Gone to See Florida 2007 Road Trip Day 5: Selby Gardens in Sarasota.
We drove to Sarasota to visit Marie Selby Botanical Gardens to view the Orchid show. The gardens do not allow the use of tripods in the conservatory, but did allow me to use my walking stick as monopod to stabilize the camera while taking pictures. I tried to work quickly so not to block other visitors to the gardens. It was a target rich environment. After visiting the conservatory we spent time wandering around in the outdoor gardens. It was there I got an image of a crab spider having a fly for lunch.
Orchid at Selby Gardens in Sarasota, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (David J Mathre)
Crab Spider with a Fly for Lunch at Selby Gardens in Sarasota, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (David J Mathre)
Gone to See Florida 2007 Road Trip Day 3: Fort De Soto Park.
I drove to Fort De Soto Park to find some birds to try out a 200 mm f/2 VR lens with a TC-EII 2.0x teleconverter. Other than this turkey vulture that wanted to pose, the rest of the birds seemed to be on a siesta and were in hiding. I should have gone earlier in the morning…
Turkey Vulture on a post at Fort De Soto park in Pinellas County, Florida. Image taken with a D300 camera and 200 mm f/2 VR lens with a TC-EII 2x teleconverter (ISO 360, 400 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
Gone to See Florida 2007 Road Trip Day 2: Family & Friends in St. Petersburg.
Images of a brown anole lizard, house sparrow (?), mosquito, bright red flower, and paparazzi all in the family garden. Then the full moon, St. Petersburg Pier, and holiday lights from the Vinoy Hotel.
Looking at You. Brown Anole Lizard in St. Petersburg, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)Mosquito on a screen in St. Petersburg, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/11, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)Family Photography. St. Petersburg, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 200 mm f/2 VR lens (ISO 3200, 200 mm, f/11, 1/5000 sec). (David J Mathre)Bright red flowers in St. Petersburg, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 200 mm f/2 VR lens (ISO 900, 200 mm, f/11, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)House Sparrow (?) on a Carambola Tree in St. Petersburg, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 200 mm f/2 VR lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/11, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)Full Moon from a balcony a the Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and Questar 3.5″ telescope (ISO 3200, ~1400 mm, f/16, 1/4000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Although the season is officially still Autumn, at the higher elevations of Colorado it is winter. I drove to Rocky Mountain National Park on a sunny Sunday morning. It is only an hour from Boulder, Colorado. The first stop was to get a picture of the “Chapel on the Rock” with Mt. Meeker in the background. Then it was into the park to get more pictures. Winter view of the Big Thompson River in Moraine Park; Winter Trail to Storm Pass along road to Bear Lake; and a Winter Panorama of Longs Peak taken along Colorado Highway 7
Saint Catherine Chapel and Mt. Meeker, Rocky Mountain National Park. (David J Mathre)Big Thompson River, Moraine Park, Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with Nikon D300 an 17-35 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 20 mm, f/22, 1/40 sec). (David J Mathre)Winter Trail to Storm Pass, Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with Nikon D300 an 17-35 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 17 mm, f/22, 1/40 sec). (David J Mathre)Longs Peak Panorama from Colorado Highway 7 View Area, Rocky Mountain National Park. Composite of 4 horizontal images taken with a Nikon D300 and 17-35 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/22, 1/60 sec) processed with AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)
Gone to See Hawaii. Big Island Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 6: Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.
We stopped at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens on our last day of the workshop. The Garden is located about 7 miles north of Hilo along the Old Mamalahoa Highway overlooking Onomea bay. This was a target rich environment. I do recommend mosquito repellent and possibly an umbrella. The hike down the trail from the gift center to Onomea bay takes a couple of hours, and is about a 500 foot elevation drop. Just remember you have to walk back up (although there is a golf cart for the physically challenged to take you back up). Thom spent some time helping me get the focus right for the image of the yellow orchid. I learned that Varilux glasses can be a problem when trying to get accurate/critical focus through the viewfinder.
