winged flight

Is life a runway or a landing strip. I'm off to NY to get my wings clipped and then sewn back in a different pattern. I expect the world will still look the same to me....

underfoot

I haven't been spending enough time underfoot, my head has been in the clouds...

this morning

This little blue heron had to work very hard to catch, hang on to, and eat this fish from the pond. He was chased by an egret that just wouldn't give up. Back and forth across the pond the little blue evaded the egret. He finally flew into the tree where he ate the entire fish while the egret looked on.

If you look very closely you will see the bit of tail in his beak and his thick neck. Breakfast accomplished!

Zoo Beauty

This African Crane loved me.   I have to say he stopped me in my tracks. We spent 20 minutes having a discussion. I had never seen an African Crane and I was blown away by his fanciness. He was of course behind a fence and I tried to capture  his image between the openings of the wire. After a fashion we began to actually connect, and I was able to convince him to change location, as you would guess I wanted better light. He agreed and we had photo shoot session. 

morning owl light

I do believe that I live in paradise, between the bobcats, last nights howling coyotes, and this mornings view of the parent owl, I am in heaven. This image was taken just at sunrise with the golden light underneath his belly. He watched me while he flew a few times to different perches.

ISO 500
1/320 sec
f5.6
400mm prime lens

The other parent is on the nest which is extremely well hidden at the very top of the tree. I have noticed that she is sitting higher in the nest than she was last week. I can't wait for the arrival of the owlets.

ISO 500

1/100 sec

f/5.6

400mm prime lens

missing in non action

I've been missing. But I'm back now.

 I just emersed myself for 5 days at fotofusion. My head is spinning, my creative juices are overflowing, and I'm exhausted. I'm even dreaming in photographs. This particular image has captured something unexplainable in me. It's soft and dreamy, holds so much promise. It sits on my desk and I keep referring to it. 

Here it is again in a vertical. Notice how the light has changed. 

Bobcat

She came to our back yard and stayed for at least ten minutes. Tully barked and tried to go through the screen door of the bedroom to get to her. Thankfully I shut the door and we watched her from a safe distance, Tully however stood very far away from the door. The bobcat was very connected to the sounds of Tully and the sight of Brad and I peering at her from various windows. She followed us with her eyes, everytime Tully barked her ears moved and she watched and watched. I found my camera which was thankfully in the house and not in the studio. I opened the french doors in order to get a better shot. She watched me as you can see here. She was no more than 20 ft from me.  A very young healthy bobcat.      However she would eat Tully in a nano second....

As she was leaving I was clicking away and everytime she heard the camera she would turn back and look at me. Just before she disappeared into the overgrown dense area in the back she sat down and very gently washed herself with a pink tongue.

Tully will remain on a very tight leash.... 

Heads up

I was lost somewhere between heaven and earth. Within minutes this sky changed dramatically. The midtones took over and put the last blues and yellows to sleep. A sky retiring for the night..

ISO 200
1/80 sec (on a tripod)
f/14
24-70 lens

grasping again

 This was a Wakodahatchi day. We saw three Egyptian Geese, can't imagine how they got there!

and of course our old favorites... 

I love the birds, I start the day with such enthusiasm and excitement over who I will see there. I shoot like a crazy person, eventually throwing out most of my images. The light was a bit harsh and contrasty and many of my shots were not sharp. It was a perfect example of grasping. My enthusiasm takes over my grounded quiet and the results are photographically just plain bad. But the fun that day was more important than the images I took home. Next time I shall slip away before daybreak and have a more contemplative session with my camera...

ISO 100
1/100sec (resting lens on railing not tripod)
f/5.6 goose
f/18 egret
100-400 lens

in my window

This has been a very grey day, cold and dreary, but my fancy orchid brought some sun into my studio. I set this on my counter in the studio window and used my new expensive tripod. I should be taking out my flash but I have a combination of fear and laziness that seems to prevent me from opening the box. I really prefer natural lighting anyway.... see I'm making excuses.

ISO100
1/8 sec
f/6.3
100 macro lens

out my window

These juicy blossoms are out my studio window, getting blown around on a chilly windy Saturday morning. This photo was taken on a warmer quieter day. It was filled with reflections of itself. Which composition do you prefer?

ISO 200
f/9
1/50 (tripod of course)
100 macro lens

one eye

It's important to keep busy and stay on track. But sometimes you can lose sight of where you're going. Or at least part of your sight!

ISO 200

1/100 sec

f/3.2

70-200 lens

heads up

Now it seems I'm even dreaming of those northern skies. This one was taken on Christmas at Meadowbrook. It was preparing me for the hot Florida weather, all orange and warm. The reality was that we were all in our winter coats and scarves. It was my last northern sky...

ISO 400
1/200 sec
f/8
24-70 lens

evening meal

 Not time for dinner

Time for dinner...

ISO 100

1/250 sec

f/6.3

100-400 lens

small worlds

When you first look at our Dahoon Hollies you see the shiny leaves and all the red berries, they are loaded with them now. But of course things always get more interesting if you look further,  get up close and personal. The tree trunk was alive with texture and colors.
When I discovered this little piece of art I was without my tripod. In fact my tripod has been left in LI. Trying to use a macro lens without a tripod is pretty impossible for me. But it is what it is and that's what I got....

ISO 200
125/sec
f2.8
100 macro lens