Saturday, December 29, 2007

You Will Be Assimilated!

I've had my D300 for a couple weeks now and I like it a lot.

I wrote my first impressions here for the D300:

D300 highlights for me so far are: smoother shutter action, higher fps, reduced chromatic aberation, and increased focus points, and better higher iso.

In the first couple weeks I made it to the Zoo for a couple hours on day one, then to Conowingo Dam for a day a few days later, and then Maine for a week. In Maine I shot the Portland Head Light House, and a bunch of different things in my Brother's yard (birds and squirrels).

Here are my first posted D300 shots:

D300 First Impressions



You Will Be Assimilated!

Red-Shouldered Hawk

Guntur

Tioga



Perspective

Eagles @ Blackwater NWR, MD

Bald Eagles @ Blackwater NWR, MD

Winter in Maine

Merry Christmas

A Bunch of Cedar Waxwings - Maine

Merry Christmas Eve

You Have A Merry Christmas

Cedar Waxwing - Maine

Racing Stripes

-Jon

posted - 12/29/2007.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Mister Coyote


Mister Coyote
Originally uploaded by LeFion
I don't usually blog other people photos but this one just totally jumped at me and grabbed me! It's just so awesome.

Mister Coyote

Thursday, November 08, 2007

The Colors of Fall - 2007

Assorted recent images I've taken in the Maryland and Virginia area.

Foliage 1 of 2 @ Patuxent Research Refuge

Foliage 2 of 2 @ Patuxent Research Refuge

It's Everywhere

Nature's Rainbow

Cinematic

Blue Ridge Mountains

Silence and Respect

-Nikographer / Jon

Thursday, November 01, 2007

photo use - please read

Nikographer 11/1/2007

I often get asked by someone regarding the use of my images. Here's my take on all that, and guidelines for requesting use.

Background
I take photography fairly seriously, and devote a lot of time to get the images I share on my web site. I've also spent a substantial amount of money to buy my photo gear.

Professional Photographers
Professional Photographers rely on work to make a living. Sales of images put food on the table, etc.

Stock, Microstock, etc
These days images can be purchased for very small amounts of money. There are numerous web sites that sell limited use, unlimited use, photos for nearly nothing.

Free Images
There's also a fairly large amount of work out there that can be had under the creative commons license model, with varying conditions, for free. The most basic condition being attribution, noting where the image came from.

My Take
I'm open to selling my work. I've made a few sales, and been happy to do so.

I've also given away some of my work. However, I only give my work away to non-profit, conservation or education efforts. So, I support nature conservation, education, and well intentioned efforts that probably cannot afford to purchase rights to a photo, let alone afford to hire a photographer to shoot something for a specific purpose.

Your Request
If you are requesting an image of me, and you are a for-profit venture, please specify what you are willing to offer in payment for limited use rights to my work. Failing to specify anything regarding payment will tell me you are looking for something for free, and I will not be interested.

If you fall in to another category, say non-profit, conservation or education organization, please provide me with a link to your web site so I can research you request. I am usually very open to this type of request. If you are from a for profit agency working on one of these types of projects, I will have to think more about it.

In Summary
I don't spend time taking photos to help others profit for free from my work. I imagine there are quite a few people that think use of an image is honor enough, regardless of why and where it is being used, but for me, the context matters greatly.

Thanks and please respect the working photographers of the world, and offer payment when you want to use something in a commercial way.

Note: I retain all rights to my photos, and no one is authorized to use my photos without prior consent.

-Nikographer / Jon

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Great Falls National Park, September 2007



Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon]
I visited Great Falls National Park a bunch of times in September 2007.

Going exclusively to the Maryland side for over a year, I worked the overlook with some new ideas, and captured some new things. I combined the motion blur of the water falls using a long exposure, while also capturing a near motionless Great Blue Heron for some neat results...
Ying and Yang
Great (Falls) Blue Heron

I also took a handful of sunset photos, and even witnessed a rescue of a kayaker that had dislocated their shouldered while having fun on the river.

Great Falls, MD
Great Falls (MD/VA) Kayaker Rescue - 9/18/2007 w/ animation
2007_0918_D200_1001694

Then I decided to check out the Virginia side of the Falls and I was really impressed. Here are a couple of HDR's from the Virginia side.

Great Falls / Potomac River

In Search Of...................

-Nikographer / Jon

Tioga - Bald Eagle


Tioga
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon]
A few shots of Tioga, the male bald eagle at the US National Zoo (http://www.fonz.org/)

Tioga

Tioga!

In search of my own Wet Head.........

Eagles at the National Zoo.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Blackwater Visit 8/11/2007 - Assorted sights

I went out to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge again, probably about my 12th or 13 visit during the past 9 months.

While the Wildlife Drive is a great area to see a good variety of birds and wildlife, I enjoy venturing out in to the neighboring area, specifically along Maple Dam Road.

During this visit I spotted Eagles, Osprey, Herons, Egrets and a few others along the Wildlife Drive.

While on Maple Dam Road I spotted numerous Bald Eagles, a few Snowy Egrets, and the highlight of the trip a pair of Great Horned Owls! The only other wild owl I've EVER seen was another Great Horned Owl along this same road a few months ago.

Here are some of the 800+ photos I took and a short video clip, hosted on youtube.com.

Great Horned Owls at Blackwater NWR, Maryland (+video)

2007_0811_D200_92176ac

2007_0811_D200_92185ac




Bald Eagle 1 of 3 @ Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland

This is the second bird in the same tree.
2007_0811_D200_92144

Bald Eagle 2 of 3 @ Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland

Bald Eagle 3 of 3 @ Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland

and then it was gone... but I saw it again later in another tree with its mate in another tree down the road ;)

2007_0811_D200_92170

Go Away, I'm on a Stakeout!

Summer's Beauty (1 of 2) - Blackwater NWR, MD

Summer's Beauty (2 of 2) <br /><br /><a href=Uh oh, is that an Eagle?

Turn poser

I'd say it was a great day to observe wildlife, and in addition I got some sweet photos. The owls were like icing on the cake.

-Jon