tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54784059627022419222024-02-19T10:56:10.546-05:00Photography Todaytomhaxbyphotos.comTom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-50974532795606505982022-05-20T20:52:00.000-05:002022-05-20T20:52:22.498-05:00How to Create a Monarch and Pollinator Habitat<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><u>Declining Populations of Monarchs, Bees and Pollinators</u></p><p style="text-align: left;"><u> </u>If you did not already know, our monarch as well as pollinator populations are in huge decline. One of the biggest culprits is the loss of habitat. Modern farming and use of glyphosate on farms throughout the corn belt has removed a significant amount of milkweed. Milkweed is the only plant the monarch caterpillar will feed on. Add to that the loss of winter habitat in Mexico and loss of habitat due to drought along their 3,000 mile migration route from Mexico to the US and the reasons for the decline are apparent. Populations of beneficial bees and other pollinators are in decline too. <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1-ADx3q0-tZkqmSKiURwmuOtLQZLIr8rOodb2l9Nvw9fW8gumqpq3LyiqTYoz8SY3Ch4FmmEkn6AOTqgaRPf30-S1GOs0v5cKVzhMi0PILQ6erbAQlfq5u_YwCKpGZ_RQJ6GlYX-IpnMmxPff5fwMRuU1ikkOjN1NVt4ZBuXN3uqWRX1UBQaqeHpHA/s1024/Bumble%20Bee%20and%20Monarch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1024" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1-ADx3q0-tZkqmSKiURwmuOtLQZLIr8rOodb2l9Nvw9fW8gumqpq3LyiqTYoz8SY3Ch4FmmEkn6AOTqgaRPf30-S1GOs0v5cKVzhMi0PILQ6erbAQlfq5u_YwCKpGZ_RQJ6GlYX-IpnMmxPff5fwMRuU1ikkOjN1NVt4ZBuXN3uqWRX1UBQaqeHpHA/w359-h250/Bumble%20Bee%20and%20Monarch.jpg" width="359" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bumble bee and monarch on liatris scariosa</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><u>Why They Matter</u> </p><p style="text-align: left;"> Did you know that up to 1/3 of our fresh fruits and vegetables are pollinated by insects? <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySoVRWwifp1yPj9iCGq_vqHun5LWw9IZ1QIbII9GdQosXsUhR_1UvsCGPMAUg2UTXF6WPfBf8Iha6BmBZmt5Gtb4XFKFMPE0vPeGLzXhWNvH4SrtxidRU1vOtEN0bPJ7PdC-1uH6yUsW-JceQzIlXOe0Ol-pVK_iHY7HnehNl07hQfF_Q-9BsuEivZw/s8256/Monarch%20on%20Coneflower_2-5218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySoVRWwifp1yPj9iCGq_vqHun5LWw9IZ1QIbII9GdQosXsUhR_1UvsCGPMAUg2UTXF6WPfBf8Iha6BmBZmt5Gtb4XFKFMPE0vPeGLzXhWNvH4SrtxidRU1vOtEN0bPJ7PdC-1uH6yUsW-JceQzIlXOe0Ol-pVK_iHY7HnehNl07hQfF_Q-9BsuEivZw/s320/Monarch%20on%20Coneflower_2-5218.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Monarch and bumble bee on coneflower</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><u> </u></p><p style="text-align: left;"><u>What Can We Do</u>?</p><p style="text-align: left;"> There are things we can do to reverse the downward trends in monarchs, bees and other pollinators. One is to create more habitat in our yards, parks and other open spaces. Our customary lawns are an environmentally awkward convenience, and we can do so much more for our wildlife if we convert grass to native species. Our lawns require a tremendous amount of energy for lawn mowing equipment as well as a lot of water, fertilizer and pesticides to maintain. Much of the fertilizers and pesticides that we add to our grass ends up in lakes and streams which promotes algal blooms and degrades water quality. Lawns are time and energy consuming and if there is anything I have learned is that I have better things to do with my time than mowing a lawn over and over again. <br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_1t-RyiQ0AXgdIq9HZCxlYX6oY6dcRW5w7UBvYcrFz4gb4iGmXCfhl4dNuXxWexYkS8pVCauxtry2a3FKRpVIdOt6ejhkcaZx6t9QuSOXAX7iU-EvecMkuBlZGuRHW95YYRpXEHUNjVWXSmUl3cGvzdTVb8_h_X5f49e7fv7KUu5qUADYEbpmTZpeQ/s6948/Autumn%20Monarch-2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6948" data-original-width="5147" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_1t-RyiQ0AXgdIq9HZCxlYX6oY6dcRW5w7UBvYcrFz4gb4iGmXCfhl4dNuXxWexYkS8pVCauxtry2a3FKRpVIdOt6ejhkcaZx6t9QuSOXAX7iU-EvecMkuBlZGuRHW95YYRpXEHUNjVWXSmUl3cGvzdTVb8_h_X5f49e7fv7KUu5qUADYEbpmTZpeQ/s320/Autumn%20Monarch-2.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monarch on liatris scariosa<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYMt_dn8eYTyrWSil6Uwp3ctiTjowXoR99oY4Y9vePrp0uttbc75Y-YpmvP1N496drF4t7VTbY1VmYuFiqjRUwjkSXOR8WG36Tr-z6USIchjCD69iTE6j4Sz17DrSpI7xbmgTO8RSJcZFppU_1eGrlX78hwgxL1p2IOfqbVKJ_V8Zj13_8ErwIUnBJQ/s7959/Northern%20Blazing%20Star-2012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7959" data-original-width="5227" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYMt_dn8eYTyrWSil6Uwp3ctiTjowXoR99oY4Y9vePrp0uttbc75Y-YpmvP1N496drF4t7VTbY1VmYuFiqjRUwjkSXOR8WG36Tr-z6USIchjCD69iTE6j4Sz17DrSpI7xbmgTO8RSJcZFppU_1eGrlX78hwgxL1p2IOfqbVKJ_V8Zj13_8ErwIUnBJQ/s320/Northern%20Blazing%20Star-2012.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Northern Blazing Star, Liatris scariosa var. nieuwlandii</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><u>How I did it</u></p><p style="text-align: left;">Several years ago I began to convert my yard into a habitat area for
monarchs as well as pollinators. This area is now utilized by hundreds
if not thousands of monarchs, bees and other pollinators. I have even
noticed an increase in bird activity such as hummingbirds attracted by
the flowers and other birds attracted to the bugs. I have not noticed an
increase in nuisance insects such as mosquitoes. Half of my front yard is now a Certified Monarch Waystation. This did come about in part by accident. I had planted tickseed coreopsis in part of my yard and allowed the plant to go to seed in the fall. The seeds then spread to another sunny part of the yard and expanded the plant. Then the common milkweed started to appear and I mowed around it. Lo and behold the monarchs started to appear too. So I decided to go all-in on enhancing the habitat. I should add too that grass never did really well in my yard so competition for the added native plants was minimal. While milkweed is crucial for caterpillars,</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrG3jxNWrEK5ypIXFbqL_cFisbfAYcSmhM8UqC6aZY4osY-hieflD_8X2HA55a9kQ8uTdcpTXzfKlbBscfJ2RQf-Z7sEbEfW3ViVCNORCzqjA2zy0ZttDjd9UNyFxvXvvxldZaGvO9wUWOaAEHZ_p6nFLiGxwwMR1cGrFDvLC5czzmg7K84-F3tOclfw/s7919/Purple%20Coneflower%20Botanical.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7919" data-original-width="5504" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrG3jxNWrEK5ypIXFbqL_cFisbfAYcSmhM8UqC6aZY4osY-hieflD_8X2HA55a9kQ8uTdcpTXzfKlbBscfJ2RQf-Z7sEbEfW3ViVCNORCzqjA2zy0ZttDjd9UNyFxvXvvxldZaGvO9wUWOaAEHZ_p6nFLiGxwwMR1cGrFDvLC5czzmg7K84-F3tOclfw/s320/Purple%20Coneflower%20Botanical.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">nectar producing plants are necessary for monarch butterflies and pollinators. So, a little research, added to my knowledge of native
plants lead me to a native plant nursery where I stocked up on liatris
(blazing star), black-eyed Susan, purple coneflower, joe pye weed, butterfly milkweed and other assorted
native flowers. Good information is available on suitable plants
for monarchs as well as information on monarchs and the Certified Monarch Waystation program at <a href="http://www.monarchwatch.org">www.monarchwatch.org</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><u>The Beat Goes On</u></p><p style="text-align: left;">I keep adding more and more native plants to the habitat area and the monarchs continue to visit my yard, especially during the fall migration as they stop to refuel on their way south. Many monarch caterpillars, butterflies and lots of bees appear during the summer months. As my place is in northern Michigan, the winter-dormant season means the habitat area does not have the color and attractiveness of the summer when the area looks like a tall grass prairie. I do put up a sign that the yard is for monarchs and do maintain part of the yard in grass so that it is not appear to be an unkempt yard. Our summers also tend to be dry and the soil is quite sandy so supplemental watering is necessary during very dry periods. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><u>Happiness</u></p><p style="text-align: left;">This project has turned out to be a source of pride and joy in knowing that I have made a difference for monarchs as well as many pollinators. I might add too that the flowers are quite beautiful in the middle of the summer into the early fall. <br /></p>Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-70648298995319986972022-05-20T08:12:00.004-05:002022-05-20T08:23:31.683-05:00<p style="text-align: center;"><b> Please Don't Feed the Bears</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b> </b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span> </span></b>If you did not catch my Facebook post about my recent encounter with a young male bear in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park several weeks ago. Here it is. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftomhaxbyphotography%2Fposts%2F1363380634164853&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="593" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe><a href="<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3D1398914467223104%26id%3D100013136926395&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="593" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOiCPiI2MJ3BhsNa5foxPL9AZQNuqCi79oQHCJz8xkhB1a_D1aVdIFSvpOXJWQEKbYRRJhEYua7NciaAnZ_f2Vvctm7eR-4cBTPAXXSEtgnmJpVyFrTtCb5ukOX2AJQkkCC4tpLtSnTppschJ_1ZSVgyTHdZB2_8x8LSObzEMtHOxKXRpxkI3SiSY5w/s5702/Bear-2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4411" data-original-width="5702" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOiCPiI2MJ3BhsNa5foxPL9AZQNuqCi79oQHCJz8xkhB1a_D1aVdIFSvpOXJWQEKbYRRJhEYua7NciaAnZ_f2Vvctm7eR-4cBTPAXXSEtgnmJpVyFrTtCb5ukOX2AJQkkCC4tpLtSnTppschJ_1ZSVgyTHdZB2_8x8LSObzEMtHOxKXRpxkI3SiSY5w/s320/Bear-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>While my account made light of my predicament with the bear I realized that the bear's behavior was unusual. Bears do not normally approach people as this one did. Unfortunately, this behavior was probably due to the bear associating people with food. Somebody or several people have fed that bear and he was looking for another hand out. Hopefully enough people will resist his begging for food and he will finally get discouraged and cease to see people as a source of a handout. More likely, the bear will continue to aggressively approach people and will be reported to the NPS. They will have no choice but to have the bear put down. I know that this will not reach those who fed the bear, and thus, sentenced it for death. However, if I ever see someone feeding a bear I will take their pictures and report them to the authorities. I encourage others to do the same. Bears are beautiful and many people enjoy seeing and watching them, but they are wild animals. It is not their fault that they are only responding to a need for food, especially in the spring when they emerge from their winter dens hungry. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I also should not have gotten that close to the bear for a photo, but recognize that the bear approached me and that I drove past it in very close proximity before the encounter outside of my vehicle. Lesson learned and I hope others will cease feeding bears. <br /><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"> <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> <b> </b><br /></p>Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-25542372309408130662021-11-08T11:35:00.001-05:002021-11-08T11:37:24.467-05:00Supply Chain Blues<p> The issues with the supply chain are real and seemingly getting worse. Well, what does this have to do with my photography? It has started to affect my ability to take and sell photos. The first indicator was the problem I had getting photos to restock a local store with prints in August. Delay on top of delay pushed the completion of my order into an extended out-of-town trip. That meant I could not pick up and deliver the prints myself. Fortunately, the printing company took all of my information and delivered the prints to the store while I was gone. Then in September, I ordered 2 spare batteries for my camera. It is almost 2 months later I have no idea where the batteries I ordered are. Then things got really absurd. MY laptop computer was in need of being replaced. So I ordered with the hope that an in-stock computer and a overnight delivery would get it to me before my next trip. Instead of showing up inside of 16 days, delivery was finally attempted while I was again away while leading a photo tour. I pleaded with the computer supplier to delay delivery until I returned home to no avail. The order was flagged for a signature and I was not able to reschedule the order with the shipper. Not feeling that I could re-order and take delivery before my next trip, I decided that it might be easier to order a new battery for the old laptop computer. My mistake was ordering based on the model number of the computer and it was the wrong battery. Hopefully that has been corrected and the correct battery will be delivered today. That still does not solve the issue of a full hard drive. Meanwhile, my Adobe software on my laptop will not update. </p><p>What is the lesson from all of these headaches with getting needed supplies? It is not just photographers who are going to be affected, but almost all businesses will have to adapt to a new way of doing business. You cannot depend on having supplies when you need them, but only when you can finally get them. </p><p>If you can possibly plan ahead I would suggest doing so as the Supply Chain Blues may only get worse. And if anything is coming from Asia plan on your supplies being help up in the Pacific in a holding pattern. <br /></p>Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-19841871849886523952021-10-16T10:42:00.021-05:002021-10-16T16:25:26.633-05:00Lightroom Workflow<p>I do not pretend to be a Lightroom© Master, and I do not like to spend an inordinate amount of time processing my images, but because I shoot in RAW I do have to process my images. RAW means that the camera does not do any processing, like it does to .jpg images. The advantages are a wider color gamut and greater resolution than .jpg which is a compressed format designed for use on the web. <br /></p><p>I currently have 2 versions of Lightroom©. An older version, Lightroom6, on and older desktop computer and Lightroom Classic© on my laptop computer. Both are easy to use because they mostly involve using sliders to adjust color, exposure, etc. and for more robust editing work, Lightroom works seamlessly with Photoshop©. </p><p>My editing work in Lightroom follows a pattern or workflow such as Crop/Straighten>Clean Up>Correct Exposure>Optimize Vibrance and Saturation>Sharpen>Correct for lens distortion and, if needed, adding a slight vignette. These are global adjustments and I try not to overdo anything like saturation or sharpening which can lead to unnatural looking photos. Local corrections may be needed to bring out details in parts of the photo. In more detail my workflow: </p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Cropping</b></span></p><p><b> </b>Looking at the photo on a computer monitor is better than what I can see in a viewfinder or viewscreen on the camera and it is rare that I do not need to crop to improve an image. In the develop (shortcut to get to the develop module is keystrke "D") module I use the keystroke "R" to activate the crop tool. If there is a horizon or other feature which should be horizontal or perpendicular I may need to straighten that. I will use an older image as an example:</p><p><b> </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLS3ALy7Eu90eIV9100RyamqibZutTqH16tHwWj1QYgnZ-xjRECZ7P-HOYWKTkak1dSR6n2vB3U5dpGS5UQZvSE2ncHT2nNw6gsgIKU_uDq9WpHUM-BYXJuWScaqcQX1Qt3Y_5uihuHQOJ/s2048/Lake+Michigan+Sunset-9410.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLS3ALy7Eu90eIV9100RyamqibZutTqH16tHwWj1QYgnZ-xjRECZ7P-HOYWKTkak1dSR6n2vB3U5dpGS5UQZvSE2ncHT2nNw6gsgIKU_uDq9WpHUM-BYXJuWScaqcQX1Qt3Y_5uihuHQOJ/s320/Lake+Michigan+Sunset-9410.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This sunset is the file that I captured in camera. The first thing I want to do is straighten the horizon so the lake is not draining off the page. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGuhli-ILaWdlpiGA1TW_CGMGjiIelfIgsizpew7IIIK8GLvhrYTWNKQ3OU8-_xIulqvuy0_DKVYpDIMMx9AVDX1nzbYMVuBhxV9_1Yge-GZT4ChR0E_qEAUi8DCcVjoIRB5fevc_gzD7/s1574/Lake+Michigan+Sunset.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="1574" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGuhli-ILaWdlpiGA1TW_CGMGjiIelfIgsizpew7IIIK8GLvhrYTWNKQ3OU8-_xIulqvuy0_DKVYpDIMMx9AVDX1nzbYMVuBhxV9_1Yge-GZT4ChR0E_qEAUi8DCcVjoIRB5fevc_gzD7/s320/Lake+Michigan+Sunset.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><br /><b> </b><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Just below the Histogram in the upper right corner is a crop and straighten tool. In this case I click on the level icon for angle and draw a line along the horizon. This automatically straightens and applies a crop to "square up" the image. Selecting Done will apply this edit. If there is anything on the edge that does not belong that will immediately get cropped out. This is the crop frame tool and can be retain a size ratio if needed. I forget about this feature often and may end up doing this manually. <br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Clean Up </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">From time to time my sensor will collect dust and when shooting something with a sky or even a white board, these dust spots will show on the image. Here, I like to use the spot removal tool, shortcut "Q" to zap these spots. Here is an image of a plane, not the greatest image, but it shows the dust spots. Hint: you can click on the image to see a larger image. <br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7JKDtE095yUf1zkfw_7btLcC79w4776bfi9Zs1VYZLO6GXNJETyOAke2gD7T1gE5m56bLRG0ndZOiczE0lqT80XfBUBqciHg4rxZalO-kAFISHu2hkYcWRd7-EcNmoPw8NSYaVgmYB5J/s1322/Plane.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="1322" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7JKDtE095yUf1zkfw_7btLcC79w4776bfi9Zs1VYZLO6GXNJETyOAke2gD7T1gE5m56bLRG0ndZOiczE0lqT80XfBUBqciHg4rxZalO-kAFISHu2hkYcWRd7-EcNmoPw8NSYaVgmYB5J/s320/Plane.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">After opening the Spot Removal Tool yo</span></span>u can see the spots even better if you select visualize spots in the lower left corner. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHWbIwI96MEF5fol1DZS2MFccWIKjlixRc210wt_iZvxsCltKq6BvUzTubnDugZU3r1dv1XAdQjUn13veNJVpEuoCzSOBlO_CODBTVHg2Bo0ssiLuCCR-jZ9LYwXzgnnUqMGIKr1QxtQH/s1343/Visualize+Spots.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="1343" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHWbIwI96MEF5fol1DZS2MFccWIKjlixRc210wt_iZvxsCltKq6BvUzTubnDugZU3r1dv1XAdQjUn13veNJVpEuoCzSOBlO_CODBTVHg2Bo0ssiLuCCR-jZ9LYwXzgnnUqMGIKr1QxtQH/s320/Visualize+Spots.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />After opening the spot removal tool (Q) a box will open. Here you can choose between clone and heal. Clone will take another area of the photo and paste it over the spot. The area to clone is chosen by Lightroom, but you can click and drag that area around. Heal will use pixels around spot to "heal" the spot. You can also set the size of the brush, feather amount and opacity here also. So, in my image with visualize spots selected (above) I will click on the white dots which are really black spots on my image thereby zapping those spots away. It may take some practice and sometimes I have to resort to using Photoshop because it does a much better job. Well, actually I don't have to fight Lightroom© to zap the spots to my approval. <br /><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFCK-P2zDL_zyLdRJ9Bs6EUB_XtwhUpZEXJ8BqrStPU66o8x5kww_-TM8HXfT6SrpVvs6Loe0pilwNHVso0oNGx84hXZXqEQtvTP2t86SQjvgcey0kUxVc-9GTKwOEuaKH1e9q3D6w9Uy/s243/Spot+removal+box.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="136" data-original-width="243" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFCK-P2zDL_zyLdRJ9Bs6EUB_XtwhUpZEXJ8BqrStPU66o8x5kww_-TM8HXfT6SrpVvs6Loe0pilwNHVso0oNGx84hXZXqEQtvTP2t86SQjvgcey0kUxVc-9GTKwOEuaKH1e9q3D6w9Uy/s0/Spot+removal+box.