Thursday (28-August-2014) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature in New Jersey: Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Can You Find the Insect Hiding in this Image of a Joe Pye Weed. Image taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 200 mm, f/8, 1/800 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014.

Praying Mantis Hiding In a Joe Pye Weed at the Sourland Mountain Preserve, in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 200 mm, f/8, 1/800 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)
Praying Mantis Hiding In a Joe Pye Weed at the Sourland Mountain Preserve, in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 200 mm, f/8, 1/800 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)

Friday (15-August-2014) — Poland

Gone to See Europe 2014. Day 76: Semester at Sea, Summer 2014 Semester Voyage. Gdansk, Poland.

Stone Pathway in a Wooded Park — Gdansk, Poland. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 400, 24 mm, f/4, 1/250 sec). In camera B&W JPG image.

Stone Pathway in a Wooded Park -- Gdansk. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 400, 24 mm, f/4, 1/250 sec). In camera B&W image. (David J Mathre)
Stone Pathway in a Wooded Park — Gdansk. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 400, 24 mm, f/4, 1/250 sec). In camera B&W image. (David J Mathre)

Seven-Years Ago (26-August-2007) — Colorado

Summertime Nature at Rocky Mountain National Park.

Mother duck and eight ducklings resting in the middle of Lily lake. Lily lake is located on Colorado Rt 7  just outside of  Estes Park. It is one of the free locations within Rocky Mountain National Park. There are picnic tables and a trail around the lake. I liked to stop there on the way the main entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec)

Mother Duck and Eight Ducklings Resting in the Middle of Lilly Lake. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec) (David J. Mathre)
Mother Duck and Eight Ducklings Resting in the Middle of Lilly Lake. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Monday (25-August-2014) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature in New Jersey: Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Pair of Bumble Bees Working the Late Summer Flowers at the Sourland Mountain Preserve, in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 300 mm f/2.8 VR lens (ISO 1400, 300 mm, f/8, 1/1250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014.

Pair of Bumblebees Working the Late Summer Flowers at the Sourland Mountain Preserve, in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 300 mm f/2.8 VR lens (ISO 1400, 300 mm, f/8, 1/1250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)
Pair of Bumblebees Working the Late Summer Flowers at the Sourland Mountain Preserve, in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 300 mm f/2.8 VR lens (ISO 1400, 300 mm, f/8, 1/1250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)

Thursday (21-August-2014) — English Channel

Gone to See Europe 2014. Day 82: Semester at Sea, Summer 2014 Semester Voyage. English Channel Approaching Southampton.

Silhouette of the RV EGS Pioneer at Sunrise in the English Channel from the Deck of the MV Explorer. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 400, 200 mm, f/16, 1/250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic and Photoshop CC 2014.

During last year’s Semester at Sea Spring Enrichment Voyage on the MV Explorer I managed to get 9 images of ships transiting the sun at sunrise or sunset. This year I was on the ship for both the last segment of the Enrichment Voyage, and the Summer Semester voyage — more days, but only got a couple of ship/sun/sunrise/sunset transit images. This one was close during our final sunrise as we approached Southampton.

RV EGS Pioneer at Sunrise in the English Channel from the Deck of the MV Explorer. Semester at Sea, Summer 2014 Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 400, 200 mm, f/16, 1/250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)
RV EGS Pioneer at Sunrise in the English Channel from the Deck of the MV Explorer.  Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 400, 200 mm, f/16, 1/250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)