Jun

30

The Beauty of Isolation

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Shot of the Month – June 2019

 

Tulip, Washington State (4028)

This month a photo of a tulip that demonstrates the power of isolating your subject to help create a compelling image.  In this shot there is no doubt about what this photo is about — our eyes can’t help but be drawn to that lone red tulip in the center of the frame.  In this image I used several techniques to isolate the subject:

Choice of depth of field

In this shot I used a very shallow depth of field (aperture of f/5.6) to ensure that almost all of the other flowers in this field were out of focus.  Our eyes are naturally drawn to the part of the image that is in focus.  For comparison look at the same image taken with a very wide depth of field (aperture of f/22).  In this version Tulip (4045)the field of flowers is more in focus and, at least for me, more distracting.  I find that my eye jumps around more from one part of the photo to the next and weakens the visual impact.  Click on the image to see it larger.  Here is a primer on understanding depth of field.

Point of View (POV)

To get this image I shot while crouched on my knees to get a low angle — this allowed me to shoot up and through the red flowers in the foreground and create depth in the image.  This POV also allowed the red tulip to appear higher into the field of purple in the background and helped create more separation and space between the subject (red) and the foreground (red).  Don’t be afraid to move around and explore the scene to make sure you are including the elements you want in the shot, and perhaps even more importantly, explore how your POV can help remove elements that weaken your image.  Try higher.  Then lower.  Move to the right.  To the left….shake it all about….

Contrasting Color

I was immediately drawn to this scene by how the red tulip popped visually against that purple background.  The lovely green stem of the subject also adds more contrast and leads the eye to the subject.

Centered Subject

Tulip (4041)

Landscape orientation is not as compelling for this shot

While it is often not recommended to center your subject it can sometimes be a useful technique under the right circumstances (See my post here on this topic).  I usually try multiple compositions with the subject to the left, right and centered to help find what works best for the scene.  I also often shoot in both landscape and portrait orientation to see which leads to a stronger composition.  Given the vertical nature of the flowers portrait orientation worked best.

 

Wow, so much to consider to just get a pretty picture of a flower!  These are in fact just a few of the ways that one can isolate the subject of an image.  What are the others?  Hmmn, that sounds like fodder for a future post….I just need to get outside and get the shot….stay tuned.

 

Until next month…m

May

31

Rufous-ly Ruthless

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Shot of the Month – May 2019

Rufous Hummingbird, Washington State (4184)

A Rufous male warning me off with a flash of his gorget.

This month we visit with the glorious Selasphorus rufus, aka the Rufous Hummingbird.  For those of you who are a bit rusty on your color palette (I was):

Rufous:  reddish brown in color.

So while the name is not terribly creative it is accurate.  The male Rufous is adorned in reddish brown on the crown, tail and sides.  His back can be rufous, green or a bit of both.  But the pièce de résistance for the male is that flame-orange gorget.  Gor-what?  It is a term that refers to the piece of armor that knights wore to protect their throats.  It now refers to the patch of color that can be found on a bird or animal. The intense glint of the gorget is the result of iridescence, rather than colored pigments. The bird’s throat feathers contain minutely thin, film-like layers of “platelets,” set like tiles in a mosaic against a darker background. Light waves reflect and refract off the mosaic, creating color in the manner of sun glinting off oily film on water.  The color and intensity of the gorget changes depending on your angle of view.  (Source)  The female Rufous is not nearly as flashy — she typically is greenish above with rusty-washed flanks, rusty patches on her green tail with a spot of orange on her throat.  (Source)

In researching the Rufous I was surprised to see how often the word “fiesty” came up.  One article said that the bird was “well known to be incredibly feisty and pugnacious.”  As far as hummingbirds go the Rufous is considered to be on the small side, usually between 2.8 to 3.5 inches and weighing about 3.5 grams.  For comparison a US penny weighs about 2.5 grams!  Apparently no one told the Rufous — they are commonly considered the most aggressive of the hummingbird species!  As one literary-minded observer noted:

“The male Rufous, glowing like a new copper penny, often defends a patch of flowers in a mountain meadow, vigorously chasing away all intruders (including larger birds).” (Source)

Ever have a Rufous at your backyard hummingbird feeder? Yikes — I can tell you from personal experience that they defend those feeders with equal zeal.  They drive off other hummingbirds, bees, wasps, birds and other insects without respite.  I had one hover 2 inches from my face trying to scare me off.  We eventually set up more feeders around the house to try and give the other hummingbirds a chance at some food.

