Photography | Mike Powell | Page 84

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

Archive for the ‘Photography’ Category

Autumn tranquility

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged bluebird, Canon 50D, Eastern Bluebird, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sialia sialis, Tamron 150-600mm, tranquility, Woodbridge VA on November 21, 2018| 14 Comments »

I love the tranquility of the early morning, especially when I am alone with nature. It fills me with a sense of inner peace and helps me to slow down and appreciate better the world around me.

It is difficult to convey that inner feeling in a single photo, but this image of an Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) from last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge comes pretty close. The bluebird was perched on some reeds in the middle of a marshy field. There was no way that I was going to be able to move closer, but I was ok with that. I focused on capturing a sense of the bird and its autumn environment and I am pretty happy with the way that the shot turned out.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Tiny touches of color

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Setophaga coronata, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA, Yellow-rumped Warbler on November 20, 2018| 6 Comments »

The colorful fall foliage has mostly disappeared and the natural world seems increasingly drab. At this time of the year, even tiny touches of bright colors are welcome, like the patches of yellow feathers on this Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) that I spotted recently at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

On many of the Yellow-rumped Warblers that I see, the yellow markings seem pale and faded. I was really struck, though, by the intensity and saturation of the yellow on this particular bird. Yellow is one of those colors that never fails to lift my spirits, even when delivered in tiny doses.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Horned Grebe in the autumn

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, Horned Grebe, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Podiceps auritus, red eyes, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on November 19, 2018| 6 Comments »

This past weekend I spotted a Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) while exploring Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I tend to see this little diving waterbird only a few times a year and often it is so far from the shore that I am not able to capture a decent shot.

This grebe was within range and I watched it dive and resurface multiple times, hoping it would turn toward the sun so I could see its amazing looking red eyes trimmed with gold. Eventually my patience was rewarded and it turned in the proper direction.

The second image is merely a closer crop of the first one that gives you a closer look at those fantastic red eyes. Wow!

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Yellow Warbler in November

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Setophaga petechia, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA, yellow warbler on November 18, 2018| 10 Comments »

Yesterday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I spotted this bright yellow warbler. Amazingly, it is actually called a Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia). There is sometimes a mismatch between the appearance of a bird and its official name, so I have learned that common sense does not always help in identifying a subject.

I was quite shocked when I first caught a glimpse of this little bird. The bright yellow on its body really stood out among the more muted tones of the fall foliage. I don’t know the normal dates for this warbler to be present, but I suspect that this is really late in the season for it to be around still.

We had several inches of snow this week and nighttime temperatures have dropped below the freezing levels. Most migratory birds, I suspect, have already passed through our area on the way to warmer spots.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Berry happy

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, poison ivy berries, Setophaga coronata, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA, Yellow-rumped Warbler on November 17, 2018| 3 Comments »

When I spotted a small bird hanging from a branch, I zoomed in with my telephoto lens and discovered that it was a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata). I could also see that there were numerous clusters of poison ivy berries on the branch, so I waited to see if I could capture an image of the warbler grabbing a berry.

The warbler turned its head away from me when it pulled the berry from the cluster, but fortunately turned back in my direction with the berry still visible in its mouth. I was really happy to get the shot and the warbler seemed to be berry contented.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Ring-necked Ducks in November

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Alexandria VA, Aythya collaris, Canon 50D, Kingstowne, Ring-necked duck, Tamron 150-600mm on November 16, 2018| 6 Comments »

I am not sure what is so special about the small pond in Kingstowne, a suburban development not far from where I live, but every year about this time a group of Ring-necked ducks (Aythya collaris) shows up and generally spends the winter there. There are not too many other local places where I find this particular duck species.

I know that Ring-necked ducks are diving ducks rather then dabbling ducks like Mallards and I wonder if the depth of the water in the pond is the determining factor in their decision. I am always happy each year to see the golden eyes, striped bills, and odd-shaped heads of these Ring-necked ducks.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Autumn Flicker

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, flicker, Northern Flicker, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, poison ivy, poison ivy berries, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodb on November 15, 2018| 7 Comments »

Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus), the most colorful woodpeckers in our area, prefer to eat ants and other insects. Now that the weather had gotten colder and insects are scarcer, they have switched their diet to include more berries and seeds.

Earlier this week I spotted this male Northern Flicker (males have moustaches and females do not) foraging among the clumps of poison ivy berries in a tree at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The photos give you a sense of the wonderful colors and patterns on the body of this incredible bird.

