Category: California

Sun May 17, 2012

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

Still practicing for the upcoming Annular Solar Eclipse.

I’m working on getting the exposure right using Live View, and reading lots and lots of articles written by other photographers about how to go about photographing it.

This is a bit blurry you’ll notice. I think this is due to all the atmosphere between me and the sun;wind, dust, clouds, etc. This morning we have clouds in the sky.

Here’s an article I liked that has  handy settings charts for a good starting base. Here’s my friend Steven’s advice on Solar Filters. Don’t try to watch or photograph this event without proper protection for your eyes and camera! I use this Solar Filter.

I’ll be driving with friends 4-5hours away from home to view this event. Will you be traveling to view the Annular Solar Eclipse?

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 80-200@200mm+ Tamron 1.4x TC=420mm|f11| 1/200s| ISO 200| Manual Priority| Tripod| Orion Solar Filter

 

Related articles

May 12, 2012 Sun

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May 12, 2012 Sun, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved

I haven’t had as much time as I’ve wanted to practice using my Solar filter and I haven’t tried a time-lapse with it yet either. Too many gray days, and other
distractions have been in the way.
The Solar Eclipse is this week! I hope to get more practice before Sunday’s event.

Yes, even though I left home without my Teleconverter I did get the sunspots.

I’m using this Solar filter:

http://www.telescope.com/410-ID-Orion-Full-Aperture-Solar-Filter/p/7733.uts?keyword=solar%20filter

Don’t try to capture the Eclipse without using proper protection for both your eyes and camera! Get a filter made especially to view the Sun! Time may be running out for you pick up a filter I recommend calling around and if you find one jump on it. I bought one that fits the end of my lens hood.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 80-200mm @ 200mm|
Costa Mesa, California, Afternoon, Sunspots, AstroPhotography

Moon-struck madness!

Posted in Astrophotograhpy, California, Landscapes, Nature, Nikon, Photography, TravelTagged , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

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

Posted in California, hikes, iPhone, iphonegraphy, Landscapes, Nature, PhotographyTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

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.

“I wander the long road home seeking tomorrow.” ~Anon

Posted in Birds, California, Nature, Nikon, Photography, WildlifeTagged , , , , 2 Comments

Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

At last! These little guys are so darn skittish and quick that I’ve failed for years to get a crisp photograph of one.
I got lucky recently while out in the country one morning and got several good photos…well worthy enough to share anyway. “)

Don’t you love their fancy head adornment?

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 70-300mm VR f4.5-f5.6

There is something about the stars that set the Gypsy blood astir…

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

I am inspired by William Bliss Carman’s thought about things that stir the Gypsy blood for the title of this piece. The stars do stir my blood and I wish I could travel up there. Perhaps someday we will.

This tree was absolutely gorgeous, and in a perfect location for shooting a star trail at the end of a day of shooting wildflowers, creeks, and a waterfall in Northeastern California. I’d gone up with some friends to meet more photography friends in a Meet-up group we’re in. While we set up for the shot and finished up we listened to little frogs croaking, and following them were crickets. A lovely round of natures music that I’m sure continued long into the night.

My battery died short of where I wanted it to for this sequence of star trails. A lesson learned! I will insert a fresh battery from now on.

Nikon D700 Nikkor 18mm AI-S| f5.6| 211 seconds| ISO 200| Manual Priority| Tripod| 29 frames stacked with Photoshop CS5

Good Fences make Good Neighbors

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Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved

More photos of the Great Heron, and Cattle Egrets in breeding plumage, and nesting.

The Cattle Egret doesn’t look impressed by the Great Heron’s nest-building.

Yin and Yang

A Graceful landing

All photos taken with a Nikon D300s mounted with a Nikkor 70-300mm VR lens| Hand-held