The Great South Bay Photoblog has been taken down due to massive inundations of
spam. (2005
Archive)
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White Mushroom. Taken at Little Pond campground in New York. Word had it that every weekend was rainy this summer. That means... Mushrooms!! The walk around the lake was a fairyland of fungi. This is one that was not kicked to pieces by roving primates who apparently thought that it's great fun to destroy fleeting and fragile beauty. No doubt too small to capture their attention. Focus-stacked image. Canon 7DII, 100mm macro, 2016 |
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Laser Regatta. They say that when one goes to sea, there can be surprises. This was taken on Great South Bay. There were dark storm clouds to the north, which would normally preclude sailing. But the tide and winds were fair and the clouds weren't moving. I got this shot of a Laser sailboat regatta with the clouds overhead in Patchogue Bay. To the south, it was sunny. Hence the dramatic light. Of course, the thought in my mind when I reached the farthest end of my trip was that I hoped the storms wouldn't start moving. They didn't. I am told that parts of Long Island a few short miles north of me had 2 inches of rain. Canon 7DII, 70-200mm F/2.8L, 2016 |
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Backyard Lily. Flowers have faces. Unlike human faces, but much like horse faces, they have great depth. This makes it practically impossible to get everything in focus in one shot. You could close down the lens to f/22 or more. But that raises optical issues and you're not using the lens at its best. This is a focus-stacked compilation of 11 images. Canon 7DII, 100mm macro, 2016 |
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Great Blue Heron. The town converted an abandoned parking lot to a ecologically designed storm water drainoff basin in East Patchogue. It's small and there's a busy highway on the border. I never expected a great blue heron to drop in when I was there to photograph some wild grass. Opportunity grasped. Canon 7DII 2015 |
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Holiday Greetings. My fireplace on a December night. Shot 32 different exposures trying to get the flames right. First one was the keeper. Go figure. Canon 40D 2013 |
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Twelve Spotted Skimmer. Taken at the dam on Little Pond State camping area, in the Catskills. Canon 40D 2013 |
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Ganymede. A gaff-rigged schooner out of Browns River, Long Island, NY, USA. Lately I've been feeling that I've reached a plateau with taking realistic photos. For examples, scroll down to see other sailboat pictures. To my eye, they get repetitious. So here is an attempt to venture into a fine art motif. This vessel has a timeless look to it that is unlike the modern sloop that you see everywhere. I tried to invoke that mood with post-processing alterations. |
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Foxglove. This Foxglove had been flowering for a week and a half by my driveway. Every time I passed it, I said to myself, "I gotta get a shot of that." I finally got the chance. They were on the end of a five foot stem. The wind was calm, but any puff set the whole collection swaying.
These flowers are beautiful, but they're deadly. You will die if you eat them. The poison digitalis come from them. |
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Willet. I started to overnight on Fire Island at Watch Hill this summer. This is part of the National Park System and is much more congenial than my previous destination. I shot this willet while on the nature walk. It's babies were nearby, as I could hear them cheeping. The mom or dad here was telling them to shut up, less the fierce predator that I am come and gobble them up. |
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Cat boat. Got a shot of this fellow sailing his boat in a race while coming back to port on a Friday evening. |
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Least Tern eggs. At the beginning of the nesting season on Fire Island. |
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Water lilies. Just when one thinks that there's nothing more left that is interesting in one's backyard, these water lilies arranged themselves in a pleasing composition. I couldn't pass it up. They're in a small pond that I cobbled together a couple of years ago from an abandoned oil recovery well, a pump, and a solar panel. |
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Say hello to my little friend. This chipmunk was foraging among the campsite detritus at Little Pond when I camped there in July this year. He looked like he had a happy face. |
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Live fast. Die young. Another camping shot. I've been going to Little Pond in the Catskills for a few years, after floods destroyed the campground of my earlier years. Every single year, the hike around the lake has provided a different set of flora. This was my favorite mushroom shot this year. I sought it out the next day to see how it had developed. Alas, it was haggard and its parasol nibbled to a nub. So I got the shot at an fortuitous moment. |
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Young Buck. Taken in good morning light at the Watch Hill nature walk on Fire Island. The deer on Fire Island are relatively tame, as they have no natural predators and people frequently feed them in the summer. This, by the way, is not lawful, as many deer starve when humans leave at the end of the summer. |
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Don't click if you have any kind of arachnobia. These are garden orb weaver spiderlings (Araneus diadematus). I was walking by what at first glance looked like a berry. Upon closer examination, it was hundreds of baby spiders. I didn't have my tripod at the ready and the leaf upon which they were crawling was swaying in a breeze. So this is basically a grab shot. If you want to learn more about these creepy crawlers go here |
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Mom and chick. (Or Dad) Least Terns on Fire Island. This pair was in the roped off area in front of the homes at Davis Park. The home owners are not happy with this situation. But they surrendered their beach rights as part of an agreement to replenish the sand, the purpose of which is to keep Mother Nature from sweeping their houses into the ocean during a winter Nor'easter. Canon EOS 40D. July 2009. |
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Juvenile mallard trying out the afterburners. I got some shots of a flock of these fellows. Most of them were cute young bird shots [yawn]. This little fellow seemed to be having fun here. However, I conjecture that the behavior has a practical side, as in "This is how I get away from the dread snapping turtle monster." Or "Is this what I'm supposed to do when my wings get big?" Canon EOS 40D. July 2009 |
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Nymphaea. One of the intermediate versions of my attempt at photography-based fine art. It's from one of my water lilies. You be the judge. Canon EOS 40D. July 2009. Best in Show - Phoenix Art Gallery, Bellport September 2010 |
