EVERGLADES EXTRAS .... WITH A (LITTLE) DIFFERENT ANGLE (?)

 Early dawn i Anhinga Trail, Everglades

D3s, 600 4,0, f4,0, 1/30, ISO 500

Since I have close family living in Miami, I`ve been around Florida & the Everglades many times before. I`ve "done" the herons, storks, anhingas, alligators etc etc...., and it`s been blogged before. As I was visiting Miami this Easer, I borrowed a car (driving around alone in Miami is scary business for a Norwegian guy !!) and went to Anhinga Trail in the Everglades. Arriving there very early while it`s still dark gives you the pleasure to see the light come and play with it a bit before it gets too harsh(which happens very quickly). I tried to do my stuff with a little different angle his time.

 Anhingas are character birds in the `glades. These cormorant looking birds can be found anywhere where there is open water & fish. This is a female bird.

D3s, 600 4,0, f4,0, 1/30, ISO500

  

 Female anhinga

D3s, 600 4,0, f4,0, 1/1000, +0,33, ISO 1600

 Male anhinga-wing

D3s, 600 4,0, f4,0, 1/5000, +0,33, ISO 1600

 Brown anoles originally comes from Cuba, but has spread to southern Florida and can be found in great numbers. They are small wizards and important prey for many snakes and birds, this male in full display is only approx 10 cm long.

D3s, 200-400 4,0, 400 mm with bellows, f5,6,, 1/160, +0,67, ISO 2500, monopod

 Male brown anole. This tiny little creature can jump over 2 m from tree to tree.

D3s, 200-400 4,0, 350 mm with bellows,  f6,3, 1/320, +0,33, ISO 1600, monopod

 Green anole, native to Florida and the Gulf States. This one s also a small lizard.

D3s, 200-400 4,0, 400 mm with bellows, f6,3, 1/800, +0,33, ISI 1000, monopod

 Male green anole. Check out those intelligent looking eyes !

D3s, 200-400 4,0, 330 mm with bellows, f6,3, 1/400, +0,33, ISO 1600, monopod

 Double crested cormorant

D3s, 600 4,0

OK, I could not resist these green herons, mom & youngster in morning light !!

D3s, 600 4,0, 

*

Coming up : this years capercaillies & Spanish vultures.

ROSEATE SPOONBILLS ...AT LAST !

 The period of magic morning light is very short ! When the sun climbs the sky the light i Florida quickly gets way too harsh. 

D3s, 200-400 / 400 4,0, f5,6, 1/5000, -1,0, ISO 1600

Approx some 2 years ago I stubbled across the website of Miami photographer Michael Stern (check out : www.sternphotos.com),and was truly amazed over his great wildlife photography. Especially a series of cougar pics (puma) shot in snowy winter landscape blew my mind !! ...and as I could not get these pictures out of my head, I simply had to find out how they were shot. I took myself the liberty to send Michael Stern an e-mail on this and I received a friendly and honest answer to his cougar works (which I appreciated a lot). Ever since we have been regularly e-mailing and exchanging photos. 

As I was going to Miami this Easter I suggest we should meet and have a cup of coffee together,... but the guy promptly invites me along to do some photography together.  He asked me what I wanted to do the most, and having his incredible pictures of roseate spoonbills in mind, I respectfully suggested : 

roseate spoonbills !! 

(besides : even though I`ve been to Florida many times I never had any luck with these birds). So : Michael Stern picks me up one morning at 3 o´clock in a dark street somewhere in Miami SW (this is the first time we ever met !) and takes me along on a 3 days photo adventure .... revealing his most secret places for spoonbills and ospreys for me.

Thanks to Michael Stern for a great Florida experience, great company, photographic inspiration, "tutorials" on Photoshop editing and for a couple of beautiful photographic prints  (the cougar from 2 years back !!!). Also thanks to Jim Carson for accommodation, boating (I really liked your electric outboard Jim !!) and nice company.

Hope to see you guys again !!    

      

 D3s, 200-400 / 400 4,0, f4,5, 1/5000, -1,0, ISO 2000

 D3s, 600 4,0, f4,0, 1/2000, +0,33, ISO 1600

 D3s, 200-400 / 400 4,0, f5,6, 1/4000, -1,0, ISO 1600

 D3s, 600 4,0, f4,0, 1/2500, +0,67, ISO 1600

 D3s, 600 4,0, f4,0, 1/125, +0,33, ISO 2000

 D3s,600 4,0, f4,0, 1/60, +0,33, ISO 2000.

