhat blocked by leaves and such.  After a while, it slowsly started wading a bit further out into the lake, which vastly improved the photo potential (and made me happy I had stayed around long enough).  A short time looking sideways at the water and BAM!  In goes the head and out it comes with a small fish.

Some days patience pays off, both for you and the subject.

Great Blue Heron with fish

Flying Crow

American Coot

This was taken in a town named Kutna Hora in the Czech Republic.  Back in the 17th century, they started having a problem.  People kept dying (as people are know to do), but there wasn't space to bury the bodies.  The solution was to build an ossuary to store the bones of the longer deceased.

Cut to the mid-late 1800s.  An enterprising Victorian age artist looks at all the bones and says to himself "What great materials for an art installation!"  So he builds all storts of decorations in the ossuary using the bones.  There's an altar.  There are several candelabra hanging from the ceiling.  There are other decorations.  Strategic lighting in caves built of different types of bones.

Here's a coat of arms.  All bones.  Happy Halloween!

Painted Turtle

Watching certain waterfowl feeding is one of those.  Not the ones you give breadcrusts to.  Not the ones that dive and swim, like loons or coots (although those are interesting to watch).  Pelicans are fun because they dive, but we don't really get those here.

No, the ones I like are mallards, canadian geese, and other who feed in a similar way.  The photo below may give some sense of why I smile when I see them.

Bottom's Up

camels

So, today's photo combines several of the above.  It is a macro shot from the Lake Harriet rose garden area that I tood many years ago.  I like the colors, shapes and textures.  Something soothing on a day that isn't.

1.  Wild Turkey Preening Wild Turkey

2.  Hummingbird - note:  there have been a lot of hummingbirds submitted and chosen in the past, so part of the question is how special is this image compared to others you may have seen/taken? Ruby-Throated HummingbirdThis one is male. Females don't have a ruby throat.

3.  Prairie Burn - note:  I love this image and will probably submit it regardless of what anyone says  Unless, of course, people really don't like it.  Also note, this is natural heat distortion, not any processing effect.

4.  Bleeding Hearts Bleeding Hearts

5.  The Guardian - I suppose these are technically crabapples, but it is also one of the few I've titled.  It is the adult standing guard over the child. The Guardian

1.  Dahlia with hornet.  Please note that I have an almost identical image without the hornet (just not uploaded).  It is similar to #4 (black and white).  That's another option.

2.  Dahlia with monarch and hornet Monarch and Hornet on a dahlia

3.  Dahlia with two monarchs Monarch on dahlia

4.  Dahlia in black and white.

Dahlia in Black and White

Luna Moth detail

Luna Moth detail

Painted Lady detail

Painted Lady detail

First up are some hooded mergansers I shot this spring.  There are individuals and pairs.  What I'm wondering with these is

a) if I were to submit the pairs, which one

b) should I submit both individual ones or only one.  If only one, which?  If male and female, which female?

So, again, when considering answers, part of the criteria is which would look best framed/would you want that print hanging on your wall.

1. Pair #1 Hooded Merganser

2. Pair #2 Hooded Merganser

3.  Female #1 Female Hooded Merganser

4.  Female #2 Female Hooded Merganser

5.  Male Male Hooded Merganser

Tree Frog on Lily

hibiscus

Monarch on dahlia

Here's a great horned owl.  First a portrait, second stretching a wing.  Note that, in the second one, the bird's head is almost 180 degrees from the front.  I believe they said at the release that these owls can actually turn their head over 200 degrees (in each direction, so yes, they can cover 360 degrees quite quickly).

Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl

Also, even though no one asked, there is a reason I identified the gender on the kestrel in yesterday's photo.  Many types of birds look very different based on gender (with males generally the brighter/flashier colors, especially during breeding season).  This is not true of most raptors.  The bald eagle below, for example, is female.  However, the only reason I know that is that one of the volunteers told me.  Kestrels, however, do have different coloration based on gender (most noticeable in the blue color of male kestrel wings).

Bald Eagle

Here's a shot of a male American Kestrel I took.

Male American Kestrel

painted sundialThis is a working sundial painted on the wall of the castle in Cesky Krumlov.

Since it can be really hard to find people out there, I'll try to be around the bald eagles fifteen minutes after the hour (ex. 11:15, 12:15...).  Hope to see you there.

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

I realized a while ago that I'm not a big one for taking "normal" photos of fall colors.  So, instead, I've tried to capture the sense of fall in different ways.

Today's photo, for example, shows the shadow of a tree that has lost its leaves along with said leaves on a lawn.  I find this much more evocative of the season, albeit in a different manner.

