In medias res

Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve just returned from  Oregon. I was on a birding expedition with some friends who are also photographers. We spent a couple of days in the Klamath Basin looking  for Clark and/or Western Grebes doing their Spring mating ceremony and dance or what the Scientist call “rushing”. We were successful finding them as well as several other birds; some familiar and others new, and it was neat to see many birds I know and see only when they Winter near me in and the Pacific Flyway in their Spring Breeding plumage.

Yesterday morning I was following this male Robin around trying to take his photo when he caught up with the female and I happened to press the shutter catching them “in medias res”.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 300mm f2.8 + 20eIII TC =600mm| f8| 1/1600s| ISO1600|Manual Priority|
Tripod| American Robin

Moon-struck madness!

Copyright © Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

Yesterday myself and 3 friends went up to Yosemite National Park where we met more friends to photograph a Moonbow.
This is my first Moonbow, and my first Vertorama.

A moonbow can only happen when a full moon is shining reflected sunlight on the falls at an angle of 42º or lower, there must be water, or a mist, and it must be dark enough to see it.

There were nearly 200 people here on the little plaza and bridge to Lower Yosemite Fall last night by my quick head count in the dark. As the night wore on more people kept coming!

It was a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to capturing a Moonbow over Upper Yosemite Fall in the future.

I must say a word about the Vertorama. Paul Bruins a fellow Flickrite is the first person I knew of doing Vertoramas. He has generously written a tutorial for our use. You can read it here:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/vertoramas/discuss/72157602953001077/

I have to thank my freind Steven Christenson for “thinking out loud” last night and saying I think I’ll try a Vertorama too.” That was a reminder to me to finally try one.
I was a bit confused on how one moves the camera up, and Steven suggested the same thing Paul does and that is tilt the camera up without moving the tripod. So that is what I did. I’m going to try more of them now that I have the first one under my belt.
This is 2 frames stitched together in CS5. I’m looking forward to capturing a Moonbow on Upper Yosemite Fall in future.

Nikon D700| Nkkor 35mm f2 @ f2.8| 38 seconds| ISO 400| Manual Priority| Tripod

Working out the kinks

Working out the kinks by dmzajac2004 at Garmin Connect – Details.

I needed to get up and move so went over  to the hills nearby and hiked all 3 Peaks today.

Click on the link above for my hiking stats and a map of my route.

Here are a few photos I took along the route.  I didn’t take my big camera today. No, instead I went armed only with an iPhone. I did miss my big camera when a Hawk came soaring over my head.

The hike was lovely. The hills around my valley are still green and lush. The peak across the valley with the trail leading to the top is Hunter’s Point. I hiked up to it last today.

Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved

There were quite a few wildflowers in bloom throughout the park like this Yarrow. There were oodles of Monkey Flower,  and there was clover, Nightshade, Lupine, and oh so many Crimson Columbine! I’ve never seen so many before. I

took 3 photos and all came out blurry. It was breezy. I hope to get back again before it’s all faded. On the back slopes of Hunter’s Point there were a few Poppies, and lot’s of Spring Vetch. It’s a good time to go looking for wildflowers.

Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

There were young girls on horseback talking with their trainer about upcoming competitions, and the sound of the horses hooves clip-clop was lovely. One horse even said “hello” to me.

Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved

Little Cairns dotted the trails to let me know someone had been this way before…

Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

…and lastly the view from Maisie’s Peak looking east across Santa Clara Valley to the Diablo Range beyond it.

Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved

A good 4.80 mile hike this afternoon.

No editing was done to these photos and they are all hand-held. I need to practice with more I think.