I didn’t get to see the insides of the wings of this particular flicker, but Northern Flickers on the East Coast have beautiful yellow-shafted feathers on the underside of their wings and tails. On the West Coast, Northern Flickers have red moustaches and red shafts on the underside of their wings and tails.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Warbler and fallen leaves

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, fallen leaves, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Setophaga coronata, Tamron 150-600mm, warbler, Woodbridge VA, Yellow-rumped Warbler on November 14, 2018| 3 Comments »

Leaves are now falling from the trees, making my walks though the woods increasingly crunchy. I feel like I am announcing my presence to all of the birds as I approach them. This little Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) lifted its head for a moment to check me out, then returned to its foraging among the fallen leaves, probably having decided that I did not represent a threat.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Pied-billed Grebe

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 50D, Grebe, Kingstowne, Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, Tamron 150-600mm on November 13, 2018| 3 Comments »

Although Pied-billed Grebes (Podilymbus podiceps) swim like ducks and dive like ducks, it only takes a quick look at one to see that they definitely are not ducks. The shape of the bill and of the body are quite different from those of a duck. I’ve always found the overall look the Pied-billed Grebe to be so unusual that it looks almost cartoonish to me.

I spotted this grebe yesterday in a small suburban pond not far from where I live. This little bird repeatedly was diving underwater. presumably in search of food, though I never saw him catch anything. If you look closely at the photos, you can see droplets of water on the body of the grebe and, in some cases, on his face.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Round warbler

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Humor, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, round warbler, Setophaga coronata, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA, Yellow-rumped Warbler on November 12, 2018| 7 Comments »

It’s sometimes said that the camera adds pounds to a subject, so maybe these Yellow-rumped Warblers (Setophaga coronata) that I saw last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge are not quite as chubby as they appear at first glance.

I was trying to be funny, but it actually is true that the focal length of a lens can affect the features of a subject. Most of you have probably seen how a fish-eye lens can make a face look bloated in the middle and stretched out on the edges. Other lenses can produce less dramatic effects. Generally it is believed that you get the most flattering portrait of a human subject with a lens of 85mm to 135mm. Here’s a link to an interesting article at businessinsider.com that shows a series of images of a face that were shot with lenses from 20mm to 200mm.

In this case, I think the birds are taking advantage of the abundant food sources while they are still around. Some of these warblers may be continuing their journeys southward, but others may choose to spend part of the winter with us.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Veterans Day 2018

Posted in Army, Birds, Nature, Patriotism, Photography, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 50D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Veterans Day, Veterans Day 2018, Woodbridge VA on November 11, 2018| 10 Comments »

What’s the price of freedom? Today in the United States it is Veterans Day, a day we set aside to honor all of the selfless men and women who have served and continue to serve in our armed forces, often enduring considerable sacrifice and separation for our common benefit.

In many other places in the world, today is celebrated as Armistice Day and 2018 is special because it marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, the war that many hoped would be the war to end all wars. The world is still a dangerous place and military forces, I believe, are a necessary element in ensuring national security.

I served for twenty years in the United States Army, so this posting is as much personal as it is patriotic. I have lived through periods of time when veterans have been reviled and other times when they have been honored.

I hope that you can join me today in thanking and saluting all veterans for their service and it is my sincere prayer that your sense of gratitude will continue long after the parades are over and the celebration are completed.

(I spotted this Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and since it is one of the symbols of the United States, it seemed appropriate to feature the Bald Eagle in this posting.)

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Downy Woodpecker in November

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, Downy Woodpecker, Dryobates pubescens, male Downy Woodpecker, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Picoides pubescens, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA, woodpecker on November 10, 2018| 4 Comments »

Downy Woodpeckers (Dryobates pubescens) are the smallest woodpeckers in North America. They more than make up for their lack of size, however, with their inexhaustible energy. Their constant motion makes them fun to watch, but a challenge to photograph.

I spotted this male Downy Woodpecker earlier this week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. How do I know that it is a male? The males of this species have a little patch of red on the back of their heads and in each of these photos you get a small peek at the red on the head.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Autumn webs

Posted in Arachnids, Art, Nature, Photography, tagged autumn, Canon 50D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, spider web, spider webs, spiderwebs, Tamron 150-600mm, webs, Woodbridge VA on November 9, 2018| 10 Comments »

During a recent morning walk at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I came across some spiderwebs in the fields that glistened in the sunlight thanks to rain the previous night. Many of the webs were only partial webs and I wondered if perhaps the torrential rain had ripped them apart.

