What could be better to celebrate my dad’s 79th birthday than something he might see loose on the family farm? Stephanie Young Merzel delivers, with self-titled “Intimacy“, which is a keeper for clarity, color, and […]
Tag: nature photography
Flickr a Week 20: ‘February Super Snow Moon’
The week goes to Steve McClanahan for self-titled “February Super ‘Snow’ Moon“, which is “playing hard to get behind the San Francisco Bay Bridge”, he explains. Ambience, character, composition, and contrasting elements—natural and man-made—make the […]
Flickr a Week 15a: ‘Happy Easter’
Self-titled “Happy Easter“, which Tobias Nordhausen made on April 18, 2015, is serene and simple—making something small seem so much bigger, and more important, before the bokeh building background. Vitals: f/8, ISO 100, 1/125 sec, […]
Flickr a Week 14a: ‘A Beautiful Morning in Dyrehaven-3’
For Palm Sunday, we present something calm—and it’s needed remedy with, in response to the Novel Coronavirus pandemic, so many people confined to their homes and with most businesses closed country after country. Today won’t be a day of celebration, as Christians must stay apart rather than gather together. Surely, the pangs of many parishioners will be greater come Easter Sunday in a week.
Bo Nielsen captured self-titled “A Beautiful Morning in Dyrehaven-3” on Sept. 30, 2015, using Olympus E-M1 and LUMIX G VARIO 100-300/F4-5.6 lens. The portrait is a keeper for composition, light, and serenity.
Flickr a Week 10: ‘Northern Lights in Northern Island’
During my Aroostook County, Maine youth, the night sky treated me and other residents to expansive Milky Way—on many evenings filled with Aurora Borealis. Sanshiro Kubota captured their stunning spectacle from Jökulsárlón, Iceland, on Oct. […]
Flickr a Week 9a: ‘Essaimage’
I came to the Photostream of Alexandre Gallier by way of “Simple Portrait“, which charms for its texture and natural effervescence. But the Sunday spot instead goes to self-titled “Essaimage“, not because the other isn’t worthy but to keep a varied flow of the series‘ selections.
The closeup, from Nikon D610 with 90mm Tamron Macro lens, is a keeper for beautiful bokeh, contrasty colors, and delicious detail. Vitals: f/11, ISO 400, 1/40 sec, 90mm; April 16, 2019.
Tortoises in Black and White
Yesterday, my wife suggested a walk around San Diego Zoo, which wasn’t nearly as bustling as I would expect it to be on a summer-like-weather Friday afternoon. The place was by no means desolate of people, just not overly crowded. I wonder if increasing paranoia about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one reason. People infected or showing symptoms are being treated or quarantined at UCSD Medical Center, which is just 3.7-km drive (2.3 miles) from the zoo. My apartment is even closer: 2 km (1.3 miles) as the crow flies and 3 km (1.9 miles) by road. If—gulp, when—the virus spreads locally, my family will be at the epicenter.
But back to the lovely afternoon spent with the animals—calm before SHTF, as the country’s self-described Preppers call it—I brought along Leica Q2, with the Film Style set to Monochrome. The result wasn’t as anticipated. Importing into Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic, after returning home, the RAWs came in as color. I wrongly assumed that the setting would apply to the native files. Nope, only to the JPEGs.
Flickr a Week 4a: ‘The Cow–Aberdeenshire, Scotland’
When curating photos for this series, two criteria matter: Creative Commons copyright and presenting a variety of different subjects and styles. Cuts can be brutal. All choices are subjective, of course, and not everyone will share my taste. I wonder what the reaction will be to self-titled “The Cow—Aberdeenshire, Scotland“, which Giuseppe Milo captured on Sept. 28, 2018, using Fujifilm X-Pro2 and Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR lens. Vitals: f/9, ISO 400, 1/750 sec, 55mm.
The self-described “travel and street photographer”, who lives in Dublin, Ireland, joined Flickr in September 2012. He also is a programmer and web developer, as he explains on his personal site. His nature shot takes the Sunday spot for composition, color, contrast, use of light, and being interesting.
Flickr a Week 3a: ‘Wild Tulip’
Our Sunday spot goes to Mihai Lucîț, from Baia Mare, Romania. On April 7, 2018, he used Nikon D750 and Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR lens to capture self-titled “Wild Tulip“. Pristine detail […]
God’s Gift
Rain is the forecast for this San Diego Christmas, but brief sunshine summoned my wife and I to take a morning walk. As we approached our apartment, rain returned about a block away, catching me […]
Bee Friendly
Along the sidewalk outside what was the Butterfly House—and a yard now greatly trimmed back of insect-and-bird-welcoming flowers and plants—a bee drinks nectar on July 19, 2019. I captured the Featured Image and companion using Leica Q, manually focused. Vitals: f/2.8, ISO 100, 1/1600 sec, 28mm; 12:19 p.m. PDT. Other is the same, except for 1/2000 sec.
Neither bug mug is as sharp as would please me, but they’ll have to do as memory markers for a refuge vanished. As Monarchs migrated South this autumn, I wonder where went those accustomed to the Butterfly House as one of their way stations.
Making Monarch Moments
Surely weather is major explanation: Monarchs are uncharacteristically present this summer. I see more around University Heights than any year since moving our family to San Diego in October 2007. I wondered while walking around the neighborhood: How effective a photographic tool could be Fujifilm GFX 50R for capturing butterflies? After all, composing is deliberate rather than quick, and the Fujinon GF63mmF.28 R WR lens isn’t specifically designed for macro (e.g. close-up) work. I have experimentally used the oversized camera as a street shooter—since acquiring it in February 2019 to replace my Leica M10, which a Mexican wedding photographer purchased from me late last year.
The massive medium-format sensor collects heaps of data, which makes shooting with a 50mm-equivalent prime lens surprisingly satisfying. In post-production, I can crop in close, retaining amazing detail—something that the Featured Image and first companion demonstrate. The 50R is able enough, and more. Question answered.