|
Summer Photo Opportunities....
|
|
|
|
Egret in Golden Light
Photography by: Debbie Jordan
|
|
|
Hot summer mornings are prime opportunity for photographing landscapes and wildlife during the golden hour. Just as the sun is peeking over the horizon it casts a warm, almost palpable, glow on everything. The shadows, however, still maintain a soft blue hue thus creating an incredible contrast of color. This was the case about two weeks ago while visiting Bombay Hook NWR in Delaware - one of my favorite places. The sun, just rising over the marsh, cast a beautiful golden glow on this lone Egret. It was delicately preening its feathers and showing off the long feathery plumes indicative of the breeding season. The water was still calm as glass and reflected the scene perfectly. Because the horizon was a good distance away, the reflection of the sunrise was consistent across the water, broken only by the Egret's legs and feathers touching the surface. This photo has very quickly become one of my favorite shots.
|
|
|
The Incoming Tide
Photography by: Benjamin DeHaven
|
|
|
In this shot from Ocean City, Maryland we have the waves rolling up onto the shoreline. This was taken in what is called the blue hour, the time before the sun rises and everything has a cold, blue hue to it. It is usually about 30 to 45 minutes before the sun rises in the summer. Shooting when the sun is not yet up is a great way to not only get dramatic shots but to beat the crowds. Just remember your tripod because you will need to use a longer exposure to compensate for the lack of light. And, using a longer exposure opens up numerous creative opportunities for photography such as blurring incoming waves or allowing clouds to streak across your image. If you want unique pictures, you have to be ready to shoot when others are not!
|
|
|
|
Who's There?
Photography by: Debbie Jordan
|
|
July is also when you may have the pleasure of seeing young fox pups out of the den. Old enough to be out and about on its own, the young fox pup above was meandering along the gravel drive at Bombay Hook NWR. I watched as it would stop and listen to something rustling in the grass, cocking its head from side to side to better locate the source of the sound. It then crouched down as if to pounce, remained there twitching with excitement, and then simply sat down and looked back at me. The inquisitive look appeared to be asking, "Who's there? Who's watching me?" It looked at me for a bit, then resumed the "hunt".
So we hope you enjoy the summer months. The warmer weather and longer daylight hours present a multitude of opportunities to get out and enjoy nature.
|
|
|
|
|
|
