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Macro and Nature
Photography - XVI
You can see the high resolution pictures by clicking on each thumbnail in the
table below. Please note that some of the files are really large
(even larger than 1 MB) so they may take a while to download. As always, your comments
are welcomed !
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Autumn colors
Walking in the nearby mountain of Hymettus, I came across
this fallen leaf among the grass. Strangely enough it had fallen
vertically, while the faint autumn sun was hitting it from behind. I
wanted to capture the scene as I saw it so I laid down and tool a close
shot from the ground level. I took two pictures one with and one without
fill in flash. The one without flash came out better since I could see
the details on the leaf and the grass while the light was almost as the
one I saw there.
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D2X
ens: Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/160 sec, f/8
Aperture priority mode
Flash: None
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Apis mellifera, Family:
Apidae (common name: honey bee)
Many people leave fruits, bread and milk at some places
for the animals which may have a hard time to find food
during the winter months. In one such spot I saw a bee
taking advantage of this situation. While taking the
photo I knew that it was actually two pictures in one.
The bee, small as it shows, doesn't attract the eye
immediately so you see the picture on its whole. The
vivid colors of the fruits accompanied by some green
splashes by the grass would be enough for a nice photo.
It is only after a few seconds that you notice the bee..
or at least this is what I hope !
Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens:
Nikkor
AF 50mm f1.8D
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/320 sec, f/8
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Eunectes murinus (common names:
Anaconda, Water boa)
Unlike most people I know, I don't have a problem with
reptiles and snakes in particular. When Spyros showed me
this anaconda I was impressed by the way it had fitted
its whole body in a large bowl full of water. Indeed,
there were coils on coils and the relatively small head
always alert, possibly looking for food. Having a
digital camera is a nice thing. The creature stayed
under the water surface and the first couple of shots
were a failure, first because of the shadow by the metal
frame of the terrarium and second because of the
reflection of the flash on the water surface. Naturally,
my expensive circular polarizer filter was at home so I
had to take the shot at an angle to eliminate the
reflection of the flash. This meant utilizing an
extremely narrow "frame" since the low angle brought my
camera almost at the same level with the metal frame. I
used f/8 to get some descent depth of field and get the
maximum from sharp lens I used. The detail on the eyes
of the anaconda rewarded me..
Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens:
Nikkor
AF 50mm f1.8D
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec, f/8
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized. Photo taken at Zoofilia petshop,
www.spyroszoo.gr
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Phalaenopsis sp. (Orchid)
Due to a severe illness in January I was
forced to stay inside to recover. I only
needed to avoid physical efforts but was
allowed to move around. When I felt a bit
better I took out the camera and got the
idea of shooting the Phalaenopsis (some kind
of orchid) that my wife had bought and that
were shining on the kitchen table. I used a
large piece of cardboard to get a
non-distracting background and only relied
on the light available in the kitchen. I
placed the camera on a solid surface and
used MLU to eliminate vibrations of any
kind. I shot JPEG what I only rarely do
and used preset WB to get the correct WB
under these artificial circumstances.
Photo by Frank Panis
Shooting
Data:
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens:
AF 35-70mm f2.8 @ 70mm
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1.6s and f/11
Flash:none
Image: JPEG, converted in Nikon
Capture 4.4.0
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Great tit
(Parus major)
I made a feeding spot last
fall for the small birds that constantly fly around the
house, and with the actual cold temperatures it
is frequently visited by many of them. This Great tit
took several seeds out of the feeding net and jumped up
on a branch of a bush nearby to peal and eat them. This
way I was able to make a fairly natural shot of this
bird at a very close distance (inside the house). The
first shot shows the Great tit sitting on a branch and
the second shows the bird eating a seed that's kept
firmly between it's feet.
Photo by Frank Panis
Shooting Data:
Parus_major01
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Sensitivity: ISO 400
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/750s - f2.8
Flash:none
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
Parus_major02
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Sensitivity: ISO 400
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/400s - f2.8
Flash:none
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
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Neuschwantstein Castle
This is one of my first IR photos I shot at Castle
Neuschwanstein in Germany. I had a white balanced preset, from a
photo taken at a green field earlier. I was fortunate enough having
such a nice day for shooting this photo. This allowed me to shoot
with speed 1/15 at only 500 ISO. I have only made an unsharp mask
and some brightness/contrast adjustments at the photo. I would like
to note that a Cokin holder with an IR Cokin 89B (Ref.007) was used
for this photo.
