Category Archives: INSIDE FLORIDA

MINWR is a big place!

October 23, 2011INSIDE FLORIDA, Merritt Island NWRbirds, BPWD, Butterfly, Flowers, Gator Creek Road, Green Heron, landscape, sunriseEd Rosack

I’m extremely fortunate to live near the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and the more I learn about it, the bigger and better it seems. I’ve been going to Black Point Wildlife Drive for several years, but only recently started exploring other locations in the Refuge. If you only have a short time to visit, Black Point is a great place to see – but there’s so much more. If you have time, visit East Gator Creek Road, Shiloh Marsh Road, Bio-Lab Road, Scrub Ridge Trail and other areas. Look here for maps of these and other MINWR trails.

Kevin M., Lutfi and I were in place on East Gator Creek Road this morning in time for sunrise. It was my first time at this spot and I was very happy with the views. Highly recommended for sunrise shots!

Merritt Island Sunrise

Next, we drove up to Shiloh Marsh Road. We were able to drive in only a short distance from either end before the way was blocked by chains – I think for duck hunting season. If you decide to drive this road, check to make sure it’s open and make sure your vehicle has plenty of ground clearance. There are some grand canyon sized potholes out there.

After Shiloh, we drove Black Point Wildlife Drive. This road was resurfaced this year and is in very good shape. Not too many potholes here.

Little Green Heron in flight; I made this photo very close to the same spot a few weeks ago – is this the same bird?

Finally, we headed over to the MINWR Visitor Center to see if the Painted Buntings had arrived for the winter. But it was closed too – we’re not sure why.

Today was a wonderful day for wildlife and nature watching. We saw Spoonbills, Ospreys, Redish Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures, Lesser Yellowlegs, Willets, Little Green Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Tri-Color Herons, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Crabs, a deer, flowers, Bald Eagles, Ibis, European Sparrows, Cormorants, Anhingas, Cardinals and butterflys among other things.

Butterfly and flower

For more info on MINWR, this search will bring up other things I’ve written about it. And you can view some other photos I’ve made at the Refuge on Flickr here, and here.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!
©2011, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved

Stormy Weather

October 9, 2011INSIDE FLORIDAlandscapeEd Rosack

We’ve had almost continuous heavy rain here since Friday evening. If you’re a visitor to Central Florida – sorry. If you’re a resident, you know we need the water – we’re still behind for the year.

Sunset storms and tree: The scene near my house on Friday evening as the storms started to move in

By mid-day Sunday, the weather service recorded somewhere between 8 and 15 inches of rainfall, depending on the location. We’ve also had a flood watch along with a lake wind advisory in effect all weekend.

Sunset storm over Lake Jesup

So it hasn’t been a particularly good time for photography. I was going to meet Tom M. on Saturday morning and head out to the Marl Bed Flats at the Lake Jesup Conservation Area for another sunrise shoot. But we called it off after getting woken up all night by the rain and wind. Fields of flowers aren’t the best subject in windy and rainy conditions. And I think there would be a lot of mud to slog through in that area. That’s a shame, since the flowers there will probably be past their peak by next weekend.

There’s almost always something beautiful to photograph – something unique to share with others. Sometimes you just have to think a bit different or try a little harder. The question is whether you have the time and energy to search these things out and the vision to see them when you find them. In situations like this weekend, why not make weather the subject?

This pond is on the side of the main road close to our house, and I’ve wanted to photograph it for a while. On our way back from breakfast, my loyal Sherpa dropped me off for a few minutes with her umbrella so I could capture the scene between cloud bursts. The dark clouds on the left turned into another huge shower just after I made this photo.

A small pond, in between showers

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!
©2011, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved

The Lake Jesup Flowers are back!

October 5, 2011INSIDE FLORIDA, Lake Jesup, Lake Jesup Sunflowers, Must do listFlowers, landscape, Marl Bed Flats, Sanford Florida, Sunflowers, sunsetEd Rosack

We may not get much Autumn color on our trees in Central Florida, but we do have one wonderful sign that fall is here – the sudden appearance of huge fields of Swamp Sunflowers (Helianthus angustifolius, also called Narrow Leaf Sunflowers) covering the Marl Bed Flats in the Lake Jesup Conservation Area.

If you haven’t driven over Lake Jesup on the 417 toll road to see this year’s flower extravaganza on the north shore, now’s the time . They started blooming last weekend and the peak will probably last through this coming weekend. You can see my earlier posts for more info:

Here’s a photo I made last Sunday evening near sunset:

Marl Bed Flats Sunflowers: They bloom in late September / early October and cover a large part of the Lake Jesup Conservation area.

You can look at other photos I’ve made here in this set on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/edrosack/sets/72157622430520287/

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!
©2011, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge – Fall is here!

