December, 2017 - David Mathre Photography

Friday (22-December-2017) — Florida

Gone to See Florida 2017/2018 Road Trip. Day 2: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

I try to stop and spend at least a day at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge when I do a road trip to Florida. It has been a while, and the last time I got rained out. The wildlife refuge suffered some Hurricane damage. Both Black Point Wildlife Drive, and Biolab road are open. Biolab road is now one-way, starting from the boat launch area. This is unfortunate, since in the morning you are driving into the sun. I spent the night in Titusville. When I woke up it was foggy. I arrived at the entrance to Black Point Wildlife Drive just after the gate was opened at sunrise. The fog was starting to rise, and when I looked behind I saw the opportunity for a great landscape sunrise image. The clouds and lifting fog made for good backgrounds. I did two loops on Black Point Wildlife Drive, and one pass on Biolab Road. I saw many birds up close. I think the early morning fog helped. Many of the palm trees on Biolab Road lost their tops during the hurricane. I hoped to see more Osprey, but only caught one in flight. There were many more Turkey, and Black Vultures. I am not sure of the ID for the Hawk with a red breast. After the sun came out, a couple of Alligators showed up. As I was leaving, I saw a number of spider webs with droplets of water left by the fog that were lit up by the sun.

Photographer and tripod viewing the sun rising over the trees in the early morning fog. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 OIS lens (ISO 200, 100 mm, f/7, 1/680 sec). (David J Mathre)

Three-Years Ago (22-December-2014) — Falkland Islands

Gone to See Antarctica 2014/5 Day 7: Hurtigruten MS Fram visiting the Falkland Islands

The first thing I did when in Stanley, was to look for a camera store (or somewhere that sold cameras). My Nikon Df camera failed a couple days earlier (shutter buckled), the battery charger for the Fuji X-T1 camera was acting up, and the Leica T camera was having issues with cold temperatures. No luck, since everything has to be shipped to the island. No option for Amazon next day delivery. I was going to have to do without a camera with a big telephoto lens. Fortunately, I found someone on the ship with a different Fuji camera that used the same batteries that allowed me to borrow the battery charger. I did have some time to walk around the town and take some pictures.

Christ Church Cathedral, Stanley. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 18 mm, f/9, 1/320 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC. (David J Mathre)

Poppies and Lupines at at a Flower Garden. Christ Church Cathedral, Stanley. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/11, 1/125 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC. (David J Mathre)

Six-Years Ago (22-December-2011) — Florida

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

On my second day I arrived too early, and the gate to Black Point wildlife drive was still closed. While waiting I got a silhouette image of a Great Blue Heron in flight at dawn. During the day I got a macro image (with a telephoto lens) of a Golden Silk Spider, then a Great Egret in flight. Just before leaving, I spotted a reclusive American Bittern. These birds are hard to spot, since they are so well camouflaged. Even better, this one just caught a fish that appears to be almost too large to swallow. The last time I saw an American Bittern was at the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado.

Great Blue Heron Silhouette at Dawn in Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a D3s and 200-400 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (David J Mathre)

Golden Silk Spider. Viewed along Black Point Wildlife Drive in Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200-400 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 500, 400 mm, f/4, 1/320 sec).. (David J Mathre)

Great Egret in Flight in Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 500 mm, f/4, 1/2000 sec). (David J Mathre)

OK, I Caught This Fish -- Now How Do I Swallow It. A Reclusive American Bittern Caught Fishing along Black Point Wildlife Drive in Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR II lens (ISO 180, 500 mm, f/4, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre) — OK, I Caught This Fish — Now How Do I Swallow It. A Reclusive American Bittern Caught Fishing along Black Point Wildlife Drive in Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR II lens (ISO 180, 500 mm, f/4, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)

Three-Years Ago (21-December-2014) — Falkland Islands

Gone to See Antarctica 2014/5 Day 6: Hurtigruten MS Fram visiting the Falkland Islands

The first place we stopped in the Falklands was Carcass Island. I was surprised to see palm trees this far south. It almost looks like the MS Fram was anchored off a Caribbean tropical island.

Hurtigruten MS Fram anchored off Carcass Island (one of the Falkland Islands). Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 40 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)

Six-Years Ago (21-December-2011) — Florida

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

I stopped for a couple of days in Merritt Island, and spent the time at the National Wildlife Refuge. A target rich environment. These are a few images from that day — Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Wood Stork, Alligator, and Sunset. I especially liked the Great Blue Heron doing the “Chicken Dance”.

Great Blue Heron Doing the Chicken Dance. Black Point Wildlife Road, Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200-400 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1800, 400 mm, f/4, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)