Travel – Page 11 – Circadianreflections Blog

In honor of the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th Birthday

May 27, 2012May 28, 2012Posted in California, Nikon, Photography, TravelTagged California, Golden Gate Bridge 75th Birthday, Nikon D300S, Photography, San Francisco, Travel and Tourism2 Comments

Today is the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th birthday. There’s going to be a party with fireworks shot right from the bridge tonight. The crowd is going to be BIG! I decided to stay away from the city, and not fight the traffic in and out of the city.

So instead of posting a historic photo or two shot tonight of the Golden Gate Bridge with Fireworks I’ve decided to honor the birthday by sharing a few photographs of the GGB that I’ve taken the last few years.

2010 Golden Gate Bridge through the fog.

2011

Golden Gate Bridge North Tower

Golden Gate Bridge South Tower from Fort Point, San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge when the lights just came on.

Golden Gate Bridge from the Marin Headlands

2012- Panorama from Slacker Hill in the morning

It’s a beautiful bridge to shoot day or night, and one I’ll never tire of photographing. I hope to photograph it many more times before its 100th birthday!

“I’m waiting for you Morning Star…herald of the dawn.” ~ Deborah M. Zajac

May 25, 2012Posted in California, Landscapes, Nature, Nikon, Photography, TravelTagged Convict Lake, D700, Eastern Sierras, Landscape Photography, Nature, Nikon, Photography, Sunrise, WinterLeave a comment

“Rise quickly for I am numb with Winter’s morning chill.
My fingers ache for your warm embrace.”~

That’s my plea every sunrise shoot, and to be honest most nights too! My fingers are the first to go numb, and I’ve not found a hand-warmer or pair of gloves to keep me warm enough to thwart the chill.

This is a shot from Convict Lake taken the third morning of 2012. Seeing sunrises like the one my friends and I saw on this morning make the early rise, drive time, and standing in the cold worth it!

They dance!

May 17, 2012May 17, 2012Posted in Nature, Nikon, Photography, Travel, WildlifeTagged Birding, Clark Grebes, Courtship, Mating Dance, Nature, Nikkor, Nikon D700, Oregon, Photography, WildlifeLeave a comment

I’ve been a bit behind working on my photographs from my trip to Oregon to see Clark and Western Grebes do their Spring mating courtship and Dance. I’ve still not transferred my files from my laptop to my PC where I do my processing and editing, but I have finally finished some.

By the last morning of our trip I still had not taken any photographs of the Grebes dancing that I liked. I had nearly given up hope of getting any really good photos as they tend to be very shy; keeping themselves pretty far from shore which really tested the limits of my focal range of 300mm + a 2x Teleconverter which gave me an effective range of 600mm. It wasn’t far enough!

We decided to go back once more before leaving for home. After spending 2 mornings on the pond we learned they’re awake and most active beginning about 8AM and settling down by 10AM, so arriving just before 8AM we set up in our favorites spots and waited for them wake up. About half past 8AM this is what I saw and captured with my camera…

The Visual Connection

After a quick sizing up one after the other dipped their heads in the water and then flung the water off!

I feel the tension rising as both were totally oblivious to anyone or anything around them. They only saw each other as they flung the water over and over again. This went on for a full minute!

and suddenly they were up gliding across the water in perfect synchronization!

The sound of the beating water was the only sound I heard. It was marvelous, and thrilling to watch. I feel very blessed to have seen it, and to have shared the experience with good friends.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 300mmVRII + 20eIII TC =600mm| Tripod| Wimberley Sidekick

Moon-struck madness!

May 5, 2012May 5, 2012Posted in Astrophotograhpy, California, Landscapes, Nature, Nikon, Photography, TravelTagged Astrophotography, Lower Yosemite Fall, Lunarbow, moonbow, Night Photography, Nikon, Nikon 35mm f2, Nikon D700, Vertorama, Yosemite National Park4 Comments

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 42Âº 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.

A Nocturnal Adventure

April 22, 2012April 22, 2012Posted in hikes, Nikon, Photography, TravelTagged Long Exposure, Night Photography, Nikon D700, San Francisco CaliforniaLeave a comment

I finally got this shot! I’ve wanted to take a photograph from here for over a year. Last year my friend Dali and I did some recon trips to get the logistics worked out. It’s a tricky place to get to, and a rare view I believe. We’ve kept this shoot on our “short shot list” but haven’t been able to fit it into our schedules until now. It was well worth the effort, risks, and steep climb to get it. The weather this evening was perfect. It was warm, with a slight breeze, and the fog was thin and stayed outside the Bay while we were here. I don’t know if I’ll ever get back here to photograph this view again or not, but I do hope so.

San Francisco, California, Bay Bridge, Pacific Ocean

Spring, Nature,and the Great Egret

April 16, 2012April 16, 2012Posted in Birds, California, Nature, Nikon, Photography, Travel, WildlifeTagged Birds, Breeding Season, CA, D300s, Great Egret, Heron, Nature Photography, Nikon, Photography, Santa Rosa, WildlifeLeave a comment

I spent a morning last week in Santa Rosa watching Egrets, and Herons, building nests, tending nests, and trying to attract a mate at a Rookery right in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. Mothers walked their children to school right under them, and traffic flowed on both sides of the street, and the Egrets and Herons were largely oblivious to all but themselves. Great Egrets nest in colonies so there are many, many birds in the trees.

The city is trying to give them some space so they blocked off one lane on each side of the street for a block or so sparing passing cars from being pelted with falling debris, and guano. The street under the Eucalyptus trees they’re nesting in is messy.

In the past when I’ve watch a Great Egret they’ve been very still, quite, and focused on hunting their prey, or I’ve startled them and they’ve flown away. That wasn’t the case on this morning though. The activity scarcely stopped.

Neither did the noise. In breeding season there is quite a lot of squawking, and screeching, and talking. In fact I found them very funny, and amusing. I laughed out loud many times listening to them.

There were many sorties by the male to gather just the right branch to build and strengthen the nest. He will seriously work on attracting a mate once this task is complete. The female lays 4-5 pale blue eggs which take 3-4 weeks to incubate. Both the male and female parents incubate the eggs, and feed the chicks.

During the breeding season the male Great Egret grows long tail feathers which he raises and spreads out . I’ve read their plumes were once prized for making ladies hats and they were nearly hunted to extinction.

…and he undulates his long neck, and lifts his head toward the sky to try to attract a mate.

It was a wonderful experience observing this behavior up close, and I have more photos to share in the coming days of Great Egrets, Cattle Egrets, and Night Herons.

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 70-300mm VR

Camouflage it’s for the Birds

April 6, 2012April 6, 2012Posted in Birds, California, Nature, Photography, Travel, WildlifeTagged Birds, California, D700, Nature, Nikon, Photography, Pinnacles National Park, Travel and Tourism, WildlifeLeave a comment

This little bird was very busy pecking through all the dropped leaves, and twigs looking for worms grubs I think. I watched it for a little while but never saw it get a worm.

I’m not sure what breed it is. It looks sort of like House Wren or some sort of Thrush to me. Anyone know?

Nikon D700| Nikkor 70-300@ 300mm| f5.6| 1/60 sec| ISO 640| Manual Mode| Hand-held

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