Earth Day 2016

Sunrise over Buzzards Bay

Today is the celebration of Earth Day; Landscape Photo Magazine had a project to celebrate Earth Day.  The project is for people all around the world to photograph sunrise at their location.  We went to my favorite spot for sunrise, which is Gooseberry Neck in Westport, Massachusetts because it usually has great color in the sky.

Well, today there was some color at the horizon, which was muted due to the clouds and low fog bank at the horizon over Buzzards Bay.  In fact, you barely could see Cuttyhunk.  Despite that the clouds I did produce some images.

Sunrise over Buzzards Bay

Sunrise over Buzzards Bay

Sunrise over Buzzards Bay

For all you photographers try to get out today and capture some photos of our Mother Earth to help honor it.



Using the coupon code mborn you will receive a 15% discount on any or all of the Topaz plug-ins.



Help Support my blog by purchasing from Amazon. Clicking on this link and utilizing the link does not cost you anything.

Sunrise, Accident, and Microsoft Help

Sunrise over Buzzards Bay

I have not been doing very much the past week since I fell and hit my head. I got a goose egg and then started looking like Ricky raccoon with two black eyes. I still have on my forehead a good bruise. Finally, today I woke up early and went to photograph the sunrise at Gooseberry, however, because of the snow the gate was closed and then we went down to the end of the town beach and photograph the sunrise. Most of the sky was clear but low in the East there was a bank of clouds which gave us some color as the sun slowly rose. Besides a few pictures, I did a video of the sunrise and the video size is greater than what Blogger allows, so I am posting it on Facebook and here is the URL https://www.facebook.com/myer.photobee1/videos/976157435810675/

Well, the day is supposed to be in the 40s and we will get some snow melt which will be good because we have another storm starting late tonight and through tomorrow. Looking at the forecast is a possibility of snow showers right through Thursday. It's New England and it's winter and it's February so what shall be shall be.

I must give a compliment to and recommend Microsoft Help Desk. My computer stopped functioning correctly. I first tried all the recommended advice to fix it but I could not correct anything. I went to their Microsoft Answer Desk. They work very hard trying to fix the computer, but could not resolve the problem. I was bumped up to the next level of care. This higher level, unlike the answer desk, is not free. However, the cost is very reasonable and includes one year of service for $129. The technician called me and then resumed control of my computer and got it back up working correctly. The next day again I had problems and I emailed the technician and he got back to me and, this time, we did a completely clean install of Windows 10. So far so good. All the technicians that help me were very professional and excellent English speakers.

I hope everybody has a great day and those people who were going to watch the Super Bowl enjoy.

Leaf Peeping, the Kancamagus and Franconia Notch

Foliage against the Dark Sky

I have done a little research online on the New Hampshire tourist page and it seems that the foliage is still decent.  Despite being after Columbus Day.  So yesterday morning, the kids and I left our house at 4 AM so that we could be able to photograph the sunrise on the Kancamagus highway.  We have made it with time to spare, and the colors were gorgeous prior to to the sunrise.

Sunrise on the Kancamagus

Because of the thickness of the clouds once the sun rose, the sky had dark clouds and when you photographed so the foreground was exposed right, the sky was blown out.  To compensate for this, I took two photographs.  One to correctly exposed for the sky and the other ducks correctly exposing for the foreground.  In Lightroom I utilized the photo merge-HDR key and created a DNG image and then I adjusted the image to my taste.

There Is Even Color on the Ground

Color from an Overlook

At the very highest levels on the Kancamagus the the color peak of the leaves had passed, however, at the lower levels they were at peak or even just coming into peak.  We traveled the Kancamagus at stopped at scenic areas and at the number of waterfalls to photograph the beauty of the area.

Rocky Gorge

Sabbaday Falls

Sabbaday Falls

Falls Pond

Swift River Lower Falls

After we photographed the Albany covered bridge, the plan originally was to travel to Jackson New Hampshire and photograph the covered bridge and waterfall in that area.

Albany Covered Bridge

Looking up the Swift River from inside the Albany Covered Bridge

The Kids Photographing the Swift River

 But, Conway stopped us.  Why!  The traffic was backed up due to construction and was moving extremely slow.  We turned around and went back to the Kancamagus and went partly onto the Bear Notch Road, where we stopped.  Had lunch did some more photography, including zooms of the birches and foliage.

Foliage and Birch Zoom Blur

We traveled back down to the Kancamagus and returned back to I 93 and traveled up and to Franconia Notch State Park.  We were not able to visit the flume since the road was closed due to being repaired.  We stopped at the Basin and photographed in the area.

The Basin

Pemigewasset River

The Basin Viewed from the Handicap Area

Pemigewasset River Flowing down to the Basin

Sunburst Through the Foliage

There was still some good color.  Finishing up.  We then turned our attention back to home and as we were coming down.  I 93.  The lower we got New Hampshire, the better the color.  If you have an been up to photograph oft he foliage you still have a chance to do it.

Using the coupon code mborn you will receive a 15% discount on any or all of the Topaz plug-ins.



Help Support my blog by purchasing from Amazon. Clicking on this link and utilizing the link does not cost you anything.
BUY FROM AMAZON

Morning Sunrise at Gooseberry

Finally, a morning when we did not have to pick up my son at work.  We will be able to get a sunrise today.  Arriving at Gooseberry neck, Westport, Massachusetts at around 5:20 AM.  The sky was still dark in the waxing gibbous moon was high in the West.  The first pictures that I took were of the waxing gibbous moon.

Waxing Gibbous Moon

 Then turning our attention to the East, looking over Buzzards Bay toward the Cape, the sky was filled with clouds haze and fog to the right.  I utilized my Nikon D 810, Tamron 28-75 on a tripod.  I set my ISO at 200, F-stop at f10, put a two second delay on shutter release and used a wired remote..  Checking a depth of field chart everything was in focus from about 5 feet to infinity.  I then took a series of photographs starting at about 5:35 AM, with Venus still prominent in the sky, and finishing up after the sun had risen.  Timewise halfway before the sun rose.  I created a panorama to show the fog bank, haze and clouds over Buzzards Bay.  The haze and clouds created a bright red sun, rather than a bright yellow sun, as it rose from beneath the horizon.

Nautical Dawn with Venus in the Sky

Civil Dawn

Civil Dawn

Civil Dawn

Panorama Show in the Clouds Haze and the Fog Bank on the Right

Just Prior to Sunrise

Sun Rising

Final Photograph after the Sun Had Risen

I have photographed it both sunrises and sunsets on Gooseberry neck over the years and never or to the same.  For sunrises, you should arrive while it is still dark, and for sunsets be prepared to stay at least a half hour after sunset because you never know when the best colors is going to occur.

Because of the dampness in the ear and the slight fog, prior to putting equipment the way we dried off the tripod legs with the towel and blotted the camera and lens to remove any dampness that may have been on them.

Using the coupon code mborn you will receive a 15% discount on any or all of the Topaz plug-ins.



Help Support my blog by purchasing from Amazon. Clicking on this link and utilizing the link does not cost you anything.
BUY FROM AMAZON

Sunrise at Allens Pond

Sunrise Allens Pond Panorama 6:34 AM

This morning I traveled out to Allens Pond Massachusetts Audubon sanctuary to capture the sunrise.  I utilized my Nikon D7100 and my Nikon 70-200 on a tripod to capture all the pictures this morning.  I wanted to show that you do not need a wide-angle lens to capture a good landscape and sunrise photograph.  Civil Dawn started at 6:33 AM, and my first panorama of the sky and color taken from Allens Pond and showing Buzzards Bay was at 6:34 AM.  Slowly the sky start to brighten and there was a lot of nice color in the East.  I took the second panorama at 6:54 AM, and they individual photograph at 6:55 AM.  By the time 7:00 AM came almost every bit of the color was gone from the sky and at sunrise, which occurred at 7:03 AM, there was just minimal color and the clouds were thick enough that you could not see the sun.  Eight excellent article about sunrise and sunset phenomena is located at http://www.weatherscapes.com/techniques.php?cat=optics&page=twilight

Sunrise Allens Pond Panorama 6:54 AM

Sunrise Allens Pond 6:55 AM

Sunrise Allens Pond 7:00 AM

Sunrise Allens Pond 7:03 AM

If people arrived just at sunrise.  They would've missed out on all the beautiful colors that occurred prior.  Also for sunset, some of the nicest colors can occur during the last half-hour after sunset.

More from Costa Rica

Sunrise

Continuing the trip to Costa Rica, the one thing I did not mention previously is that November is the change from the wet season to the dry season.  While we were on the Pacific coast, we had daily everything from a drizzle to a heavy downpour and thunderstorms.  It didn't matter, the humidity was high and we were damp anyway and the cameras were protected by raincoats.

Before breakfast, we went out and photographed the sun rising over the mountains and illuminating the mist in the Carara National Park.  Then followed up with some bird photography.

Mist illuminated by the sun in black and white

Scarlet macaw eating teak nuts

Scarlet macaw

After breakfast, we traveled down to the "Crocodile Bridge" which crosses the Tarcoles River where you can see many crocodiles below you.  It is a favorite tourist spot.  The majority of crocodiles would just sunning themselves either in the water or on the shore.  A great egret landed near a crocodile and started exploring looking for food to capture, and the crocodile slowly started to follow it in the water, hoping for a meal.  The great egret was smarter and return to the shore away from the hungry crock.  An interesting site was a butterfly flitting around the head of a crocodile and landing on its nose.

Looking down at crocodiles from the crocodile Bridge

crocodile following a great egret

butterfly on the nose of a crocodile

crocodile climbing out of the water

Returning to the Lodge, prior to lunch and afterwards we continued to photograph the birds in the area, including a Pacific screech owl.

Melodious blackbird

cinnamon Hummingbird

Pacific screech owl

Montezuma oropendola

red-legged honeycreeper

Hoffman's woodpecker

Rufus-napped Wren

bluegray Tanager

The afternoon was taken up with another trip down the Tarcoles River on the crocodile boat.  What made this trip different is the majority of the trip was in a heavy downpour and thunderstorm.  As I stated above, even with raincoats on us, we got wet but the camera and lenses raincoats kept them dry.

Green heron

three's Black neck stilts in a row in the pouring rain

Willet in the rain

Tiger-Heron

motmot

mist rising from the forest. After the heavy rain

After supper, walking back to my room, I noticed fireflies blinking on the path, so I composed a composite picture, plus a video of the fireflies.

Fireflies

Remember through December 1st, Topaz is offering our Topaz Photography Collection (all 15 products) for only $249.99. Whether you want to achieve stunning photo enhancements or apply artistic effects, this unique collection has you covered. Utilize the coupon code 'BLACKFRIDAY2014'   You can link directly to the store page with this URL: http://www.topazlabs.com/aff/idevaffiliate.php?id=850&url=http://www.topazlabs.com/store