Flying Fish

VA Osprey taking a fish for a ride.  It was soon to be a meal.

Fall in Virginia - Foliage shooting 2016

Unlike all previous years I went to Shenandoah National Park 3 times in October.  I think all other years I've only gone once, usually on or about October 20th.

This year I went in very early October and there was no fall color, just green.  And on this visit I hiked up Hawksbill Mountain, and that was also a first.  I've always taken the easy approach to SNP and shot from the road, from the overlooks and walked very very little, almost not at all exploring.  But this year was different, and the hike and views were good.  It was a bit of a scouting trip to see what the views would be like, as well as a good day of exercise, hiking with ~3 cameras, ~4-5 lenses, and a tripod.

Then I went back on Saturday October 22nd.  The fall colors were late arriving, and according to the SNP fall foliage reporting page, it was here finally, in gloriously fine colors here, there, and all over...  It was much better on the 22nd, but it was also very windy.  Like, 50 mph windy, so a good bit of the turned leaves were blown off.  The SNP site did it's report on the 21st, and probably described views of foliage that had subsequently fallen from the trees by the time I got there.  But as with any day out in nature, exploring, and hunting for cool images it was worth it.

My new found routine was to get to SNP ~45 minutes before sunrise (6:30am-ish) and then drive along Skyline Drive and see what the sunrise might do and pick a spot.  The sunrise wasn't as spectacular as past ones, mostly cloudy but still great to be out.  And I just checked to see what the images looked like from sunrise in my edited folder, and there was nothing.  So I checked my lightroom app to see what happened and it was ok, and I did bulk edit hundreds of RAW files in to TIFs and then in to HDR TIFs.  I do that in bulk to save time and see what comes out, and then if I like an image either post process that HDR file, or start over the process it fresh with unique settings for that group of source files.  Part of what I was disappointed with from the files is that due to the wind and slow shutter speed I used a lot of the images have motion/blur and that didn't seem appealing at least so far...

Anyway, I shot as normal for much of the morning, and was among a number of photographers all shooting sunrise from the same overlook.  Then after a little bit everyone had left and I was the only photographer still there.  At this point I realized there were probably many more images to be had if I just slowed down and looked for different things, and kept an open mind.

I shot leaves gathered in the corner of one part of the stone wall.  I hopped over the wall and shot some of the trees, leaves, rocks, etc.  I shot the road with the wall, and used the wall and it's graphic line to lead the eye in to the image...  And then I started to also focus on the wall and the smaller details.  There were a handful of vines and growing plants on the wall itself. 

When I go shooting to a place like SNP I bring a lot of gear, multiple bodies, multiple wide angle lenses, a zoom or two, and occasionally a macro lens.  The below images was taken with a D4 and 24-120mm f/4 lens.  I've had the D4 for a while, and 24-120mm is new to me, and I got it used less than a year ago - it has a nice smallish aperture, and good close focusing distance.  As I was playing around, I realized I could get the background blur to have the color of the leaves and that would complement the stone wall and vine in the foreground.  I like the resulting image, and managed to get some other varieties of the same theme later in the day with different plants and background that I may still share.

If there's a point or take away from this blog post it is to keep looking and exploring, and be open to seeing images that you didn't plan on taking or didn't immediately reveal themselves.  And also don't just go with the crowd - I could have easily left the overlook and moved on when I noticed everyone else had done that.

Searching for something different I started to explore around the overlook for something other than the big views:

 
After sunrise and this area, I drove south on Skyline Drive and then hiked Hawksbill Mountain.  I took this image after being up there for a while (HDR) and posted it already to flickr...


 -Jon


Updated with more images I processed and shared after writing the above post:

Chincoteague NWR, VA

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

I've now been something like 5 or 6 times to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia.

It is a pretty cool refuge - with pools and areas protected from the coast, as well as the beach right up on the Atlantic Ocean. In the summer it is a hotspot for beach goers and folks looking for wildlife too.

