Tuesday (02-August-2011) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

When I got home tonight after being away from the house for a day, I found that the tomato plants on my deck wilting. It continues to be very hot here in New Jersey. I did water the tomato plants Sunday before I left, and from where I was in Pennsylvania yesterday thought that there would have had been some rain on Monday. Apparently not. I added 3 gallons of water to each of the planters. Hopefully they recover.

While doing the watering a Dragonfly and a very large white moth (?) flew by. The moth was about twice as big as a Monarch butterfly, and I have not seen a white moth this big before — but I didn’t get out in time with a camera (what did I say in my previous post — the best camera is the camera with you). I did get a couple of images of the Dragonfly and you can see one below.

Earlier this year I was on a Semester at Sea (SAS) Enrichment Voyage “Central America and Panama Canal” and last spring a SAS Enrichment Voyage “Caribbean Islands. ” These were both done as part of “Ultimate Travel Photography Workshops” run by Michael Mariant.  Several images from these trips are on previous blogs from this site. While on the voyage this spring I heard that there was going to be an Enrichment Voyage starting this December, going into next year that would start in Nassau Bahamas, stop in several Caribbean Island then go to Brazil and up the Amazon river, and then back through some more Caribbean islands before ending in Fort Lauderdale Florida. This trip was not part of the “Ultimate Travel Photography Workshops” but I was still very interested.  I didn’t sign up while on the last trip, mainly because of issues at work and amount of remaining vacation time this year. SAS extended the early sign-up time until 31-July-2011. I sent a reservation application in by the deadline late Sunday. Unfortunately, I got a call today that the voyage is well subscribed, and that my request for a single supplement  would not be 150% (as advertised), but now 200% because of bookings. I’m not going to pay 2x because I am traveling single. I did a little bit of research and it looks like the Road Scholar group may have taken up the rooms since they are charging the same amount per room for the voyage for either single or double occupancy. ARRG.

I may be disappointed, but now will have extra vacation time next year to do an extended road trip across America, and possibly an Alaska Marine Highway ferry trip to Alaska and Canada.

Dragonfly -- Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D700 and 28-300 mm lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Dragonfly — Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 28-300 mm lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5.

Saturday (02-July-2011) — New Jersey

Early Summer Nature in New Jersey.

Some images that I took on a walkabout this morning in the Sourland Mountain Preserve. This was a test to see what I could photograph with a 500 mm f/4 lens on a monopod. The minimum focus distance for the lens is 12.6 feet (4 m) which is a challenge for close up images of insects.

The first image is a close-up of a Dragonfly. The second is what I believe is a Blue Grosbeak. The third is a Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly on Milkweed flowers. The fourth and fifth images are Snowberry Clearwing Moths (Thanks to Rick Sidler for the ID and link). It is larger (longer) than a Bumblebee, but its wings are small and transparent. It also was working the Milkweed flowers. The sixth image is Kermit the Bullfrog.

Dragonfly at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 500 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Dragonfly at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 500 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Blue Grosbeak? at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 500 mm, f/4, 1/100 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Blue Grosbeak? at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 500 mm, f/4, 1/100 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 500 mm, f/4, 1/100 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 500 mm, f/4, 1/100 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Snowberry Clearwing Moth at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 400, 500 mm, f/4, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Snowberry Clearwing Moth at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 400, 500 mm, f/4, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Snowberry Clearwing Moth at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 200, 500 mm, f/4, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Snowberry Clearwing Moth at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 200, 500 mm, f/4, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Kermit the Bullfrog at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 400, 500 mm, f/4, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Kermit the Bullfrog at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 400, 500 mm, f/4, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.

Friday (01-July-2011) — New Jersey

Early Summer Nature in New Jersey. Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Morning walkabout at the local Sourland Mountain Preserve. Insects: Dragonfly, Butterflies, and Grasshopper.

Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly on Milkweed Flowers in Sourland Mountain Reserve. Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 105 mm f/2.8 macro lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 210 mm, f/6.3, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly on Milkweed Flowers in Sourland Mountain Reserve. Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 105 mm f/2.8 macro lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 210 mm, f/6.3, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5.
Dragonfly in Sourland Mountain Reserve. Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Dragonfly in Sourland Mountain Reserve. Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5.
Butterfly in Sourland Mountain Reserve. Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Butterfly in Sourland Mountain Reserve. Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5.
Green Grasshopper in Sourland Mountain Reserve. Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 105 mm f/2.8 macro lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 210 mm, f/6.3, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Green Grasshopper in Sourland Mountain Reserve. Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 105 mm f/2.8 macro lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 210 mm, f/6.3, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5.
Butterfly in Sourland Mountain Reserve. Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Butterfly in Sourland Mountain Reserve. Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CS5.

Saturday (04-June-2011) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Images from a walkabout in my backyard. A dragonfly, immature pine cones, wild raspberry flowers, honeysuckle flowers, and small white butterfly (also known as a cabbage moth)

Dragonfly. Spring Outdoor Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200-400 mm f/4 lens (ISO 640, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Dragonfly. Spring Outdoor Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200-400 mm f/4 lens (ISO 640, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Early Pine Cones, Spring Backyard Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200-400 f/4 lens (ISO 3200, 330 mm, f/5.6 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Focus Magic, Nik Define 2, and Adobe Photoshop CS5 (David J Mathre)
Early Pine Cones, Spring Backyard Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200-400 f/4 lens (ISO 3200, 330 mm, f/5.6 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Focus Magic, Nik Define 2, and Adobe Photoshop CS5
Wild Raspberry Flower. Spring Outdoor Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200-400 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1000, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Wild Raspberry Flower. Spring Outdoor Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200-400 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1000, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Wild Honeysuckle Flower. Spring Outdoor Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200-400 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1000, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Wild Honeysuckle Flower. Spring Outdoor Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200-400 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1000, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Small White Butterfly. Spring Outdoor Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200-400 mm f/4 lens (ISO 2200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Small White Butterfly. Spring Outdoor Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200-400 mm f/4 lens (ISO 2200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.