WINTER WONDERLAND RESTORED

The view into the valley wasn’t pretty during the last days, with the old snow from earlier this year almost gone. But a new thick layer of the white stuff poured on us again all morning. It was very wet snow and it did cling to the trees. “Winter Wonderland” restored, even if it was only for a few hours…

The deciduous forest here, without its leaves, bares a lot of distractions that often do not work for a photo very well. The chaos of branches is reduced by their snow cover, they stand out and it almost becomes a texture. Using black and white for the final image emphasizes the beauty that we saw today while looking at the trees above the valley below.

SECOND APPEARANCE

Hard to believe this was almost a week ago. A few days earlier our crocus and snow bells showed their first blossoms until they got all covered again during a snow storm last Monday. So, here is a couple photos from the second appearance of spring flowers in our yard this year.

It’s not really macro photography but the old SIGMA 150/f2.8 macro lens is still in my bag and finds employment for shots like this. Most modern lenses focus much faster, but if the camera is locked on the subject, this lens delivers still tack sharp results. Another reason for me to use this lens sometimes is the Minimum Focusing Distance (MFD), which is 15 inches (0.38m). A ‘killer tool’ for any detail shots!

SNOW, AND MORE SNOW

Deciduous forests without their leaves are not always the prettiest thing to photograph, except after a storm that makes the snow cling to trees and branches. Suddenly all kinds of lines and shapes are revealed and we are reminded how beautiful winter can be. All photos were made just in the neighborhood, here on our ridge above the Little Maquoketa River Valley. I hope you enjoy!

All images: Nikon D750, Nikkor 70-200mm / f4

AFTER THE SNOW STORM

Dark-eyed Junco

We had about a foot of fresh snow last night. While the snow storm slowed down this morning I made a few clicks of the birds that try to survive the winter here in eastern Iowa. Dark-eyed Juncos are present by the dozen and are among my favorite birds to photograph. 

The challenge is always to separate the dark eye from the rest of the upper part of the bird. Getting a little bit of light on the eye ring is key and it helps if the eye has a hint of catch light, even if it is the reflection of the flash that was used to bring out some colors. The flash also helps to tell the story about “Winter-wonder-land”. The background has to be dark if you want to see the falling snow. A slower shutter speed makes for nice snow trails but this morning I wanted to capture more of the calm that follows a snow storm. Without totally “freezing” the snow flakes in the background the desired balance was attained at 1/640 s for this image.

BRAVING A WINTER STORM

As I’m writing this a big snow storms still goes over the country and of course doesn’t spare our neck of the woods. I tried to make some storytelling photos as the storm developed during the late afternoon. All the birds that spent the winter here try to get some calories from our bird feeders and woodpeckers, cardinals, nuthatches, chickadees, dark-eyed juncos, and tufted titmice are always good candidates for a photo. 

Since about a couple years we have a gang of House Sparrows using the mountain pines around the house for protection and also benefit from food and water we provide in our heated bird baths. Today’s best storytelling photo in my books was this shot of a female House Sparrow, braving the storm. Oh yeah, the books and smart websites say, don’t use a flash if you have any kind of precipitation. I don’t disagree and there might be some  misses, but if the trails of snowflakes support a sharp image, without being “nuked” by the flash, well, the story of a tiny bird in a winter storm can be told….

TODAY: DEALING WITH THE SNOW, COMING UP: ANOTHER PRESENTATION

Another snow storm hit the area today and because it was snowing all day long we didn’t start shoveling until late afternoon. Instead the camera was placed on a tripod and I wanted to do some storytelling about the critters out there that try to make a living in these weather conditions.

Another layer of snow on top what’s already out there makes our Eastern Gray Squirrels desperate. If they still have food stashed away, like hickory nuts or acorns, it is probably buried deep under old frozen snow. It’s easier for them to search for dropped sunflower seeds near a bird feeder or just take possession of the whole feeder if possible.

We do not have natural grown conifers, like spruces or firs, in our woods, but we have our 2018 Christmas tree in the front yard and it makes a perfect hideaway for the Dark-eyed Juncos, finches, or sparrows.

Apropos storytelling, next Sunday I do my slideshow “Storytelling in Wildlife Photography” again. The “Friends of the Mines of Spain” have invited me to be the presenter at their Sunday program next weekend. If you missed the first one last November, or if you live in or around the Tri-State area of Dubuque, Iowa, please mark your calendar and join me for this presentation.

Sunday, February 24, 2019, at 1:00 PM

STORYTELLING IN WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

E.B. Lyons Interpretive Center, 

Mines of Spain Recreation Area

8991 Bellevue Heights 

Dubuque, IA

My presentation will touch the questions below, and hey, we can discuss your ideas and thoughts as well afterwards.

How to start with wildlife photography, even with a small camera and lens?

What are good locations for wildlife shooting in and around the Mississippi Valley?

How to become better storytellers with our photos?

How about safety and ethics?

The program is free and I would be happy to see you.