Compared to Blackwater NWR the mix of animals if very different in the summer. Blackwater has lots of eagles and osprey, and some herons. Chincoteague has the ponies (!) and a couple eagles and a few osprey, but most of what I saw were herons and egrets of many varieties. Things like Little Blue Herons, Redish Egrets, Snowy Egrets and Cattle Egrets are in good numbers, and of those many I've never seen at Blackwater. Something about being right along the coast makes Chincoteague have more and different birds I think.



While I've seen a handful of Black Skimmers there, I heard that over on the "NASA beach" there's like a billion. Which I would guess translates in to actually thousands, but I don't know. From what the person said it is only accessible by NASA employees. :/



In August I got some shots of the Cattle Egrets working from the backs of the Ponies! It was pretty darn cool to see. I need to review the images again and post one to flickr, they're ok but so far I wasn't super jazzed about any one image based on composition, details, behavior, etc. But here's a preview where an Egret is jumping off the back of the pony and heading to the ground to catch something. The egrets hunt for the critters that the ponies reveal as they walk around.




I'm still learning the refuge and the ins and outs, and what works best and when - both time of day and time of year.

One of the challenges is that it is pretty crowded, so it is tough to have a quiet and controlled encounter. The Wildlife Drive is open to foot and bike traffic all day, and then also car traffic after 3pm. The wildlife drive has proven cool, but I don't think I've gotten ANY of my favorite shots from there, except for a few skimmer shots. Most of what I like has been taken along the road to the beach or adjacent to the beach itself.

I'm sure the wildlife drive is better in Fall with more migratory birds there, and less people traffic. Many people I've spoken to talk about visiting in Fall and NOT summer. I like to explore and come up with those rules myself - so I visited a few times this summer, and did ok, but now hope to do even better in Fall...

-Jon

Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Nikographer.com / Jon

DC Fireworks July 4th 2010

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Yesterday was the 4th of July and I made my second serious attempt to shoot the DC fireworks.



Like any major event downtown or nearby Washington DC it takes the right mindset and a plan to avoid unplanned pitfalls or something which might make the night a bust. For the 4th of July the things to plan for are the spot to shoot from, transportation to and from there, and having the right gear and supplies to make it somewhat comfortable.

I was leaning towards trying to shoot from near the Iwo Jima Memorial and did just that. I started surveying the area, road closures, access to various places around 1PM - a full 8 hours before the fireworks. I parked in a grassy area setup by the park police near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery when heading north on the George Washington Parkway. By 2:30 or so I had walked to the Iwo Jima Memorial and picked a spot in the shade to wait and finalize my plans from. By around 7PM the area started to get fairly busy and I picked my final spot - where I took this shot looking back up the hill from.

For supplies I packed a Gatorade, 4 frozen waters, a soda and some trail-mix.

read more...

For gear I packed my D300 and D300s, 80-400mmVR and 18-200mmVR and my two tripods. I also had a cable release and stereo microphone. Last fall I got a VariND, a variable Neutral Density filter and I brought that, and a circular polarizer too. I also brought a bag chair, and a couple of camera bags to carry the stuff in. In all I probably had like 30 pounds of stuff, maybe more.

I posted this one last night right after I got home. It might be the best of the night I got.



What Worked Well
The gear I picked was enough. Lol, I brought a ton, but I did leave another camera home (Fuji S5) and a video camera. Since I knew I'd be walking a lot and heading back to my car in the dark, I didn't bring my 200-400mm. It is a great somewhat fast lens but is huge and weighs a lot. The 80-400mm worked better because I had a ND filter for it, and could shoot long exposures without having to stop down to f/18 or more and go past the sharp range of the lens (and avoid highlighting dust spots on my sensor).

Part way in to shooting I had to adjust my exposures a bit and remembered something from a podcast I had just listened to regarding low ISO. Nikon makes the ISOs below 200 low-1, 2 and 3. The reason these are low is that below ISO 200 the camera doesn't perform as well, possibly with more noise than at ISO 200. So I adjusted my ISO up to ISO 200.

The VariND on the 80-400mm lens also worked well. I wound up using it to adjust my exposure once I was setup and rolling. I chimped some shots, and increased the ND a bit.

