Wordless Wednesday
Edited in Nik Analog Efex Pro 2 and Lightroom
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: artistic, bird, birds, Nik Analog Efex Pro 2, Nikon D3s, photography, wordless Wednesday
Tag: bird
Flying High
The Arcanum’s Creation Wars last night (see yesterday’s blog post for more information) resulted in an excellent battle, with the lion image tying for second for Master Laurie Rubin’s Arcanum cohort. The winner’s photograph was amazing and well-deserved for the top honors. It’s a conceptual image, and I was so impressed with the photographer’s imagination, vision and creativity, along with her artistic talents. If you have a moment, here’s a link to Lucia Ferreira’s blog post with the winning photo […]
Categories: Birds, Cat, Nature, Photography • Tags: artistic, bird, Laurie Rubin, lion, Lucia Ferreira, MacPhun, Nikon D3s, Nikon D800E, photography, raptor, The Arcanum, The Creation Wars, wildlife
A Serene Swan
I’ve been so busy the past few weeks with travel to Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Ohio for meetings and assignments, I haven’t had much time for personal photography. But I did manage to edit a few recent images in between magazine deadlines, including this swan that I stalked. One of the benefits of being a member of The Arcanum is having access to hundreds of tutorials and educational videos in the Grand Library. Whenever I have a spare moment, (especially when […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: artistic, bird, MacPhun, nature, Nikon D3s, photography, swan, The Arcanum, Tonality Pro, Virginia
Hanging With The Hummingbirds
One of my favorite summer pastimes is sitting out on the deck and photographing the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds that call our yard home. This year, we have a huge crop of birds, and sometimes a dozen are chattering and sparring over the feeders at the same time. I’ve tried a variety of cameras and lenses, but I’ve now decided that what works for me is the Nikon D3s or D800E and the 70-200 2.8 VRII lens. It’s not the lens […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: artistic, bird, birds, nature, Nikon D3s, photography, ruby throated hummingbird, Virginia
Spring Blues
Spring has been slow to arrive in Virginia this year, but maybe that’s been good for bird watching. I’ve been fortunate to entertain some new species this month at the feeders, including a flock of Indigo Buntings. Today, they hung out at the feeders for several hours on a cold and rainy morning, and I was able to catch a few photos in between the thunderstorms. I’ve seen these beautiful blue birds pass through during previous years, so I have […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: bird, bird feeder, Indigo Bunting, nature, Nikon D3s, photography, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, spring
Guy Week on the Mountain
We’ve spent time over the past week preparing for spring, and one of my projects was to transition the winter bird feeding stations for the new season. The ground was finally soft enough for me to install a new feeding station, which now holds a variety of feeders, including a squirrel-proof model! Over the past few days I’ve observed the results, and so far no squirrels have managed to figure it out. They do hang out under the feeders, harvesting […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: bird, bird feeder, nature, Nikon D3s, photography, spring, Virginia
Brazos Bend State Park
I couldn’t resist a quick trip to Brazos Bend State Park during a business trip in Houston, Texas. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate as I’d hoped, and my small window of opportunity came on a rainy morning. During the one-hour drive to the park, the rain came down in torrents, and I told myself I’d just make it a reconnaissance trip if nothing else. And since I’d never been to this region of Texas, I was curious to see the […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: A-Z Archive, bird, birds, Brazos Bend State Park, nature, Nikon D800E, photography, Texas, water, wildlife
Wildlife Wednesday
This impressive Red-Tailed Hawk has been hanging out a lot in our backyard. Last night the light was quite beautiful as he relaxed on his favorite perch at about 5 p.m. Unfortunately, the 80-400 mm lens is my longest focal length, and even with some cropping on the D3s, this was the best I could do when shooting from the deck. Nevertheless, you can see the view he has of the Shenandoah River Valley below as he oversees his domain. […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: bird, Nikon D3s, photography, raptor, Red-Tailed Hawk, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, winter
In My Yard
Today the yard was busy with visitors searching for a morning meal. The birds had an easier time than the deer, however, as their breakfast was provided in exchange for a few photos. The deer browsed on the tender tips of some new growth in the front yard, but they didn’t remain long. Their tracks meandered through the new-fallen snow as they traversed the property, checking out the woodpile as well as the remaining dry grass underneath the decks. The […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: A-Z Challenge, bird, bird feeder, deer, Nikon D3s, photography, snow, white-tail deer, winter, woodpecker
Fishing in Florida
So, I should be in Florida today, but thanks to winter storm “Pax” I’m stuck in Virginia awaiting 12+ inches of snow to fall tonight and tomorrow. It’s the second consecutive business trip this winter that’s been disrupted by snow and ice, and I’m particularly disappointed because I will miss photographing the resident birds that make this horse show double the fun. As I awaited the first flakes to fall, charged all of my batteries in case of a power […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: A-Z Challenge, bird, Color Efex Pro, egret, Florida, nature, Nikon D3s, photography, Tagged F, wildlife
Icy Day
