Flying high!!

February 12, 2015 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, CV Chamber of Commerce, Eagles & Agriculture, Hawks, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Raptors, Wildlife photography | 1 Comment

For many years, the Air Force used the catch phrase ‘Aim High’ to recruit airmen. I think I still have my Aim High hat, although it doesn’t get worn very often. After highlighting my efforts to get better at photo editing the last couple posts, this week I decided to share images of birds in flight. Most are Hawks, because the Eagles are keeping an extremely low profile this year. We’re not sure if it’s due to the drought or the ranchers keeping the new calves away from the public roads. Regardless, Eagle pictures have been a premium this year.

For those of you near the Carson Valley, next weekend is the annual Eagles and Agriculture celebration (visit the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce website, http://www.carsonvalleynv.org, for tickets and more information). The festivities open on Thursday, February 19, with an art show at the Holiday Inn Express, 1659 State Route 88 in Minden. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and they have munchies. I will have several pictures on display, so come on down. I will also have pictures on display and for sale at the Carson Valley Inn, 1627 Highway 395 in Minden, on February 20 and 21. If you haven’t been on one of the E&A tours, you should go. It’s a lot of fun!

Okay, that’s enough unpaid advertising. Let’s get to this week’s images.

I saw this Blue Heron along Mottsville Lane. He took flight when I stopped the Expedition, but didn’t go far. I got a couple nice images of him in flight.

Also on Mottsville Lane, this Hawk had just launched from the fence post on the left, and he crossed the road in front of me.

When I first spied this Hawk, he was sitting on a cowpie, keeping an eye on his surroundings. He lifted off, flying fairly close…

…and promptly landed on another cowpie. Sometimes, you gotta’ wonder what they are thinking.

This Hawk was sitting at the very top of this tree. He allowed many pictures and then…off he went. This image is not cropped.

I drove by this Hawk once, but stopped on my way back. I was just putting glass on him and he launched. I didn’t get an image of him sitting on the fence. Shot south of Minden on SR 88.

I saw this Cooper’s Hawk on a utility pole on Jacks Valley Road. He posed nicely and then got a little fidgety (I’m starting to recognize the signs), so I changed focal length and began shooting just as he lifted off. These images of birds just taking flight are becoming my favorites.

Obviously, this is not a bird in flight. This was my submission to last week’s photography challenge – the theme was one shape. My shape is the circle of the wheel on the irrigation system.

This is also not a bird in flight. This is an image I made today of Job’s Peak – the premiere scenic element of the Carson Valley. I drove by this location many times and never saw this image, until today. The pond had water from the recent rains and it was reasonably still for the reflection. I’m not done editing this image – I may remove the fence post in the bottom right corner and make some other edits – but I am excited to have made the image and wanted to share it with you!

It’s been a good photography week, and pretty good away from the lens as well. I made contact with several people with whom I was on active duty. I haven’t heard from them in 25 years, so it’s great to connect. I’m looking forward to Eagles and Agriculture next week, and to seeing many of my friends there.

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

…in control for now…or am I???

February 3, 2015 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Adobe Bridge, Carson Valley, Eagles, Hawks, photo editing and composition, photography techniques, Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Raptors, Wild Horses, Wildlife photography | 2 Comments

For most of my life, no one has successfully accused me of being in control. The whole concept of ‘in control’ is akin to other concepts, like growing up or being nice. Yes, avoiding these labels is a source of great pride for me. Thanks to all those out there who are vigorously nodding in the affirmative, and who would testify in support if needed. Now that I’ve taken my bow, it’s time to get serious.

I brought the fire hose under control, but it’s still flowing fast. I’m still in overdrive, but I’m learning to apply the brakes and control the skids more effectively. I’m watching more tutorials for Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, and Bridge. These are great software packages for managing and editing pictures. My fear of the Camera Raw format is decreasing, and my memory cards will likely take a big hit as a result. (I’ve already gone from filling up an 8GB SD card in 4-5 months to consuming a 16GB SD card in 2 months and, in January, I filled one-third of a 32GB SD card. Now, before you get all impressed, please understand that it’s not about quantity, it’s about quality. At this point in my development as a photographer, however, I need to experiment and learn the things that work and those that don’t. As my knowledge improves, so will my memory management efficiency. Note – my memory will not improve, but I will use the memory cards in my cameras more efficiently. I had to say that to preclude the rude comments from many of my friends.)

