Three-Years Ago (27-August-2016) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Night Sky Over New Jersey.

Star and jet trails plus clouds. Images taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro, and the composite generated with Photoshop CC (statistics, maximum). One problem I continue to have is moisture condensing on the lens as temperature cool over the night. Especially with wide angle lenses with lots of glass surface area. You can see how the condensation blurs things in the final image. I’ve read about adding electrical resistance thermal tape to heat the lens, but worry about damage and optical artifacts. I’ve also added a time-lapse video of the night sky show.

Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (01-50) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (01-50) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (51-100) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (51-100) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (101-150) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (101-150) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (151-200) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (151-200) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)

Thirteen-Years Ago (27-August-2006) — Michigan

Gone to See America 2006 Driving Tour. Day 2: Northern  Michigan.

My first images with a new Nikon D200 camera on this road trip west. Quick stop in Mackinaw State Forest, then some pictures of the Mackinac Bridge before crossing it to the Upper Peninsula. Finally a stop at Pictured Rock National Lakeshore. I have memories of crossing the Mackinac bridge soon after it opened as a small child. All of the images have been reprocessed with currently available software.

Woodpecker Tree in Mackinaw State Forest. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 18-75 mm kit lens. (David J Mathre)
Woodpecker Tree in Mackinaw State Forest. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 18-75 mm kit lens. (David J Mathre)
Mackinac Bridge. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 18-75 mm kit lens. (David J Mathre)
Mackinac Bridge. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 18-75 mm kit lens. (David J Mathre)
Mackinac Bridge. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 18-75 mm kit lens. (David J Mathre)
Mackinac Bridge. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 18-75 mm kit lens. (David J Mathre)
Seagull, Mackinac State Park. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 18-75 mm kit lens. (David J Mathre)
Seagull, Mackinac State Park. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 18-75 mm kit lens. (David J Mathre)
Miners Castle, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 18-75 mm kit lens. (David J Mathre)
Miners Castle, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 18-75 mm kit lens. (David J Mathre)

Monday (26-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

There were more than a dozen deer in my yard this morning. Lots of teenage fawns, still with spots. They spend their time nibbling on the wildflowers just outside the electric fence. At one point I saw one jump back after touching its nose to the electric fence. A bit later, I saw one of the fawns with “mile-a-minute” vine sticking to its side. Helping to spread this invasive vine.

Early morning Doe and two Fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 640, 200 mm, f/2, 1/300 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Early morning Doe and two Fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 640, 200 mm, f/2, 1/300 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Early morning Doe and three Fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 400, 200 mm, f/2, 1/300 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Early morning Doe and three Fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 400, 200 mm, f/2, 1/300 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Two Fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 1000, 200 mm, f/2, 1/300 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Two Fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 1000, 200 mm, f/2, 1/300 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn checking out the electric fence and the flowers behind. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 320, 200 mm, f/2, 1/850 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn checking out the electric fence and the flowers behind. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 320, 200 mm, f/2, 1/850 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn (with mile-a-minute vine on its side). Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 320, 200 mm, f/2, 1/2500 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn (with mile-a-minute vine on its side). Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 320, 200 mm, f/2, 1/2500 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (40.6 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (62.10 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cooler outside and more sun for a net surplus of 21.5 kWh.

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Ten-Years Ago (26-August-2009) — Washington

Gone to See North America Road Trip. Day 05: Grand Coulee Dam, Washington

Grand Coulee Dam Panorama. Composite of seven images taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 mm lens (ISO 200, 18 mm, f/11, 1/1000 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and the panorama created using AutoPano Pro.

Grand Coulee Dam Panorama. Composite of seven images taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 mm lens (ISO 200, 18 mm, f/11, 1/1000 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and the panorama created using AutoPano Pro. (David J Mathre)
Grand Coulee Dam Panorama. Composite of seven images taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 mm lens (ISO 200, 18 mm, f/11, 1/1000 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and the panorama created using AutoPano Pro. (David J Mathre)


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


Grand Coulee Dam Panorama. Composite of seven images taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 18 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro, Photoshop and CC, NIK Color Efex. Panorama created using AutoPano Pro.

Grand Coulee Dam Panorama. Composite of seven images taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 18 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro, Photoshop and CC, NIK Color Efex. Panorama created using AutoPano Pro. (David J Mathre)
Grand Coulee Dam Panorama. Composite of seven images taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 18 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)


click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow


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

Summertime Nature in Colorado.

Summer Morning Reflections at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 14 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 140, 14 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec).  Three versions — as originally processed, reprocessed three-years ago (Capture One Pro, Photoshop CC, Focus Magic, and NIK Color Efex and NIK Define), and reprocessed today. Let me know which you like better (or why I save all images — to learn from my mistakes and to used newer image processing tools).

Summer Morning Reflections at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 14 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 14 mm, f/22, 1/20 sec). (David J Mathre)
Summer Morning Reflections at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 14 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 14 mm, f/22, 1/20 sec). (David J Mathre)
Summer Morning Reflections at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 14 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 140, 14 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Photoshop CC, Focus Magic, and NIK Color Efex and NIK Define. (David J Mathre)
Summer Morning Reflections at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 14 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 140, 14 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Photoshop CC, Focus Magic, and NIK Color Efex and NIK Define. (David J Mathre)
Summer Morning Reflections at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 14 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 140, 14 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro (Still Life), and Focus Magic. (David J Mathre)
Summer Morning Reflections at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 14 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 140, 14 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro (Still Life), and Focus Magic. (David J Mathre)