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Exposure</b></span></p><p>Next looking at the exposure, the histogram shows a slight overexposure near where he sun is which is to be expected. This is shown by the lighted arrow in the upper right corner - a warning that your image is outside of the range of the sensor. The pixels going off the right side of the graph shows the same thing. I used the Auto White Balance setting on my Nikon D850 camera which usually does a pretty good job. The one exception is shady conditions which are often too blue for my liking. On this image I want to darken the highlights a little and increase the contrast just a tad. This brings back some of the color in the sky close to the sun. I also like to drop the blacks a little as this will help with contrast. I do not like images that are muddy or lacking contrast. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidI17_KKZeVVNSe9UKAbSbgfHXxmqNSVr7jFnIBLXiwEIjBMPwrgEjCV4q78R1rC4ofxPEJSdDrtQEMeAq9VuhRj9HLatXZV58flCi68iD0Ikm6NO17q40gdyOVKOs_P9tcz2xLI8AmxIV/s253/Histogram.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="253" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidI17_KKZeVVNSe9UKAbSbgfHXxmqNSVr7jFnIBLXiwEIjBMPwrgEjCV4q78R1rC4ofxPEJSdDrtQEMeAq9VuhRj9HLatXZV58flCi68iD0Ikm6NO17q40gdyOVKOs_P9tcz2xLI8AmxIV/s0/Histogram.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawftqbFmzHTVea53Sk2eOa1MjhlbXjPlrR69E5yLROi8YS-RLodmrqx8OQiL85jtEMVz5R69Cxm5PmdLLH10UG0omWWMZbgqoG4VMsL9IiqRE_1FHc_NC0ysB3Ui1wT5lq1MjWKJxp_n2/s2048/Lake+Michigan+Sunset+Exposure-9410.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawftqbFmzHTVea53Sk2eOa1MjhlbXjPlrR69E5yLROi8YS-RLodmrqx8OQiL85jtEMVz5R69Cxm5PmdLLH10UG0omWWMZbgqoG4VMsL9IiqRE_1FHc_NC0ysB3Ui1wT5lq1MjWKJxp_n2/s320/Lake+Michigan+Sunset+Exposure-9410.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b> </b><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclr2tgI5EFuFt1LOP3wINjY8_3He8Bsf6j3dSBiI0S7haiICHNuIfwF-U3iUfZ2jNZ2kB4xLHV1rRkXQP0INsNazxEuPksFmObCPBCRsUNXKcWd9bYrYbxf0CEUmhwlccwMEHuMagg-hQ/s274/Treatment.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="247" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclr2tgI5EFuFt1LOP3wINjY8_3He8Bsf6j3dSBiI0S7haiICHNuIfwF-U3iUfZ2jNZ2kB4xLHV1rRkXQP0INsNazxEuPksFmObCPBCRsUNXKcWd9bYrYbxf0CEUmhwlccwMEHuMagg-hQ/s0/Treatment.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><p> These are changes I have made in the treatment dialogue box. Now I am ready to adjust the "Presence".</p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Presence</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There are 3 sliders in the Presence box: Clarity, Vibrance and Saturation. I usually adjust each. For clarity it is between 15-20. Any more than this an the image looks for lack of a better term "fuzzy". I adjust vibrance to just below 20 unless the image is really lacking color such as a photo taken in fog. And Saturation may be between 2-7 depending on the image. Vibrance and Saturation adjustments are done by looking at the monitor which is calibrated so hopefully What I See is What I Get. Now the difference between vibrance and saturation is the vibrance will saturate colors that are not already saturated more than those that are already saturated. Saturation will saturate everything equally regardless of whether that color is already saturated. Remember these are global changes affecting the entire image and I do not want to overdo. Oversaturation is to me a common mistake that leads to unnatural looking photos of nature.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> <span style="font-size: large;">Sharpening</span></b> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Skipping over the Tone Curve box because I have already done most of this work above, the HSL box which stands for Hue, Saturation and Luminance and the Split Toning Box. I move down to the Sharpening box. Now, sharpening is really an illusion created by adding a dark area around each pixel. Overdoing sharpening is another mistake that many make. I will generally move the Amount slider around 100 for sharpening with no changes to the other sliders. This may vary by lens and camera for you. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeEkOo5rHkImBgOWzkToDIJ352hoB_fUm6dlx59f_GtKc-Jtm12HaJedlaIctpYa-rXrVluYsvVB0omVvJiptzDlmqsTOKB7r_3IeRhizuXxXvOJOBTf5p8_AwUA_JuoNTWWuU4HewKJA/s238/Sharpening.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="108" data-original-width="238" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeEkOo5rHkImBgOWzkToDIJ352hoB_fUm6dlx59f_GtKc-Jtm12HaJedlaIctpYa-rXrVluYsvVB0omVvJiptzDlmqsTOKB7r_3IeRhizuXxXvOJOBTf5p8_AwUA_JuoNTWWuU4HewKJA/s0/Sharpening.jpg" width="238" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lens Corrections</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">If my lens profile is available I will next Enable Profile Corrections. This will help to remove any distortions caused by the lens as well as any excessive vignetting (<span>darkening</span> edge and corner areas). With the "Profile" highlighted selecting Enable Profile Correction will automatically correct for any lens effects. </span><b> </b></span><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2Lgp4PIuagh2eMVZOsCGrFnUCXzuyaJEl5nYmm0yUJT_NTqwJrhiBLLxbnckf1Ecmy1Cq37JYc_naPxgHBT3jnYA4DW8KwZSckhu0kZf6bG2WlsXTF1QWq3CSZeHvK5uROkzmsvYuCv7/s252/Lens+Corrections.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="252" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2Lgp4PIuagh2eMVZOsCGrFnUCXzuyaJEl5nYmm0yUJT_NTqwJrhiBLLxbnckf1Ecmy1Cq37JYc_naPxgHBT3jnYA4DW8KwZSckhu0kZf6bG2WlsXTF1QWq3CSZeHvK5uROkzmsvYuCv7/s0/Lens+Corrections.jpg" width="252" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>Newer versions of Lightroom© will undoubtedly have more lens profiles, and if you can find your lens you can add the profile. If it does not have your lens, not to worry, this is not a huge adjustment that most will notice if it is not applied. The exception would be with extreme wide angle lenses which can have a lot of distortion. <br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Effects</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I tend to skip over the Transform box unless I have major corrections to make. I move on to the final box which is Effects. I like to use the Post-Crop Vignetting to add a slight vignette to some images. For example darkening the edges slightly to make a butterfly stand out. Caution: this too can be easily over done. I like to move the Amount Slider left just enough so that it is not obvious. Somewhere in the neighborhood of -10. It is not really needed on my example image as I don't have a subject to highlight. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Finally</b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I may have left some small details out, but that was due to time and space. Lightroom is a very complex and powerful editing tool and you will discover some of the nuances as you work with it such as local edits.....</span><b> </b></span> <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Local Edits</b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am mostly done will all of my global edits and would normally move on to local edits on portions of the image that require more work. That will be in the next blog post. Stay tuned................</span><b> </b></span> </span><b> </b></span><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-72246136490409689182021-10-14T11:35:00.001-05:002021-10-14T11:37:44.036-05:00 A Photo Day at Seven Bridges Natural Area<p> </p><p>Most of my household chores were completed and it looked to be a beautiful fall day, so I grabbed the camera gear and off I went to the Seven Bridges Natural Area. I had been thinking of photographing the cedar trees there since my trip to the UP in late September. There I watched as fellow photographer Nick Bristol worked a scene along the AuTrain River which included cedar trees. <br /></p><p>The cedars at Seven Bridges are very unique. Their root collars are exposed and there is a grove of cedar where there is little ground clutter. Little did I know just how good the shooting conditions were going to be that day. </p><p> I started with a small area of cedars and had to work around groups of teens passing through. That was o.k. as the light at times was just too bright leading to unwanted hotspots. The one advantage though was the lack of wind. It was unusually calm and when the sun ducked behind clouds photography conditions were perfect. For most of the photos I used a white balance setting of cloudy. This yields a warmer tone to the images. Yes, I was shooting RAW files and could have changed white balance when processing. By presetting my white balance enabled me to see what I was getting. Almost all photos were shot using ISO 100. The photo here was shot at f/4.5, 1/10 sec. @ 40 mm with a 24-70 mm Nikor lens. I did extensive processing in Lightroom and I will explain my processing in another blog post later. <br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfAczQwGND4o0yQMUGqyd7rEz-eZTRRWeRr4rfqF9ue1OO93qzlxCtD998lNFybVTYxX8lcIzULvu7MCcppfgd6GNjfrtg9qKu3BZCiqS_4TkJNE4_7rhnunyDY8rNYZtqdNLXhAIxEQJ/s2048/+Cedar+Group-6813.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfAczQwGND4o0yQMUGqyd7rEz-eZTRRWeRr4rfqF9ue1OO93qzlxCtD998lNFybVTYxX8lcIzULvu7MCcppfgd6GNjfrtg9qKu3BZCiqS_4TkJNE4_7rhnunyDY8rNYZtqdNLXhAIxEQJ/w400-h266/+Cedar+Group-6813.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Continuing my work in the cedar grove I really liked the two photogenic cedars framing the grouping further back. I was very conscious of keeping the bright sky out of the images. It added nothing and only served as a distraction. ISO 100, f4.5, 1/8 sec. @ 40 mm. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIRZjtuYTS8kCLN36lCQbSJnclycl-ofPM-DaI38h1uypy941pDWBtJgZr-xFVRN2VPtpiANtIPPI6iErsKB02F5hjMxAW42AJ9PxCkYJJO-w4d45kTLxW-6IUbgQ4vdZhhfGNTTP0-yg/s2048/+Cedars-6808.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIRZjtuYTS8kCLN36lCQbSJnclycl-ofPM-DaI38h1uypy941pDWBtJgZr-xFVRN2VPtpiANtIPPI6iErsKB02F5hjMxAW42AJ9PxCkYJJO-w4d45kTLxW-6IUbgQ4vdZhhfGNTTP0-yg/w400-h266/+Cedars-6808.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I have been to Seven Bridges before and it is very difficult to shoot down the entire river due to the depth of the river and rapids. Too the trees crowd the edge of the river. So, I decided to work with what was available. And the trees with their exposed roots became prominent in many photos. Such as this one. ISO 100, f/14, 1.6 sec. @34 mm. Have to love all the lichens and mosses on the trunk and the ornate roots. Too I decided to include a little of the river and liked the other cedar hanging on the river bank. The fall leaves on the ground added a nice touch too. This is the essence of Seven Bridges. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTd9uPyXV_tPZQXP3tSm5zOJEclXJbni9KR6ZAifFv8SUfVFoUx3PlN7Vyabc8JoXpompu_q93c8kJuWO_JD1EwlwK5mA_2p_cZp230IdUTUx6cdNBPF2P6aaIlZlF7JoV4syLKa4AJhJF/s2048/Rapid+River-6876.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTd9uPyXV_tPZQXP3tSm5zOJEclXJbni9KR6ZAifFv8SUfVFoUx3PlN7Vyabc8JoXpompu_q93c8kJuWO_JD1EwlwK5mA_2p_cZp230IdUTUx6cdNBPF2P6aaIlZlF7JoV4syLKa4AJhJF/w400-h266/Rapid+River-6876.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgou-2MV0Gx2RzDy3kqUrbZi8UDfE1TJfd_avUwJKfbNJDcf20KwNQ0kFVxBDs2-VWRm5OXOIfuMJawVhAAq4nCJTVWYw4rk1_EQhKYRMODvbBlSzMEbkB2DPvisaWKlDir2GvA_FqvKH6q/s2048/Bridge-6887.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1378" data-original-width="2048" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgou-2MV0Gx2RzDy3kqUrbZi8UDfE1TJfd_avUwJKfbNJDcf20KwNQ0kFVxBDs2-VWRm5OXOIfuMJawVhAAq4nCJTVWYw4rk1_EQhKYRMODvbBlSzMEbkB2DPvisaWKlDir2GvA_FqvKH6q/w400-h269/Bridge-6887.jpg" width="400" /></a>There are a number of bridges that cross the river., and I have never really stopped to count ISO 100, f/14, .6 sec., @24 mm <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And shooting from these bridges is really the only way to capture most of the river unobstructed. As luck would have it that day, late afternoon sun was spotlighting a fall-colored beech and reflecting in the water. I waited for a few people to cross the bridge as it was bouncing. And too, after shooting a few horizontals, I knew I needed a vertical to show the motion of the water in the foreground. The wind was still calm so I had not problem with dancing leaves. ISO 100, f/14, .8 sec @ 32 mm. I love the warm/cold colors and the motion in the river in the foreground. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmSyke2p76BXqp70MifzSe-NoOswgVnDkHnNi7Vngui1JPwpzJBJqI67-05lVHLkhw045h1FefIIN1pUItBi5hbyVWkvOmjlxSvO7zm79xfbEmtOIdwW3MXxCQUD1RNKiM_9NOnu88JAH/s2048/Rapid+River+Vertical-6899.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmSyke2p76BXqp70MifzSe-NoOswgVnDkHnNi7Vngui1JPwpzJBJqI67-05lVHLkhw045h1FefIIN1pUItBi5hbyVWkvOmjlxSvO7zm79xfbEmtOIdwW3MXxCQUD1RNKiM_9NOnu88JAH/w266-h400/Rapid+River+Vertical-6899.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />After a pizza dinner in Kalkaska I headed home to process the images. I did the processing on my older desktop computer which still has Lightroom6. Some of the cedar trunks were a little too yellow, which is not natural,<br />so part of my processing was to use the paintbrush to change the color temperature to a colder and less yellow cast. There was a little work too with adjusting exposure and a light touch of vignetting on the edges. As always when shooting RAW, I made adjustments to the vibrance and saturation along with working on contrast through highlights, shadows and blacks. Much like Ansel Adams who did extensive post-processing from his negatives, myfinal images were a process of work in the field and a lot of work in my digital darkroom. This last image was ISO 100, f/14, 2.5 sec. @31 mm.<p></p><p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkmwrbobSP3N_LVUQmljepPIEIOWmsAT6P_8qWp5iccnlwF-do3nhnPu7YEANk6CQM3A9JRCGrhmoaRg-rl2y6c3NHAfAD-odDbBOShl_7SDRWHiknulSbA7sBT8tR-y1jdlM1NFV0qCd/s2048/Rapid+River-6905.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkmwrbobSP3N_LVUQmljepPIEIOWmsAT6P_8qWp5iccnlwF-do3nhnPu7YEANk6CQM3A9JRCGrhmoaRg-rl2y6c3NHAfAD-odDbBOShl_7SDRWHiknulSbA7sBT8tR-y1jdlM1NFV0qCd/s320/Rapid+River-6905.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /></div><p></p>Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-26765555274238422172021-09-24T12:09:00.002-05:002021-09-24T12:14:09.761-05:00Test of Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II<p> I have been a faithful Nikon user for many years now and still love my trusty Nikon D850, but it is heavy and I am getting older, aren't we all. And to be honest, carrying extra weight is not my idea of fun. I will admit too that last year I traded my trusted 500mm f/4 lens for a much lighter 500mm f/5.6 pf lens and this has enabled me to get images I never could have gotten because the other lens was too heavy to carry far afield. Furthermore, like all camera manufacturers, Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras are no longer being upgraded. Newer mirrorless cameras are getting all the new bells and whistles.and to begin with they are lighter and have faster capture rates. </p><p> </p><p>So, after a recent conversation with the owner of the <a href="https://www.camerashoptc.com/" target="_blank">Traverse City Camera Shop</a> I decided to try the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and most specifically I wanted to try the Procapture feature. This allows capture up to 60 frames per second with the UHS ii SD Card. These cards actually have two copper strips as connectors as opposed to only one in the UHS SD cards. This means thay care write data much faster. I have heard and seen examples of the Procapture feature, but wanted to try for myself. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj235C9ebLTJEG_t2bCKtfIMH3dyqN7UwD_HJC6QVQkZIEIOv2htTi7LtLYCZT10kP36w8oX1ya51aOn7GzUZHQhNjQ06s5ZosFN6GkyildN1mt010QBv6u98qDg0taRPjunCRx5PsQpR9z/s922/Olympus+OM-D+M1+mark+II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="922" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj235C9ebLTJEG_t2bCKtfIMH3dyqN7UwD_HJC6QVQkZIEIOv2htTi7LtLYCZT10kP36w8oX1ya51aOn7GzUZHQhNjQ06s5ZosFN6GkyildN1mt010QBv6u98qDg0taRPjunCRx5PsQpR9z/w285-h264/Olympus+OM-D+M1+mark+II.jpg" width="285" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRrtQQYBcoc1Sf_6sauiE5sEo8fo9S_l_GThUqY_Z_5AT5ohq1pXlOH23dLadOW7jCO1kmf7r6F4WOcHcKb9PkDQCZjqD7VcNGx6DXct8oG-Vav2kVJc3kOnfzPYLmL2wnVhGa2qjipKU/s997/Olympus+OM-D+M1+mark+II+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="997" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRrtQQYBcoc1Sf_6sauiE5sEo8fo9S_l_GThUqY_Z_5AT5ohq1pXlOH23dLadOW7jCO1kmf7r6F4WOcHcKb9PkDQCZjqD7VcNGx6DXct8oG-Vav2kVJc3kOnfzPYLmL2wnVhGa2qjipKU/w295-h278/Olympus+OM-D+M1+mark+II+back.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><p>Now having been a Nikon user all these years, navigating the controls and menu screens is much different and would take some practice to reach the same ease I feel with the Nikon system. I did have some experience with the Olympus menus as I have an Olympus TG camera which I have used underwater. Eventually, I did get the camera set up as I wanted. I might add too that I do not own a UHS ii SD card so I was not able to achieve the top frame rate. But even without a UHS ii Sd card my first trial of Procapture was impressive. Keeping the shutter button depressed while photographing fast-moving chickadees meant that I got ALL of the action. Even the quick motions of the chickadees as they took the sunflower seed. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VSkmu-2iFz5ZZUuI4EDrX1hHruaknwkFN8Od3AO-icscTpVSkQ7dfrJjsf_okH8PhXRDgxO5y2mc_SDlqyMR8azV0FsbjNxY47s98CG6OWphCidmLAJQCah40eTMAVlW7jzoSIrcApDA/s1280/Feeding+Chickadee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1087" data-original-width="1280" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VSkmu-2iFz5ZZUuI4EDrX1hHruaknwkFN8Od3AO-icscTpVSkQ7dfrJjsf_okH8PhXRDgxO5y2mc_SDlqyMR8azV0FsbjNxY47s98CG6OWphCidmLAJQCah40eTMAVlW7jzoSIrcApDA/s320/Feeding+Chickadee.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtWFsD5L8kvPxmBmkyOfN3tU4ujnSjSS2I_xXFK4BE5NFs51nGLtVs_PDLCpiF6vqY4uAVz-GDkREPdalJT1UWBbSYKHJjIxfeZWfG9ivvpLdvLQM3DWmuRvvYibuKoA3FyKHoQilQL7l/s1800/female+monarch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtWFsD5L8kvPxmBmkyOfN3tU4ujnSjSS2I_xXFK4BE5NFs51nGLtVs_PDLCpiF6vqY4uAVz-GDkREPdalJT1UWBbSYKHJjIxfeZWfG9ivvpLdvLQM3DWmuRvvYibuKoA3FyKHoQilQL7l/w350-h233/female+monarch.jpg" width="350" /></a></div><br />While static poses of wildlife can be very beautiful, I could just imagine being able to capture action shots that truly shows the majestic flight of a bird or butterfly. <p></p><p>I will say that I did not do a complete evaluation of the camera, that has already been done and I am sure there is a YouTube video out that speaks to the overall performance. <br /></p><p>This camera has been on the market for several years now, and newer versions I am sure have lots of improved features. I am seriously considering going to a lighter and newer mirrorless system. I would however like to try the Nikon mirrorless cameras as learning the new menu would take some serious time. However, I really do like the Olympus Procapture feature for wildlife work and this is enough to give serious consideration to an Olympus system. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-15230334274850093742021-06-09T21:05:00.003-05:002021-06-20T12:38:05.872-05:00Photography from a kayak<p> <u><b>The Experience</b></u></p><p>Some people may be intimidated by taking expensive electronic gear in a kayak on a lake or river. However, with the right gear and practice it is a great way to get photographs of wildlife. Here is how I have become comfortable and proficient in taking wildlife photos from a kayak. <u><b> </b></u><br /></p><p><b><u>Early River Trips </u></b><br /></p><p><span> </span>It all started more than 15 years ago on the Waccissa River in northern Florida. I started taking my camera gear with me in the kayak, because the Waccissa River is a hot spot for birds and wildlife. While the first trip with expensive gear was not imbedded in my memory, I still remember honing my techniques over many trips there. In fact, I do remember my first photo sale was of an alligator sunning on a log on the river. It was primitive compared to the work I can do with the years of practice and improved gear. Early on I decided that photographing from a kayak had distinct advantages. Wildlife is less wary and more approachable and you are at eye-level which yields a more engaging photo. Plus, you don't have to carry heavy gear overland. I remember too discovering the need to anchor on the river and parking in floating weed mats to keep from floating downstream as I was composing a photo. This did lead to a few unexpected close-up encounters with alligators. </p><p></p><p><b><u>Lake Photography </u></b><br /></p><p><span> </span>More recently I have been photographing loons, swans and other waterfowl on a lake near my home in Michigan. Of course the big advantage on a lake is the lack of a current. It is even better when you get out in the morning while the wind is still. The reflections are better and the kayak is steady. I almost always photograph early for the good light and calm conditions. One caveat, on cool mornings there is often a lot of fog on the lake. Finding loons or any wildlife in the fog can be a challenge and photographing in the fog is even more difficult. So I have an excuse to sleep in a little later on chilly mornings. <br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMXSaCLylQltHXTSY_b5ZqqoO3QvQ60_FBG_a8Z4wTz-YfYorp4dZT3BUGmDc3p3ln1M0mX1ZLaUwBtq7w5IZb8vu2ek76gcr810FnyATcSGkcowXftnubtlzmhepmBG07L1Jyl9hASsk/s2048/Loon+Take+Off.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1389" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMXSaCLylQltHXTSY_b5ZqqoO3QvQ60_FBG_a8Z4wTz-YfYorp4dZT3BUGmDc3p3ln1M0mX1ZLaUwBtq7w5IZb8vu2ek76gcr810FnyATcSGkcowXftnubtlzmhepmBG07L1Jyl9hASsk/s320/Loon+Take+Off.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Loon taking off </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span><u><b>What kayak?</b></u><br /></span></p><p><span><span> </span> </span>Some have asked recently what type of kayak do I use and is it stable? I have been using a Perception Sundance 12 foot kayak, and yes, it is very stable. I also have insurance on my gear, but I am sure that I would have to recover any dunked gear in order to submit a claim. Experience has allowed me to feel very comfortable in a boat with my gear. I do usually have dry bag on the floor of the kayak in front of me
