2012 - Looking back, part 1

The year comes rapidly to an end. Time to browse through this year's photo library in order to clean up, learn from all the mistakes made, and maybe to discover still some images that are worth to be shown in public. Photos are memories and it is always nice to remember the good and great moments in life. For me this is very often the time I spend behind the camera and in the great outdoors. I invite you to follow me through the year again and share some good photography moments.

The last winter was the mildest one I have seen here in Iowa yet. This picture of a Hairy Woodpecker in a snowstorm was made January 20, 2012, and was really not typical for this year. For a photo like this we don't have to go very far. The birds come in big numbers to the feeders we have placed around the house. Exposure times between 1/90s and 1/30s make the dynamic of the drifting snow visible and the white stuff on the ground works like a giant reflector and throws some light from underneath.

The Dark-eyed Juncos are not always easy to photograph. Their eyes often blend into their dark heads and in a high contrast scene you hardly can see them. This was no problem in the low light situation of this snowstorm.

More to come, stay tuned...

Nature clicks #74 - Dark-eyed Junco, late arrival

Nikon D300s, Sigma 50-500mm / f4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM @ 420 mm (630 mm FX), 1/60s, f/6.3, -1.5 EV, ISO 100

I went to Indianapolis, Indiana today and had actually planned to try the Bald Eagles at Mississippi dam #14 down in Le Claire, Iowa. I was hoping to show some eagle pictures in today's post but winter weather conditions, fog, and gray sky didn't allow any photo that would have made sense. Nevertheless, I stopped briefly at the dam and at least saw a Bald Eagle high up in the trees beside the parking lot.

Instead, here is another image from shooting two days ago in the snow storm. The Dark-eyed Junco is not easy to photograph in low light. It's one of the birds hard to focus on, because there is hardly any contrast between the eye and it's head. They are always moving and quite often gone before focus is obtained. This one isn't even exactly sharp but I like the bird's pose on this branch. The Juncos are usually here during the winter in big numbers. This season was a little different. They just came down south together with the arrival of the first snow, probably due to the warm temperatures we had here in December and early January. No eagle, but still a nice looking bird. I hope you enjoy.