Back to being serious. As I explore these software packages, I’m trying new and fun editing techniques. I have to be careful, though. The teacher/moderator of my 52 Week Photography Challenge keeps reminding us that “just because you can do something doesn’t mean you have to.” Having the ability to make an adjustment is vastly different that making that adjustment well. Like photography techniques, editing requires a measure of experimentation as well. And control. As uncomfortable as I am being in control, I have to do it. A little.

So, here’s a couple fun things I did this week. The eagles have been hiding from everyone. I found a few hawks and some wild horses. New images, however, are not numerous, so I’ve had lots of time at the computer. In addition to trying new editing techniques, I’ve also continued my experimentation with replacing backgrounds, specifically skies.

I made this image on a cloudy day last September. His belly is horribly underexposed and the sky can’t get any more blah.

So, I turned it into this. I improved the color and detail in the bird and put him into a pretty sky. Yes, it’s a Nevada sky. I also used a ‘healing’ tool to clean up a spot in the bird’s wing. Photoshop is so cool!

I found this eagle a year ago, on a really cold and snowy day. He posed for me for quite a while. In fact, I was taking Susan to work and we blocked traffic for a short time.

I did a little editing and inserted a pretty Nevada sky. In my mind, this image asks if I went too far with my editing? I’d love to hear your opinion.

And one last set of before and after pictures. I tried some new camera settings when I was out in the Pinenut Mountains with the horses. As you can see, the new settings did not work (insert Thomas Edison wisdom here). Using new editing techniques, I was able to rescue the image. I’ll be really happy when I can remember what I did and rescue the image again.

This is the original image. When I rolled up, I saw these two. The rest of the band was screened from view by the tree on the left.

I edited and cropped. I was happy with everything but the color of the horses. Hmmmm…what to do???

Those tutorials paid off. I tried a new color editing technique and voila, a really nice image from a very bad original. I was very happy with myself.

Well, that’s what I’ve been doing with my week. You decide if I’m in control or not. Let’s leave the growing up and being nice questions alone. Thanks for reading and following my blog!

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

…and serious work to be done…

January 26, 2015 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Hawks, Owls, photo editing and composition, Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Raptors, Wildlife photography | 2 Comments

The countdown is on! It’s D-25 to Eagles & Agriculture, and D-38 to Shooting the West. Of course, Eagles & agriculture is the priority, as I’m showing at the Holiday Inn Express in Minden on Thursday, February 19, and setting up a vendor booth on February 20 and 21 at the Carson Valley Inn. I’m trying to select the pictures for display, which will also be on sale, and create enough inventory for the booth. E&A is a big event in the Carson Valley, and I want to put my best foot forward. Any input from my friends is welcome.

As I discussed last week, I am also trying to learn Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, which is a full time job by itself. A big thanks to my Photoshop mentors, who let me pop in to ask questions and also take the occasional telephone call, and who don’t pull any punches in their critiques. I really like it when I don’t have to guess at the message.

These two images consumed a lot of my time this week – an entire afternoon and into the evening, in fact. This is my first effort at replacing a blown out sky with something better. It’s not perfect by any means, but I learned so much and the next one will be better.

I had to overexpose the image to get any detail in the Hawk and the cupola, at the expense of the sky.

I imported a new sky and spent a long time softening the ‘halo’ that occurs between the new and the old. I will improve my halo removal skills, and work to match the exposures of the subject with the sky to make a better final image. This editing thing is work!

I made time to get out a few times this week, as I can’t sit inside all day. I think that’s why I enjoyed my career doing construction management so much. Outside is much better than inside! I had the pleasure of shooting with my friend, Steve, early last week. Steve is a retired Navy engineer (no, he didn’t slosh when he walked), so we compared notes on our military time while we were out. I showed him a few places in the Carson Valley, and found some hawks, owls, eagles, and a coyote. I wanted to find an American Kestral for him, but that wasn’t in the cards. Thanks for the great day, Steve!

Here’s a few from my day with Steve and the rest of the week.

Enjoy – Photorogr

Nope, he’s not walking the plank. He was getting ready to take off.

One of my best shots of these guys. I processed things differently, with better results.

Just a pretty picture.

Again, some new editing techniques. Don’t ask me what I did, because I don’t remember. I have to start writing things down as I edit. Sadly, the trees are starting to bud around here. I don’t think I like that – it’s still January!

I really like these Red-Shouldered Hawks. They are very photogenic and allow me to take lots of pictures before they leave.

Fire Hoses and Overdrive…

January 17, 2015 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Eagles, Geese, Hawks, photo editing and composition, Raptors, Wildlife photography | 4 Comments

So, there I was – the new year started with a bang and I was on fire. I was finding subjects in good light and making great images. I was in a good groove editing pictures like mad. Every new technique I tried was working. And then, I had to take care of something and wasn’t planning to take pictures. I took my cameras anyway, and it happened. I got an awesome shot.

