Please share your photos of nature, wildlife, etc.

[missy]

Wow. December-Fire just gorgeous photos. You should be a professional photographer if you're not already since you clearly love it and are talented at taking photos. Thank you for sharing these with us.

Sandeek what a sweet photo. LOVE. I wouldn't mind at all if they were eating on my property. I would be swooning they are so precious.

 

[december-fire]

December fire, amazing pics! You are a fantastic photographer, I think you should consider becoming a professional!

Omigosh, just saw the pics of the bunting…fabulous color and the quality of your pics is exceptional!

Wow. December-Fire just gorgeous photos. You should be a professional photographer if you're not already since you clearly love it and are talented at taking photos. Thank you for sharing these with us.

junebug and missy, you're both too kind. Thank you. I love wildlife and am fascinated by the incredible subjects in my photos. I took up photography as a hobby 18 months ago and have lots to learn. Its so much fun! Looking at photos later provides an opportunity to see the wonderful details in colour, patterning, etc. Whatever subject matter one chooses, I think photography is a great hobby that leads to so many unexpected tangents. I've met lovely people out on the trails, learned so much more about birds, in particular, than I knew a year ago, and discovered the joy of doing something I love after years of worrying about others and only taking time to do what needed to be done, and only occasionally fitting in the fun stuff. Sorry, I don't mean to get philosophical. I'm glad the photos bring others enjoyment.

junebug, yes, that indigo bunting! He was breathtaking!
All that talk about Fifty Shades of Gray, geez, people! Check out Fifty Shades of Blue!

 

[december-fire]

This baby was waiting for her momma in my woods just beyond the yard. So sweet! Until they eat my garden.
Wow @December-fire. Awesome pics! Love hummingbirds. So amazing.

Sandeek, thank you. Prior to last summer, I'd spot one hummingbird per year (although I was busy with other stuff and wasn't around to look for them). Last summer, and this year, I've added hummingbird feeders and planted things to attract hummingbirds (and bees and butterflies). I can't believe how many hummers come to visit! They're so fascinating.

Wow, that fawn is so beautiful! What great camouflage! Good eyes spotting her, Sandeek!
Thank you for sharing your photos of this lovely creature! Deer are beautiful; graceful and so gentle in appearance. Yeah, there's the whole 'eating the garden' bit, but I'm sure they appreciate you feeding them.

 

[Calliecake]

Everyone has such beautiful pictures. December Fire, I'm glad you found a hobby that brings you so much joy. It's also a bonus to all of us here who get to enjoy your beautiful pictures. Thank you.

 

[WinkHPD]

I got a new Nikon D500 last week. Here is a beautiful thistle that I saw at the duck club on Saturday.


And as I was leaving, sunset.



Wink

 

[december-fire]

Wink, congratulations on the new camera! Very exciting!

The photos you posted are wonderful! There's beauty all around us if we're able to stop for a moment to notice it.

Thanks for sharing your lovely photos!

 

[WinkHPD]

With its ten frames per second I often get more pictures than I want. But since I was hoping to shoot some birds in flight I did not want to spend all my time switching back and forth.

I did not even see the spider silk around all the spines when shooting the picture, only when I posted it up on this thread.

Wink

P.S. You started this thread when you got your new camera. Are you still shooting it, and please remind me again, what camera is it?

 

[december-fire]

A few photos from Sunday morning.

A Great Blue Heron on a branch overhanging the river.


A lovely squirrel wondering if I brought him a treat. Unfortunately, I hadn't. Opps



A mystery snake (3 feet long) which I believe is a Northern Water Snake (according to my googling the following day). Interesting fact that I learned the day after taking the photo, is that when the Northern Water Snake bites, a small amount of an anticoagulant is secreted which prevents the wound from healing properly. Therefore, if bitten by this snake, a person should seek immediate medical attention. I'm learning so much. After the fact. Ha! However, I wasn't at any real risk of being bitten because I didn't attempt to pick up the snake.



For those who are interested, here's a closer look at this lovely suit.

 

[december-fire]

With its ten frames per second I often get more pictures than I want. But since I was hoping to shoot some birds in flight I did not want to spend all my time switching back and forth.

I did not even see the spider silk around all the spines when shooting the picture, only when I posted it up on this thread.

Wink

P.S. You started this thread when you got your new camera. Are you still shooting it, and please remind me again, what camera is it?

Wink, I can't tell you how often I've looked at a photo and noticed what I didn't see when the photo was taken! Having time to examine the photo allows one to observe lovely details such as the spider silk in your thistle shot.

