Tag: stephen shelley

Everglades Supermoon and Sunset

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I wanted to try and catch the Supermoon rising over the sawgrass and cypress trees of Everglades National Park.  I decided to go to a remote area of the park where I was less likely to have any compeition from fellow photographers also trying to photograph the Supermoon.  While waiting for the Supermoon to rise I also managed to capture a bonus sunset over the marsh and cattails.  The only problem with both efforts was the strong winds which caused all the sawgrass and trees to blow around making it hard to capture a crisp shot that did not have some blur associated with it somewhere.

Key West Southern Most Point by Moonlight

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I was in Key West this past weekend for my wife’s birthday.  I brought my camera equipment but was to busy most of the time to take any pictures.  However, I did have one shot I wanted to try while I was there.  I wanted to try and capture the Southern Most Point Marker at night with the stars and moon behind it.

I scouted the location the first night I was there to check on the moon angle and contemplate the shot.  I also found that even at 10:00 PM there were still people taking tourist shots in front of the marker.  I came back the second night a little later to see if I could limit the chances of having a crowd to contend with.  No such luck.  New people arrived about every 5-10 minutes so I had to keep resetting my shot between groups.

The other problem I had was that the marker is located on the corner of two intersecting streets.  In order to capture the stars in the background I was shooting 20 -30 second exposures.  Inevitably within that time frame a car would come down the road and cause blowouts on the marker from the headlight reflections.  It took a few tries before I could get a usable shot.  I never could get a perfectly clean shot.  I also had to take a few shots specifically for the moons exposure and then combine the two photos together.  I used my Canon 10-22 to capture the Southern Most Point Marker and stars and my 70-200 to capture the moon in more detail.

All in all I am happy with the outcome.  I just need to do a test print to see how it looks printed.  I have found that star pictures are less dramatic when they are not back-lit by a computer monitor.  Also, the stars standout in the high resolution shot more than the web upload shot used for this blog.  In the photo below it only looks like there are a handful whereas the high resolution version probably has around 100 stars visible.

 

Eco Pond Everglades National Park

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I am not much of a bird photographer opting to primarily focus on Landscapes and Nature shots in general.  However, I had someone request a Roseate Spoonbill in flight/action shot so I decided yesterday to give birding a try.  I have never tried to capture birds in flight before but was excited for a new challenge.  I checked the weather, got up early and headed to a place called Eco Pond to see if the Roseate Spoonbills were active.

Eco Pond is a very shallow (primarily less than 1 foot) pond with an island in the middle of it.  Birds of all types love this spot to wade and feed in the shallow water and along the shorelines.  There are even some nesting Ospreys that occupy one of the taller trees on the island.

Yesterday, the pond was full of activity with more than 100 hundred birds actively feeding or flying.  There were probably more than 25 Roseate Spoonbills which at least gave me a good statistical chance of getting the shot I had come here for.  I took about 150 shots and ended up with about 20 decent photos.  I got a few good Roseate Spoonbill in flight shots but had to crop them to get what I was looking for.  I will be test printing them to see if they will work or if I need to try again next week.  Either way I had a good time and learned a lot about capturing birds in flight.  It also made me realize I need to invest in some new glass if I am going to start shooting birds or wildlife on any consistent basis.  My equipment is primarily geared toward things that are standing still and do not get frightened if you get close to it.  These shots were taken with the Canon 55-250 Kit Lens.

Art South of Homestead Exhibit Extended

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By popular demand my Exhibit at Art South of Homestead has been extended for an additional month.  If you did not have a chance to see it last month you have another opportunity to come out and see my photography during the month of February.

On February 11, 2012, Art South will host their Second Saturday event and introduce the artists on display for the month of February.  There will be free food and drinks.  I invite everyone to come out and enjoy the festivities and meet the artists.