because that way I don't have to set the camera down in pools of water
in the bottom of the kayak. </p><p> </p><p><u><b>Camera Gear</b></u></p><p><span> </span>Until this past year I was using a 500 mm f/4 lens which is a heavy and awkward beast of a lens. Last year, I traded the 500 mm f/4 for Nikon's new 500 mm f/5.6 pf lens which is super light and makes a huge difference in the kayak. I still like the autofocus and bokeh on the f/4 lens better, but I can get shots now I never would have gotten with the beast lens. Quite often I use a teleconverter, either a 1.4 x or 1.7 x to give better reach. I always have a life jacket with me, but personally I think the kayak would be my life raft. One thing I have not done is to fashion any type of tripod or camera support for the kayak. Believe me, I have tried, but have not found a system that I feel comfortable with. <br /></p><p>A bigger challenge has been photographing wildlife on the Silver River in Florida. The current is much faster that the Waccissa and there are fewer weed mats to anchor on. There is also a lot of boat traffic. But I have still found opportunities to capture wildlife on the river. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSh217E50htUJL3wRhPmblqSm8IS1wM3o-jzma-eYzbDgdhLowBKslENiqtwha3pkJXim7qVZl9Uc0YWLod1gthzgEQcLqbZDizMhj8-2xL2tfvJhEVQeXSwErdVcqUFsuKh1gKHLRTSv/s2048/Mom+and+Baby+Monkey.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSh217E50htUJL3wRhPmblqSm8IS1wM3o-jzma-eYzbDgdhLowBKslENiqtwha3pkJXim7qVZl9Uc0YWLod1gthzgEQcLqbZDizMhj8-2xL2tfvJhEVQeXSwErdVcqUFsuKh1gKHLRTSv/s320/Mom+and+Baby+Monkey.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhesus monkeys, Silver River</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p>This female monkey and baby were photographed on the edge of the Silver River, just before a group of kayakers arrived to scare them off. Along with alligators, the monkeys on the Silver River can be the most dangerous. But common sense and giving the animals space is the best way to avoid unwanted conflicts. The hardest part of photographing the monkeys is the vegetation which often obscures part of the subject or creates odd shadows. Unlike being on land you cannot step to the side to get a better angle, you have to set the camera down paddle a little and hope you have a good spot and that the current doesn't move you away too quickly. The green heron was on the edge of the river where there was little current and thankfully it was an overcast sky, otherwise I would have had difficult lighting conditions under the shore vegetation. </p><p> </p><p><u><b>Ethics </b></u></p><p>Although wildlife may be less wary of a person in a kayak, basic ethics should be applied when photographing wildlife. While I do not wear camo, I also do not wear brightly colored clothing. The wildlife can see you in a kayak, but no need to send a warning that brightly colored clothing will give. I have learned to approach loons in way that will not bother them. After they do not see you as a threat, they are much more calm and almost seem to ignore you as they go about their daily lives. Plus repeated trips allows you to become more familiar to the loons. If I know the location of a nest, I stay well away. I would not have it any other way. I almost always use 500 mm or more lens. This allows me to keep my distance and I am as quiet as possible, even when paddling. I often avoid eye contact which seems to soothe wildlife. And, although I often get questions about where I found xx animal, I do not reveal locations on social media. There are too many other photographers who would stampede a location. It is for the protection of the animal.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1xVEQXQmyZfMjbm34RA30NYJ1u6-jvtV9KoCeSVQoNPqeQ7iNZvIfl30q_PexQ29EkSPEfnuWFacyj-AauSW_D1M5jou3-Bdk8lWjZ6McpUia6HNmnSVtNhXnGHKpJ26xCxLdzWr_BT9/s2048/green+heron+stalking.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1xVEQXQmyZfMjbm34RA30NYJ1u6-jvtV9KoCeSVQoNPqeQ7iNZvIfl30q_PexQ29EkSPEfnuWFacyj-AauSW_D1M5jou3-Bdk8lWjZ6McpUia6HNmnSVtNhXnGHKpJ26xCxLdzWr_BT9/s320/green+heron+stalking.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Heron, Silver River</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p> <u><b>In Conclusion </b></u></p><p>So, it is quite possible to get some really astonishing photos from a kayak and it is easier than you might think. Know your limits and skills and proceed at a pace that is comfortable to you. You may get some really amazing wildlife photos from your kayak. <br /></p><p><u><b> </b><b> </b></u><br /></p><br /><br /><p></p><p></p><p><br /><br /></p>Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-50321481730941434562021-05-27T08:49:00.003-05:002021-05-27T08:51:14.993-05:00Gear Chat<p> <span style="font-size: large;">R</span>ecently the auto focus on my camera lenses seemed to stop working. Well, it had been an intermittent problem until it seemed that it had stopped working at all. And, it was on more than one lens which should have been a clue that it was the camera and not the lens. Fortunately, in my area there is the <a href="https://www.camerashoptc.com/">Camera Shop</a> which is a great little full-service camera store. Yes, bricks, mortar and people who you can put your camera into their hands and have them take a look at it. I was envisioning sending another camera back to Nikon for repairs and waiting for the return. Wondering too whether I was going to need to get a loaner. As a <a href="https://www.nikonusa.com/en/service-and-support/nps/index.page">Nikon professional services member</a> I can get loaner equipment and my repairs are done faster. Luckily the manager, Jason, noticed that the silver ring on the camera that fits up against the lens was loose. A couple of screws,were tightened, I always find loose screws, and just like that, the auto focus started working again. I mention this issue as a heads up for you Nikon users. I am not sure if this same thing could happen with other brands. But this is an easy fix on Nikon cameras if you know to look for it. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6v6TAx9vRd15N6SoYpIJ3ZxJu3uBaNXAqjdLRjC_w9Feh2RaeJA5v5IVYJctHZeBMrYF6fbXtWVMqaV2Ek73VaNK2-gBxTIced_R9uXF8YFdi_jwdTimW0qatkQPckzY0pAVNTprCEt-q/s2048/Nikon+D850-.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6v6TAx9vRd15N6SoYpIJ3ZxJu3uBaNXAqjdLRjC_w9Feh2RaeJA5v5IVYJctHZeBMrYF6fbXtWVMqaV2Ek73VaNK2-gBxTIced_R9uXF8YFdi_jwdTimW0qatkQPckzY0pAVNTprCEt-q/w449-h300/Nikon+D850-.jpg" width="449" /></a></div><br />My next gear topic is a new little lens that never ceases to amaze me. This is my <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1399602-REG/venus_optics_ve2528n_laowa_25mm_f_2_8_2_5_5x.html">25mm Laowa Ultra Macro lens.</a> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgb4hafHGgCFZNMpnNehW2RJLtrGcEZzBFYtYGxjNiLcscW3TpC8l6l-ddGIAMrgP7YGC3EqucXjwJ9PGaIHBveqfjnPh0qM3207lvrPSWuseK53EFTd_AUd4xHCexGDXZG1IYrLxwQJeS/s2048/Laowa+25+mm+Ultra+Macro-3454.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1956" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgb4hafHGgCFZNMpnNehW2RJLtrGcEZzBFYtYGxjNiLcscW3TpC8l6l-ddGIAMrgP7YGC3EqucXjwJ9PGaIHBveqfjnPh0qM3207lvrPSWuseK53EFTd_AUd4xHCexGDXZG1IYrLxwQJeS/w333-h348/Laowa+25+mm+Ultra+Macro-3454.jpg" width="333" /></a></div><br />With this lens, I can capture many new macro subjects. The lens has a bit of a learning curve. It does not have auto focus and you have to view and frame the image on the view screen. Hint: I use the focus peaking feature on the Nikon D850 to help with focus and realize that the focus plane is very small. And you need a lot of light to be able to see the subject. Hint: I use a litra mini-light which is very bright. Mostly I have been using it for jumping spiders. This lens reveals a fascinating world of these tiny spiders. And really I have only just begun to experiment with this new "toy". But experimenting is one of the exciting things about the world of digital photography. <br /><p></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2f-qhaLGouQT6rp4GIyqu_kKfnJf7tXxyBoPJ-g1ZHks1AcXqX0qjxBJJFZ65yZ19cOX6qricTDH3yp41gqvaLZcmoLWRzn6U2SwSnfcC-54mj9mxPqkoGelmDaTLq6v5nDD670VOvfD/s2048/Jumping+Spider-.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2f-qhaLGouQT6rp4GIyqu_kKfnJf7tXxyBoPJ-g1ZHks1AcXqX0qjxBJJFZ65yZ19cOX6qricTDH3yp41gqvaLZcmoLWRzn6U2SwSnfcC-54mj9mxPqkoGelmDaTLq6v5nDD670VOvfD/w444-h295/Jumping+Spider-.jpg" width="444" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-35423965577397627882021-05-16T14:10:00.001-05:002021-05-16T14:21:30.032-05:00Florida is For the BIrds<p>It has occurred to me that birds are not so bird-brained after all. Instead of enduring months of endless snowstorms and a lack of food in the north, they fly south for the winter. So, I decided to copy their behavior and headed south to Florida for the winter. My experience is that Florida birds are much tamer than birds further north. That is great because over 500 species of native birds have been identified in Florida. This past winter I visited several birding hot spots. Orlando Wetlands Park, with numerous pools favored by wading birds, can be covered on foot and often I find my favorite birds there. By far my favorite is the roseate spoonbill. I have been fortunate to find this large pink bird with the funny looking bill many times. Sometimes I get lucky with the spoonbills in flight against a blue sky. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8rv5qiK37Uv_CnGlzXw1pihbiHAaQa48-nJmXJKdov9n_PxffH6So4cX1_1cB-7BMsxwF8jSsB1uFy3ldRuz9qFIvcz2TkPyagy9bhR0YwSK67_eIncwUFnFxXLlRZhEt-NA5bdVQjQG/s2048/Rosette+banking+for+landing.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Roseate spoonbill" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1548" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8rv5qiK37Uv_CnGlzXw1pihbiHAaQa48-nJmXJKdov9n_PxffH6So4cX1_1cB-7BMsxwF8jSsB1uFy3ldRuz9qFIvcz2TkPyagy9bhR0YwSK67_eIncwUFnFxXLlRZhEt-NA5bdVQjQG/w242-h320/Rosette+banking+for+landing.jpg" title="Roseate spoonbill" width="242" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Another great spot for birds is the Silver River. The Silver River is located in the center of the state and has an incredible variety of birds that can be photographed from a kayak. My favorite may be the green heron. It spends most of the time along edges of the river stalking prey. Well, now that I say the green heron is my favorite, the incomparable wood duck, especially the colorful male, is a desirable photo subject too. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxHrSJyt_6RsBMksAS3ZrRlmReQIYYcpAoLC_9nOUFAIc17yqCthN4eXlTC06ud84M9l9xuqk1KwlUw3eZqQw3pTm_2uTvx48DBTq1R164qyj8TRjPVzaWUQopkYl9Cwl3y54brBhhe9F/s2048/green+heron+stalking.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxHrSJyt_6RsBMksAS3ZrRlmReQIYYcpAoLC_9nOUFAIc17yqCthN4eXlTC06ud84M9l9xuqk1KwlUw3eZqQw3pTm_2uTvx48DBTq1R164qyj8TRjPVzaWUQopkYl9Cwl3y54brBhhe9F/w320-h213/green+heron+stalking.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispEx0y4gv5OhBNakKNuokbgZSJ4IjICjCdJ64lRly3ID8jQhai6eDKW2JXc_wxpTkq4y2gTFhvRODHb3MvtQDoEJ3t4utg7kL6dnyKswXYxyIuxPvoR5oSB23-HMDkl89ArXsVj0aeyEc/s2048/Wood+Duck+for+Website.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispEx0y4gv5OhBNakKNuokbgZSJ4IjICjCdJ64lRly3ID8jQhai6eDKW2JXc_wxpTkq4y2gTFhvRODHb3MvtQDoEJ3t4utg7kL6dnyKswXYxyIuxPvoR5oSB23-HMDkl89ArXsVj0aeyEc/s320/Wood+Duck+for+Website.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-4lbmkQyhl28Blsiqs5T1cNJqLLPvI6G03-ks6UIqn4qfG3bfFUPQDlHglqNrX_bD3aV16GLJ2BfOEom82c0qq86NHcGI9BHoDDvim5he1-eRJnoVxkntnfaVQ2VKNTMI2OnxATBslPg/s2048/Little+Blue+Heron.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1791" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-4lbmkQyhl28Blsiqs5T1cNJqLLPvI6G03-ks6UIqn4qfG3bfFUPQDlHglqNrX_bD3aV16GLJ2BfOEom82c0qq86NHcGI9BHoDDvim5he1-eRJnoVxkntnfaVQ2VKNTMI2OnxATBslPg/s320/Little+Blue+Heron.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>You may ask what does it take to get photos of birds? First, a great deal of patience. Some of the birds may be wary and my approach by kayak is slow and quiet. In the winter of 2019 I used a Nikon 500 mm f/4 lens. This is a great wildlife lens, but it is heavy and cumbersome to use in a kayak. I frequently paired the lens with a 1.4 teleconverter to get more reach. In 2021, I switched to a 500 mm f/5.6 pf lens which is much, much lighter. My only regret is that this lens does not auto-focus as quickly and use of a teleconverter slows the auto-focus even more. But I have still managed to get some great photos with that lens, such as this little blue heron on the Silver River in 2021. <p></p><p> </p><p>Another discovered birding spot is the area around Cedar Key. The quaint town of Cedar Key is located on the west coast of Florida in the heart of what is known as the Nature Coast. The possibilities for pelican photos from the pier there are nearly endless. This was a feeding frenzy of pelicans seeking fish portions from a fisherman cleaning fish.The pier at Cedar Key is elevated above the water and this lends itself to pelicans in flight (below). Many parks and wildlife refuges near Cedar Key provide opportunities for even more birds. My favorite is Cemetery Point Park which has a long boardwalk through mangroves along a bay. Lots of osprey frequent the area and spend their time diving for fish. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxxTojryV_EY26rWl_cmB-o-Sp04xNAwI-pdYpDJIz80RsNaoS42pVeH52EZUJ8czo2uV5lQ-8ROfSEQz6rh6hQojFUm8KCsE6CfATnDsm4XN4rxWi_bXKnCjaytgGUPtewyk5ox6q42-/s2048/Pelican+Feeding+Frenzy3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1541" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxxTojryV_EY26rWl_cmB-o-Sp04xNAwI-pdYpDJIz80RsNaoS42pVeH52EZUJ8czo2uV5lQ-8ROfSEQz6rh6hQojFUm8KCsE6CfATnDsm4XN4rxWi_bXKnCjaytgGUPtewyk5ox6q42-/s320/Pelican+Feeding+Frenzy3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /><br /></p><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlCALtaEz6DmeVSBDF_0k61NFVh0_MhZ64ZPGnzd2rmRBu_Iz_R46Khgbnevt8BsqCqbF-LCgniL8MC1b1pFHDUMauZvy9TJoUpGxpCA2xUm9A4d7smFUUxB7KOIQWArJIbzLQhoFZN4o/s2048/pelican+in+flight.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlCALtaEz6DmeVSBDF_0k61NFVh0_MhZ64ZPGnzd2rmRBu_Iz_R46Khgbnevt8BsqCqbF-LCgniL8MC1b1pFHDUMauZvy9TJoUpGxpCA2xUm9A4d7smFUUxB7KOIQWArJIbzLQhoFZN4o/s320/pelican+in+flight.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qfbT4IKe-13QxZF9u8WGbNGDGFy8MlbNUCzHoYo3P6-vK5mwORVBz1iN3YF5-o-PnnXzgtt1IswDz5pFqPxhMZxh5UIE1PrQWSLLdTB9oA3D_hwebEcalRqB95B07Qscj60oOHZg21l1/s2048/Canaveral+Area+Birds.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qfbT4IKe-13QxZF9u8WGbNGDGFy8MlbNUCzHoYo3P6-vK5mwORVBz1iN3YF5-o-PnnXzgtt1IswDz5pFqPxhMZxh5UIE1PrQWSLLdTB9oA3D_hwebEcalRqB95B07Qscj60oOHZg21l1/s320/Canaveral+Area+Birds.jpg" /></a></div>Back on the east coast, the Black Point Wildlife Drive, near Cape
Canaveral, is another Florida birding hotspot. There, access to wetland pools is
by a one-way auto drive. Often the best way to photograph birds is to use
your vehicle as a blind. This tri-colored heron was at eye-level from my vehicle/blind - always preferred. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkYTKncNB9ZlNHm5YhxVhzA7B6vRQuINrxJGnn9MLtL2Ge7cr3z_Nwhcxuk-spD1u4EDWBKjgciCS7Myco_dpTBAzv0CGL5WsFMKf24QfjQGO3mMUA7SsZa_LlvDkLACSPnQ4U-XEZoG7/s2048/Eagle+Grass+Landing.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1715" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkYTKncNB9ZlNHm5YhxVhzA7B6vRQuINrxJGnn9MLtL2Ge7cr3z_Nwhcxuk-spD1u4EDWBKjgciCS7Myco_dpTBAzv0CGL5WsFMKf24QfjQGO3mMUA7SsZa_LlvDkLACSPnQ4U-XEZoG7/s320/Eagle+Grass+Landing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />An eagle makes a landing with nesting materials at the Orlando Wetlands Park. These are just a hand-full of the many bird photos I have gotten in Florida. Hopefully you can see that Florida is really for the birds and to be honest, it is nice to have sunshine and nice weather for photographing birds too. <br /><p></p><p> </p><p> <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWycwDcmx96a4OrQ1g4nPcMrfaVjpNml3KBDvAhPDd6uZIxBQ8t4l7r7SEHMK-bar66CglfiYV9CC8ERu69Bj7vUxs9FO06WGp-OS1i6YD-ZRlw0MKf85TIoBuESGQXDk5auzq6qsRS5Yh/s2048/green+heron+stalking.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWycwDcmx96a4OrQ1g4nPcMrfaVjpNml3KBDvAhPDd6uZIxBQ8t4l7r7SEHMK-bar66CglfiYV9CC8ERu69Bj7vUxs9FO06WGp-OS1i6YD-ZRlw0MKf85TIoBuESGQXDk5auzq6qsRS5Yh/s2048/green+heron+stalking.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWycwDcmx96a4OrQ1g4nPcMrfaVjpNml3KBDvAhPDd6uZIxBQ8t4l7r7SEHMK-bar66CglfiYV9CC8ERu69Bj7vUxs9FO06WGp-OS1i6YD-ZRlw0MKf85TIoBuESGQXDk5auzq6qsRS5Yh/s2048/green+heron+stalking.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-84491253778436190072020-09-24T19:37:00.003-05:002020-09-24T19:50:41.960-05:00You Can Take Better Wildlife Photos<p> Here is a link to a powerpoint from a presentation I gave on capturing better wildlife photos. Enjoy. <br /></p><p><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/s5dqd7ykbx7w4nv/You%20Can%20Take%20Better%20Wildlife%20Photos.pptx?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR2jodeHZ21vkddpRh0dw2eReXo0uQ1G3GSDGCi6tqyXvTZ3l5Pm1DYkTmk">https://www.dropbox.com/s/s5dqd7ykbx7w4nv/You%20Can%20Take%20Better%20Wildlife%20Photos.pptx?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR2jodeHZ21vkddpRh0dw2eReXo0uQ1G3GSDGCi6tqyXvTZ3l5Pm1DYkTmk</a></p><p> </p><p> <br /></p>Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-25393873815401387902020-06-22T10:53:00.000-05:002020-06-22T13:06:11.683-05:00How to Create a Wildlife Habitat for PhotographyThis blog on How to Create a Wildlife Photo Habitat was published earlier by NANPA.<br />
<br />
Update: The second monarch of the summer finally visited my yard this week and the first of the coreopsis are just starting to bloom.<br />
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<h3 align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Creating Your Own Wildlife
Photo Habitat</b></h3>
<h3>
<b>
</b></h3>
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<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
By Tom Haxby</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We are all staying much
closer to home these days, yet the need to connect with nature
through our photography is needed now more than ever. One way to do
so is to create a wildlife photo habitat in your yard. This is how I
came to create a habitat for monarch butterflies in my northern
Michigan yard.