Autumn's Shadow

Mallard

I tend to keep my camera set to continuous shooting.  This means I can take 3-5 shots per second (which was possible with film if you had a mechanism attached to the camera to allow this).  There are a couple of advantages to doing this.  First, when hand-holding, one of the shots you take will generally be sharper than the others.  Second, when shooting a moving subject, you get images of many stages of that action. 

For example, consider the two shots below.  These were taken one after the other, less than a second apart.  There is not much difference between them...just a slight change in the angle of the wings and neck.  But, they are distinct.  And I like that.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

I also don't know what type of feather it is, so if someone can help there, I'd appreciate it.

Fallen Feather

I love photographing things with wings...birds, butterflies, dragonflies, etc.  I'm even happier on those rare occasions that I can capture them in flight.  It just adds a certain ineffable something.

Here's a ring-billed gull I photographed around Lake Calhoun a couple years ago.

Ring-Billed Gull

Seriously??

These first couple are from 2008.  I was walking around Lake Cornelia in Edina when i spotted a large bird soaring high overhead.  Focusing as best as I could, I snapped off a couple of shots.  After much exposure compensation and cropping, here is what I got.  It is an osprey carrying lunch (I'm not good at identifying fish, so someone will have to help me out there).

Osprey with fish

Osprey with fish

This makes them somewhat boring to shoot.  There's only so many ways to get a shot of a bird with a bright green head before you run out of ideas or inspiration.  That's when you look for action.  Like watching them wash.

All the waterfowl I've seen tend to bathe in the same manner.  They'll start by ducking their head underwater quickly so that the water will run down their back.  And repeat this many times.  They may ruffle their feathers a bit and then back to the ducking. 

Now is when you prepare your camera and pay close attention.

When they're done washing, they'll stand up on their legs (or look that's what they're doing, anyway) and flap vigorously to get the water off.  This can be a wonderful shot.  I've gotten several.  Except for the side lighting (which is regretable), this is probably my best.

Mallard

Yesterday was the exception to this last note.  The rabbit below was quite happy to sit out on the grass eating.  Sure, it would stop and stare whenver I moved, but never hopped away.  Needless to say, I'm always happy when nature cooperates.

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

I was at the Arboretum a couple weeks ago when i saw something hanging from a tree.  Looking closer, I thought it was some sort of bird's nest.  When I asked someone there, they said it was some type of bee's nest.  Further research shows it to be a hornet's nest.

I also found out some interesting things while researching this:

1.  The term "hive" is specific to where honey is made.  Otherwise, nest is the proper term.  Since hornets don't make honey, they only have nests.

2.  There are paper wasps, yellow jackets and hornets (all of which are types of wasps).  There are slight differences between them, mostly around colony size, diet and nest type.  Paper wasps don't make enclosed nests and yellowjackets generally make nests underground; therefore, this is a hornet's nest.

Hornet's Nest

White Grasses

Angel's Trumpet

I darkened the yellows a bit, the greens a lot (to darken the background), played with the oranges and reds.  Here's the result.

By the way, why do flower breeders (or whatever the proper term is for someone who creates hybrids) feel the need to put fairly stupid or inane names on really nice flowers?  Example:  the one below is named "E Z Duzzit", which is just BAD and DUMB and EMBARASSING.

Dahlia in Black and White

I saw this grasshopper sitting on a dahlia and thought I'd try and get a good grasshopper shot.  And, I think I did.  The colors of the flower also work well with the grasshopper.  What I hadn't expected (or totally realized) was how the antennae look.  I had no idea that the antenna is two or three times as long as the body.  Other grasshopper shots I have don't show that.  I guess they break off or something.

Anyway, I chose this particular shot because it shows the antenna off as well as the insect.

This was taken at the Walker Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis (it is in one of the back corners).  Although I haven't been there for several years, the Sculpture Garden is a fun and interesting place to wander around and take photos.  The sculptures can be fun, and it is just fun to wander.  Across the highway (via footbridge) is Loring Park, which is another good wander and shoot place.

Damn, now I need to head out there sometime soon!

Since it was a gorgeous day out, I decided to go for a walk around Lone Lake.  Not wanting to burden myself too much, I just went out with my camera and 100-400 lens, which is usually good for anything I come across there.  So, I'm walking along a path when someone going the other way mentions they had seen a tame deer just ahead.  Mentally putting quotes around the word tame (figuring she meant unafraid around humans), I proceeded to go searching.  A bit further on a different person mentioned the deer was actually in the other direction, moving slowly and it shouldn't be a problem to catch up.  So, I turn around and walk quickly down the path (different path from before - top of the loop rather than bottom) and continue my pursuit.  Shortly, deer was spotted just off the path in the woods.

