Jaybird

BLUE JAY, GREEN, MICHIGAN,
MAY 19, 2011



Pentax K-5
SMC Pentax-F* 300mm
f4.5 ED (IF)
1/3200 sec. f6.3
ISO 1600



At our cabin on Lake Superior, the noisy jays arrive early in May, strip the bird feeders, and depart by Memorial Day, not to return until mid-September. We have no idea where they hang out from June through August. I found this shot while winnowing out the summer's bird photographs, and wondered about that saying "naked as a jaybird." What?

Sunset No. 8

SUNSET OVER LAKE SUPERIOR, GREEN, MICHIGAN, AUGUST 30, 2011

Pentax K20D
Sigma 17-70 DC at 17mm
1/180 f8
ISO 400

In my opinion, it's generally not a good idea to shoot a sunset at an extreme wide angle, because that shrinks the orb of the sun to an unreal, almost pinpoint size. But when the sun is behind spectacular, sky-enhancing cloud formations, as it was on this evening in late August, going wide is the way to go. I shot it sitting on the bench on the beach in front of the Writer's Lair, with trees on either side to frame the composition. Click photo for a desktop-size version.

Sunset No. 7

SUNSET OVER LAKE SUPERIOR, GREEN, MICHIGAN, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011

Pentax K-5
Sigma DC 17-70 at 17mm
1/20 sec. f9
ISO 400

In the photograph above, the setting sun in the west cast a weird hue on the low clouds to the north, even coloring the rainfall from them. The photograph below was taken an instant later directly west. Sunsets in these parts, I've said before and will say again and again, are unbeatable.

Pentax K-5
Sigma DC 17-70 at 70mm
1/250 sec. f9
ISO 400