Lunar Distraction

I was sitting in a parking lot last night playing on my computer when I saw the moon on the western horizon. As I worked on the computer I was constantly distracted by the moon, I don’t really know why, but I had to get out and take a few pics until the compulsion passed. This happens frequently that I get obsessed with certain pics, like flowers and zoos. It gets to the point that I can’t think about anything else till I stop and shoot some pics. I guess it is a form of OCD, but a good one. Does anyone else have this? Well I can live with it and it helps advance my skills with my cameras.
Have a great day, I’m off to Wisconsin.

Wordless Wednesday

A day in the woods with my Dad

I spent a fun day Saturday having breakfast and walking around my favorite spots in Champaign/Urbana Illinois with my pop. I’m amazed that at 76 he has so much energy and I’m grateful for that. I kept asking him if he was doing O.K. and I realized he was going to outlast me. He knows how much I enjoy photography and is always willing to take me to my favorite spots when I stop by for a visit. I mostly enjoy the banter between us as we procede, I get my sense of humor from him, probably our weekly doses of Monty Python on Sunday nights and now we have weekly discussions on South Park and Family Guy. Well, enought of the sentimental drivel and on the the pics….:-)

Macro Monday

I admit I have a thing for Molds,spores and fungus, but if there is any subject made for macrophotography this is it. I’m amazed that such a small organism can take down a perfectly healthy tree. The brown mold in the pic did a number on that tree, but the orange fungus seemed to live on the other tree with no ill effects. I tend to think about such things while taking the pics thanks to my dad who was a science teacher for 30+ years. the Pasque flowers were growing in an herb garden and I have no idea what they are used for, so if anyone has an idea (Pete) let me know..:-)
Later…Ed

Sunday Stills: Barns

This was a fun one if I don’t mind saying so, here we have a Canteliever barn, a 1940’s era barn and one of only 60 round barns left in the country and 4 of them are in Champaign Illinois, the other two are of some inside the barn pics.

Mystery Birds in Iowa

I spent yesterday wandering around the fields of Iowa looking for birds while waiting for my trailer to get loaded and got some interesting bird shots a couple I could identify like the Red-Winged Blackbird, the Meadowlark and the Ring-necked Pheasant. But there are two I could not find on whatbird.com, so if anyone has any ideas I’d appreciate the input. I’ll title the pics unidentified 1 and 2.
I hope everyone has a great weekend and I’ll see ya’ll tomorrow for Sunday Stills.

TGIF

Well its another weekend for alot of folks but not for me, I’m picking up a load in Iowa and heading back east to Ohio. Its not too bad, at least I’ll have decent internet connections the next few days. The last two days have been a struggle for my poor laptop, poor signal strength is mostly to blame but today is O.K. I use Sprint and the service is spotty to say the least, if I’m near a major city its fine, but get out in the sticks and well…… Anyway, I hope everyone has a great weekend, I’ll be chasing sunrises.
Later…Ed
the pic is from last nights sunset in Iowa

Lightning Photography 101

I had a bunch of requests yesterday for techniques on lightning photography. Well, here it is in a nutshell. First, find a lightning storm. Then you need a comera with an adjustable shutter speed setting. I use manual mode and set the shutterspeed to 30 seconds and the ISO to 100 for less noise, I use an f-5.6 tp f-22. If you can, set the camera to manual focus and set for the farthest focal setting. Oh yeah, you need a tri-pod for this. So with the settings all set just shoot the shot and wait for the lightning to pop and depress the shutter to stop the exposure and repeat as often as you can, and compose the shot as the storm passes. Its pretty easy and just takes a bit of luck and practice. The shot I’m posting from Rawlins Wyoming was my first lightning pic, I was so happy!!! The second from Everwood Texas shows my favorite lightning, cloud to cloud, you could almost taste the ozone…:-)
Later….Ed

Wordless Wednesday

Macro Monday

Well I’m still on a flora kick, today I’m posting a couple Bradford Pear blossoms from Saturday I took in Maryland, the one pic is of the whole branch to give you and idea of the whole blossom. Can you guess what the green unopened buds will be?(they are not on a tree)
Hava great day…Ed