Category: Photography

Anna’s Hummingbird-Female

Posted in Anna's Hummingbird, birding, Birds in Flight, Birds in the Wild, Birds of North America, Nikon Lenses, Photography, Santa Clara County BirdingTagged , , , , , , , 30 Comments

Copyright © 2016 Deborah M. Zajac
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I hired the Nikon AF-S 200-500mm 1:5.6E ED VR lens to try out for the week-end since my old 300mm f4 AF-S ED lens is acting weird, and I’ve always wanted more reach.

I spent all day Saturday out birding using the lens, and several hours on Sunday before having to return it. I hated to part with it! I LIKE IT A LOT!

 

Anna's Hummingbird

I used it on my Nikon D300s and found the lens very quick to focus with very little hunting even in low contrast areas, and the images have lovely colors, and contrast. The VR was quite snappy and worked very well on the few images I shot hand-held. I won’t be doing that often.

The lens weighs 4.6 pounds so,  I used this lens on a tripod with my Wimberley  Arca Sidekick Ball to Gimbal Adapter, and let my rig carry the weight, or I shot from the car window using the door frame as my base on the auto-route parts of the refuges I visited.

This little Anna’s Hummingbird feeding on this succulent plant is an image I made this morning. The sky was overcast and gray, and she was in the shade.
Camera Settings: 1/320s| ISO 1000| Manual Priority| Matrix Metering| Single AF

A challenging situation that I think came out well. So, I guess you know I want this lens!

I shot just under 1000 images this week-end and have begun culling them. I’ll be sharing more images as I go through them.

More to come…

Iguana-Male

Posted in Belize, Iguana, Photography, Travel and Tourism, Travel Photography, WildlifeTagged , , , , , , , , 15 Comments

© 2015-2016 Deborah M. Zajac
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

While in Belize and Honduras last September we saw quite a few Iguanas. They’re the biggest I’ve ever seen!
I also didn’t realize they can be orange.

Iguana Male

They’re so prehistoric looking aren’t they.

Here’s the back end of an Iguana showing its huge tail, and really long toes.

Tail of Iguana Male

Another one chillin’ high over the Ladies Den

Iguana Male Honduras

Some of the Females hung out together in the shade on a slab of cement:

Iguanas Females

… and this one posed for me. “)

Iguana- The Poser

We saw some really neat wildlife in addition to the Iguana while on this trip. The Capuchin Monkey’s were super cute! I’ll be sharing images of them in the future.

Nikon Df & Lumix FZ200| Hand-held

I hope you all have a great week-end, and to those of you in the northeast USA I’m keeping you in my thoughts, and am hoping the storm isn’t too bad.  Stay warm and safe!

More to come…

 

 

 

 

 

 

P52 3/52 That first step is a doozy!

Posted in Photography, Project 52:Doors, Thursday's Doors, Travel and TourismTagged , , , 14 Comments

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I saw this door without a step while in Belize last year and had to make a photo of it.

That First Step is Doozy

Panasonic Lumix FZ200| Lexar Professional Digital Film

This door is also part of Norm 2.0’s Thursday Doors. To see all the images posted this week or add your own click here.

More to come…

 

Monochrome Madness 2 41/52 Cowboys

Posted in Black and White Photography, Monochrome Madness2, Photography, Rodeos, San Benito County, San Benito County RodeoTagged , , , , , , 6 Comments

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I made this image last summer at the Rodeo. These guys would have a laugh or two in between riders, and events, but man they worked hard  when it was time to work, and making sure the arena was ready for the show. Cowboys

I do love those BIG belt buckles!

This image is part of Leanne Cole’s Monochrome Madness 2. To see all the great images posted this week click here.

More to come…

A Single Drop

Posted in Grasses, Macro, Macro Photography, Photography, Plants, Poetry, QuotesTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , 18 Comments

© 2016 Deborah M. Zajac
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

“I have left my bed and walked upon the grass and the night dew has wet my feet and the hem of my garment. Here I stand under the blossoms of the almond tree, heeding the call of your spirit. ”
~Kahlil Gibran, Communion of Spirits, The Treasured Writings of Kahlil Gibran

Went I laid in the grass to photograph the dew and rain drops in the grass yesterday morning I thought of these lines from Kahlil Gibran’s prose Communion of Spirits.

 

Dew Drop

I hope you all have a sunny Friday and week-end  both in your spirits and weather!

Nikon Df| Nikkor 105mm macro lens| Hoodman Digital Film| PS CC 2015| Hand-held

More to come…

P52 2/52 The Blue Door

Posted in Fort Point National Park, Forts of the United States, Photography, Project 52:Doors, Thursday's DoorsTagged , , , , , , , , , 17 Comments

Copyright ©2015-2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This is a door from the 3rd tier of Fort Point in San Francisco, CA.  I’ve blogged about the fort before here.

The arches in this fort are really neat. I had fun trying to find compositions, and shoot while the light was good. There were quite a few people here the day our Scott Kelby Photowalk group was here, so I had to wait sometimes for a long time to get an image without people in it.
Fortunately, no one else was interested in this door when I started photographing it.

P52 2 of 52 The Blue Door

This image is also part of Norm 2.0’s Thursday’s Doors. To see all the other doors posted this week click here.

Nikon Df| Nikkor 24-70mm| Hoodman Digital Film| PS CC 2015

More to come…

 

“Look Grandma. Dirt!”

Posted in Candid Portraits, LensBaby Composer Pro, PhotographyTagged , , , , 11 Comments

Copyright © 2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

It was drizzly this morning when #1 Grandson got up, but by 9ish the sun was shining!

We donned our boots, and headed to the backyard. Me to photograph water drops, and him to play with his construction trucks, and dirt of course!

I was looking through images in playback when he called out, “look Grandma, dirt!”

I was happy to have the camera at hand!

Playing in the Mud after a Morning Rain

We’re halfway through the week. I hope your Wednesday is as happy as #1 Grandson is when playing with his tractors in the mud! 🙂

Nikon Df| LensBaby Composer Pro w/Double Optic| Hoodman STEEL Ultra High Speed Digital Film| PS CC 2015

More to come…