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Bull frog. Five of them took up residence in my back yard pond this spring. I estimate that the number of mosquitoes has diminished by 2/3 from last year. Way to go, boys and girls! Canon EOS 40D. July 2009. |
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Frolicking in the water lily. ...while certain death from slow digestion by enzymes and acids lurks in the murky darkness. Actually, I don't think the frog knew the bee was there. Canon EOS 40D. July 2009. |
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Blue Jay. This is an outcome of my attempt to get my backyard birds to be less frightened of me. Canon EOS 40D. June 2009. |
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Cormorant. I have a few shots of cormorants. I'm getting weary of "bird on a stick" photos and am lately trying to find them doing something different – like maybe yoga? Canon EOS 40D. June 2009. |
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Grackle. This is a shot from my back yard. The eyes make this critter seem fierce. They are perhaps to smaller birds, but they're very nervous around humans. Canon EOS 40D. May 2009. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Least Tern Fledgling. This fellow was sitting on the shore opening it's mouth and peeping every time an adult bird flew by with a fish in its mouth. My guess is that it was facing the latest crisis in a short life: the transition from parental care to being on its own. Canon EOS 40D. August 2008. |
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Sanderling. At Fire Island. Canon EOS 40D. August 2008. |
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Yawning Gull. Or practicing to be a coach or a drill sergeant. Canon EOS 40D. August 2008. |
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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 |
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Crossbones McCoy of the Crimson Pirates. Caught a moment in this shot. This one has gotten around on the Internet. Canon EOS 40D
First Prize – NY Renaissance Faire 2008 Photo Contest |
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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.
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Dew. Yeah... doesn't look like much. Give it a chance
and click on it.(August 2007) Canon EOS 20D. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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). |
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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 |
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Purple Iris. Macro shot. Staring into the purple cave.
(June 2007) Canon EOS 20D |
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Harp Seal. NY-3638-07 was rescued on Long Island and was
being rehabilitated in the Riverhead
Foundation at the time this photo was taken. 25 March 2007. |
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Ariel was an orphaned off-shore bottlenose dolphin in rehab
at the Riverhead
Foundation at the time these photos were taken. Foundation biologists and
volunteers rescued her after she followed her distressed mother into a Sag Harbor,
L.I. marina. The mother did not survive. NOAA
Fisheries scientists determined that she was too young to have learned how
to survive in the wild. She now lives in Gulfarium.
December 2006 - February 2007. |
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Portrait. I tried to effect a Rubenesque look to this with
underexposure amid a variety of lighting: candles, fluorescent, halogen lamp,
incandescent. 1 October 2006. |
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Dragonfly in the backyard.5 August 2006. |
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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). |
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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). |
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Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. Taken at Beaverkill state
conservation area in the Catskills. (July 2005). |
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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). |
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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). |
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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). |
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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). |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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). |
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White breasted nuthatch. Another visitor to my bird feeder.
(2004) Canon EOS 20D |
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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. |
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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 |
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Owl. This owl was rehabilitated at the Theodore
Roosevelt Sanctuary on Long Island. When I took the shot, it was perched on
the arm of the sanctuary director, Mary Richards. Some strands of her hair actually
appear in the bottom right corner. Mary was one of those rare people who touched
many with her spirit and dedication. She died in a tragic automobile accident
some time after this shot was taken. It was a great loss to environmental conservation
on Long Island, and the loss of a good person. (1996) Canon EOS Elan |
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Dolphin. This bottlenose dolphin was a resident of the N.Y
Aquarium. I had the good fortune to meet it in a behind-the-scenes tour given
by the former senior aquarist who is now the curator of Atlantis
Marine World Aquarium on Long Island. This photo evokes bittersweet memories,
as I had dear feelings for one of our party that day. Intended to have been a
Christmas present for her, it now hangs on my living room wall, which reveals
the fate of those feelings. (1996) Canon EOS Elan. |
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Toad on Cactus. Watering my plants one morning, I saw what
I took to be a leaf on my barrel cactus. Looking more closely, I was stunned to
discover that it was in fact a living, breathing Eastern American Toad. Cursing
my bad luck at not having a reliable camera for such a rare shot -- a failing
shutter on my 12-year old camera -- I put a roll of film in anyway. I hoped to
get at least one shot; I got three. It was a fitting last roll for a camera that
has served me well over the years. (2004) Canon EOS Elan |
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Azalea. The product of some closeup experimentation without
a macro lens on a very old, very modest Mamiya Sekor, my first 35 mm SLR camera.
It just goes to show that sometimes one's best shots are unplanned and a great
surprise. (1977) |
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Stormy Shore in Hana. During this visit, there was a hurricane
off shore, which produced the active surf with a tropical blue cast. It was almost
an primeval scene. The black rocks recently formed from lava symbolized a newly
born Earth. The vibrant green plants growing on them illustrated the tenacity
of new life, flourishing in stormy seas. The branches in silhouette frame the
scene ominously. (1994) Canon EOS Elan. |
