Archive for the ‘Animals’ Tag
Wasp Nest Leave a comment
New family member Leave a comment
This is Tally, who already is enjoying her new home:
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Loving leaves… Leave a comment
… is easy when you’re not the one having to rake them…
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Break time Leave a comment
Taking a break with Mario during a morning walk through the Vermont woods:
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Leaves make the best resting spot Leave a comment
Our dog Mario is enjoying the fall in VA:
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Duck Moonbathing 2 comments
Caught this duck enjoying the moonlight over the salt marsh behind our house.
iPhone, slight edits in Snapseed
Gone Fishing Leave a comment
These ospreys living in the marshes behind our house enjoy fishing as much as the local fishermen:
Walk on snowy beach 2 comments
Here is our black lab Mario enjoying the empty (and icy) beach in the winter time:
Iphone, B&W conversion in Lightroom
Frozen beach frolic Leave a comment
Our dog Mario enjoyed the first snow of the year, especially on the beach at low tide:
iPhone, Hipstamatic app
Hawk hunting at dawn 3 comments
Captured this Red-tailed Hawk as he was surveying the field behind our house for his breakfast during sunrise. The other images were shot after I followed him to a tree that allowed me to get closer.
And this is the one when he finally had enough:
Mario and Stella Leave a comment
Mario, our black lab, enjoying a fall afternoon with a new friend.
Canon 5D Mark II, EF 85mm/1.8USM
ISO 100
f/1.8
1/320 sec
I spy a few herons 1 comment
Spotted a few herons that, uncharacteristically, sat in a tree (do you see them in the first picture?) rather than stalking their prey in the muddy marsh below.
Fortunately they stayed there until I got close enough to take these shots:
Canon 7D, 200mm w/2x converter
ISO 400
f/5.6
1/500 sec
Summer Sunset at Low Tide 8 comments
Took our dog Mario out for a walk during low tide about an hour after sunset – and we had the entire beach to ourselves!
Canon 5d Mark II, 40mm 2.8 lens
ISO 3200
f/2.8
1/20 sec
Captiva Moment 2 comments
This heron joined us for watching the sunset at Captiva Island.
Church Mouse 3 comments
Actually I found this one in a barn in an abandoned mining town in Montana.
Canon 7D, 15-85mm
ISO 2500
f/5.6
1/10 sec
Goodbye Spruce 13 comments
Yesterday our dear little Sprucie, a 9-year-old German Shepherd and retired guide dog who was with us only 15 months, passed away rather suddenly. I will miss her tail thumping against furniture to express her happiness, the sound of her trotting to the door to see who’s there, the long walks we took together along the beach, and her dopey smile. Here are the last pictures of her. I love you, Spruce!
Yellowstone Wildlife 2 comments
On a recent trip to Yellowstone, my son and I saw just about every major animal except moose: Bison, elk, coyote, bear (with bear cub), wolves. Here are a few shots I liked:
Canon 7D, 70-200mm f/2.8
ISO 640
f/10
1/100 sec
Big Buck 1 comment
This 13-point elk buck was watching over a herd of elk in Yellowstone National Park. I was fortunate enough to sneak up for 2 close-ups without being noticed (well, the second picture he’s looking right at me, so who am I kidding?).
Canon 7D, EF70-200mm f/2.8 with 2x converter
ISO 400
f/5.6
1/400 sec
Close Encounter with a Bison Leave a comment
On a recent trip to Yellowstone, I saw this bison and took these photos while I followed it for an hour as it crossed Lamar valley, chomping on grass while generally ignoring me. He must have known he had nothing to fear from me. Figures, since he’s the largest land animal in North America, weighing roughly a ton.
Canon 7D, 70-200mm EF 2.8
ISO 640
f/10
1/20 sec
Curious Lizard Leave a comment
I loved how this lizard was perched upside down, looking around for danger (or is it food?). Captured in Costa Rica’s Manuel Antonio National Park.
Monarch Migration 1 comment
I encountered these Monarch butterflies during their migration southward. They had stopped at a tree that was covered with hundreds of them.
Critters of Sanibel 4 comments
Captured these during a walk through the nature preserve on Sanibel island:
Canon PowerShot G12
Birds on a Wire Leave a comment
Captured while looking out the window of the train to New York.
iphone
Praying Mantis Visit Leave a comment
I found this praying mantis on my doorstep last week, and promptly took it to my studio (aka table with black backdrop) for a quick photoshoot before releasing her (him? it?). Not a very stationary subject, but these two shots turned out OK.
Canon 7D, 100mm f/2.8L Macro
ISO 1000
1/125 sec
f/3.2
Hare in Full Flight 7 comments
Every time I walk the dog, these little bunnies run for cover. This time, I captured one of them on the run (or in flight).
Canon 7D, EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS
ISO 100
f/2.8
1/250 sec
Taking the Dog for a Walk 1 comment
…and keeping the camera low to the ground yields great shots:
Canon 7D, EF40mm f/2.8
ISO 1600
f/3.5
1/1250 sec
Studies of Flight 1 comment
The seagulls were out on a sunny day, enjoying the spring air.
Winter in Yellowstone 9 comments
Arrived in Montana and took a drive through parts of Yellowstone before arriving at Big Sky today. -15F (-26C)!
This gang of elk didn’t mind the cold.
