Month: November 2011

Today’s challenge is “The End.” My response to the “Sign” challenge several days ago would have been perfect for this challenge but I didn’t think it was fair to use that sign again. As I contemplated what I might photograph to represent “the end,” I savored a sweet Clementine mandarin orange, tossing the skin onto a plate. Since they’re tiny, I’d taken two out of the fridge. I stared at the plate and realized that I was looking at the stem end of the fruit, one interpretation of “the end,” and the actual demise of the other fruit, (a grim and forbidding interpretation of “the end”) represented by the strewn pieces of peel. Perfect.

Focal Length 35mm
ISO 100
f/1.8
1/40
WB set to Tungsten
SOOC

Today’s challenge topic is fence(s). I ran across this guy, behind an electrified fence, and was fascinated by his horns. I have no idea what he is but those horns remind me of a bighorn sheep.

Focal Length 55mm
ISO 100
f/5.6
1/60
Cropped

That should come as no surprise to my friends and family. Today’s challenge is “I am . . .[fill in the blank]” and these days, besides photographer, I think ‘bird lover’ best describes me. I live with an Amazon parrot, I seek out birds to photograph wherever I am, and I volunteer for a raptor rescue organization, not only as a photographer and newsletter editor, but as a rescuer. Late this afternoon, I got a call to pick up an injured ‘barn owl’ which turned out to be a screech owl. This little guy was already in a box when I arrived so there was really no rescuing involved, just transporting. But it’s part of the volunteer experience and it’s always exhilarating for me to try to get help for these injured creatures. He was napping peacefully in his box when I arrived and seems to have an injured eye but no other major injuries. I took a few photos of him in his box, not the best vantage point for a photo but I didn’t want to disturb him. He was lifting his foot to scratch his chin when I took this photo. Then I put him in my car and drove him to the clinic for help.

Focal Length 62mm
ISO 2000
f/.8
1/80
SOOC

I was talking to a friend about the eagle I photographed Sunday on Lake Shasta and told him he had to go to Facebook to see the photos because I hadn’t posted them on my blog. I woke up this morning (Wednesday, Nov. 30) and realized that finding an eagle on Lake Shasta has been my quest for years. It is beyond me why I didn’t post those pictures on this blog then. So, three days late (although I backdated the post) here they are.

On Sunday, my eagle spotter was Don, a friend who is Nez Perce and, it turns out, a great eagle spotter. We saw juveniles and adults (I argued with him about the identity of the juvenile briefly, but that was before I knew he was Nez Perce and had lived on the reservation in Idaho for a few years as a child—of course he knows what an eagle looks like). I had to contend with a bobbing boat and distance but these were the best of the many I took before the eagle took flight. I cropped them and added a curves adjustment. The last is very out of focus as the eagle took flight.

. . .Rainbow trout! Today’s challenge is “Starts with ‘R'” and my photo today is of a rainbow trout caught by my friend Don on Lake Shasta this afternoon. This is his first rainbow trout caught on a fly line and here he is removing the hook before releasing the trout to swim again.

Focal Length 300mm
ISO 100
f/5.6
1/250
Shutter Priority
SOOC

I spent a fabulous day on Lake Shasta with my brother Arthur, sister-in-law Susan, and Mady, the Golden Retriever. Bobo had to stay at home. The sun was out, the water was smooth, and the temperature was perfect for a fall day on the water. Every time I come to Redding, my brother assures me we’ll see bald eagles on Lake Shasta but until today, we had never seen any and to add insult to injury, whenever I’ve been along, he has not even caught a fish. Today, all that changed. Arthur spotted the first bald eagle flying toward us as I was fiddling with my camera attached to the tripod. While I frantically tried to extricate the camera from the tripod, the camera strap got caught on the tripod and I was left not only without photos, but without even seeing the eagle. I did finally manage to get a few photos when the eagle took off from the tree in which it had perched but when I finally got him in focus, he was flying into the sun. We later saw a family group of four eagles soaring high over head but they were so far away, I got nothing. Shortly after, Arthur caught a beautiful sixteen inch, one and a half pound rainbow trout. But, since I still had my 70-300mm lens attached, I was too close to get any decent photos of the fish. So, although we saw eagles and Arthur caught a fish, I have nothing to show for it.

So, today’s photo is neither an eagle nor a rainbow trout. It is a rainbow cloud, a weather phenomenon that occurs when the clouds, made of tiny ice crystals, are at the right angle to the sun, and the crystals refract the sunlight (much like a prism) into the colors of the rainbow.

Focal Length 200mm
ISO 100
f/20
1/100
Curves Adjustment

Today’s challenge is “my favorite time of the day.” Since I have been learning photography, my favorite time of day is whatever time of day I can take a picture. Today, my sister-in-law and I walked the Sacramento River Trail at Turtle Bay and I loved the photos I took as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Focal Length 105mm
ISO 100
F/16
!/100
Curves applied

Happy Thanksgiving! Today’s challenge is “white on white” and I continue to be thankful for my brother who helped me set up this shot.

Focal Length 35mm
ISO 125
f/1.8
1/10
SOOC

Today’s challenge is “I am thankful for . . . .” And today, I am thankful for my brother who tonight made me a delectable dessert of bosc pears poached in butter and balasamic vinegar, served with goat cheese topped with honey and pepper. Yum.

Focal Length 35mm
ISO 1250
d/1.8
1/50
Exposure +1.0

The subject of today’s challenge is “abandoned.” My photo is of two things I’ve abandoned although I once played both with great abandon. One is the record turntable that hasn’t taken a turn in many years. The other is “Rubber Soul” by The Beatles that hasn’t taken a turn in years, either, because it needs a turntable to take one. I know audiophiles are returning to vinyl these days, but most of my vinyl is so scratched from use that it would not be particularly pleasant to listen to.

