circadianreflections

Fall in the Eastern Sierras Day 1…

October 15, 2014October 15, 2014Posted in Aspen, Eastern Sierras, Fall ColorTagged Aspen, Eastern Sierras, Fall Color, Foliage, Moonset, Photography2 Comments

Myself, and friends Rainey, Rene, Jonathan, and Nik got an early start on Day 1 of our trip to the Eastern Sierras. Our alarms were set for a 4:30am wake up so, we could shoot the Moonset over Convict Lake.

We spent most the day in the Bishop Creek Area. The foliage there was very good overall. Some portions were stripped by the storm the week before, but for the most part it was full, dense, and pretty. I used my new Df, and had my D700 for back up.

I took only two lenses; my Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8, and Nikkor 180mm f/2.8D. I wanted to be fairly light, and not have too much stuff to worry about. My pack was still heavy!

ICM- (Intentional Camera Movement) Nikon D700 w/180mm f2.8 lens. Getting pleasing blurs gets easier

the more you do it. The trick is slowing down your shutter speed then moving your camera up, down or zoom it!

On the one below I zoomed, and shook a bit. Does it make you dizzy?

I also took my LensBaby Composer Pro II with the Soft Focus Optic. I had fun playing with it, and used it more than I thought

I would. I even took an image of my friend Rainey. I’ll ask her if she minds if I post it later.

I think we had our timing just right for the foliage, and weather. It’s overcast, stormy looking, and windy in the Eastern Sierras now which will strip the leaves off a lot of trees. But Jeff Sullivan of JeffSullivanPhotography says there’s still hope! He writes, ” We still have the cottonwoods coming in the 5000 and under elevations, (Bishop to Lone Pine and many Nevada counties) so there will be another round of opportunities if we don’t have a deep frost that rushes them towards brown.”

Let’s hope there’s no deep frost and there will still be some color to enjoy for a few more weeks!

More to come…

P52 42/52 Lee Vining Creek

October 14, 2014October 14, 2014Posted in Camera Gear, Creeks and Streams, Inyo National Forest, Nikon DF, Photography, Project 52-2014, Slow Shutter SpeedTagged Camera Gear, Creeks and Streams, Eastern Sierras, Nikon Df, Photography, Project 52, Slow Shutter Speed10 Comments

I’m back! I had a lovely 4 days in the Eastern Sierras with friends, Rainey, Rene, Nik, and Jonathan. We got lucky and went when the color was peaking in the spots we visited. I have quite a few images I like from the trip that I’m still rating and tagging, but here’s one image I made yesterday at Lee Vining Creek. It was so nice to see the creeks, and streams with water. All the creeks near my home are bone dry!

I made this image with my new camera: The Nikon Df. I’ve been saving for it since I rented one back in February.

I used it for 4 full days of shooting and it performed very well in daylight, and low light. I love how light it is compared to my D700.

Right now I only have two complaints:

1) Nikon did not provide a LCD screen protector with it, so I need to get one STAT!

2) The battery drained too quickly when shooting the last morning in 26º ambient temps. I’ll have to get a 3rd battery soon.

Other than those two complaints I’m happy with the camera. I hope we have many good years together.

As of now my D300s will either be passed down or possibly sold, and my D700 will be my back-up/second camera.

Image 1) Nikon Df| Nikkor 17-35mm w/B+W 6 stop ND filter

Image 2) Nikon D700| Nikkor 180mm f/2.8D

More to come…

Totality-Lunar Eclipse October 8, 2014

October 8, 2014October 8, 2014Posted in Astro Imaging, Blood Moon, Lunar Eclipse, Moon, Total Lunar EclipseTagged Astro-imaging, Blood Moon, Lunar Eclipse, Night sky, Total Lunar Eclipse10 Comments

Plus two stars! Slightly cropped in.

Nikon D700| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f4 + 14eII= 420mm| Lexar Professional Digital film

I’m off to look for Fall Color in the Eastern Sierras so, it will be quiet here for several days. Be well, and safe everyone!

