Stories Behind the 10s – Japanese White Eye

From the Photographer: Karl Fiegenschuh 

I was in Japan for a Winter wildlife photography trip with Martin Bailey.  I had a couple of days free in Tokyo after the workshop.  I spent one afternoon photographing the Japanese White-Eye in the Shinjuku Goyen National Garden.  The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and dozens of birds flittered through the branches. The park was full of visitors on this Sunday afternoon enjoying the sunlight and the beautiful trees. There were only a few photographers around and I was asked several times what we were photographing. And, no, I don’t speak Japanese – It was remarkable that several people overcame their natural shyness to approach a foreigner and to speak English.

I was fortunate to be able to get some amazing images of these very photogenic birds in such a spectacular setting. Afterwards I wandered through the rest of the beautiful park before eating a nice sushi dinner and returning to the hotel.

Technical Data: Canon 7D Mark II camera with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens,  with 1.4x teleconverter. Handheld at 1/500 sec., f/9,  at ISO 640.  Cropped to a portrait format and slightly edited in Lightroom.

Salon Acceptances -February 2021

Our February Salon was held as a virtual salon due to the restrictions placed on us for Covid19

Here are the Salon acceptances for February – Congratulations to you all – your images will be moved forward for judging in the end of year competition. The year end images will be showcased and the competition results will be announced at the May meeting.

We are looking forward to seeing you once again when we emerge into safer environment.

Paul Kammen	Great Gray Owl	8
Eric Gusrafson	Ringneck Pheasant	8
Mariann Cyr	Courting Laysan Albatross	8
Jordan Randall	Cedar Waxwing	8
Berry Mullin	Common Goldeneye	8
Karl Fiegenschuh	Pair of Otters	8
Joe Fierst	Sunset Glow, Big Dipper and Aurora	8
Roslynn Long	Foraging Goldfinch	8
Ron Lahr	Night Lightning	8
Dee Hunnisett-Dritz	Elk	8
Don Wendel	December Frost on Birch Lake	8
Alan Schulz	Oystercatcher in Sorrel	9
Don Specht	If You Go Low – I Go High	10
Kathy Bishop	Dewey Beauty	8
Mike Sweet	Reddish Egret	8
Diane Herman	Sunset Clouds with Acacia	9
Deanne Probst	Sepia Dunes	9
Sandy Swanson	Sandhill Crane in Flight	8
Mariann Cyr	Red Pine	8
Tom Hansen	Cardinal	9
Dennis Randall	Couch’s Kingbird	8
Jordan Randall	Frozen Sunrise	8
Karl Fiegenschuh	Sandhill Crane Formation	9
Rick Graves	Frost Crystals on Leaf	8
Dave Klein	Prairie Chicken Attack	9
Roslynn Long	Trumpeter Swan Fishing	8
Dee Hunnisett-Dritz	Rabbit in Clover	9
Richard Gotz	>House Wren with Lunch	8
Alan Schulz	Bald Eagle Portrait Detail	10
Don Specht	Morning Snack	9
Scott Landseidel	Buck with High Rack	8

 

Stories Behind the 10s – Frost Crystal

From the Photographer: Rick Graves 

This image was created on December 1, 2020 at a small frozen pond near my house. The morning was calm and cold. The November snow had mostly melted. It was a prime morning to look for transparent ice and see if there were leaves or other interesting stuff frozen in the ice. I ventured out about mid-morning. When I arrived at this particular pond the ice was indeed very clear but the interesting frost crystals that had formed on the parts of leaves and twigs that were sticking out of the ice was an unexpected bonus. I moved along the edge of the pond photographing ice crystals and leaves for about a half an hour before I discovered this much larger crystal. I spent several minutes determining a good composition and making multiple images for the focus stack. Fortunately for me, the shadows from a small woodland area between this portion of the pond and the sun kept the frost crystals from melting this late in the morning.

Technical data: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro lens, Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, Kirk BH-1 ball head, Manual mode: ISO 200, 0.3s, f/14, 10 image focus stack processed in Photoshop and Lightroom.

