Photography Today

July Images

2009-07-10T21:11:00.002-05:00

Here are a few images that are from the height of summer. Hope it is a good one. The one on the left I will call "Last Light" because it really was the last light.

From the Porkies

2009-06-22T15:44:00.008-05:00

Have been spending some time in the Porcupine Mountains in the UP of Michigan. This area is also known as the Porkies. It has been a very interesting couple of days. I saw one bear butt - that is the rump of a bear crossing the road. Later I saw the whole bear. No pics unfortunately. I did get this image of the Presque Isle River. This has to be one of the most scenic rivers.

The next image is a sunset on Lake Superior. The weather was often foggy, but fortunately the fog cleared for an evening sunset on Lake Superior. Am still trying to get used to a new camera and new software for processing. It will be a struggle for awhile - especially the software. Unfortunately, the new photos from this trip will not be ready for the Elk Rapids Show this Saturday, June 27th. This is more a matter of being around to print in time to have them ready by Saturday.

Speaking of fog. Here is an image of thimbleberries (too bad they are not ripe yet, they are delicious) in a foggy pine stand. This was shot with the Nikon D700 set on a vivid color setting which mimics traditional Velvia Film.

There are at least two varieties of lupine. In Michigan there is the native lupine which is critical to the Karner Blue Butterfly. The other is an escapee from gardens. These escapees were all over the UP. Regardless, they are very photogenic.

June Newsletter Now Online

2009-06-10T14:17:00.001-05:00

The June issue of my newsletter is now online at http://www.tomhaxbyphotos.com/Newsletter/June_2009_Newsletter.htm

Thanks for visiting.

Irises

2009-06-07T11:19:00.004-05:00

Here are a couple of photos of irises taken yesterday. Fortunately, the wind was not too bad and the light was pretty good. If you have noticed, there are a lot fewer landscape images of late. The lower peninsula of Michigan is a difficult place for landscapes. Lots of private property, development, powerlines, buildings and in general difficult places to shoot. There is of course the lakeshore around Sleeping Bear Dunes and forest areas which shine in the fall. Light and skies become the keys then. Often it seems that the skies are all blue or all clouds - not good. Light in the fall is the best. Soft and colorful along with the fog and dewey mornings. Thanks for checking the blog. Comments are always welcomed.

2009-05-29T04:59:00.004-05:00

Still trying out the Orton Effect which I really like as a artistic rendering of a photograph. I believe that it works best with a lighter color that can becomes the glow in the image. Comments are always welcomed.

Straits of Mackinac

2009-05-25T13:13:00.007-05:00

This Memorial Day Weekend I took a trip to the Straits of Mackinac. I passed many cemetaries on during the trip. It is was nice to see that so many have taken the time to honor our heroes who have sacrificed so that we may live in freedom, by placing flags on graves and paying their respects. Thank you to those who have served and to those who continue to serve.

The skies were mostly void of clouds, which is a killer for landscape photography. I did what I could and got a few good images. The Mackinac Bridge has probably been photographed millions of times. However, I have only had several chances and took the chance that there would be dramatic light. This is actually a 25 second exposure. I wanted to show the motion of the cars coming over the brige.

The second image is an abstract close-up of a tulip. This was taken with a macro lens and 3 extension tubes to allow an extreme close up. Feeling more comfortable with the camera and equipment allows me to try different things. Any thoughts on this????

The next image is a small field of Indian Paintbrush wildflowers. This was difficult because I was laying on my stomach and the black flies were swarming. Try concentrating with black flies on your ears, in your eyes and trying to fly up your nose!!

Finally, in another attempt at the Orton Process, these trilliums lining this road are not out of focus or dancing in the wind. This is a photographic effect that I am really liking.

May Newsletter Now Available

2009-05-17T10:08:00.002-05:00

My May Newsletter is now available at http://www.tomhaxbyphotos.com/Newsletter/May_2009_Newsletter2.htm

Marsh Life

2009-05-12T20:57:00.002-05:00

This is more of a naturalistic look at life in a marsh rather than another photogenic image. I was on my belly taking this photograph - trying something different.

Birds and Marsh Marigolds

2009-05-10T12:55:00.010-05:00

Just a couple of new images to share. This morning I did my usual trip to the marsh. The marsh marigolds were at peak - on a weekend which is nice. Then after lunch, I climbed into my blind on the back deck. Nice that I have not had to travel far today for photos.

I have been wanting to photograph the visitors to my bird feeders. A bashful indigo bunting feeding would not show itself for the camera, hiding in the vegetation. Then, a male goldfinch and later a male Rose Breasted Grosbeak. I am very close, and although I am in a blind, the birds seem to sense my presence.

