South to the Sonoma Coast

Halloween morning found me very early in the morning wandering around in the dark on the Sonoma Coast. The day before I had dropped off one of my family members for some surgery in Santa Rosa for what was supposed to be outpatient surgery. Good luck with that! Better to be safe and healthy than sorry. Rather than driving an hour and a half back to Willits and then driving an hour and a half back down to santa Rosa the next morning I opted for a cheap hotel in Bodega Bay only thirty five minutes away. The hotel was great and the next morning I wandered out to capture the sunrise by driving up Highway One to just north of Salmon Creek Beach for my first stop. At first I was literally setting the focus on my camera to infinity and composing in the dark by checking the resulting image on the camera back. I made some long exposures at high ISO wide open. Then as it got lighter and lighter I was able to see more of what was going on around me and I could compose using the view finder on the camera. I made several stops as I headed up north. I stopped at Wrights Beach, Zed Beach, Goat Rock and I finally crossed the Russian River and turned around at Lands End for the return trip down the coast and back into Santa Rosa. by then it was just after ten and the unhappy patient was begging to be picked up and brought home. Their surgery was a success and I was happy to get some beautiful images from the Sonoma Coast. All images were created with a Canon EOS 7D MkII camera or a Canon EOS T1i camera. The two lenses I was usinf were a Canon 100-400 IS USMv.1 or a 6.5 mm ultra wide angle. #TeamCanon

Shakshuka It's What's for Breakfast

Yesterday morning when I woke up I had the desire to have Shakshuka for breakfast. It's a spicy Easter Mediterranean dish made up of spicy vegetables mixed up in a diced tomato sauce with fresh sunny side up eggs served on top. I decided if I was going to go through all the steps and labor of cooking it I might as well photograph it as well. Now I have a nice image of Shakshuka in my stock files to sell. God's precious love to all, chris This image was created with a Canon 7D MkII and a canon EF-s 17-85mm lens. The camera was supported with a Manfrotto 190 XPROB tripod with a Bogen 3055 heavy duty ballhead. Camera settings used were AV mode, ISO 800,F 5.6, 1/640th of a sec. BTW it was delicious.

Patience Required

Yesterday the weather couldn't decide what it wanted to do. It kept shifting from sunshine to rain, snow and hail. During the breaks in the weather I set up a lichen covered twig next to the bird feeder. I should say I set it up several times because the squirrels kept breaking it off whenever I wasn't around. After each set up I watched where the birds were landing and prefocused on that spot. The chickadees are so fast there is little to no time to recompose an image. They land and then are off to the bird feeder in a flash. I sat there waiting with my finger on the shutter release. Whenever I spotted a chickadee coming in I would click the shutter as soon as it landed. This resulted in a lot of almost images but it also resulted in some really beautiful images as well. After some editing this afternoon I narrowed it down to two images. One image in a vertical composition and one in a horizontal.The horizontal image was created when it was sunny and the vertical one was done when it was cloudy. I was very happy with the results. Both images were created with a Canon 7D MkII and a Tamron 150-600 G2 lens at 329mm. The camera was supported with a Manfrotto 190 XPROB Tripod with a Manfrotto 3055 ballhead. Camera settings used AV mode,ISO 800,F 8.0 for 1/800th of a sec.for the vertical image and 1/1,000th of a sec for the horizontal one at the same settings. #TeamCanon,#tamron

Prefocus and Patience

This morning I had to take my pick up to the big city of Ukiah for the airbag to be replaced. After a quick repair I returned home and grabbed a lichen covered twig off of the deck. I placed it right beside the bird feeder. Once back inside I composed and prefocused my camera on the twig. Chickadees are really fast when they feed at my house to avoid being eaten by hawks. Because of this there is little to no time to react. You have to be ready and waiting to make the image. After about a fifteen minute wait and ten tries I had three decent images and one that I was really quite happy with. If the weather holds I may try again this afternoon. I hope that you are having a great day. God's tender love and blessings to all, chris This image was created with a Canon 7D MkII and a Tamron 150-600 G2 lens at 329mm. The camera was supported with a Manfrotto 190 PROXB Tripod with a Manfrotto 3055 ballhead. Camera settings used AV mode,ISO 800,F 8.0 for 1/250th of a sec. #TeamCanon,#tamron

Editing is Part of the Creative Process

I love to create images. It brings me satisfaction to conceive of an idea for an image and take it through to fruition. Some images can be pretty complex with a lot of planning required and others can be simple and spur of the moment. I have one image in the works that is going to take me a couple of months to complete. Not the actual click of the shutter but in the design and layout of it. After the creation comes all of the editing. Today's image of a Steller's Jay was a pretty straight forward image. I set up a mossy branch next to the feeder and waited for the Jays to come. After about twenty minutes of photographing I had just over a hundred images that needed to be edited. Step one is to upload them to my computer. It's during this time that I eliminate the images that are way out of focus are extremely blurry or have only half of a bird. Believe me it happens! I write down the file numbers that look promising. Next I go through and process the promising files and look for files that I may have missed if I was distracted. The last step is too look at the files that made the cut side by side and choose the ones that I really like. On a big outing or trip this can be a very lengthy process. Enjoy the images from today's rainy day shoot.Which image would you choose? My favorite is the second on from the bottom followed by the one i cropped to a vertical. God bless, chris All of these images were created with a Canon 7D MkIII and a Canon 100-400 IS v. lens. AV mode, ISO 800 Exposures varied. The camera was supported by a Bogen 3055 heavy duty ballhead on a ground pod on our window sill. #TeamCanon

S.O.A.S.