I take a couple quick shots and realize that things are too slow, so I quickly change the ISO [quick side note:  this is one of the unsung benefits of digital.  If I had been shooting film, none of this would have happened because the film speed would not have been appropriate for the situation.  With digital, however, you can quickly change the settings to compensate.].

Trying a couple of other shots, the shutter speed is now quick enough [after reviewing, probably should have upped things even more] so I try to get a clear shot of the deer.  Problem is that there are lots of trees and other plants between it and me.  I search around for holes in the foliage and find a couple, but they are mostly too small or in a bad place.  So, I start into the woods.  Just a couple of steps and not directly in front of the deer.  This helps a lot and I continue shooting.  And the deer IS apparently quite used to people because it slowly comes closer to where I am, eating as it does. 

I shift a bit to get a different angle, it stops, munches and continues closer.  My guess is that, at the closest, we were about 10-15 feet apart.  Maybe less.  Finally it wanders back deeper into the forest and I continue my walk.

As I said, very different from shooting hummingbirds.  Very active photography, moving and then waiting as the subject moves.  LOTS of fun.

I chose this image because it symbolizes the experience.  The whole time, the deer and I were playing peekaboo with each other.

Deer playing peekaboo

I can sit around for hours working on something meticulous or pondering how to get something to work better.  I have jigsaw puzzles that took me months to complete.  I can try 30 slight variations when processing an image to get it "exactly" right.

What I can't do is nothing.

This was brought home to me yesterday while at the Arboretum.  I was chatting with someone by the dahlias on the path behind the MacMillan garden when I spotted what I'm pretty sure was a hummingbird moth.  Followed shortly by several hummingbirds.  So, I switched to my big lens and prepared to take some photos.

The thing about photographing hummingbirds is that they are very fast and don't tend to stay in one place for very long.  5 seconds if you're lucky.  What this means is that you really can't just point and shoot.  First, by the time the autofocus locks in, they will have left.  Plus the time it takes to swing the camera to where they are/were.  No, what you have to do is pick an area, focus, and wait for a bird to enter that area.

I HATE WAITING!!!  I hate sitting there doing nothing.  Anything and everything becomes a welcome distraction.  The monarch fluttering around and landing - I'm there to take some shots.  Spot something on one of the dahlias - click, click, click, click.

And still the hummingbirds don't go where I want them to, where I'm prepared for them.  Then they land on a branch or sign and you get the strange photo of a perched hummingbird, not one on the wing.

Finally, I spot one feeding on some flowers close to where I am watching.  Lots of action ensues and lots of photos are taken.  Maybe a whole minute of excitement.  And then, back to waiting.

And then, I wander off because I can't stand there fidgeting and waiting any more.  I'll wander back later when I feel tired and want to sit in one place for a while.

Below is one of the shots I got after I wandered back.  It is by far the best hummingbird shot I've ever gotten.  And, in many ways, the hardest to capture.

Ruby-Throated HummingbirdThis one is male. Females don't have a ruby throat.

And, the dahlias are in bloom right now.  Here's one I took many years ago as an example.

Take a photo of the fallen leaves, obviously.  The colors and shapes can be wonderful.  Here are some fallen rose petals as an example.

layered landscapeI've always like the abstract way the layers of a landscape can appear in the right circumstances. This was the first time I was able to capture that.

I find two things really interesting about this fact.  First that, even 25-30 years later (depending on which image I'm talking about), people still find enough meaning in his work to warrent a memorial.  Second, in both cases the message is "Imagine".

Under the stairs by the Bethesda Fountain is a truly unexpected treasure.  From the top of the stairs you won't know it's there, and then entrance behind the stairs only goes down, so you can't tell what you're missing.  However, if you go down those stairs or go down to the fountain and turn around you'll find a gloriously tiled and arcaded space.

What made it even more special while I was there was the guy playing the cello.  The music provided just the right atmosphere and a nice focal point for the image.  If I could set things up exactly the way I wanted, I would get rid of the two other people (maybe the cello case as well, but maybe not since it does help define the player).  If it was overcast outside the light might be more even, but I'm not sure how much difference it would make.  The biggest thing I'd change is that I'd probably spend an hour or so playing with the tiles and arches, different compositions of the player.  You know, playing.

That's a good note to end this set of posts on, and one that should be emphasized.  If you're going somehwere (even if it isn't to take photos), give yourself time to play and enjoy yourself.  That's the one thing that was lacking in all these.  I spent maybe 20 minutes shooting in Grand Central (back in post 1) and at most 2.5 hours wandering in Central Park (for several miles, with an absolute time I needed to be somewhere else).