Of Iceland and Oregon

Photograph by: Wild Wonders of Europe (no photographer name given)

   I like all of the greens, yellows and teals in this photograph. I believe a long shutter speed was used to help create the silky waterfall or "Angel Hair" effect, the mystery photographer didn't share their camera settings. The rock formations which originally drew me to this picture are of some composition of basalt, which is a form of volcanic rock. The basalt has to cool very slowly in order to form these polygonal columns. I think the green/yellow moss is a nice distraction from all the dark,   teal  and bright white water.

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/litlanesfoss-waterfall-iceland/

I thought some warm reds and oranges would be a nice change from the cool greens and blues in the picture above. This picture was taken in the fall and depicts the brilliant leaves of a Japanese Maple. I love the natural contours of the tree's branches and how the tree's own leaves were used to create a natural frame, surrounding the dark, mossy wood with soft, out-of-focus color. I think it was very clever of the sunlight to make the leaves appear orange on the other side of the canopy, so your eyes are initially caught by the red frame in the 'front' of the picture and drawn through toward the brighter colors in the canopy. Also- I. Want. One. Of. These. Trees. 

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/japanese-maple-portland/

Lightning and Volcanic Lightning

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/extreme-weather/#/thunderstorms-clouds-natural-particle-accelerators_19189_600x450.jpg

This photograph of a thunderstorm rolling through Kansas was taken by Joel Sartore for National Geographic. I really like this picture in that there is a lot of eye-catching things throughout it. It's fascinating to see the storm rolling into the picture, watching as a calm, clear night turns into a flashing, booming nightmare. The orange on the bottom right is a little distracting, but I think the purple lighting on the opposite side helps balance it out. 

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/extreme-weather/#/science-extreme-weather-iceland-volcano_47513_600x450.jpg

This picture of volcanic lightning was taken in Iceland by another National Geographic photographer, Sigurdur H. Stefnisson. I didn't know volcanoes could cause their own lightning when they erupted! I love the dramatic flash from the lightning on the left as it strikes that nearby hill. I think the reddish color of the lightning inside the ash cloud is an excellent visualization of how hot it must have been, and then there is the surrounding sky and snowy ground, making everything look cooled off at the same time.  

   After foolishly selecting what turned out to be a painting for my last blog. I decided to go to National Geographic's website and browse around in their Photography section. There are a ton of really beautiful pictures (not surprisingly) worth taking a look at. I'm curious about what filters were used, if any and if the photographer took a long exposure or was just lucky enough to get 'perfect' settings for her to just snap the picture. I feel like the tree in the middle-left helps balance the shot with the moon (very bright moon) since its so dark, but is also full of jagged lines. This photograph was taken up in Alaska by Susan Stevenson.

                        http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/

Another night-time shot. According to the photographer, this was an all-night exposure taken on a mountain in British Columbia. I think this might be an exception of curved lines (star trails) being more attractive to the eye than jagged lines (the trees.) The yellow and orange light in the bottom left half kind of adds a "Starry Night" quality to the whole thing, don't you think? It's also great for drawing attention to the horizon and makes me feel like the picture is really grounded thanks to the extra attention to the earth and trees.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/08/pictures/120829-best-space-pictures-211-mars/#/space211-star-trails-trees_58745_600x450.jpg

Barn Owl in Flight

Here is a picture painting of a barn owl in flight I found through google image search. Since owls tend to glide while they fly, would it be necessary to use a shutter speed of 800 to freeze this bird in flight? I like how the background doesn't appear to be blurred and how the eyes of the owl are in focus as well. Was Photoshop used to brighten or saturate the colors in the picture? It simply looks too perfect to me. Here is a link to the blog I found this picture on: http://true-wildlife.blogspot.com/2010/10/barn-owl.html

                           This is actually a painting, not a Photoshop touch-up. I feel silly.

Drinking Bat

Here is a neat picture of a bat I found on one of my adventures on the internet. The author said he had to take numerous sets of pictures to get just a few satisfactory ones. He also mentioned how he had to adjust when he told the camera to start taking pictures since the bats darted in and out of the shots so fast and because cameras have an apparent 'lag'. In other words he had to anticipate how fast they were going and when they would be in the center of his shot and time when he would need the camera to start taking the picture. He also mentioned that he had used 4 flashes set on either side of his camera when he was taking pictures of bats drinking out of his hummingbird  feeder.
       I like the various droplets of water, especially the ones that seem to be in focus, that look suspended around the bat's body. The reflection of the bat in the water also draws out some colors that are not noticeable (or nonexistent) on the bat's wings. The 'marbling' or pond scum... not entirely sure what that greenish stuff on the water is in the middle is cool, but it sort of takes away from the overall presence of the main subject.
 Credit for the picture and more bat photos: http://hoothollow.com/Question-May%202009%20Photographing%20bats.html

Spider Having Breakfast

I really like this image, however I sort of wish it was taken from the other side of the web so the spider's face could be seen instead of its underbelly. However, seeing what the spider has snagged is also a nice touch. I like how in this image, even though it is a still one, it is obvious by the tearing of the webbing that the grasshopper fought to free itself before being rendered helpless. I'm not entirely sure if the droplets are from morning dew or if they are actually droplets of the spider 'glue' which is naturally on web silk. Are macro lenses necessary for all insect life?

http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/ic.cgi?a=vp&pr=196161&CGISESSID=77a7da424df33229e8130b26bf36504e&u=30691