Jun 29
This image is from my first and last Rodeo shoot. At first I found it very exciting and was having a lot of fun with my then fairly new 1DMKII shooting at 8 1/2 frames per second. Then I started noticing how stressed the animals were so I left early. I’m not against Rodeos, though. I realize they are an important part of the cowboy culture and there are still many working cowboys who look forward to these events as a release from their hard lives. Just go a little easier on the animals!
Jun 26
I have so many traditional shots of fall color that all I did last year was shake and swing my camera at it. This is what Aspens can look like when you intentional move your camera during exposure. If you’ve never tried this, be prepared for lots of misses but with practice, you can predict the effect you’ll achieve with any given movement. I’ve been hooked on this fun since 2003 when I heard Jack Davis talk about sticking his point and shoot camera out of his car window as he was driving. I was mesmerized by his results and couldn’t wait to try it 🙂
Tech stuff: Canon 5DMKII, Canon 24-105 at 32mm, ISO 100, 1/8th second at f/22.
Jun 21
To celebrate the first day of summer, here’s a fun creation made with the Flood Filter.
Jun 20
We went back to Payson and the Colonel Devin Trail yesterday but the winds were even stronger than last week so I didn’t come home with many photos. A great hike, though, and I did manage to get a photo for today. These Spring Azures are getting moisture from the ground. Think about the size of those grains of sand and you get an idea of how small these butterflies are!
Jun 17
The White Winged Doves have been sitting on top of our Saguaros for a couple of weeks just waiting for the fruit to ripen but they’re not the only ones who love the fruit as evidenced by this Gila Woodpecker.
Jun 16
After the 4th fire engine went by our neighborhood, I looked out the window and got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I saw the smoke on top of the mountains. I jumped in the car and just 4 miles away I got there in time to see them dropping slurry and water on the ridge that includes Toms Thumb (scroll down for video link). Because of the expertise of our firefighters, the fire was contained to just 200 acres. Whew! The probably cause was electrical sparks from construction on a house at the base of the mountain. Wildfire is a constant threat in the summer and with two thirds of Scottsdale being either Preserve or natural area open space (NOAS), these fires can be a real threat to homes. The last fire that came dangerously close to the neighborhoods up here was in 1995, the year we moved here. That fire destroyed thousands of acres of pristine desert. A real heartbreak. VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/user/ezpixels
Video captured with Canon SX1 IS
Jun 15
Living in Arizona, we have the luxury of being in a different climate in just an hour or two so it’s very easy to escape the heat. Payson is at about 5000 feet and is only one and a half hours away. With a little hiking, you’re up over 6500 feet. Besides enjoying the cool air, Flora and Fauna are different at elevation so it’s a real treat. Today’s post is of three higher elevation flowers. 1. Yellow Salsify 2. Deer’s Ears aka Elkweed and 3. Pussytoes. There were many other flowers but I was focused on Butterflies that day.
Jun 14
Here are a couple of critters we spotted along the trail while looking for butterflies. The first is a Robber Fly….a vicious creature! He needs a new name because what he actually does is spear his victims with his proboscis (including butterflies), inject a toxin that liquefies them and then slurps out their inside. Ewww!!! It sure is easy to see where horror movie makers get their monster ideas. The second critter is a Short-Horned Lizard. He’s also an insect eater but he just sticks out his tongue and grabs them. Same ending for the insect but more acceptable don’t you think? 🙂
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