Nature & Wildlife

Cosmos Flowers of Tachikawa Japan

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Cosmos of Tachikawa Japan with bokeh - my personal favorite flower photo~These photographs are some of my own early DSLR photography work.  All were taken with the Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D lens (save the portrait).  At this time I did not exactly know what I was doing all the time.  I was still stunned by the bokeh produced by the 50mm prime.

This selected collection of cosmos flowers were all made on the same afternoon at a place called "Cosmos Hill" in a park in Tachikawa, Japan.  The above photo is available as an iPhone wallpaper.  Since it was my first time out really with the sole purpose of photographing flowers with my first DSLR, I remember it clearly.  I was most certainly not the only one with the idea to go photograph these cosmos as there was a veritable line of photographers, like paparazzi at the Oscars, all photographing them too.  It was also one of my first times to really use my new 50mm f/1.8D lens.  I was not getting great results with my Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 (it was soon sold!) so after I put on the 50mm, it stayed on the rest of the afternoon.

red cosmos blooming in Tachikawa Japan - Nikon D80 Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D @ f/1.8 ISO 200 1/1,250th -0.33 EVI did not really know any better at the time to not shoot wide open (largest aperture) at f/1.8 so as to produce sharper images.  I was still just in the process of teaching myself how to become a more serious photographer.  I was still dazzled anytime I made a shot with bokeh in it, and the 50mm @ f/1.8 produces tons of bokeh.  When I went home to look at the shots they seemed unreal to me, which in fact, they are.  This is also what I think makes a photograph a photograph, showing something that cannot be seen at standing eye-level.  The human eye cannot see bokeh, therefore making a photograph with bokeh will tend to interest one's eye more.

Cosmos Hill Tachikawa Japan - Nikon D80 Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D @ f/2 ISO 200 1/4,000th -0.33 EVI even used the 50mm lens to make landscapes at a large aperture.  At the time this may have been more of a happy accident (see above) than a previsualized shallow DoF sea of flowers shot.  Such is the way things go when teaching oneself photography.  Mistakes still teach me to this day new things about photography, since I did not intend to do them, the results are sometimes pleasantly surprising and the next time I make sure to do it on purpose!

Yours truly, circa October 2008 in Tachikawa, Japan in front of Cosmos HillI have included the above portrait of me to show you how little things change for me over time, in this case 2.5+ years.  I literally wore that exact same shirt today (coincidentally), and also the same sunglasses and watch.  I am very loyal to my wardrobe and do not add, and certainly do not remove, items from it lightly.

Great Egret flying in St. Petersburg Florida - bird photography tips

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Great Egret in flight - St Petersburg Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/4 ISO 200 1/2500thContinuing with the bird trending blog posts, I had the opportunity to photograph a great egret up close and in flight.  As you can see I did not have to use a 600mm lens to get this tight of a shot of the great egret.  Nor was I in an airplane.  The secret to being able to get a shot like this without spending $10,000 is to . . . go to The Pier in downtown St. Petersburg!  Even the base of The Pier itself is rather high off the water often putting you at eye level to passing and even incoming birds.

great egret - The Pier in St Petersburg Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/4 ISO 200 1/2000thThis afternoon was a rare very overcast Florida day.  That meant I did not have to worry about getting my back to the sun or anything like that.  In fact, shooting a white bird like this great egret is best done on an overcast day I think, not counting sunrise or sunset time of course.  So, without having to worry about the light because the light was the same from any direction, the last location factor to be mindful of was:  background.  I often say bird shots are make or break first because of the light, and second because of the background.  Without a fantastically clean background, your shot will just not stand out from the other thousand great egret shots taken every day in Florida.  Of course one of the ways to reduce the impact of the background is to just make it all creamy bokeh.  Still, color of the bokeh does come into play.  Do you think the transition of brown at the base of the above photo works, or would it be better all blue-gray?  I thought it added another point of interest in the frame myself.  Let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree.  One last thing about the photo, looking at a bird like a great egret is strange and reminds of the rare times Beavis every looked straight ahead.  There is just something off about it!  Ah, and notice how I set the focus on the bird's eye.  Without the eye in focus, the shot would have been a fail, or I would have had to pass it off as "artistic style" of some sort!