Focal Length 85mm
ISO 100
f/1.8
1/50
SOOC

I didn’t get out of the house to go in search of a photo until after 4PM when I left to get gas for the car. On the way home, I noticed the sun was setting and pulled off to take an end-of-the-day photo in front an appropriately lettered sign. And, as luck would have it, today’s challenge is “signs.” I didn’t notice the plaintive missive scratched into the sign’s paint until I downloaded the photos. I think it is a touching addition to the sign. If you look closely, the END sign now reads: “I will not END this love.”

Focal length 50mm
ISO 100
f/9
1/125
Flash compensation decreased by -3.00
SOOC

Today I watched in awe as Vickie Joseph, an avian veterinarian, head of the California Foundation for Birds of Prey, and herself a tiny person, deftly netted a huge juvenile bald eagle that had been rehabilitated at the CFBP. She quickly subdued it without injury to her or the eagle, placed it into a huge animal crate, and turned it over to members of the Humboldt County Wildlife Association who will release the bird later today when they arrive at the Bear Valley Refuge in the Klamath Basin where huge numbers of bald eagles congregate. Since bald eagles do congregate in large colonies, a juvenile bird newly introduced, will be quickly absorbed into the group and thrive. Golden eagles on the other hand, are lone creatures and a juvenile bird who is injured and taken in by the CFBP, must be trained to survive for up to two years before it can be released back into the wild.

In this photo, the eagle is restrained by Dr.Joseph as the Humboldt County Wildlife representative controls the bird’s head to keep it from biting.

From the time we entered the flight chamber to the time the Humboldt representatives walked away with the crate containing the eagle, a mere 5 minutes, 11 seconds had elapsed. It all happened so fast I was unable to focus the camera for the actual capture but I am including three shots that I took in a span of three seconds despite their fuzziness because I think they are fascinating; the first shows the eagle taking off, the second as he flies into the net, and the third, as the eagle is fully enclosed in the net.

Today’s theme is “multi-colored.” When I walked into the bathroom to take my shower this morning, a rainbow reflected on the tile wall, created by the beveled glass door. That’s about as multi-colored as you can get and since its presence is fleeting, I abandoned my shower for the time being and ran down for my camera.

Focal Length 35mm
ISO 100
f/1.8
1/80
SOOC

Today’s challenge is “fake.” The only way I manage to keep a phalaenopsis orchid in bloom is to have a fake one. So, here it is.

Focal Length 85mm
ISO 100
f/1.8
1/100
SOOC

I scouted around Auburn today looking for a good backdrop for a photo shoot with the blues band, Foxtrot Mary, coming up Sunday afternoon if it doesn’t rain too hard, and I briefly considered this wall and liked the sign. This site didn’t make into the running for Sunday’s shoot, but I liked the shot and decided to use it for my photo of the day. And, as luck would have it, today’s challenge happens to be pastel and I thought the pastel paint on the wall fit the challenge perfectly.

Focal Length 18mm
ISO 640
f/6.3
1/200
SOOC

And I thought only snakes has forked tongues. Today’s challenge is wildlife. My photo today is of an Anna’s hummingbird in the midst of preening himself after filling up at the feeder. Close inspection will reveal that his tongue is forked. Click on the photo and then click again to enlarge it. At first I thought the photo was blurred but after I did a quick Google search, I discovered that indeed hummingbirds have forked tongues, which helps them suck up nectar. Well, maybe the tongue is a little blurry but I think that’s from its movement not my camera shaking.

I found him perched on a photinia twig after skulking around the yard following his squeaks. I thought the feeder shots I took made the hummingbird appear less wildlife-like so I was happy to find him sitting in the midst of a tiny shaft of sunlight enthusiastically preening his wings.

Focal Length 300mm
ISO 100
F/5.6
1/200
SOOC

Today’s Photoshop lesson involved gradients. I loved the lesson and I loved what it did to the photo I took this morning. So here is an updated version of Spilt Milk:

Today’s challenge is “liquid.” I had some cream in the fridge left over from when I made butternut squash soup last week and thought the viscosity of cream would make a good puddle and then I thought just to tip the bottle over. And, not to worry, the pan I poured the cream into was clean and I quickly returned it to the refrigerator. I set the shot up using another bottle for positioning, then capped the cream bottle and refocused, then popped the lid off and snapped. I was amazed to discover that the lip of the bottle where the cream is pouring is in focus.

Focal Length 35mm
ISO 100
f/1.8
1/25
S00C

Today’s challenge is health and fitness. I go to the gym six days a week and do a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio each of those days; on three of those days I do strength training; on two of them, I do Pilates. I’m pretty healthy and more fit than I’ve ever been in my life. In addition to my rigorous workout schedule, I eat a fairly healthy diet with lots of antioxidants. So my photo today is of two of my favorite antioxidant-rich foods. And in a nod to the local food movement, both the wine and the chocolate are native Northern Californians.

Focal Length 85mm
ISO 100
f/16
1.6 seconds
SOOC

They’re not the “Golden Arches” that I’d considered taking for today’s challenge, nor my fallen arches which I quickly rejected, nor a magnificent exotic archway like I’ve already seen posted from Pakistan and Moscow. This is a pair of old shoe lasts (I hesitate to call them antique) that are actually a pair of bookends that I disassembled for this challenge. I posed them on the landing of my stairwell and took advantage of the sun streaming through an overhead window to emphasize their arches.

Focal Length 85mm
ISO 100
f/2.8
1/125
SOOC