Yesterday we received more than 1/4″ of ice during the latest winter storm to hit the East Coast of the United States. While it was beautiful to see, the ice proved problematic for people and wildlife. Thankfully, our power remained on, and I was able to work throughout the day on deadlines, with a couple of breaks to carefully tread outside with the camera. I kept the bird feeder full of seed and had many visitors, including the squirrels. I […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: artistic, bird, cardinal, ice, nature, Nikon D800E, photography, red, winter
Cold II
I couldn’t resist adding another image of the birds hanging out in my yard today. I refilled the feeder with seed, added two more suet cakes, and hung my last birdseed bell, resulting in an increase in avian species. The woodpeckers–including the Red-Bellied version–were out in full force, no doubt enjoying the fresh suet. Even the Dark-Eyed Juncos, which usually feed on the ground below the feeders, were brave enough to join the others on the feeders. This bird took […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: bird, cold, Dark-Eyed Junco, Nikon D800E, photography, winter
Cold
It was 3 degrees when I awoke early this morning to let the dog out, and there were already clusters of birds around the feeders. With 9″ of new snow on the ground, the birds are finding it a challenge to forage for food. Instead of grabbing a seed and flying off into the woods, they feed and then huddle on the shrubs just beneath the feeders—fewer calories burned and close proximity for the next snack. This sparrow was one […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: A-Z Archive, bird, cold, Nikon D800E, photography, sparrow, Tagged, Tagged C, Weekly Photo Challenge, winter
Bird In Flight
The birds have been out in full force over the past few weeks, with cardinals, sparrows, finches, wrens and woodpeckers regularly visiting my feeders. One of my favorite birds to watch are the Dark-Eyed Juncos, who hang out in the yard over the winter months. They travel in small flocks, and they’re often the first ones up in the morning and the last to leave, taking care of the groundwork and cleaning up the spilled seeds in the yard. Sometimes, […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography, Weekly Photo Challenge • Tags: A-Z Challenge, bird, Dark-Eyed Junco, flying, Nikon D3s, photography, Tagged B
Special Delivery
I had a surprise delivery of flowers this morning, and the card brought tears to my eyes: “Words cannot express how thankful we are for you finding Slider. He is doing very well at home. Love, The Alvarez Family.” Last Thursday I let Peppermint out one final time before bed and returned to the front door to find two dogs waiting on the porch. I quickly realized the little brown-and-white terrier didn’t have a collar and seemed scared, so I scooped […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: bird, black swallowtail, butterfly, flower, Nikon D800E, photography, ruby throated hummingbird, Virginia
A Whirlwind Summer
It’s hard to believe we’re in the last days of summer. If I think back to all of the adventures, activities, travels, work and fun we had, it seems like so much packed into just a few short months. But, then, when I pull up my blog I realize how little translated to my digital world. The truth of the matter is there’s only so much time in the day. Time to spend with family and friends. Time for work. […]
Categories: Birds • Tags: artistic, bird, green, hummingbird, nature, Nikon D800E, photography, summer
King Of The Feeder
For the past week or so we’ve had a very strong-willed male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird defending one of our feeders. We have this particular feeder sitting on the deck rail, so he’s decided the wire hanger makes the perfect place for protecting his precious food. In this image he’d just puffed up his feathers after stretching his wings. He’s obviously quite comfortable on this perch and even defends his place when we sit outside on the deck in the evenings. After […]
Categories: Birds, Nature • Tags: artistic, bird, hummingbird, nature, Nikon D800E, photography, Virginia
People’s Choice
This time, the Magnolia Plantation & Gardens annual spring photo contest is allowing for three submissions, which is an increase of one from previous years. I’d selected my two favorite photographs a few weeks ago, but today as I prepared to send them I realized I could add one more. So, I edited a few images that caught my eye, and I thought it would be fun to ask you all which one of these you prefer. I’ll submit the […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: artistic, bird, Magnolia Plantation, nature, Nikon D800E, photo contest, photography, South Carolina, spring, trees
Birds Of The Bellagio
As a bird lover staying at the Bellagio, I couldn’t help but spend some time in the Conservatory & Botanical Garden with my camera. One afternoon, with shafts of light streaming in, I took out my 70-200 lens and played with the birds and flowers. A variety of parakeets and finches live in this greenhouse, complete with bird houses, baths, perches and a variety of tropical plants. They’re a colorful and lively addition to the Conservatory, which was in transition […]
Categories: Birds, Travel • Tags: bath, Bellagio Hotel, bird, Conservatory, finch, flowers, gardens, Las Vegas, Nevada, Nikon D800E, photography
Hummingbirds To The Rescue
Today, I had to say goodbye to my seed and suet feeders, so the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds will now be my focus for a while. Last night a huge black bear visited our house and tore down the bird feeders. We were awakened at 1:30 a.m. to the sounds of crashing and banging on the front porch. Thinking it was the pesky raccoons, I quickly ran downstairs to rescue them. Imagine my surprise when I turned on the porch light and […]
Categories: Birds, Nature • Tags: bird, female, flying, hummingbird, Nikon D800E, photography, Ruby-Throated, spring
Tricia Booker Photography 