Z Tree Everglades National Park aka N Tree

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The iconic Z Tree of Everglades National Park, aka N Tree, has been photographed by many renown photographers and amateurs alike.  Almost anyone who spends a good amount of time in Everglades National Park will eventually spot or photography the Z Tree.  I too wanted my own photograph of the Z Tree but I wanted my shot to be different than those taken by my predecessors.  I decided to take a picture of the Z Tree at night in contrast to all of the day or morning shots I had seen to date.  Not only was I going to take a picture of the Z Tree at night but I was also going to capture the rising full moon as part of the shot.

After checking my handy moon calculator to obtain the right azimuth I planned my trip out to the park to capture the Z Tree.  After numerous shots and playing with the settings I finally got the shot I was looking for.  I processed one in color and one in Black and White.  My favorite is the Black and White shot.  The color shot reminds me of Halloween as the yellow and orange tints give the tree a scary feeling.  I like both but prefer the Black and White shot.

Everglades National Park Photography

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I finally got some free time to take a dedicated photography trip.  It has been almost four (4) months since my last photography trip.  I chose to run out to Everglades National Park to catch a sunrise and then see what other photo opportunities I could find.  I was hoping for some dense fog in the morning based on the weather forecast the night before, but alas no fog was present.  I did find a little layer of fog across a lake but not the dense fog I had hoped for.  Either way I was able to capture a few decent shots across a nearby lake.  I captured one before the sun came up and then a few sunbursts as it broke the horizon through the trees.  I would have preferred some more dramatic skies but it was still a productive shoot.

Once the sun had gotten to bright to shoot, I packed the truck and headed to the Anhinga Trail to check on the wildlife.  I have not been to the Anhinga Trail since last March and wanted see if I could find a few animal shots to add to my collection.  I succeeded in capturing a Great Blue Egret eating a catfish and an Anhinga in Mating colors drying his wings.  When I left I encountered about five (5) vultures eating various parts of my truck.  Luckily they did not cause any major damage.

From the Anhinga Trail I went exploring to find a place called Movie Dome.  It is a cypress dome in Everglades National Park within walking distance of the main road.  To get there you have to traverse the wet and muddy saw grass for about .25 mile or so.  Once there you are surrounded by cypress trees and shin to knee deep water.  The Cypress Trees are covered in Bromeliads and other air plants.  This time of year only a few were in bloom.  Later in the year it will be much better.  In the middle of the cypress dome is a deep gator hole a couple of feet deep in which no trees grow.  It looks like a lake in the middle of the trees.  I captured a few shots of some blooming bromeliads before heading back to the truck.

I left around noon to head home.  I plan on heading back to the cypress dome when the bromeliads are all in full bloom.

Art South Exhibit

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Art South of Homestead has invited me to display my photography in one of their galleries for the month of January 2012.  They will introduce me and my Exhibit on January 14, 2012 between 3-7 PM at Art South, 240 North Krome Avenue, Homestead, Florida 33030.  There will be snacks and drinks and admission is free.  I invite you to attend and/or stop by to see my Exhibit and Photography first hand.  The Exhibit will continue to be open and on display until the second week of February.  This will be my first public exhibition of my Photography.

My Exhibit will contain approximately 20 Photographs from my Everglades, Florida Keys and South Florida Gallery collections.  All photos displayed as part of the Exhibit are printed on Canvas and framed or gallery wrapped.  You can preview the photos I will be displaying as part of my Exhibit by following this link http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.357502797599173.105889.100000183684570&type=1&l=98a11d5544 .

You can view my full collection by visiting my website at www.stephenshelleyphotography.com.  For more information or for directions you can visit Art South’s website.    I look forward to seeing you there.

Myakka River State Park

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I was up in the Tampa/St. Pete area visiting family this past weekend and decided to stop by Myakka River State Park on my way home.  I spent a few hours exploring the park and taking notes on future photography locations.  I did hike a few trails but for the most part spent most of my time in the truck driving around.  While there I saw numerous birds, alligators and hogs.  I also saw about 40 or so turkeys throughout the park.  The day that I was there was somewhat overcast and rain moved in as I was leaving.  I did get a unique shot of an oak tree that I spotted not to far off the main road.

I plan on heading back this spring to maybe spend a full weekend camping and exploring the miles of trails that wind throughout Myakka River State Park.