October 1, 2011INSIDE FLORIDA, Merritt Island NWRbirds, BPWD, landscape, sunrise, wildlifeEd Rosack

Well, Fall has arrived here in Central Florida. It’s rescued us from our too hot climate and given us a few days of wonderful cool weather. So it’s a perfect time to get out and photograph our area’s nature and wildlife, and Kevin M. and I took off early this morning to re-visit Merritt Island National Wildlife Drive.

We arrived at the 406 bridge over the Indian River Lagoon just before sunrise. The cold front cleared out most of the clouds, so the sunrise wasn’t too spectacular, but we made some photographs anyway.

Indian River Lagoon at dawn

Our next stop was Black Point Wildlife Drive. It’s been closed while they resurface the road, but was open this weekend. They are going to close it again while they finish. There’s plenty of water at Black Point, but not too many birds. We did see several Belted Kingfishers (these are winter visitors) and some of the usual birds (Tri-Colored Herons, a Reddish Egret, Great Blue Herons, etc.). This Green Heron was posing in a bush on Cruickshank Trail, so I made a portrait.

Little Green Heron portrait

Next, we drove over to Scrub Ridge Trail. Once again the Scrub Jays were easy to find on the trail to the north of the parking area. We saw a group of 8 – 10 along the left side of the trail.

Florida Scrub Jay with berry or acorn

We also wanted to stop by the visitor center, buy an annual pass ($15), and check to see if the Painted Buntings have arrived (another winter visitor – they aren’t here yet). While at the center, we found out that there was a guided tour scheduled, but no one had shown up for it, so we decided to go. Since there were only two of us, Ranger Al gave Kevin and I a semi private tour of Shiloh Marsh Road, which runs for about 10 miles through the marsh and along the lagoon. It’s a narrow, two-way dirt road with very little room to pass. We saw many more birds here than at Black Point, especially on the southern end (near the radar dome). We saw more Belted Kingfishers, Roseate Spoonbills, White Pelicans, Reddish Egrets, a female Blue Grosbeak, a Yellow Billed Cuckoo; and other species. Ranger Al was very informative and pointed out all types of flowers, Butterflies, Dragonflies and birds. On the way to Shiloh Marsh Road we also stopped at Haulover Canal where we saw some Manatees. They spend the hotter months around there and move to warmer waters in the Winter.

White Pelican: There was a large flock of these birds. These are usually migrants in Central Florida, but the ranger said that some had spent the summer.

This outing was a bit longer than our normal excursions – I didn’t get back home until 2:30. But it was very pleasant – we saw a lot of things and the weather was wonderful.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!
©2011, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved

Neighborhood Sunset

September 25, 2011INSIDE FLORIDA, TechniquesunsetEd Rosack

Beauty is all around us. You don’t have to journey thousands of miles to an exotic location with many pounds of gear to make a good photograph. Often, you can find one in or very close to your back yard. And since you know your area better than any other, you know where the beauty is. Make a photo of it.

Reeds, pond, sky

I went for a walk after dinner last night and photographed the sky reflected in this pond not very far from my home. We have an obligation to notice, capture and share the beauty all around us with others.

Technical notes: I made this photo (with a small camera and no tripod) using the technique I described in this post. Here though, I used four images instead of two. Because I had four source images, I didn’t try to blend them by hand. Once I auto-aligned the layers, I used Photoshop’s “auto-blend” layers capability. I also used one extra technique: white balance blending. When I imported the four original photos into Photoshop, I set the white balance to “daylight”. When I finished blending them and had them back into Lightroom, the clouds looked good, but the rest of the image was too warm. So I made a virtual copy, did an auto white balance adjustment on it and then blended these two versions in Photoshop using a layer mask. The resulting master file is 4668 x 6352 pixels (~30 megapixels).

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!
©2011, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved

Big Tree Park – Home of the Senator

September 18, 2011Big Tree Park, INSIDE FLORIDA, Must do listlandscapeEd Rosack

January 16, 2012 update: A fire has destroyed The Senator. See this post for more details. –Edro

Intro / Description

What if you could visit one of the oldest living things in the world, something that’s been alive since 1500 BC, when the Hittites were storming Babylon, and the Mayans were just getting started? What if you didn’t have to travel across the country or the world to do so?

Well, you can do this in Central Florida. The Senator is the largest bald cypress tree in the United States, and is thought to be the oldest of its species (~3500 years old). It’s also the fifth oldest living tree and most likely the largest tree east of the Mississippi River. The tree’s size is particularly impressive because it’s survived many hurricanes, including one in 1925 which destroyed the top 40 feet.

