Tag: New Jersey

Thursday (26-May-2011) — New Jersey

Springtime Nature in New Jersey: I DON’T LIKE TICKS!!!

Ever since I got home and came in after taking the bee images, I kept feeling something crawling on me. I didn’t find anything and thought it was the ants that have invaded the house while I was on the Enrichment Voyage. Finally, I found a tick crawling on my shoulder. I think that it is a female dog tick and not a deer tick. I don’t like any type of ticks. I don’t know if this was the only one, but to make sure all of my cloths and bedding are now in the washing machine.

Dog Tick? Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Macro + TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/22, 1/600 sec). Ring Flash. Raw image processed with Capture One 6 Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Dog Tick? Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Macro + TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/22, 1/600 sec). Ring Flash. Raw image processed with Capture One 6 Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5.

Wednesday (25-May-2011) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Images of Bumble and Carpenter Bees taken in my backyard this afternoon with a macro lens. The Bumble Bees were working the fast fading Rhododendron flowers for any remaining pollen. The male Carpenter Bees appeared to be flying stationary guarding territory — only moving when challenged by another male. The down side of the Carpenter Bees is the large holes that they drill into the wood around the house for their nests.

Bumble Bee Working Old Rhododendron Flower for Pollen. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Macro + TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/7.1, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)
Bumble Bee Working Old Rhododendron Flower for Pollen. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Macro + TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/7.1, 1/200 sec).
Male Eastern Carpenter Bee Guarding Territory. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Macro + TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 800, 210 mm, f/13, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One 6 Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Male Eastern Carpenter Bee Guarding Territory. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Macro + TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 800, 210 mm, f/13, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One 6 Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5.
Male Eastern Carpenter Bee Guarding Territory. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Macro + TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 800, 210 mm, f/13, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One 6 Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Male Eastern Carpenter Bee Guarding Territory. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Macro + TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 800, 210 mm, f/13, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One 6 Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5.
Male Eastern Carpenter Bee Guarding Territory. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Macro + TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 800, 210 mm, f/13, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One 6 Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Male Eastern Carpenter Bee Guarding Territory. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Macro + TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 800, 210 mm, f/13, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One 6 Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5.
Male Eastern Carpenter Bee Guarding Territory. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Macro + TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 800, 210 mm, f/13, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One 6 Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Male Eastern Carpenter Bee Guarding Territory. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Macro + TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 800, 210 mm, f/13, 1/640 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One 6 Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5.

Saturday (21-May-2011) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Macro images taken in my back yard of a white wildflower, bee in a Rhododendron flower and a newly opened  Maple leaf. After a brief afternoon rain storm, I went out with the same kit as yesterday. I like looking close with a macro lens, especially in the spring when flowers are blooming and the bees are active. I think the white flower is an invasive “Star of Bethlehem” (Ornithogalium umbellatum)

Small White Flower After Rain. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/22, 1/30 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Small White Flower After Rain. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/22, 1/30 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5.
Bee in Rhododendron Bloom. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/6.3, 1/250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Bee in Rhododendron Bloom. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/6.3, 1/250 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5.
Spring Maple Leaf. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/11, 1/200 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Spring Maple Leaf. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/11, 1/200 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5.

Friday (20-May-2011) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

The first thing I noticed when I got home from the Semester at Sea Spring Enrichment Voyage to Central America and the Panama Canal was that the Rhododendorn’s in my yard were in bloom. To qualify, the only flowers were above level that the local deer couldn’t reach last winter. My sister told me that she had coupled a Nikon TC-E 20 II (2x) teleconverter with a 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens and has been getting some good macro images. I thought that I had previously tried coupling a teleconverter with the 105 macro and that it didn’t work, but decided to try again. It worked!!! In this case a Nikon TC-E 20 III (2x) teleconverter with a 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens.

I am going to need to do a test between the 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens with the 2x TC vs. the 200 mm f/4 macro lens.

Rhotodendron Flowers. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/11, 0.4 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Rhotodendron Flowers. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR Macro with a TC-E 20 III (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/11, 0.4 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and converted to jpg/sRGB with Photoshop CS5.

Monday (25-April-2011) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

I was afraid I was going to miss the Plum Tree in bloom this year. The tree took a lot of hits this winter and some significant cuts by the power company.  I also got an image of a new maple leaf.

Early Spring Plum Bloom. Image taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 100, 19.2 mm, f/3.3, 1/800 sec) (David J Mathre)
Early Spring Plum Bloom. Image taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 100, 19.2 mm, f/3.3, 1/800 sec)
Early Spring Maple Tree Leaf. Image taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 100, 14.9 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec) (David J Mathre)
Early Spring Maple Tree Leaf. Image taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 100, 14.9 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec)