Tag: stephen shelley

Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory

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I recently took a vacation with my family to Key West for a week.  My mom loves butterflies, so I went with her to the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory.  The Butterfly Conservatory is essentially a green house full of plants, trees, birds and hundreds of free flying butterflies.  I quickly discovered it is very hot and humid in the conservatory as the butterflies need the right temperature and humidity to thrive.  I of course brought my camera and decided to see if I could capture some butterfly photos for my mom to take home with her.

Despite being a very hot and sunny day, the lighting in the conservatory was not as bright as I thought it might be.  I had a hard time getting the shutter speed I needed to capture crisp photos of the butterflies even when they were sitting still.  In order to get any photos that were not a blur of colors, I had to bump up my ISO to about 800.  To capture the butterflies in flight, I had to use 1600.  I also had to use between a 2.8 and 5.6 aperture.  2.8 was the only option when trying to capture shots of moving or flying butterflies.  As a result many of my in-flight or action shots only have part of the butterfly in focus due to the narrow focal plane of my lens at 2.8.

The green butterfly would not keep its wings open once it landed on a flower or bush.  In order to get a shot of the wings I had to capture it in flight.  It took numerous tries but I finally got one I liked.  This was my moms favorite one so most of my time was spent chasing this species around the conservatory.

I have not done much butterfly photography in the past but I had a good time and found it to be a good change of pace from my normal subjects.

Pine Glades Lake Reflections

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Yesterday afternoon I drove out to Everglades National Park to see if I could capture some of the dramatic storm clouds we had moving through the area.  Soon after I got into the park, I spotted some great dramatic storm clouds and good foreground subjects to shoot.  Unfortunately, I also realized I had left my tripod at home.  By the time I went home to get my tripod and made it back to the park, the shot was long gone.  I proceeded to drive around and explore some trails I had not been on in some while but the rain kept chasing me back to my truck for shelter.

I tried shooting a lone cypress tree with a storm in the background but was not thrilled with the final product.  It was starting to get late so I headed to old faithful Pine Glades Lake for the sunset.  I was hoping to get some vibrant skies to contrast with the dark storm clouds.  The only problem was a storm moved through just in time to completely block the sunset.  I still was able to get some interesting reflections of the storm clouds across the smooth lake but never got the color I was looking for.

Key West Sunrise

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This past weekend I took a trip down to Key West with my wife for the 4th of July Holiday.  I did not spend much time taking pictures but did get up early Sunday morning to capture a sunrise.  I chose a pier in Key West as my primary subject.

I checked the azimuth and realized that the sun was going to rise a little farther north than I had hoped for.  As a result I did not get the shot I envisioned but still captured two (2) shots I was happy with.  I was hoping for more colorful skies but due to the sun rising to the north only got the fringes of the color.

I used some nearby rocks as a foreground subject and then used a long shutter speed to smooth out the water and crashing waves.  Both images are HDR (high dynamic range) and result from combining three images into one to capture the full exposure of the scene.

I also shot a sunset from Fort Zachery Taylor State Park using the channel markers as my main subject.  I did not get any shots of the actual sun setting thanks to the sunset cruises parking in front of my vantage point and blocking the sinking sun.  I did get some good twilight shots after the sun had set and the party boats had started back in.  These are also HDR shots, with one long exposure to blur the water in the foreground.

Long Pine Key Campground Sunset

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I ran out to Everglades National Park yesterday after work to try and capture a sunset.  Yesterday was very hazy due to the Saharan Dust in the air and I was hoping this would translate into a vibrant sunset.  I decided to try a spot I know near Long Pine Key and capture the sun setting behind the pine trees.

Due to all the rain we have been getting this year, the water levels are up and most of the normal low areas have at least a few inches of water flowing over the land.  This was the case at my sunset spot as the walking trail was covered in up to six (6) inches of water.  I used the flooded trail as a leading line in my photo taking the viewer to the setting sun.  I tried to balance the scene with a yearling pine tree that was growing next to the trail.  I was pretty happy with the results, capturing one shot with a sunburst and another after the sun set with the glowing thunderhead in the distance.

After the sun had set I turned around and shot the rising moon over the pine trees using the same flooded trail as a leading line to the moon.

Fakahatchee Strand Ghost Orchid and Turner River Road Sunset

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I took a trip back to the Fakahatchee Strand in an attempt to capture a ghost orchid shot I was happy with.  The first trip produced some good photos, the second not any.  I figured the third time would be the charm.  I did get a few ghost orchid shots that I was happy with this trip but do not know if they will make the website.

This particular orchid is up high resulting in having to point the camera upward to photograph it.  Unfortunately, this also results in getting blowouts from the bright sunlight coming through the dense canopy of trees.  The last time I shot it there were so many blowouts behind the orchid it distracted from the orchid and killed the shot.  This time I went later in the afternoon when the sun angle was lower.  There were still blowouts but not as many and in better controllable areas of the shot.

When I first got there the sun was still higher in the sky and was directly in my shot.  I decided to try and create a sunburst in my image with the ghost orchid in the foreground.  I accomplished my goal but not sure I like the final product.  The sunburst is unique but also distracting.

After shooting the orchid I went over to Turner River Road to shoot a sunset with the same lilies I had used as a foreground subject for the lighting storm I shot there last week.  I captured two sunset shots that I was really happy with and will likely make the limited edition everglades gallery on my website.  Both sunset lily photos are HDR’s to account for the dramatic differences in exposures needed to capture both the foreground lily and the bright sun.

