Monday (22-August-2016) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Night Sky Over New Jersey.

Star and Jet Trails Looking South. It rained Sunday night, and after the front came through we had very clear skies last night. Composite of 240 images taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/5.6, 60 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro, and the composite generated using Photoshop CC (statistics, maximum).

Star and Jet Trails Looking South. Composite of 240 images taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/5.6, 60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star and Jet Trails Looking South. Composite of 240 images taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/5.6, 60 sec). (David J Mathre)

Five-Years Ago (22-August-2011)– New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Fawn and Doe. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 300 mm f/2.8 VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec).

Fawn and Doe. Summer Backyard Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 300 mm f/2.8 VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
Fawn and Doe. Image taken with a Nikon D3s  camera and 300 mm f/2.8 VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)

Sunday (21-August-2016) — New Jersey.

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Praying Mantis With an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail for Sunday Brunch. Sourland Mountain Preserve. Summer Nature in New Jersey. Images taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens.

Praying Mantis With an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail for Sunday Brunch. Sourland Mountain Preserve. Summer Nature in New Jersey. Images taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens. (David J Mathre)
Praying Mantis With an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail for Sunday Brunch. Images taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens. (David J Mathre)
Praying Mantis With an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail for Sunday Brunch. Sourland Mountain Preserve. Summer Nature in New Jersey. Images taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens. (David J Mathre)
Praying Mantis With an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail for Sunday Brunch. Images taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens. (David J Mathre)
Praying Mantis With an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail for Sunday Brunch. Sourland Mountain Preserve. Summer Nature in New Jersey. Images taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens. (David J Mathre)
Praying Mantis With an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail for Sunday Brunch. Images taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens. (David J Mathre)

Sunday (21-August-2016) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Pastel Sky at Dawn. Composite of 13 Images taken with a Leica X2 camera and 24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 125, 24 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and the panorama generated using AutoPano Giga Pro. The program had a bit of a problem the the dark right bottom corner. To take the images I pulled over to the side of the road and took the pictures holding the camera out of the driver side window. I haven’t used this camera for a while, but keep it with me in the car for just this type of opportunity.

Pastel Sky at Dawn. Composite of 13 Images taken with a Leica X2 camera and 24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 125, 24 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and the panorama generated using AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)
Pastel Sky at Dawn. Composite of 13 Images taken with a Leica X2 camera and 24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 125, 24 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and the panorama generated using AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)


Click the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.


Sunday (21-August-2016) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

A Shy immature Green Heron in a Tree Next to the Pond at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Images taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens. Every time I walked around the pond this bird flew to the other side of the pond or up into a tree. It is so well camouflaged that I never see it until it flies away. I now know why the frogs are so skittish.

[Note I originally thought this was an American Bittern, now think it is an immature Green Heron.]

Immature Green Heron (originally thought it was an American Bittern). Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Immature Green Heron (originally thought it was an American Bittern). Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Immature Green Heron (originally thought it was an American Bittern). Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Immature Green Heron (originally thought it was an American Bittern). Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Immature Green Heron (originally thought it was an American Bittern). Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Immature Green Heron (originally thought it was an American Bittern). Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Immature Green Heron (originally thought it was an American Bittern). Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Immature Green Heron (originally thought it was an American Bittern). Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)