Here in the Poconos we’ve had rain for the last two days. I was scheduled to photograph two baseball games today, but they were canceled. Bummer.
So, on this rainy day I wasn’t behind the viewfinder, but I still did some photo-related activities. I framed several 12″ x 18″ photographs and I went shopping for a presentation/portfolio case.
Perhaps if it rains some more I will be able to backup some photos and work on some keywording.
We all need a few rainy days, don’t we?
This doe was lying in our yard today. She didn’t seem to mind the slight drizzle that was falling at times because she seemed content to continue chewing her cud. Here in this photo you can see her mouth open. You can also see that her hide is beginning to get darker. Not long ago the deer had a tannish/red tint in their hides, but now with the fast-approaching fall their hides are getting darker. The deer are stocking up for the upcoming winter season when food will be more scarce. This is my most favorite time of the year and a lot is happening!
Today I saw a buck running across the road and it looked like he was looking for a doe. It’s still a little early for the deer rut, but the bull elk are starting to bugle and fall is definitely coming!
Here is a photo I captured last year in the peak of the rut. I love the fall colors and the bull who is bugling. You can see his breath in the fall morning air. I hope you enjoy seeing it and I hope you are getting ready for an exciting fall season!
How do you share your photographs?
Years ago we used albums, carousels, shoeboxes, and picture cubes (do you remember those?) to share our photos. Now that the digital era has arrived we are faced with finding good ways to share our photos. Instead of photos being stashed away in shoeboxes, now they are stashed away in hard drives.
I like to share my photos on web galleries. This way people can view them at their convenience. Baseball players and parents can see the sports photographs after a weekend tournament. Wildlife enthusiasts can similarly view photos when they get a chance. Galleries are convenient, easy to set up, and one great way to share photos.
There are plenty of other ways, too. PowerPoint presentations, iPods, PDAs, Flicker, and picture frames are just a few.
How do you share your photos?
Okay, I admit it–I am a full-blown techie who loves gear, gadgets, and electronics. I’ve torn computers completely apart and rebuilt them. I have a PDA and an iPod. I am on my third laptop and I love all the digital photography gear I can get my hands on.
Nikon doesn’t make it easy of us gear-heads. They have so many cameras and lenses available these days that I know I cannot possibly have it all. There are some items that are on my short list, however. I am currently saving for a fast mid-range zoom lens–the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S zoom lens. I currently use the 70-200mm f/2.8 for most all of my wildlife and sports photography. Some day I am hoping to save enough to buy my dream lens–the Nikon 200-400mm f/4 zoom lens. In the meantime, I recognize that I need a fast mid-range zoom lens for portraits, landscapes, and other general use applications. I thoroughly enjoy the fast f/2.8 on my 70-200mm so I am anxious to match this on a more general purpose lens.
I am still saving and the lens is currently out of stock at B&H, so patience will be key. Yeah, I like photo gear and I hope to be adding a new piece of gear to my camera bag shortly.
Today marked the beginning of the Lehigh Valley Baseball Academy’s fall baseball season. I photographed the first game of the 14u team in Birdsboro, PA. This team has only had five practices together and still put together a very respectable first game.
I really enjoy the opportunity to photograph sports. The challenge of capturing the action on the field keeps me on my toes. I surely miss a lot of the action. Sometimes the base ump is in my line of sight and sometimes I just cannot focus fast enough to capture the precise action in a play. But today I was able to get some pretty good action shots like this one. What doesn’t show on this photograph is the great throw made by the center fielder. He came up throwing and threw a strike to the catcher. Here, in this photo, you can see the catcher applying the tag. Not only does this shot catch the action of the tag out, but it also highlights the determined facial expression of the catcher as he is applying the tag.
Do you think I did a decent job of capturing the moment with this photograph?
Have you seen any deer lately?
Their shiny summer coats are giving way to a much darker color. I saw several deer today but did not have my camera with me. One doe in particular was getting much darker and you could see the change taking place right there on her back. It was amazing. The cooler weather signals the approaching fall season. The leaves will eventually change colors, too.
There is still some time before fall arrives, but it is coming. The elk rut should begin in a little over 10 days. Then all chaos will break loose. Bulls will be heard bugling and antlers will start clashing. It is the best time of year in my opinion. And part of the reason is the changing colors.
If I told you that I saw two elk boxing, would you believe me?
Bull elk are well known for their sparring and full-blow antler bashing. When the rut is in full swing you are sure to hear bugling and antler clashing. But boxing? What’s that all about?
Well, cows can become agitated just like bulls, especially when protecting their young calves. Obviously they do not have antlers to throw around, but they can use their hooves as weapons. I’ve heard stories of an agitated cow attempting to stomp any animal or human it perceives as a threat to its newborn calf. Those stomping hooves can be just about as dangerous as a bull’s antler.
One day, while photographing a small herd of elk, I was in the right place at the right time. I saw this cow and spike bull disagreeing about something. I am not sure what started it all, but for several minutes these elk stood on their back legs and boxed! That’s right, they used their front feet and hooves as they stood on the hind legs. At first, I couldn’t believe it! When the fight was over, I knew I would have some interesting photos to look at back at my cabin that evening. I didn’t just capture one lucky shot either; I captured a whole series of photographs as these two elk boxed. It was something I knew people wouldn’t believe if they couldn’t see it.
Boxing elk? Yep! And you can see the photo that proves it right here. A photograph of two elk boxing!
The bull elk rescue from the swing set at the old Benezette school has created a lot of interest. The blogs of Brad Myers, his son Shane, Willard Hill, my son James, and mine have all realized a lot of recent activity as people wanted to see the photos of this elk rescue. It was an amazing and incredible event to watch and photograph.
Today the Pennsylvania Game Commission circulated a news release that included three of the photos I took during this elk rescue. My blog activity has greatly increased and at last count I had over 1,100 visits to my blog just today. I am pleased that my photographs are getting broader exposure, but I am even happier that the elk rescue story is getting out to so many people.
The Pennsylvania elk herd is a resource that must not be taken lightly. We are privileged to have the elk in our state thanks to some people in our past who had the foresight to bring back the elk. After all, there was a day when elk roamed over nearly the entire state. Other animals have benefited from the increased interest and habitat protection provided for the elk herd. Turkeys, bear, rabbits, and many other wildlife species have increased over the past decade or so thanks to the improvements made to benefit the elk.
There are also a few lessons we can learn from this elk rescue. First, if you have a swing set in your yard please hang the swings up and out of the way of the elk. Bulls like to rub their antlers first to remove the velvet in mid-August, and then to mark and defend their territory in the rut. Keeping our swings out of their way just makes good common sense. Second, the Game Commission sometimes gets a bad rap. I think you know what I mean. But Doty and Mark not only handled this rescue very well, but they did so in a professional and mild-mannered way. They allowed us photographers to capture the rescue with our long lenses and even talked with us about what they found after the rescue was over. I was greatly impressed with these two guys and how they expertly rescued this bull elk. I might not always agree with everything the Game Commission says or does at times, but I have renewed respect for what these guys are willing to do and how well they handle some very difficult and potentially dangerous situations. They certainly have my complete respect after watching this amazing elk rescue and how beautifully they handled the situation. Thank you, Doty and Mark!
