Category: Nature

Views of nature and the natural world. Plants, animals, and wildlife from around the world.

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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Tuesday (03-May-2011) — Guatemala

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 7: Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala.

We had to get up early in order to depart for the Tarrales Bird Watching field trip at 05:30 AM. On the bus ride to Tarrales I got a grab shot of some school girls waiting for the bus to school. A good fraction of the folks on this tour were part of the Road Scholar contingent attending the Enrichment Voyage. As such the average age was higher, and we knew that we would not be hiking as far as we did yesterday to the volcano. Even though we left early, it wasn’t early enough for best bird viewing. Also, my 70-300 mm lens did not have the reach to get good images of the birds we did see. Our guide was good at finding the birds in the canopy. I only have one image of a midget owl, and it is a crop zoomed to 100%. It would have been a bit better if I took my D3x body with double the sensor size vs. the D3s body. I took the D3s because of the better low light capabilities coupled with the 70-300 f/5.6 limits. Jon got some better images with his 400 mm f/4 + TC.

After the Owl, I then switched to my 105 mm f/2.8 macro lens and focused on closer objects. In addition to close-up images of insects and flowers, the 105 mm lens is also great for people. The remainder of the following images are of a small girl in Tarrales, a local jail, a close up of a China Berry, and of a flower with a bee. Then images from the bus ride back to the M/V Explorer. A school girl, Guatemalla mass transit, a coconut vendor with his machete, limes at a produce stand, woman walking past a produce vendor, a cross-eyed guy next to a “Prohibido Estanciona” sign, woman vendor cutting coconut, her son, and several images from an open market produce vendor.


Individual images in the slide show can be viewed and/or purchased here.

Monday (02-May-2011) — Guatemala

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 6: Guatemala.

While riding the bus to the Pacaya Volcano we noticed what looked like a tornado just off the highway. The sky was cloudy, but no sign of thunderstorms. It turned out to be a large Dust Devil. I got the following images from the rear of the bus using a Leica V-Lux 20 point & shoot camera. For another view, check out Jenny’s shot from the front of the bus.

View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 19.5 mm, f/4.4, 1/500 sec) (David J Mathre)
View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 19.5 mm, f/4.4, 1/500 sec)
View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 100, 29.9 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec) (David J Mathre)
View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 100, 29.9 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec)
View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 29.9 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec) (David J Mathre)
View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 29.9 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec)
View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 19.5 mm, f/4.4, 1/500 sec) (David J Mathre)
View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 19.5 mm, f/4.4, 1/500 sec)
View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 19.5 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec) (David J Mathre)
View of a Dust Devil in Guatemala from a Bus along Highway CA9. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 19.5 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec)

Saturday (30-April-2011) — At Sea

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 4: At Sea.

We have two days at sea while traveling from Cabo San Lucas in Mexico to Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala. Most of the day was spent in the classroom with Michael. Images for the day include sunrise, sunset, and photography workshop members while at sea.

Sunrise on the M/V Explorer 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, converted to sRGB/jpg with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Sunrise on the MV Explorer 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec).
Sunrise on the M/V Explorer 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, converted to sRGB/jpg with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Sunrise on the MV Explorer 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec).
Sunrise on the M/V Explorer 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, converted to sRGB/jpg with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Sunrise on the MV Explorer 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec).
Sunrise on the M/V Explorer 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, converted to sRGB/jpg with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Sunrise on the MV Explorer 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec).
Sunrise on the M/V Explorer 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, converted to sRGB/jpg with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Sunrise on the MV Explorer 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec).
Nikonians Eating Dinner on Deck 6 of the M/V Explorer. UTW-II 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 16 mm fisheye lens (ISO 400, 16 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, sharpened with Focus Magic, converted to sRGB/jpg with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
UTPW-II Photography Workshop Members Eating Dinner on Deck 6 of the MV Explorer.  2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 16 mm fisheye lens (ISO 400, 16 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec).
Jon and Rob waiting for sunset on Deck 6 of the M/V Explorer. UTW-II 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Leica X1 (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4.5, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)
Jon and Rob waiting for sunset on Deck 6 of the MV Explorer. UTPW-II 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Leica X1 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4.5, 1/160 sec).
Practicing Street Photography with a Fisheye on Deck 6 of the M/V Explorer. UTW-II 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 16 mm fisheye lens (ISO 3200, 16 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec). Raw image processed and converted to B&W with Capture One Pro, sharpened with Focus Magic, converted to sRGB/jpg with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Practicing Street Photography with a Fisheye on Deck 6 of the MV Explorer. UTPW-II 2011 Spring Enrichment Voyage. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 16 mm fisheye lens (ISO 3200, 16 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec).

Friday (29-April-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 3: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

A series of 12 telephoto images of a fisherman with the sun rising. The images were taken from deck 7 of the Semester at Sea MV Explorer while anchored off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized -1.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized -1.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5.
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized -1.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized -1.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5.
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized -1.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized -1.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5.
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized -0.67 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized -0.67 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5.
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized -0.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized -0.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5.
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized -0.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized -0.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5.
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized +0.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized +0.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5.
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized +0.00 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized +0.00 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5.
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized +0.00 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized +0.00 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5.
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized +0.67 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized +0.67 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5.
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized +0.67 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized +0.67 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5.
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized +0.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Fisherman at Sunrise while at Anchor off Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, (levels normalized +0.33 EV for exposure, cropped), Nik Define 2 (noise reduction), and converted to web with Photoshop CS5.