Not sure if you noticed my post about buying a second camera. I now have:
- my original camera (previously known as 'the new camera'), the Canon T6s with Canon's 18-135 mm lens and 75-300 mm lens with Image Stabilization (IS), and
- the new 'new camera', the Canon 7D Mark II and Canon's 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM

Like your new camera, the 7D Mark II takes 10 frames per second. Photos of hummingbirds are usually followed by one with just part of the bird exiting the scene and one without the bird! Ha! But its great to get shots with wings at various angles.

Other things in life have restricted my photography time lately, however, I'm looking forward to heading out with both cameras; the 7D Mark II with the 100-400 mm for things at a distance, and the T6s with the 18-135 mm for items that are close. I was out Sunday morning (and saw lots of wildlife!) and just had the 7D II with the 100-400 mm, so shots of dragonflies were a bit tricky - the other set-up would have been easier. I just have to figure out how to pack/carry the two cameras without looking like the paparazzi.

Gee, I talk a lot. I'll try to make up for it by including a photo. Here's a dragonfly photo from Sunday taken with the 100-400 mm.

Opps! I think this is actually a damselfly, not a dragonfly. There are PS folks who can tell me.

 

[mochiko42]

I was in Japan in May and saw a hillside of flowers!

 

[Arcadian]

I was on the beach as the tide was coming in and saw this. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something.

 

[Arcadian]

@mochiko42 those are gorgeous! love the color of these flowers!!

 

[december-fire]

@mochiko42 Wow! That flower-covered hillside is stunning! Simply breath-taking.

@Arcadian Oh, that's beautiful! I love the heart-shaped sand.

Thank you both for sharing.

 

[december-fire]

Popping in to share a couple of turtle photos because who doesn't love turtles!

First up, the adorable Painted Turtle.


Hmmm, or is he a Flying Turtle?
Don't worry, he was only airborne for a few seconds before landing safely back on the ground.

 

[Matata]

Oregon Swallowtail having breakfast on the verbena this morning.

 

[december-fire]

Family visiting from out-of-town, a garden that isn't self-weeding, and a silly habit of sleeping have keep me rather busy and prevented me from posting any photos over the last few weeks. Here's one for now.

A beautiful male Cardinal who joined me at the lake yesterday.

 

[WinkHPD]

Oh! How incredibly beautiful.

Wink

 

[jordyonbass]

That Cardinal looks so chill! Like he is saying 'I see you there but it's all good cos I'm up here, just gunna soak up some sun and look at something so snap away!!'

 

[december-fire]

That Cardinal looks so chill! Like he is saying 'I see you there but it's all good cos I'm up here, just gunna soak up some sun and look at something so snap away!!'

Jordy, can I just say that I love that gorgeous opal in your avatar!
The photo and the stone are amazing!

 

[Karl_K]

december-fire I was bored and played around with editing one of your photos from this thread into an image I saw in my head while looking at it. Is is ok if I post it? I understand if not.

 

[december-fire]

december-fire I was bored and played around with editing one of your photos from this thread into an image I saw in my head while looking at it. Is is ok if I post it? I understand if not.

Oh, I'm intrigued! Please post away!

 

[Karl_K]

ok here goes....

 

[WinkHPD]

Cool. Or as our friend Storm has been known to say, Kewl!

 

[WinkHPD]

I don't think I have posted this one yet. If I have, apologies...



Wink

 

[december-fire]

Karl, I love it!

Its so funny you edited that particular photo like that! I had actually looked at that shot in black and white, sepia, etc.
I really like the sepia effect.

Just for fun, here's the sepia version.

 

[december-fire]

I don't think I have posted this one yet. If I have, apologies...



Wink

Wink, that rose is breath-taking!
The colours and texture are stunning.

 

[Karl_K]

Here is my sepia version.
My old version of photoshop wont run on this version of windows so im just using the basic controls in faststone image viewer.
My secret is you don't need all the color channels in a b&w image so I suppressed the blue and green channels some and raised the red channel before conversion.

 

[december-fire]

Here is my sepia version.
My old version of photoshop wont run on this version of windows so im just using the basic controls in faststone image viewer.
My secret is you don't need all the color channels in a b&w image so I suppressed the blue and green channels some and raised the red channel before conversion.

Oh, that's why it doesn't have the blue tinge that I see when I change the photo to black and white!

 

[december-fire]

Adding a couple of new photos.

This female Wood Duck seemed fascinated by something flying over head.
And, since I was fascinated by her lovely yellow eyeliner, I'm subjecting you to a cropped version of the same photo!

 

[Karl_K]

Oh, that's why it doesn't have the blue tinge that I see when I change the photo to black and white!

check your monitors color temperature setting. It should be 6500k it is likely set to 9300k
Some newer monitors don't have a setting for directly setting it, set it to photo mode should get the correct color temp.