I was very excited. It looked great in the camera. It looked great on the computer at home. I applied my newfound editing skill and made what I thought was a great image. Chest puffed and very proud of myself, I took my image to get it printed. When I showed it to my friends at the printer, I asked what they thought. They answered and, thankfully, told me the truth about my image. They agreed that it was a great image with tremendous potential. I learned about the potential in great detail. Not crushed but somewhat deflated, I tried to absorb every detail. I had a few other images, and we went through them, too. I found myself drinking from the proverbial fire hose of photo editing information (nice segue, right?).

I know I didn’t absorb it all, and I’m not going to try to recite everything I learned here, with one major exception: pictures showing motion are supposed to go left to right. Motion ‘right to left’ is unsettling. (Of course, this explains a lot about Mustang people – the running horse logo in the grill of my car is running right to left. Go figure.) I went home and tried again, starting with rotating the image, and I came up with this image.

I have received further feedback on this image – all of it positive and all of it aimed at helping me make a better image. And that brings me to the Overdrive (another nice segue, eh?) portion of this post. I am kicking my study of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements into overdrive to improve my editing skills sooner. I found a couple great books so I don’t have to bother my friends with questions all the time, and I’m going places in these software packages that I’ve never been. Time will tell if I am making progress.

Meanwhile, my photo challenge this week is ‘Find a Line.’ At first glance, that sounds very easy. Lines are all around us – sometimes in places we don’t always recognize. The challenge is further complicated by the caveat that the image be very simple. No lines with extra stuff – just a line. I have an image – not quite ready, and I’m keeping my eyes open for other lines. I’ll share my image next week.

But, here’s a few more of my successes from this week. It’s a mix between Eagles and Hawks, with one ‘guest shot’ of a Goose. Please also take a look in the Birds page. I’ve added a few pictures there. Enjoy – Photorogr

I don’t normally take pictures of Geese, but I missed the Coots that were there when I stopped the car. The Goose was walking by, begging me to make the image.

I think this is a Golden Eagle, but the jury is still out. My friends are almost evenly divided between Golden Eagle or juvenile Bald Eagle. The tie-breaker would be legs and feet, but they are not visible. It really doesn’t matter, however, as this Eagle is up to no good. None at all! Just check the posture and look on his face.

I was trying to get this juvenile Bald Eagle (I know because of a different picture) when this Magpie came into the shot. Oh yeah, I don’t normally take pictures of Magpies, either.

…and 2015 starts off with a BANG!!!

January 9, 2015 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Eagles, Genoa NV, Hawks, photography techniques, Raptors, Turkeys, Wildlife photography | 4 Comments

My first week of 2015 was wonderful, from a photography perspective. I enjoyed many ‘firsts.’

My lovely bride gave me a wonderful Christmas present – she enrolled me in a 52 week Photo Challenge. This class teaches photography techniques through a series of challenges. The first challenge was ‘selective focus.’ Without getting too technical, this technique uses aperture to control depth of field (the amount of the image that is in focus). As a nature/wildlife photographer, this technique is the staple of what I do. I submitted this image for the challenge.

Notice how the Hawk, brush, and fence posts near the raptor are in focus, but out of focus in front of and behind the raptor. This is a shallow depth of field, and is caused by opening the aperture as wide as it will go. I use this technique to emphasize the subject and reduce clutter in the image. You will see this in many of my images.

I’m excited to continue the challenge and moving forward on my journey to better photography. You will hear more about the challenge in the coming year.

I found an American Kestral for the first time – actually two! They are a small Falcon, formerly known as a Sparrow Hawk. They are colorful and make a great image, if you can find them and have them sit still long enough!

My very first Kestral. This one was on a utility wire along Mottsville Lane.

This one was north of Genoa on Foothill Road. I had just finished photographing some Golden Eagles and almost missed it.

I participated in the National Bird Count Day for the first time. My partner was an experienced birder who had done bird counts in California. He taught me how to ‘see’ the smaller birds and helped with identification techniques. Here’s one of my images that day.

I’m not sure what this is, but I sure like the detail and composition.

The next day, Susan and I were heading out and I found this beautiful bird in a tree near our mailboxes. I thought it was a Merlin, but I was subsequently told it’s a Cooper’s Hawk.

I’m trying to learn how to identify birds and have purchased a couple books, but I obviously need more practice and training.