S.O.A.S. (Squirrel on a Stick). Yesterday afternoon I went out searching for a mossy branch to put up next to the bird feeder. All of these storms have knocked down plenty of branches for me to use. I found a mossy one after a short search and using some wood screws I put it up next to the bird feeder. This morning I set up my camera on the back window sill on a ground pod. It didn't take too long for one of the Western Gray Squirrels to come for breakfast. I created fifty images and I came away with some very nice keepers. The mossy lichens really add a richness to the image. I hope that you are having a great weekend. God bless, chris All images were created with a Canon 7D MkII and a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM Autofocus Image Stabilized Telephoto Zoom Lens. AV mode, ISO 800, F 8.0 shutter speeds varied but they were pretty slow! #TeamCanon

Critter at the Door

Sunday afternoon when I went to go out the front door I was surprised by a little critter climbing up the side of the door. It was a Mormon Cricket that stood out like a sore thumb on the glossy surface of the door. Had it been on tree trunk with its fantastic camouflage I probably would have missed it. Mormon Crickets aren't actually a member of the cricket family but are a Katydid. Their name most likely stems the "The Miracle of the Gulls", an 1848 event often credited by Mormons for saving the Mormon "Latter Day Saints" pioneers' crops in the Salt Lake Valley. According to Mormonism, seagulls miraculously saved their crops by eating thousands of crickets that were devouring the fields. This must also be why some people jokingly refer to gulls as the Mormon Air Force. Mormon Crickets still can be a threat to crops even today as well as being a slick road hazard when large infestations of them cover the roadways in the millions. In the western United states these population explosions occur about every three years or so. Mostly in Western Colorado and Utah. This is a female as evidenced by the large stinger looking body part is actually an ovipositor for laying eggs in the soil. God's precious light and love to you, chrisThis image was created by placing the cricket on a white sweep. It was then lit using two LED light banks one on the insect and one on the background. I used a Canon 7D mkII camera with a 100mm macro lens. The camera settings used were AV mode, ISO 800, F 8.0 at 1/500th of a sec.

Fire in the Sky

This morning the sunrise was pretty spectacular over the Little Lake Valley and the Mendocino Range. There was a big bank of clouds over the mountains with a slim gap for the sun to slide into. It was like the sky was on fire. What a gorgeous way to start the day. God's precious love and blessings upon your week, chris Both images were created with a Canon 7D mkII and a Canon 100-400IS v.1 lens propped on our window sill.

Time for the Creepy Crawlies to Come Out

It has been such a gift to get all of this the rain. We have had rain off and on for the past week. Saturday when I went outside to grab some wood for the wood stove I noticed something moving down by the corner of the steps. I tossed the wood into the stove and quickly came back outside curious as to what I had seen. I bent down under the step and saw a Rough Skinned Newt slowly trying to crawl away. I carefully picked it up and put it temporarily in captivity before photographing it. Then I gently put it back under the step to let it go.With the rains we will be seeing a lot more newts and salamanders on the move. They need to stay moist and the rains give them plenty of that! All of these images were created with a Canon 7DmkII and a 100mm macro lens on a tripod. Camera settings were AV mode, ISO 800, F 5.0 at some slow shutter speeds of 1/8th and 1/10th of a sec.

Morning at the Park

Yesterday I went through some of the remaining images of my trip to Colorado. The day before the wedding I stopped off in my hometown of Loveland. When I drove past Dwayne Webster Veteran's Park I had the urge to stop and check out the old 155mm Howitzer we used to play on as kids. It was mazing to see that it's still there stirring the imaginations of all of the kids that probably play on it today. I was happy to see that someone is taking care of it as it had a relatively good paint job and newish tires. After photographing it I found some Fox Squirrels to photograph. Believe me there were a lot of them in the park! I watched a number of cars slow down watching me crawling around on the ground. They were asking themselves. What the heck is that crazy guy doing? I came away with some nice images. God's blessings upon your weekend, chris

It's an Inside Kind of Day

I awoke this morning to the steady drum of rain on the roof. I was going to create a special hummingbird image today but I can see that's not going to be possible. It's a good time to reclaim my office from a back up of paperwork and mess then work on editing some images. Here is a view of the Madrone tree in our backyard this morning. May you have a beautiful and blessed day, chris This image was photographed with my go to camera set up. I was using a Canon 7D mkII and a Canon 100-400IS v.1 lens. The camera settings used were AV mode,ISO 800, F 16.0 at 1/13th of a sec. The camera was handheld and braced against a a wall.

