Found these two wild turkeys strolling across our lawn today. Raced to my camera gear to get a good shot, and was lucky that they were still there when I got back.
The male was about 3 feet (1m) tall.
Canon EOS 7D, 70-200mm EF IS II
ISO 200
135mm
f/6.3
1/400
While there’s a constant racket of bird chirps, screeches, and whistles in the background, the birds in Costa Rica’s are actually very hard to find because they hide in dense foliage of the rainforest canopy. I was lucky to get these shots during a week-long visit. Here is a Toucan, the national symbol of Costa Rica:
This was shot at 400mm, and then cropped by 2x. With the naked eye, the Toucan was just a dark blob in the foliage. Here’s another screecher (no idea what this one is called):
And here’s a hummingbird, the hardest one to catch on film because they dart so quickly from flower to flower:
All photos taken with Canon EOS 7D, 200mm or 400mm, ISO 1000 to ensure fast enough shutter speed.
Saw quite a few lizards and iguanas in Antonio Manuel National Park yesterday morning. This one is a Ctenosaur – it was about 2 feet long and resting on a tree overlooking the beach:
And this one is a Plumed Basilisk, also known as the Jesus Christ Lizard, for his ability to run across water for up to 20 meters:
And these little ones (20 cm) ran so fast and their heads darted in all directions so frequently that they reminded me of the velociraptors in Jurassic Park:
All photos taken with Canon EOS 7D, 400mm, ISO 500, f/5.6, 1/160 sec
Yes, the name for a group of monkeys really is a ‘barrel.’ About 30 were thrashing through the canopy above us this morning at 6:30 in the Arenal Volcano National Park, but these two rested long enough to capture them.
Canon EOS 7D, EF70-200mm f/2.8 with 2x converter
ISO 1000
330mm
f/5.6
1/125 sec
While not everything is blooming yet, the red barn and the red door on a cottage in our neighborhood are adding a nice splash of color to the surroundings. Soon they’ll have competition from the spring flowers.
Took a few shots on the main thoroughfare of Americus, GA, a small town 100 miles south of Atlanta, on a recent business trip there. Here’s the Windsor Hotel, a Victorian landmark:
The three-story lobby is gorgeous.
Old building along Lamar Street, the main street in town:
All shot with Canon Powershot G12, my compact camera I take along when I don’t want to carry my DSLR.
Well, actually there are too many to list, but this one’s very nice: Au Rocher de Cancale in the Rue Montorgueil. Posted today because a new follower from Paris made me realize how much I miss it.
Life (at least commuter life) in NYC revolves around Grand Central Terminal, and life at GCT revolves around the clock in the center, one of the most frequently chosen meeting places.
Last major stop on my cross-country drive was Chicago – I caught a free concert by Low in Millenium Park, then waited for sunset for some photo opportunities. The sculpture is called Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor, but everyone just calls it ‘The Bean’.
I witnessed the most amazing (and at times terrifying) storm of my life while crossing the Badlands in South Dakota: 6 hours of continuous lightning, across the entire 360 degree horizon, interspersed with torrential downpours and hail the size of hazelnuts. But it turned out to be a great night for photography.
Finally visited Mt. Rushmore. Gave me goosebumps, and I’m not even a US citizen! It was the missing destination on my personal Top Ten list of must-see attractions that are emblematic of the US and America. Here’s my list, feel free to add your favorites if they aren’t on this list:
10. Hollywood Sign
9. Gateway Arch, St. Louis
8. Yellowstone Nat’l Park
7. Golden Gate Bridge
6. Empire State Building
5. Niagara Falls
4. Lincoln Memorial/The Mall, Washington DC
3. Grand Canyon
2. Mt. Rushmore
1. Statue of Liberty, NY
An old mining town where Wild Bill Hickok was killed and Calamity Jane is buried, it is now just a collection of sad casinos and T-shirt shops catering to bored retirees and drunk teenagers from nearby Rapid City. Only at night does it have a bit of charm.
Waiting for a ray of sun to burst through the dark sky paid off, as I visited this landmark I never thought I’d see because it’s so far off the beaten path. Glad I finally saw the inspiration for ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’.
Elkhorn, MT: a deserted mining town 45 minutes of unpaved roads off of I-90. Truly off the beaten path. But worth it – lots of dilapidated buildings that, if they aren’t haunted, should be.
I took this shot on my last evening in San Francisco, in front of the Legion of Honor. I was shooting the other way, concentrating on the Golden Gate Bridge. When I turned around, a huge moon had risen above the city.
Canon EOS 7D, EFS 15-85mm
ISO 100
40mm
f/7.1
6.0 sec