Great Egret beak - The Pier St Petersburg Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/4 ISO 200 1/2000thOne last tip on photographing long-necked birds:  they are an awkward shaped creature, and it is often not the most flattering to include their entire body in the shot, especially when standing, and doubly especially when they are standing on a concrete wall!  Nothing takes the nature out of your shot like a human-made structure!  

Hence, in the above shot I focused on framing only a part of the great egret.  I used the rule of thirds and placed the eye in the upper left most third.  I had the bird looking into the empty space of the frame.  I of course also made sure the background was clean and the bokeh color complementary to the white of the egret.  Plus, I just think it looks cool to see this long neck protruding from the bottom of the frame.

Please share any of your Florida bird photography tips and links to your own shots in the comments below.

Snell Isle Series - 04 - Silk Floss Tree in full bloom

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Silk Floss Tree on Cordova Blvd Snell Isle - Nikon D300 5-bracket HDRThe Snell Isle Series continues with a very special tree that can be seen on Cordova Blvd.  I have been fascinated by this tree since I first saw it almost two years ago.  It is a Silk Floss Tree (Ceiba speciosa) and stands out because of its thorny, green trunk which gives it a distinct fairy tale look.  When it blooms, it looks like a giant cotton candy on a stick with its dense, pink flowers.  

Bees were swarming this Silk Floss Tree - Nikon D300 using pop-up flashThe tree has an eastern exposure, meaning sunset time is not good for photographing it.  So I woke up early and brought my HDR gear setup (Nikon D300, tripod, cable release) to catch the early morning light that just starts to pop up over the houses lining the street at 7:30am.  As I parked my car and was getting the tripod setup, I could hear an audible buzz.  There were power lines directly above, but I thought they cannot be under such a heavy load to buzz like that.  Well, the mystery was immediately cleared up when I walked up to the Silk Floss Tree.  Bees were all over the entire tree.  Every bee in a 5-mile radius must have been there, as it was 3+ bees to a flower (see above) and I was getting my tower buzzed as I stood there too, but I tried not to flinch.  An old woman passing by said she was on the other side of the street just to avoid the bees, but I felt no threat, they were in a nectar feeding frenzy, and I moved only cautiously and purposefully.

The Silk Floss Tree on Cordova has a great canopy - Nikon D300 5-bracket HDRThe property overall has immaculate and detailed landscaping.  The owner is a kindly elderly man who I have never spoken directly to, but waved at countless time as I drove by as he is always sitting out in the driveway, though sometimes napping!  He has been gone for awhile, and I wonder if he will return.  His absence makes the neighborhood feel significantly less warm to me.

Hug this! Nikon D300 5-bracket HDRThe Silk Floss Tree of Cordova really is the grand landmark of the area, way more so than the two-story multi-million dollar homes that are adjacent to it.  Every time I pass by, it gives me at least a second of wonder and fancy in my day.  I just hope its owner returns as well.

De Soto National Memorial Florida Park

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View from De Soto National Memorial hill - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 400 1/320th

I am always searching the west-central Florida Google map for new parks, preserves and forests to visit and explore.  De Soto National Memorial, on the map, is a very humble tip of land jutting out into Tampa Bay.  DogFriendly.com gave its beaches a dog friendly rating.  The park exceeded all my expectations and is a true hidden gem in the Anna Maria Island and Bradenton area.  

Water not over Kiki's head - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 1/125th f/8After a bit of disappointment at the underwhelming and dog unfriendly Lake Manatee State Park, we still had a thirst for adventure in Manatee County that day, but an approaching rain storm caused us to hesitate.  I decided to press on anyways and as you can see above the storm was already well past once we arrived.  My philosophy:  It is better to regret doing something than to regret not doing something.  The beach was very natural, really just small coves among a coastline of mangrove trees.  The water was shallow and calm, allowing Kiki for the first time to be able to stand and walk around in any body of water.  She really loved being able to do that and I imagine any other water loving dog would as well.  These calm conditions also allowed me to without fear take my Nikon D300 out in the water!  I was knee deep for this shot.  One warning though, there are some random sharp shells around even in the water.  I cut my left big toe!  

 settler ruins/haikyo -- Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 400 1/125thBesides a beautiful, natural, dog-friendly waterfront, the memorial had a lot of great history that we did not have time to study much this visit.  There were some scary photo realistic placards of Native Americans and Spanish Conquistadors hidden along the trail that startled me (and Kiki too).  It is always nice to find a haikyo/ruins site, like the one above, as well.

