It’s been ages since I’ve photographed a good sunset. So last week when I saw some good clouds in the western sky, I headed up to Magnolia Park to photograph the sunset over Lake Apopka. Rich came with me (smart guy, he prefers sunset photography to sunrise photography!) and we enjoyed watching the colors fade in the sky.
Sunset over Lake Apopka
These images use High Dynamic Range (HDR) in post-processing to extend the tonal range of the image. The first image is a 3-image composite. The bottom photograph is a 7-image composite.
Sunset at Magnolia Park
Given the cloud conditions, I was fairly happy with this last image. We left about ten minutes after sunset. But it pays to stay later, as we found out as we drove west on the way home, and found ourselves driving into a bright pink after color. It was gorgeous.
That’s the good thing about photography – there’s always something to motivate you to get out and try it again! :)
Last week I headed to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive (LAWD) one gray, foggy morning. I didn’t have high expectations for photography with the low light, but the wildlife drive is always a fun trip.
Purple Gallinule
I didn’t spend much time at the Lust Gate entrance because it was too dark / foggy, and the breeze kept the little birds from posing for my camera. So as I approached the Crazy U, one of my first birds was this Purple Gallinule. Then I finally spotted a bird that I’ve been chasing at the wildlife drive for several years – the Gray-headed Swamphen. The Swamphen basically looks like a larger version of the Purple Gallinule. It is native to India and Asia, and has established a range in South Florida that apparently extends up to LAWD in the wintertime.
Gray-headed Swamphen
Although the wildlife drive is obviously intended to be traversed in a car, I find that I enjoy it best when I park and get out and walk. It’s easier to spot and photograph the little birds when I’m on foot. Like this Common Yellowthroat, who hopped out into the open briefly before flitting along in the reeds…
Common Yellowthroat (Female)
…or this juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron, who I might not have spotted from my car because of how well he blended into the distant reeds.
Black-crowned Night Heron (Juvenile)
During one of the brief periods when the sun made an appearance, I spotted this Northern Harrier flying not too far from the Crazy U. It was tricky to hand-hold the camera while keeping the focus on the bird as he flew in front of the blowing reeds. I liked the result though. :)
Northern Harrier in Flight
The female Vermilion Flycatcher is back this winter at her same spot just south of the Crazy U. I spotted her far out in the marsh, and I won’t waste pixels posting the terrible picture that I took of her. When I turned around, though, I spotted a Green Heron stalking his breakfast in the canal. The good thing about a day with no sunshine is that you can shoot in any direction without harsh shadows. So I squatted down to the bird’s level and watched the bird catch minnow after minnow for breakfast.
Green Heron
My time at the Crazy U was definitely the best part of the drive that morning. A steady stream of cars kept me moving as I tried to photograph the wintering ducks on various parts of the drive. I did get this quick head shot of a Northern Shoveler who was almost right next to my car.
Northern Shoveler (Male) Head Shot
At the sod farms near the end of the drive, I spotted another Northern Harrier flying close. I hopped out of the car in time for the bird to fly over my head. Not a bad end to a fun morning of winter birds!
When it’s windy and cloudy and just plain gross outside, it’s the perfect time to pull out the macro lens and play with water droplet photography.
Purple Daisy Water Droplet Refraction
These pictures look so cool and are pretty simple to make. You find a petal or flower that water will bead on, and either spray it with a mister or place the water droplets with a syringe. Then you place a flower behind it. The image of the flower is refracted in the water droplets. Add a bit of light and press the shutter button. Just don’t squeal too loudly when you see the image or you might scare my cat Whiskey. ;-)
Pansy Covered in Water Droplets
Water droplets are a great way to add interest to a flower photograph. For this image, I dropped the pansy in a tray of water, then misted it. I took several photos and then used Photoshop to focus-stack them. Squirt meowed at my feet the whole time because he knew I had pansies and he wasn’t allowed to nibble on them.
Plumbago Bud with Refracted Purple Daisies
I used focus stacking for this final image, too. Daisies work really well for this kind of image as they show up nicely in the water droplets. You can use anything as a background in the refraction, though. That’s what makes this a fun rainy day project – there is plenty of scope for the imagination!
