Out Front

I often wonder why certain plants are so different from their counterparts in the same habitat. It may be that they have been stressed due to their location or some other factor known only to them. I'll just enjoy another of life's mysteries and not ponder it for too long.

Big Bog Morning

This was taken early one morning at Big Bog Recreation Area. It's a tough shot to get the color balanced between the warm sky and cool foreground. I've been working on this shot intermittently for two weeks.  My usual rule of thumb is to pitch an image that takes more than a couple minutes to enhance but this one would not leave my mind.  

We are heading to the northwest for a week, starting on San Juan Is. north of Seattle tonight.  This will be a computer vacation. Well not quite, I'll cheat and look at my wife's iPad. Then there is always the iPhone, but no image downloading or processing. Back in a couple weeks.

Composing a Bog Image

"A"

"B"

Sometimes a slight change in position or focal length creates a significant change in where your eye goes in an image.  My eye path in image "A" seems to stop at the top of the green foreground, eventually leading my eye to the left upper corner.  "B" starts my eye at the bottom, leads it to the upper left, over to the upper right, and out of the frame. Where does your eye go?

A Stroll in the Bog

This is an easy stroll in the bog but unfortunately no flowers are here, it's too dry. I was using my iPhone compass until I hit  a dead zone so could only use it to take this picture resorting to my trusted hand compass to lead me out of the bog. Technical: a tough lighting situation with any camera. I used the PureShot app  to lock exposure so everything was within the histogram, then worked Lightroom magic to get a decent image.

Bog Landscape

When our daughters were growing up one of their questions was "Are we going on a hike or a walk?  A walk was on a groomed trail and a hike was on an uneven trail.  Going through the bog is beyond a hike. I used this for a desk top image for a couple days but got claustrophobic and took it down.

Orchid & Mosquito

 This gives you an idea of how small the flower is when its compared to a mosquito.  In addition to biting us, mosquitoes are pollinators of several flower species.  Yes, they do serve a good purpose in this world and I've been told only the females bite so (I guess) we can be thankful since it could be twice as bad.

Small Round Leaf Orchid

Small is not an exaggeration with these orchids.  However, they frequently grow in groups of 10-15 so are easy to spot on the bog floor.  No two flowers have the same design of spots and they are beautiful in their intricate detail. An unfelt breeze seems to keep them in constant motion. Technical: ISO of 1600, 1/125 second, 180 macro with close up filter

Grosbeaks at Feeder

Back to the feeders for some action.  This feeder on Blue Spruce Road, east of Meadowlands, is a prime viewing spot for both evening and pine grosbeaks.  Photography is a little tough for the purist in nature photography with the birds either being on the feeders or high in the surrounding spruce trees.

Pecking Order

Feeders are great for the interaction although the stress probably does burn some extra energy.  But when the diet is peanut butter there should be some extra fuel for a good fight, albeit a brief one.  Filmed at Sax Zim Bog.  Techinical: ambient sound added, 50% normal speed