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>In the Beginning</b></div>
<b>
</b>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyGfQSuMJezIM1vERD52IsP6EKAJt_pp4HBQTqbLVC1oe3UVeDbPeLSes9KeBpPFWcWpJ4YQPMzUuWQ6aLcfKIGstcw1xv4iT_Opou-sWFI8K7p1hotWcZYSOZMr1NW_-VHSUelTi8aOV/s1600/Three+Monarchs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1108" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyGfQSuMJezIM1vERD52IsP6EKAJt_pp4HBQTqbLVC1oe3UVeDbPeLSes9KeBpPFWcWpJ4YQPMzUuWQ6aLcfKIGstcw1xv4iT_Opou-sWFI8K7p1hotWcZYSOZMr1NW_-VHSUelTi8aOV/s320/Three+Monarchs.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Award Winner</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Two years ago I was
fortunate to have one of my photos place in the top 250 in the
NANPA Showcase competition, as well as being a winner in the Nature's Best
Backyard photo competition. It was also included in one of my
magazine articles. This award winning image of a trio of monarchs
posing on a northern blazing star was taken at a nearby botanic
garden, which is a certified Monarch Waystation. This is about 20
minutes from my house and gets a lot visitors who would sometimes
inquisitively approach me as I was quietly and patiently trying to
photograph the monarchs. This of course caused the monarchs to flee.
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Two Years Later</b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fast forward to today. My
own yard is now a certified Monarch Waystation and during the summer
I spend a lot of time 30 feet from my front door photographing the
monarchs and other pollinators in my yard. I watch out of the windows
for the monarchs to appear, usually after 10 a.m., and carefully
consider the lighting of the moment. I have had painted lady and
viceroy butterflies, a few hummingbirds, assorted bees, other
pollinators, rabbits, and even one unidentified snake consider my
yard to be a nice place to visit.
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Creating the Habitat</b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
The question you may ask is
how did I go about converting my yard to a Monarch Waystation? Grass
on my sandy soils has never done particularly well since I tend to
neglect it, so competition for flowers was not an issue. There have
always been a few common milkweed plants around and an area of
planted tickseed coreopsis spread to other areas of the yard. There
have been a few purple coneflowers that seemed to reproduce each year
too. I started to notice the monarchs taking a liking to the yard
and thought that perhaps if I could add more butterfly friendly
plants it would draw in even more butterflies. After first doing
research on suitable native plants, I made a visit to a local native
plant nursery and came home with prairie blazing star, northern
blazing star, joe pye weed, whorled milkweed, butterfly weed (not really a weed) more corepsis and more
coneflower. These plants inter-planted among the existing flowers
added even more incentives for monarchs to visit my yard.
<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Photographing Monarchs in
the Yard</b></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDyib_R4SK4G-QgMRVzBQPScqZVLdOckP0vS_VlNp9xtY2Ihp-c1aoYVV-oYV8rPS7T_ByaKQwbwJSoH4C-E33DIOv2pGQCQCJu29Q30hNhwFiHbPQUA4cgzGvZzEAbycme5olpGPBCbz/s1600/Monarch+with+Street+Background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1024" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDyib_R4SK4G-QgMRVzBQPScqZVLdOckP0vS_VlNp9xtY2Ihp-c1aoYVV-oYV8rPS7T_ByaKQwbwJSoH4C-E33DIOv2pGQCQCJu29Q30hNhwFiHbPQUA4cgzGvZzEAbycme5olpGPBCbz/s320/Monarch+with+Street+Background.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Monarch on Rough Blazing Star</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAcM89S5Nyt7fnHwjLgRc3zI5PaQwxW-I03zRjnbTC3IiKhKiaQgkA5HTBUtBT6cjGp2a5PWkGjJkinQkNbs7ErrvZPZp2DuXGplVK8IXHpUG60irB4btZbdEwfVgDZSOpimV90aVoKx_/s1600/monarch+on+yellow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1572" data-original-width="1600" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAcM89S5Nyt7fnHwjLgRc3zI5PaQwxW-I03zRjnbTC3IiKhKiaQgkA5HTBUtBT6cjGp2a5PWkGjJkinQkNbs7ErrvZPZp2DuXGplVK8IXHpUG60irB4btZbdEwfVgDZSOpimV90aVoKx_/s320/monarch+on+yellow.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Monarch on Prairie Blazing Star</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And visit they did. All
through the summer the monarchs laid eggs on the milkweed or sipped
nectar from the native flowers in the yard. As September rolled
around, it seemed as if the two varieties of blazing star would never
bloom in time for the fall migration, but magically they did. The
yard full of native wildflowers looked like a tall-grass prairie and
the tall-purple spikes of the blazing star were a magnet to the
southward-migrating monarchs. It was so much fun photographing the
monarchs and I got quite a few good photos as the combination of the
bright purple of the blazing star and the orange monarchs is striking
in photographs. I also found that the out-of-focus yellow of the
coreopsis made for a good background. Another background was an area
of shade behind the sunny flower areas which added a dark background
and the weathered street showed as white in the background of another
photo. Funny how you notice those things when you visit an area
often.
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Becoming a Certified
Monarch Waystation</b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What does it take to have an
area certified as a Monarch Waystation? Through a program sponsored
by Monarch Watch, monarch enthusiasts are encouraged to create,
conserve, and protect monarch butterfly habitats. To learn more go to
https://www.monarchwatch.org/
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Maintaining the Habitat</b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fall finally arrived and the
last of the monarchs visited on a cold and blustery day. The first
frost and an early snow ended the growing season for the wildflowers.
I managed to harvest a few milkweed and blazing star seeds and those
were shipped to an uncle in Pennsylvania who has started his own
monarch garden. Finally, spring is just around the corner and another
batch of native plants in a mix called a waystation flat has just
been ordered. This time I will be adding <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Butterfly
weed, Swamp milkweed, Whorled milkweed, Cylindrical blazing star, Bee
balm, Showy goldenrod, New England aster, New Jersey tea and Big
bluestem grass. I think I need a bigger yard. </span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">You
Can Do It Too</span></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Your
own wildlife photo habitat can be for birds, frogs, bats, or any
number of species. It is fun, a good thing to do for our wildlife and
the benefits of having nature close to home can yield endless
opportunities for photography. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0i1qcjBuhiWSvxWHtBxbSUargVvnN_mmPan-iMZBBBYQwzB3Fd5avdDu-i_Z-lca6s14FcaT2Dmr_yTWWJ1Qm4I5hKhNDm-ukI1lYzlsDOLl_xN86SveSDXhmL-B8IezgO-A7G4E6nfOo/s1600/monarch+with+black+eyed+susan+for+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1193" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0i1qcjBuhiWSvxWHtBxbSUargVvnN_mmPan-iMZBBBYQwzB3Fd5avdDu-i_Z-lca6s14FcaT2Dmr_yTWWJ1Qm4I5hKhNDm-ukI1lYzlsDOLl_xN86SveSDXhmL-B8IezgO-A7G4E6nfOo/s320/monarch+with+black+eyed+susan+for+web.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Male Monarch</span></h3>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Biographical Information:</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Current President of NANPA</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Website:
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u>https://tomhaxbyphotos.smugmug.com/</u></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Facebook:
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u>https://www.facebook.com/tomhaxbyphotography/</u></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Instagram:
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u>https://www.instagram.com/tomhaxbyphotography/</u></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Blog:
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u>http://tomhaxbyphotos.blogspot.com/</u></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
E-mail: thaxby02@yahoo.com</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-726557860261432922020-04-13T10:31:00.004-05:002020-04-13T11:37:33.958-05:00Photographing Florida's Birds<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This past winter I did what many birds do by migrating to Florida for sunny skies and the warm climate. While there I had many opportunities to see and photograph many varieties of birds. There were ducks, herons, egrets, osprey, ibis, warblers, roseate spoonbills, terns, white pelicans, sandhill cranes and more. My top areas for birds near my base were the </span><span style="font-size: small;">Silver Springs State Park, </span><span style="font-size: small;">Orlando Wetlands Park</span><span style="font-size: small;"> and Black Swamp Wildlife Drive at the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Due to the pandemic, I did not get the opportunity to visit the Viera Wetlands which is reputed to be a great bird destination. There are many other great places to photograph birds in Florida and the <a href="https://floridabirdingtrail.com/" target="_blank">Great Florida Birding Trail</a> is a great resource. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-size: small;">Silver Springs State Park</span></u></h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3IoBh2DEyB5Op3_nGPf4UaVJ93wwlDKr7Jw93qc_69z5sQxWL63cA02AZtZR27414SJM2iIlEp_om0jVvnQhl-X87W7oXmhk62fIe52LBdm5jhecnaYRU-gs5I0MDK7H7fc7Z7TwxxJK/s1600/Wood+Duck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1600" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3IoBh2DEyB5Op3_nGPf4UaVJ93wwlDKr7Jw93qc_69z5sQxWL63cA02AZtZR27414SJM2iIlEp_om0jVvnQhl-X87W7oXmhk62fIe52LBdm5jhecnaYRU-gs5I0MDK7H7fc7Z7TwxxJK/s400/Wood+Duck.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Wood Duck, Silver Springs State Park</span></h4>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Located just east of Ocala, natural springs feed the Silver River which is teaming with wildlife. Along with the manatees, alligators and even exotic monkeys, the bird life on this river is exceptional. All of my photos there were taken from a kayak and were photographed handheld. Some of my favorite bird images from there included a wood duck headed right towards me. Being in a kayak meant that I was near eye level with the birds and it showed with this photo. On the same day I had a long session with a green heron as it went about fishing on the edge of the river. I always look for a good background in my images. Something that will allow the subject to stand out. Finding a spot to anchor my kayak and a great background behind the heron was a little tricky, but eventually I found a satisfactory spot. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IBZQUSQ1Rzq6kGxyTiCbs_3_YGacKHv6bsXI3Rk0mZcPEx883RJi4BTMpejkQ03EK5ve1-IAmYole-cUXUH5uV9kuL36VPQUX8pvq8hceZztJPY8Rzp_rqCa2yjDDw8EUUS5Hj69inTN/s1600/Green+Heron2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IBZQUSQ1Rzq6kGxyTiCbs_3_YGacKHv6bsXI3Rk0mZcPEx883RJi4BTMpejkQ03EK5ve1-IAmYole-cUXUH5uV9kuL36VPQUX8pvq8hceZztJPY8Rzp_rqCa2yjDDw8EUUS5Hj69inTN/s400/Green+Heron2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
Green Heron, Silver Springs State Park</h4>
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</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">There were numerous Little Blue Herons and some even struck a nice pose such as this cooperative bird. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlPCY3i4hAypgnwwRiHTvstvDGYgAK0iqivWFUjJFYJ1FXEeUUWkE33bYL6YKv6MSzO-8KjLLdb4YPsOABY6AQVBv1OeB4IroI_nRPGexvuxXLwp9dOxMcXMFwmkmXSmKPN6jRJUA-f7B/s1600/Silver+River+Wildlife-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1437" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlPCY3i4hAypgnwwRiHTvstvDGYgAK0iqivWFUjJFYJ1FXEeUUWkE33bYL6YKv6MSzO-8KjLLdb4YPsOABY6AQVBv1OeB4IroI_nRPGexvuxXLwp9dOxMcXMFwmkmXSmKPN6jRJUA-f7B/s400/Silver+River+Wildlife-9.jpg" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Little Blue Heron, Silver Springs State Park</span></h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">While anhingas may lack the colorful feathers of the
other birds, their black and white plumage is still quite striking,
especially as they stretch to dry their wings . </span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_T0EoTrX1fy7uncy1gtxVBvaW6VZ16kEnmr63wsPS90Jp8lZXbelAb1lEyLQ4mdWFjawC7jzXBrHJ185MlSMLi-h1OPdmCK8Bag8GR3NQzCVXaEnJr39QkYce1Yh7xVD1rP6tbCleM9J/s1600/Silver+River+Wildlife-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1411" data-original-width="1600" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_T0EoTrX1fy7uncy1gtxVBvaW6VZ16kEnmr63wsPS90Jp8lZXbelAb1lEyLQ4mdWFjawC7jzXBrHJ185MlSMLi-h1OPdmCK8Bag8GR3NQzCVXaEnJr39QkYce1Yh7xVD1rP6tbCleM9J/s400/Silver+River+Wildlife-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Anhinga, Silver Springs State Park</span></h4>
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<u><span style="font-size: small;">Orlando Wetlands Park</span></u></h2>
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Great Blue Heron, Orlando Wetlands Park</h4>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This park which is well east of Orlando has large lagoon
areas separated by dykes which surround the pools of water. This park is
a magnet for all types of birds and the dykes make for easy access and use of a tripod. My favorite photo from there was of a
Great Blue Heron gracefully gliding across the wetlands. This was
photographed by panning along with the bird. I had also engaged the
focus tracking on my camera to maintain focus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Watching the habits of the birds </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">helped to find photos
that I would not have otherwise been able to capture. Action shots are
always preferred and this glossy ibis which would hover above the water
as it was fishing was one that caught my eye.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbujk1-4gV2IkkCKtNqQGT3qydSEZYpECZ0_JKPpeLVkUBrxSeYIqSpTjQWRqg5Fd6BZI2IZR4BddzjbFlxF3I9dpHQnwlcXhTtt5SMRUo0SdeZc1JlzsXPEuDEcwKRsxzxuakzn9NXOK/s1600/Canaveral+Area+Birds-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1260" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbujk1-4gV2IkkCKtNqQGT3qydSEZYpECZ0_JKPpeLVkUBrxSeYIqSpTjQWRqg5Fd6BZI2IZR4BddzjbFlxF3I9dpHQnwlcXhTtt5SMRUo0SdeZc1JlzsXPEuDEcwKRsxzxuakzn9NXOK/s400/Canaveral+Area+Birds-3.jpg" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Glossy Ibis, Orlando Wetlands Park</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpm8mtdk85LSL36LlrYvt_NnDmVKD9pRnkHj-KuyPdZVcozzd3NFlrf0ticdhiF3h45Fb-3tbeeOgKd910s2Ktf3_LR91HEaz0YILJMxILs2UQkYHHm9ts1FybWST2lRfRJPk1Q3QT0FD8/s1600/snow+egret+water+dance.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpm8mtdk85LSL36LlrYvt_NnDmVKD9pRnkHj-KuyPdZVcozzd3NFlrf0ticdhiF3h45Fb-3tbeeOgKd910s2Ktf3_LR91HEaz0YILJMxILs2UQkYHHm9ts1FybWST2lRfRJPk1Q3QT0FD8/s400/snow+egret+water+dance.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Snowy Egret, Orlando Wetlands Park</span></h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was the same with this snowy egret as it danced about while fishing or catching action when a heron captured a large frog. </span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVFDQXiwAAlDnDYxtK2ETMi1w7FCKI0MRIdBNX2doqazPDGEcrkZEEtgqJtNMHJSlAsYPw7HjyEHLG6gzCur_PV8Mez2brrEOqrcyjaMZrWccOUcMWOKfD4rE449vfwElVn1-WAycBNE7/s1600/heron+and+frog.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVFDQXiwAAlDnDYxtK2ETMi1w7FCKI0MRIdBNX2doqazPDGEcrkZEEtgqJtNMHJSlAsYPw7HjyEHLG6gzCur_PV8Mez2brrEOqrcyjaMZrWccOUcMWOKfD4rE449vfwElVn1-WAycBNE7/s400/heron+and+frog.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Heron and Frog, Orlando Wetlands Park</span></h4>
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<u><span style="font-size: small;">Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge</span></u></h2>
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One more great spot for photographing Florida's birds is the Black Point Wildlife Drive at the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Here there are many chances to photograph while using your vehicle as a photo blind. I used this to my advantage when photographing this Tricolored heron.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeLo80Qh87Nvp9vvS9Uy5q2I9nF_T6gfhXab60VSC_4dU-bUQOBjRj1gpL7N_x8kG0JSBGuWLsQHloyRCT1_Qf-7Lckt3-_EOBuEFXDoYZE-UWzG5EkQxcWPC0nneNdbIMvGaaPUU7yrR3/s1600/Canaveral+Area+Birds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1513" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeLo80Qh87Nvp9vvS9Uy5q2I9nF_T6gfhXab60VSC_4dU-bUQOBjRj1gpL7N_x8kG0JSBGuWLsQHloyRCT1_Qf-7Lckt3-_EOBuEFXDoYZE-UWzG5EkQxcWPC0nneNdbIMvGaaPUU7yrR3/s400/Canaveral+Area+Birds.jpg" width="377" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Tricolored Heron, Merritt Island NWR</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: small;">One of the most colorful and sought after birds is the Roseate spoonbill. Their colors against a blue sky are striking. Especially at first light, if you can be at the right place at the right time. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiNitbSRymVW1crwy88r6zG0QS6jkphn5DRmsfrheiaoeyPoXJ8k52MgRha9RREuHTiU0ESzILY__CaY0giQUhiXhoou_zwsCR8bLd900spZ7cG_8cNx7vHNmBy6HWDTRnAMPd0WGFjO7/s1600/Rosette+banking+for+landing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1210" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiNitbSRymVW1crwy88r6zG0QS6jkphn5DRmsfrheiaoeyPoXJ8k52MgRha9RREuHTiU0ESzILY__CaY0giQUhiXhoou_zwsCR8bLd900spZ7cG_8cNx7vHNmBy6HWDTRnAMPd0WGFjO7/s320/Rosette+banking+for+landing.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQkqoYKa_NmwitPNFX6W_fgfaSRWAz2BbOIyirL-nIXGVDdZr2DsJoLhZ4WDM_DlZkABe90a-IF2UxT9d28KYX4NUs_xqR-LUJC3WXbCvH5zvCF9dHyV0_SbsUWDZuO6xXK1HNGhi1RYb/s1600/Four+Roseatte+Spoonbill_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1573" data-original-width="1600" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQkqoYKa_NmwitPNFX6W_fgfaSRWAz2BbOIyirL-nIXGVDdZr2DsJoLhZ4WDM_DlZkABe90a-IF2UxT9d28KYX4NUs_xqR-LUJC3WXbCvH5zvCF9dHyV0_SbsUWDZuO6xXK1HNGhi1RYb/s320/Four+Roseatte+Spoonbill_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Roseate Spoonbills, Merritt Island NWR</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: small;">To say that I enjoyed my time in Florida spending time with the birds would be an understatement. It was a great winter and the photos I captured will always bring back those memories. </span></div>