Rufous Hummingbird Range (Source)

Like other hummingbirds the mainstay of their diet is protein and sugar.  They get their sugar by feeding on the nectar from colorful, tubular flowers which they access with their long extendable tongues.  Preferred flowers include columbine, scarlet gilla, penstemon, indian paintbrush, mints, lilies, fireweeds, larkspurs, currants, and heaths.  The flying pennies get their protein and fat by catching insects like gnats, midges and flies in the air.  They will take aphids off of plants also.  Given their frenetic lifestyle they consume three times their body weight in food each day.  The Rufous has a fantastic memory that helps it find flowers and feeders along its long migration route from previous years. (Source)

Speaking of which, the Rufous hummingbird has the longest migration of any hummingbird — they can fly up to more than 2,000 miles in one direction from the northwest United States down to Mexico and the Gulf Coast where they winter. While the Rufous hummingbird is found predominantly in the western US this far ranging bird has been spotted in every state except Hawaii.  These guys get around!!

 

I can’t help but admire this little bird — the Rufous is a real beauty to behold, is a tremendous athlete, has a sharp mind, and has the fighting spirit of a heavy weight boxer – all rolled up into a thimble-size body!

 

Until next month…..michael

 

 

 

 

 

Nikon D500, Nikon 600mm, f/4, 1/500 sec, ISO 400, -0.333 EV

Apr

30

Mighty Mick

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Shot of the Month – April 2019

Jaguar, Pantanal - Brazil (0578)

This month we visit with the most powerful cat in the Western Hemisphere — the Jaguar.  This heavyweight of the feline world is the third largest in the world, coming in just behind the Lion and then the Tiger.  The jaguar is the only member of the “Big Cats” that is found in the Americas.  I photographed this jaguar in the Pantanal, in Brazil.

Looking like a heavyset leopard these cats are built for life in the tropical rain forest where they are found — they have muscular limbs and large paws which allow them to climb trees and swim rivers with ease.  Unlike most felines, these cats absolutely love the water and rarely stray too far from the river.  That being said, they are adaptable and can be found in other habitats including grasslands and deserts.

The jaguar is a stalk-and-ambush hunter unlike lion and cheetah which chase their prey.  These cats walk slowly, and silently through the jungle in search of a meal.  They also walk along the river’s edge, or even in the water as seen in my image above.  We watched this impressive male, known locally as Mick Jaguar (Groan, I know.  It doesn’t seem as corny when you are there seeing this incredible cat….) hunt along the river for several hours.  Even though Mick is past his prime now, perhaps 11 years old, he is still the top cat in this part of the river.  You can see that his one eye is injured but we were told that he can still see with it.

Medium-sized mammals make up the majority of Mick’s diet and can include deer, capybara, Peccaries, and Tapirs.  When hunting in the water prey may include turtles, fish, and caiman (a relative of the crocodile and alligator).  In total Mick and his brethren can take over 85 species depending on what they can find.   One of the few jaguars that lived in the US was known to even kill and eat American black bears.  (source)

Like most big cats Mick kills large prey with a deep throat bite that suffocates the animal.  Jaguars have the most powerful bite of any cat and sometimes kill their prey by biting through the animal’s skull!  When hunting large caiman the jaguar will sometimes jump on the back of the reptile and bite through the base of the skull and sever the cervical vertebrae which instantly paralyzes the animal.

Blah, blah, blah.  So many words.  Watch this unbelievable video of Mick himself on a hunt from several years ago– this video will show you everything you need to know about the hunting style of the jaguar, their fearless nature, and their lethal hunting techniques.

Any questions?  WOW!

 

Until next month…..m

 

Want more?….