Salon Acceptances – January 2021

Our January Salon was  held as a virtual salon due to the restrictions placed on us for Covid19

Here are the Salon acceptances for January – Congratulations to you all – your images will be moved forward for judging in the end of year competition. The year end images will be showcased and the competition results will be announced at the May meeting.

We are looking forward to seeing you once again when we emerge into safer environment.

Paul Kammen	Blackburnian Warbler	9
Mike Sweet	Snowy Egret	9
Deanne Probst	Sand Dune Splendor	9
Eric Gustafson	Timberwolves	8
Sandy Swanson	Foster’s Tern Acrobat	9
Mariann Cyr	Cascada Paine	9
Tom Hansen	Mississippi River Swans	9
Jeanette Mayo	Determined Great Horned Owlet	9
Linda Scher	The Hunter	10
Dennis Randall	On the Hunt for Food	8
Jordan Randall	Bluebell Bloom	8
Ron Johnson	Hungry Squirrel	8
Greg Triplett	Slot Canyon	9
Barry Mullin	Sage Creek Gang	9
Karl Fiegenschuh	Sandhill Silhouette	8
Joe Fierst	Loon in Flight	8
Rick Graves	Frosty Leaf	9
Dave Klein	Great Gray Owl	9
Roslynn Long	Eastern Bluebird Getting a Drink	9
Dee Hunnisett-Dritz	Eagle Juvenile	8
John Pennoyer	Prairie Lake Sunset	10
Dave Perez	Wood Duck Hen	8
Alan Schulz	Kelp Goose Family	8
Don Specht	River Otter with Bullhead	9
Scott Landseidel	Elakala Falls WV	8
Paul Kammen	Hawk Owl	9
Mike Sweet	Brown Thrasher	9
Diane Herman	Boreal Owl with Red Squirrel	9
Deanne Probst	Ubehebe Angel,Owl or Alien	8
Eric Gustafson	Yellow Warbler	9
Sandy Swanson	Loon Stretch	8
Mark Ye	A Hoar Frost of a Morning	8
Mariann Cyr	Walrus Pod in Fog	8
Tom Hansen	Whitetail Buck in October Snowfall	9
Jeanette Mayo	Woodie with Crabapple	8
Linda Scher	On High Alert	8
Dennis Randall	Focused	9
Jordan Randall	A Straddling Yellowthroat	10
Rick Graves	Frost Crystal	10
Dave Klein	Snow Goose in Flight	10
Roslynn Long	Green Heron Stretch	9
Dee Hunnisett-Dritz	Blue Heron	9
John Pennoyer	Ice at Tettegouche	9
Dave Perez	Elk	9
Alan Schulz	Birches and Fog Pan	8
Don Specht	Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass	9
Scott Landseidel	Coyote – 4 Off the Floor	8

Stories Behind the 10s – Snow Goose Landing

From the Photographer: Karl Fiegenschuh 

I took this photo at Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Reserve near Socorro, New Mexico.  Bosque is one of my favorite places to photograph birds. Not only are the snow geese seen here, but also sandhill cranes, roadrunners, Gambel’s quail, songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, and mammals such as coyote and javelina.  I’ve made the trip to Bosque four or five times in the last 15 years and every time it is a little bit different. The US Fish and Wildlife Service manage the refuge by flooding or draining ponds, and by contracting farmers to grow, then harvest corn at various times during the migration season. Sometimes you get lucky and the freshly mowed cornfields are close to the road.  Thousands of snow geese and sandhill cranes land to feed, as seen in this image. Then if a predator or a farmer’s tractor comes near, the birds can take off in spectacular “blast offs.”  

I find the trip to Bosque to be an inexpensive photo trip. Flights to Albuquerque are inexpensive; rental cars are cheap, as are the hotels in Socorro.  Then the only challenges are the dozens of photographers, with the thousands of dollars worth of the longest lenses you will ever see, vying for the best photo locations. Fortunately, there are miles of roads on which to set up.  To complete the photo vacation, nearby are the three Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument sites where there are ruins of 17th Century Franciscan Monasteries and the dwellings of the Pueblo people (particularly spectacular in the snow).  If you aren’t interested in old ruins you can visit the Very Large Array (VLA), a radio astronomy observatory with its 27 antenna dishes which has been featured in the movies:  Contact, Terminator Salvation, and Grand Theft Auto.  White Sands is also only 150 miles away and well worth a trip there. Enough of a travelogue….  The Salon Judge for this image was right: I spent over two hours at this location on this particular day. I took around 200 images and did get some “keepers.” This particular image was the middle one in a burst of three.  I chose it for the optimum position of the prominent goose.

Technical data :  Canon DSLR with a Canon 500mm f/4 IS lens,  Gitzo tripod with a gimbal head. 1/250 sec. at f/16, ISO 250 with matrix metering and zone autofocus. I did some minor corrections in Lightroom and didn’t crop.

Stories Behind the 10s – Taking a Sip

From the Photographer: Rick Graves 

This image was created in August, 2020 at the Henderson Humming Bird Garden.  This garden was suggested to me by a fellow club member.  It was a beautiful Summer morning.  There were many humming birds flitting about the garden.  After observing their behavior for a while, I placed my chair facing the area containing this particular flower, set up my tripod and settled in to wait for some action.  Of the many shots taken over the next half hour this one had the best background and bird position. 

Technical data:  Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon EF 100-400mm, f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, Canon EF 1.4X III teleconverter, Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, Kirk BH-1 ball head, Eddie Bauer Captains Chair, Aperture Priority mode: ISO 800, 1/800s, f/9, 560mm

Salon Acceptances – December 2020

Our December Salon was  held as a virtual salon due to the restrictions placed on us for Covid19

Here are the Salon acceptances for December – Congratulations to you all – your images will be moved forward for judging in the end of year competition. The year end images will be showcased and the competition results will be announced at the May meeting.

We are looking forward to seeing you once again when we emerge into safer environment.

Paul Kammen	Blackburnian Warbler	8
Mike Sweet	Big Appetite	8
Mariann Cyr	Shooting Stars	8
Tom Hansen	Wisconsin Elk Opener 2020	8
Jeanette Mayo	Hoverbird	10
Linda Scher	Territorial Japanese Snow Monkey	8
Dennis Randall	Soaking up the Sun	9
Karl Fiegenschuh	River with Cranes Morning Light	9
Trista Snapko	Great Horned Owl	8
Rick Graves	Checking Out the Flower	8
Dave Klein	Grasshopper Sparrow	10
Roslynn Long	Indigo Bunting Blues	8
Joe Miller	Breakfast on the Beach	8
Dee Hunnisett-Dritz	River Otter Crunch	8
Richard Gotz	Hummer	9
Dave Perez	Great Horned Owl	8
Roger Williams	Red-Bellied with Prize	8
Scott Landseidel	BlueBird & Three Leaves	8
Mike Sweet	Looking for Mom	8
Diane Herman	Immature Coopers Hawk	8
Eric Gustafson	Perched Male Humming Bird	8
Mariann Cyr	Greater Prairie Chicken	8
Tom Hansen	The Advisory	8
Dennis Randall	Spicebush Swallowtail	10
Jordan Randall	Bufflehead Beauty	10
Karl Fiegenschuh	Snow Goose Landing	10
Joe Fiesrst	Inquisitive Young Owl	8
Rick Graves	Purple Prairie Clover	8
Roslynn Long	Eastern Bluebird and Blossoms	9
Joe Miller	Smoky Sunset	8
Dee Hunnisett-Dritz	Sand Dune Landscape	10
Richard Gotz	Woody Wood Duck	8
Alan Schulz	Yellow Leaves in Bavaria	9
Scott Landseidel	Buck In Snow	9
Mariann Cyr	Prairie Smoke	9

Salon Acceptances – November 2020

Our November Salon was  held as a virtual salon due to the restrictions placed on us for Covid19

Here are the Salon acceptances for November – Congratulations to you all – your images will be moved forward for judging in the end of year competition. The year end images will be showcased and the competition results will be announced at the May meeting.

