Costa Rica Stories
16/03/10 08:29
Here are the stories behind some of my new Costa Rica photos.
These little lizards were the most numerous creatures in Corcovado National Park when i was there. It was the dry season, so there weren’t many reptiles and NO frogs out and about, but these little lizards were everywhere. This little guy was fleeing from me by jumping from his perch on a higher branch, and when he ended up hanging from a lower branch by just one leg, i guess he figured he was hidden and stayed put for a few minutes.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 85mm f1.4 G lens, 1/30 sec at f1.4, Fuji Velvia 50
I spent most of my time in Corcovado in a small stream that flowed into the Sirena River just before in met the ocean. It was definitely where i found the most wildlife, like 2 snakes, a baby crocodile, this little crab, and a group of roosting butterflies that returned every evening to the same place. To get this shot, i was crouching in the knee deep, gently flowing stream with my camera mounted a few inches off the water on the tripod.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 200mm f2.8 G lens + 1.4X teleconverter, 1.5 sec at f/4, Fuji Velvia 50
I love this shot. I don’t think anyone i’ve shown it to has thought nearly as much of it as i do, but that happens sometimes. When i first got my film back from New Mexico and was going through it, i got choked up when i held this slide up to the lightbox. It just seemed so stark and perfect, maybe i should try black and white photography. I remember shooting these butterflies well, but as often happens when i’m excited and shooting something really wonderful, i don’t remember taking this shot at all. But i can tell by the diffuse light and slight cyan tint that it was nearly dark, so it must have been at the end of a long session with the butterflies.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 200mm f/2.8 lens +1.4X teleconverter, 1 sec at f/4, Fuji Provia 400
This one i do remember. Photographing these butterflies was one of the reasons i finally switched to digital. They would flutter around near the others that had already landed, seemingly looking for the perfect spot, and i was waiting until they were in the right part of the frame and trying to hit the shutter fast enough to catch them there. It would have been so much easier with digital. I wouldn’t have had to worry about my limited film supply or about how expensive it would be to develop it all. Anyhow, i’m happy with the result.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 200mm f/2.8 lens +1.4X teleconverter, 1/90 sec at f/4, Fuji Provia 400
To get this shot, i screwed on two heliopan close up filters that i carry specifically for my wide-angle lens, and positioned the lens an inch or two from the mantis. This was the best shot i got of him, just before he jumped from the tree and disappeared. I really like using the background to highlight my subjects, and this is a good example.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 17-35mm G lens, 1 sec at f/3.5, Fuji Velvia 50
Walking along the same creekbed as before, i heard a skittering and looked over to see this basilisk eyeing me warily. After switching out my Velvia 50 for Provia 400 so i could handhold the camera with a 300mm lens on it, i put the camera to my eye and moved around slowly until i found a small hole in the foliage that could frame the lizard.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 200mm lens +1.4X teleconverter, 1/30 sec at f/4, Fuji Provia 400
These little lizards were the most numerous creatures in Corcovado National Park when i was there. It was the dry season, so there weren’t many reptiles and NO frogs out and about, but these little lizards were everywhere. This little guy was fleeing from me by jumping from his perch on a higher branch, and when he ended up hanging from a lower branch by just one leg, i guess he figured he was hidden and stayed put for a few minutes.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 85mm f1.4 G lens, 1/30 sec at f1.4, Fuji Velvia 50
I spent most of my time in Corcovado in a small stream that flowed into the Sirena River just before in met the ocean. It was definitely where i found the most wildlife, like 2 snakes, a baby crocodile, this little crab, and a group of roosting butterflies that returned every evening to the same place. To get this shot, i was crouching in the knee deep, gently flowing stream with my camera mounted a few inches off the water on the tripod.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 200mm f2.8 G lens + 1.4X teleconverter, 1.5 sec at f/4, Fuji Velvia 50
I love this shot. I don’t think anyone i’ve shown it to has thought nearly as much of it as i do, but that happens sometimes. When i first got my film back from New Mexico and was going through it, i got choked up when i held this slide up to the lightbox. It just seemed so stark and perfect, maybe i should try black and white photography. I remember shooting these butterflies well, but as often happens when i’m excited and shooting something really wonderful, i don’t remember taking this shot at all. But i can tell by the diffuse light and slight cyan tint that it was nearly dark, so it must have been at the end of a long session with the butterflies.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 200mm f/2.8 lens +1.4X teleconverter, 1 sec at f/4, Fuji Provia 400
This one i do remember. Photographing these butterflies was one of the reasons i finally switched to digital. They would flutter around near the others that had already landed, seemingly looking for the perfect spot, and i was waiting until they were in the right part of the frame and trying to hit the shutter fast enough to catch them there. It would have been so much easier with digital. I wouldn’t have had to worry about my limited film supply or about how expensive it would be to develop it all. Anyhow, i’m happy with the result.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 200mm f/2.8 lens +1.4X teleconverter, 1/90 sec at f/4, Fuji Provia 400
To get this shot, i screwed on two heliopan close up filters that i carry specifically for my wide-angle lens, and positioned the lens an inch or two from the mantis. This was the best shot i got of him, just before he jumped from the tree and disappeared. I really like using the background to highlight my subjects, and this is a good example.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 17-35mm G lens, 1 sec at f/3.5, Fuji Velvia 50
Walking along the same creekbed as before, i heard a skittering and looked over to see this basilisk eyeing me warily. After switching out my Velvia 50 for Provia 400 so i could handhold the camera with a 300mm lens on it, i put the camera to my eye and moved around slowly until i found a small hole in the foliage that could frame the lizard.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 200mm lens +1.4X teleconverter, 1/30 sec at f/4, Fuji Provia 400
Trapped Salmon
15/03/10 08:21
When i first got to Oregon back in November i took a trip up to Eagle Creek to check out the waterfalls, but when i saw the spawning salmon moving up the swift-moving river my plans changed. I drove to the nearest town to buy some rubber boots, and crossed the river to the calmer side, on the lookout for what i hoped would be an interesting shot of a dead salmon that had ended up in an interesting position. I couldn’t have imagined it any better than what i found.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 17-35mm G lens, 2 sec at f/11, Velvia 50
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 17-35mm G lens, 6 sec at f/13, Velvia 50
Though it appears to be screaming out for help or thrashing around, this salmon is dead. It must have died shortly before i found it and been somewhat preserved by the icy water rushing over it. Most of the other dead salmon i found had only half a head, as though the bears preferred the brain when they were too full to eat more than a little piece of each fish. I definitely think it’s one of my most striking pictures.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 17-35mm G lens, 2 sec at f/11, Velvia 50
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 17-35mm G lens, 6 sec at f/13, Velvia 50
Though it appears to be screaming out for help or thrashing around, this salmon is dead. It must have died shortly before i found it and been somewhat preserved by the icy water rushing over it. Most of the other dead salmon i found had only half a head, as though the bears preferred the brain when they were too full to eat more than a little piece of each fish. I definitely think it’s one of my most striking pictures.
Water Skimmers
12/03/10 08:21
I was on a hike yesterday in the Umpqua National Forest east of Cottage Grove, and came across a small pond full of salamanders and water skimmers. The salamanders were really interesting, but i decided the water skimmers would be better subjects so i focused on them. Here are a couple of the best shots:
Sony A900, Carl Zeiss 135mm f1.8 lens, 1/250 sec at f1.8, ISO 200
Sony A900, Carl Zeiss 135mm f1.8 lens, 1/500 sec at f1.8, ISO 200
I don’t think i would have tried shooting these little guys if i’d still been using film, because they move so quickly and i had to take so many shots and adjust according to the results. The reflected sky was a mixture of bright white clouds and clear blue.
Here’s a photo i took recently in the Columbia River Gorge. I was up there camping out during the coldest spell this winter when it was around 15 degrees for three nights in a row, which did some really interesting things to those huge waterfalls. But the real prize was this little one i found off-trail that had slowly built up ice around itself until there was a little fortress around the falls.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 17-35mm G lens, 2 sec at f/16, B+W circular polarizer, Fuji Velvia 50
Sony A900, Carl Zeiss 135mm f1.8 lens, 1/250 sec at f1.8, ISO 200
Sony A900, Carl Zeiss 135mm f1.8 lens, 1/500 sec at f1.8, ISO 200
I don’t think i would have tried shooting these little guys if i’d still been using film, because they move so quickly and i had to take so many shots and adjust according to the results. The reflected sky was a mixture of bright white clouds and clear blue.
Here’s a photo i took recently in the Columbia River Gorge. I was up there camping out during the coldest spell this winter when it was around 15 degrees for three nights in a row, which did some really interesting things to those huge waterfalls. But the real prize was this little one i found off-trail that had slowly built up ice around itself until there was a little fortress around the falls.
Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 17-35mm G lens, 2 sec at f/16, B+W circular polarizer, Fuji Velvia 50