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Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-30944085205036828502019-05-19T21:28:00.002-05:002019-05-20T09:49:55.367-05:00<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Springtime in the Great Smoky Mountains</h2>
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It is mid-April and I have returned once again to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to savor springtime. The profusion of blooms there is overwhelming and my camera gets a workout. Dogwoods are at their peak, trillium carpet the forest floor and other small flowers and creatures have come alive after a long winter. </div>
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This was my chance to sharpen my skills and to reconnect with a vibrant world. From my tent site perched above the Little River, which was not so little after 4-5 inches of rain, I ventured out for five days to explore and capture the beauty of spring in the southern Appalachian mountains.</div>
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One of my favorites was the waterfall near the Middle Prong which appeared after the rainstorm. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzAso9JwOR3trTVvjqATudqamUpYKrgRohnszD0-sdZX4jYqgRESzV8i3Lr4YSgRKBVFu5PdeFX7wut1aiPVr9XWpZw894MW3E4sQByw7swlwuxMOp5jI66xW45ngFFWuYRYZ6tVk__LR/s1600/waterfall-9295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzAso9JwOR3trTVvjqATudqamUpYKrgRohnszD0-sdZX4jYqgRESzV8i3Lr4YSgRKBVFu5PdeFX7wut1aiPVr9XWpZw894MW3E4sQByw7swlwuxMOp5jI66xW45ngFFWuYRYZ6tVk__LR/s400/waterfall-9295.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rainfall Waterfall</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And this nearby waterfall before the rains, which runs most of the time with the exception being extended dry periods. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtbMOS0hTVorUSw4YVSzs43NJD5PAA5G4AUZlYDWIeZcQQBmsVSeUMzHJ5NLYoYDB_0JPYpk-7q6drfpKwiN1rRRULcKIccgP0BuKw7M9WnjmPOGAFVlc9DM4AkL8kvKetWapcrA5Ygmd/s1600/Falling+Waters.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1010" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtbMOS0hTVorUSw4YVSzs43NJD5PAA5G4AUZlYDWIeZcQQBmsVSeUMzHJ5NLYoYDB_0JPYpk-7q6drfpKwiN1rRRULcKIccgP0BuKw7M9WnjmPOGAFVlc9DM4AkL8kvKetWapcrA5Ygmd/s400/Falling+Waters.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Falling Waters</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I decided that the most interesting thing about this chickweed flower was the contrast between the red stamens of the flower and the white petals. This required getting very low and using a macro lens and extension tube. Quite striking indeed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Chickweed</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;">A new area for photography near the park is now available. The Foothills Parkway has a new 8 mile section that just opened in November 2018. This beautiful parkway traverses the mountains near Townsend, TN. Also known as the "Missing Link", this road took 52 years to build due to financial and engineering issues. On Easter morning I captured this image of the dogwoods and mountains. There was even an Easter Sunday outdoor church service there and the scene was stunning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Foothills Vista</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">No trip to the Smokies is complete without a tour through Cades Cove, and spring in the cove is when bear cubs are just emerging from their dens to explore their world. Avoiding the bear jams, I just missed seeing one young family of bears, but there was much more to see and photograph in the cove. Such as this tranquil scene with just emerging leaves illuminated by late evening light. There is a small cemetery below these trees and the fence keeps the deer at bay. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">With all of the blooming flowers there are many bees and other insects going about their daily chores. You have to appreciate the role that bees play in our environment. Without their pollinating work, many of the foods that we eat would not exist and many flowers depend on bees to spread their pollen. Again, this was a chance to work closely with the small world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As mentioned earlier, dogwoods were at their peak. Again shooting in the rain, this dogwood across the stream really caught my eye. It was getting quite dark and heavier rain was moving in when I captured this image. This tree is growing along the banks of the Middle Prong River and the swollen river was tugging at the now partially submerged branches. So, of course I had low light and motion in the tree. In order to freeze the motion, I needed a slightly faster shutter speed. Thankfully, these new cameras give the option of using a much higher ISO. This dogwood was just so majestic. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dogwood Blossoms</span></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of course spring does not last forever, and I could not stay much longer. So I headed north for another chance to watch spring arrive. Time to again watch the world come alive and to be thankful for the chance to savor the beauty we have in this world. </span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I
will be back for another spring and perhaps as soon as next year at the NANPA
Nature Photography Celebration in Asheville, North Carolina from April
19-22. There I will get to network with other photographers as we enjoy
springtime in the Carolinas. </span></span></h2>
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Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-62315301070041058402019-03-11T21:11:00.001-05:002019-03-12T08:54:03.485-05:00Shooting Death ValleyAfter being inspired at the recent North American Nature Photography (NANPA) Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, myself and several fellow photographers took a quick side trip to Death Valley National Park. If you talk to most people, they have the impression that Death Valley is always hotter than an oven. On the contrary, while we were there in late February nighttime temperatures were in the low 30's and the days warmed to the 60's and 70's. So it was not too hot. In fact, it was to our good fortune that there were snow capped mountains throughout the area to include in our photos. <br />
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This was my first visit to Death Valley and we only had two mornings and one afternoon to shoot. We stayed in a hotel in Beatty, NV which is a short drive to the eastern part of the park. Getting up each morning at 4 a.m. we grabbed coffee, donuts and whatever else would serve as breakfast and headed off to our chosen shooting spot.<br />
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The first spot was the Mesquite Dunes. Fortunately, we had a little time to scout the night before, because our first trip there involved a wrong turn. I have seen incredible photos from there and I hoped to score a keeper shot. Death Valley like most of our national parks has seen a dramatic increase in visitation. Mesquite Dunes, near Stovepipe Wells is a popular spot and there were many, many footprints in the dunes. Getting away from most of the prints required hiking about a mile into the dunes. Being in the desert means harsh sunshine and the soft morning light does not last long. I have a couple of photos from the dunes that I like including this one:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5286U0rIpxDFSkXOtSuRPFcIpSz8TcT0T1wJU9mgxYtmFVYRcT29LNGJSQ97E9_UsHB-zVhr6StDNoZfdjMuWO5_RZsCZFSpL2cacxx9i8eXkIY-AaEF1EdOKgpYtUgxtrdmP0IAq76n/s1600/Mesquite+Dunes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5286U0rIpxDFSkXOtSuRPFcIpSz8TcT0T1wJU9mgxYtmFVYRcT29LNGJSQ97E9_UsHB-zVhr6StDNoZfdjMuWO5_RZsCZFSpL2cacxx9i8eXkIY-AaEF1EdOKgpYtUgxtrdmP0IAq76n/s400/Mesquite+Dunes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mesquite Dunes</span></td></tr>
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Luckily, I found an area of the dunes without any nearby footprints.<br />
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After spending about an hour and a half in the dunes we headed out for a real breakfast. Restaurants in the park or surrounding the park are few and also not exactly five star establishments. But we were hungry and we found a nice breakfast buffet.<br />
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Our next location was Badwater Basin, listed as 283 feet below sea level, and known as the lowest point in the United States. Here pure white salt pans create an other worldly scene. These geometric shapes can fill with water if there is rainfall, and we just missed such an event by a week. Reflections from the water filled pans can be dramatic. Regardless, I did manage to capture a few nice images of this most unusual landscape. Here is one from Badwater Basin.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Badwater Basin</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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And another that shows the snow capped mountains in the distance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAB6LWMmLpQ9QP5yKEOCtkBIni8S1K5_cywAVMBKF7Jo7CQTyhpQ9EN73xvg_vK5I5AdeLO7u04sH3vbya3BuE4UEF0ebj2dudht3GNV2RMTUK4GPD0qzl_T3VXJ1x-_gMXWbRJQbYE-EH/s1600/Mountains+from+Badwater+Basin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1107" data-original-width="1600" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAB6LWMmLpQ9QP5yKEOCtkBIni8S1K5_cywAVMBKF7Jo7CQTyhpQ9EN73xvg_vK5I5AdeLO7u04sH3vbya3BuE4UEF0ebj2dudht3GNV2RMTUK4GPD0qzl_T3VXJ1x-_gMXWbRJQbYE-EH/s400/Mountains+from+Badwater+Basin.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Badwater Basin and Mountains</span></td></tr>
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Surreal landscape isn't it!<br />
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Working on a good tip we made our plans for Zabriskie Point for sunrise the next morning. We also did some scouting to find the location and timed our travel back to our hotel. I might add too that hotels are not exactly plentiful and again the one we stayed in was only adequate. <br />
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Zabriskie Point is perhaps one of the most iconic locations in the park. Sunrise lights the eroded foreground mountains and the even taller mountains in the distance that aim for the sky. The light that morning was phenomenal. Intermittent clouds added detail to the sky while diffusing the light for what seemed like a long time. There were so many things to point my camera at, but this photo perhaps captures the scene best:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VDEn_bWEygHx8mb7ya67QNrNbPsNhdLxbGKKtUdRZXSGIhCmF2sc7jhnptdK5OMmR2m1ulg9ECIplSZ8sN441hrhKdFoaG-L7nI9Qe2dO9xDdj8xR8e25qDErhV4K0LMvVgL0RwdZTHi/s1600/Zabriskie+Point.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="963" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VDEn_bWEygHx8mb7ya67QNrNbPsNhdLxbGKKtUdRZXSGIhCmF2sc7jhnptdK5OMmR2m1ulg9ECIplSZ8sN441hrhKdFoaG-L7nI9Qe2dO9xDdj8xR8e25qDErhV4K0LMvVgL0RwdZTHi/s400/Zabriskie+Point.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Zabriskie Point</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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I even liked the scene so much that I had to try something in black and white. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MkuLZYCpCj6FIOQii4GkIRyDneVgDuFnv2SXGHAvEM3cYKnSZcQ6nJyWwsftPAV4ihhSF6SPpn-jnkHiMNpqBsyk0U-uJUAbNGIkFwvbS6U96ZQCV3GN3U4VM7BAxGL8XEwqbMxqX-Cr/s1600/Zabriskie+Point+B+%2526+W_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MkuLZYCpCj6FIOQii4GkIRyDneVgDuFnv2SXGHAvEM3cYKnSZcQ6nJyWwsftPAV4ihhSF6SPpn-jnkHiMNpqBsyk0U-uJUAbNGIkFwvbS6U96ZQCV3GN3U4VM7BAxGL8XEwqbMxqX-Cr/s400/Zabriskie+Point+B+%2526+W_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Black and White Zabriskie Point</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">We saw little in the way of wildlife, the only exception being a coyote dining on the side of the road. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">All-in-all it was a great introduction to a special place. It was just too short and before we knew it we had to return to Las Vegas and planes to take us home. While in the park I learned of Darwin Falls which believe it or not flows year around. Also, some of the early wildflowers were said to be blooming in Coyote Canyon. The famous sliding rocks of the racetrack and even taller dunes on the other side of the park were enticing, but there was just not enough time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just a couple of notes on equipment. My primary camera was still in the shop and I was fortunate as a Nikon Professional to get a loaner. Also, my 70-200 mm lens which has been a workhorse lens for over 10 years finally refused to focus after on our last visit to Badwater Basin. Neither the auto focus or manual focus worked. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">There is just so much more to Death Valley than the little that we saw and captured. Perhaps there will be another visit someday. Thanks to Ragnar Avery and Kika Tuff for the great company on the trip. It was nice to share the experience and all of us enjoyed the adventure. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">One final note, my upcoming wildflower workshop scheduled for May 11 & 12 in Cadillac, Michigan will be an exciting chance to savor ephemeral spring flowers in the beautiful northwoods. Too, we will be capturing shots we will forever enjoy. To sign up online got to <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79135_79219_81143-489192--,00.html">https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79135_79219_81143-489192--,00.html</a></span> </span></div>
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Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-58323284286870914052019-02-16T12:01:00.002-05:002019-02-16T12:02:39.262-05:00February - March 2019 NewsletterMy February - March 2019 Newsletter is now available online at <a href="https://mailchi.mp/256831b4e4f2/february-2019-newsletter">https://mailchi.mp/256831b4e4f2/february-2019-newsletter</a>Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-32381996915664056672019-02-08T18:22:00.000-05:002019-02-09T10:27:26.632-05:00Spring Wildflower PhotographyAfter a long winter of sleeping under a blanket of snow, spring wildflowers magically awaken as the spring days become warmer and the snow finally melts. This is one of my favorite times of the year. After a seemingly endless winter, brilliant sunshine, blue skies and longer days with birds singing to attract mates makes me feel re-energized as I happily head to the woods with my camera in my hand and a spring in my step.<br />
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Luckily for me, from my home in northern Michigan, it is not far to the nearest woods to visit and photograph ephemeral spring wildflowers. It seems that within days of seeing bare ground, spring beauty, hepatica and bloodroot emerge and bloom. Later in April, Dutchman's breeches, squirrel corn, wake robin trillium and trout lily decorate the forest floor with their blossoms. In my neck of the woods the showiest display peaks around the second week of May, often on Mother's Day. That is when the giant white trillium literally form a carpet below rich woods of sugar maple, American beech, basswood, white ash and yellow birch. <br />
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The spring show is short-lived as the leaves in the canopy eventually shade the forest floor and the flowers disappear until the next spring. My quest is to photograph as much of the fleeting display as possible. However, for me, it is not just about documenting the show, it is about how to capture the fleeting springtime beauty and a sense of being re-awakened that will last throughout the year.<br />
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My choice of tools include my Nikon D850 with a articulating view screen that allows me to get low with the flowers and a wide variety of lenses. Extreme closeups are done with a 105 mm macro lens and perhaps an extension tube such as in this close-up photo of a bloodroot.<br />