Wonder Dog 1 comment
Well, amazing might be a better adjective, but that wouldn’t make for nearly as good a blog title. When it’s cold and monochrome out, the dog becomes a never-tiring subject to practice on:
Canon 7D, 100mm f/2.8 macro lens
ISO 400
f/10
1/40 sec
Edited with Color Efex, soft focus filter, Fujichrome Velvia 100 film
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Take-off 1 comment
These birds were heading to the sunset – wish I could have flown along:
Canon PowerShot G12
ISO 100
f/3.2
1/2000 sec
processed with Nik Color Efex
Hidden Robin Leave a comment
This little Robin had built her nest in a bush on the side of her house, guarding two blue eggs. Then one day there was only one egg, and the Robin never returned.
Canon EOS 7D, 70-200mm f/2.8
ISO 100
f/2.8
1/200 sec
The Cat Who Owns The Bar Leave a comment
This cat certainly seemed to have the run of the house in the little Amsterdam bar I stopped in to inquire about the menu. Fortunately the weather was so nice that everyone sat outside, leaving her the interior.
Canon 7D
ISO 320
F/2.8
1/100 sec
Glamour Pug 2 comments
Look how Ozzy, my sister-in-law’s pug, Â OWNS that chair:
Canon Powershot G12
ISO 200
f/4.5
1/60 sec
Nik Color Efex
Success! Leave a comment
Or: Dinner!
Shot at sunset near our local beach:
Canon EOS 7D, 100mm macro
ISO 100
f/4.5
1/60 sec
Fossils Making Out on the Beach 3 comments
I was lucky enough to catch the one day when Horseshoe Crabs come to our town beach to mate. There were at least 15 pairs of these ‘living fossils’ (so-called by Charles Darwin because they look just like their fossilized ancestors) horsing around (pardon the pun) in the shallow water.
Camera: Canon EOS 7D, 100mm macro lens
Adorable Cats and Wolves 2 comments
Some other shots I really liked from my visit to the National Zoo in Washington, DC (the first one was a collaboration with my son – he took the shot with my camera, I did the editing):
Animal Portraits 1 comment
Incoming! 2 comments
Captured on Hammonasset Beach in Connecticut, as they fluttered around a gentleman passing out breadcrumbs.
Canon Powershot G12
ISO 100
f/4.5
1/200 sec
Adjusted with Nik Color Efex
Welcome Skylark 2 comments
Ok, it didn’t take long before I took our new dog, Skylark, to the beach for a photo session. She’s a 10-year old retired Guide Dog for the Blind from California, who is now getting used to Connecticut weather and the notion that it’s OK to chase bunnies and squirrels. She already took control of the backyard, which she patrols diligently. Soon this sweet and well-mannered German Shepherd will think she owns the whole neighborhood..
Beloved Kearney 5 comments
This is Kearney, a retired Guide Dog for the Blind who had enjoyed her retirement with us for the last 4 1/2 years before passing away last month. This is how I’ll always remember her – slightly leaning from a stroke (which she recovered from almost fully), attentive, and super sweet. And next week, we’ll get a new addition to the family, yet another retired Guide Dog that needs a home, named Skylark (and also a German Shepherd). I’m VERY excited!
Fall Silhouettes Leave a comment
Taken a few days before hurricane Sandy, when the weather was still nice enough to wander to the beach without a heavy jacket.
Canon EOS 7D, EF 24-70mm
Top: ISO 100, 70mm, f/2.8, 1/2500 sec
Bottom: Â ISO 100, 66mm, f/3.2, 1/320 sec
Vermont Colors – Day 7: Up Close 2 comments
This time I enjoyed getting very very close to my subject. Fortunately, the mushrooms didn’t move much. The frog was a bit more challenging – took about 3 minutes to get close enough for this macro shot.
Canon EOS 7D, 100mm EF-L f2/8
Man’s Best Friend 11 comments
Well, at least THIS man’s best friend. Â Caught this man and his dog while walking through Brooklyn – both were completely content sitting on the doorstep of their house and pursing their favorite activity – reading and people watching.
Shot with Canon EOS 7D, 100mm f/2.8L Macro
ISO 800
100mm
f/3.2
1/80 sec
Inspiration for the Wright brothers Leave a comment
Watching these graceful herons at our beach sure awakened in me the desire to fly. Â I’m glad that the Wright brothers did something about it.
Herons on the prowl Leave a comment
Several herons (or egrets) made the marsh near our town beach their hunting ground today. What graceful creatures – and perfect for photographers since they tend to stand very still as they wait for unsuspecting fish to appear at their feet.
this one took off as soon as I got closer than 100 feet.
Soaring towards another feeding spot:
All shots taken with Canon EOS 7D, EF70-200mm f/2.8L
ISO 250
f/9
1/2000 sec
Close Encounter of the Monkey Kind 1 comment
These monkeys had no fear – they prowled across the hotel property with impunity.
And this howler monkey didn’t care whether he was flashing us or not:
And this spider monkey thought he could fly:
 All photos taken in Costa Rica in April 2012, with Canon EOS 7D, 200mm lens.
Unexpected Guests 1 comment
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
Elusive birds of Costa Rica 1 comment
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.
Jurassic Park? No, Costa Rica! 1 comment
Saw quite a few lizards and iguanas in Antonio Manuel National Park yesterday morning. Â 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) Â 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
A barrel of monkeys in Costa Rica Leave a comment
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
Snapshots For Sore Eyes 