Check out my other post on the Jaguar.

And a few more videos:

A different angle of the same hunt as shown on National Geographic

 

And a short piece as shown on Nature about the Jaguar

 

 

 

Nikon D4S, Nikon 600mm f/4, 1/800 sec, ISO 250, +0.5 EV

 

Mar

31

Denizen of the Night

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Shot of the Month – March 2019

Common Barn Owl, Washington (6997)

What do you do when the “death owl” stares into your soul?  Do you reach for your rosary and hope that its powers will protect you?  Or perhaps do you stop and take a moment to reflect on a life well, or not so well, lived as you prepare to meet your maker?  As a nature photographer, I didn’t have time for such contemplation.  I frantically moved my tripod into position and even more frantically tried to find a group of settings that might allow me to photograph this apparition in almost total darkness.  An opportunity to capture an image of the common barn owl was truly a supernatural event even though they are the most common owl in the world.  The barn owl can be found on every continent except Antarctica (range map)!  Despite their wide distribution barn owls are highly nocturnal so they are rarely seen.  Sightings are typically fleeting and may last just a few seconds.  I happened to find this owl just after first light, but before sunrise (Dawn) so it was still quite dark out.  Miraculously, Within a few minutes, I saw this female dive into the tall grass, catch a vole, devour it, and fly off before the sun crested the horizon.  And not a single other human was around to witness it but me.

Common Barn Owl, Washington (7377)

Breakfast is served (click on the image to see larger)

I was left standing there dumbstruck.  Did it really happen?

Wait, check your camera!  Yes, photographic proof……whew!

The common barn owl is known by many names:

Monkey-face owl/Silver owl/white-breasted owl

These names come from the look of the owl.  The scientific name for the species, Tyto alba, means “white owl.”

Church owl/Cave owl/Stone owl/Straw owl

Barn owls prefer open, low-lying habitats and are found around farms, marshes, grasslands, and similar habitats.  These owls are cavity nesters and they like holes in trees, fissures in cliff faces, and in Europe and North America they are very fond of old buildings like barns and church towers.

Ghost owl/demon owl/death owl/lich owl (lich is an old term for a corpse)/Hobgoblin owl

In ye olde times many cultures saw the barn owl as an evil omen or a sign of death given their nocturnal habits and terrifying screech.  Yeah, these owls do not “hoot” like other owls — their call will curdle your skin.  Give a listen:


Yikes!!  Imagine hearing this while walking along a dark path.

Barn owls dine mostly on small mammals, particularly rats, mice, voles, and lemmings while they will also prey on shrews, bats, and rabbits.  In some locations, they will prey on birds.  In North America, voles are the preferred meal.  The demon owl has excellent eyesight and can easily find prey at night by sight.  However, its hearing is unparalleled and it can find prey in complete darkness by sound alone.  Their hearing is aided by the satellite-dish-shaped face and the asymmetrical placement of their ears.  Their large wings and relatively small bodies allow the birds to fly slowly, in looping buoyant flight as they listen for movement.  Their specialized wing feathers make virtually no noise so creatures below are unaware of the danger just above them.  Watch this video below (or here) to appreciate how little noise barn owl wings make:

Given their wide distribution barn owls are numerous though dramatic declines have been seen in some locations as large-scale, mechanized farms destroy their hunting grounds.  Also, increased use of pesticides and rodenticides can kill owls who eat poisoned rodents.  The barn owl is listed as Endangered in Canada and there are now 10 states in the US that list the barn owl as endangered and another 11 states that list it as a species of Special Concern.

Some potential good news is that more farmers in the US (and around the world) are using barn owls as part of their Integrated Pest Management as an alternative to using poisons.  Due to their high metabolic rate, barn owls consume more rodents than just about any other predator.  Farms, vineyards, rice fields, sugar cane crops, and orchards can all benefit by installing barn owl nest boxes to increase the owl population and benefit from their rodent-killing ways.  How good are they?  Well, a barn owl family (parents and chicks) can eat 3,000 rats in a nesting season!

