10-Mar-2019
Kirk Pond Scene
There are still colors at Kirk Pond, so it isn't drab scenery. The light nicely lit up the trees and filtered into the background, making a pretty scene, at least to my way of thinking.
09-Mar-2019
Backlit Clouds
It was a good day at Fern Ridge Lake. The billowing clouds were beautified by the sun as it created dramatic back-light. It also appears that the wind was strong up there as thin clouds above seemed to be blown in a northerly direction. And the trees in the park below made fine silhouettes. The scene appealed to me.
07-Mar-2019
Carol's Pond and Our Pet Heron
I discovered that I am not quite burned out on snow scenes yet, and couldn't pass up this scene of Carol's tiny pond in our front yard. This photo was made on Feb 25th, the first day of snow. It continued overnight and on during the next day or so. At times, the snow was really coming down. Anyway, by the time the snowfall quit Carol's pond was pretty much covered over. There have been only brief flurries since then, but we still have more than enough snow on the ground. I will show her this photo next summer when it is hot! :)
06-Mar-2019
Great Egret at Kirk Pond
I am a big fan of contrast properly used in a photo. An example is this photo of a Great Egret. The image was made in late afternoon when winter days can be dark in the shadows. And to assure proper proper exposure I chose manual exposure settings. That way I could be sure that the egret was not over-exposed. A white egret against a background in the shadows created the contrast I wanted. I was using a manual focus 500mm mirror lens, which made the shot more challenging for my old eyes, so used the 'focus peaking' feature to assist me.
Another great feature I used was BBAF (back button autofocus). What is great about it is that it combines both AF-S and AF-C autofocus modes with this button. Press the button in and release it for locking focus on a still subject, but all you have to do with moving subjects, like this egret, is continue to hold the button in and it will follow focus, staying with the subject as it moves. To get this, you simply set the camera to AF-C mode and focusing with the AF-ON button only. Works like a charm for me.
04-MAR-2019
GNARLED LOG IN KIRK POND
I tried to find a word to best describe this old log. The word that kept coming to mind was 'gnarled'. It means 'knobbly, rough, and twisted, especially with age.' That fits, so I am going with it. The golden light on the log and the contrasts between it, the water, and the shoreline attracted me. I find it appealing.
02-Mar-2019
American Kestrel
The American Kestrel weights a little less than 6 ounces, and is the smallest in the falcon family in North America. It is similar in size to a dove. It can be found from central Mexico to Alaska and across the U.S. and Canada. It can be difficult to photograph them because they quick take to flight if one very close. This one was on a wire and took off when I stopped my car for a shot. I got it!
Kestrels can be seen year-round in Oregon, especially in open areas around the Klamath Basin. They like grasslands, farm fields and meadows. However, they can also be found in parks and cities.
01-Mar-2019
Pretty Sky Reflected in the Lake
The ever changing sky provides a wonderful opportunity for reflections on Fern Ridge Lake. I found this scene to be so pretty, and hope you do too! :) I especially liked the pastel colors, and the wet shoreline in the foreground.
28-Feb-2019
Knot a Problem, Like the Snow Has Been!
This knot on a bridge railing in Orchard Point Park is a nice study in contrasts and tones. It caught my eye, so hopefully will catch yours too. I thought I would get away from snow scenes. Though we still have a lot of snow and it is staying cold, it can eventually become a tiring subject, so on to other subjects!
27-FEB-2019
Pretty snow scene.
Even though snow can work hardship for people, especially where they get a lot of it, it is still such a beautiful thing when it covers the landscape with a white blanket. The snow got a lot deeper than this. It snowed again last night and we got about five more inches. So we ended up with at least 15 inches on the ground. It is beginning to melt now and will for several hours before the temperature dips way down again.
I didn't really want the small tree in the foreground to be in the center of the picture. But we are confined to the house because the snow is so deep in the yard. I shot this from our front porch toward the neighbors'. So the tree is where it is! :)
25-FEB-2019
They Told Us to Expect up to 4", We Got a Foot!
Sunday's weather forecast was for snow, at first calling for 2" in the valley floor. Before the day was over they were predicting up to 4". The snow started that evening and continued most of the day Monday. We ended up with 12" of snow on the valley floor, at least here where we live. On top of that, the electricity went off about 4 AM on Monday morning and we have been in the cold until the lights went back on this morning at 8:20 AM. I know, because it made my day. :) The temperature here in the house was down to 50 or less. So we were dressed in layers of clothes to stay warm. This is a view of our daughter's house from our front porch early in the day on Monday.
The electricity was off close to 29 hours, but it seemed like days. And to top it off, none of the vehicles here could make it out. Finally, when the snow stopped yesterday, our son-in-law, Mike, tried it with my 4 wheel drive Explorer and he and our daughter went to town to get something for us to eat. We learned a lot about what to have on hand in emergencies from this brief experience, and it was a mere taste of what some Back East have gone through for extended periods. It certainly helps one to have more fellow feeling for others.
17-Feb-2019
Horses on a Hillside
The light was right, the hill in shades of green red and gray; and the scene was pleasing to my eye. So I shot it! :)
17-Feb-2019
I tried a Shot of the Super Moon
I wanted to get a shot of the super moon and used my Nikkor 500mm Reflex mirror lens with a Nikon Z6 for the photo. Mirror lenses are not the sharpest ones to use, especially at long range like the moon! So the quality isn't as good as it would have been with my long range zoom, but it will do! :)