Six-Years Ago (11-April-2008) — Arizona

Gone to See America 2008. Page Arizona Photography Workshop with Winston Hall. Day 4: Buckskin Gulch.

Shadow Boxing. While waiting for the vehicles to get ready for the workshop location I saw this pair of male House Finches fighting. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/8, 1/640 sec).

Pair of Male House Finches Fighting in Page Arizona. Image taken with a Nikon D300 and 18-200 mm lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/8, 1/640 sec) (David J. Mathre)
Pair of Male House Finches Fighting in Page Arizona. Image taken with a Nikon D300 and 18-200 mm lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/8, 1/640 sec) (David J. Mathre)

Six-Years Ago (09-April-2008) — Arizona

Page Arizona Photography Workshop with Winston Hall. Day 2: Upper Antelope Canyon.

Upper Antelope Canyon (with Ghost). Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 200, 24 mm, f/11, 6 sec)

Upper Antelope Canyon, Page Arizona. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 24-70 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 24 mm, f/11, 6 sec). Image processed with Capture One Pro. Converted to B&W with NIK Silver Efex Pro 2 (David J Mathre)
Upper Antelope Canyon, Page Arizona. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 24-70 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 24 mm, f/11, 6 sec). Image processed with Capture One Pro. Converted to B&W with NIK Silver Efex Pro 2 (David J Mathre)

Sunday (06-April-2014) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Turkey Vulture Soaring Under a Spring Moon. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 140, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec).

Turkey Vulture Soaring Under a Spring Moon. Backyard Spring Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 140, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec). (David J Mathre)
Turkey Vulture Soaring Under a Spring Moon. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 140, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec). (David J Mathre)

For an earlier version of a Turkey Vulture flying past the moon check out (24-February-2007)

Thursday (03-April-2014) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Spring Purple Crocus Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and Fuji 60 mm f/2.4 macro lens (ISO 200, 60 mm, f/8, 1/45 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 7.

I was pleased to see that the most recent updated to Capture One Pro is able to process Fuji X-T1 raw files! I still can’t work with these images with Lightroom, and only in Photoshop when using a beta (release candidate) of Camera Raw.

Spring Purple Crocus Flower in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and Fuji 60 mm f/2.4 macro lens (ISO 200, 60 mm, f/8, 1/45 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 7. I was pleased to see that the most recent updated to Capture One Pro is able to process Fuji X-T1 raw files! Still can't do this with Lightroom, and only in Photoshop when using a beta (release candidate) of Camera Raw. (David J Mathre)
Spring Purple Crocus Flower. (David J Mathre)

Monday (24-March-2014) — New Jersey

Backyard Spring Nature in New Jersey.

Another sign that spring is here. There were hundreds of robin in my backyard today. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 600 mm, f/4, 1/320 sec).

I grew up in Minnesota, and the return of Robins was always a sign of spring. Here in New Jersey we have a few that stay for the winter, but with the large number that showed up today I think these are from the group that migrate (maybe some of the ones that I saw down in Florida back in February at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge). When I was in the 6th grade, we moved from Minnesota to Florida. In Florida, the Robins would arrive in the late Fall and leave in the late Winter. Before they left, they would all get drunk on fermented China Berries (couldn’t even perch or stand up and walk straight). I don’t know how they found their way back home as they migrated north. The reason I bring up seasons and migrations is that there was a SAT question where you had to relate Robins to Seasons. If you grew up in the North, Robins related to Spring — but if you grew up in the South then Robins related to Fall or Winter. What was the right answer?

Another Sign Spring is Coming -- Hundreds of Robins Were In My Backyard Today. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 600 mm, f/4, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)
Spring is here. Robin in my backyard. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 600 mm, f/4, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)