Visual Field

Fourth of July Abstract

2005-07-03T11:19:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @ 330 mm f/5.6 1/400

Detail of the Spoonbridge & Cherry outdoor sculpture in Minneapolis.
I'm posting it today because it's red, sort of white, and blue. The red
is part of the cherry, the sort-of-white is the edge of the spoon, and
the blue is the sky.

The image below shows the entire sculpture.

Strings Attached

2005-07-02T14:18:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @ 400 mm f/5.6 1/100

I'm posting this image not because it's a great photo, but
because it illustrates an interesting incident. The robin,
apparently collecting material for a nest, picked up a piece
of string and tried to fly away with it. However, the string
was at least 10 feet long and both ends were tied to metal
poles. As a consequence, the string put up quite a fight,
and the bird was forced to drop it. The matter did not,
however, end there. The robin returned at least five
times as I watched, picking up several loops of string in its
mouth, flying away, and quickly having to let go. Eventually
it gave up in (I would imagine) disgust.

Roof Repair Abstract

2005-06-26T23:54:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @400 mm f/5.6 1/1000

Detail of a roof undergoing repair in downtown Baltimore.

I haven't been posting or commenting much lately
because I've been very busy; work keeps getting in
the way of photography. I hope to have a bit more
time soon, however.

Chiaroscuro and I are off tomorrow for a short trip to
Minneapolis. I have to work most of the time, but
am still hoping to find a little time for photography
while I'm there.

Spiral Staircase

2005-06-20T23:34:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 17-40 L @ 17 mm f/4.0 1.20

Spiral staircase with Tiffany glass dome in the
Hackerman House, an 1850s mansion that is
part of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.

Macroday: Pattern

2005-06-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @400 mm f/8 1/400

Another lotus blossom from one of my recent expeditions to lily ponds.

Orchid II

2005-06-13T22:22:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Tamron 90 mm macro, f/20 1.0s

Another orchid macro from the greenhouse at Reynolda Gardens
in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Liberty Place, Philadelphia

2005-06-12T19:05:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 24-70L @ 43 mm f/4.5 1/2500

I'm taking a break from flower photos today although more (alas)
will be forthcoming in the near future.

A couple of weeks ago Chiaroscuro and I spent two
days in Philadelphia. We had a good time, although we had one
frustrating morning in which we walked to the Academy of Natural
Sciences where I remembered having previously visiting an indoor
butterfly garden. Unfortunately, the garden was gone, and so were
our plans for taking butterfly photos. We then walked to South
Street to visit a favorite used bookstore, which not only had a large
collection of interesting books but also a resident cat named Earl
Grey. The store was also gone. At least we got some exercise.

I took this photo about a block from our hotel.

Orchid

2005-06-11T21:54:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Tamron 90mm macro, f/18 1 s

Chiaroscuro and I were in Winston-Salem, North Carolina,
earlier this week for a conference at Wake Forest University.
While there we visited Reynolda Gardens and took more flower
photos. This orchid was in a greenhouse that was also inhabited
by a very friendly cat who had only one ear.

And Another Lotus

2005-06-08T21:14:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @200mm f/9.0 1/640

Yellow Lotus

2005-06-07T20:46:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @400mm f/7.1 1/2000

More Lotus Blossoms

2005-06-06T21:51:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @400mm f/5.6 1/3200

Another lotus blossom from yesterday's flower shoot.

Here also is the image I cropped to produce yesterday's post.

Lotus

2005-06-05T21:25:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @400 mm f/9.0 1/400

Chiaroscuro and I did some serious flower photography today.
We each ended up with quite a few images we liked, and will probably
be posting more in the coming days. Some of my favorites were of
lotus flowers on a lily pond.

This blossom looked as if it were on fire.

Photo Friday: Symbol

2005-06-02T22:30:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @ 105mm f/4.5 1/2500

Heron at Sunset

2005-05-30T12:27:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @ 400mm f/5.6 1/1000

I took this photo near sunset one afternoon during my recent trip to
Sarasota. The heron was slowly walking through shallow water in a
small inlet, looking for fish.

More Monarchs

2005-05-29T16:06:00.000-04:00

Monarch Feeding

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @400 mm f/9 1/320

In this image the monarch's proboscis (feeding tube) is uncoiled
and extended into the flower, allowing the butterfly to extract
nectar.

Monarchs Mating

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @400 mm f/8 1/250

The woman from the G.Wiz science museum who released the
monarchs (see my previous post) told me that monarchs often
mate almost immediately after emerging from the chrysalis.
Sure enough, two of the newly-released butterflies began
mating on a nearby bush.

Monarchs

2005-05-23T18:10:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @300 mm f/8 1/320

On my recent trip to Sarasota, my hotel was right next to the G.WIZ
Hands-On Science Museum. One morning I went out walking and saw
several monarch butterflies on a cluster of flowering bushes at the
side of the museum. I was taking photos when a woman came out of
the museum and started talking to me. She told me she had planted
the bushes, choosing some that would provide food for larvae, and
others with flowers that would attact the adult butterflies.

She then went back into the museum and brought out a box with
screened sides. Inside, attached to the top, were seven or eight
monarch chrysali. During the night butterflies had emerged from
four of them, and were clinging to the sides of the box. She gently
took each butterfly on her finger, carried it to a flower, and
released it to feed.

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @ 400mm f/8 1/320

Snowy Egret

2005-05-15T22:14:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @275 mm f/8 1/400

While in Sarasota, I visited Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary, a
facility where injured birds are cared for, and either released
after being healed, or maintained for life if their injuries
preclude a return to life in the wild. The injured birds were in
enclosures that didn't make for good photography, but an amazing
number and variety of non-captive birds were in the vicinity,
feeding, nesting, and generally carrying on. This male snowy
egret was protecting his nest and mate from other males.

Blue Heron

2005-05-13T19:23:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @250 mm f/8 1/125

Chiaroscuro and I just returned from several days at a conference
in Sarasota, Florida. I took this photo one afternoon from an outlook
on a nature trail, and was nearly eaten alive by small biting flies
while I waited as the heron slowly walked closer and closer.
However, I guess it was worth it, because I was able to get
several decent shots.

5/15/05 Update for Massimo, who thought of alligators when I
mentioned being nearly eaten alive. We did see some alligators, but
I kept my distance:

Gargantuan Mondrian

2005-05-04T21:34:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @300mm f/8 1/500

Facade of the Baltimore Aquarium

Thanks to everyone who voted for my koala Photo Friday entry!

Spring Fair

2005-05-02T00:57:00.000-04:00

The annual Spring Fair at Johns Hopkins University was held this
weekend. Friday, when fair started, was cool and overcast, and
Saturday it rained all day. Sunday, however, was beautiful.
Below are two photos I took while wandering around.

Wipeout

Canon 20D, Canon 24-70L @24 MM f/4 1/800

The children seemed to be having fun, but I wasn't sure about the
pink teddy bear.

Lower Quad

Canon 20D, Canon 17-40L @ 31 mm f/16 1/100

Vendors' tents on the lower quad.

Photo Friday: Soft

2005-04-29T00:33:00.000-04:00

Canon Digital Rebel, Canon 100-400L IS @ 400 mm f/5.6 1/400

An image from my visit to Australia last summer; something
of a change of pace from my recent posts.

Golden

2005-04-27T23:29:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 24-70L @ 70 mm f/9 1/250

Artwork on the side of a building in New York. I'm not sure who
these people are, but I liked the strong contrasts created by the
sunlight raking across the sculpture.

Windows

2005-04-25T22:06:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @105 mm f/7.1 1/320

Another part of the building from yesterday's post.

Urban Geometry

2005-04-24T19:00:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @ 250 mm f/5.6 1/350

I was fascinated by the two-dimensional look of this perspective
on a colorful building in New York.

Verizon Building, New York

2005-04-21T21:34:00.000-04:00

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400L IS @ 135 mm f/7.1 1/160

Another image from my recent trip to New York.