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Wide angle closeups captured with a 14-24 mm wide angle lens that show the flower in the forest setting are a favorite of mine. These photos give a sense of place and scale.<b> This photo made by combining a series of photos taken with differing focus points to extend the depth of field is known as focus stacking and is one of the techniques I teach in my spring wildflower workshop scheduled for May 11 & 12. More details and information on registration will be available shortly. </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAseSfFuYzVePBvYXeFNjViUJt_QVsYOm11G18FE0WtqyZjmhNROXAxF9x10DBcXepFcH-yd66uDl8kmmWq5hqsUjt1fQOwngVcsfG3Uce7yh3X5-uSZbwBcyLv9yXCY0iiPKro36odi1N/s1600/Stacked+trillium+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAseSfFuYzVePBvYXeFNjViUJt_QVsYOm11G18FE0WtqyZjmhNROXAxF9x10DBcXepFcH-yd66uDl8kmmWq5hqsUjt1fQOwngVcsfG3Uce7yh3X5-uSZbwBcyLv9yXCY0iiPKro36odi1N/s400/Stacked+trillium+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As some flowers look skyward, they are best photographed from above such as these crested dwarf iris captured in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with a 24-70 mm lens.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxu1THe6INO9SSOHGTh-_qasoUxuyNEVdk10Ksi2yDnVRv2YW70q2hgRaLZRMUIwQN7QQctOH0Tj65ajEijN2cm_Z7UJaMIAwMtcOuYEPXgrZrz59ZfH8dSGkhxptjoCNbGMbbl0-2DZfO/s1600/Roads+Scholar+Slideshow+%2528112+of+128%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxu1THe6INO9SSOHGTh-_qasoUxuyNEVdk10Ksi2yDnVRv2YW70q2hgRaLZRMUIwQN7QQctOH0Tj65ajEijN2cm_Z7UJaMIAwMtcOuYEPXgrZrz59ZfH8dSGkhxptjoCNbGMbbl0-2DZfO/s400/Roads+Scholar+Slideshow+%2528112+of+128%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Getting sharp photos requires a great deal of patience, as often the wind will make the flowers dance. It also requires a tripod to steady the camera and perhaps a focusing rail to easily move the camera to get the composition and focal point. <b>I will provide more information on techniques to get sharp flower photos in my upcoming wildflower workshop. </b><br />
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Believe it or not, I sometimes leave things out of focus, this is called selective focus, and it is done to create a more artistic rendering of a wildflower such as this photo of a white foam flower with a wild geranium to add a dash of color. <b>This is another technique I will discuss in my upcoming wildflower workshop scheduled for May 11 &12 to coincide with the normal peak of the wildflower season. </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9-JxmzyvosY1O2RTVSgDEIF6GUHivLw3V9MBNSvBlbiu_RQaKC_WQYR-BU1-ZYtnBiJDA-mZSx9Y7PwcW5VOf3MCDgxZpX_LDhpVJQaIFJczq0hiu-AcNJwu8tLMdRpCL79_O5Wcar0-/s1600/Focus+Example-8503590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="1600" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9-JxmzyvosY1O2RTVSgDEIF6GUHivLw3V9MBNSvBlbiu_RQaKC_WQYR-BU1-ZYtnBiJDA-mZSx9Y7PwcW5VOf3MCDgxZpX_LDhpVJQaIFJczq0hiu-AcNJwu8tLMdRpCL79_O5Wcar0-/s400/Focus+Example-8503590.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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There are a lot more tools and techniques that I will cover in depth in my workshop. It will be a great time as we capture the beauty of the northwoods in the spring. </div>
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Meanwhile, I will leave you with one of my award winning wildflower photos and invite you to enjoy my <a href="https://tomhaxbyphotos.smugmug.com/A-Small-World/i-bw72NMN" target="_blank">small world gallery</a> on my website. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr64eRnXVp8Fk_r4ZjH3IfKR7JTWWw8PBPIvLZ9yHFikzOPxMWAZ5VkFiDae8yL6cF8m-VTz7FHyo-w5R_2coTwRNOYkiLa4LWh4Iz9OvVeP__J5xWygAI22u42t-bLzkD5kqTqLf8tA4I/s1600/Bunchberry+Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="1600" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr64eRnXVp8Fk_r4ZjH3IfKR7JTWWw8PBPIvLZ9yHFikzOPxMWAZ5VkFiDae8yL6cF8m-VTz7FHyo-w5R_2coTwRNOYkiLa4LWh4Iz9OvVeP__J5xWygAI22u42t-bLzkD5kqTqLf8tA4I/s400/Bunchberry+Small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you would like more information or have questions about my photography, please feel free to e-mail me at <a href="mailto:thaxby02@yahoo.com" target="_blank">thaxby02@yahoo.com</a></div>
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<b> </b>Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-21034808859119584112019-02-03T13:37:00.001-05:002019-02-04T17:43:26.337-05:00What's in my bag?Since my first digital camera back in 1998, a Kodak DC 290, which was a 1.4 megpixel point and shoot, I have been fortunate to have been able to steadily acquire better equipment. Funny that back then Kodak was into digital photography, but they bet against it catching on (oops). Speaking of camera manufacturers, I do not think there is a great deal of difference between Nikon, Canon, Sony and a few of the other manufacturers which are making good equipment. So, I am not going to get into the debate about who has the latest and greatest cameras or lenses. <br />
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Before diving into my camera bag, another caveat on gear - all the best camera gear in the world will not make you a great photographer. It is still what is behind the camera and between your ears and perhaps a little of what is in your heart that will make you a better photographer. It does help though to have an assist from today's technology in your hands. The right tools in the hands of a craftsman can result in some really special things. <br />
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First and foremost, the camera is a Nikon D850 which unfortunately is being repaired by Nikon at the moment. This was my latest acquisition almost a year ago and I am simply amazed at some of the images I have taken with this camera. With a 45.7 megapixel (mp), full-frame, CMOS sensor and a frame rate of 7 frames per second, which can be increased to 9 frames per second with the battery pack, this is a great camera for almost type of shooting. The images from this camera are just stunning. My backup camera is a Nikon D750 which has a 24 mp full-frame sensor which does very well in low light at high ISO settings.<br />
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I have the trifecta of Nikon lenses - the 14-24mm, 24-70mm and the 70-200 mm, all of which are f2.8 lenses. This is one of Nikon's best lenses and I consider this to be my sky lens. Dramatic clouds really stand out when I use this lens. Here is one example: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSxDuIdKOB8zwhlW-wIB7tGQ_4QCD8AZNwu6hURe5V51WRITnOprZ8nazNK8-pizwTX9mj_Htg_DzohaxcT4X-NrKilSGfEd0mTP3uUuHoGEHd98NieEdfc4Bq8Etc6qVWjn0zRD5n0Xq/s1600/Intercoastal+Sunrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSxDuIdKOB8zwhlW-wIB7tGQ_4QCD8AZNwu6hURe5V51WRITnOprZ8nazNK8-pizwTX9mj_Htg_DzohaxcT4X-NrKilSGfEd0mTP3uUuHoGEHd98NieEdfc4Bq8Etc6qVWjn0zRD5n0Xq/s400/Intercoastal+Sunrise.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also like the 14-24 mm for closeup wide-angle shots such as this northern leopard frog. The lens was only a couple of inches from the front of the frog in this shot. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6SQuoCBgOS6pa9Fd7YWNuJ0jyccvmreyoTY138OmSpRy6gJ-NyCvaY825Vs2wsY1IYekixz4qiLYENMNx_bVs2U-iq8utTmmMEV9CnxLh0he3WiJoo_LqpHAEg1sjBFJo24jVlCLSzBT/s1600/Wide+Angle+Frog+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="1600" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6SQuoCBgOS6pa9Fd7YWNuJ0jyccvmreyoTY138OmSpRy6gJ-NyCvaY825Vs2wsY1IYekixz4qiLYENMNx_bVs2U-iq8utTmmMEV9CnxLh0he3WiJoo_LqpHAEg1sjBFJo24jVlCLSzBT/s400/Wide+Angle+Frog+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The 24- 70 mm is a versatile lens that gets a lot of everyday use. Both the 24-70 mm and the 70-200 mm take a 77 mm filter which is convenient. The 70-200 which I use for stage events and other medium telephoto shots has first generation vibration reduction (Nikon's term). Canon calls it image stabilization and other manufacturers use their own terminology. I also have the Nikon 500 mm f4 lens that I use for birds and other wildlife. This is one of Nikon's best telephoto lenses and I find the resolution and bokeh (out of focus background) to be outstanding. Below is one of my birds taken with this lens. I love the sharpness of this lens and it helps to have an aperture of f4 available if needed. But quite frankly, I find that the sharpest f-stop for this lens to be around f8 to f11. The main drawbacks are the cost and weight of this lens. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLP-1cl-UHkOUiSu7H2YkH2NqUq88UIe95Yh5D1g3rlSBn0Y49n0kGBOYDvGBeFJ-74Idbpjv7GwkCiLJd-_dLY5Duy2WDnQnbDRmTEU39rSwF5u-egrTUux4jP7JFeL4_9DGnnU5u3pm/s1600/Tricolor+Heron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1600" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLP-1cl-UHkOUiSu7H2YkH2NqUq88UIe95Yh5D1g3rlSBn0Y49n0kGBOYDvGBeFJ-74Idbpjv7GwkCiLJd-_dLY5Duy2WDnQnbDRmTEU39rSwF5u-egrTUux4jP7JFeL4_9DGnnU5u3pm/s400/Tricolor+Heron.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also use the Nikon 1.4x and 1.7x teleconverters to extend the reach of the 500 mm lens. Again it is nice to add these to a f4 lens as the teleconverters reduce the light by 1 1/3 and 1 2/3 stops of light respectively. I find that I still get super sharp images even with the teleconverters.<br />
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Finally, as I also like to do close up work I currently have the 105 mm Nikon f 2.8 D macro lens. This is an older lens and I am looking to upgrade to the AFS version of this lens. This will enable me to use the focus shift feature on the Nikon D850 to create a series of images at different focus points that can later be stacked using Photoshop to extend the depth-of-field. Also, known as focus stacking, the ability to automatically capture a series of images at different focus points is a great new feature on the D850. <br />
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Speaking of filters I use a B&W screw-in polarizer and several neutral density filters (an 8 stop Hoya and a 3 stop B&W) which I use for waterfalls and other times when I want to show motion with a slower shutter speed. Here is an example of a long exposure using a neutral density filter:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQs7DbeqUvOlBE_J0jFOKAYcnP3HrcxNKYK9zD7evKpo4ELk3YsqvP8HCexFMCBzsc9ue4b_AxYVHkxW6WKJ3RivWt94hLarQueg7kcyWDCqNrTcqyntPSSUsaW8XuiwokJbFjLpiSsXD/s1600/Midnight+Hole+Swirl2+Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQs7DbeqUvOlBE_J0jFOKAYcnP3HrcxNKYK9zD7evKpo4ELk3YsqvP8HCexFMCBzsc9ue4b_AxYVHkxW6WKJ3RivWt94hLarQueg7kcyWDCqNrTcqyntPSSUsaW8XuiwokJbFjLpiSsXD/s400/Midnight+Hole+Swirl2+Small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also have a Cokin system of graduated neutral density filters.These square filters fit into a holder and I like to use these to darken skies while retaining as much light as possible on the landscape. Truth be told, I have used these less of late with the Nikon D850 camera because I am finding that the greater dynamic range capabilities of this camera make getting all of the tonalities in one shot without a filter much easier than ever.<br />
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I have an older Nikon 800 SB 800 flash which I have used indoors at events. This is a very versatile flash and for years many photographers used this flash for studio work. I also have a flash extender which is a magnifying glass with a holder to project the flash out further than I could normally. I have used this for wildlife work, but I don't really like to use it because it is awkward to mount on the flash and can give an unnatural look to wildlife photos as well as possibly startling wildlife with the bright flash.<br />
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Here is an example of one time when I used the flash extender: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYjVPDD8IURrKLZwBoBGwrmQhYgOvHhsAxf4B7RP5zzj_0RS8-rbd5ycXmrftLuXnY2CsSH7gzA0XW6NvwS4uB8wNi17O00Y-IVLPnIdJVexPdSuBVTz7KF3mq9pUTOEejx07Y2shsCFW/s1600/Roads+Scholar+Slideshow+%252851+of+128%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1548" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYjVPDD8IURrKLZwBoBGwrmQhYgOvHhsAxf4B7RP5zzj_0RS8-rbd5ycXmrftLuXnY2CsSH7gzA0XW6NvwS4uB8wNi17O00Y-IVLPnIdJVexPdSuBVTz7KF3mq9pUTOEejx07Y2shsCFW/s400/Roads+Scholar+Slideshow+%252851+of+128%2529.jpg" width="386" /></a></div>
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Is was already getting dark and the owl was too far away for a flash. There was quite a bit of red-eye in the shot that had to be removed in Photoshop and to me this is not natural looking as the flash is too obvious. I have a few diffusers which fit over the flash to create softer light from a flash and I will use a diffuser when photographing people at events. <br />
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Finally, to stabilize my camera I use a Gitzo 3541 tripod and a Kirk BH-1 ball head with a Arca-Swiss quick release system. I have L brackets made by Kirk on both camera bodies. This allows me to switch my camera from horizontal to vertical without having to flop the camera on the tripod to one side or the other which is not very stable and changes the angle of the camera to the subject. The L-brackets also protect the camera on the bottom and one side in case the camera is dropped, an all to common thing for me. I also acquired a focusing rail to help with macro and other close up type work. This makes it easy to make small adjustments in the distance from the camera to the subject which is critical in close-up photography. I use a gimbal head called a sidekick with my 500 mm lens. This head is less expensive than the standard gimbal head. It allows me more control of my 500 mm lens while keeping the camera steady. <br />
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My gear includes other odds and ends such as a weather cover, a remote trigger for really long exposures, few extra camera batteries, a bulb blower for cleaning and assorted lens cloths. All of my gear has been acquired over an extended period of time. There have been earlier lenses which I felt did not yield sharp images and these were sold on Ebay. Some of the gear will be upgraded such as the 70-200mm lens which is temperamental at times when it comes to autofocus and newer models have a more advanced vibration stabilization as well as better optics. All-in-all though I am quite well equipped for most any photographic challenge. And, to be honest, not all of this gear fits in one camera bag. If so, I would need to have a strong back or perhaps a mule to carry all of this gear. I use two camera bags and will pack what I think I will be needing into one bag. For example, my macro equipment during the spring wildflower season. <br />
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I have a lot of money invested in my equipment and this year I decided to get a separate insurance policy through a company affiliated with the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) which gives me peace of mind. Hint: if you are a professional your homeowners policy may not cover your camera equipment, but even if they do the deductible may be prohibitive. Check with your insurance agent.<br />
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Most of my gear has been purchased new, but I am finding good bargains on used lenses with KEH.com. I would prefer to support local camera outlets, but quite often the selection is not what I need and sometimes the price is better online. I have used B&H, Adorama and Hunt's Camera for the cameras and new lenses. Finally, as I tell many, a great site to use for research is www.dpreview.com. They provide reviews of most gear and have other great articles. You can even do a side-by-side comparison of similar gear. <br />
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If you have any thoughts on gear I would love to hear more. Please feel free to contact me via <a href="mailto:thaxby02@yahoo.com" target="_blank">e-mail</a>. Also, if you would like to see more examples of my work check out my website at <a href="http://www.tomhaxbyphotos.com/">www.tomhaxbyphotos.com</a><a href="https://tomhaxbyphotos.smugmug.com/" target="_blank">https://tomhaxbyphotos.smugmug.com/</a><br />
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Finally, if you have not bookmarked my blog, which would be a great idea, there is a link from my website to my blog. Which you might also want to bookmark. <br />
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<br />Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-12354377807293398072019-02-02T23:36:00.001-05:002019-02-16T10:51:05.147-05:00Three Tips for Photographing Birds<br />
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Three Tips for Photographing Birds</h3>
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Jesse James was once asked why he robbed banks. His reply, "That's where the money is". This winter, I decided that birds have it figured out by migrating south, so I did likewise by heading to the Gulf Coast. And, while here I am going to be doing a lot of bird photography, because this is where the birds are. Did you know that there are over 500 species of birds in Florida? No matter where, birds are all around us, you just have to keep our eyes and ears open. </div>
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When it comes to bird photography finding birds is just the beginning. Photographing birds is actually quite easy, but it requires work and practice to capture really good bird photos. Here are three tips to improve your bird photos:</div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span>Understand the habits of birds to put yourself
into position for photos.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Like most wildlife, birds are much more active early in the morning.
Birds feed heavily in the morning after a night at rest. The really good
part of this is that soft early morning light can be the most
flattering light not just for birds but for all nature photography. Much like planes that take off and land into the wind,
large birds will also take off and land into the wind. This knowledge will aid your bird
photography. Positioning yourself so that the wind is at your
back may result in birds heading right towards you as they take off. So,
instead of getting butt shots you get those great flying at you shots.
