Category: Nature Photography

Early Spring!

Posted in Bees, Flower Photography, Flowering Trees, Honey Bees, Nature, Nature Photography, Nikon DF, Photography, Poems of Robert Frost, Poerty, San Jose California Nature Photographer, Seasons of the Year, Spring, Trees, WinterTagged , , , , , , , , , 27 Comments

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I had a walk-around the neighborhood Sunday morning and found Spring everywhere.

The flowering trees are in bud, and beginning to blossom while others are in full bloom!

A Prayer in Spring by Robert Frost-

“Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.”~Robert Frost (from A Boy’s Will, 1915)

Flowering Tree in Full Bloom

The huge white flowering tree was a hive of activity in the canopy. The buzz of bees

was dizzying, and the warmth of the sun on my face when I looked up felt wonderful, healing, and nourishing.

The branches were heavy with blossoms,

Flowering Tree in full bloom

papery white, with lovely “look at me!” centers.

Blossoms on a Flowering Tree

Plus one more…

Nearly home I found a huge Sweat Pea vine spilling over a fence with dozens of busy bees.

Honey Bee and the Sweet Pea

Nikon Df| Nikkor 28-105mm| Hoodman Digital Film| PS CC 2015

More to come…

 

Monochrome Madness 2 34/52 Birds

Posted in birding, Birds in the Wild, Birds of North America, Black and White Photography, Monochrome Madness2, Nature, Nature Photography, Pacific Flyway, PhotographyTagged , , , , , , , , 15 Comments

Copyright ©2015 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

This week’s Monochrome Madness 2 I selected an image from a recent day I spent birding in the Pacific Flyway.  The Pacific Flyway is a section of CA. that is part of the Winter migration path used by birds fleeing the cold months in the Winter.

These are Black-necked Stilts, and Long billed Dowagers foraging for food.

MM2 34 of 52 Black Necked Stilts and Long Billed Dowagers

I was trying out the Tamron 150-600mm super telephoto lens this week-end for the extra reach which was nice to have, but I won’t be saying much about the lens because I wasn’t able to use it as much as I had hoped. We had rain come in which kept me indoors the following day instead of out photographing birds.  I won’t complain too much since we need all the rain we can get. 🙂

I’m really behind reading blog posts, but am catching up ever so slowly.

Too see all this week’s posts in Leanne Cole’s Monochrome Madness 2 click here

Nikon D700| Tamron 150-600mm| Hoodman Digital Film| CS6 & Silver Efex Pro

More to come…

Dawn-Vasona Lake Los Gatos, CA

Posted in Landscape Photography, Los Gatos CA, Nature Photography, Sunrises, Vasona Lake ParkTagged , , , , , 14 Comments

Copyright © 2015 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

When I woke up this morning at O’Dark Thirty (4:30am) I peeked outside to check out the sky. The clouds that moved in two days ago had some breaks and pockets with a few stars poking through here and there so, I thought it might be worth getting dressed and going out for the sunrise.

It’s been sometime since I have shot a sunrise by the water so I headed to one of my “go to” spots; Vasona Lake which isn’t too far from me. While walking over to my shooting location on the lake I could hear that the geese were already up making a fuss about something, and soon they had the mallards, and coots up, and it wasn’t too long afterwords that I spied the first morning runners and walkers out for their morning’s exercise. Then the sun started making its way up and over the mountains bringing with it some wonderful yellow and pink hues.

Dawn Vasona Lake Park Los Gatos CA

All and all a wonderful sunrise!

Nikon Df| AF-D Nikkor 24mm f/2.8@ f/14| Tripod

More to come…

Snowy Plover

Posted in Bird Photography, birding, Birds in the Wild, Coastal Birds, Nature Photography, ShorebirdsTagged , , , , , 7 Comments

Copyright © 2014 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

This image I took a month ago while birding in Carmel, CA. They’re so little and cute!

Snowy Plover

Here’s one more. A Snowy Plover watching two Sanderlings foraging in the sand, and I’m sure it has an eye on me too.

Two Sanderlings and a Snowy Plover

Nikon D700| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4 w/ AF-S Nikkor 14eII Teleconverter= 420mm

More to come…

Sanderlings

Posted in birding, Birds of Northern America, Carmel CA, Nature Photography, ShorebirdsTagged , , , , , , 2 Comments

Copyright © 2014 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Sanderlings

Taken last Saturday morning in Carmel by the Sea, CA. It was still overcast, and a bit cloudy which provided a lovely soft light  on these two Sanderlings that were foraging up a little higher on the beach.

Nikon D700| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4 w/Nikkor 14eII Teleconverter

More to come…