And then there’s the Wild Turkeys in the Carson Valley. I found them in a snowy field on the west side of the road – great light, although I don’t know if I used the natural light very well.

And what week is not complete without some Eagles? I found a beautiful Bald Eagle south of town, and a pair of Goldens north of Genoa.

This Bald Eagle was a some distance away, but I still managed a decent shot.

This Golden Eagle was in the tree but, using Selective Focus, I was able to make this image.

And so, the year started great. Thank you for following my blog and being a part of my Journey!

Enjoy – Photorogr

Bonus day! “I’m ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille”

December 13, 2014 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Genoa NV, Hawks, Raptors, River Fork Ranch, Wildlife photography | Leave a comment

When I am composing a shot in the view finder and subsequently processing the image on the computer at home, I work hard to make the best image possible. I try to add something to the image – a little context – especially with the raptors. Sometimes I am successful, when I have a nice fence line in the shot, and sometimes there is nothing to be done, like the Eagles and Hawks on a utility pole or in flight. That said, I don’t make many images of Hawks on utility poles. Eagles – absolutely! Flying – oh yeah (at least I’ll try for the image)! But not many Hawks on utility wires or poles.

As I was out trolling for pictures yesterday, with seemingly minimal success, I passed by a Hawk on a wire. I was heading for the River Fork Ranch east of Genoa, hoping to find an Eagle near the road, and the Hawk shot just didn’t appeal to me. Alas, the Eagles weren’t near the road. With an itchy shutter release finger (I hadn’t consumed many pixels at that time), I reconsidered the ‘Hawk on a wire’ shot.

Thankfully, he was still there. I parked, grabbed the camera with the big lens from the passenger seat, and got out of the Expedition. I grabbed a couple quick shots, crossed the road (a couple more quick shots)…

and began working my way closer to the Hawk (click click).

Suddenly, the Hawk looked at me…

…and took off…

I thought I was done. Hawks usually fly away faster than the girls I tried to talk to in high school (big sigh)! But I digress.

Like a scene from an Alfred Hitchcock movie (The Birds, for those who don’t know their Hitchcock), this Hawk flew along the utility line and landed on the wire right across the road from me. He had actually come CLOSER! Holy cow!

He then proceeded to look right…

…then left…

…and then he looked at me as if to say, ‘There, are you happy now? Will you leave me alone now?’

Or, maybe I just got lucky! (As a side note, I did not crop the last three images. They are exactly the image as seen by the camera sensor.)

Enjoy – Photorogr

Better Lucky Than Good…

December 11, 2014 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Deer, Eagles, Genoa State Park, Hawks, Raptors, Turkeys, Wildlife photography | 1 Comment

One of the ways I try to improve my photography is learning from others, and I subscribe to a couple great photography magazines that give helpful information. These magazines offer opportunities for photographers to submit work, generally showing a specific subject or technique. The other day, I saw the winning photograph in the ‘Better Lucky Than Good’ category. Wow – I could enter a picture in that category! I feel like that’s my modus operandi (m.o., for short).

I get in my Expedition and go trolling for pictures. When I head out, I go to places looking for subjects -wild horses, eagles and other raptors, bears, etc. – but I rarely go looking for a specific image. Thankfully, I live in an area that provides the subjects I like to shoot. Or, maybe I like these subjects because of where I live. That concept is just too deep and profound for me (at least today), so I won’t spend time on it.

Let’s just go with this – for now, I’ll go looking for subjects and make the best image I can. I’ll be flexible so I don’t miss that great Coyote shot while looking for Eagles or waterfowl. Maybe someday I will plan my shots, rather than taking what is given to me as I drive around. I’m good with that!

Here’s a few of my ‘accidental’ images from this week.

Enjoy – Photorogr

Deer are a common sight in Genoa, Carson City, and around the Carson Valley. I found this group grazing on the lawn of Genoa State Park, with Snowshoe Thompson’s statue.

Just like the Hawks, I can’t seem to sneak up on anything.

I was visiting an area where I’d seen a juvenile Bald Eagle (see below). This Hawk sat for me for several minutes – long enough to try different settings and different compositions. This is one of my favorites.

He could have been closer to the building, but Hawks just don’t move where you ask them to. Generally, when you ask, they just leave!

This juvenile Bald Eagle is between 3 and 4 years old. I found him (her) just south of Minden NV, over the CA line.

There are lots of wild Turkeys in the area. This is the first time they’ve been close enough to the road for me to get a good picture.

And this Golden Eagle was a couple miles south of our house. I’m going to learn to remove the utility wire and improve the picture. Someday…

Winter is here!