Learn what types of habitats birds prefer. For example, I have a
favorite marsh near home that is a magnet for yellow warblers, common
yellow-throated warblers and many other birds. In the spring this spot
is quite literally full of birds. </span></span></div>
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Yellow Warbler</h2>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Time of year is important too. As I
mentioned, this spot is best in the spring as some of the wood warblers
found in my marsh will disperse before summer fully arrives. There is
also a period of time when birds are less visible and they sing a lot
less as they are nesting. Some birds sing from favorite trees or shrubs on the edge of their territory. They will frequently return to the same location to patrol their area. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5TCwhyLlj7wuqNOe4rgJ3mX7Z0aQR9NoE3nZMA7ziEsKaiJ2Xp5y8HCxjqUc1WIgha8UHCZTYommGc6D39uzL-j3nDKQoW65XyiWnn-uZlCNFILO8T-d43adTFXFL_3lMYw7pivi7xjq/s1600/Roads+Scholar+Slideshow+%252891+of+128%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1215" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5TCwhyLlj7wuqNOe4rgJ3mX7Z0aQR9NoE3nZMA7ziEsKaiJ2Xp5y8HCxjqUc1WIgha8UHCZTYommGc6D39uzL-j3nDKQoW65XyiWnn-uZlCNFILO8T-d43adTFXFL_3lMYw7pivi7xjq/s320/Roads+Scholar+Slideshow+%252891+of+128%2529.jpg" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
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Sparrow </h2>
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</span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Learning the habits of birds means knowing
what foods birds like to eat. One of the black cherry trees in my marsh
is a favorite of cedar waxwings and when the fruits ripen it does not
take long for a cedar waxwing to appear. Make like a bird watcher, because the best bird watchers could be great bird photographers because they have learned the habits of birds. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUhKysBwtWbTXL49No2BUTJvxh_VrCt1mP-h-oHlQ-EYqHr9G3D9qLUY8ZkRbmBIqOHlwv6TbPpTb_yygWQIndyTbgbjWpTwMNl3JeD2xP5unUZok-ZtQcXJnBX3wqHPaho92GK8qE0eW/s1600/Cedar+Waxwing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUhKysBwtWbTXL49No2BUTJvxh_VrCt1mP-h-oHlQ-EYqHr9G3D9qLUY8ZkRbmBIqOHlwv6TbPpTb_yygWQIndyTbgbjWpTwMNl3JeD2xP5unUZok-ZtQcXJnBX3wqHPaho92GK8qE0eW/s320/Cedar+Waxwing.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
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Cedar Waxwing</h2>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Try to blend in with your surroundings while minimizing movement and noise<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span> </b><br />
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Try shooting from a blind or even using a car as a
blind. But even without a blind, try to blend in with your surroundings by minimizing movement
and the amount of noise you make. In some cases camouflage may be needed, but normally just wearing neutral clothing will help. No bright colors - like hot pink. If you blend in really well, birds
will sometimes totally ignore you giving you the chance to capture
amazing close up shots of birds as they go about their daily
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<b>3. Use the proper gear including long lenses,
tripods, gimbal heads and flash.</b></div>
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My third tip is to use the proper gear for bird photography. Unfortunately this normally requires long-telephoto lenses which can get you closer to the birds. And I might add, it will disturb the birds a lot less. The reason I say that long-telephoto lenses are unfortunate is that they can be very expensive as well as heavy to carry. The good news is that some lens makers such as Tamron and Sigma are starting to make really good lenses that are much cheaper than those made by camera manufacturers Nikon and Canon. If spending thousands upon thousands of dollars is not appealing, adding a tele-extender to a lens is an inexpensive way of getting more reach. There is another way of extending your effective focal length too, read on. <br />
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It is not necessary to use the top of the line cameras, but it helps to have a camera that can shoot at high frame rates (at least 7 frames per second) and show low noise at higher ISOs. Consider using what is known as a crop-sensor camera which has a smaller sensor and gives the effect of cropping to a narrower area, thus mimicking a longer focal length lens. These cameras and the lenses made to fit them are much are less expensive than full-frame cameras and lenses. That sounds good doesn't it. Less expensive camera and longer effective focal length. Mirrorless cameras are becoming popular as these are lighter and often have higher frame rates than DSLRs. One more thing, if I have a choice between spending a lot of money on a lens or on a camera, I would put the money into the good lenses. Good lenses can last a lifetime, but camera technology is changing so fast that what is great today will only be o.k. a few years from now. </div>
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Invest in a good tripod that will hold the weight of a big lens and your camera. This will help you to get super sharp images. No amount of image stablization (Canon) or vibration reduction (Nikon) or other similar systems by other manufacturers which reduce the effects of movement while handholding can match shooting from a good stable tripod. One other suggestion is to add a gimbal head to your tripod. This makes handling and supporting a large lens on a tripod so easy that you can move your camera with just a few fingers. Finally, you may want to use to flash to add catch light in the eyes of the birds or to fill in shadows. Flash extenders can also be used to project the flash further away. I do not use flash often, but have made good use of it in special cases. Care must be used though to avoid impacting the birds with a flash. <b>That is another chapter on ethics that I will cover later as well as other tips on bird photography. I am planning to make an entire pdf guide on bird photography available online in the near future. </b>Until then you can always peruse the <a href="https://tomhaxbyphotos.smugmug.com/Birds/i-qkNqh2q" target="_blank">bird gallery</a> on my website. If you find these tips useful, please let me know. I would love to hear from other photographers at my <a href="mailto:thaxby02@yahoo.com" target="_blank">e-mail</a>, about your challenges and successes. </div>
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Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-38148156324724370562019-01-11T23:09:00.000-05:002019-01-11T23:13:08.509-05:00Shooting the Sun at the Edge of DayIf you are going to shoot sunrises, or for that matter sunsets, be prepared to stretch your day out to match the sun's day. So, the alarm goes off at 5:00 am, thus it is time to head out to my chosen destination for photography today. The night before I had checked the weather forecast to get an idea of what kind of conditions I might expect. This will make a big difference as to whether I decide to concentrate on sunrise photos such as this one. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://tomhaxbyphotos.smugmug.com/Southern-Images/Southern-latitude/i-wGqQCXD/A" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4P_XTv2gEd31FEgpeXo9R1DWki27ZyRsKzmF2YK-4u9BvEzHCfefFIgqjit3jmgnDgaYt0Eg0JcMf7O-1r8wcHg9fgfwIR-IPYLyY_O2mkQ92IWg_aD9-M8x-B43r7WHni4xMVM0BQ8V/s400/Intercoastal+Sunrise.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://tomhaxbyphotos.smugmug.com/Southern-Images/Southern-latitude/i-wGqQCXD/A" target="_blank">Sunrise on Intercoastal Waterway</a></h3>
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More than anything, broken clouds make the best sunrises and sunsets. To me, a blue sky without any clouds at all is boring. There is nothing to reflect the gorgeous sunrise colors and it is just too much negative space with very little depth, or for that matter, texture. A heavy overcast is similarly undesirable. Although there may be a lot of texture in the clouds, often there is a lack of color and contrast that really makes a sunrise landscape pop. What really gets my pulse going is if there is a break in the clouds on the horizon that the sun can use to light a bank of clouds from below. This is called gap light and can result in some of the most amazing scenes for your camera.<br />
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I wish there were a way of accurately predicting great conditions for sunrises or sunsets. Something that will be reported during the weather broadcast the night before. Perhaps a meteorologist can predict a great sunrise and would be willing to share that information.<br />
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However, without such a forecast, I have decided that when preparing to shoot winter sunrises or sunsets along the gulf coast that I have to learn the local weather patterns. So far, I can say that it is best to plan on shooting on the edges of storm systems. That is, either before a storm system arrives or after the departure. Obviously, as the storm is raging there is really no great light and you and your gear will be soaked. When a large-cool-dry high pressure is parked over the region, that is when you get the clear blue skies. Sometimes if you are fortunate lingering humidity between storms will help to produce great clouds. <br />
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When shooting over water, a lack of wind leads to great water reflections. On the morning when I captured this photo the wind was quite still and it was easy to see that the reflections were going to be stellar. Realize that quite often fronts containing storms stir up lots of wind and will scatter your reflections.<br />
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I will share with you a few technical details on this photo. My gear includes a Nikon D850 and the lens chosen was my 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens. I really like this lens for skies. Shooting a wide angle lens just seems to make the sky come alive. The landscape must complement the sky, but a really great sky really captures your attention and adds so much depth to an image. My issue with composing this photo was that the sandy bottom was quite apparent in many of my compositions. I finally found a composition where the water was a mirror rather than a window.<br />
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Of course, I almost always use a tripod with a ball head to steady my camera and to allow me to really look at my composition. There is almost no need to hurry when the scene is slowly unfolding and the tripod slows me down just enough. <br />
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Finally, for the camera settings I used ISO 100, f/8 at 1/80 second at 14 mm. The combination of ISO, aperture and shutter speed gave me the depth and the slight motion in the water I wanted while rendering the fine details at a suitable ISO to minimize noise. I almost always use a setting to lock the mirror up and a shutter delay of 1-2 seconds to allow any vibrations to dissipate. This helps to keep my images sharp. Knowing that the motion in the reflection will mean that no matter what I will get some blur, I aimed my auto focus point quite a ways into the photo to keep the clouds in the sky sharp. Checking the histogram in the camera showed that I had the entire range of tonalities in the image and thus would only need minor adjustments in Lightroom to bring out the scene as I saw it with my eyes. This is now one of my favorite images and I would just love to see this in a large metal print. <br />
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Here is another of a picturesque sunset made by great clouds........ <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://tomhaxbyphotos.smugmug.com/Southern-Images/Great-Smoky-Mountains-/i-wWvvG6T/A" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguv9z6FF5Vpj4d7vA9tXuWw2U1ir_U0YDeNqFgtDimvRznMDSf7Cg3o35CaFiaDFZI-L6xpONkoPloDzD_UN5otaSq4SIVeRPrIPTCHZ7Y2KzshdopKoM3p7zWCOwW_IW3d0kkvtTveOp/s400/Deep+Creek+Sunset+Small.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://tomhaxbyphotos.smugmug.com/Southern-Images/Great-Smoky-Mountains-/i-wWvvG6T/A" target="_blank">
Smoky Mountains Sunset</a></h3>
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<a href="https://tomhaxbyphotos.smugmug.com/Southern-Images/Great-Smoky-Mountains-/i-wWvvG6T/A" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Now, I must close as the alarm is again set for 5:00 am for another sunrise tomorrow. Tonight I will dream of great clouds and light.</span></span></a> </h3>
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<br />Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-90866634618253443502019-01-04T14:05:00.003-05:002019-01-04T18:01:51.132-05:00Bird Photography at the Black Point Wildlife Drive<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In closing out 2018, I spent the last two days of the year photographing birds at the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/merritt_island/black_point_wildlife_drive.aspx" target="_blank">Black Point Wildlife Drive</a>. Located on the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge near Cape Canaveral, Florida, this 7-mile one-way scenic drive is one of the top spots in Florida for photographing all kinds of birds. Of the 503 species of birds identified in Florida, to date, 358 species have been identified at the refuge. Along the drive I spotted wading birds such as little blue heron, tricolor heron, great blue heron, ibis, roseate spoonbill, reddish egrets, snowy egrets and more. Small-fast-moving wood warblers, sparrows, chickadees and finches darted throughout the vegetation. There were osprey galore, (look on the tops of the telephone poles), and lots of ducks, geese and other diving birds. Look for the birding checklist at the kiosk that gives a more complete accounting of the birds there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other areas on the refuge such as cabbage palm and hardwood hammocks,
oak scrub, pine uplands and more add to the diversity of habitats
for the many bird species. Away from the wildlife drive, I was even fortunate to spot a kestrel and an eagle. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://tomhaxbyphotos.smugmug.com/Birds/i-WsnvnCn/A" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1158" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLqQGq0k9slPXVUIuNTJFKImarVAGDY51ZLesJltkpnMquxjCjexA4U5vlcbTtjozEAfnafLm_sn1sGd3raB9RKswDe1WOP6DdGrgayjaGJMiliHzZrucQrK_9ZQ02mc-BziHXDc_A05s/s320/Reddish+Egret+Vertical+Pose.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://tomhaxbyphotos.smugmug.com/Birds/i-WsnvnCn/A" target="_blank">Reddish Egret</a></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These last days of December were quite warm and dense fog in the mornings lasted until 10 am. This meant that my normal routine of photographing early in the morning had to be adjusted. Still, there were so many birds that posed for my Nikon D850 that I have resolved to return. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are a couple of my tips for getting better bird photos: </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Upon spotting a bird I would often set up my tripod and camera with the 500 mm lens and 1.4x teleconverter. At times I did not even leave the vehicle, using it as a blind and the window frame for support. A couple of recent changes in my techniques that have helped me to improve my bird photography are the use of a smaller aperture and a higher ISO. By using apertures from f/8 to f/11 I am using the sharpest apertures on my lens and adding the needed depth-of-field for the larger wading birds. There was plenty of light, but by using the higher ISO I was able to use faster shutter speeds to compensate for any camera movement or movement in my subjects. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgetQir8DpHtAzZN6zkc7Ar21k1ZnOfZQdN-pqh51LB2ZeV5xZc5YAqRqgQFDsAtplK-0D6KtobIw4H_k-pEK7BBnQf7YjOtVeflYkBtWCjnhyphenhyphenEKWV4xxV051doLN8vYIcolO6V4wXx_e/s1600/Roseate+Spoonbill+Closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgetQir8DpHtAzZN6zkc7Ar21k1ZnOfZQdN-pqh51LB2ZeV5xZc5YAqRqgQFDsAtplK-0D6KtobIw4H_k-pEK7BBnQf7YjOtVeflYkBtWCjnhyphenhyphenEKWV4xxV051doLN8vYIcolO6V4wXx_e/s320/Roseate+Spoonbill+Closeup.jpg" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
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Roseate Spoonbill</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzruDcJ70IOIdJXzR0w7qbK4sS2NF-z09aQHPabLxzItwcVfId2WUmSTuAFcWEtHWFBUysTWnDmYAsL6e6y4oQl9JoRXWH7Ps2xp6GEi5rUTIIVU4ExE4F1O-qm5Hpb2K-9IrjJQcAECVl/s1600/Kestrel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1503" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzruDcJ70IOIdJXzR0w7qbK4sS2NF-z09aQHPabLxzItwcVfId2WUmSTuAFcWEtHWFBUysTWnDmYAsL6e6y4oQl9JoRXWH7Ps2xp6GEi5rUTIIVU4ExE4F1O-qm5Hpb2K-9IrjJQcAECVl/s320/Kestrel.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Kestrel </h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I feel like in the time allowed by my travel budget that I got some really great photos and I would highly recommend the Black Point Wildlife Drive for any photographers wanting to add to their bird portfolios. In fact, the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) is hosting a <a href="http://www.nanpa.org/event/nanpa-regional-birding-workshop-titusville-fl/" target="_blank">regional birding workshop</a> there from January 27-30, 2019. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More of my bird photography, as well as my other photography, can be viewed on my website at <a href="https://tomhaxbyphotos.smugmug.com/" target="_blank">tomhaxby photos</a>. </span></span> </div>
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<br />Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.com0Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida 32782, USA28.6100373 -80.7154358999999891.3039302999999975 -122.02402989999999 55.9161443 -39.406841899999989tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-67055414553661592512017-07-13T16:10:00.004-05:002017-07-18T14:33:25.843-05:00The Plight of the Monarch<div style="text-align: center;">
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The Plight of the Monarch</h4>
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In a world filled with amazing animals, one tiny but colorful insect stands out because of its endurance and unique life cycle. Weighing only .0095 to .026 oz with a lifespan of 6 to 8 months, the amazing monarch butterfly manages to journey up to 3,000 miles on paper thin wings through storms and across vast landscapes. Although monarchs are found throughout the world, the North American monarch is referenced here. The perilous journey of the North American monarch is necessary as the milkweed is only found in the midwestern US and Canada in the summer and the monarch cannot withstand cold winter temperatures. Thus, the need to migrate between winter locations in Mexico or warm areas of southern California and the summer feeding areas of the US and southern Canada.<br />
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Unfortunately, populations of the brightly colored monarch butterflies have gone into a steep decline. Understanding more about their life cycle and habits is key so that humans can help to reverse this trend.</div>
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Monarchs begin their life as eggs which are placed on milkweed plants. The placement of eggs on milkweed is vital for monarchs as the larva, otherwise known as a caterpillar, which hatches from the eggs feeds almost exclusively on milkweed. This is only the beginning of the most unusual life cycle over the next year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJyATokvMWK0F5MIB5Y7FKmmiG2IQeL29UEwp0bK3soO2dlYNGhuBvmK6tXwfUfudyBhqFZOIVPhp5SWOfLd1lAh2r0EEtMdUekcbLZGd0C2OO6yLSymdvaPi8OKH0b-up1y-CstO_Pq-/s1600/Monarch+Caterpillar.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="1600" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJyATokvMWK0F5MIB5Y7FKmmiG2IQeL29UEwp0bK3soO2dlYNGhuBvmK6tXwfUfudyBhqFZOIVPhp5SWOfLd1lAh2r0EEtMdUekcbLZGd0C2OO6yLSymdvaPi8OKH0b-up1y-CstO_Pq-/s320/Monarch+Caterpillar.jpg" width="320" /></a> The young caterpillars feed voraciously on the milkweed and are capable of consuming an entire leaf in 5 minutes. To protect from being eaten by lizards, frogs and birds the caterpillars produce a toxin from the sap of the milkweed which is poisonous to potential predators. The brightly colored caterpillar serves as a warning to predators.<br />
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This first phase, also known as an instar, may only last a few weeks before the caterpillar begins one of the most incredible transformations in nature. The larva while attached by a thin thread to a stationary object will next spin a protective case or chrysalis inside of which the caterpillar will undergo a metamorphosis into the beautiful and iconic monarch butterfly. This second generation will only live for a short while during which they will continue to feed on milkweed and later on nectar after another metamorphosis into a butterfly as they flutter further north. Soon, this generation will lay eggs on milkweed which will begin the third generation of butterflies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4DxerA9MtaL-35PimzlMpumspey5Do368FLnfOn8Xzi4rloadGJVZqC3NUZFm3qXZdgtOcXlbX1tF2d7fTU_YEABvMzjGNpCBcMWoRwokKO5JBNxwKxaAChdQdjtQxmnPc3c0OXoKYNRg/s1600/Monarch+on+a+lobelia.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4DxerA9MtaL-35PimzlMpumspey5Do368FLnfOn8Xzi4rloadGJVZqC3NUZFm3qXZdgtOcXlbX1tF2d7fTU_YEABvMzjGNpCBcMWoRwokKO5JBNxwKxaAChdQdjtQxmnPc3c0OXoKYNRg/s320/Monarch+on+a+lobelia.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
As the summer begins to wane, this third generation of the year will again cycle through the stages of egg to caterpillar to butterfly. The fourth and final generation of the monarch which emerges in September to October is the long distance flier to winter ranges in California or Mexico ahead of the advancing winter. One of the truly amazing feats is that although this generation of monarchs has never been to the winter retreat, they manage to return to the same area and often to the same tree as the butterflies from the previous winter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GrfFE_O9hI_mIoVACUdfr1zXnARIZx3BIAflbhSX0pokDjKHS_AZqxKqS-bIzf7wDQif9shvgod7MFFvbgs7bqJqfjcRJZox6udOZFh7ktSwQwAIepzO0gt0SioV4f1rGwSBCNKRv_fp/s1600/Monarch+on+Coreopsis.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1466" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GrfFE_O9hI_mIoVACUdfr1zXnARIZx3BIAflbhSX0pokDjKHS_AZqxKqS-bIzf7wDQif9shvgod7MFFvbgs7bqJqfjcRJZox6udOZFh7ktSwQwAIepzO0gt0SioV4f1rGwSBCNKRv_fp/s320/Monarch+on+Coreopsis.jpg" width="293" /></a> This perilous journey of thousands of miles is full of obstacles to survival along the way. Recent changes in farming practices have lead to a steep decline in milkweed throughout the corn belt in the midwestern US. The population and extent of milkweed necessary for the caterpillars has declined because of the conversion of areas that previously grew milkweed to corn for ethanol and because the increased use of herbicide resistant crop species has allowed the use of non-selective herbicides which kills the milkweed. Illegal logging has impacted winter habitat in Mexico and recent unprecedented weather events may have adversely impacted the delicate butterfly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4cGY53wrt5yGMvZkF9m0IEjYG785XJ_zkUwOkooCshE30JTNFR7pq7IE_IEU3_9wBOIazNjQIjTkvbjgoQ-F2-_9ueinj2dn441B9EHCfNdr-9w-JXrc-bovrV-EQY2Zj1cwv8LAVMX5C/s1600/Monarch+on+a+Stalk+with+signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1289" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4cGY53wrt5yGMvZkF9m0IEjYG785XJ_zkUwOkooCshE30JTNFR7pq7IE_IEU3_9wBOIazNjQIjTkvbjgoQ-F2-_9ueinj2dn441B9EHCfNdr-9w-JXrc-bovrV-EQY2Zj1cwv8LAVMX5C/s320/Monarch+on+a+Stalk+with+signature.jpg" width="257" /></a> What can be done to reverse this recent trend? Preserving a corridor of milkweed is absolutely essential to providing a food source for the larval stage of the monarch. Conserving areas that can grow milkweed, especially in regions dominated by managed crops, will provide feeding stations along the northward path.<br />
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Conservation of habitat within areas of historical wintering retreats in Mexico and California is essential. Perhaps ecotourism in these areas will provide an additional financial incentive to preserve these critical areas. Small landowners and even urban dwellers can encourage milkweed or nectar producing plants on their properties. Finally, education that helps to raise awareness of the plight of the monarch will encourage people to care so that future generations can also enjoy the amazing monarch.<br />
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Here are some additional sources of information:<br />
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<a href="https://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Animals/Archives/2015/Battle-for-Butterflies.aspx">Battle For Butterflies</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Gardening/Archives/2016/Habitat-Highways.aspx">Habitat Highways </a><br />
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<a href="https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Invertebrates/Monarch-Butterfly.aspx">Monarch Butterfly</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Animals/Archives/1997/On-the-Track-of-the-Monarch-Butterfly.aspx">On the Track of the Monarch Butterfly</a><br />
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Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-66556445071148499622017-04-03T14:27:00.001-05:002017-04-03T14:27:40.455-05:00Looking for Spring<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yesterday I took a long stroll along the North
Country Trail above the Manistee River in a quest to find signs of
spring. Yes, the day was warm and spring-like, but you had to really
look hard to find signs of spring.</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKn8rIt5HC_RuIDd2ZnXeHnANDW1DiZBFuq8lcxtZFGBNWFfD26h4K7TZJKDiPjo_i9v6qWQrWhEw4ZgEtzhwOE9TDKBriesCcKdMlx4m4vwNYGt-zZPSacVZ-i3qyXf_pjItRWfzbS72V/s1600/Hepatica+Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKn8rIt5HC_RuIDd2ZnXeHnANDW1DiZBFuq8lcxtZFGBNWFfD26h4K7TZJKDiPjo_i9v6qWQrWhEw4ZgEtzhwOE9TDKBriesCcKdMlx4m4vwNYGt-zZPSacVZ-i3qyXf_pjItRWfzbS72V/s400/Hepatica+Small.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hepatica</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One butterfly, seemingly out of season because there
is nothing blooming, flitted about, occasionally pausing on the leafy
ground. There were a few insects. Good, that means protein for
soon-to-come baby birds. But for now, only a few robins found food to
eat. Aspens displayed fuzzy buds that soon will be followed by
flowers and later a flush of spring-green leaves.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX8ORw2hxA9MILVkDSvxo8q9VjWP72d1y-mNjRem9nHF2YAfWFSbWV1zOTcb2lnZlE0AeUrxCnxiAE7MdDdNxg5mWbrgWQUAOsE7GgaCfav7NfcDaytWahW2Htp09s1bA0vW8tbYALSAOF/s1600/Three+Stack+Bloodroot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX8ORw2hxA9MILVkDSvxo8q9VjWP72d1y-mNjRem9nHF2YAfWFSbWV1zOTcb2lnZlE0AeUrxCnxiAE7MdDdNxg5mWbrgWQUAOsE7GgaCfav7NfcDaytWahW2Htp09s1bA0vW8tbYALSAOF/s320/Three+Stack+Bloodroot.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bloodroot</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Still, although the calendar says April,
it was hard to find signs of spring in the northwoods. At times,
swirling winds shifted last fall's thick layer of leaves. The
woodland wildflowers have yet to feel the touch of a warm rain
followed by a sunny day to wake them from their slumber. Soon spring
will arrive and seemingly overnight the forest floor will undergo a
magical transformation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It has been almost a year since the woodland wildflowers have
announced the coming spring. I cannot wait to again see the delicate
bloodroot with its pure white petals. I anxiously await the arrival
of patches of spring beauty, the aptly named Dutchman's breeches and
hepatica, also known as liverleaf, which brave the still fickle early
spring weather to give a sense that spring is finally making
progress. Even a tiny violet will be a welcome sight. In
wetter areas, early blooming marsh marigold will put on a dazzling
display of yellow and green. Seemingly infinite numbers of yellow
trout lily with its spotted leaves and graceful flower at the end of
a stalk are another sure sign of spring. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I must admit that I cannot wait for the later
blooming wildflowers to announce that spring is finally here to stay.
