Luke!.............................. Lion at US National Zoo +video

Luke!..............................
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

Luke is one of the National Zoo's new Lions. He's such a playful little bugger...

Here are a couple more photos and a video:







-Jon

Butterstick - 1/27/2007 with Video

Butterstick - 1/27/2007
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

So, I've recently added a camera that does video to my bag. It's a small Nikon point and shoot, with video and VR (S7c).

Here's a video of Tai Shan and Mei Xiang from 1/27/2007:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mC36uMq3-s


-Jon

Emotion, Color and Movement

Cooper's Checks me out
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

Color


Movement, I like blur for that, but not always:


I've come to realize that the things that catch my eye, the photos that stand out are the ones that contain one or more of the following: emotion, movement and color.

I've been getting more and more in to podcasts on photography, the latest of which is "the candid frame". http://www.thecandidframe.com/. There's some really great stuff to listen to there.

-Jon

Made it back to Blackwater and it was great. There were Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, Hawks, Ducks, While Pelicans, and much more...

GBH pre-sunrise:


Here Comes the Magic (pre-sunrise):


Thousands of Red-Winged Blackbirds!


A pair of mature Bald Eagles in a tree watching the sunrise...


About 20 White Pelicans:


-Jon

Another great end to a great day @ Blackwater NWR, MD

Another great end to a great day @ Blackwater NWR, MD
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

I was there from sunrise to sunset. An amazing day, one of my best in a while...

This was the sunrise


There was a mature Bald Eagle perched along Wildlife Drive


Here's another, not posted except here on my blog


Blackwater rocks!

-Jon

Two Bald Eagles (1) @ Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland

Two Bald Eagles (1) @ Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

I took my first ride out to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge this weekend. It was great. So many eagles, and other wildlife. Here are the first other posted shots I have.







Blackwater's Web Site:
http://www.fws.gov/blackwater/

My First Readable Band, V34! Banded Bald Eagle from NY @ Conowingo Dam, Maryland - December 2nd 2006

My First Readable Band, V34! Banded Eagle from NY @ Conowingo Dam, MD
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

Larger

This was my first photo with a readable band!

A few others got photos of him(?) too and researched it, and he's from NY and was banded in 2002 as a chick (assuming I remember the story correctly). NY uses two bands: silver and blue I think...

2006_1202_D200_36102-cs1 v34-banded

Here are a couple more from this weekend:

Juvenile Bald Eagle In Flight


Juvenile Bald Eagle Landing




Perched Juvenile Bald Eagle


tags: Conowingo Dam, Maryland, MD, Bald Eagle, Nature, Wildlife, Migration, Susquehanna River, Photography, Ornathology, Birding, Bird Watching, American Bald Eagle, December 2006, Power Generation, Nikon, dSLR, D200, Nikkor, Sunrise.

Portland Head Lighthouse.

150,000

150,000
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

I just hit the 150,000 mark on stream views.

Flickr has been great, really pushed me forward.

Thanks flickr.

Weekend photo travels (Zoo and Susquehanna River)

Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

After a nice adventure on Saturday, trying to photograph eagles (I did), I went to the zoo on Sunday.

I think I had much more success at the zoo, photo-wise.

But being up at 4am Saturday, and on the road by 5am, and at the location nearly 3 hours after I woke up, seeing the sunrise was worth it. :D For some reason I was just super motivated to get there early.

This was at the river as the sun came up over the trees, there's an eagle in the fog...



There were also some action and perched eagle chances, but I when I got to looking at the images, I hoped they would have been better.

(from jpg, raw not done, could have fixed some chromatic aberation around the head, but didn't bother...)



So, I went to the zoo and had fun.

I actually often prefer the results of the jpg vs. the raw + time and (often lacking)required skills. I tried shooting in just jpg (again) for part of the day Sunday, and combined that with exposure bracketing. I think that will be my new "plan"...