 

Demon owl?? Nah, for nature lovers and farmers alike, she sounds like a very friendly and beneficial ghost indeed.  Let’s hope we can find a way to live in harmony with this wonderful denizen of the night.

 

 

Until next month…..m

 

 

Nikon D4S, Nikon 600mm f/4, 1/50 sec, ISO 6400,

 

 

Sources:

Barn Owl Biology

Barn Owl (Wikipedia)

American Bird Conservancy

 

Feb

28

Family Dog

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Shot of the Month – February 2019

Wild Dog, Kruger NP, South Africa (9515)

One of the highlights of our 2018 trip to Kruger NP (South Africa) was the magical three hours we spent with a pack of 24(ish) wild dogs.  We counted 12 puppies(!) and about 12 adults in one of the largest packs I have ever seen.  The pack spent most of the morning sprawled out on both sides of the road.  The puppies were on one side and the adults on the other.  About every 30 minutes or so, the alpha female would get up and walk over to make sure that the puppies were doing fine.  After a few visits by the female, the alpha male got up (trying to be helpful?) and went over to check on the youngins.  Well, Dad got too close and woke up the pile of puppies.  Chaos ensued with all sorts of yelping and clamoring and assorted mayhem.  The alpha female, very annoyed, had to get up and go over and severely reprimand the whole crew.  She “bit” a couple of them (in a lovingly, mother kind of way, ouch!), snapped at a few others, and eventually got them to lie back down.  Future monitoring visits were done by Mom…..

Hyena, Kruger NP (1877)

NOT a Wild Dog (Is a Hyena)

In case you were wondering, wild dogs are not feral domestic dogs that live in Africa.  Wild dogs, also known as the

painted hunting dog,

painted wolf,

African hunting dog,

Cape hunting dog, or

African painted dog

have never been domesticated.

The scientific name for these canids is Lycaon pictus which means “painted wolf” in Latin.   The painted hunting dog is part of the Canidae family which includes jackals, foxes, coyotes, wolves, dingoes, and domestic dogs.  People often confuse wild dogs with hyenas but hyenas are bigger and more powerful and different enough that they belong in their own taxonomic family, Hyaenidae.

The theme song for a pack of wild dogs would be “We Are Family” (If animals had theme songs, that is.  Which for the record, I heartily endorse.  I like what the sharks have done with theirs…).  The social structure of the pack is much like that of wolves but much gentler.  There is a tenderness to wild dog life, unlike anything I have ever seen.  Like other pack animals, there is a strict hierarchy with the pack led by an alpha breeding pair.  All other adults are subordinate to this couple.  Only the alpha female will breed and can produce 10 to 12 puppies per litter — the most of any canid.  However, the entire pack raises and cares for the puppies.  While the puppies are small the pack will go off to hunt while some adults stay behind to protect the puppies in the den.  After a successful hunt, the adults will return and regurgitate food to feed both the puppies AND the “babysitters.”   When the pups are old enough to travel they will be escorted to a kill site and they are always the first to feed before any of the adults, even those that participated in the hunt.  If an adult becomes ill, injured or elderly, and is unable to hunt, the other dogs will share food and take care of the ailing member.   It is reported that the alpha female of a pack in Botswana lost one of her forelegs during a hunt.  Normally, this would be a death sentence for a predator.  Not for a wild dog — she remained the alpha female for a few more years continuing to breed and raise pups while being taken care of by the pack.  (source)

Wild dogs are so team-oriented that they vote on whether to go on a hunt.  Yes, really.

So how in the heck does that work??  Well, if a dog wants the team to get going to look for a meal s/he can sneeze to rally the pack to get going.  However, voting is weighted depending on rank.  If an alpha dog sneezes then only about three other “yea” votes are needed to launch a hunt.  If a lower-ranked dog kicked off the voting, a hunt would not start unless about ten other sneezes were counted.   (Source)

 

Wow, that is some bad-ass-African-plains-wild-dog democracy right there — definitely nothing to sneeze at.  (the crowd moans…)

 

Until next month….m

 

 

Nikon D4S, Nikon 600mm, f/4, 1/500 sec, ISO 1000, EV +1.0