Light was mostly coming from the front, which made it a little tricky to get a correct exposure, but that kind of backlighting is the reason why the webs are visible.

The backgrounds were different for the different webs and most of the time I had to deliberately underexpose the images to have the webs “pop,” which meant that the backgrounds looked really dark. I was thrilled when I managed to capture the first image below with a background full of autumn colors.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Acrobatic Nuthatch

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, Nuthatch, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sitta carolinensis, Tamron 150-600mm, white-breasted nuthatch, Woodbridge VA on November 8, 2018| 1 Comment »

Nuthatches are curious little birds. Most of the time that I spot one, it is climbing head first down the trunk of a tree.

Earlier this week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, however, I spotted a hyperactive White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) in the upper branches of a tree. In a series of corkscrewing motions that reminded me of a female gymnast on the uneven parallel bars, the nuthatch made its way up and down and around each of the branches.

If I were an Olympic judge, I would award the acrobatic nuthatch a score of 10 for its brilliant performance.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Bluebird in the fall

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged bluebird, Canon 50D, Eastern Bluebird, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sialia sialis, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on November 7, 2018| 22 Comments »

Some days the birds seem to keep their distance from me, so I do my best to capture modest images of them in their environment, like this Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) that I spotted in a field last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

I hesitated a little about posting this image, but I kept coming back to it when I thought about the shots that I wanted to share. I could enumerate technical reasons why this is a somewhat flawed photo, but there is something about the mood of the image that I find appealing. In the end, I decided to follow my basic approach of posting images that I like and letting others decide for themselves how they feel about the shots.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Cedar Waxwing in autumn

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Bombycilla cedrorum, Canon 50D, Cedar Waxwing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on November 6, 2018| 3 Comments »

A small flock of Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) was active last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. They stayed high in the trees, but I did manage to get this shot of one of these distinctive and very cool-looking birds as they foraged among the plentiful berries.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Morning fog

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Language, Nature, Photography, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Canon SX50, fog, Great Blue Heron, morning fog, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on November 5, 2018| 9 Comments »

When I entered Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge early one morning last week, a layer of ground fog was hanging over the fields, giving the landscape an eerie feel that somehow seemed appropriate for the Halloween season.

As I made my way to the water’s edge, the skies brightened a bit and the fog seemed to lift a little. I was filled with a peaceful and serene feeling as I enjoyed the early morning moments with a Great Blue Heron in the distance.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Looking up at a Bald Eagle

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 50D, eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on November 4, 2018| 17 Comments »

As I rounded a curve on a trail at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge one morning last week, I spotted a fierce looking Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) almost directly overhead in a tree. I wasn’t sure if the eagle had seen me, but when it looked down and glared at me, I realized it was quite aware of my presence.

In several earlier postings I have mentioned that this is a tough time of the year for spotting birds, because most of the leaves are still on the trees. Often I can hear birds, but I can’t see them. It turns out that the leaves on the trees can also hide me from the birds sometimes. I think that is how I ended up almost directly below this eagle, forced to shot upwards at a somewhat uncomfortable angle.

It wasn’t long before the eagle decided that it had had enough of me and it took off. Alas, I was not able to capture any in-flight shots, but I am definitely happy with the shots I managed to get of the perched bald eagle.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Juvenile Turkey Vulture

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, Cathartes aura, juvenile turkey vulture, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, turkey vulture, vulture, Woodbridge VA on November 3, 2018| 5 Comments »

Several years ago, I received some advice that I continue to follow to this day. I was told that if a vulture is circling overhead, as this one was doing earlier this week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, make sure you move from time to time.

When I first spotted this vulture, I was a little confused. It looked like a Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), but the bird lacked the distinctive red head that I am used to seeing on a Turkey Vulture. After doing a little research I learned that juvenile Turkey Vultures have an ashy-gray head that transitions to red as they mature.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Re-blog: Powell’s Place

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Powell's Place, Sable Clubtail, Sable Clubtail dragonfly, Stenogomphurus rogersi, Walter Sanford on November 3, 2018| 8 Comments »

It’s fun to remember the carefree days earlier this year that I spent hunting for dragonflies. Fellow dragonfly enthusiast Walter Sanford recently did a posting about a location where I photographed a Sable Clubtail dragonfly, one of the rarest species in our area, a place that he christened “Powell’s Place” after he too visited it and found a Sable Clubtail.