Photo by Ioannis Stellas
Shooting data
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Nikor
AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm
f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED @ 31 mm
Sensitivity: ISO 500
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/15 sec - f/4
Flash: None
Image: RAW,
converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
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Hymettus mountain
framed
While walking on the mountain, I saw this wooden fire
watch tower and decided to take some photos of the
mountain using the side openings of the tower as a
frame. Fill in flash was used to maintain some detail of
the dark interior.
Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens:
Zoom Nikkor
AF-S DX 18–70 mm f/3.5–4.5G IF ED @ 22 mm
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec, f/22
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Magnolia sp.
The vivid coloration of the magnolia flower on a huge
tree in Avedida Paulista in Sao Paulo. The tree was full
of flowers which looked as natural christmas decoration
(it was nearly Christmas time when this shot was taken).
The light level was measured on the dark part of the
flower (spot metering) and fill- in flash was used to
make sure that the dark green foliage would show in
detail.
Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron
SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/500 sec, f/8
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Swinging monkey
A monkey hangs from a tree branch over the artificial
lake which surrounds its little "island". I was
impressed by the swift moves of the monkey as it climbed
on the branch and then swung under it but I preferred to
wait till it stood still to take the picture. This game
me time to frame it the way I preferred.
Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron
SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/250 sec, f/8
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Mother and children - Bubo
africanus (Spotted Eagle Owl)
When a spotted eagle owl gave birth to two babies, I
knew I had to take a photo of the event. However, due to
various matters, I was not able to visit the zoo before
a month so I was surprised to see them half grown. The
eyes of the predator come in contrast to the fluffy
plumage and the way the sitting one positioned its feet.
Although they are still too young they have a great
curiosity about their surrounding.
Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron
SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec, f/8
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
Photo taken at the
Attica Zoological Park
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Balkan Marbled White butterfly,
Melanargia larissa
When I saw this butterfly I knew I had to come up with a
descent photo of it. However, since the only lens I had
with me was the 180 mm Tamron macro and a couple of
wide-angles, I also knew that I was in trouble. The
Tamron is an excellent lens with unrivalled sharpness
and contrast but when it comes to quick focusing, it is
definitely not a stellar lens - despite the D2X which is
supposed to focus faster. I really missed my 80-200 mm
Nikkor zoom which is a champion in this field but still
I didn't want to lose this opportunity since I hadn't
seen this butterfly elsewhere. It seemed that the
butterfly decided to give me a hard time because it
decided to keep on flying (with the well known erratic
flight pattern) and not sit still. I spent almost 20
minutes walking alongside, jumping over rocks, till it
decided to land on a plant. I focused manually and took
two shots in rapid success which - naturally - turned
out almost identical.
Special thanks are due to Matt Rowlings for identifying this butterfly. You
can read more about it at his site
http://www.eurobutterflies.com/
Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron
SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/250 sec, f/8
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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B&W Winter views
In the beginning of February 2006 we had
a very uncomfortable and unhealthy weather type. An inversion above
Belgium combined with subzero temperatures caused a long lasting
freezing fog that covered everything with a thin white layer of ice.
I made a lot of photo's of the monotone landscape on an early
afternoon, but I was unhappy with the pale colours that I got with
all that white. Then I decided to convert them into black and white
what gave them a much stronger look. I also enhanced this look by
applying curves.
Photo by
Frank Panis
Winter canal:
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: Nikon AF 35-70 f2.8 @ 35mm
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/15s - f11
Flash:none
Support: road sign
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0 and PTLens
Winter park:
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: Nikon AF 35-70 f2.8 @35mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/125 - f5.6
Flash:none
Support: handheld
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0 and PTLens
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Moss
covered tree trunkThe end of
February is quite dull concerning plant growth. Mosses on the
other hand thrive in this cold and usually wet season. These ones
grow close to the ground on a tree trunk and they attract attention
because of their intense green colour compared to the various brown
tints that dominate the woods now.
Photo by
Frank Panis
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron
SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/10s - f10
Flash:none
Support : Tripod
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
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Indian Head at Dawn
The sunrise photos were taken in the Sonoran Desert in the
Southwest corner of the state of Arizona. The mountain is
known as Indian Head. It is supposed to resemble a Native
American Indian with his Headdress on. This can only be seen
if viewed from the north as the image is made up of series
of ridges that do not look at all like a head if viewed from
the south. In fact it is very hard to get any image at all
that you are looking at the same mountains when viewed from
the south. Indian Head is in the Kofa National Wildlife
Refuge in Yuma County, Arizona.
