21. March 2010 by David.

I went to Hite Cove yesterday for some wildflower photographs and kept my promise not to take any landscape or sunset shots.

This spider was about the size of the tip of a ball  point pen. I used my 28-135mm lens set at 117mm with a lens doubler and two extension tubes. I also used a small flashlight to help illuminate the web since I was taking this after sunset.

F6.3 at 1/5th sec, 117mm at ISO200, tripod mounted.

Keep Clicking

Posted in Wildlife, Macro | Print | 1 Comment »

19. March 2010 by David.

I promised myself I’d stay away from sunsets and landscapes for a while……Oh well……….

A group from the Chowchilla Photo Club went to the Merced Wildlife Refuge last Sunday evening. We got some great shots. Check out our blog at chowchillaphotoclub.wordpress.com. Right after this a huge flock of geese came in while I was having a silly problem with my camera, easily fixed but took just enough time.

F7.1 at 1/80 sec, 47mm at ISO 200

Keep clicking

Dave

Posted in Landscape, Merced Wildlife Refuge | Print | No Comments »

19. March 2010 by Friedhelm.

This fountain is located in Bob Heart Square in downtown Merced, CA. It is one of my favorite Subjects to photograph. I used a stack of neutral density filters to get this light effect since I pressed the shutter on my camera at 10:07 AM.

Camera setting: 200mm focal length, f8, 1/400sec, ISO 400.

Enjoy and have a great Friday!

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18. March 2010 by Friedhelm.

Besides the major waterfalls in Yosemite Valley there are many minor and seasonal falls that are also very pretty like the Cascades. I stopped beside the bridge over the Cascades on Hwy. 120 and shot the image right from the bridge.Camera setting: 140mm focal length, f32, 0.3sec., ISO 100.

Enjoy!

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17. March 2010 by Friedhelm.

Thank you Robert Worrell for emailing me this image. It shows how I photograph wildflowers. I cut out the bottom and the back of this small light tent. It serves three purposes:

First: It creates a soft, diffused light which lets me photograph even in bright sunlight

Second: It helps in windy situations to keep the flower stable

Third: I can photograph the flower in the native environment and the cut out back preserves the natural background

I also like to mention that I use a small travel tripod as much as possible and the lowest possible ISO to avoid camera noise as much as possible. My favorite lens is a Canon f.4.0 70-200L lens which is extremely sharp and most of all not so heavy (every ounce counts when you are hiking in the back country). I use it in combination with a Kenko extension tube. I disable automatic focus and use the screen on the back of my Canon camera to pre-focus manually.

Happy photographing!

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17. March 2010 by Friedhelm.

I photographed this California Wildflower yesterday on the Hyte Cove trail.  The official name is Dodecatheon Clevelandii or Shooting Star. The wildflowers are in full bloom and I suggest that you get your camera out, forget your plans and get out into foothills. Since the precipitation was above normal you should find fields of flowers almost everywhere in the California foothills. Don’t forget to bring a translucent reflector to avoid photographing in direct sunlight.

Enjoy and have a great photographic day!

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16. March 2010 by Friedhelm.

I photographed the Merced Movie Theatre from a small child’s perspective. I was literally laying on the ground using a super wide angle lens. Camera setting: 15mm focal length (full frame sensor), f11, 1/50sec., ISO 100.

Enjoy and sometimes it is good to see things from a different perspective!

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15. March 2010 by Friedhelm.

I photographed this bouquet of tulips using a light tent with a black background. I decided to emphasise the lower left tulip. This gives the image a more dramatic feel. Camera setting: 55mm focal length, f2.8, 1/3sec., ISO 100.

Enjoy and have a great week.

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14. March 2010 by David.

I’ve been looking at this subject for some time now. Wondering if it would be anything.

It’s simply an old Underwood typewriter in front of my livingroom window with the morning sun coming through. I like the simplicity and the lines that cut through the background and add texture to a otherwise plain surface. I decided to leave the highlights on the mini blinds to enhance the textural feeling.

Keep clicking

Dave

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13. March 2010 by David.

The snow we get in the Valley this time of year is a little different from the stuff up in the mountains. First its not as cold and secondly it doesn’t come from clouds.

When the bees and almond trees are done with the blossoms the valley floor becomes a carpet of white and pink petals.

F5.4, 1/500sec, 90mm at ISO 200

Keep Clicking 

Dave

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