 D3s, 200-400 / 400 4,0, f6,3, 1/2500, , ISO 1000

 As the morning light gets hard and the sky gets blue (terrible combination !!), converting to black and white can be a good solution.

D3s, 200-400 / 400 4,0, f5,6, 1/2500, +0,67, ISO 800

 D3s, 600 4,0, f6,3, 1/8000, -1,0, ISO 800

 D3s, 200-400 / 400 4,0, f5,6, 1/3200, +0,67, ISO 800

 D3s, 200-400 / 400 4,0, f5,6, 1/2500, +0,67, ISO 800

 D3s, 600 4,0, f6,3, 1/2000, +0,67, ISO 800

 D3s, 200-400 / 400 4,0, f5,6, 1/1600, +1,0, ISO 800

Skipper Jim Carson & photographer Michael Stern

D3s, 24-70 2,8, f5,6, 1/4000, +0,33, ISO 1000

I got more stuff from Florida. I`m afraid I will have to make an "additionary" blog on this very soon.  Stay tuned !

WILLOW GROUSE WITH NORWAY NATURE

 Sunrise over Røyrvik mountains

D3s, 600 4,0, f6,3, 1/1000, -1,67, ISO 640

Many of you are probably familiar with Norway Nature and Ole Martin Dahle`s / Eagleman`s complex photography facilities with golden eagles, whitetailed eagles, goshawks and "much-much more-photography" in Flatanger (check out : www.norway-nature.com). Personally I am a frequent visitor to Ole Martin`s place, and this time Eagleman had the idea for a new experiment and needed a "crash test dummy" for a test trip. Luckily he phoned me.  I had photographers Vidar Gran & Bent Olsen to join the group,...and took off for a 3 days experiment in the remote alpine and sub alpine wilderness of Røyrvik & Lierne just south of Børgefjell National Park, Mid Norway.  

The experiment was initially called "Grouse in winter plumage in snowy landscape",- and : yes, we had grouse, and : yes, we had snow, LOTS of snow ! They had 2,3 m of snow on flat ground up there in mid March !!... and the snowbanks along the local roads, sometimes being more than 3 m high, actually posed a photography problem for us. The locals call mid-summer eve "Bærrflekk dagan", meaning : "the mid summer days were you can expect to see some bare spots without snow". 

The willow grouse is a relatively shy bird and cannot be approached by foot for proper photograpy, so the idea was to "shoot" from the car along the local roads, which (except from the snow banks).. worked perfectly. We had cloudy weather with little, but soft light and repeated showers of heavy snow. Very photogenic !!

The company ? Dynamite !! I am still wiping away tears of laughter !!

A great experience Eagleman ! ... so next time you need a "crash test dummy" : Call me !!

    

 D3s, 600 4,0, f5,6, 1/400, -0,67, , ISO 1250

 D3s, 600 4,0, f5,0, 1/320, +1,67, ISO 1250

 D3s, 600 4,0, f640, +1,0, ISO 1250

 D3s, 600 4,0, f7,1, 1/2000, +0,67, ISO 800

D3s, 600 4,0, f5,6, 1/2000, +1,0, ISO 1250 

D3s, 600 4,0, f7,1, 1/500, +1,+, ISO 1000 

D3s, 600 4,0, f5,6, 1/1600, +1,0, ISO 1250 

 D3s, 600 4,0, f5,6, 1/1600, +1,0, ISO 800

 Mr & Mrs

D3s, 600 4,0, f5,6, 1/1250, +1,0, ISO 1000

 Stout (røyskatt) from Erlend Resells place by Tunnsjøen

D3s, 600 4,0, f6,3, 1/1250, ISO 1000

 D3s, 600 4,0, f5,6, 1/800, ISO 500

These guys are usually not seen in the air !!

D3s, 200-400 4,0, f6,3, 1/1250, +0,67, ISO 1000

D3s, 600 4,0, f5,6, 1/1250, +1,33, ISO 1250

NNPC 2012

My picture of the swimming grass snake (buorm) was appointed "highly rewarded" in the Nordic Nature Photo Contest (NNPC) 2012.

The picture was shot with my 200-400 lens at 400 mm in the near surroundings of my house. It took me A LOT of effort last summer to be able to shoot it.

By the way : I am in Florida right now, and unfortunately I am way behind with the editing of my pictures. Got lots of new stuff coming !!