Yellow Tulip Re-Work

2009-05-05T20:34:00.004-05:00

I have decided to spend more time on the yellow tulip image from Holland. Yes, it is flipped and the background has been darkened. I like the image in an artistic way. This will actually be a Mother's Day gift for my mom.

Grand Haven Light and Pier & Holland Light

2009-05-03T16:23:00.006-05:00

Here is another from the trip to the Holland-Grand Haven Area. This photo of the Grand Haven Pier has probably been done many times. However, I have not successfully captured a photo into the sun like this before. There were lots of people on the pier, but perhaps this adds to the image.

The Holland Lighthouse known as "Big Red" is no slouch either. This was a cat and mouse between the clouds that were rapidly dissipating as a front moved through and a contractor scurrying about. Seemed like he was doing some inside repair work, painting maybe, but he was carrying ladders, tarps and other things. I did not want him in the image. So, I waited and waited and waited. Then it started to get really cold. Finally, the contractor was gone and I had a few clouds left.

Tulip Time in Holland

2009-05-03T14:22:00.014-05:00

Just returned from a trip to Holland, Michigan for the annual "Tulip Time". I had a great time, and I think I got a few good images to share. The first is the yellow tulip with dew. The dark background was mostly courtesy of the sun only catching the tulip on the top of the tulip beds. I should thank the folks at the Veldheer Tulip Gardens. They let me in early on Saturday, before the wind picked up, the dew dried and the crowds arrived. They were super friendly and their gardens are beautiful.

The sunset was taken at the Grand Haven Pier. Not much in the way of clouds while I was there. I was hurrying to change lenses as the sun went down. Yes, those are birds in the image to the lower right. It was really cold out by the water, even though it is now May.

The next image is a 13-lined ground squirrel with which I shared a campsite for 2 nights. I don't think that the squirrel was screaming. I think it was belching because I fed it a few peanuts. People must have thought I was nuts sitting there photographing the grass. There were 2 squirrels in the area and one almost ran right over my leg.

Finally, for this first blog post from Holland, is another tulip close-up. I did not put any water on these as the photos were taken very early in the morning. I will hopefully be posting more of these images on the blog. Eventually, they will make their way to my galleries on my website.

A Few More From the Smokies

2009-04-30T20:44:00.007-05:00

Here are a few more images from the Smokies in April:

The first is a waterfall near Tremont Creek. It was really flowing from the recent rains. I really wanted to show the double falls at the top. There were trees blocking on the sides and the angles were difficult.

The next is a group of trilliums taken near the Chimney Tops Picnic Area.

It was very, very windy that day and I am surprised that the image is as sharp as it is.

Finally, in a play on words, this one I call "Old Fronds and New Fronds"

Another Batch of Smokies Images

2009-04-19T19:21:00.004-05:00

Here are more of the images from my recent trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. The image on the left is Big Creek taken through the dogwood and trees. The trail starts out well above the creek, but eventually ends up next to the creek. There are very few dogwood in this area, but I liked the light and the feeling of being in the woods above the creek. The other image is of fern fiddle heads which I find to be fascinating.

More Smokies Images

2009-04-19T11:44:00.009-05:00

I will eventually get around to actually adding some of my images from the Smokies to my website. Until then the blog will be the best place to see some of the new images. The large flowered trillium pictured here was one of the best specimens that I found. The difficulty was waiting for the wind to stop blowing. There was no such problem with the morel. The columbine was also captured on the windy day.

Smokies Landscapes

2009-04-19T10:06:00.007-05:00

This is a tough time of the year for landscapes in the Smokies. The trees are still very brown and on this particular trip the clouds were all (cloudy or rainy) or none (stark blue sky and bright light). On this trip, I did not spend any time at the higher elevations due to these circumstances. So, I have a lot of images of creeks, some with dogwoods and some without due to the anthracnose blight that has killed many dogwoods.

The first image is of Porter Creek. This is the first time that I have visited this area. The wildflowers there are fantastic and the creek is very beautiful. The trail which follows the creek is mostly a gradual gravel road and is lined with wildflowers. Of particular note is the showy orchis. I had been searching at my other stops in the park for this small orchid, which is only about 3 inches tall. I finally found lots of them on the Porter Creek Trail. Unfortunately, they were still not in full bloom.

More Smokies Images

2009-04-19T09:52:00.008-05:00

Well, I am home now and will be processing images for a while longer. Here are a few more... mostly wildflowers. I know I am getting better at macro photography. However, it is very difficult, and I still feel that I have more improvements to make. Mostly in the areas of getting sharper images and getting better at checking backgrounds for distracting elements. Getting sharp macro images of wildflowers is tough because the flowers are always dancing in the wind. Pictured here are trillums grouped with bishops cap and white phacelia. This was taken along the Porter Creek Trail. The fire pink (red flower) was taken along Big Creek, which is one of my favorite places in the Smokies. And finally, the wild geranium (below) was taken along the trail leading to the Ramsey Cascades.

Greetings from the Smokies

2009-04-17T15:17:00.007-05:00

Greetings from the Great Smoky Mountains. I took the opportunity to enjoy an early spring before things green up in the northwoods. So, off to the Smokies. It has been a bit of a late spring in the there. However, there have been many things in bloom. Most of my photos were close-ups of wildflowers, but I did get a few of the streams such as this one on Tremont Creek. The wildflowers in the Smokies are phenomenal this time of year. This grape vine leads through a carpet of trilliums. Other images also caught my eye such as the raindrops on the leaves of a blue cohosh.

April 2009 Newsletter

2009-04-06T17:35:00.001-05:00

My April 2009 Newsletter is now available online at http://www.tomhaxbyphotos.com/Newsletter/April_2009_Newsletter.htm

Moonlight on the Manistee

2009-03-29T12:42:00.005-05:00

Last month when the moon was just past full and the moonset was after sunrise I did something that I have not done before. I took a morning hike by moonlight!! I hit the trail at approximately 6:30 a.m., which in early March it is still quite dark. On snowshoes I hiked about a mile to the overlook on the Manistee River. What a great experience it was. I was thinking of the Van Morrison song "Moondance" as I hiked through the snow lit by the moonlight. As I arrived the scene was of the moon reflected in the Manistee River from the overlooking bluffs. As the only access here in the winter is via snowshoes, skis or snowmobile, and being very early in the day when most are still sleeping, I had it all to myself. It was quiet and peaceful and really not all that cold. I took many photos as the sun rose to the east and the moon set to the west. I would like to say that I got great images from the trip, but this was more of an experiment and adventure. However, the adventure was the best part. I hiked out to bright sunlight glistening on the winter snow, feeling energized and excited by the morning adventure. Hungry too from the good workout.

March Newsletter Online

2009-03-08T08:53:00.004-05:00

My March Newsletter is now available online at http://www.tomhaxbyphotos.com/Newsletter/March_2009_Newsletter.htm As an extra here is something new for me. The image below is a panorama of 4 photos stitched together from the Three Rivers Petroglyphs area in New Mexico. This is the Tularosa Basin just north of Alamogordo New Mexico. Click on the image to see the larger version.

Spring is hopefully just around the corner.

Hawk Identification

2009-03-01T15:41:00.002-05:00

I need an ID on this hawk. Maybe some type of broad winged hawk. This was taken on the Wacissa River in Florida several years ago.

Anyone know let me know at thaxby02@yahoo.com

Back in Michigan

2009-03-01T15:31:00.004-05:00

Meanwhile, back in Michigan it is still freezing cold. So, I am back to doing bird photos. Here is a red poll from just off of my back deck. I did a little more manipulation in photoshop than I might normally do to tone down the clutter in the background. Oh well, it is what it is. Anybody that is good at bird identification. Is this a Hoary Red Poll?

Last Day in New Mexico

2009-02-22T20:11:00.004-05:00

Today was the last day in New Mexico. The NANPA conference was great. I enjoyed the chance to explore and to photograph New Mexico. Here are a couple of images that I captured today with Dick Templeton, a summer Traverse City resident and a winter New Mexico resident. We both agreed that this area has a lot of potential. Not sure that the middle of the day is the best light for this area. . Well, the camera will probably be shelved until the next trip - maybe the Smoky Mountains in late April or early May. I can hardly wait.

Three Rivers Petroglyphs

2009-02-17T17:04:00.003-05:00

One era's graffiti is another era's history lesson. I did have that thought as I visited the Three Rivers Petroglyphs Park near Tularosa, New Mexico today. Might as well, the winds picked up and it looked like White Sands was going to blow away. The mountains to the west of Alamogordo were not even visible due to the dust and sand in the air. So, I visited the Petroglyphs. They are really fascinating. What were the people who created these thinking? What do the pictures on the rocks mean? Some pictures depict animals, some perhaps are landscapes as one appeared to be an image of the mountains to the east. I also had an observation that the workers at the tourist sites in New Mexico must be some of the friendliest I have ever encountered. The staff person at White Sands took the time to draw a map of photographic locations at White Sands. The staff person at Three Rivers Petroglyphs was equally helpful.