The giant white trillium is by far the star of the spring woods. In
places, it seems to form a carpet of blossoms. Not to be outdone, the
individual or small areas of red trillium, also known as wake robin,
add an unexpected splash of red. The large-flowered <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyodGhOK6TJQvbfkg3nigNyoTbryDVvH07f3mQt677HbWzyxJXwhFaiscoUSTrdk7sahaBmwy2ofZ1_9POSUkfHC4UcQ8Lw139rdB6Y468dBuJYMuE2HY3Zw0Ux5w32iiCG-M84VVkiE-8/s1600/Trillium+Sunburst+8+X+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyodGhOK6TJQvbfkg3nigNyoTbryDVvH07f3mQt677HbWzyxJXwhFaiscoUSTrdk7sahaBmwy2ofZ1_9POSUkfHC4UcQ8Lw139rdB6Y468dBuJYMuE2HY3Zw0Ux5w32iiCG-M84VVkiE-8/s320/Trillium+Sunburst+8+X+10.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trillium</span></span></h3>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">bellwort, with
its bell-shaped yellow flowers, complements the white trillium. With
spring in full swing, bees will buzz among this kaleidoscope of
woodland flowers. Spring in the woods lasts only a short time, as the
blooming spring ephemerals quickly fade in the shade of emerging
leaves on the trees overhead. Spring however short is still much
anticipated.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Meanwhile, I wait patiently as the sun tilts ever
higher in the sky and the days grow warmer. Soon there will be
new life everywhere, and with a spring in my step and a smile on my
face I will traipse down the trail surrounded by the magic of spring. </span></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhol1jzIRkBwv1ie3R37ZwL7PXUgwR47qUAp0uAo7LuGx3aMhAptXvC-2beKtTakSTaRZZYlSAIPVDmMDVw4uAPlWhEOZiAsLJ90M-nSFebA-76WZo7qoTCDCTK2AKceIhkE0OAsNF686gs/s1600/Wake++Robin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhol1jzIRkBwv1ie3R37ZwL7PXUgwR47qUAp0uAo7LuGx3aMhAptXvC-2beKtTakSTaRZZYlSAIPVDmMDVw4uAPlWhEOZiAsLJ90M-nSFebA-76WZo7qoTCDCTK2AKceIhkE0OAsNF686gs/s320/Wake++Robin2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wake Robin</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>
</h3>
Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-85254614728308397912017-03-24T14:25:00.001-05:002017-03-24T14:25:17.997-05:00Artist-in-Residence Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1KIpzYcowXiloEFdvss24NYZjipX6feyutN3LFYX7CwuPzyLBi_st6vrnyotC4mAsplAukWZaJS_E0beemBmo6P-ZsICE6Svu9F4Pe0HUQK0cP2nRMIq0vjDRH1XTPSZTgiq97zRTcK5/s1600/Big+Creek.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1KIpzYcowXiloEFdvss24NYZjipX6feyutN3LFYX7CwuPzyLBi_st6vrnyotC4mAsplAukWZaJS_E0beemBmo6P-ZsICE6Svu9F4Pe0HUQK0cP2nRMIq0vjDRH1XTPSZTgiq97zRTcK5/s320/Big+Creek.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Big Creek in the rain</span></td></tr>
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<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">It was my dream come true to have been the Artist-in-Residence (AiR) as a photographer in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) for six weeks from September through November of 2016. I have been to the GSMNP many times and I would never have imagined having this opportunity. My background as a natural resource manager for 26 years along with my passion for photography helped to secure the chance to take photographs for an entire season in one of the most picturesque national parks. For me, it was about more than just taking photos. I wanted to take the time to gain a greater understanding of the park.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdA4f-wHLbB73W-NA7-zrzC6Ny6E5S4d4XRVkVxcpe_B525Ita7RJ7F65IqYPzCeAKFZBAMUXxEAU6fhuW1SRySPtS-p-wq3AXmGXmzP8qIx-GE4eyF3Ov7SbXoDPjvIoUyByD93bghGNV/s1600/Middle+Prong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdA4f-wHLbB73W-NA7-zrzC6Ny6E5S4d4XRVkVxcpe_B525Ita7RJ7F65IqYPzCeAKFZBAMUXxEAU6fhuW1SRySPtS-p-wq3AXmGXmzP8qIx-GE4eyF3Ov7SbXoDPjvIoUyByD93bghGNV/s320/Middle+Prong.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Middle Prong</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">The National Park Service, the Friends of the Smokies and the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts sponsor the AiR program in the GSMNP. Artists are provided housing in a park service apartment inside of the park. From May through November painters, musicians, poets, writers and other artists were given from 3 to 6 weeks to utilize the park to inspire their art. </span>
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<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Although I mostly had the freedom to pursue my photography during my residency, there were few requirements to fulfill. I worked with the Volunteer Coordinator for the National Park Service to present programs on photography to the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and the Job Corps. I also took a day to work with a park volunteer to capture and tag monarch butterflies during their fall migration. On another day, I worked with the Great Smoky Mountain Association on a video promoting the AiR program. I gave a brief summary of the AiR program before taking a group hike with the Friends of the Smokies to the stunning Charlie's Bunion formation and the awe-inspiring views near the Appalachian Trail. An AiR is also required to donate a product of their work and I am currently finishing a book of photos and essays about the park for the National Park Service and the Friends of the Smokies. </span>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9gAWavsehRaipCWOCw9u6lR9o4_WRejuAKDAZNedxEMn35EEmCMfQIJfDnA-nLbo5Xihij6hBbvyKeNcbGMIdv6Zy2gzFyozxdaJ_XkDZOxV0VRA0YaALANKX5Iit5OFqTfxFUuXrCzds/s1600/Deep+Creek+Watershed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9gAWavsehRaipCWOCw9u6lR9o4_WRejuAKDAZNedxEMn35EEmCMfQIJfDnA-nLbo5Xihij6hBbvyKeNcbGMIdv6Zy2gzFyozxdaJ_XkDZOxV0VRA0YaALANKX5Iit5OFqTfxFUuXrCzds/s320/Deep+Creek+Watershed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Deep Creek Drainage</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">On most days with my camera bags and lunch packed, I headed to my chosen location well before sunrise. Sometimes the days lasted into the night for sunsets or even night stars from Clingmans Dome. During the early part of my residency, I felt no rush and just absorbing and studying about the surroundings was enough. As my time as an AiR dwindled there was a sense of urgency to capture with my camera as much as possible.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXo1hdk2qUVgEKbk0myRdZDQoA3zysyfB05yufMDGQG33Cir7wTfPBlN2-B0kx6TZBiyStNUx__jOquchapRZF2dtPBugWC8KgydwvpH5HeOFPGAZkDMsQnbJmLEKg3vEGPhUCFwj2Ah3/s1600/Fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXo1hdk2qUVgEKbk0myRdZDQoA3zysyfB05yufMDGQG33Cir7wTfPBlN2-B0kx6TZBiyStNUx__jOquchapRZF2dtPBugWC8KgydwvpH5HeOFPGAZkDMsQnbJmLEKg3vEGPhUCFwj2Ah3/s320/Fall.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fall Colors</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">During my six weeks, I visited all of my favorite places, but I also had time to explore and photograph places I had previously never had the time to visit. I discovered that I really enjoyed photographing butterflies as they stopped to fuel up on nectar during their migration through the area. On several occasions, I photographed elk in the Cataloochee Valley during the fall rut as the bull elk bugled and sparred with other males in the herd. On some days the camera stayed behind and I just hiked the trails. One of my favorite trails was the Boogerman Trail, perhaps because of the <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzF5in4r4dAx7UYwqDtnfM-bdNDUw7-ifPY8zLXGpajfSAaYYO4CzRhcImal-fZiy3SRvDw1pTc766H3RVBD_I1zi22FLuY5_MQO_LXwF0T8jqqn1KoogLwrB9AHzWw5wrDOe1_zcO5_f/s1600/Great+Spangled+Fritillary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzF5in4r4dAx7UYwqDtnfM-bdNDUw7-ifPY8zLXGpajfSAaYYO4CzRhcImal-fZiy3SRvDw1pTc766H3RVBD_I1zi22FLuY5_MQO_LXwF0T8jqqn1KoogLwrB9AHzWw5wrDOe1_zcO5_f/s320/Great+Spangled+Fritillary.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Great Spangled Fritillary </span></td></tr>
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amusing story behind the name, but also for the solitude and beauty of the trail through an old growth hardwood forest on a stunning fall day. A hike through the giant trees in the Albright Grove had me thinking about the cycle of life and the struggle to capture sunlight energy in the forest. Another memorable day was spent along beautiful Big Creek in a driving rainstorm at the peak of the fall color when I was able to capture several of my favorite images. Drawing from my experience as a natural resource manager, it was during these hikes when I contemplated the state of the park and what will it be like in the future. </span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijc9555QKKPQLBQxco02-qz5v0GXvFsZI69MxLraQoOaxnqVj0jOM3UwZ0Z0iZsN9Sl4HDYBKyA_t38awmdhUPsDRPxLrGcPJh_mOHY9biI-7bm1xooGEUVYFrQx82CvP7bt84XdVaw899/s1600/Bull+Elk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijc9555QKKPQLBQxco02-qz5v0GXvFsZI69MxLraQoOaxnqVj0jOM3UwZ0Z0iZsN9Sl4HDYBKyA_t38awmdhUPsDRPxLrGcPJh_mOHY9biI-7bm1xooGEUVYFrQx82CvP7bt84XdVaw899/s320/Bull+Elk.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Majestic Bull Elk</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">In 2016 over 11 million people, many of which are serious photographers, visited the GSMNP. It is obvious that people really do love the park, as we do all of our national parks. Although the Smokies may seem like paradise, the park has faced past threats is facing many new threats. I left just before the historic fires burned almost 17,000 acres in the park and devastated many adjoining areas around Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Past invasive pests such as the chestnut blight and balsam woolly adelgid removed the American chestnut and Fraser fir from the park. New threats have arrived, such as the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), which kills hemlock trees. During my time in residence, I wondered how future threats such as climate change, air pollution and the ever increasing number of visitors will impact the park. </span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22JfiSQusUyiINl9DKLkr19QoKx4ESDeSwg9Nju9WWvDWw6RZVnV-EnjoADIZVBi_pe7YP4zmq2TYMzgnmRMMkJOgeekNysvYfWW73IyGfGBUtHlewtR00fsr5rfxHKqS2vkMvhWxVHPb/s1600/Monarch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22JfiSQusUyiINl9DKLkr19QoKx4ESDeSwg9Nju9WWvDWw6RZVnV-EnjoADIZVBi_pe7YP4zmq2TYMzgnmRMMkJOgeekNysvYfWW73IyGfGBUtHlewtR00fsr5rfxHKqS2vkMvhWxVHPb/s320/Monarch.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Monarch on Lobelia</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">My six weeks went by too quickly, but my adventure as an AiR in the GSMNP provided the time to immerse myself into one of the most amazing places on earth. It also gave me the chance to see and learn so much more about the park while contemplating the future of this special place. </span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">There are many other AiR programs throughout the country and I would highly recommend that photographers pursue these opportunities. Not only are these programs great opportunities for photography, but they also provide ample time to gain a unique perspective of a place. </span>
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Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-24348698347863075132017-01-30T22:20:00.000-05:002017-01-31T17:57:27.896-05:00Up North Winter Getaway<h2>
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Viewing the Caves</h3>
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Getting through the winter "up north" means learning to enjoy winter outings. It can be skiing, snowshoeing or some other way of getting out of the house for fresh air and welcome exercise which has the added benefit of keeping you warm. After watching through the windows as the winter snows swirled down, I saw the weather reports that a January thaw was promising a break in the relentless rounds of snow. That is when I knew that I could not resist the siren song of a winter trip and outing any longer. <br />
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So, I loaded the truck and headed off to the Upper Peninsula (UP ) for a winter getaway. I had my sights set for the Eben Ice Caves with a couple of added side trips. While most "Yoopers" know about the Eben Ice Caves, also known as the Rock River Canyon Wilderness on the Hiawatha National Forest, many non-locals may not have experienced this spectacle.<br />
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In winter, water seeping from a rock bluff freezes into a magical curtain of ice about 50 feet tall and several hundred feet across. As the water percolates through the rock layers it dissolves minerals which gives distinctive colors to the ice formations. This other worldly sight beckons thousands of visitors every year who make the short hike through a beautiful yellow birch forest and into the riparian area leading to the caves. <br />
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Behind the Curtain</h3>
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I have been here several times and made the three quarter-mile hike to the caves on good days when the trail was easy and on other days when it was a challenge just to stay upright. The sign at the entrance to the wilderness area advises of the treacherous nature of trail, and this is quite true. During times when the trail has been packed down by the many visitors into an icy path, hiking the short-steep hills is quite daunting. I have seen some people resort to sliding down the hills on their bottoms, only to find that they could not stop at the bottom of the hill. It is highly advisable to wear ice cleats, not only for the hike in, but also for the even icier area around the caves. <br />
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When you finally reach the caves, the best part is that if you have your cleats, and otherwise, only if you are extremely careful, you can walk behind the ice to see why these formations are called ice caves. In the narrow chamber behind the ice there is space to explore further this unique natural phenomena. Be careful though, as it is still slippery even with cleats and the super-sized icicles can be very easily dislodged onto people below. While exploring the caves, listen closely for the constant drips of water echoing throughout the cave and look out through the translucent ice to experience the amazing colors. <br />
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If you go on a weekend between January and March, when the ice formations are normally at their best, you will probably have plenty of company. There is limited parking, so get there early. To get there, start at the small town of Eben Junction, MI (about a half hour west of Munising). From M-94 in Eben Junction, turn north onto Eben Road and drive about
1.5 miles to Frey Road. Turn right on Frey Road and drive to the end where there is a small parking area, or find a space along the road. Also, Eben Road and Frey Road have small hand-made yellow wooden signs on them
that say "Ice Caves". Parking and the first part of the trail is on private property, and the family there has been nice enough to allow access across their property. They have even provided portable toilets and only ask for a contribution. There is another much longer way in to the caves, so please be respectful of the privilege when crossing private property. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90U0ZuKzYTfX-mRXOT5kfSUr7SLPVhjMjxlVqFcZ9rWABAfylKGBvpvRaQlLwIJ11hHW9kSyG_jABy7g2hs4IVftR66YYrJNyyb6clUebDIkxuWkmpcur8Wx05-Jf5JWZ5aqSwFJbMHuy/s1600/Tahquemenon+Falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90U0ZuKzYTfX-mRXOT5kfSUr7SLPVhjMjxlVqFcZ9rWABAfylKGBvpvRaQlLwIJ11hHW9kSyG_jABy7g2hs4IVftR66YYrJNyyb6clUebDIkxuWkmpcur8Wx05-Jf5JWZ5aqSwFJbMHuy/s320/Tahquemenon+Falls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Tahquamenon Falls</h3>
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Side trips to Tahquamenon Fall State Park north of Newberry, MI and Wagner Falls were also included on my getaway. The Upper Falls at Tahquamenon only requires a short hike and there is a nice lodge with food and beverages at the parking area. Beautiful in any season, the falls here are even more amazing when surrounded by ice and snow. The Lower Falls requires more hiking and snowshoes may come in quite handy. Wagner Falls, just south of Munising, is just a hundred yards from M-94 and the parking area is not plowed, leaving only parking along the road shoulder. If the normally deep snow on trail along the boardwalk into the falls has been packed by previous visitors it is worth the stop.<br />
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There are many other winter outings awaiting in this area of the UP. There are even a few local hotels with an indoor hot tub to soak in later. So, make your plans, get your reservations, pack the car and head over the bridge and through the woods to a unique winter adventure. <br />
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<br />Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478405962702241922.post-57674070693902510622016-09-23T20:58:00.000-05:002016-09-23T20:58:59.675-05:00<h2>
These Old Mountains</h2>
As my Artist-in-Residence in the Great Smoky Mountains begins for the fall of 2016, I thought that a brief introduction to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is in order. The park is the star and provides the setting for my camera as summer transitions to fall. As an introduction, I will start with an abridged description of park geology. This may seem mundane, but it is the geology along with the climate that has shaped the natural and human history within the park and made the Great Smoky Mountains as it is today. <br />
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The story of the Smoky Mountains begins approximately 200-300 million years ago when tectonic forces lifted these mountains. These are some of the oldest mountains on earth, and at one time the Smoky Mountains resembled the rugged Rocky Mountains. Millions of years of erosion have whittled down the Smoky Mountains. It is nearly incomprehensible to imagine that mountains can be laid low by simple everyday forces of precipitation, freezing and thawing, but the aggregation of almost imperceptible erosion over 200 million years wears down even the loftiest of mountains.<br />
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The land forms resulting from these geologic forces are the foundation for all life in the park, and as well the incredible biodiversity. The Smoky Mountains were not significantly impacted by glaciers in the last ice age 10,000 years ago. As the glaciers pressed south, many plants and animals retreated from the glaciers and found refuge within the park. Many northern species have persisted in cooler climates at the highest elevations or in other cool micro climates. Elevation differences create climatic zones which mimic the zones typically found on a traverse from south to north. These zones are compacted within the park from the lowest elevation of 875 feet to the highest at 6,643 feet (Clingman's Dome). These diverse climatic zones as well as the smaller scale climatic variations provide habitat for the more than 10,000 identified species (tens of thousands of additional species are thought to exist here).<br />
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Although it will not be readily apparent, my photos of scenes and life in these old mountains will be the result of the nearly invisible hand of relentless geologic forces for hundreds of millions of years. Tom Haxbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02014303815638920213noreply@blogger.com