 

Big Cypress National Preserve Lightning

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Took a day trip over to Everglades City in hopes of photographing a Royal Poinciana Tree someone had told me about.  I have been trying to capture a Royal Poinciana Tree next to the water for some time but without any luck.  This day would not be any different.  The tree I went to shoot was not yet in full bloom and I needed a boat to get the shot I was envisioning.  I will have to plan another trip in the near future and try again.

Since I was already over on the west coast I decided to spend some time in Fakahatchee Strand and the Big Cypress.  I went back to Fakahatchee to check on my ghost orchids.  One was still in bloom with another still budding but not yet flowering.  I took a few shots before having to walk back out to the truck due to rain and thunder.

After leaving Fakahatchee I went over to Wagon Wheel Road and Turner River Road to try and see if I could get some lightning shots across the vista.  I got a few good strikes from a storm on Birdon Road but did not have a great foreground.  The stroms were fluctuating from producing lighting and just rain for the better part of a few hours.  In between storms I would drive the road looking for wildlife.  I saw numerous deer feeding after the cooling rains.  I took a few shots but none I thought were worth anything.

Another storm started producing lighting and this time I was near a field of blooming lilies.  I set up my shot with as many of the lilies as I could in the foreground and hoped the lighting would cooperate.  The best bolts were out of my frame but I did manage to get a few decent strikes to complement my scene.  I would have preferred more dramatic skies or closer/branched lighting but all in all I am happy with the shots.

On my way home I noticed the sky starting to turn color and pulled over at a boat ramp location I had shot before.  In my prior shot it was winter time and the grasses were brown and trees were losing thier leaves.  This time everything was green and the skies were very colorful and reflecting off the smooth water.

I did not accomplish my original goal but still managed to capture a few unique shots.

Big Cypress National Preserve Rattlesnake and Whitetail Deer

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After my Orchid Adventure I stopped by Wagon Wheel and Turner River Roads on my way back home.  I found a couple of snakes sunning themselves in the late afternoon sun on the gravel road.  I came across two Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes, two Water Moccasins and one Garter Snake.  The largest rattlesnake was around 5 foot or so.

I also saw a few deer grazing in the sawgrass on the blooming string lilies.  I walked out in the sawgrass to capture one that had bedded down among the flowers.  Before I got in camera range the deer heard me and stood up.  Luckily a red winged black bird happened to land on the deer giving me a decent and unique photo.  Unbeknownst to me there was another deer that had bedded down nearby as well and it jumped up and sounded the alarm causing both deer to sprint off in to the distance.  Either way it resulted in a few good shots.

Ghost Orchid Adventure

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This past week I took a trip out to Fakahatchee Strand to see if the elusive Ghost Orchids had started to bloom this year.  To my suprise one of the Ghost Orchids that I know about was already in full bloom and another one had put out a bud.  The rest of the Ghost Orchids had not yet started to bloom or will not bloom this year.

For those not familar with the Ghost Orchid, they are a rare species of orchid that only grow in a few very limited areas.  Fakahatchee Strand is one of these areas.  The orchids grow on trees surrounded by swamp water under a canopy of densely growing trees.  To get to the Ghost Orchids requires walking through sometimes chest deep water full of alligators and snakes and surrounded by a swarm of mosquitoes for the off chance that when you get there the orchid is in bloom.

The Ghost Orchid that I found that was in bloom was about 7 feet off the ground making shooting it a little difficult.  It also was in tricky light and the wind was blowing just enough to make it hard to capture a sharp shot.  The lighting was difficult because the canopy of trees block most of the light requiring longer shutter speeds.  However, there are bright spots that result from small holes in the canopy, causing a spotlight effect and making it difficult to properly expose the photo.  The light wind compounds the longer shutter speeds, sometimes resulting in motion blur of the orchid.

After getting home and processing my shots from the day I was not thrilled with the results.  I would have preferred to get closer to the flower so that the orchid seemed bigger in the scene.  Being that the orchid was higher off the ground made it difficult to achieve the shot I wanted.

I will plan to go back and try again with the other orchid that is getting ready to bloom in a few weeks.

 

 

Everglades National Park Afternoon Photography Trip

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After work yesterday I ran out to Everglades National Park with my camera to check on the water levels after all of the recent rains we have been experiencing here in South Florida over the last 3 weeks.  I found that the water levels have risen a good bit since I was out there last but still not at there normal rainy season levels.  Either way,  I found alligators everywhere.  They were crossing the park road, sitting in puddles, and occupying the walking trails that are now underwater.  I found a five footer in a deep spot in the middle of one of the trails I was hiking.  Luckily the water was clear and I saw it before I stepped on it.

I did get a few good shots of the blooming string lilies despite the windy conditions causing the saw grass and flowers to move back and forth.  Although, I did have to hike a couple hundred yards out into the saw-grass to get the shot I envisioned.  The water was about thigh deep but clean and clear.  I also captured some good rainbow pictures from some storms that were offshore in the Atlantic.

Lightning Over Downtown Miami

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I had a meeting in Downtown Miami yesterday afternoon I had to attend.  Luckily I had my camera equipment with me in the car because a good lightning storm started building over the city about the time my meeting ended.

After assessing the radar and the storms position, I drove to the bridge that leads to Key Biscayne and parked under it to stay dry.  The storm was very active and producing lightning bolts every few seconds.  I wanted to try to capture some shots of lighting with the city in the background or foreground.  Unfortunately, most of the lightning occurred out over the bay or beach and not over Downtown Miami.  I still managed to capture three OK shots, but not what I was looking for.

I did miss a good shot when lightning struck one of the skyscrapers.  Of course it struck one of the buildings not within my viewfinder.  Eventually the wind and rain overtook my vantage point and I had to seek shelter.

I did get some funny looks as people drove or passed by as I was standing there with my camera and tripod shooting the storm still dressed in my business suit and tie.