Chelsea by Mike

Today's posts were shot by Mike with the D200 and the 70 - 200mm lens.  While I love Chelsea's smile and upper body, her left leg looks awkward to me.  There are so many elements to consider when shooting portraiture and posing is something we are both still learning.  However, the next pose works so much better, don't you think?

She looks much more comfortable in the second position and I think it flatters her body more too.

Curl

Something a little different than a portrait of Lauren's face.

Tim T Has Nothing to Fear From Me

 For the past several years I have noticed ibises at our pond in the spring.  Maybe next year I will remember to stake it out early in the morning and will get some better shots.  I know these are pretty bad and are posted only as a record of the event. This year had to be the most ibises I have seen at one time --- 30.

   

F

 The dark area on the far right is the edge of a tree I was hiding behind.  This is about as close as the group came to me and they turned around when they heard my shutter clicking.

A jogger sent the group into flight and they were gone for good.

Since it was just after noon on a cloudless day I had set the camera to underexpose the white birds, but got tons of noise as a result, since I was using my D200.

Wildflower 8

These flowers are so interesting, I would love to have them in my flower beds.  They are a little larger than the others I have been finding, probably 4 to 5 inches tall.  While I was crouched over them shooting I heard a strange squawk and looked up into a tree nearby to see several white ibises.  They flew down to the pond and joined a few already there.  It was near noon on a cloudless day so not the time to photograph white birds, but a few minutes later a larger group flew in.  I counted 30 ibises! I'll post a few of those shots tomorrow, I had to try to document that.

Wildflower 7

It seems like every day I notice another plant or flower that I have not seen before.  Now these bulb-shaped ones are emerging in the low, boggy areas near the woods.  Just a few have opened and I must say the bud is much more interesting than the flower.   I did not shoot any opened ones because they had not fully opened --- I thought I would wait for them to reveal more. But unfortunately our fields were finally mowed so I will never know what the blooms look like.

Wildflower 6

Nikon D700, 60mm macro

Wildflower 5

Nikon D700, 60mm macro lens at f3.5 and 1/350th, ISO 400

This plant is very small, only a couple of inches high so the tiny blooms are minuscule. The color and form of the blooms remind me of orchids.  I don't know why this year I have suddenly noticed all these miniature wildflowers.  Are they just showing up because of all the rain we have had?  Am I more observant this year?  Or maybe because the area where I walk my dogs has not been mowed yet this spring as it usually has been in past years.