Four-Years Ago (09-September-2008) — New Jersey

Late Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Big Spider at My Front Door. I saw this big spider lurking above my front doorway, and decided to enter via the back door. I then came back around with a camera, macro lens, and flash. This is the biggest spider I have ever seen in New Jersey. I really don’t like spiders, but do like taking their pictures. I don’t know what type of spider it is. If anyone knows, please send me a message.

Big Spider Above My Front Door. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 200 mm f/4 macro lens (ISO 220, 200 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) and SB-900 flash. (David J. Mathre)
Big Spider Above My Front Door. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 200 mm f/4 macro lens (ISO 220, 200 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) and SB-900 flash. (David J. Mathre)

Monday (21-May-2012) — New Jersey

Indoor Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Last night, one of my creepy crawly house pets Scutigera Coleoptrata (House Centipede) came out to visit me in my bedroom. I decided that I wasn’t that tired, so spent some time taking macro images — until it got tired of the flash and went away.

One of My Creepy Crawly House Pets Came Out to Visit Me in My Bedroom Last Night. Scutigera Coleoptrata (House Centipede) -- Not a Silverfish. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) with SB-R200 Ring Flash. Raw image processed with Photoshop CS6. (David J. Mathre)

One of My Creepy Crawly House Pets Came Out to Visit Me in My Bedroom Last Night. Scutigera Coleoptrata (House Centipede) -- Not a Silverfish. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) with SB-R200 Ring Flash. Raw image processed with Photoshop CS6. (David J. Mathre)

Four-Years Ago (21-November-2007) — Hawaii

Gone to See Hawaii. Big Island Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 4: Kona and Volcano National Park.

Four years ago I was attending a photography workshop on the Big Island of Hawaii led by  Thom Hogan . Before breakfast, I wandered down to the harbor and captured a Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe with a Cruse Ship in the background. We spent a good part of the day driving to Volcanoes National Park. We stayed at the Lodge — Volcano House Hotel within the National Park through Thanksgiving. After getting settled, the group went for a hike down into the rain forest from the lodge where I took these three images. The first is a wild yellow orchid along the trail, the next a purple fungus (?) on the forest floor, and the third a palm frond. All three of the images used my SB-800 flash, where Thom was helping me learn how to best compose and use fill-flash to light up the subject of the image. Although we didn’t experience much rain, a few days after we left the park got 13 and 17 inches of rain and we would have been spending our time taking images of the fireplace  (which has been burning continuously since 1877). The Volcano House Hotel is now closed. Unfortunately, the fire went out on 01-January-2010. The hotel is now being renovated, and will not open until sometime in 2012.

Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe and Cruise Liner Early Morning on Kona Bay. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 12-24 mm f/4 lens (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe and Cruise Liner Early Morning on Kona Bay. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 12-24 mm f/4 lens (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Wild Yellow Orchid. Volcano National Park, Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) using SB-800 flash. (David J. Mathre)
Wild Yellow Orchid. Volcano National Park, Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) using SB-800 flash. (David J. Mathre)
Purple Fungus. Volcano National Park, Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec) using SB-800 flash. (David J. Mathre)
Purple Fungus. Volcano National Park, Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec) using SB-800 flash. (David J. Mathre)
Palm . Volcano National Park, Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec) using SB-800 flash. (David J. Mathre)
Palm . Volcano National Park, Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec) using SB-800 flash. (David J. Mathre)

Saturday (03-September-2011) — New Jersey

Indoor Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Creepy Crawly Pets. It was getting late, but I found this crawling on my wall fifteen minutes before midnight. Image taken hand-held with a Nikon D3x camera, 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens, and flash.

Creepy Crawly. Scutigera Coleoptrata (House Centipede) -- Not a Silverfish. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) with SB-900 Flash. Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Creepy Crawly. Scutigera Coleoptrata (House Centipede) — Not a Silverfish. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) with SB-900 Flash. Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Creepy Crawly. Scutigera Coleoptrata (House Centipede) -- Not a Silverfish. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) with SB-900 Flash. Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Creepy Crawly. Scutigera Coleoptrata (House Centipede) — Not a Silverfish. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) with SB-900 Flash. Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)