Month: December 2017

Three-Years Ago (28-December-2014) — South Atlantic Ocean

Gone to See Antarctica 2014/5:  Day 13 – At Sea on the Hurtigruten MS Fram in the South Atlantic Ocean

The wind and waves were not as bad as the Hurtigruten MS Fram continued  traveling south and west from South Georgia to Antarctica. Still not many folks were up and around either in the observation deck or in the dining rooms. I didn’t take any sea-sick medication, and was doing fine as long as I kept eating the meals, and could view the horizon. The ship’s musician was playing Procol Harum “A Whiter Shade of Pale” on the piano in observation deck in the background during this short video clip recorded on a Leica T camera.

Six-Years Ago (28-December-2011) — Florida

December Road Trip to Florida in 2011: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore

I spent one final day at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and Playalinda beach at Canaveral National Seashore.

Sunrise at Playalinda Beach on Merritt Island in Canaveral National Seashore. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 70-200 mm f/2.8 VRII lens (ISO 200, 100 mm, f/11, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Sunrise at Playalinda Beach on Merritt Island in Canaveral National Seashore. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 70-200 mm f/2.8 VRII lens (ISO 200, 100 mm, f/11, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)


Wednesday (27-December-2017) — Florida

Gone to See Florida 2017/2018 Road Trip Day 7: Birds.

After sunrise at Fort De Soto, we checked out the rich bird life in the park. The White Ibis and Green Heron were right in front of us when shooting the sunrise. On the way out of the park we saw an American White Pelican, and several Osprey. After returning to my parents home in St. Petersburg, I found a Red-bellied Woodpecker in a Carambola tree.

White Ibis at the edge of the water. Sunrise at Fort De Soto Park. Pinellas County, Florida Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 500, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
White Ibis at the edge of the water. Sunrise at Fort De Soto Park. Pinellas County, Florida Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 500, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)


American White Pelican in the water at Fort De Soto Park. Pinellas County, Florida Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)
American White Pelican in the water at Fort De Soto Park. Pinellas County, Florida Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)


Red-bellied Woodpecker in a Carambola tree. Backyard Winter Nature in Florida Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS telephoto zoom lens (ISO 1000, 400 mm, f/8, 1/30 sec). (David J Mathre)
Red-bellied Woodpecker in a Carambola tree. Backyard Winter Nature in Florida Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS telephoto zoom lens (ISO 1000, 400 mm, f/8, 1/30 sec). (David J Mathre)

Wednesday (27-December-2017) — Florida

Gone to See Florida 2017/2018 Road Trip. Day 7: Sunrise at Fort De Soto Park.

I began the day early at Fort De Soto park with my brother to watch the sun rise under the Sunshine Skyway bridge. The sky was just starting to show some signs of light when we arrived. There was a line of clouds above the Skyway bridge, and it looked promising for the sun to come up under the clouds. I set up two cameras, one with a 16 mm wide-angle lens, and one with a 500 mm telephoto lens to do  time-lapsed sequences of sunrise.

Cameras set up to photograph the sun rising under the Sunshine Skyway bridge from Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida Image taken with a Leica T camera and 11-23 mm wide-angle zoom lens (David J Mathre)
Cameras set up to photograph the sun rising under the Sunshine Skyway bridge from Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida Image taken with a Leica T camera and 11-23 mm wide-angle zoom lens (David J Mathre)