Winter brings a stillness when the Earth is covered in folded snow. Winds speed over silent meadows, passing unimpeded by leaves and foliage. Silent yet forceful breaths of nature, fill the muted dawn. Barren trees reach into the sky like lifeless memories, and bleak thoughts of quiet stillness float in the thin air. A time to reflect, a time to remember, a time of repose.
Nikon D4 Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm f/4.5 ISO 400 1/2500 sec
Last year my wife and I took a short trip to Aspen, Colorado. To avoid a monumental change in altitude it was suggested to me that we might want to spend a night in Denver and allow our bodies to get acclimated more gradually. The spot we chose was the little town of Evergreen. Bear Creek rambles its way through the small rustic town, winding its way beneath narrow bridges and around the setting of our hotel. Following the stream upwards leads to Evergreen Lake. Evergreen grew as a town in the late 1800’s and was primarily a lumber producing village. At its height of growth back then it boasted 200 residents and six saw mills. Now the lake is used mainly for recreational purposes.
The evening we were there became cloudy and overcast, but for about fifteen minutes the Sun tried desperately to break through and light up the sky. It created this interesting sight in the sky.
Nikon D800 Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 44mm f/9 ISO 100 1/40 sec
Yesterday I got to photograph the NCAA Basketball game between the Temple Owls and the SMU Mustangs. Many considered Temple a weak opponent for SMU (ranked 23rd going into the game) since they had lost to them earlier this year and Temple was ranked far beneath them. The Owls fought hard and relentlessly pressed the home court advantage to overcome the Mustangs. The energy was palpable in the arena when the scores came dangerously close during the game. Chants from students, rousing melodies from the band, and shouts of support from the fans created a platform of spirit for the men to walk on. Temple’s shooting got better and better, and SMU’s offense crumbled, missing free throw after free throw. Why, I can’t explain it, except that it was the will and passion of the home crowd that elevated the performance of their heroes on the court. The players gave it their all, and maybe the crowd gave them even more than they knew they had. Victory was within their grasp, and they took it!
Click the picture to see all the pictures I took at the game.
As cool and fun as it would be to accept the vocation of wildlife photographer, I don’t know if I would have the patience. Most of the pictures I have taken have been of animals indigenous to my home in Pennsylvania. I think it would be great to visit Yellowstone to photograph moose, elk, bear, wolves and whatever else wandered into view, but I think it’s seldom like that. Photographing wildlife requires learning about animal behavior. What habits species emote, what patterns emerge, what makes critters who they are. My hat goes off to those shutterbugs who brave freezing arctic temperatures to photograph polar bears, penguins, and other creatures whose habitat is deadly to humans. I have tons of respect for people who camp out and wait for a herd of bison to cross the focal point of their camera for hours or even days. I can’t do that right now. I haven't mastered that side of my personality. I have problems with patience. Fortunately for me this Red-Tailed hawk decided to have his dinner perched atop a telephone pole visible from the front door of my office, and a camera was close by.
Nikon D7100 Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 @ f/3.2-4 ISO 100 a/1000 sec
I’m not a farmer, and I have no idea why I often see hay in this form. I’m supposing it’s stored that way for future use, but for all I know the Jolly Green Giant wanted to make some fruit roll ups. I was glad they were there when I pulled up to this scene a few weeks ago. The sky was on fire and the hay rolls made a good foreground subject. Of course with a sky like that I was in awe, and scrambled to grab a camera and think about the process of making a picture. All in all, I think it came out pretty nicely.
Nikon D800 Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 36mm f/7.1 ISO 200 1/40 sec
