POOL FULL OF LIFE

Little pool full of life in a creek

Basswood Creek is a small tributary that meets the Mississippi River at Finleys Landing, a small marina and campsite not far from home here in eastern Iowa. The last few hundred yards of this creek are on the same level as the Mississippi and sometimes flooding of the big river has an impact on the water level of this little creek. The water was pretty low for most part of August and in Basswood Creek nothing but clear water came down this small side valley. It can be very muddy after a heavy rain, when the water pours down from higher elevations, with tons of runoff from the fields, but it wasn’t this time. Tadpoles and small fish used the little pools and deeper parts in the creek as a habitat.

A photo like this can be made even at the height of the day, when light is awful for any other pictures out in the Great Outdoors. It was very hot that day and just looking at the life in a creek is a welcome change. Well, our dog Cooper did not develop the same sense of visual appreciation, he just lies down in the water and calls it a day… I can’t blame him when it’s so hot as it was!

LOW WATER, STILL WILDLIFE

Greater Sandhill Cranes, Green Island Wetlands, Mississippi Valley, Iowa

I didn’t expect much today during a trip to the Green Island Wetland area down south. It was the first day with some moderate temperatures after a very hot week in many parts of the US and the world. The water in the wetlands is extremely low but to my surprise I was still able to watch some wildlife, including Sandhill Cranes, a Pileated Woodpecker, two Red-headed Woodpeckers, Trumpeter Swans, Great Blue Herons, some ducks, frogs, and a snake. From a photography point of view only two of the seventeen Sandhill Cranes feeding in the wetlands were close enough but I like to share this image with you.

NATURE CLICKS #567 - EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE

Eastern Wood-Pewee, Bankston County Park, Iowa

It is pretty quiet in the woods already. Most birds are done with their breeding activities. Even the Eastern Wood-Pewee I saw today didn’t make its distinktive sounds. I consider the wood-pewee as a ”photographer friendly” bird. They prefer to perch on bare twigs, which makes it easy to take a picture. From there the pewee darts out to catch passing insects. Sometimes they return even to the same branch.

The low sitting sun this evening was shining through the trees in the background, leaving no doubt about that this photo was made in the summer time. Bankston Park is mainly a small wooded valley here in the driftless area of eastern Iowa. It’s steep slopes are formed by the Middle Fork Little Maquoketa River, a clear stream that is popular by anglers for trout fishing. Along the small river are plenty of insects and a flycatcher, like the Eastern Wood-Pewee, has no problems to find enough food.

REAL NECTAR, MAYBE A BETTER TASTE?

Ruby-throated Hummingbird at the phlox

As already reported I was out in the yard last weekend and tried to capture the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in flight, while they hover at a blossom or just near a hummingbird feeder. We feed a clear sugar-water solution, with the recommended mix of 1:4, and our feeders have been very popular all summer long. The metabolism of these tiny birds is just incredible and we go through quite a bit of liquid. But beside that we have lots of garden and wildflowers in our yard and their nectar has maybe even a better taste, who knows? While shooting near a feeder is more predictable, because the birds use them more often, but including a flower in the frame is more desirable for the photographer. Bee balm and the purple coneflowers have been a favorite in July and early August but they are almost all gone now. The wild growing phlox is still plentiful and has nectar as well. The hummers stick their bill deep into the blossoms in order to get the nutritious meal with their long tongue. The light was fading away already a bit at 7pm. With a hint of flash, softened with the Quickbox Micro softbox and a dome diffuser in front of the speed light, the colors of the hummingbird and the phlox blossoms had still a chance to shine.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Nikon SB 800 speed light, Impact Quikbox Micro Softbox,    @ 600 mm, 1/800 s, f/8, ISO 6400,

WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY DAY

Today is World Photography Day, the day whereby we pay tribute to the incredible art form that is photography. For me it’s a good reason to dig out some photos that were made earlier this year while spending time with good friends over in Germany. This was in the Margraviate of Brandenburg, a lovely area just north of Berlin. We went on a paddle trip with kayaks and stopped at a little lake shore bistro, where the fish they caught went right into the smoker and was served with fresh ”Brötchen”. Of course, we added some beer to the meal!