While reviewing last year's images I realized I was not zoomed in nearly enough. This year I made sure to try to get tighter shots, more full frame. Part of my thinking was that fireworks are set off all over the country, but the thing that makes seeing them in Washington DC so special is the surroundings / the monuments, the Capital Building, etc. I did way better than last year, but it wasn't until almost the end that I zoomed in on the 80-400 past around 250 or 300mm.

What Didn't Work Well
Operating two cameras led to many more shots than what I could have done with just one camera. However I think I did two things wrong. I had the tripods very close and touching eachother, or at least the stuff I had hanging from the tripods (to add weight) were touching. This led to shooting with one camera and adjust the other and moving that first camera a bit. I have some images that show movement in the camera.

I shot in manual focus on both cameras. This speeds things up, prevents focusing on close trees and makes for consistency. However, I didn't pay close enough attention on the 18-200mm and D300s and a large group of early shots are out of focus, focused closer than what I wanted.

Shooting two cameras at the same time isn't something I've ever done like this, so all in all I did ok.

What I Might Try Differently Next Year
Shooting from near the Iwo Jima Memorial was pretty cool. I got the shots I wanted and had planned for. Getting all 3 Washington icons in tight formation was what I'd seen in my minds eye.



Next year I might see about shooting from downtown DC or somewhere else. I've seen some shots from behind the Capital building looking west that were very good, and made the Capital build the major "dc" element...

Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Nikographer.com / Jon

DC Fireworks Photography and Tips

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/





I've had the upcoming fireworks on the brain. I've been thinking about how last year went, what I might try this year, and what I should do to make the most of it.

read more

When last year was approaching I was kicking myself because all my decent DC fireworks shots (very few or none) were posted and used already. So I knew I'd probably take tons in 2009 and have at least one to use that was fresh and different to lead in to this year's 4th of July Celebration in the Nation's Capital.



Flickr Description:

Last year (above) was the first year I took the 4th fireworks in DC seriously and set out on a mission to photograph the event.

I went super early and made an entire day of it. This year I want to do something similar but better and different. I liked the view from the VA side of the river, but a review of images from a minute ago and nothing is tight enough, way too much empty space and everything had to be cropped.

What worked was the monuments - to set the location and day in to context.

This year I'm trying to come up with a new plan. I might go over to the DC side, but I don't want to be so close that I can't get at least one monument. I am also thinking about going up towards the Iwo Jima Memorial.

Are folks as psyched as me for the 4th and taking photos?

There are lots of guides and tips out there - briefly: use a tripod, mirror delay, cable release, 2 or 3 second shutter speed, take photos continuously (it ends very quickly), manual focus, ~f/8 for some DoF and if you're in the DC area you probably should get to the spot at least a few hours early, probably more.

Any one have a good spot to recommend? Maybe something high up like a rooftop or somewhere else unique? (if it is a secret, email me)

Here are a few more detailed tips in case you're in need of a little help. It took me a couple of tries to get the right approach and get the shots I got last year.

Fireworks Photography Tips

#1 Find the right spot - The spot you shoot from is key and fundamental to all the rest. In DC getting one or more landmarks is a must. The fireworks are launched from the east side of the reflecting pool, and that area is off limits. I walked around there last year during the day, and late in the afternoon they lock down the fireworks area and neighboring land. A spot that is not too close is good so you can get a good complete shot. However I've also seen some shots from between the Washington Monument and the Capital and they were night, tight, and well done too. Rooftops are a nice shooting location too, I've not done it, but I've seen some nice results.

#2 Use a Tripod - Exposure times should be something like 1 to 2 or 3 seconds so you cannot try to handhold the camera. The tripod should be solid, and if you have a backpack with stuff in it, hang it off the hook in between the legs for extra weight and stability.

#3 Timer, Mirror delay, Cable Release - All of these things will help minimize camera shake and blur. In 2009 I used all 3 things and they helped but also took up considerable precious time. The fireworks take forever to get started, but once they do, it seems like it last a few minutes and is over. Use a 2 or 3 second timer, mirror delay if you have it, and shoot as close to continuously as you can. In 2009 I ONLY took around 150 shots and wished I had gotten more.

#4 Turn OFF in Camera Noise Reduction - Leaving it on will double the time the camera spends on EACH photo, effectively cutting the number of long exposures you can capture in half. So turn off IN-CAMERA-NOISE-REDUCTION! If you only plan to shoot a few shots, keep it on, but see tip #3 if you want to get lots of shots - keep it off.

#5 Get to the spot early - One of my first years trying to shoot the fireworks I made my final approach around 2 hours before dark and I was late, entire areas were full and unavailable to even attempt to park at or shoot from. Use Metro is possible.

#6 Exposure Plan - You need a plan for how you are going to get the right exposure. I didn't my first time and tried to "freeze the action!" Yeah, that doesn't work. What makes the fireworks so cool is a long exposure where the light streaks and blurs and makes huge patterns. So that means you need a longer exposure than you might plan for if you didn't have a plan. A 2 second exposure at ISO 400 and f/5.6 is a very long time if you have anything that's even remotely bright (like fireworks). I'd say with those settings you'd get an over-exposed frame. I shoot in manual mode. This helps to produce consistent results. But it still take some experimenting to find the right values. This shot from last year was adjusted from the RAW but here's the exif
Exposure 1.6 seconds
Aperture f/7.1
Focal Length 48 mm
ISO Speed 100

#7 Shoot in RAW - I used to shoot in JPG, or JPG+RAW and mostly used the JPGs. That was a couple years ago. Now I shoot only RAW. The main thing that changed was I discovered Photoshop Lightroom. Lightroom makes working with RAW files so much easier. And by that I mean easier to get better results than decently exposured JPG in camera. For night photography and fireworks photography RAW probably makes even more of a difference. Getting a couple stops of exposure to adjust in the RAW file lets you shoot and make little mistakes and overcome them. I don't go out planning to shoot mistakes. Fireworks happen so fast, go off some times one at a time, 2 or 3 or 4 at a time and there's just no time to meter for a 3 second exposure that isn't visible before you start exposing the sensor/film. If you aren't the type to work with RAW now, than do yourself a favor and shoot both at the same time, and use what you're comfortable with now, but give yourself options later when you get better at editing the camera's files.

#8 Use a black card to block the lens - One trick to get crazy shots of fireworks is to take multiple sets of launched fireworks and combine them in to one exposure. This can be done a few ways, but the old-school way, ie from film days, is to keep the camera's shutter open for an extended period of time and only let the light in when the fireworks are exploding. To do this block the lens during the in between time with a black card or something that won't let any light in.

#9 Check the Histogram - The histogram can be pretty helpful with fireworks. I'd recommend shooting RAW and trying to get just a touch of the histogram up on the right side, ie clipping just a little. Most of the pixels though should be dark and recorded in middle or left side of the histogram... Note some camera display histograms that are really one color, not full RGB histograms, or maybe they're an average. So be a little careful making all the exposure calculations based on the histogram. Chimp the images too. One more note or word of caution on that - since by now it is dark out and your eyes have adjusted, the camera screen will seem really bright, and I've mistakenly underexposed in situations like this. One more way to get the right in field exposure would be to use the highlight warning feature available on many cameras where the blownout highlights blink bright white on the back of the camera...

#10 Fill the Frame - Far away firework are just that, far away. Shoot with a telephoto lens if you have one and zoom in on the action. Usually you can't get close to the fireworks, so I think this is a valid tip. If you are close, be careful and shoot with a wider angle...

#11 Mode other than Manual - Since not everyone shoots in manual mode, here's another way to try setting up the camera. Pick Aperture mode, select f/8, ISO 200, and -1.0 EV (exposure compensation). Shutter speeds will vary and the -1EV will compensate for the night time vs. bright fireworks. You don't want the camera to turn the night scene in to a day time looking exposure. -1 may be ok, try it and adjust from there.

#12 Shoot from a hill or get a front row spot - Once the action starts you don't want someone walking in front of you so get a front row spot, or shoot from a hill, not necessarily the top but along the hill.

#13 Plan for the Wind! - Wind is a very good thing to have on a night with fireworks. It will help to clear the smoke from the sky. However one way this can backfire is if you are down wind from the fireworks, the smoke will be streaming right towards you and block your view. There's not a lot to do once this happens, it is kind of a bust in my opinion. A related tip is don't shoot from too far away - atmospheric things can get in your way like haze or heat. Perfect conditions would be late afternoon showers and cold air in the evening.


