Photo Techniques - David Mathre Photography

Tuesday (04-August-2020) — New Jersey

Tropical Storm Isaias.

During the night the clouds were moving fast. The first heavy rain squall passed through about 05:15. It started raining again at 09:00 with heavy bands at 11:15 and 11:45. The weather station reported 3.19″ of rain up to the time it stopped collecting data. The wind started increasing at 09:00 with sustained winds of 18 mph and gusts of 34 mph. Power to the house failed at 11:06. The weather station continued to report data until 13:25 via WiFi when the UPS for the network went offline. By the time the weather station stopped collecting data the relative barometric pressure dropped from 30.0″ to 29.4″

I reported the power failure to PSE&G online at 11:21 and was told it would be restored by 18:00 the next day. I could hear several of the neighbors generator running. A neighbor texted me that live power lines were down and arcing in the street in front of my house. I took some pictures from my front door, and the back door of the garage. Even though it was still raining the arcing 10 kV power lines started to burn the asphalt. It took a while until the power company de-energized the lines. After the lines were de-energized I went to check out the damage. The two large oak trees at the head of my driveway had fallen. The oak tree on the east side of the driveway broke above ground and fell onto my rock wall and crossed the street ultimately landing on the rock wall on the other side of the street. The tree missed my mailbox with the troll that lights up at night, but did block my driveway and the street. The oak on the west side of the driveway fell while pulling the root ball out of the ground. These were two of the largest trees in my yard.

Downed Power Lines Electical Fire on Grandview Road in front of my House. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Little Planet View of my front yard after Tropical Storm Isaias. Composite of 22 images taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Individual images used to create the Little Planet view of my Front Yard after Tropical Storm Isaias. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Front yard after Tropical Storm Isaias. Montgomery Township Volunteer Fire Company, District 1, Car 46. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Front yard after Tropical Storm Isaias. West side side oak tree across Grandview Road, composite of 4 images. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

East Side Downed Oak Tree; West Side Downed Oak Tree; Downed Power Lines Damage to Grandview Road. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Monday (03-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Morning at the Birdfeeders: Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal.

Morning at the Birdfeeder. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

NOAA predicted that Tropical Storm Isaias would pass through central New Jersey with heavy rains and high winds. I spent the afternoon moving all of the Grow Towers next to the house and moving the cactus and patio furniture inside.

Daily Electric Energy Used (75.7 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (70.7 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. More sun, and hot outside keeping the Geothermal HVAC busy. A deficit of 5.0 kWh.

Sunday (02-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summer Nighttime Nature in New Jersey.

Every night the deer keep nibbling on my weeds and wildflowers. Unfortunately, they don’t nibble on the invasive “mile-a-minute” vine.

Daily Electric Energy Used (73.0 kWh) from Sense. Weekly Solar Electric Energy Produced (54.8 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Clouds in the morning, sun in the afternoon. A deficit of 18.2 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (470 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (438 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. A deficit of 32 kWh.

Saturday (01-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

My workhorse telephoto zoom 70-300 mm VR lens for the Nikon 1 camera has been acting up. Unfortunately, Nikon discontinued both the mirrorless Nikon 1 cameras and lenses. This lens on the Nikon 1 camera has the field of view equivalent to 189-810 mm on a full frame 35 mm camera sensor. I found a Japanese vendor online that had a 70-300 mm lens listed as practically new for sale. It was a bit more than I paid for the original 70-300 lens, but I felt that I needed the backup in case the original lens failed. The shipment got caught up in customs and I had to pay additional duty because of a tariff on Japanese goods. Thanks twitterer-in-chief for increasing the taxes I have to pay. Many folks don’t understand that it is the US consumer, not the foreign company that needs to pay these extra taxes. Vent over.

I went for an afternoon backyard walkabout with the N1V3 camera and new lens. Harvey the rabbit was out munching on the grass that needs to be cut. It appears that the recent Vultures left the skeleton of a small animal roadkill in the yard. Even though the majority of wildflowers are beginning to die off due to the excess heat, the more hearty Larkspur, Thistle, and Lance-leaf Coreopsis are providing nectar for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies and Clearwing Hummingbird moths.

Harvey the Rabbit. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Larkspur. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Dark morph of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Clearwing Hummingbird Moth. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Robber Fly. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (58.5 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (71.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Lots of sun. A surplus of 13.1 kWh.

Friday (31-July-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

The Brown Thrasher is a relatively new visitor to the birdfeed. I like its intense yellow eyes. It comes in just below the Blue Jay in regards to the pecking order feeding rights. I was really surprised to have captured a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. It wasn’t there to feed as I don’t have a hummingbird feeder with sugar syrup — just happened to be in the field of view of the camera.

Morning at the Birdfeeders: Mourning Dove, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal.

Morning at the Birdfeeder. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Afternoon at the Birdfeeders: Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Gray Catbird, American Goldfinch, and Brown-headed Cowbird.

Afternoon at the Birdfeeder. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (56.2 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (35.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Lots of clouds. A deficit of 21.2 kWh.

Monthly Electric Energy Used (1897 kWh) from Sense. Monthly Solar Electric Energy Produced (1942 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. A surplus of 45 kWh.