Beware the Devil Dog! -- Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5 ISO 400 1/800thDe Soto National Memorial is a highly recommended park for an afternoon trip that offers history, trail walking, hilltop views and dog-friendly private beaches.  We will definitely be back soon.  If you visit, just keep you eyes open for the Devil Dog!


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Snell Isle Series - 03 - Bird of Paradise Flowers of Snell Isle Florida

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Nikon D300 Nikkor AF-S 105mm VR micro f/2.8G @ f/4 ISO 200 1/160th Strobist: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight @ 1/16th power with diffuser cap on tripod backlighting flower triggered by Yongnuo radio remotes

I had been wanting to photograph these Bird of Paradise (strelitzia) flowers in my neighborhood for at least six weeks.  Day after day I would be walking Kiki past the flowers thinking, "maybe this evening I will come photograph them."  Then there would be no good ones in bloom.  By that I mean already dying petals on the flower or they were too low to the ground and therefore I could not photograph the flower with a clean (no distractions) background.  Finally, after a heavy rainstorm, everything came together two evenings ago and I was able to accomplish a photography goal and continue the Snell Isle Series.  

Nikon D300 Nikkor AF-S 105mm VR micro f/2.8G @ f/22 ISO 200 1s Strobist: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight @ 1/16th power with diffuser cap on tripod backlighting flower triggered by Yongnuo radio remotesBird of Paradise flowers secrete a nectar that ants love to eat.  Even just a short time after a very heavy rain, the ants were already back out to the nectar trough.  I did not even think to sample the nectar myself until just now!  Maybe next time I pass by.

I cannot help but think if one of these is really angry that the other totally invaded its space . . .The type of Bird of Paradise flower that grows in my neighborhood are part of medium-sized long-leafed plants that make for very attractive landscaping even without any blooms.  I will still keep my eye out for a particularly good bloom for future photographs, especially one with a lot of ants feeding on the nectar.

Lake Manatee State Park

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Kayaking opportunity on Lake Manatee - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 5-bracket HDR tripod mounted with Nikon MC-30 cable releaseI was excited to spot Lake Manatee State Park on Google Maps.  It seemed like it was an exciting find as I especially like to visit state parks with lakes or rivers.  In fact, it is a very modest state park with one small, but nice access point to the lake, which is itself somewhat nondescript.  In other words, the place was basically a desert.  The campground was booked solid with it being Labor Day, but the park still felt rather empty.  This is normally ok with me, but it seems there was a reason for it being so.  Kiki was with us so we could not swim in the lake (against its alligator attracting rules), a prudent precaution by the park, but with a number of people swimming, including children, it would seem quite safe enough and any alligator would be avoiding the human contact of the area.  Still, we could have rented a canoe and brought Kiki on the lake that way, and since you can only rent a canoe at the entrance, we thought we should have just rented one then and saved the return trip.  However, we ended up being glad we did not fork out the $10 for a 2-hour rental ahead of time as the lake offered no cover and we would have only boiled on its surface with minimal sightseeing opportunities.

Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 5-bracket HDR tripod mounted with Nikon MC-30 cable releaseDespite all that we enjoyed window shopping as we walked through the campground wondering what all the trailers and RVs looked like inside and had a nice picnic lunch on one of the numerous covered table areas.  We even made use of the playground for a bit.  

Visit this park in cooler weather and I do not recommend bringing a pet/dog since the park's best feature, the lake, is basically off limits to them. 

A pelican hiding inside of a pelican

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brown pelican (female) - Nikon D300 with Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens @ f/4 ISO 800 1/400thPelicans are very malleable birds.  Though they may not be very beautiful or majestic, I think if I had to live life as a bird I might choose to be a pelican just for how many different ways they can fly, swim and rest in.  One of my long term photography goals is to photograph a pelican at near eye level as it just skims over the surface of the water.  In the meantime, I still find pelicans in new positions I have not seen before.  

The above female brown pelican had her neck turned 180 degrees with her beak resting between her wings in a homemade feather pillow.  Using my Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens @ 200mm I did not disturb her at all to make this photograph, but I cannot tell for sure if she was sleeping with one eye open or not.  

I wondered what she was dreaming about.