Category: Uncategorized

Acres of Diamonds

On By Picture This by FrankIn Uncategorized2 Comments

lbheron babywpecker

Once again the Russell Conwell speech proved true. http://www.temple.edu/about/history/acres-diamonds . You don’t need to roam the world in search of fortune because acres of diamonds are in your own backyard. In December I had the good fortune to get out before dawn on at least a dozen occasions, I probably traveled 1500+ miles in total and took that many pictures too. Captured some great shots and enjoyed some fabulous sunrises, birds singing, and landscapes, but the 2 pictures I consider my best were both from within 2 miles of my house.

The pictures are of a lesser blue heron and a baby woodpecker. I stalked the heron for about 50 yards along the lake before getting this shot. The woodpecker baffled me for a while as he mined a palm frond for bugs. Large palm fronds are hollow and make great amplifiers, so I couldn’t determine what was making the loud noise. I never expected him to be as tiny as he was.

While this “lesson” won’t dampen my wandering spirit, it does cause one to think a bit.

Positively Brilliant Illustrations

On By Picture This by FrankIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I just came across a book – thanks to Brain Pickings on Facebook, The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau written by Michelle Markel and illustrated by Amanda Hall. A children’s book.

The drawings in this book are wonderful. They are mostly comprised of Rousseau paintings, with Henri R. inserted as the main theme. There are also several different Rousseau style pictures as well. The story is a a simplified biography of Henri Rousseau but inspirational none the less. If you don’t know his story to capsulize he started painting at 40 and persevered for 20+ years before being discovered by Picasso.

Here’s a link to the post on Brain Pickings. http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/12/09/the-fantastic-jungles-of-henri-rousseau/

Blogging 101 – intro post

On By Picture This by FrankIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

First, thanks for providing this resource, I am looking forward to it. My brief personal introduction is in the about section, so I’ve attempted to answer some of the questions posed.

I am beginning to blog because I have a great interest in nature and photography and would like to share my thoughts, explorations, and the journey in general. I am also looking to share my adventures with a wider audience (beyond my family) in hopes that perhaps a few may find it interesting, give me inspiration, and perhaps inspire them to share in similar experiences.

My goal is to post twice per week at a minimum with a fresh picture from that weeks wanderings and a little insight into how I got there and what I did. By the end of this year I would like to have polished my writing, taken more photos, visited  more places – both local and in other parts of the country, and hopefully engage more people in exploring their surroundings and enjoying the natural world.

Cocoa Pier

On By Picture This by FrankIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

gbheron pierpelican

It was foggy and cloudy this morning, but the birds were cooperative. These guys were hanging out on the pier waiting for gifts from the fisherman – fortunately no one was feeding them.

I’m shooting auto ISO and manual mode so I can control the shutter speed better, I capped the ISO at 400, I can go to 800 without much degradation, but I don’t like it. Personal preference I guess. Post processing was a bit difficult, I need to determine how to get 8X10’s using the full raw file.

Back To It.

On By Picture This by FrankIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

pelican

I’ve been out every morning for the past week and a half. All the usual spots. Raining today so I get a chance to review and post.

Here’s a shot of a pelican sitting on the Cocoa Beach pier. It’s a bit blown out, but I was having difficulty capturing the dark feathers and the white head, I think the look on his face is worth a post. I plan on getting back there once or twice in the next few days.

I’ve begun my second Freeman Patterson book, Photography of Natural Things and as usual he has some thought provoking ideas that make me want to be out on the trail observing and photographing.

Planning to go to Blanchard Park this afternoon, haven’t been there in a while and got some great ibis shots and a bittern eating the last time I was there.

ibis bittern

Weekend at Mullet Lake

On By Picture This by FrankIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
palmtree
Tranquil scene.
Thousands of Ducks Overhead
Thousands of Ducks Overhead

Got there early Saturday morning, and again had the park to myself. Got a couple of sunrise shots, spotted a wood stork and my hawk’s companion showed up. I was so excited to see both hawks on the same tree I almost forgot to take pictures.

My goal was to nab a couple of sunrise shots for the booklet (see above). Both pictures taken with my wide angle zoom. The ducks were amazing. There was a constant stream of them for at least 5 minutes. Not sure where they were headed other than north.

This park is so beautiful it will be difficult for me to find the next spot for the book. On Monday I hiked Geneva Wilderness Area loop and I’m not sure if it’s the right time of year for it. It is mostly uplands and while I spotted several birds, the area was not appealing to me. I will have to return later in the winter and see if the atmosphere changes. I was so uninspired that I haven’t even downloaded the pics.

Sunday I spent at UCF arboretum – that will be the subject of another post.

Next Photo Shoot

On By Picture This by FrankIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Planning to spend Saturday morning at Mullet Lake Park. This will be a wrap up, with some landscapes and sunrise shots. We should have some clouds by then, since rain is predicted for Saturday evening, and I noticed a few out there now.

My only hesitation will be setting up with the wide angle zoom and missing that perfect bird picture. Otherwise, I will be practicing some ideas from the Freeman Patterson book. Looking for patterns and shapes and perhaps after an hour or so moving on to textures as the sun gets higher. Should be fun this will certainly be a different approach for me. While I do some of this it is not with conscious thought. It will be fun seeing what I get.

Which leads me to my next idea. Since I spend a lot of time exploring the 3 counties around me (Orange, Seminole, and Brevard – may add Lake). I am looking at creating a pamphlet or booklet with the best shooting spots and some info about them. May be of interest, since I am having to dig around for this information – consolidating it seems natural.

Weekend Photo Shoot

On By Picture This by FrankIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Got out twice this weekend – quite chilly in the morning – tiki bar temp around 42, Mullet Lake Park was my destination.

When I arrived just after dawn on Saturday, the hunters were quite active out on the river. This was good because it brought some birds in closer for photos. The woodpecker’s were in the camping area, ibis and egrets at the water’s edge. It is hard to describe the beauty of the morning in these tranquil locations.

Sunday morning in addition to the above birds, I spotted what I believe to be a red shouldered hawk. He was at the top of a tree preening himself, giving me the opportunity to get quite close and snap a bunch of photos.

Trying to work ideas from the Freeman Patterson book seems a bit difficult, I cannot decide if I am here to document the existence of these animals and vistas, or attempt to portray the feelings I experience being there and enjoying the sunrise, bird calls, and visuals.

I am looking forward to the next 2 weeks on vacation – both to enjoy with family and steal my mornings at various locations around central Florida.

First Post

On By Picture This by FrankIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Welcome to mid-December. I’m going to use this blog to chronicle my photographic journey. Current interests include nature and specifically bird photos. This has rekindled my interest in learning about nature and it’s many nuances.

I am currently reading Photography and the Art of Seeing, by Freeman Patterson – http://www.freemanpatterson.com/book2.htm . I started reading this book electronically several times and failed, now I have a hard copy and it’s going much better. Lots of great insight into the process of seeing.

My plans for this weekend include spending some time at Mullet Lake Park in Geneva, FL. I discovered it last week and it is a wonderful spot for nature study. It is located just off the St Johns river and rich with water and terrestrial birds. As part of the exercises suggested in Photography and the Art of Seeing, I plan to set up my camera at the water’s edge and sit and observe. Also, I will try some random close up work.