Great Blue Heron. It seems that the bigger the bird, the more skittish they are with humans. I tried to sneak up on this fellow at the Wertheim National Wildlife Reserve on Long Island. But he picked up on me before I could get a good shot. However, I did get this one on his departure. The symmetry struck me. Canon EOS 40D. November 2008.
Green Sea Turtle. This fellow was cold-stunned and rescued off the beach by a volunteer from the Riverhead Foundation. The optical distortion is caused by shooting down into the water as it approached the camera's position. Canon EOS 40D. November 2008.
Orchid. Taken at the National Orchid Show at
the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, March 2008. Click here
to see more. Canon EOS 40D, Canon 100mm F/2.8 macro
Dolphin Release. This is an off shore male bottlenose
dolphin as it was released back into the wild by the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation on Long Island in November 2007. Canon EOS 40D
Giraffes? We don't need no stinkin' giraffes on Long
Island.(September 2007) Canon EOS 40D. One of my first images with Canon's
incomparable EOS 40D. One of the key facets that attracted me to this camera is
a broader dynamic range, as illustrated in tonal range in the white feathers of
this egret. In other cameras, the whites would be blown out. Not here.
Monster Truck. Not one of my trademark images. At
the risk of self-caricature, I gravitate toward the graceful and the serene, accented
by a joie de vivre where I can. This image is arguably the "evil opposite"
of grace and serenity. But it sure is lively. Taken at the Balloon Fest at Calabro
Airport. I have shots of balloons, but so does everybody else. (August 2007) Canon
EOS 20D.
Dew. Yeah... doesn't look like much. Give it a chance
and click on it.(August 2007) Canon EOS 20D.
Surf Fishing. A scene from Fire Island, NY. Shows
the benefits of photography during the "Golden Hour" The light is perfect just
after sunrise. (July 2007) Canon EOS 20D.
Great Egret. With breeding plumage. Taken at daybreak
on the east bank of the Browns River in Sayville, Long Island. (July 2007) Canon
EOS 20D.
Mallard family. This shot was taken about 2 nautical
miles into Great South Bay. They were heading from Fire Island to the mainland.
I followed them in my sailboat for a mile. They never stopped once. What a pack
of troopers. Notice that the mother is holding her wings up a little in order
to provide a windbreak for the little ones. I have no idea what would have motivated
her to take them on this long trek, which was probably about five miles over rough
water. (July 2007).
Catbird taking a bath. I built a solar fed pond in
my backyard this year. I put in a shallow area for the birds to use. It looks
like a popular spot. (June 2007) Canon EOS 20D
Purple Iris. Macro shot. Staring into the purple cave.
(June 2007) Canon EOS 20D
Snow Monkey. One of the residents of Atlantis
Marine World. (2007) Canon EOS 20D.
Red Breasted Merganser. This species visits Long Island
in the Winter. This one was diving for fish on the Browns River in Sayville. Getting
the shot was a challenge. As soon as he saw me, he scooted to the far side. I
waited for him to dive for fish and ran to the best position. After a few cycles
of this he stopped noticing me and came back to my side of the river, where I
got this shot. So, you don't absolutely need "Big glass" to get nice
shots of wild birds. Just a little patience and guile. (February 2006).
Black Footed Penguins. In their new home at Atlantis
Marine World. These two were members of a group which were brought into the U.S.
from their home in South Africa without the proper permits. (January 2006).
Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. Taken at Beaverkill state
conservation area in the Catskills. (July 2005).
Turk's Cap Lilies. I am told that these are the only
wild North American lilies. Prefering sunny, moist places, these were growing
along the banks of the Beaverkill River in the Catskill Mountains of New York
on an early morning. At first glance, I thought they were dead leaves. A closer
look revealed these gems. (July 2005).
Shoot'n the Breeze. Early Saturday morning on Great
South Bay, sailing back to my home port, I got some shots of this sloop, Shoot'n
the Breeze. (July 2005).
Mom's Night Out. So here I am sitting on a dock at
Davis park, Fire Island at sunset. This female mallard hops out of the water and
starts quacking and dancing around on the dock. All she needed was a straw hat
and a microphone and it would have worked on Vaudeville. There were no males around,
so it couldn't be a courtship ritual. A little while later, I noticed a gaggle
of some 30-40 ducklings being shepherded by two or three adults. Then it all made
sense. The kids were at the babysitters. This was her night out. Canon EOS 20D
(June 2005).