Watching Them Slowly Disappear

I moved away from the Front Range of Colorado in 1972. At that time there was quite a bit of open space in between the cities and towns along the I-25 corridor. Periodically over the years since leaving I have been making trips to visit friends and relatives in Colorado and Wyoming. At every visit I have watched those open spaces slowly start to shrink and close. It's a lot like watching a group of frogs in a pot of water very slowly heating up on a stove. Most of the frogs don't realize the water is suddenly boiling before it is much too late. Some of the frogs do feel the heat and they jump out. Similarly and luckily some city and county governments along the Front Range had foresight and established open space and parks for the people and wildlife to enjoy. Sadly that is not the case for the Prairie dogs pictured here. This Prairie dog colony on the east side of Loveland, Colorado near Denver Ave and East First Street is about to disappear. A couple of years ago when I visited there was a big for sale sign up on the property. When I visited this time in early September there was a sold sign and grade stakes had been set showing that they were getting it ready for construction. These images are most likely going to be the last Prairie Dog images that I will ever take here. It is so sad to see them disappear. We are stewards of the land that God has given us and we need to be mindful how we care for it. I can only hope that the company that now owns this property does the right thing and traps and relocates these Prairie Dogs and doesn't just bulldoze them under.BTW the survival rate for relocated Praire Dogs isn't that great. God bless, chris All images were photographed from my rental car with a Canon 7DmkII and a Tamron 150-600mm lens #TeamCanon

Foggy Down Below

This morning when I arose my first view of the Little Lake Valley down below was one of thick fog. Above the horizon of the Mendocino Range there was a weak sunrise that actually looked like it might hold the promise of a sunny day. Which ended up to be quite true for as I am writing this outside it is bright and cheery. Who knows what this day will hold? We shall see. May you have a blessed day, chris. I tossed in a Chestnut Backed Chickadee from yesterday afternoon. #TeamCanon

White Picket Fence in a Small Town

Yesterday I had to have my pick up repaired. After dropping off the vehicle at the garage I had to walk to Lenore's work to get the key for her car to drive while mine was being repaired. As I passed this simple scene I almost walked walked on. Something drew me back as if it cried out to be photographed. A simple white picket fence in a small town... God's love and blessings upon you, chris

Hanging out With the Pikas

My last full day in Colorado was spent high up in the Rockies. I left my rented room well before dawn and headed up to reach the top of the pass just after sunrise. I parked the car and grabbed my hat, gloves, some water and my camera gear. Hiking upward above 12,000 feet isn't easy for a close to sea level guy like me. I would climb twenty or thirty steps and then stop to catch my breath. I repeated this process over and over until I was high up a talus slope where the Pika live. American Pika are typically found in western North America from British Columbia in Canada to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, California and New Mexico. They are usually found at higher elevations from 8,000 to 14,000 feet, though there are two lower elevation populations; one along the Columbia River and one in North Eastern California. Their preferred habitat is in rock slides and talus rock covered slopes between the timberline and down into subalpine forest. Pikas are related to rabbits hence the nickname of "rock rabbits" is sometimes used. They definitely have the cuteness factor going for them. Pikas have a small, round body, peppery brown fur, large round ears. They are typically six to eight inches long and weigh in at about about six ounces. One of the coolest things about them is, like Polar Bears, they have black skin underneath their coats. The most amazing thing about them is that they don't hibernate. Instead, during the short window of summer, they gather a wide variety of flowers, grasses and plants and dry them in little hay stacks. These are then stored in their dens to eat during the long winter. At present many populations of Pika are in decline. It is believed to be linked to global warming. Pika are now missing at many historical sites that they used to live in. Whether this is due to drought or global warming, this has yet to be determined. Status as an endangered species has been applied for, but it was found that there was a lack of research to attain that status and research is ongoing. I had a fantastic time photographing them. It was great just sitting there in the rocks watching them running to and fro building up their hay piles. They would periodically stop to take a break and sun themselves. I photographed them until the light started getting too harsh. As I stood up to go I spotted a weasel above me that was also in search of Pikas. I don't think it wanted to be their friend! Alarm calls were sounding all over the Pika colony. I moved cross slope trying to get ahead of it, but I never sighted the weasel again. By then I was pretty tired, and I lay down on the tundra looking up at the blue sky and a few clouds floating by. Before long I nodded off to sleep. What a great nap I had! The Pikas were one of the highlights of my trip, and I look forward to photographing them in the future. God's love and blessings to all of you, Chris All images were created with a Canon 7DmkII and a Tamron 150-600m lens on a Me foto tripod. Exposures varied and it still amazes me that the Tamron lens that was damaged when it fell out of my backpack onto the concrete was able to produce such fantastic images.