And that’s what I like to point out today. There is the image we make with an artistic intent and there is also the shots we make just for the memory of a great moment in life. Sometimes it can be all in one picture and sometimes it’s better to keep them separated. I’m sure all camera owners can tell a story about their photos today. Let’s keep it coming, not just on World Photography Day…!

A FEAST FOR THE GOLDFINCHES

American Goldfinch

I was out on the porch today with the camera for several hours and tried to capture hummingbirds in flight. My attention was suddenly pulled in a different direction when I saw this American Goldfinch feeding in our bed of wild flowers. The purple coneflowers have passed their prime but we let them stand a little longer because some birds, and in particular the goldfinches, like to feed on their seed heads. American Goldfinches breed later than most other birds. They wait until many plants have produced their seeds and there is food in abundance for their offspring. Unlike most other birds goldfinches are strict vegetarians and hardly ever swallow an insect.

It is a photo I wanted to make in our front yard since a long time. This time it came all together, light, gesture, color, and a smooth background.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Nikon SB 800 speed light, Impact Quikbox Micro Softbox,    @ 600 mm, 1/640 s, f/8, ISO 500, image slightly cropped

SUMMER CLOSE-UP

Of course, we can make all kinds of ”technical exercise” with our cameras, from focus stacking to multiple exposures, etc., etc., you name it. I like the simple shot that reveals beauty, may tell a story, but most important doesn’t need a lot of ”pixel bending” in post process to make the image work. The light came from the right but the white prickles make it almost look like the teasel was backlit. It’s certainly an invasive plant but there is no reason to think it doesn’t look gorgeous.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4,  @ 200mm, 1/1250s, f/5, ISO 400

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2023 #8 - SAGITTARIA LATIFOLIA

Broadleaf Arrowhead, Mississippi River, John Deere Marsh, Iowa

During my short walks with our dog Cooper during lunch time I almost always take the camera with me, although due to the time of the day the light is often not flattering. I’m glad I did yesterday. The Broadleaf Arrowheads, also known as common arrowheads, in the Mississippi River cover huge areas along the shore. Its blossoms stand out and look gorgeous against the lush green of the arrowhead shaped leaves. After going down on my knees it was an easy click at 200 mm focal length.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4,  @ 200mm, 1/500s, f/5.6, ISO 100

BRENTON ARBORETUM, WITH AN EYE ON THE SKY

Summer sky over Brenton Arboretum, near Dallas Center, Iowa

We were introduced to an Iowa nature gem by good friends last weekend. The Brenton Arboretum near Dallas Center in Central Iowa is not just about trees, but also prairie, grasslands, ponds, and wetland areas. There were plenty of opportunities for macro photography, but as the avid reader of my blog already knows, I’m not so much into that field. Clouds were moving all around and I had my eye on them, hoping for some interesting light and maybe drama in the sky. Almost at the end of our short hike a picture unfolded, as the light hit the wildflowers in the prairie on this hillside, the clouds formed a pattern, and the sky took care for some color contrast.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 47mm, 1/1250 s, f/8, ISO 200

WATCHING THE COMPETITION

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

We were not home this weekend and a concern was if all of our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds would be still here after our return. We have a lot of wildflowers in the front yard at the moment but this is not enough and the hummers have consumed every day almost half a gallon of sugar water (about 1.75 liters) from the feeders that hang from the porch. When we returned today I was happy to see that at least five hummingbirds showed up after I filled the feeders again. Last week we still had about a dozen of them, but the birds we see might not be the same that grew up here, since they probably started migrating to the south already.

