Sunday (25-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

More yard work. Continued installation of a drip hose to water both these shrubs and the daffodil patch (using rainwater collected in barrels). Also lots of mile-a-minute vine weeds needed to be pulled. Time-lapse video recorded with a Garmin VIRB-360 camera and the video processed with Photoshop CC (including the Little Planet view).

After the yard work I did my daily walkabout with a Nikon Df camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. The Nikon Df is the lightest of my full frame DSLR cameras. It uses the same sensor as the Nikon D4. Butterflies (Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and Common Buckeye), and Moths (Hummingbird Clearwing — the one with white legs). It was windy so the butterflies and moths needed to work harder while feeding on the Zinnia and Marigold flowers.


Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.



Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.


Daily Electric Energy Used (41.9 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (54.0 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cooler outside but clouds blocking the sun part of the day for a net surplus of 12.1 kWh. Weekly totals Electric Energy Used (380 kWh), Solar Electric Energy Produced (378 kWh) for a weekly net deficit of 2 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions

powered by Ambient Weather

Seven-Years Ago (25-August-2012) — North Atlantic Ocean

Gone to see Europe. Semester at Sea. Fall 2012 Semester Voyage on the MV Explorer. Day 03: At Sea, North Atlantic Ocean.

Time-lapse video of the sun setting over the Atlantic Ocean from the aft deck of the MV Explorer.  Images  taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 16 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens. Raw images processed with Capture One Pro, and the time-lapse video created with Photoshop CC.

Ten-Years Ago (25-August-2009) — North Dakota

Gone to See North America Road Trip. Day 04: Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota.

I woke up early for a sunrise shoot. A thick fog enveloped the campground where I parked the RV. I packed up and drove the scenic drive towards the River Bend, and Oxbow overlooks hoping to get above the fog. It was still dawn when I arrived at the River Bend viewpoint where there is a stone building overlooking the Little Missouri river valley. The valley was still covered with fog, but the sky above had some beautiful pastel colors (Belt of Venus, and the earth shadow). I drove a bit further until the sun started to be visible, and got several shots of the sun rising above the fog filled valley. When I arrived at the Oxbow overlook, there was a faint rainbow because of the fog. I find rainbows always difficult to photograph. Then remembering something Winston Hall taught me “always look behind you, because that is where the best picture is” — and sure enough there was a Bighorn Ram coming over a grass covered ridge. Quickly switching for a camera with a telephoto lens, I got some great silhouette images including one with the Bighorn in midair as it started to run away. Once the show was done, I drove back to the park entrance. The fog was beginning to rise when I came upon some Bison crossing the road, and into the fog.


Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.



Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.


Fog Rainbow and Photographer's Shadow. Little Missouri river overlook. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 14-28 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 14 mm, f/16, 1/40 sec). (David J Mathre)
Fog Rainbow and Photographer’s Shadow. Little Missouri river overlook. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 14-28 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 14 mm, f/16, 1/40 sec). (David J Mathre)


Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.



Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.


Twelve-Years Ago (25-August-2007) — Colorado

Summertime Nature in Rocky Mountain National Park.

It only took me twelve years to figure out what type of bird this was. Clark’s Nutcracker. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec).

Clark's Nutcracker. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)
Clark’s Nutcracker. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)