Wood Duck in Autumn Reflections

…another Wood Duck from Ohio!

West Virginia day trip

Hey,

I took a day trip out to Blackwater Falls and the Monongahela National Forest today. The roads were horrible! I got stuck in the snow multiple times and was lucky to have been able to get out on my own. I guess that’s what I get for driving past a “no snow removal beyond this point” sign. Go figure…

Anyhow, here are two quickly processed shots. The first is of Blackwater Falls, and the second is of hoar frost coated trees near Thomas, WV. Shooting conditions were tough, and I’m not too sure yet of how I did photographically. At least I had a good time!

Wood Duck Drake in Autumn Reflections

Who doesn’t like Wood Ducks? They are definitely among the most unique looking North American birds, and a personal favorite to photograph. Even if you’re not into birds, they’re just awesome looking ducks.

In the second week of October last year, I traveled to Cleveland, OH to photograph Wood Ducks. There’s a park that’s a few miles east of the city where Wood Ducks are extremely tame, and have even been known to eat corn from people’s hands. Going in peak autumn color makes for some very unique and interesting photo ops. As you can see here, by standing higher then I normally would for photographing waterfowl, I am able to photograph the Wood Duck with the reflections of the autumn trees on the water. Here’s one of a few I’m going to share with you.

Lost Land Falls Panoramic, Potomac State Forest, Maryland.

Hey everybody,

…the photo processing continues! Looks like weather will prevent me from getting out to Barnegat Light this week. Maybe I’ll try West Virginia if the snow forecast takes a turn for the better… We’ll see. I have to get out and shoot SOMETHING, though.

Anyway, I’ve been having a bit of fun with these autumn panos. Here’s one of Lost Land Falls, from the Potomac State Forest, just outside of Oakland, Maryland. This is an extremely photogenic set of falls and I think I like the 67 megapixel pano treatment here. Let me know if you disagree, though. I’m still not too sure about this one.

Mirror Pond Reflection #2, Canaan Valley State Park, West Virginia

…Another from Mirror Pond.

Mirror Pond Reflection #1, Canaan Valley State Park, West Virginia

Since I’ve been back, I have probably put 10-15 hours into processing the photos from my journey, and I’m only through with six days of shooting. It’s definitely a good thing I like this part too. I haven’t been able to dive into it the way I’d like, however, because I have to study for my SAT on Saturday. I’m not looking forward to it!

I’m going to be posting images from my long trip for the next few months, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be getting out to shoot as well. I’m going to get out to Barnegat Light, New Jersey for a day or two next week to photograph waterfowl and whatever else comes around.

Here’s one of over 200 images I shot at Mirror Pond on this incredible rainy morning. The color of the leaves was just fantastic. I made some of my favorite autumn images of the year from this location.

Fall Foliage Pano

Hey everybody,

I don’t do these too often, but here’s a pano I shot back in West Virginia at the beginning of last October. Chris and I returned to these woods multiple times, in just about all imaginable light conditions: overcast, rainy, backlit, and directly lit. This image in particular was shot in bright overcast conditions, which, besides thick fog, are my favorite conditions to photograph fall foliage scenes.

This is a stitch of about 8 vertical images. It’s approximately 12000×5000 in size. Click the image to see it a bit larger than I’d usually post on here.

Early Autumn in Canaan Valley, WV

Hey guys,

Here’s one from Canaan Valley, WV. The fall color out there was ridiculous. I’ve never seen anything like it, to be honest. The reds, especially… They were just unbelievable. I’ve enjoyed this shot because I feel like it shows the entire progression of Autumn, minus the barren limbs that occur afterward. It almost seems to fade from green to yellow, yellow to orange, then from orange to red. This makes for a very “complete” autumn image, if there ever was such a thing.

White-tailed Deer fawn hiding in the grass

Hey,

This was taken in June, before my long trip, but I just processed it for something else and had it ready, so why not share it with you all?

Sandhill Crane Takeoff!

I’m getting into processing my tons of files, and it’s a blast. We have had a bit of a cold snap here in Virginia, and I regret that I wasn’t able to get out and photograph any of the cool ice patterns. I went out looking today but didn’t find anything. It’s not supposed to go over freezing tomorrow, so maybe I’ll look again elsewhere early on Wednesday morning. We’ll see!

Here’s one from Bosque Del Apache in Late November. I was photographing a group of Sandhill Cranes feeding and walking around. I was waiting and hoping to see some action, perhaps a take-off or something of the sort. Because of this, I had selected an exposure that allowed for a fast shutter speed (1/1250th) just in case of any movement.

Yellowstone Elk

Hey everybody,

Now that my trip has come to an end, I’ll begin the daunting task of processing all of my photos! Stay tuned to my blog, as I’ll be sharing images almost daily over the next few months. There’s also a ton of shooting I’d like to do in my home area, so that’ll keep me busy as well.

Here’s a Rocky Mountain Elk I photographed in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park. He was HUGE! Well, actually, I’m sure some of you have seen bigger. It was the biggest I have ever seen, though. I’d love to go back in a few years. I can’t think of a single place I’d rather be in the winter.

Downy Woodpecker

Hey everybody

I’m still getting used to being at home. Here’s a beautiful male Downy Woodpecker from Matthew Studebaker’s awesome backyard setup. I was hoping to get some shots of the Hairy Woodpecker that has been poking around his place, but I didn’t. I’m happy with this as well! I love the pose up on top of the branch.

Back home!

Hey everyone,

Sorry for the recent lack of updates. After zipping through the midwest, and quick visits to the Cleveland and Toronto areas, I have made it home! It’s tough getting used to not being out on the road, but that’s okay. It’s good to be home, and I’m happy to see everybody again.

Here’s a shot of a White Winged Scoter from Hamilton, Ontario. While I’d typically prefer a lower angle of view, this is the lowest I could get, and it’s a cool species! I’ve made it a personal goal to get good photographs of 15 species of waterfowl this winter and spring. Since I’ve now made it to 14, I’ve upped my goal to 25. This is going to be a main focus of mine for the remainder of the winter, and hopefully I can make it happen!

Coyote- Pt. 5

Keeping a watchful eye on the others..

Coyote- Pt. 4

The defeated one, as it is walking away.

Coyote Chase- Pt. 3

And the next…

Coyote Chase- Pt. 2

Next photo…

Coyote Chase- Pt. 1

Hey everybody,

I’ve made it to Ohio. His bird-ness Sir Matthew Studebaker has been kind enough to let me crash at his place tonight. We’re getting something like a foot of snow here in the next 24 hours, so I’m going to go out shooting waterfalls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It should be nice to get to shoot some falls with a fresh coat of snow! I’m also going to try my hand at a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers that have been hanging around Matthew’s feeders. Hopefully that will work out too. After a quick visit across the border tomorrow, I’ll finally be headed home!

Anyway, here’s the first of a few shots I made of there two Coyotes. I found them in the Lamar Valley area of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. One of their friends had been attacked and killed by wolves just a few moments before. The one in the back was clearly unhappy with the other, and they fought it out for a little bit! It was truly spectacular to witness this.

On the road and going home.

Hey,

I’m just a few hours from leaving Wyoming and beginning the long drive home. It’s about time! Here’s a quick shot I got in Grand Teton National Park a few days ago.

Happy New Year!

Hey everybody,

Sorry it has been so long since an update. I’ve been skiing, relaxing, and decompressing with family in Wyoming for the last week. My long trip is coming to an end and it’s now time to start going home! Here’s a moose I shot in the snow for a few hours earlier this week.