Be sure to check out his posting and I encourage you also to explore his blog for some amazing photos and information about dragonflies and other wild creatures.

walter sanford's photoblog

A single Sable Clubtail dragonfly (Stenogomphurus rogersi) was spotted perched alongside a small stream located in Fairfax County, Virginia USA.

I nicknamed a segment of the stream “Powell’s Place” in honor of Mike Powell, my good friend and photowalking buddy, who spotted the first Sable observed at this part of the stream. “Powell’s Place” is located downstream from Hotspot No. 1, where the stream re-emerges from an underground concrete pipe.

This individual is a male, as indicated by his indented hind wings and terminal appendages. Some dragonflies tend to be creatures of habit, returning to the same spot day-after-day. Perhaps this is the same individual spotted by Mike. Who knows?

I like the juxtaposition of complementary colors in the first photo.

12 JUN 2018 | Fairfax County, VA | Sable Clubtail (male)

The next photo shows the dragonfly perched deep within a shaded hidey-hole.

View original post 74 more words

Read Full Post »

Out on a limb

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, out on a limb, Setophaga coronata, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA, Yellow-rumped Warbler on November 2, 2018| 8 Comments »

Are you a risk-taker? How often do you go out on a limb?

If you were a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) you literally would be doing it all of the time. I love the texture, color, and shape of the branch so much that this image is as much about the branch as it is about the bird—that is the primary reason why I did not crop the image any closer.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Rays of sunlight

Posted in Art, Autumn, Landscape, Nature, Photography, tagged Canon SX50, magical, morning mist, morning sunlight, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, rays of sunlight, Woodbridge VA on November 1, 2018| 12 Comments »

As the early sunlight pierced the foliage at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, it created a magical world, filled with visible rays of light in the misty morning air.

The word “breathtaking” is perhaps overused, but it perfectly describes my physical reaction when I came upon this scene as I was walking a path that runs parallel to the water of Occoquan Bay. I knew that the light was coming from in front of me, so I wasn’t really expecting to take any photos until the path curved a bit and the sun was in a better position.

I marveled at the visible rays of sunlight and wondered if there was any way that I would be able to capture the incredible scene in front of me. My 150-600mm lens was affixed to my DSLR and even at 150mm, there was no way I could use it to capture the “big picture.”

Fortunately I have taken to carrying my Canon SX50 camera that has a zoom lens that goes all the way from wide angle to super zoom (an equivalent angle of view of 24-1200mm). I was able to frame the image as you see in the image below and the camera did a decent job in rendering the scene.

It is moments like this that keep me going out in the early morning, traipsing the trails at a time of the day when many folks would prefer to be sleeping.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Final Halloween Pennant Dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Halloween, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Alexandria VA, Ben Brenman Park, Canon 50D, Celithemis eponina, Halloween, halloween pennant, Halloween Pennant dragonfly, Tamron 180mm on October 31, 2018| 7 Comments »

I never got around to posting a shot of my final Halloween Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis eponina) of the 2018 season, so today seems an appropriate time to do so. I spotted this tattered beauty on 29 September at Ben Brenman Park, a small suburban park not far from where I live in Alexandria, Virginia.

Happy Halloween!

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Preparing for takeoff

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Setophaga coronata, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA, Yellow-rumped Warbler on October 31, 2018| 4 Comments »

Sometimes it is better to be lucky and to react quickly than it is to be skillful and systematic. As I was tracking a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) recently at Occoquan Bay Wildlife Refuge, it suddenly took off.

In and of itself, this was not unusual, because these small birds are in almost constant motion, weaving their way in and out of the vegetation. Instinctively I snapped off a short burst of shots. I thought I had missed the shot and the empty frames at the end of the sequence indeed showed that I was a bit late in reacting.

However, one of the initial shots was this fun image that shows the warbler raising its wings to prepare to provide propulsion while its feet are still attached to the branch. I was shooting in aperture-preferred mode, which meant that the camera chose the shutter speed. There was enough light that the shutter speed of 1/1600 froze most, but not all, of the bird’s motion.

Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to take off into the air like this little warbler, free to fly off to new destinations in search of new adventures?

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Mourning Dove in Autumn

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, mourning dove, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, pittsburgh, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA, Zenaida macroura on October 30, 2018| 8 Comments »

I read the newspaper this morning before I looked at the photos I took yesterday. This image of a Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge seems to reflect my innermost feelings at this moment about the senseless slaughter of innocents in Pittsburgh.