More to come…

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”~ Henry David Thoreau

October 5, 2014October 5, 2014Posted in birding, Birds in the Wild, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Golden Gate Park, LensBaby Composer Pro II, San Francisco, WarblersTagged Birding, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Cactus, Flowers, LensBaby Composer Pro II, San Francisco Golden Gate Park10 Comments

I thought of this quote of Thoreau’s while out birding yesterday. “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”

A friend and I had gone up to San Francisco Golden Gate Park hoping to see a Porthonotary Warbler. We knew it was being seen in the mornings, and late afternoons, but we both had obligations in the morning and couldn’t get up there, so we left late hoping for an afternoon sighting.

While we were in the area where the Porthonotary Warbler was sighted I spied some movement in the foliage of a huge Cypress tree. I thought it might be a Nuthatch, but it turned out to be a Black-throated Gray Warbler! A first sighting for me!

It was in the foliage so I kicked up the ISO. I used my Nik Plug-in Dfine to help some with the noise. I wish there was a highlight in its eye. This is the best of the images I took of it. It’s such a busy, flittly little bird that most of my images were soft or blurry. One day I hope I get another crack at one.

While hanging around the area where the Porthonotary Warbler was most likely to show up I was noticing the flowers,

and plants around me so I switched my 300mm f4 Nikkor lens for the LensBaby Composer Pro II with the Soft Focus Optic and made quite a few images. Most of which I don’t have names for. Here are several images,

We didn’t see the Porthonotary Warbler, but it was a good day out filled with a lot of beautiful flowers, plants,

nice weather, and good company.

Nikon D300s| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4 w/ AF-S Nikkor 14eII, and LensBaby Composer Pro II w/soft focus optic

More to come…

Fairs and Festivals- Renaissance Faire II

October 3, 2014October 3, 2014Posted in Events and Fairs, Fairs and Festivals, Northern California Renaissance Faire, PhotographyTagged Candid Portraits, Fairs and Festivals, Northern California Renaissance Faire, Photography, Renaissance FaireLeave a comment

I am finally getting around to sharing more of the images I took at the Renaissance Faire a couple of weeks ago. Time sure flies I can’t believe two weeks have passed already!

Here’s the Queen listening intently to a Lord in her Court.

A Lady

Details- Lady of the Queen’s Court

A Nobleman or Lord

Plus the Conjurer’s Table

Nikon D700| AF-D Nikkor 85mm f/1.4| Hand-held

More to come…

P52 40/52 Praying Mantis

September 30, 2014Posted in Bugs, Insects, Project 52-2014, San Jose California Nature PhotographerTagged Close up Photography, Insects, Praying Mantis, Project 521 Comment

I haven’t seen a Praying Mantis in a couple of years so I was really stoked to see one near my front door yesterday.

This is a smart bug. He wasn’t too far from the light…hoping for moths I bet. 🙂

Nikon D700| AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/18g| Hand-held| Lexar Professional Digital Film

More to come…

Life in the Garden-Birds and Butterflies

September 29, 2014Posted in Photography1 Comment

Here are a few images I captured while birding in the backyard last week.

A House Finch on the house ever on the watch from threats from above!

…and the same Finch a few seconds before the image above. ” This is my best side.” 🙂

While waiting for the birds to come to and from the feeders there was a Gulf Fritillary flitting around the Lantana which is still in full bloom.

I haven’t managed to get a good photograph of a butterfly in flight this year. Maybe next year.

The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is still coming to the feeder, and I think I spied the first of the Warblers, but it was a quick glance as it landed then flew away. I’m hoping they come winter in my Flowering Plum again this Winter, and there are a couple of squirrels that are entertaining me with their antics, and attempts at breaking into the seed feeder. So far this Feeder has proven to be Squirrel proof. I love it! Here’s an image that gives you an idea of what the feeder looks like. The Squirrels find the pole challenging too. They lose their grip and slide down it a lot. It’s pretty funny watching them try to get to seeds. Don’t worry that they aren’t getting enough to eat. The birds drop plenty of seeds for both the squirrels, and California Towhees.

Nikon D300s| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4| AF-S Nikkor 14eII Teleconverter| Lexar Professional Digital Film

More to come…

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: