I Did Not See A Thing All Day!

While processing a few images from the last couple of days of attempting to photograph the ongoing whitetail rut I was reminded of my days as a deputy conservation officer.  One would meet successful hunters, happy with the outcome of their day afield and others who were far less than satisfied with their hunt and ofttimes the entire Pennsylvania Game Commissions deer management program.  It was very common for these unhappy individuals to question "Where are all the deer?" The question frequently peppered with a variety of expletives.  Another commonly heard comment, likewise spiced with expletives was " I didn't see a thing all day!  

As I scrolled through some of my latest images I thought about how sad it is that some people can spend a day afield without seeing anything.  While its quite possible to not encounter the particular species that one is seeking, only a person without an appreciation for nature can spend a day in the outdoors without seeing anything.

The images below are from a recent day afield, a day when I was unsuccessful in my quest for rutting whitetails.    

The Approaching Storm

After days of sweltering heat, a thunderstorm approached early this afternoon.  The ominous clouds and the dark mountain in the distance contrasted nicely with the brighter fields in the foreground. 

While everyone loves a blue sky day, for the best landscape photography be there when the skies display character. 

Summer Scenes

 

Following an evening thunder shower The white billowy clouds in the eastern sky were spectacular.  This image is a HDR (high dynamic range) compilation of five images. 

Looking west after another thundershower, the sky took on a beautiful soft yellow glow as the sun sank beneath the horizon.  Not only did the sky glow with the setting sun but the thick humidity enveloping the landscape did as well.

HeatWave

Images from the ongoing Heatwave.

Steamy Dawn

Field of Flowers

Deer Family; Beating the Heat

Back to Blackwater

 Deciding to utilize the unseasonably warm weather forecast for this week Willard and I again visited Blackwater NWR Wednesday.  Arriving before the refuge opened we stopped at the canoe launch along MD 355 to photograph the dawn.  A few light showers were moving through the area making for dramatic skies.

 Later in the morning a partial rainbow developed where we were photographing waterfowl near the entrance to wildlife drive.  Not taking time to change lenses, I used the 600mm to make this capture.

A distant eagle surveys its domain.

Fog

Fog can obscure subjects, particularly for the wildlife photographer, but it can also be used to the photographer's advantage. 

This shot was made quite early today with a light rain falling as Willard and I watched a meadow hoping for rutting whitetails to appear.  Hunting whitetails is always somewhat of a mystery.  Will I see any deer?  If so, how many?  Will any be bucks?  If so, how big?  Will I get the shot?   For me, this image of a mountain meadow shrouded in fog captures the mystery of the hunt.

 

Without the fog this scene captured earlier in the fall would not have gotten a second glance.  However with the suns rays illuminating the wisp of lingering fog an otherwise everyday scene in Pennsylvania's elk country becomes an image of beauty.

Fog

As autumn approaches the opportunity for foggy morning shots increases.  Calm mornings where the air temperature is below that of the ground creates the perfect conditions for ground fog in low lying areas and even more so over bodies of warm water.

Tuesday morning was a calm 50 degrees and with the surface water temperature a warm 65 heavy fog blanketed the lake.  As the sun rose in the eastern sky it reflected off of the calm surface of the waters in a surreal way. 

The warming ray of the sun created updrafts that soon began wafting the fog upward, slowly exposing the encircling mountain. 

But the best image of the morning came when all that remained was a low cloud obscuring the breastwall.  The beauty was incredible, sky, fog and land meets water, reflecting perfectly in mirror image. 

These are the moments I live for, those fleeting moments of incredible natural beauty.

Mid Summer Morning

The full brunt of the mid-summer heat bakes the countryside but in the cool of the morning landscapes can be beautifully lit before the ground fog has completely burned away.

Taking a short drive around our local area just after dawn the sun rays falling across a lush field of corn begged for someone to photograph its transient beauty.  Shooting the scene bracketed +- 2 stops gave me the raw material to combine the images in Photoshop HDR pro producing this the final result.

Health update:  The antibiotic regimen prescribed by my doctor seems to be working with all apparent symptoms of the Lyme disease now gone.  With my strength and endurance back to near normal levels my only concern is that the treatment will completely eradicate Lyme from my system.  I am hopeful that I will not develop any of the chronic problems associated with the disease in the future but only time will tell.

Windy Autumn Morning

Saturday morning was very windy with sparkling clear air making for great contrast in landscape photos.  I snapped this image from the boat followed by processing effects in Photoshop.

I like the combination of effects and will probably frame & display it

Saturday Morning on the Lake

The strong cold front that passed through our area Friday evening dropped temps from near 80F into the 40’s by Saturday morning.

When I first checked the sky the stars were shining brightly but by daylight dark brooding clouds were crossing the sky, a sure sign that high winds were soon to come. I snapped this shot at a moment when sunlight was streaming through the clouds lighting the mountain top beyond the lake. Although the lake was calm at the moment it would not stay that way long.

I was pleased to find that a common loon was present. I have not observed the numbers of loons this spring that I have come to expect with only one present during each sighting. Previous sighting have been of birds in breeding plumage but this bird still retains its drab winter feathers.

Near noon an immature bald eagle soared past the lake. Staying high in the sky riding on the strong air currents it did not take it long to fly from horizon to horizon. I clicked this image mostly for identification purposes as golden eagle has been sighted in our area recently.

Wintry Sky

As daylight fades into darkness the warm colors of sunset belie the chilling temperature of the approaching cold winter night.

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Sundown

With a storm moving in, the spotlight effect of the setting sun painted the country side in a beautiful warm glow.

The first major snow storm of the season is moving in from the south as I make this post. I hope it's a good one, I can use some new pics :)

Muskrat Lodge

Muskrat lodges are uncommon in my area; this is the first one I have ever encountered locally. The muskrat populations here normally utilize stream bank holes so I was pleasantly surprised when I located this lodge during a recent outing.

The muskrats utilized an overturned stump to firmly anchor their structure, the roots of which can be seen protruding from the lodge.

This scene was photographed from a few inches above water level under a heavy cloud cover with light rain falling. The moisture helped to saturate the colors present in the scene as well as did the circular polarizer used to minimize the glare on the water.

Steely Gray November Day

The calendar reminds me that it’s still October but the weather today was stereotypical November. The weatherman called for partly cloudy with a twenty percent chance of rain. This morning dawned gray and gloomy with fog rolling in over the mountain around 9am.

Just because the skies are heavy its no reason to stay indoors this time of year, the first exciting moment occurred when an Eagle soared low overhead obviously hunting for prey. It was quite dark at the time so I shot the encounter on ISO 1600 capturing a number of silhouettes. One of these shots is superimposed in new header image above.

Later in the day while visiting the local lake, inspired by reading Scott Kelby’s new three book set, Digital Photography, I set up with the tripod at its lowest height along the lake shore. Setting the camera on ISO100; the lens to 24mm, F22, and installing a .9 neutral density filter I was able to get the shutter speed down to 1sec. Using the mirror lock-up feature and the cable remote to minimize vibration I made this shot of the lake shrouded in fog.

The slow shutter allowed the wind blown waves to meld into a smooth mystical surface while the swaying vegetation painted it path delicately into the image.

I like the results, do you?

Autumn Overlooks

After the rain Friday and Saturday, Sunday dawned a beautiful clear day. Finding some free time in the afternoon my wife and I visited a couple of the local mountain overlooks. With a slight chill in the air and warm sunshine it was a perfect autumn afternoon that drew more than a few sightseers to the high spots.

This first shot was taken from the Bark Road overlook on Sidling Hill Mountain just south of the Lincoln Highway.

Our next stop was at the overlook near the north end of Summit Road. The little village visible here just to the left of center is Hustontown Pa, a small rural village with only a couple of stop signs and no traffic lights

The Twist & Shake at Hustontown was our next stop where my sweet little wife could not be satisfied with only one small cone :)

SkyWatch: October Skies

This evening was one of those rare “perfect” autumn evenings. After being cooped up in the office and with rain in the forecast for the next two days a little foray with the camera seemed a fitting way to end day.

This is the view from my deck as the sun sank low into the western sky. Our fall foliage is reaching its zenith and the forecasted rain and wind will probably cause many of the bright leaves to cascade to the ground leaving in their wake the muted grays of winter.

The gorgeous sunset I was hoping for failed to materialize but my wife and I still enjoyed watching as the pastel colors of the sky slowly melded into darkness under a cresent moon.

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Shagger’s Inn Shallow Water Impoundment

During my recent visit to the Pennsylvania Elk Range a side trip took Willard & I to the Shagger’s Inn Shallow Water Impoundment. Shaggers Inn is a picturesque thirty acre lake completed by Pennsylvania DCNR in 1989. The lake provides habitat for migrating waterfowl and is one of the few places where Osprey nest in our state.

We did not observe any Osprey during our short visit but the beautiful scenery was reward enough.

The Last Rays of Sunlight

A beautiful glow lights a pastoral Pennsylvania landscape during the evening's golden hour

The showers that have been caressing our landscape daily are presenting us with some very dramatic skies. This evening I captured this scene only moments before the sun dipped below the horizon.

Following the sunset the western sky became quite beautiful as the last rays of daylight painted awesome colors upon the clouds, but that shot must wait until later.

The Empty Barn

This barn sits empty, a reminder of the days when the family farm was a viable business endeavor.

Our area was once a thriving agricultural community made up of hundreds of small family farms. Some milk cows, laying hens and a few hogs could provide a subsistence living and a small profit for a family working fifty to one hundred acres of cropland and pasture. During the 1960’s the death knell began sounding for the small family farm.

I well remember these years as Dad and Granddad sat at every meal talking about the prices for their milk and eggs falling; while the price of feed and supplies continued to climb. It seemed as though this was the only subject worthy of discussion for breakfast, dinner and supper. Although other subjects were brought up, talk would always return to the “Middle Man” taking all the profits. As a child I didn’t understand who this mysterious “Middle Man” was, only that he was a bad man and the cause of the monotonous meal conversations.

At the time I did not realize, I was witnessing first hand the death of the small family farm and the pain it was causing to those who were trying to hold on to the old ways.

Sky Watch Friday, Heavens Aglow

As the storm moved by,
The clouds glowed beautifully during the morning sunrise

The sky quickly returned to a leaden gray and remained dreary until late afternoon.

A moment in time captured digitally; otherwise this moment of color would only have been a memory, soon to be lost among the clutter of my rapidly aging mind.