Great South Bay Bayman. This was a morning shot, taken
with the sun out of the frame, but backlighting the bayman. I've got a few shots
of baymen on my Great South
Bay Photoblog, but I liked this one best. Canon EOS 20D (June 2005).
Baby Harbor Seal. This little one was 7-10 days old
when rescued from a gaggle of onlookers at Smith Point beach. NY
State Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue program biologists theorize that
the human presence scared the mother away. She will not return. The infant is
being nursed at the Rescue Center. (29 May 2005). Canon EOS 20D.
Mallards in flight. An osprey hovering caught my
attention. As I positioned myself for a shot, he/she moved away. Got these mallards
instead. (2005) Canon EOS 20D, Canon 75-300mm lens.
Risso's Dolphin Release. The first Risso's dolphin
successfully rehabilitated in the United States. For this animal's story, go to
the web site of the Riverhead Foundation
for Marine Research and Education. The photo was taken from the chase vessel
as the animal was released. It was the outcome of a team effort where the captains
positioned their vessels for best lighting, subject to the safety of the animal.
The sky cooperated, but the waves and wind could have been more helpful, with
both vessels pitching, rolling, and yawing. Not to be dismissed is the ten months
of dedicated care and professionalism by the Foundation's biologists, interns,
and volunteers with consultation from associate members of the Northeast Stranding
Network. (2005) Canon EOS 20D, Canon 75-300mm lens.
Ice Scooters on Bellport Bay. In January, residents
of Bellport, L.I. look to the freezing of Great South Bay. For a short period,
the bay is solid enough to sail ice scooters. It is said that these can go as
fast as 60 miles per hour in a fresh breeze. For more of these pictures, click
here.(2005) Canon
EOS 20D, Canon 75-300mm.
Male Northern Cardinal. Snowy days certainly bring
out the bright colors in this fellow. You may notice the same bird feeder in a
number of images on this site. It's the one that I moved to within eight feet
of a window in my house. With a good camera and some black oil sunflower seeds,
you can get some nice shots. (2005) Canon EOS 20D.
Red Bellied Woodpecker. A visitor to my bird feeder,
this one was a reluctant subject in the sense that by the time I was ready to
take the shot, it had flown. One Saturday morning in December, I was able to bag
this trophy. It really does have red belly, not visible in this photo. (2004)
Canon EOS 20D.
Swan Shading Eyes. Well, not really. This shot was
taken of a swan preening at Yaphank Lake on Long Island. It was the most interesting
of several taken in a burst. Click here
for a closeup of the head and feathers, which shows the level of detail possible
with the Canon EOS 20D. Note that this is a medium resolution jpeg. The original
is even more striking. (2004).
Mallard. One November morning, I was passing a lake
in East Patchogue when I caught a glint of an irridescent green from the corner
of my eye. I turned back and got this shot of a male mallard. The angle and quality
of the late autumn light and a blue morning sky brought out the colors. (2004)
Canon EOS 20D.
Parrot. This is one of the residents of the Priceless
Parrot organization. This NY State certified non-profit takes in tropical
birds that are abandoned or no longer wanted by their owners. They do good work
on a shoestring budget. (2004) Canon EOS 20D.
This is embarrassing. I entered a couple of shots
in the Prix
de la photographie paris. I found out upon doing a Google search on myself
that I received an honorable mention. But I don't remember which shots I sent
them and I couldn't find the e-mail.
The
photos above represent efforts in Joe's continuing digital phase. The following
shots were taken on film.
Maui Sunset. This is a shot of my son in Maui when
he was 13. It perfectly summed up his Hawaiian vacation. I was sitting on the
beach, trying to coax him out of the water at the end of the day. While coaxing,
I took this shot. (1994) Canon EOS Elan.
Denali. The tallest mountain in North American (formerly
Mt. McKinley). This shot was taken 30 miles away in Denali National Park. Its
base is at sea level, which gives it the greatest contrast in elevation of any
peak on Earth. Denali is only visible 30% of the time because of dynamic weather
changes. Moments after I took this shot, the band of clouds visible at midlevel
expanded to obscure it. I was extraordinarily lucky. (1993) Canon EOS Elan
