Vermont

The Heart of the Milky Way

Last night’s clear skies beckoned, and I set up my camera out in the front field at around 10:00PM. The Milky Way stretched above me from north to south. In this shot, we’re looking south into the center of our galaxy. The brightest clump of stars directly of the above the trees in the center of the frame are in the constellation Sagittarius and mark the center of the Milky Way. Interstellar dust creates dark lanes in the stars as they arc north and east.

Nikon D600, Nikon 18-35mm lens @ 18mm, ISO 1600, f/4.5, 15 second exposure.

July 12, 2013 2

Lily Haze

I went out in the morning with my camera into the hazy and humid air that seems to be the rule this summer here in Vermont. I took several photos of day lilies and other flowers, but didn’t realize that my camera’s optics had kind of hazed up due to the humidity. Most of the photos were unusable, but this one had an dreamy, soft smoothness to it that I kind of like. I suppose you can pay good money for a filter that does the same thing (or do it in software), but there’s nothing like a happy accident!

Note to self: give you equipment time to acclimate!

Nikon D600, Sigma 105mm, ISO 800, f/14, 1/640″.

July 8, 2013 0

Patient Beetle

This as-yet-unidentified beetle waited very patiently on a pond side stalk of grass for me to get this shot. He’s a hansom fellow!

Nikon D600, Sigma 105mm lens, ISO 800, f//8, 1/250″.

July 8, 2013 4

Wild Strawberry

Springtime’s prolific wild strawberry blossoms along Fargo Brook are ripening into a pretty good crop of berries. I had to lay down flat on the ground to capture this image. And, yes, it was tasty as was its neighbor!

Photo Info: Nikon D600, Sigma 105mm macro, ISO 800, f/8, 1/60″.

July 2, 2013 2

Daisy Fleabane

Daisy fleabane in bloom in an old road clearing in the woods above Fargo Brook.

Photo Info: Nikon D600, Sigma 105mm macro, ISO 2000, f/13, 1/800″ exposure.

July 1, 2013 0

Bug hunting is one of my favorite photographic endeavors. Armed with my D600 and trusty 105mm macro lens, I head out into our front field to bag my quarry. You have to be slow and quick at the same time, moving slowly and patiently to see what’s around you, then moving in quick to get the shot. I never really know what I’ve got until I get back home and dump the images onto my computer. In this particular round, the crab spider with the fly in its mouth was a complete surprise. Even through the lens, I thought the black bit was the spider’s eyes. When I blew it up, I discovered that I wasn’t the only one hunting bugs!

Most of these shots were taken at ISO 800 with apertures between f/8 and f/13 and shutter speeds of 1/800″-1/2000″.

A northern crab spider bags a small fly. This was an unexpected surprise!

I was shooting the yellow crab spider on the buttercup when the elongated flower fly zipped into the frame. A lucky shot!

A soldier fly (?) perches on a lesser stitchwort blossom.

A tiny jumping spider hunts on a milkweed leaf.

A leaf-footed bug crawls up a grass stem.

A tawny-edged Skipper on a milkweed leaf.

An unidentified beetle perches on a black-eyed Susan.

Like a Fly on Chicory

A large bee-like fly works a chicory blossom.

I was out shooting chicory blossoms along Camel’s Hump Road yesterday morning. This large fly happened to alight in the blossom I was focussed on. The crispness of the detail in the flower’s stamens and the fly’s wings and back, and contrasting colors really work for me…

Photo Info: Nikon D600, Sigma 105mm, ISO 800, f/13, 1/800″ exposure.

June 30, 2013 2

Jewel Weed into the Woods

Green jewel weed creates a bright carpet stretching into the woods. — Jewel weed creates a bright green carpet stretching deep into the woods.

As I was driving along Taft Road, I just had to stop and get a picture of this scene. The jewel weed carpets the woods along the road and deep into the shadows. I love the texture and tone.

Photo Info: Nikon D600, Nikon 18-35mm lens @ 35mm, polarizing filter, ISO 800, f/14, 1/40″.

June 28, 2013 0