nature

Red Shouldered Hawk in New Mexico Bird Photography

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Red Shouldered Hawk in New Mexico Bird Photography

See a Shot, Stop and Get the Shot

This photo of a red shouldered hawk perched on a dead tree limb was made after doing a rural land shoot in Torrance County, New Mexico. One of my photography philosophies is that a real photographer always makes the effort to get a photo they see. I was tired, had just been outside for 90 minutes in the desert, had another 45 minutes to drive back home, but I pulled over, got out my camera, and made the effort to get this shot of the hawk because as a photographer you just cannot pass up opportunities to get a shot. For me, especially one of a large bird as they are very hard to get in New Mexico. Back when I lived in Florida, photographing large birds was easy, they were all over the place. Birds and animals are rare to see in New Mexico, even in the remote places I often travel too.

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Driving off road in a Jeep Renegade Trailhawk in New Mexico respectfully

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Driving off road in a Jeep Renegade Trailhawk in New Mexico respectfully

I have only put 1,500 miles on my Jeep Renegade Trailhawk since I got it last month and have not taken it more than an hour outside of Albuquerque, but I have been offroad a lot already.  Nothing crazy like Moab-like trails or anything, but I have been using it as the Jeep, especially the Trailhawk version, was intended.  I really like knowing I can go anywhere, do anything with this vehicle.  However, I would not do everything you see in Jeep and other offroad vehicle commercials like driving down and across streams!  Or causing tumult by trying to "crawl" over big rocks.  To me this is destroying Nature.  I do want the Jeep to help me reach places just not possible on foot, but by staying on established fire roads and unmaintained roads.  

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2011 Florida Calendar now available for order!

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ORDER YOUR 2011 "SCENES FROM FLORIDA" FINE ART CALENDAR TODAY

$50 with free shipping!*

 

Featuring twelve unique fine art photographs, this 2011 calendar does not feature the typical images of Florida, but rather a very diverse series of images ranging from landscapes, to wildlife, to sunsets.  Orders may be placed using this form.  *Free shipping is provided to U.S. address only.

ORDER YOUR 2011 SCENES FROM FLORIDA fine art calendar today!!

  • Makes a great souvenir gift for visiting friends & family

Free iPhone Wallpaper Monday: Autumn Bokeh

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free iPhone wallpaper -- Autumn Bokeh

Start your work week off with a free new wallpaper for your iPhone or iPod touch!

I chose this image for this week's free iPhone wallpaper because I do not think I have ever made a photograph with this tone and with this color bokeh.  It also feels like autumn to me, and even here in Florida things are starting to feel autumn-ish.  Please let me know in the comments below if you use it for your iPhone wallpaper.  See the full image here.

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My full (and growing) collection of iPhone wallpapers can be viewed HERE and are available for just $1 each.

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 To Install the wallpaper onto your iPhone:

1. Right-click or control-click on the image.

2. Select “Save as…”

* Mac users:  save the image to a folder or add it to your iPhoto library.

* PC users:   save the image in your “My Pictures” folder.

Connect the iPhone/iPod Touch to your computer and do the following:

1. Launch iTunes, click your iPhone icon on iTunes, choose the Photos tab, and select “Sync photos from:”

2. From the pop-up menu, do one of the following:

* If your using a Mac, choose iPhoto or your Pictures folder.
* If you’re using a PC, choose My Pictures folder.

3. Choose Folder, then choose any folder on your computer that has images.

4. Choose “All photos,” or choose “Selected folders” or “Selected albums” and choose the folders or albums you want to sync.

On your iPhone:

5. Launch the Photos app. Browse through the albums or Camera Roll until you find the picture you wish to use.

6. Select the picture so it is displayed full screen.

7. Tap the icon in the lower left corner of the screen. If you don’t see the icon, single tap the picture to display the menus.

8. A menu pops up with three options: Email Photo, Use as Wallpaper, or Assign to Contact.

9. Choose “Use as Wallpaper"

Thanks to Photo Focus and Scott Bourne for the directions above.

All iPhone/iPod Touch Wallpapers are provided without any technical support. Each image is a 320×480 jpg file. All images are Copyright Jason Collin Photography, All Rights Reserved. You are granted a single use, non-exclusive, perpetual license to install this wallpaper on any iPhone or iPod Touch personally owned by you. This license grants you the right to use the wallpaper for non-commercial/personal use only. You may not re-sell, distribute, print or otherwise publish the image without the express written consent of the Copyright owner: Jason Collin Photography 

Photo Story: Alpine Accentor at Takigo-yama Summit

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alpine accentor on perch

Whenever I move to a new country, area or city, I quickly establish customs and traditions . . . and favorites.  Then I return or revisit these each year I continue to live in that place.  Hiking to the summit of Takigo-yama was my favorite hike to do in Japan.  In fact, I did it 7 times.  photo made at the summit of Takigo-yamaIt offers spectacular views of Mt. Fuji on clear days, which were the majority when I summited it.  My third time hiking it was with Aya and a group of others.  At that time I had no idea that by the time I summited it for my 7th, and last time, it would be with Aya again, but this time with her as my wife.

It was also the first time to summit Takigo-yama with a DSLR.  I even took my very heavy Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm F2.8D lens with me.  When we reached the summit and Mt. Fuji was shrouded in clouds, I was very disappointed because I knew I'd never get to see my favorite view in all of Japan again, and also that I broke my back for no reason.

However, then I spotted this little fellow, an alpine accentor, on a perch on the summit.  I quickly put on the 80-200mm lens and was able to make the above photograph.  Just that single image made it all worth it and on the descent I thought how glad I was to have brought that heavy lens!

This photograph is also basically my only wildlife photograph of Japan.  The gray background is from the mist shrouding the summit and blocking Fuji from view.