That's it for this year and planning - unless I think of a new one before it is too late. Good luck and don't forget the tripod or the camera/lens mounting plate!

Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Nikographer.com / Jon

Maybe more than the photos

From: http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/05/maybe-more-than-photos.html


Having taken a lot of images where the reward is the image itself, a nice shot, and not much else I've thought about trying to do some good. I've toyed with the idea of helping out at a rehab center, or volunteering here or there. But, I know that's not my calling, at least not right now.

My passion is taking photos. It gets me up at 3am, it makes me drive hundreds of miles. Over the last few years I've had requests for images sent to me via flickr. They have fallen in to three main categories:
#1) for profit groups that want free images.
#2) for profit groups that want images but have a few bucks to spend. And finally
#3) non-profit groups that want images for free and are working on a good causes, be it conservation, preservation, or something like that. Helping animals, the environment, habitat restoration or preservation...
-click for more-

Of those 3 types of requests I ignore #1 requests. #2 requests I've only pursued a few, usually it is not worth the hassle to me, I'd rather be shooting, editing, etc. One in particular I put in a bunch of hours working on it and it didn't pan out, so I felt like I had wasted time. #3 requests are my favorite. I can do what I like (take photos) and provide them for free to a good cause so they can do their thing. I've given images to the Fish and Wild Service, National Parks Service, The Nature Conservancy, a singing zoo act / guy, a group trying to study the impact of something or other in Greenbelt Maryland... And probably a bunch of others that slip my mind.



Today I went out shooting with a couple of people that help with rehabilitating raptors. Linda and Kurt are good folks that care and put in the time doing the work with the animals. Today was a day where their hard work, and the work of others, paid off. They released 6 birds back in to the wild.

My part today was to watch and learn, and to take photos.



They released 3 Red-Shouldered Hawk, 2 Red-Tailed Hawks, and 1 Broad-Winged Hawk. It was pretty cool.

Here are some shots. I plan to give them to the folks involved so they can promote their work, and get support, funding, etc. I guess what I realized in regards to their work (before and again today) is that I'm a photographer - that's what I do... I've wanted to help with the birds, rehabing or volunteering. It is just not what I am motivated to do. And probably not what I am good at. So,, I'm going to spend my time becoming a better photographer, and as I find the way to - helping good causes.


If you are like me, but not a photographer, and not someone that can volunteer with the raptors - there's one thing you can do to make a difference. While driving don't litter. Don't toss any type of food items from your car. Many if not most injured raptors are struck by cars. The way I've heard it recounted to me - prey animals feed on these items, and raptors lock in on the prey (squirells, etc) and will fly to catch them with no regard for the cars or trucks on the roads. So, don't toss any food type items from your car.

Even a banana peel.


Updated
Here's a Broad-Winged Hawk being released also...

Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Nikographer.com / Jon

Going Vertical #19 #20 #21

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/05/going-vertical-19-20-21.html

This one was cropped from a horizontal shot. I liked the V and how the osprey filled the frame once cropped. This is the female osprey and I'm guessing there should be chicks in a couple weeks. I was watching an episode of "Life" I think and they mentioned that Osprey chicks need as much as 8 fish a day! That's a lot of fish to catch, especially if there's 2 or 3 or 4 chicks to feed EVERY DAY!
-click for more-








This sunrise photo is not cropped and the sun and reflection worked well with the vertical format. There was a lot of luck involved in getting this photo. I woke up a little late, just 30 minutes before sunrise. I showered, got dressed, had breakfast and loaded my camera gear in the car, AND drove in to the refuge all in that 30 minutes. Then within a few more minutes I was driving along that first straightaway and saw the sun and the elk... Their even spacing and slow pace gave me 2 or 3 minutes to shoot.


In years past I've only been to Chincoteague during the Fall, and I've only been there on 2 trips (which both included nearby overnight stays and repeat visits). Going in Spring was exciting to me. I was hoping that I'd see new stuff, new species, and it worked out well.







