Late Fall Afternoon on Our Dock

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Stephen L Tabone

I went down to our dock late this afternoon to begin winterizing our boat, because it stays on the lake throughout the winter.   It was a gorgeous fall afternoon with unusually high temperatures in the lower 70s, and it was just too nice to be inside. I brought along my camera just in case I saw something worth photographing while on the dock, and there was.

As the sun began setting, its golden light illuminated the remaining leaves on the trees across the cove from our dock. It made the orange leaves glow and turned the brown leaves orange. Autumn’s weather and beautiful colors are refreshing and invigorating.

Below is another image from our dock looking across a very large rock that protrudes out of the lake. Because of its close proximity to our dock, I occasionally use the hooks in it to tie boat lines.

Finally, I photographed some of the leaves floating on the lake. This one caught my attention because of the water that was sitting on it, and because the orange color of the leaf is in direct contrast to the dark blue of the lake.

All of the above images were shot with a Nikon D700 at high ISO settings (1600, 6400 and 1600, respectively), because I was hand-holding the camera, and the light was relatively low requiring a slow shutter speed.

Posted in Autumn Photography, Landscape Photographs | Tagged , | 1 Comment

American Goldfinch

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Stephen L Tabone

It was a beautiful fall weekend in northern Virginia, but unfortunately, I was not able to get out and do any serious photography. As a consequence, I am feeling photography withdrawal pains. The antidote is to make plans for a serious photography outing at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware to photograph the large flocks of migratory snow geese that winter there.

Even though I did not get out for any “serious photography,” my camera is always ready, and therefore, I was able to photograph an American Goldfinch in one of the trees behind our house. The tree had already shed its leaves, but the bright orange leaves on the tree behind it helped to frame this image. (Nikon D300, ISO 200, 340mm, f/5.3, 1/200 sec)

Posted in Bird Photographs | Tagged | 1 Comment

Return of the Bluebirds

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Stephen L Tabone

We have a bird feeder behind our house that regularly attracts about a dozen different species of birds.  Most return to our feeder daily and all year round, like the American Goldfinches, House Finches, Cardinals, Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse, Doves, Nuthatches, Carolina Wrens, Starlings, Bluejays, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Dark-eyes Junkos, and Sparrows. We also have several species that are here only seasonally, like Grackles, Catbirds, and Bluebirds. That’s the ones that immediately come to mind. There are probably a few more. Our neighborhood is a designated bird sanctuary, and the birds apparently know it.

Bluebirds come to our feeder all year except during the summer, when there is plenty of other food to eat, like bugs. But during late fall, winter and early spring, Bluebirds frequent our feeder. Today, the Bluebirds returned. When I arrived home, there were six of them “working” the feeder as the sun was setting. I managed to get my camera set up and on a tripod in time to get off one good shot of one of the Bluebirds. Its blue and orange feathers were glowing in the setting sunlight with the fall colored trees illuminated in the background. It was a beautiful sight.

Seeing the Bluebirds and capturing this one digitally made a good day even better.

The above photo was taken with a Nikon D300 at ISO 200, 400mm, f/5.6, and 1/100 sec.

Posted in Bird Photographs | Tagged | 5 Comments

Video Slideshow of the Waterfalls at Ricketts Glen

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Stephen L Tabone

If you keep up with my blog, you know from recent blog articles that I photographed the waterfalls of Ricketts Glen State Park in Pennsylvania. Ricketts Glen is a large park with over 13,000 acres and is very scenic with 22 named waterfalls that range in height from 94 feet to 11 feet. The falls can be seen by hiking a trail rated as “difficult” for 3.2 miles. Although difficult, it is well worth the hike to see the falls.

This weekend, I developed a slideshow video of many of the waterfalls and the rivers that lead to and from the falls. The video lasts 4 minutes and contains sound, so be sure to have your speakers turned on when watching it. To see the video, click on the below image. I recommend putting the video in the full screen mode by clicking on the small arrows in the right corner of the video window after it starts.

 

The quality of the images in the video is somewhat reduced. To see the images in high resolution, click on the following link that will take you to the Ricketts Glen gallery on my website. http://stabone.com/p973245629

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Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Posted on October 29, 2011 by Stephen L Tabone

In early December, it will be two years since my trip to the Galapagos Islands. It does not seem like it was that long ago, because the 8 days I spent in the Galapagos are still very vivid in my mind. That could be because of the many images from the trip that I occasionally see on my computer or Website.  I shot nearly 5,000 thousand RAW images in 8 days, with no bracketing. The Galapagos Islands are a naturalist’s and photographer’s paradise. The above image was taken on Espanola Island.

(Above image taken from the top of Bartolome.)  Traveling from island to island on the equator, as part of a small group of 17 people led by two local naturalist guides on a luxurious yacht, was an experience that will be difficult to match for many reasons to include the gorgeous blue Pacific Ocean, unusual landscapes that were formed by volcanos, and unique fauna and flora. Fortunately, Ecuador recognizes the value of the Galapagos and has designated it as a national park, and protects it from the outside world. Access to the islands is strictly controlled.

Above is a view of Darwin’s Lake on Santiago Island.

Reflecting back on that trip, this blog article is devoted to some of my favorite photographs from the Galapagos Islands. I have many favorites; therefore, selecting these images was difficult. More of my photographs from the Galapagos Islands can be seen at http://stabone.com/f214099363

Above are two adult Galapagos Tortoises enjoying a small pond and the mud. Adult tortoises can weigh nearly 1,000 pounds and live for 100 years. We were able to wander freely in an area where they were located on Santa Cruz Island.

Marine Iguanas (above) were on most islands, and we had to watch when walking because they were sunning themselves on the trails and were not afraid of people and easily approachable.

Above, another Marine Iguana and a unique view down its throat, and below is a Land Iguana on Santiago Island.

Above is a Red-Footed Boobie perched on a branch.

Above is a Sea Lion sprawled across the rocky coast of Playa Ochoa, and below are two Magnificent Frigate Birds on Santiago Island. 

Above is a closeup of a sea turtle on the shoreline of Santiago Island.

Above are two courting Masked Boobies on Espanola Island.

Above is a Sally Lightfoot Crab on Genovesa Island, and below is a bull Sea Lion with his harem on Espanola Island.

And finally, above is a Blue-footed Boobie chick huddled up, shy and hiding.

All of the above images are just a sampling of the many photographs I took while in the Galapagos Islands. I believe you will agree that the Galapagos Islands are very unique and a special place. If you have ever considered going, I strongly encourage you to do so. You will not regret it, even if you are not a photographer or nature lover.

Had to add one more…Blue-footed Boobie flying over a blow-hole on Espanola Island.

In case you were wondering or curious, I went to the Galapagos Islands with Expedition Travel, who did an incredible job of organizing and conducting the trip. I highly recommend them.

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