My heart goes out to all of those mourning their losses.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Attraction of a red head

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, Melanerpes carolinus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 29, 2018| 6 Comments »

It’s hard to ignore a red head. No matter whether it is on a human or a woodpecker, it simply attracts your eyes. I spotted this handsome male Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

You might wonder why this woodpecker is not called a Red-headed Woodpecker. That name is reserved for a woodpecker that has a completely red head. For comparison purposes, I am attaching an image from 2016 of a Red-headed Woodpecker. If you’d like to see more shots of the Red-headed Woodpecker, check out the 2016 posting Red-headed Woodpecker in late January.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Hiding in plain sight

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Autumn Meadowhawk, Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly, Canon 50D, female Autumn Meadowhawk, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sympetrum vicinum, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 28, 2018| 4 Comments »

There are not a great number of dragonflies still around in my area, and those that are present can sometimes be really hard to spot. That was definitely the case with this beautiful female Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum vicinum) that blended in almost perfectly with the fallen leaves and other debris on the ground at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge this past week.

I initially spotted this dragonfly as she was flying and watched her land, but I couldn’t see her at first. Once I saw where she was, I had to back off, because I was shooting with my 150-600mm zoom lens that has a minimum focusing distance of almost 9 feet (270 cm).

Autumn Meadowhawks are only 1.2 to 1.4 inches in length (30 to 35mm) and spotting the tiny dragonfly from 9 feet away was a challenge to me and to the focusing system on my camera. I think that I was pretty much at the extreme end of the resolving power of the lens when I took this shot, i.e. it is tough to capture a subject with any detail that is much smaller than this.

I have already had to scrape frost from my windshield a couple of times this autumn, so the number of insects will inevitably continue to decrease. Past experience has shown me, however, that Autumn Meadowhawk dragonflies are hardy survivors and I expect to continue to see them for another month or so.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Camouflaged Bald Eagle

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 50D, eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 27, 2018| 13 Comments »

If its head feathers were not so white, I probably would not have spotted this Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) amidst all of the leaves still on the trees at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge earlier this week.

A short while later, I spotted a second bald eagle, possibly the same one, in a different leafy perch near the top of some trees.

It is rare for me to have the chance to photograph a perched bald eagle at what qualifies as close up (though I was shooting at the long end of my 150-600mm lens) and I was incredibly thankful to have two separate opportunities to do so in a single day.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Buckeye butterfly in autumn

Posted in Autumn, Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 50D, Common Buckeye, Common Buckeye butterfly, Junonia coenia, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 26, 2018| 7 Comments »

The brightly colored summer butterflies have mostly disappeared, but Common Buckeye butterflies (Junonia coenia) still accompany me in great numbers as I walk the trails of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The subdued, earthy shades of this beautiful butterfly seem a perfect match for the autumn season.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Young bald eagle in autumn

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, birds in flight, Canon 50D, eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, juvenile Bald Eagle, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 25, 2018| 3 Comments »

It has been quite a while since I last got a shot of a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), so I was really happy when I saw this young one in the distance earlier this week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Experienced birders can tell the age of a Bald Eagle by its coloration. All I know for sure that it is less that five years old, the age at which the head feathers turn white, though I have the impression that it is pretty young.

As is often the case, the eagle spotted me right afterwards and took to the air, but I managed to get a shot as the eagle flew off. When it comes to eagles, it is always a challenge to get a shot, because the eagle’s eyesight is so much better than mine and its reaction time so much quicker. I therefore have to react almost instantly when I see one and then hope that luck is on my side.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Silhouettes of a heron

Posted in Art, Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Nik Collection, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, silhouette, silhouettes, Silver Efex Pro 2, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 24, 2018| 17 Comments »

I suspected that this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge would be silhouetted because I was shooting into the light. I was going to make some adjustments to my camera settings, but it took off before I could do so and I captured a cool series of images.

I liked the way that a few details of the feathers were visible in the images and the pink and blue streaks in the background were a nice touch. I decided, however, to play around with one of the images and opened the second shot in SIlver Efex Pro 2, a black and white conversion software program that is part of the Nik Collection.

One of the filters turned the heron into a completely black silhouette—with some birds, identification would be a problem, but the shape of the heron is unmistakable here. Another filter created the effect of a pinhole camera and you can see the result in the final images. There is something about that final image that really appeals to me.

I tend to strive for realism in my photos and normally do only a minimal amount of post-processing. I had so much fun, though, playing around with the different effects you can achieve with software that I suspect I will consider doing so again in the future.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »