I shot this last last month on a windy day out at Browns Ranch. There were several Ravens flying fairly close to us and I would have loved a nice close-up but I didn’t have a long lens. So I decided to shoot a deliberately overexposed image with the idea of creating a silhouette. All I did in Photoshop was a quick Levels Adjustment. I clicked the white eyedropper in the sky and voila!
Raven silhouette
Sixteen years and this is the first time we’ve had a rattlesnake at the front door. Cloe saw it first and I cringed because she had just been brought in from the enclosure a half hour earlier!
I used a long tree stake to “encourage” him to leave. He was NOT happy!
I was able to inch him away from the enclosure but he wouldn’t leave. He just got more angry.
He finally left but is now under a Lantana I pass by every morning 🙁
Yesterday, I attended a Dragonfly walk at Gilbert Riparian Institute but because it was still too cool for the Dragonflies, we decided to check out the multiple ponds and ended up doing some bird watching. There was some excitement at a blind where multiple photographers were lined up all pointing their humongous lenses out into the reeds. “We’re waiting for the Bittern to show up”, they said. Even though I had no idea what a Bittern was, I pointed my puny 300mm lens in the same direction and figured I’d get a shot too 🙂
“There he is!” someone yelled. I saw movement and only took one shot. Only one because my main camera is in for service so all I had was my Infrared and my Canon SX1. My little Canon wouldn’t focus, so I shot with the Infrared but figured the image wouldn’t show much. I almost didn’t shoot but I’m happy I did! Here’s what I got:
Then someone else pointed out that there were Common Moorhens with chicks. It turns out there were 5 babies. My SX 1 did a little better focusing. Here are some tight crops.
Common Moorhen and chicks
A couple of hours later, it warmed up enough to bring out the Dragonflies and Damselflies. Here’s an infrared shot of a Blue Dasher. I’ll be ready for some color shots on the next walk.
This riparian park is well worth a day trip if you’ve never been!
After yesterday’s photo, I was inspired to shoot in black and white so here are a few images captured in my yard using my Infrared converted Canon 5D.
Hedgehogs are done but some of my Prickly Pear are just beginning to bloom. I shot the following yellow bloom in very low light. The resulting exposure was really flat so I put Topaz filters to work and ended with a black and white conversion.
I needed a photo of Soaptree Yucca booms for my flora guide sequel so I was ecstatic to see them in full bloom this year! They prefer higher elevation so if you want to see them, head up to the Northeast Valley or check out the North State Trust land (on the North side of Dynamite) if you want to hike. Remember to get a permit, though. You can apply online and have it mailed to you for just $15.
Here’s a preview of the page: Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata)
This is the time of year when you can see some really cool bugs if you just look for them. I’m guessing this is some kind of Blister Beetle. I captured him using my Canon SX 1 with the screen practically touching him.
Sweetbush (Bebbia juncea) is in full bloom right now too. I shot this on my morning walk.
Catch them at this stage and you’ll see Dairy Queen-like curls 🙂
Here’s the full plant. It’s mostly leafless. Just a bundle of stems.
I’ve been patiently (ok..maybe not patiently) waiting for the Scarlett Four O’clocks to bloom and was rewarded this morning…big time! The only photo I had was of a single bloom I got last year so seeing so many plants in bloom this morning in the North Access of the Preserve was very exciting.
Three other plants in the Four O’clock family were also blooming this morning. Desert Four O’clock (aka Colorado Four O’Clock), Trailing Windmills and Desert Wishbone Bush.
It’s still cool enough up here to have the windows open in the mornings and when I opened them this morning; WOW….the aroma! I recognized the smell right away as being from White Ratany. It’s in full bloom at higher elevations right now and it made me wonder if others knew about this special aspect of Ratany so I thought I would make it my photo of the day. (I’m lucky to have a lot in my yard!)
Stop and smell!
Flower is approximately 1/2 inch
