Three-Years Ago (04-February-2014) — Florida

Gone to See America. February 2014 Florida Road Trip. Day 4: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Nearly Five Hours Later and the Great Egret is Still Having Problems Swallowing the Fish. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 280, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). It finally got it part way down its neck, but then didn’t look like it could fly.

Nearly Five Hours Later and the Great Egret is Still Having Problems Swallowing the Fish. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 280, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). It finally got it part way down its neck, but then didn't look like it could fly. (David J Mathre)
Nearly Five Hours Later and the Great Egret is Still Having Problems Swallowing the Fish. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 280, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (David J Mathre)

Three-Years Ago (04-February-2014) — Florida

Gone to See America. February 2014 Florida Road Trip. Day 4: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Ringed-Billed Gull Calling out like a Wolf for its Friends to Join in Harassing a Great Egret with a Fish too big to Swallow. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). I came back to the same spot several hours later, and the Great Egret was still trying to swallow the fish. It finally got it part way down its neck, but then didn’t look like it could fly.

Ringed-Billed Gull Calling out like a Wolf for its Friends to Join in Harassing a Great Egret with a Fish too big to Swallow. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). I came back to the same spot several hours later, and the Great Egret was still trying to swallow the fish. It finally got it part way down its neck, but then didn't look like it could fly. (David J Mathre)
Ringed-Billed Gull Calling out like a Wolf for its Friends to Join in Harassing a Great Egret with a Fish too big to Swallow. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)

Three-Years Ago (04-February-2014) — Florida

Gone to See America. February 2014 Florida Road Trip. Day 4: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Tricolored Heron and Reflection in the Early Morning Sun at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 500 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec).

Tricolored Heron and Reflection in the Early Morning Sun at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 500 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Tricolored Heron and Reflection in the Early Morning Sun at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 500 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)

Three-Years Ago (04-February-2014) — Florida

Gone to See America. February 2014 Florida Road Trip. Day 4: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Almost in — Great Egret Swallowing the Fish. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 320, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec).

Almost in -- Great Egret Swallowing the Fish. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 320, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Almost in — Great Egret Swallowing the Fish. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 320, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (David J Mathre)

One-Year Ago (24-January-2016) — Japan

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 19: Arrival in Yokohama, Japan.

Once we cleared immigration control, we had to remain off the ship until everyone was cleared. It was cold. I’m glad I was wearing a sweater, coat, wool hat, and had a pair of “hunting gloves” from Norway for using a camera in the cold. In addition to a camera, I brought a tripod with a Mindarin Astro 360° rotating head for the tripod. This rotating head controls the camera for doing rotating panoramas or rotating time-lapse videos. I did several sets of images while on the Osanbashi Pier, which were then processed with AutoPano Giga Pro to create Little Planet, Mirror Ball, and Panorama views of the MV World Odyssey and the Yokohama skyline. Click on the images for a wider view.

Little Planet View of the Yokohama, Japan Skyline from the Osanbashi Pier. Composite of 37 images taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/11, 1/250 sec) using a 360° Mindarin Astro rotating tripod head. Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and the Little Planet view created using AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)
Little Planet View of the Yokohama, Japan Skyline from the Osanbashi Pier. Composite of 37 images taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/11, 1/250 sec) using a 360° Mindarin Astro rotating tripod head. Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and the Little Planet view created using AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)
Little Planet view of the MV World Odyssey Docked at the Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama, Japan. Composite of 9 images taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and Bower 8 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/11, 1/125 sec) using a 360° Mindarin Astro rotating tripod head. Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and the Little Planet view created using AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)
Little Planet view of the MV World Odyssey Docked at the Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama, Japan. Composite of 9 images taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and Bower 8 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/11, 1/125 sec) using a 360° Mindarin Astro rotating tripod head. Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and the Little Planet view created using AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)
Mirror Ball view of the MV World Odyssey docked at the Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama, Japan. Composite of 9 images taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and Bower 8 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/11, 1/125 sec) using a 360° Mindarin Astro rotating tripod head. Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and the Mirror Ball view created using AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)
Mirror Ball view of the MV World Odyssey docked at the Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama, Japan. Composite of 9 images taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and Bower 8 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/11, 1/125 sec) using a 360° Mindarin Astro rotating tripod head. Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and the Mirror Ball view created using AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)

Later in the afternoon I made two 360° time-lapse videos. The first of people enjoying the day at the Yamashita Park along the Yokohama harbor, and the second from a park with a view of view of the Osanbashi Pier and the MV World Odyssey. The images were taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera that was controlled by a Mindarin Astro 360° rotating head on a tripod. The time-lapse video was then created using Photoshop CC and Premiere Pro CC.

Yamashita Park Time-Lapse Video

Osanbashi Pier Time-Lapse Video