We are looking forward to seeing you once again when we emerge into safer environment.

Mike Sweet	Crimson-Collared Tanager	8
Diane Herman	Lilac Breasted Roller Grabs Mom	10
Mariann Cyr	Yellowstone Pronghorn	8
Jeanette Mayo	Fall Wood Drake	8
Jordan Randall	Fall in Motion	9
Barry Mullin	Landing Gear Down	9
Joe Fierst	Butterfly Tinkle	10
Rick Graves	Taking a Sip	10
Roslynn Long	Flight of the Sandhill Crane	8
Dee Hunnisett-Dritz	River Otter Pair	8
Alan Schulz	Kelp Goose Gosling Portrait	9
Don Specht	Marsh Marigolds	10
Kathy Bishop	Columbine Beauty	10
Scott Landseidel	Bald Eagle B&W	8
Paul Kammen	Ice Fields Parkway Mountains	9
Mike Sweet	Fisher Family	9
Diane Herman	Badwater Basin Sunset	8
Deanne Probst	Maple Tree Shadows	8
Eric Gustafson	Yellow Headed Blackbird	8
Tom Hansen	Swallow Love	9
Jordan Randall	Indigo Songs at Sunset	8
Joe Fierst	Green Heron with Snack	9
Dave Klein	American Oystercatcher Portrait	8
Roslynn Long	Robin in a Snowstorm	10
Dee Hunnisett-Dritz	Sunflower Life	9
Richard Gotz	Eye-to-Eye	10
John Pennoyer	Pasque Flowers in April Snow	9
Alan Schulz	Kings on Shore	9
Don Specht	American Avocet – Splashdown	8
Scott Landseidel	Wet Baby Barred	10

Stories Behind the 10s – Angry Eagle

 
From the Photographer: Karl Fiegenschuh

Some years ago I participated in a photo workshop in Katmai, Alaska.

The bears had come down from the mountains to the coastal plains, but the salmon had not started running yet. So for a day or so we, and the bears, just stood around waiting for the salmon to arrive.

After a little while, taking photos of bears eating grass, started getting repetitive. Fortunately, an eagle arrived to give us something different to do.

Technical data:  Canon 1D Mark III;  500mm lens and a 1.4x tele extender; 1/800 sec and f/6.3. Cropped to fit the frame and made some minor adjustments in Lightroom.

Salon Acceptances – October 2020

Our October  Salon was  held as a virtual salon due to the restrictions placed on us for Covid19

Here are the Salon acceptances for October – Congratulations to you all – your images will be moved forward for judging in the end of year competition. The year end images will be showcased and the competition results will be announced at the May meeting.

We are looking forward to seeing you once again when we emerge into safer environment.

Paul Kammen	Big Horn Sheep	9
Mike Sweet	Death Valley Zabriskie Point	8
Jeanette Mayo	Late Migrants	8
Linda Scher	White Tailed Eagle over Hokkaido	8
Dennis Randall	Flavorful Fungi	9
Dave Klein	Fog Near Grand Portage	8
Alan Schulz	Plover at Sea Lion	8
Kathy Bishop	Fog, Rhodies and Redwoods	8
Scott Landseidel	Muskrat Lunch	8
Diane Herman	Grey Breasted Spurfowl	8
Deanne Probst	Wolf Creek birch	10
Sandy Swanson	Morning Maestro	8
Jeanette Mayo	A Golden(rod) Opportunity	8
Emily Coffey	Dolphin Playing	8
Linda Scher	Adirondacks Forest Stream	8
Dennis Randall	Eastern Towhee	9
Karl Fiegenschuh	Angry Eagle	10
Joe Fierst	Ramshead Pair	8
Ron Lagerquist	Monarch Butterfly	8
John Pennoyer	Michigan Lily	9
Dave Perez	Heron Nesting	8
Alan Schulz	Albatross and Rookery	10
Don Specht	Willet – Spreading Wings	8
Kathy Bishop	Forget Me Not	9