I'd heard a while back that Nick Nichols ONLY shoots while bracketing each shot. And he shoots FILM! (yes he shoots digital too, but I've read mostly for camera traps.) His web site is below, he's a famous National Geographic photographer, and covered the National Zoo's Panda cub, for the article titled "Panda Inc."

...

www.michaelnicknichols.com

-Jon
11/2006

2006 - Maryland Foliage

Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

So shots from the past couple days in Maryland.

US National Zoo 2005 - 2006

US National Zoo 2005 - 2006
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

After about a year of going to the zoo, I've got this collage to show off...

I've taken thousands if not tens of thousands of photos, so it's hard to choose from the keepers, but these are all ones I like a lot.

-Jon

Bald Eagle with a fish @ Conowingo Dam, Maryland

"Catch of the Day"
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

"Catch of the Day"

I am so looking forward to more chances to see Eagles at this location. I've only been there once so far.

Eagle Injury and Rescue @ Conowingo Dam - 10/15/2006 - 6 of 6

Eagle Injury and Rescue @ Conowingo Dam - 10/15/2006 - 6 of 6
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

Once on dry land, we took a look, he was exhausted for sure, and barely moved



Today was my first trip to Conowingo Dam, in Maryland, and it was quite a place. So many eagles, and some really great chances to photograph them

However, this particular drama was not so fun to see. This adult eagle must have hit the power lines, and spiraled down in to the water. It must have broken a wing or something. It couldn't get back out. It made many attempts to fly, but just couldn't.



It was floating down the river, and eventually made it out of the water on to some rocks probably 1,000 or more yards from where it hit the water.

He was joined by some other eagles, and they guarded him I supposed. But after a while, they left him, and I thought he was a goner.

But he held on.

DNR was called and some hours later they showed up with a boat and the eagle was rescued!

About a dozen people helped launch the boat due to the low water levels, and also assisted recovering the boat. I chipped in too.

It was sad to see, watching the eagle struggle so much, but in the end he was saved, and could even one day return to the river (depending on the extent of his injuries, I really don't know.)

2006_1015_D70_46565

See my "photo essay" in Voice in the Wilderness, with the above text and a little more, with the images inserted.
www.flickr.com/groups/voices/discuss/72157594330137698/

Red Fox @ Mason Neck, Va

Red Fox @ Mason Neck, Va
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

The bay was still pretty socked in with Fog, and this little fella was cruising the beach.

Within about 10 minutes of my arrival at Mason Neck, I'd already seen: Red Fox, 2 Adult Bald Eagles, 1 Juv Bald Eagle, a Beaver, and a Great Egret. :D Was a great day.

Also from this morning, 10/14/2006:

Bald Eagle takes a drink @ Great Falls, Maryland

Bald Eagle takes a drink @ Great Falls, Maryland
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

I've update my blogger logo, and added some links....

Great Falls is such a great location, in my top 4 for sure. The blogged photo is from June 2006.

I've been back to Great Falls a few times in the past month and I think that this particular Eagle Family has moved on for the year. I've seen another single adult Bald Eagle, but the markings didn't match up the first time, and the second time the eagle I saw was alone and didn't appear to be 'like the others'...

If I had to guess, the resident pair (and juv) took off around 9/20/2006. I guess I can check, but that's roughly when I think I saw the pair in a single tree for the last time this year.

-Jon

Great Falls - Summer 2006

Great Falls - Summer 2006
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

A photographic look back at my visits to Great Falls National Park during the Summer of 2006.

Here are some others:

Bald Eagle gets a drink:


The Tavern:


Bathing Eagle, one of my favorite sights of the entire summer:


"Doggie Bag":


Bald Eagle with his Prey:

What duck?

What duck?
Originally uploaded by ~Misty~.

Too funny!!!

World Trade Center - 1970's

World Trade Center - 1970's
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

5 years after the towers came down I post this image, from roughly 1970... I have the slide in my boxes of family stuff, and rescanned it today.

So sad...