December 4, 2014 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson Valley, Coyotes, David Walleys Hot Springs, Finches, Hawks, Raptors, Wildlife photography | Leave a comment

December is here, and winter is finally making an appearance in the Carson Valley. For me, this means a shift in my subject matter, settings for my camera, and the weather. I’m definitely dressing a little warmer. Susan knitted me some fingerless gloves to wear while I’m working, and they are wonderful!

Photographing snow brings new challenges – it’s white and very bright. I read an article in Outdoor Photographer magazine last year that gave methods for shooting in the snow. I guess I better dust it off.

The shorter days and cooler weather makes the predators hunt at different times of the day, making them more visible – I’ve seen more Coyotes this year than ever before. My lovely bride saw one walking up our street and then through our backyard a couple weeks ago. These Coyotes are fat, too.

I had my eye on a Hawk, and saw this Coyote out of the corner of my eye along an irrigation ditch. As I made a few images of him walking along the ditch, he turned and crossed the ditch.

Challenges also include the wind, rain, and generally skittish wildlife. The Hawks and Coyotes leave when they see a camera pointed their way. I found these three Hawks last Saturday. The wind was fast and they were hanging on to the posts for dear life. When the wind is calm, Hawks sit nearly upright as they hunt for their next meal. Check the Birds page for more images.

But the opportunities far outweigh these challenges. I made this image of Jobs Peak as a storm was coming over the Sierras and into the valley. I’ve driven down this road numerous times, but this scene jumped out as I drove by. One does not find this kind of image in thew warmer months.

The wagon and buildings are at David Walley’s Hot Springs – a popular spa and resort in the Carson Valley.

I love the colors in the foreground and background.

And I love the way the shallow depth of field works here.

This Hawk was hunting from a sprinkler system. The snow was just starting to fly.

I made this image of the female Bald Eagle on a cool morning last week. As always, she was very accommodating and sat still for the hour I was there. The bare branches don’t have the same impact as brilliant yellow leaves. See the Birds page to see that image.

And the cooler weather brought new visitors to my backyard, as well. These Finches (Goldfinch and Lesser Finches) visited on Thanksgiving Day. They’re very fast and don’t sit still for very long. My big lens and a quick eye are critical to making these images.

Enjoy – Photorogr

Goldfinch munching on Black-Eyed Susans.

This male Lesser Finch is eating the berries on our Perfect Purple Plum tree. See the berry residue on his beak?

This female Lesser Finch is eating a seed egg. Thanks to our kids for giving us this bird feeder. We watch these birds from our breakfast nook window.

Another Goldfinch. They love these flowers.

Lemonade!

November 5, 2014 by The PHOTOROGR Project in Uncategorized and tagged Carson City, Carson Valley, Coyotes, Deer, Hawks, Raptors | 4 Comments

Yes, I know. It’s November and we should be drinking hot chocolate or apple cider. The temperatures outside make warmer drinks more desirable. The Sierras got a little snow this week. We got rain at the house – in the desert, we generally don’t complain about getting moisture in any form.

I didn’t find the eagles this week, hence the lemonade. When I don’t find the subjects I’m looking for (bears, eagles, etc.), I take the subjects I am given. This week, I found 4 Coyotes and numerous Hawks on the hunt. Here’s an image of one of the Coyotes about to strike!

I got close to several Hawks and made wonderful images. Here’s a sample, with a few more on the birds page.

This Hawk sat on this fence post long enough for me to make multiple images. Then he took off and moved to another post, allowing me to make a few more sitting and flying.

I saw two hawks in a field. As I got out of the Expedition, one flew away. If you look at the ground in front of this Hawk, you can see feathers. Go to the Birds page to see what happens next.

I was driving through Carson City yesterday. Traffic stopped on Carson Street, right in front of the State Capitol Building, for a special tour group crossing the street and entering the Capitol grounds. What a sight!

All things considered, it was a great week of shooting. For those of you in the area, the Carson Valley Art Association is having their Annual Scholarship Benefit Art Show at the CVIC Hall in Minden this weekend (November 7-9, 2014). I am entering three photos. Stop in and support the Art Association!

Enjoy! Photorogr

The PHOTOROGR Project

A Journey in Creative Photography!

Tag Archives: Hawks

Flying high!!

…in control for now…or am I???

…and serious work to be done…

Fire Hoses and Overdrive…

…and 2015 starts off with a BANG!!!

Bonus day! “I’m ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille”

Better Lucky Than Good…

Winter is here!

Lemonade!