I've never seen an oystercatcher before. Other new species I saw included: Cattle Egret, Piping Plover, Clapper Rail, and some other yet identified sandpiper (I think).

The weather along the coast was a bit uncooperative after the elk sunrise. The cloud cover moved in and it got gray and seemed like it was going to rain soon. That last a few hours. I thought about giving up and moving on, but luckily I hung around and the weather improved.

I took almost 3,000 shots in 2 days. This vertical project kept me thinking about framing and shooting vertically. Again I shot more vertical than ever before. It's got me being more purposeful in my shooting, taking less for granted, and taking more control.

Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Nikographer.com / Jon

Going Vertical #5

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/going-vertical-5.html

Vertical.

Posting vertical shots has been something I've avoided, plainly.

Shooting, I'd sometimes think to do it, and still fewer times I'd respond and shoot vertically.



This little project has turned a thing that would be a reason to not, in to a reason to.

--50--

Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Nikographer.com / Jon

Great Falls National Park Spring 2010

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/great-falls-national-park-spring-2010.html.

The River's water levels are coming down, and the herons are fishing in the main falls some. Over the last week I saw Great Blue Herons flying around with nesting material, as well as competing for spots to fish from.



There's a rookery up river that is pretty active, and an eagle's nest too. The eagle appear to now have a chick. I didn't follow the exact dates, but the chick might be 2 weeks old now.

I forgot and now remembered some of why I like Great Falls so much. The herons and water are such great attractions, and not having to drive a hundred miles (bombay hook refuge, blackwater refuge) is a nice change of pace.

While there I also saw a couple bluebirds, as well as many vultures (turkey and black). There was also a Red-Tailed Hawk with some crows dogging it on more than one occasion over the main falls.

I highly recommend folks visit Great Falls National Park. Bring a tripod and a short and long lenses.




-50-

Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Nikographer.com / Jon

Chasing Light - Plan, Update, Fail...

From: http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

The below image is a good example of how the sun can peek through a narrow opening. Sometimes clouds have a well defined edge. The below is from a Sunrise at Bombay Hook Refuge in Delaware. At the time I took it I realized that the amazing light was only going to last for the brief period of time while the light painted the underside of the clouds and the land.



Another time this setup played out was at Portland Head Light in Maine. The good light and photo oppertunities all took place pre-sunrise. The light was sneaking over the horizon and hitting the underside of the morning clouds. This day by the time the sun had actually risen, it was over. Once the clouds got in the way there was nothing special to see or photograph.



With those two days as the setup...

The last two night here in Maryland we had cloudy and rainy forecasts. I went to Great Falls Monday evening, and nothing special materialized. I was hoping for some breaks in the clouds, some magical light. My visit lasted an hour or so, and I took maybe a hundred or two images. It was a decent trip, but no photo gold that night.

Then Tuesday morning as I left for work I already knew the evening weather forecast was for 60% chance of rain. In the morning the skies looked pretty mixed, and rethought if I wanted to visit Great Falls, and still decided not to. By late afternoon however I saw that the cloud cover had a pretty well defined edge on the west side. The potential for the sun lighting the clouds from underneath during the sunset existed. So I left work, got my camera, and went to Great Falls. During this visit it rained a little and was just pure gray. There was absolutely nothing special to see. And I couldn't see any cloud-edge from the river's edge.

I left.

Then from the DC beltway, about 10 minutes later - at sunset, it HAPPENED! The sun peeked through, and there was about 2 or 3 minutes of MAGIC LIGHT!

I'm not sure what the lesson is, because it was my flexible nature that made me change my plans not to go in to plans to go. And then based on observations of the current conditions I gave up. Exactly what I hoped would happen did, but I out thought it and I left. Fail. Lol. I guess the lesson I will hope to learn is that when planning sunset shooting, I will be sure to stay until the actual time of sunset, because it can be hard to judge that final few minutes.

What bugs me is that the two examples above, the photos, are the precise same thing except during sunrise. They were both awesome, and lasted just a few minutes. Had I driven a hundred miles to shoot sunset (or sunrise) I would not have given up so easily. For me Great Falls is about a half hour drive.


Here's a nice sunset from the VA side that was taken a couple years ago.

Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Nikographer.com / Jon