David's Images of the Day Photoblog
Red-Winged Black Bird on a Perch Above a Large Spider Web. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 250, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 7 (including conversion to B&W with one color).
We woke on New Years day to see more amazing icebergs. The first stop was at Brown Station (Estación Científica Almirante Brown) in Paradise Harbor. I took a panorama of the harbor and research station from the deck of the MS Fram while waiting to go ashore. Then to Bransfield House (location of the southernmost post office) at Port Lockry. The Gentoo Penguin eggs were just beginning to hatch. Later in the day we proceeded to the Lemaire Channel in the Southwest Antarctic Peninsula. The blue colors of the water, glaciers, and sky were unreal. I did my best to accurately record the colors. All of the panorama images need to be viewed in full screen mode.
On the previous day we drove from Hosteria Helsingfors to Hosteria El Pilar near the town of El Chalten. We stayed at this location for a couple of days. Early in the morning (before sunrise) we were rewarded with a magnificent view of Mount Fitzroy from right outside the hosteria. You need to view this panorama in full-screen mode. After picking up our guide in El Chalten, we hiked to Laguna Torre in Parque Nacional Los Glaciaries (Glacier National Park). During the hike we saw a female Magellanic Woodpecker. Once at Laguna Torre there was an impressive view of the Torre massif, the Adela range, Mount Solo and their respective glaciers.
Pair of Snowy Sheathbill’s and a Chinstrap Penguin on Elephant Island. This was at the desolate beach on Point Wild where Ernest Shackleton’s crew survived for 4 months in 1916 while Shackelton managed to sail to South Georgia and ultimately assured their rescue. I assume that the Sheathbill’s (as well as the Penguins and Seals) would have been on the menu for the sailors during this time. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/16, 1/500 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC.
Having spent only one hour on this desolate beach, it is amazing that the twenty some sailors/adventurers survived for 4+ months. This was only the 2nd time that the MS Fram was able to land passengers at this historic location.
Great Egret Hunting and Reflection in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 300 mm f/2.8 VR lens (ISO 100, 300 mm, f/8, 1/320 sec).
