“A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.” ― Eudora Welty
While out looking for Sandhill Cranes to photograph this Red-tailed Hawk got startled and flew out of a nearby Willow tree.
Flapping
Gliding
Downbeat
Nikon D700| Nikkor 80-200mm + Tamron 1.4x extender| f5| 1/800 sec| ISO 500| Manual Mode| Hand-held
During the Thanksgiving Holiday my daughter with the assistance of her boy-friend John put hair extensions in using the hair glue. When sleeping the extensions would get matted and brushing them out got really hard. She’s a back sleeper which wasn’t helping. The back was turning into a rat’s nest. She cut off the extensions,but what was matted she didn’t. Then shampooing she was able to get most the glue out, and more of the extensions, but what she couldn’t get out turned into a huge massive dread-lock.
She named the mass, “Frank”. A colleague of hers gave her the name of a stylist who he knew would be able to save some of the hair. Daughter had resigned herself to getting a Faux Hawk. I imagined her with a huge spiked Trojan Warrior Mohawk! I didn’t realize how matted her hair had become. When she told me about the Faux Hawk I asked to see her hair. She came over and I was pretty stunned. I tried to comb some of it out using baby oil. I got a good bit out of her crown, but after an hour. I gave up, and told her I’d take care of the bill. She made the appointment the next day. She was really lucky getting in to see Faten on Christmas Eve Day!
Here she is at Salon Mona Lisa, Los Gatos, CA. waiting for Faten aka Cori the Stylist
“Frank” the hair-ball. Faten heard the description, but didn’t think it would be this bad!
The Pull Out. This you pull out not comb!
In just under an hour Faten had it all out, combed and ready for shampoo, and deep conditioning! Amazing!!
One more look before the shampoo Daughter said, “It’s a fro! and ” I look like Carrot Top!” The other stylists and clients were just as impressed as we were that Faten was able to get it all out too. We thought it would have to be cut out and or shaved.
After the shampoo and conditioning. Isn’t the transformation amazing! Instead of a Faux Hawk she got a sassy little A-Line Bob.
Daughter’s head is a bit tender from all the pulling and tugging, but she’s thrilled and say’s Christmas came early for her. She’s very happy, and I’m so thankful she didn’t end up with a Mohawk!
Thank you Faten! You made our day, and Daughter’s Christmas a happier one!
Nikon D700| Nikkor 17-35mm| Hand-held
The Portal, Big Sur, California
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
The sun lines up to shoot its beam through this portal each winter if the weather cooperates.
I had gone down with some friends in late Nov. and got a shot, but I hoped to get a better one before the sun moved out of range. I’ve been watching and waiting for a clear night. The forecast for last night was perfect; clear skies, but cold, so I made the 109 mile drive down to Big Sur.
I packed my down jacket, gloves, and gear and hiked out to the beach. There was only one other photographer there, but I knew that would change as the sun sunk lower on horizon. By the end of the evening there were about 15 of us shooting the sunset.
It’s a fun trip down and always an adventure since one never really knows what the sunset will look like. The light shines through the Portal about 25 minutes so I shot the beam of light from different angles. Here’s one where I caught a cool little splash.
I’m heading down once more. I’ll try some different angles and perspectives if the fog stays far out at sea.
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
“If there were dreams to sell,
What would you buy?
Some cost a passing-bell;
Some a light sigh.”
~Thomas Lovell Beddoes
Nikon D700| Nikkor 17-35 @ 20mm| f20| 1/80 second| ISO 200| Manual Mode| Tripod| Release Cable| 3 frame HDR
He’s making a list checking it twice…, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.
Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
“This Christmas song was written by John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie, and was first sung on Eddie Cantor‘s radio show in November 1934. It became an instant hit with orders for 100,000 copies of sheet music the next day and more than 400,000 copies sold by Christmas.” ~ Wikipedia
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
“You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He’s making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who’s naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town!”
Nikon D700| Nikkor 50mm| f2.8| 1/80 sec| ISO 320| Manual Mode| Hand-held-
An ornament on my Christmas tree.
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
I’ve been trying for weeks to get a decent shot of a Kite that lives in Moss Landing without success. That Kite likes to perch on a tree out in a Marsh which is too far away for my longest lens. Here’s the best I’ve been able to get. It’s soft, and there isn’t much detail. I used a Nikkor 70-300mm VR on a tripod for this shot in mid November 2011.
I hoped by renting the Nikkor 300mm f4 I would have better luck. I’d be able to use my Tamron 1.4x Extender with it and have a bit more reach. With that in mind I took the rental lens with me last Saturday to Merced National Wildlife Refuge with my friend Rainey. We made a detour on the way to try to find some birds at another park and along the way we spotted this Kite perched on the branch. I was busy clicking away when I noticed it opened its beak, and then I heard it call then in came this other Kite! Oh, how I hoped I nailed the shot with its beak open!
While this photo isn’t as sharp, or have as much detail as I would like it to have I’m thrilled it’s decent and I did get the shot with its beak open. You can see a little more detail, but it’s still too far away for this lens plus extender. Also when using an Extender there is generally a loss of sharpness. With my aperture wide open and focused on the perched Kite I missed the opportunity to get them both in focus. I was focused on the perched one.
I’m learning though. One thing I’ll do differently the next time is stop the lens down to f8. I expect the clarity will improve a bit.
A brief word on the Nikkor 300mm F4 lens. This is the 3rd time I’ve rented this lens . Each time I rent it I want one of my own! It’s a great lens. It produces wonderful colors, and superb details if you can get a bit closer, and the Bokeh is yummy. I do wish it had image stabilization though. Hand-holding this lens isn’t easy so I’m using a tripod, or a pillow when I am shooting out of the car window.
Right after I took the picture above the perched Kite took flight. I got a little of his profile, and the sun peeked through the fog and overcast morning for a little while which lit up its chest nicely.
I do love the thrill of the chase so, I’ll continue to look for Kites maybe the next time they’ll be a bit closer.
Nikon D300s| Nikkor 70-300mm VR & Nikkor 300mm f4 w/ Tamron 1.4x TeleConverter
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
After 17 years I bought a new tree this year. A pre-lit tree. It was so nice not having to string the lights, but it wasn’t totally stress free. This is actually the 2nd tree I bought this year. The first one I bought we put up and plugged it in and half a strand of lights didn’t light up. After contacting the manufacture for troubleshooting it was determined that a string had a short so we returned it and tried again. This one, knock on wood is working well.
I wouldn’t take a photograph of it for days though because I couldn’t find the topper. I finally found it in a box of things I haven’t used in a number of years. I guess I brought that box in when I put things away last year.
I haven’t always put my tree up this early. For years I would shop for a live tree and put it up on New Years Eve, but when my daughter was diagnosed with Asthma 17 years ago the Doctor said, “No more live trees!”. So I bought a faux tree and started setting up in early December. I soon discovered I like having Christmas in the house all month-long.
I usually decorate mine while listening to Christmas carols…yes,I confess. I sing too.
When do you set up your Christmas tree? What are your Christmas tree traditions?
Nikon D700| Nikkor 17-35@ 17mm| f3.5| 1/25 second| ISO 500| Manual Mode| Hand-held
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