04-MAR-2018
House Near Triangle Lake
I like this older home that sits alongside HWY. 36 near Triangle Lake, between Junction City in the Willamette Valley and Florence, on the Oregon Coast. There is something about the older homes that appeals. And I like the blue paint job!
05-MAR-2018
A Couple Cute Chicks!
Carol and I get a kick out of Angie's chickens. Sometimes when we come home they run over to greet us, clucking gently in such a sweet way. I think they are quite pretty too!
07-MAR-2018
A Wintery Scene
This little valley with a thin blanket of snow looked beautiful to me. But since it was mostly white and black tones, I decided to play with it in software. This is the result. I am sure it could be a lot better but I find it a good presentation of what many of us picture when we think of what winter weather is all about. Scene not far from Triangle Lake.
11-MAR-2018
Can They Save This One?
I often drive past this barn, and it has always been surrounded by ground that is overgrown with blackberries and other brush. This time the area has been cleaned up and one can actually see the whole barn. Is it too late to save it? I don't know, but it looks pretty sad.
12-MAR-2018
Catching a Female Redwing Blackbird
I paid a visit to the Fern Ridge Wildlife Area this morning and was greeted by heavy fog. But it began lifting before long. Small birds were active, especially Red-wing Blackbirds. It is interesting how different in coloration the female is from the male. Yet, I see that it also has red on the shoulder. I hadn't noticed that before today.
Trying BBAF and Manual Mode
I am using a method for autofocus and exposure suggested by Steve Perry (
http://backcountrygallery.com/), which uses Back button AF (instead of half pressing the shutter button). The shutter button is still set to activate exposure lock. In addition to Back Button AF, Perry also suggests trying Manual Shooting Mode with Auto ISO, letting ISO float rather than shutter speed (when Aperture Priority is used) or aperture (when Shutter Priority is used). I really like this method, going back to manual settings as I did when starting out in photography (because that was the only option in those days). The difference today is Auto ISO. Allowing the ISO to vary according to what is needed by whatever combination of aperture and shutter speed is chosen works very well. When I was learning photography, ISO was a set figure, depending on the film being used. (Check out Steve Perry's video that explains the use of BBAF -
http://backcountrygallery.com/af-on-and-back-button-autofocus/)
The use of Back Button Autofocus allows one to lock autofocus by pressing and releasing the AF-ON button. If one holds the button in while shooting, and the camera is set for Follow Focus, the camera will lock onto the subject and continue to track it if it should move. I was impressed by how well this technique works. My success rate of capturing birds in flight is much improved! I am glad that I decided to give BBAF and Manual Mode a try!
Note: Some who like Liveview will recommend use of the touch screen to choose focus. This certainly works well for landscape or travel photography. My D850 also has this feature. But it is not practical for wildlife photography where shooting in bursts is often needed to capture action, like birds in flight. For that, Continuous Mode with Back Button Autofocus is ideal!
14-MAR-2018
Into the Clouds
A visit to Fern Ridge Wildlife Area was fun today. I saw a few birds but was unable to capture any. But I did get birds of a different kind, watching planes fly overhead. I liked this view of an airplane that just took off from the Eugene Airport and was about to enter the clouds. In order to get a balanced exposure, one that avoid blowing out the clouds, I let the plane go dark in silhouette. The result looked pleasing to me.
I used a lens not on the recommended list for the D850, just to see how it does. It is a bit softer than the recommended lenses, particularly at the long end of the zoom, but I see no reason to avoid using it either.
16-MAR-2018
Song by Redwing Blackbird
Since tomorrow (oops, Tuesday!) is the first day of spring, it was fitting that the Redwing Blackbirds are here in numbers and are filling the wildlife area with song in anticipation! They have a beautiful melodious voice! Actually, it was great to be out in the wildlife area and see and hear the males and females calling to each other. It's good to see the signs of spring!
17-MAR-2018
Anna's Hummingbird at Delta Ponds
The hummingbirds are back at Delta Ponds! I was glad to spot a few one my walk. It is a real challenge to capture them in the wild, and I was pleased to get some photos of this beauty. Nice reward for spending some time at the ponds. I arrange car service at the dealer close by the ponds so that I can walk there while I wait on the car. Fortunately, I didn't get wet this time.
18-MAR-2018
The Field of Music
I have passed by this old piano sitting in a field a number of times, and always have to smile. The thought that comes to mind is, 'the field of music.' I think it fits. So if you ever wanted to enter the field of music, just head to Fir Butte Road.
19-MAR-2018
Puffed Up With Pride!
This fellow has been impressing the ladies among the Redwing Blackbirds. He is all puffed up with pride. The look in his eye tells me so!
21-MAR-2018
Black Sheep in the Family
I drove past a field, actually both sides of the road where black sheep were on one side and white on the other, enjoying the cute little lambs. This eager little one was hungry and mama calmly munched grass. The pair delighted me and I got this shot.
23-MAR-2018
Surprise Storm
We have had some pretty hard rain the last few days, and it was really raining when I went shopping this morning. But we got a surprise this afternoon. The rain turned to snow and covered the ground. I wanted to get a shot of the falling snow when it was really coming down and feel I succeeded. I thought spring was really here and our weather was changing, so was totally taken by surprise this afternoon. Now, this evening, the snow is gone and it is raining again. So back to normal, but at least I got photos of our surprise storm.