Weather - David Mathre Photography

Saturday (09-March-2013) — New Jersey

Late Winter Nature in New Jersey. Spring Flowers in the Snow.

Yet another late winter snow storm. The early spring flowers continue to try to find some sun.

Snow Drop Flowers in the Snow Waiting for Spring. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera, FT1 adapter, and 28-300 VR lens (ISO 160, 170 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec) (David J Mathre)

Snow Drop Flowers in the Snow Waiting for Spring. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera, FT1 adapter, and 28-300 VR lens (ISO 160, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec) (David J Mathre)

Snow Drop Flowers in the Snow Waiting for Spring. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera, FT1 adapter, and 28-300 VR lens (ISO 160, 250 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec) (David J Mathre)

Daffodils in Snow Waiting for Spring. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera, FT1 adapter, and 28-300 VR lens (ISO 160, 300 mm, f/7.1, 1/500 sec) (David J Mathre)

Daffodils in Snow Waiting for Spring. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera, FT1 adapter, and 28-300 VR lens (ISO 160, 112 mm, f/8, 1/500 sec) (David J Mathre)

Friday (08-March-2013) — New Jersey

Home Cooking: Stone Soup and Hearty Rye & Whole Wheat Bread.

When I woke up this morning, it was snowing. There was 4-6 inches on the ground and still snowing. I didn’t need to go out and decided to make some stone soup with leftovers in the refrigerator.

Stone Soup and Hearty Rye & Whole Wheat Bread. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/8, 1/60, pop-up flash) (David J. Mathre)

Stone Soup Recipe: 1 Bag (26 oz) Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grains and Beans Soup Mix, Water (8 quarts), Knorr Chicken Flavor Bouillon (8 tbs), 2 Chopped Red Onions, 1 Chopped Celery Heart, 8 Chopped Garlic Cloves, and all of the leftover pork roast, chicken, and rib-roast in the fridge chopped into small pieces. Brought to a boil, then simmered for 4 hours. When done enough to feed an army… More leftovers to be frozen. Someday maybe I will learn to cook for one.

Four-Years Ago (01-March-2009) — New Jersey

Late Winter Nature in New Jersey. Snowy Day at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

I went for a walk at the local Sourland Mountain Preserve. It was snowing, a late winter storm. The long winding road is the right-of-way for a cross-country high-pressure gas line. The other images are of cattail, a pair of Mallard ducks swimming in a pond, and tree bark coated with snow.

Long Winding Road. Winter Snowstorm at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Nikon D300 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens (ISO 400, 26 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (David J. Mathre) — Long Winding Road. Winter Snowstorm at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens (ISO 400, 26 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (David J. Mathre)

Cattail in a Winter Snowstorm at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Nikon D300 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens (ISO 400, 130 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). (David J. Mathre) — Cattail in a Winter Snowstorm at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens (ISO 400, 130 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). (David J. Mathre)

Cattail in a Winter Snowstorm at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Nikon D300 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens (ISO 400, 200 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). (David J. Mathre) — Cattail in a Winter Snowstorm at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens (ISO 400, 200 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). (David J. Mathre)

Cattail in a Winter Snowstorm at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Nikon D300 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens (ISO 400, 105 mm, f/5.3, 1/400 sec). (David J. Mathre) — Cattail in a Winter Snowstorm at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens (ISO 400, 105 mm, f/5.3, 1/400 sec). (David J. Mathre)

Mallard Pair Swimming in a Snowstorm at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Nikon D300 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens (ISO 400, 200 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec). (David J. Mathre) — Mallard Pair Swimming in a Snowstorm at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens (ISO 400, 200 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec). (David J. Mathre)

Snow on Tree Bark During a Winter Snowstorm at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Nikon D300 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens (ISO 400, 200 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). (David J. Mathre) — Snow on Tree Bark During a Winter Snowstorm at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens (ISO 400, 200 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). (David J. Mathre)

Wednesday (30-January-2013) — Denmark to Norway

Gone to See Norway 2013. Chasing the Northern Lights. Day 2: Copenhagen to Bergen.

I arrived in Copenhagen at 07:00, earlier than expected due to the favorable tail winds. It was still dark and raining. I have to get used to the sun rising later as we get further north. There was a long line waiting to go through passport control. It didn’t matter since my connecting flight to Bergen wouldn’t leave until 11:45. I was glad that my luggage was checked all the way to Bergen. I was probably early enough to catch the 08:30 flight to Bergen if it wasn’t for the size of the Copenhagen airport. It is more a shopping center than an airport terminal. I exchanged some currency and then found a quiet area in the airport with free Wi-Fi and comfortable seats to sleep. A bottle of Coke at the airport cost 22.5 DK.

The SAS flight from Copenhagen to Bergen was on a MD-82 jet. The plane was only 1/3 full, so no problem finding space for my camera bag. Heavy rain when we landed in Bergen. Passport control in Bergen was closed, so only needed to pass through customs. It appeared that they were only checking Norwegians for excess duty items. One interesting thing is that you can use coins from a variety of countries for the luggage carts. There is a chart showing the size and value of coins that will work. With my heavy bag, I opted to take a taxi from the airport to my hotel in Bergen (376 NOK). The Thon hotel had a room when I arrived. Unlike earlier visits to Norway, the hotel did not ask to see a passport. Had a late lunch (or early dinner) – cheeseburger, fries, and a beer at the attached Egon restaurant (242 NOK). I can see that Norway is going to be expensive. I slept a few hours then walked the four blocks to the Tourist Information center to buy a one day Bergen Pass. It was still raining hard, and I was cold and soaking wet by the time I got back to the hotel. The weather forecast for the next day in Bergen was partly cloudy and above freezing. After a long day of travel, I fell asleep.

Leaving Copenhagen. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 and 10 mm f/2.8 lens with Olympus FCON-T01 adapter (ISO 20, 7.5 mm, f/3.5, 1/400 sec). (David J. Mathre)

GPS Track: Copenhagen to Bergen (462 miles) (David J Mathre)

GPS Track: Bergen Airport to Thon Bristol Hotel in Bergen (11 miles) (David J Mathre)

Six-Years Ago (23-January-2007) — Norway

Gone to See Norway 2007 Family Vacation. Day 3: Bergen and Embarkation on the Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald.

When we woke in Bergen, the sky was clear and there was new snow on the ground. The locals said that it had been raining for the last 50 days. I think many took the day off to enjoy the sun and snow. The Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald would not be departing until later that night, so we had the day to visit Bergen. As part of our travel package, we had a one day Bergen Card for transportation and various attractions. After spending some time outside around the Bergen harbor and Bergen Fish Market, we took the Fløibarnen Funicular to the top of Mount Fløyen. We also visited the art museum to see some of Edvard Munch’s paintings. Finally, as it started to get dark we made our way to the Hurtigruten terminal. I’ve included a fisheye view of my cabin and the stateroom at the front of the ship. As we learned later in the voyage, rooms near the front (or rear) of the ship move the most in heavy seas. Since then I always try to get a cabin near the middle of a ship for any voyage that may experience heavy seas.

Early Morning Fish Market in Bergen. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 800, 10.5 mm, f/3.5, 1/50 sec) (David J. Mathre) — Early Morning Fish Market in Bergen. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 800, 10.5 mm, f/3.5, 1/50 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Early Morning Bergen Harbor. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 12-24 mm f/4 lens (ISO 800, 12 mm, f/4, 1/50 sec) (David J. Mathre) — Early Morning Bergen Harbor. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 12-24 mm f/4 lens (ISO 800, 12 mm, f/4, 1/50 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Winter View of Bergen from the top of Mount Fløyen. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 200, 10.5 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec) (David J. Mathre) — Winter View of Bergen from the top of Mount Fløyen. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 200, 10.5 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Winter View of Bergen from the top of Mount Fløyen. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 200, 10.5 mm, f/8.5, 1/320 sec) (David J. Mathre) — Winter View of Bergen from the top of Mount Fløyen. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 200, 10.5 mm, f/8.5, 1/320 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Winter Troll at the top of Mount Fløyen. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 35 mm f/2D fisheye lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/2, 1/1250 sec) (David J. Mathre) — Winter Troll at the top of Mount Fløyen. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 35 mm f/2D fisheye lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/2, 1/1250 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Winter Bird in Norway. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/6, 1/160 sec) (David J. Mathre) — Winter Bird in Norway. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/6, 1/160 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Winter Female Statue in Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 35 mm f/2D lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec) (David J. Mathre) — Winter Female Statue in Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 35 mm f/2D lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Statue of a Young Boy. Winter Art in Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 35 mm f/2D lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/5, 1/100 sec) (David J. Mathre) — Statue of a Young Boy. Winter Art in Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 35 mm f/2D lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/5, 1/100 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Bench and Phone Booth in Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 35 mm f/2D lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/4, 1/60 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Lutefisk in Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 35 mm f/2D lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/4, 1/60 sec) (David J. Mathre) — Lutefisk in Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 35 mm f/2D lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/4, 1/60 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Hurtigruten Waiting Area in Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 400, 10.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/10 sec) (David J. Mathre) — Hurtigruten Waiting Area in Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 400, 10.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/10 sec) (David J. Mathre)

M/S Kong Harald from the Hurtigruten Waiting Area in Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 400, 10.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/8 sec) (David J. Mathre) — M/S Kong Harald from the Hurtigruten Waiting Area in Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 400, 10.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/8 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Fisheye View of My Cabin on the M/S Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 400, 10.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/15 sec) (David J. Mathre) — Fisheye View of My Cabin on the M/S Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 400, 10.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/15 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Fisheye View of Erik's Stateroom on the M/S Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 400, 10.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec) (David J. Mathre) — Fisheye View of Erik’s Stateroom on the M/S Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 400, 10.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Fisheye View of Erik's Stateroom on the M/S Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 400, 10.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/10 sec) (David J. Mathre) — Fisheye View of Erik’s Stateroom on the M/S Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon Dxs camera and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 400, 10.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/10 sec) (David J. Mathre)

As I mentioned at the beginning of this series of posts, I am getting ready to revisit Norway. At the time of the 2007 trip I only had a DSLR for about 6 months. There were many things about it I didn’t know – I was very early in the learning curve. By reviewing and analyzing the old images, I learn from my mistakes. When I look at the images that I took during that trip I cringe knowing that I could have done a better job – composition, exposure, focus, etc. I typically include camera settings with the description to help when I analyze the images. Since then cameras have improved significantly. Likewise the software used to process the images has improved. The new software lets me fix or improve the older images, and in some cases I have reprocessed the images. One of my goals for this upcoming trip is to take fewer, but better images. Comments and criticisms about these images are welcomed.