Photo by
Dave Laubach
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens:
Sigma 70-300mmD 1:4-5.6 APO @ 300 mm
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/45s - f5.6 - Aperture priority mode
Flash:none
Image: JPEG
edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, color saturation,
smart sharpening added and resized.
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Frozen stream (Albany, NY)
Took them (there are others) Sunday afternoon out
behind my garden. It's the natural way to get those "frozen
streams" which resemble pictures of flowing water taken by using slow shutter
speeds.
Photo by
Kenneth A. Pass
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Zoom Nikkor
AF-S DX 18–70 mm f/3.5–4.5G IF ED @ 40 mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/400s - f/10 - Aperture priority mode
Flash: none
Image: NEF
edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, color saturation,
smart sharpening added and resized.
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Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
In one of the local forests I heard some
knocking on a tree. I slowly moved closer and expected to see a
woodpecker. To my surprise it was a rather small bird making all
this noise. A Nuthatch was picking insect
larvae that it searched under the bark of a dead branch above me. I
quickly took some shots and got 2 good ones. The first one looks a
bit awkward because of my tilted shooting angle. The second picture
shows the bird with it's meal
Photo by Frank Panis
Shooting Data:
Nuthatch01 and Nuthatch02
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED + TC14E-II
Sensitivity: ISO 800
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/1600 - f4
Flash:none
Support: handheld
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
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Great
Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos
major)
Instead of reading about
digital photography (I've learned almost every nuance and
detail through the internet) I decided to go out and shoot more. I
visit the forest almost daily, and that's why I see so much more
things happening than ever before, but I'm still far from being an
expert on local forest wildlife. The knocking of a woodpecker barely
passes unnoticed though, so I decided to sneak in on them. Hearing
them is one thing, but seeing them is a completely other business. I
spotted the "suspect" tree that matched my ears observations as
close as possible and started looking for movement between the
branches. After a while I saw the very active woodpecker and I
immediately pointed my lens at him and took a few pictures. Then the
bird flew to another tree and I lost it. A while later I saw another
one which was photographed too. Both of them were shot against the
light, so I hope to make better photo's the next time with the sun
behind me ;-)
Photo's by Frank Panis
Shooting Data:
Woodpecker01
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED + TC14E-II
Sensitivity: ISO 400
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/1000 - f4
Flash:none
Support: handheld
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
Woodpecker02
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED + TC14E-II
Sensitivity: ISO 800
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/1600 - f4
Flash:none
Support: handheld
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
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Rook feeding on corn remainders
(Corvus frugilegus)
These black birds are very common here
in Belgium, and also at my place you can see them everywhere.
Especially the field near my home gets their attention. Last year
there was corn cultivated on that field and there still are enough
remainders scattered around. Together with a bunch of wild doves
and Jackdaws they fly over the place and land when they feel that
it's safe for them. Soon all of the Rooks start searching and eating
if they find edible stuff. They always stay very alert and even the
slightest move alarms them.
Photo's by
Frank Panis
Shooting Data:
Rook01
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED + TC201
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/125s - f8
Flash:none
Support: the window frame on the first
floor
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
Rook02
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED + TC201
Sensitivity: ISO 400
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/90s - f8
Flash:none
Support: the window frame on the
first floor
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
Rook03
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED + TC201
Sensitivity: ISO 400
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/100s - f8
Flash:none
Support: the window frame on the
first floor
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
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Welcome Spring ! (Prunus
dulcis ; common name: Almond tree)
One of the most striking things during the end of winter is the
white flowers of the almond trees, which are the first to blossom
marking the dull scenery with their bright white color. This branch of
the tree made an excellent contrast with an otherwise common winter day.
Cloudy, windy and rainy. And then you see those little flowers telling
you that this is about to end. In this photo I tried to include
everything, the cloudy sky, the dull colors of the mountain scene and
the flowers of the tree. I chose this branch which is almost "touching"
the coniferous tree at the back and placed it in such a way to occupy
2/3 of the scene. Sometimes, those rules come in handy.
Photo by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor
AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 92 mm.
Sensitivity: ISO 400
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/1000 sec, f/5.6
Aperture priority mode
Flash:
None
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Many thanks are due to Mrs. Eva Stets for the correct
identification of the birds
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