Sunday (20-May-2012) — New Jersey

Backyard Spring Nature in New Jersey: Rabbit and Ticks.

I noticed that one of my local rabbits had some big ticks on its neck. It was trying to rub them off without much luck.

I wanted to see and photograph the annular eclipse today. Unfortunately, I had to cancel the road trip out west due to a meeting in New Jersey that I need to attend on Monday. I do hope to photograph the Venus transit early in June. Weather permitting this should be possible from New Jersey.

Rabbit Trying to Remove the Big Ticks on its Neck. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 900, 500 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)

Monday (14-May-2012) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

The Rhododendorn’s that the deer didn’t eat last winter are currently in bloom. The following five pictures are the same image processed differently. The first image is the straight out of the camera imbedded jpg image with no post processing. Next next four pictures were processed with Phase One Capture One Pro 6; Nikon Capture NX2; Adobe Lightroom 4; and Adobe Photoshop CS6.

I’m interested in comments which version you like or dislike.

Cluster of Rhododendron Flowers. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 and 30-100 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 41.2 mm, f/4, 1/60 sec). Out of the camera imbedded jpg image. (David J Mathre)

Cluster of Rhododendron Flowers. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 and 30-100 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 41.2 mm, f/4, 1/60 sec). Raw image processed with Phase One - Capture One Pro 6 (vivid, levels, vignetting). (David J Mathre)

Cluster of Rhododendron Flowers. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 and 30-100 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 41.2 mm, f/4, 1/60 sec). Raw image processed with Nikon Capture NX2 (levels, noise reduction). (David J Mathre)

Cluster of Rhododendron Flowers. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 and 30-100 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 41.2 mm, f/4, 1/60 sec). Raw image processed with Lightroom 4 (Adobe Camera Raw 7). (David J Mathre)

Cluster of Rhododendron Flowers. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 and 30-100 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 41.2 mm, f/4, 1/60 sec). Raw image processed with Photoshop CS6 (Adobe Camera Raw 7). (David J Mathre)

One-Year Ago (14-May-2011) — Belize

Gone to See Central America and the Panama Canal. Semester at Sea Spring 2011 Enrichment Voyage on the MV Explorer. Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop II with Michael Mariant. Day 18: Belize.

Black Vultures in Flight in Belize. The lake was filled with dead fish. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec).

Black Vultures in Flight in Belize. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Black Vultures in Flight in Belize. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)

Friday (11-May-2012) — New Jersey

Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

I stopped by the nearby Sourland Mountain Preserve on the way home from work to see what is new this spring. I was mainly looking for wildflowers and butterflies. One of the first things I found was hundreds, if not thousands of tadpoles at the edge of the pond. In a few weeks there are going to be a lot of frogs!

Tadpoles -- The Frogs Will Be Coming. Pond at Sourlands Mountain Nature Preserve in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon V1 and 85 mm f/1.4G lens and FT1 adapter. (ISO 100, 85 mm, f/5, 1/250 sec). FOV equiv to 230 mm on a 35 mm full frame camera. (David J Mathre)
Tadpoles — The Frogs Will Be Coming. Pond at the Sourland Mountain Preserve in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon V1 and 85 mm f/1.4G lens and FT1 adapter. (ISO 100, 85 mm, f/5, 1/250 sec). FOV equiv to 230 mm on a 35 mm full frame camera. (David J Mathre)