Four-Years Ago (09-September-2008) — New Jersey

Late Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Big Spider at My Front Door. I saw this big spider lurking above my front doorway, and decided to enter via the back door. I then came back around with a camera, macro lens, and flash. This is the biggest spider I have ever seen in New Jersey. I really don’t like spiders, but do like taking their pictures. I don’t know what type of spider it is. If anyone knows, please send me a message.

Big Spider Above My Front Door. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 200 mm f/4 macro lens (ISO 220, 200 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) and SB-900 flash. (David J. Mathre)
Big Spider Above My Front Door. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 200 mm f/4 macro lens (ISO 220, 200 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) and SB-900 flash. (David J. Mathre)

Six-Years Ago (05-September-2006) — Washington

Gone to See America 2006 Driving Tour. Day 11: North Cascade National Park, Lake Chelan, Washington.

Image of a female mallard duck taken during the ferry ride from Chelan to Stehkin with a Nikon D200 camera and 80-400 mm VR Lens. One of my favorite images from the “Gone to See America 2006 Driving Tour”.

Female Mallard Duck on Lake Chelan. Image taken with a Nikon D200 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/9, 1/320 sec). (David J. Mathre)
Female Mallard Duck on Lake Chelan. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/9, 1/320 sec). (David J. Mathre)
Female Mallard Duck on Lake Chelan. Image taken with a Nikon D200 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/9, 1/320 sec). (David J. Mathre)
Female Mallard Duck on Lake Chelan. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/9, 1/320 sec). (David J. Mathre)
Female Mallard Duck on Lake Chelan. Image taken with a Nikon D200 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/9, 1/320 sec). (David J. Mathre)
Female Mallard Duck on Lake Chelan. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/9, 1/320 sec). (David J. Mathre)

Three-Years Ago (27-August-2009) — Washington

Gone to See North America Road Trip. Day 06: Lake Chelan, Washington.

Losing It — Or Darwin Award Candidate. While riding the “Lady of the Lake II” ferry crossing Lake Chelan, I caught this Jet Skier lose his grip as he was jumping the wake behind the ship. He had been showing off to his girlfriend. Even though the Nikon D3x camera does not have the high-speed burst rate of the D3 camera, sometimes you get lucky. It appeared that he was OK once his companion made it to his position.

Losing It. Jet Skier on Lake Chelan from the rear of "The Lady of the Lake II. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/10, 1/1000 sec). (David J. Mathre)
Losing It. Jet Skier on Lake Chelan from the rear of “The Lady of the Lake II. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/10, 1/1000 sec). (David J. Mathre)

 

Five-Years Ago (27-August-2007) — Colorado

Summer Nighttime Sky Over Colorado.

Self Portrait while photographing a lunar eclipse in Boulder, Colorado.

Accidental Ghostly Self Portrait Taken During a Lunar Eclipse. Boulder Colorado, 28-August-2007. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 14 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 400, 14 mm, f/2.8, 30 sec). (David J Mathre)
Accidental Ghostly Self Portrait Taken During a Lunar Eclipse. Boulder Colorado,. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 14 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 400, 14 mm, f/2.8, 30 sec). (David J Mathre)

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

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

Miners Rock at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. For the first two days I drove almost non-stop (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, then Michigan). I decided to stop at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on the shore of Lake Superior and take some pictures. Two days before the trip I got a Nikon D200 DSLR camera and two lenses, a 18-70 mm kit lens and a 80-400 mm VR telephoto lens. All I knew about using the camera was from what I read in the manual — not much. All images were recorded as jpg, not raw which limited future processing.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan. Image taken with a Nikon D200 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 85 mm, f/4.5, 1/750 sec). (David J. Mathre)
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 85 mm, f/4.5, 1/750 sec). (David J. Mathre)