I spent one evening on the deck with the camera last week and tried to capture some birds in flight, hovering at flowers in the front yard. As so often in wildlife photography it didn’t work out, but a few pictures of a young male perching in a maple were shot. Even if they sit down for a moment, there is a constant battle with other birds about the best feeding places going on. The picture tells the story, the hummingbird is in for a rest but watches the other competitors constantly as they try to approach ”his” feeder or the flowers around.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Nikon SB 800 speed light, Impact Quikbox Micro Softbox,     @ 600 mm, 1/800 s, f/6.3, ISO 2000

LET’S USE THE CLOUDS

In the Millwork District, Dubuque, Iowa

I shot this industrial structure in the historic Millwork District of Dubuque, Iowa four years ago already and it did draw my attention again during the Millwork Night Market about a month ago. This time we had more drama with some dynamic clouds that made me set the camera to Black & White mode. I wanted to replicate a retro look for this photo and mimicked a red filter in camera already for a high contrast look. It’s the time of the year with a lot of moisture in the air and with it come the clouds. Well, let’s just use them! It begs the question, what is the subject here, the metal structure or the clouds? You tell me…

DEALING WITH HIGH ISO SETTINGS

1/40s, ISO1600

There were many ways to escape the summer heat during the weekend. Since we had the grandkids in town a visit in the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium was one of the options. We went there actually twice… It’s such an interesting place that has many things to offer for people of all ages and although we have been there often before, there is always something new to see and to learn.

1/125s, ISO 4000

I in particular enjoy all the big aquariums with displays of different habitats in the Mississippi River and about the marine life along the coast lines of North America. It’s always a challenge to shoot through the thick glass under low light conditions. Fish usually do not stand still and to freeze the action my ISO settings were between 1600 and even 10000. These high ISO values pump up the amount of digital noise in the photo to a level that just doesn’t look good anymore.

1/200s, ISO 4000

The Nikon Z6II handles digital noise much better than any DSLR camera I have ever owned, but in that range some noise removal needs to be applied in post process. Thanks to noise removal software that is powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) we can enjoy some amazing results these days. Adobe Lightroom is the first software for most of my editing and it has a pretty good AI powered Denoise feature built in. However, I still prefer Topaz DeNoise AI, which has more choices about how the final noise removal is done.

1/160s, ISO 4000

All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S

NATURE CLICKS #566 - GREEN HERONS

Green Heron, Heritage Ponds, near Dubuque, Iowa; Hunting for tadpoles and frogs is often done very stealthy but sometimes a quick move to a different spot in the pond leads to success as well.

The water in the pond disappears slowly but surely because we had no significant rain lately. It doesn’t look pretty at the moment but the pond provides food for other birds beside the family of Sandhill Cranes I wrote about in my last blog post. Green Herons are usually quite skittish and I have never watched more than one bird at any time.

Well, last week there were three herons hunting for food and it was a lot of fun watching them from the deck of an observation platform. The tadpoles in the water just became froglets and have developed front legs already. They still have their tail and they must be very tasty for the Green Herons because they were eating many of them.

Stretching the neck seems to guarantee better sight for the next catch in the muddy pond.

Shooting from an observation platform above water level is not an ideal location. The steep angle looking down doesn’t allow a great background. But hey, I’m not too choosy during this time of the year. I still think the pictures can tell the story.

Green Herons are considered fairly common but studies have shown that their population is in steep decline. (source: AllAboutBirds.org)

All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

LEARNING HOW TO FEED

Juvenile and adult Sandhill Cranes, Heritage Ponds, Dubuque, Iowa

Despite spending some time with aviation photography during recent days I still had a chance to make some wildlife images as well. I saw a pair of Sandhill Cranes with their chick a month ago while riding my bicycle down in the valley. The best camera you have is always the one that is with you, and in this matter I just snapped a couple pictures with the camera in my phone. Last Friday I watched the cranes again and the juvenile on the left had grown quite a bit already. This time I was prepared and had the right gear in the car.

How do birds learn what to eat, where to find the food, and how to catch it? Although the young cranes begin to feed themselves during the second week, as you can see, this young bird was still not probing with its bill in the mud of the very shallow pond. It just watched one of the adults closely and waited patiently until mom or dad found something, like a tadpole or frog. The second photo shows the other adult, just briefly interrupting its intense search for food. The color of their heads tells the story about a hungry chick that still needs some support…

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

P-51 MUSTANGS

Tomorrow starts the big AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and the pilots with their aircrafts that spent part of last week here at the Dubuque Regional Airport have left today. I was out a couple more times this weekend to watch starts and landings and of course, for photography. Today I like to share a few images of some gorgeous looking P-51 Mustang that trained here for the airshow. The P-51 Mustang is a long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts.