Saturday (21-May-2011) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Macro images taken in my back yard of a white wildflower, bee in a Rhododendron flower and a newly opened  Maple leaf. After a brief afternoon rain storm, I went out with the same kit as yesterday. I like looking close with a macro lens, especially in the spring when flowers are blooming and the bees are active. I think the white flower is an invasive “Star of Bethlehem” (Ornithogalium umbellatum)

Small White Flower After Rain. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/22, 1/30 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Small White Flower After Rain. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/22, 1/30 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5.
Bee in Rhododendron Bloom. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/6.3, 1/250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Bee in Rhododendron Bloom. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/6.3, 1/250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5.
Spring Maple Leaf. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/11, 1/200 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Spring Maple Leaf. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/11, 1/200 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5.

Friday (20-May-2011) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

The first thing I noticed when I got home from the Semester at Sea Spring Enrichment Voyage to Central America and the Panama Canal was that the Rhododendorn’s in my yard were in bloom. To qualify, the only flowers were above level that the local deer couldn’t reach last winter. My sister told me that she had coupled a Nikon TC-E 20 II (2x) teleconverter with a 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens and has been getting some good macro images. I thought that I had previously tried coupling a teleconverter with the 105 macro and that it didn’t work, but decided to try again. It worked!!! In this case a Nikon TC-E 20 III (2x) teleconverter with a 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens.

I am going to need to do a test between the 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens with the 2x TC vs. the 200 mm f/4 macro lens.

Rhotodendron Flowers. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/11, 0.4 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Rhotodendron Flowers. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/11, 0.4 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5.

Monday (16-May-2011) — Mexico

Gone to See Central America and the Panama Canal. Semester at Sea Spring 2011 Enrichment Voyage on the MV Explorer. Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop II with Michael Mariant. Day 20: Cozumel, Mexico.

My mother outside of Josefina’s Mexican Cooking Class. When I get a chance I need to post images from the cooking class.

Cozumel Street Art (David J Mathre)
Cozumel Street Art (David J Mathre)

Two-Years Ago (14-May-2009) — California

Gone to See America 2009 Road Trip. Day 7: Spring in Yosemite National Park Photography Workshop with Michael Mariant.

I took this image 2 years ago  while driving into Yosemite National Park. I noticed something bright red in my rear view mirror. This was not red flashing lights, but rather something red in the woods. I turned around and found these flowers blooming. I did not know what they were — a plant or fungus. They were later identified as Snow Plants (Sarcodes sanguinea). Although plants, they do not use chlorophyll for photosynthesis, but rather get carbohydrates from coniferous trees via a shared mycorrhizal fungus.

Snow Plant (Sarcodes sanguinea). Yosemite National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 45 mm f/2.8 PC-E lens (ISO 100, 45 mm, f/8, 1/13 sec). (David J. Mathre)
Snow Plant (Sarcodes sanguinea). Yosemite National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 45 mm f/2.8 PC-E lens (ISO 100, 45 mm, f/8, 1/13 sec). (David J. Mathre)

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Wednesday (04-May-2011) — Nicaragua

Gone to See Central America and the Panama Canal. Semester at Sea Spring 2011 Enrichment Voyage on the MV Explorer. Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop II with Michael Mariant. Day 8: Leon, Nicaragua.

One of the more interesting places that Juleo took us in Leon was The Museum of Traditions and Legends. This used to be a prison before the revolution where Juleo spent some time as a teenager.

Prison Mural. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 360, 35 mm, f/4, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Prison Mural. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 360, 35 mm, f/4, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Prison Mural. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 800, 35 mm, f/8, 1/100 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Prison Mural. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 800, 35 mm, f/8, 1/100 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Prison Mural. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/1.4, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Prison Mural. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/1.4, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Prison Mural. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 800, 35 mm, f/8, 1/80 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Prison Mural. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 800, 35 mm, f/8, 1/80 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Hanging Skeleton Doll. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 140, 35 mm, f/2, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Hanging Skeleton Doll. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 140, 35 mm, f/2, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Skeleton Doll. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 80, 35 mm, f/1.4, 1/30 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Skeleton Doll. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 80, 35 mm, f/1.4, 1/30 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Native Mask. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/2, 1/500 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Native Mask. Museum of Traditions and Legends in Leon, Nicaragua. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/2, 1/500 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.