Sunday’s Hidden Treasure
Canon EOS 7D
Tamron 17-50 f2.8
ISO 100, 1 Second @ f11
Capture Date: 5/19/2012
Weekly Photo Challenge: Unique
A Black Among The Green.
Being “Unique” makes this American black duck drake stand out among a crowd of mallards.
Who doesn’t like the mallard duck? With its beautiful iridescent green head and mahogany breast feathers, a beautiful bird my anyone’s standard. For me though, the American Black Duck, a drake seen above bowing to the camera, is a more attractive bird. Not being a very flashy guy myself, perhaps what draws me more to what most consider a rather drab looking duck, is the subtle beauty of the iridescent green visible only on the sides of the drakes head, compared to the “in your face,” bright green covering the entire head of the much showier mallard. Does anyone really like a show-off?
Often mistaken for a hen mallard, the black duck has darker plumage and while the violet-blue speculum on the mallard’s wing is bordered by white on both sides, the black ducks usually has no, or only one faint white border on the speculum’s leading edge.
Re-Igniting A Passion.
“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It
Long before I ever picked up a camera, I was an avid fly fisherman, though I’m not sure “avid” even begins to describe my love of the art of casting a fly. Back when all I thought about was achieving a perfect, drag free drift, I spent as much time in the mountains chasing fish as I do now chasing sunrises.
There was something so peaceful and relaxing about casting a dry-fly to rising trout. And there is nothing like the satisfaction of catching a wary trout on a fly I’ve tied myself. Unfortunately fly fishing has taken a back-seat to photography the last few years.
The photos seen here were all created by request for someone who contacted me looking for fly fishing photos to give as a gift. Since I had no fly fishing images in my portfolio, I was eager to get right on it and create a series of images from which they could choose.
Little did I know that I would also be receiving a gift in the process. A gift in the form of a rekindled desire to cast a fly, to be on the water attempting to entice a fish into accepting a hand tied fly.
Having been so busy getting my photography off the ground, I hadn’t realized just how much I missed fly fishing until I started making these photos. The rods will not be so neglected this coming year.
Saving the best for last, if only because these were the ones chosen, these last two, both 20″ x 30″ (51cm x 76cm) canvas gallery wraps, are to be Christmas gifts for someone who will hopefully be very happy with what Santa brought them.
My New Years Resolution for the coming year, put the camera down more often, and pick up a fly rod.
See you on the river!
Sunday’s Hidden Treasure.
Awaiting The Launch.
Not long after sunrise, large groups of photographers gather for the morning launch of the hot air balloons at the 2010 Pittsfield, NH Hot Air Balloon Festival.
Canon EOS 1D Mk IIN
Canon EF 50mm f1.4
iso 100, 6 seconds @ f11
Weekly Photo Challenge: Near and Far
Straight out of “Landscape Photography 101.”
Now here’s a theme I can sink my teeth into. A strong foreground element starts your visual journey into the photograph, with the main subject in the distance, the destination.
Summer Warmth.
(from my favorite water-lily hot spot)
Winters Cold Embrace.
(I was particularly drawn to the apparent reflection, rendered in ice and snow, of the distant mountain)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Merge
Where The Sand Merges With The Sea.
The Merge Of Man And Nature.
The Merge Of Exposures
I’ve been playing around with Nik Software’s HDR Efex Pro 2, and for this image a preset called “Sinister” seemed appropriate.
A Note Of Full Disclosure.
I wish to mention here, that as a member of the Nik Software affiliate team, every time a reader clicks a Nik Software link in a post, or the Nik Software banner on the sidebar, I get credit for it. Should you make a purchase I receive a small commission. I need to make clear that I will never be mentioning, or recommending any product on this blog if I don’t use it myself and believe strongly that the product is of potential value to my readers.
With the Nik software, I felt it was such a great product that I wanted to be able to offer my readers a way to save on its purchase. Therefore, you will save 15% off of all Nik products by entering the code: JSINON when making a purchase.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreaming
Dreaming? This is going to be tough.
Images that make me think “Dreaming?” This is going to take some thought. Along with an in-depth search of my Lightroom Library.
Here goes nothing…
A misty morning on my home lake.
My little girl fresh out of the water with a dreamy look on her face.
(I wish I knew where the RAW file for this image is. I have no idea what I did to get the image you see here)
I think this shot through the window of my favorite north country barn has a dreamy quality to it. Maybe not a good dream, but a dream none the less.
(To me, it’s the reflection in the window of the leafless winter trees that lends a creepy feeling to the photo)
A dreamy walk along the pier towards the setting sun.
Sure I might be reaching a bit, taking a little creative license so to speak, but that’s how I like to play.
Persistence Pays
From a photo project springs a thought about not giving up.
I’ve been so busy lately I didn’t have time to go out and make an image for this weeks theme of “Blue,” for the 52 Week Photo Project, sponsored by LensProToGo, that I’m participating in. I’ve tried to create images each week that fit the weekly themes, but as mentioned in my last post, I’ve been a little busy with another project, so it was off to the archives.
After searching through my Lightroom catalog I came up with this one, an image I titled
“Moonlight Cruise.”
While deciding to use this image, it occurred to me just how close I came to not being around to make it.
Is moonrise without the moon really moonrise at all?
I had planned the shoot down to the last detail. I knew what time moonrise was supposed to be, most importantly, using The Photographer’s Ephemeris, I knew where it was going to rise and where I needed to be to get the shot I was after.
I headed to the coast in hopes of capturing the May 5th “Super Moon” rising behind the Isles Of Shoals, a small group of islands off the coast of New Hampshire. But the moon seemed to have other plans.
Unfortunately, there was a large bank of clouds out on the horizon as I arrived at the coast. That was not going to be good for the photo I wanted to make. But I didn’t have a plan B.
Patiently I waited. Moonrise came and went, no moon. Five minutes, ten, fifteen minutes passed, still no moon. My wife texted me to see how it was going, and I told her I might pack it in and head home. I was going to give it a few more minutes, but since the shot I wanted wasn’t going to happen I didn’t see the point in sticking around.
Peek-A-Boo!
With one last look before I started packing up, I thought I saw a glimmer of light in the clouds. So I waited. Sure enough, the moon overcame its stage fright and gave me a little peek.
Then a little more…
This was starting to get interesting.
Almost all there…
Unable to distinguish the clouds from the sky due to the light, the moon seemed to appear out of nowhere. If I hadn’t seen the clouds on the far horizon when first arriving, I would not have even known they were there.
Finally…
The “Super Moon” finally comes completely out of hiding behind the curtain of clouds. After all the waiting, I didn’t get the shot I came for, but I left with something totally unexpected, completely different, and I think better, than the shot I had originally planned for. I had absolutely no idea that ship would be in the area, that was a bonus I hadn’t even considered.
That few extra minutes, that’s all it took to make what I thought was going to be a wasted trip and turn it into a very successful one.
Persistence pays.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Sun
The Sun,
Life depends on it. As a photographer, I live to chase it. Without its golden glow, photography as we know it would be lacking.
With it, the flowers grow.
Not there, and yet, there.
Even when not within the frame of the image, the suns presence and impact is both seen and felt, adding drama to the landscape.
For the birds.
Even wildlife seems to eagerly await the dawn of each new day.
The end is near.
The sun sets, and the anticipation of its arrival the next morning begins.
The Sun