The Senator: 3500 year old Bald Cyprus tree in Big Tree Park, Longwood, Florida

Info for Photographers

The Senator is located in Big Tree Park in Longwood, Florida. A wooden boardwalk leads from the small parking area through the swamp to the two large trees. The second tree is “Lady Liberty” and is about 2000 years old.

Lady Liberty: 2000 year old Bald Cyprus tree

Photo hints:

The two large cyprus trees aren’t the only things in the park. Keep your eyes open for other vegetation and occasional wildlife such as Owls, and Turtles. The tree canopy can also be quite interesting, so look up too.

Tree canopy: That’s a very tall palm tree!

Tripod/Monopod:

Bring your tripod so you can bracket your images. You’ll be shooting up and the contrast between the sky and the dark foliage is a perfect application for HDR techniques.

Lenses:

To me, this place cries out for a wide-angle lens and the wider the better. I made the photos in this post with a Sigma 8 – 16mm zoom on a crop body camera.

Best time to visit:

If you haven’t seen this yet, then by all means go whenever you get a chance. It’s a quick trip and you can visit just about any time of the day or year. Cyprus trees do change color in the fall, so an autumn view might be interesting. You’ll want to avoid bugs and heat, so plan accordingly.

Other:

There’s a small playground for the kids, and it’s right on the cross Seminole bicycle trail.

Summary

My Gallery / Flickr photo set:	http://www.flickr.com/photos/edrosack/sets/72157627576645761/
Website:	http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/guide/parks/park1.aspx
Address / Phone:	761 General Hutchinson Pkwy Longwood, FL 32750 (407) 321-1693
Central Florida Photo Ops Rating:	Another CFL Photo Op must do!

September 11 Sunrise – Orlando, Florida – 2011

September 11, 2011INSIDE FLORIDA, Orlando, VARIOUSlandscape, Politics, sunriseEd Rosack

Orlando skyline sunrise, 9/11/11

The human capacity for evil, ugly, cruelty is overwhelming if contemplated in isolation. To stay sane and somewhat unafraid, we must consider it in concert with our greater capacity for good, kindness, and beauty. Of all the events from this day 10 years ago, we should remember the uncounted acts of heroism, bravery, and kindness. On the other hand, our enemies should remember how we overcame that evil and that no matter how long it takes, we will bring them to justice.

Late Afternoon at Viera Wetlands

September 4, 2011INSIDE FLORIDA, Viera Wetlandslandscape, sunset, wildlifeEd Rosack

Sunset at Viera Wetlands

I’d never been to Viera Wetlands in the late afternoon or for sunset and wanted to see if the activity at that time of day is any different from the mornings when we usually go. Also, I read yesterday on the Friends of Viera Wetlands blog that several of the winter migrant species (e.g. Belted Kinfishers and Phalaropes) are starting to arrive. I talked Lynn into going with me by promising her a dinner at the Dixie Crossroads restaurant in Titusville. We headed over in time to get into the restaurant before the huge crowd showed up (about 4:30pm) and then made our way down to Viera.

We went round the Click ponds first, but didn’t see much activity. The water levels are still low and the road on the east side is pretty grown up. Next we went into the wetlands. The new paved entry is nice and you no longer have to drive through the water treatment plant. There were some of the usual birds around, although I didn’t see any of the migrants. There was one very tame acting young deer and I was able to get a good close up photo of it. It must be used to having people around. I hope it’s more leery of other large animals.

Young deer at Viera Wetlands: Check out the eyelashes and whiskers!

An enjoyable photo-op, but it would have been nice to see a Phalarope.

An HDR photo and some tips

August 20, 2011Cameras and Photography, Circle B Bar Reserve, INSIDE FLORIDA, Techniquelandscape, sunriseEd Rosack

Here’s another photo from our trip last week to the Circle B Bar Reserve:

Sunrise marsh: Early morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve near Lakeland, Florida

The dynamic range of the light in a scene like this is extreme – a perfect opportunity to try your hand at High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography. I won’t get into the details on how to do HDR. You can find an excellent tutorial on Trey Ratcliff’s site. But I wanted to offer a some hints.

For sunrise / sunset images such as this, I usually bracket 9 frames at 1 EV apart. This allows me to capture the very bright sun, details in the sky, and even details in the shadows. You may want to consider biasing your overall exposure to underexpose slightly since it’s usually the sun’s brightness that is hard to capture.
When you process your images, select only the ones you need. I look at the image and histogram in Lightroom and use that to pick which ones to use. In this example, I didn’t process the brightest exposures. The reason for this is that as you use more and more exposures, you increase the chances of introducing noise and ghosting into your final output.
If you can afford it, try different software to process your image. Photoshop, Photomatix, and HDR Efx Pro (and others) all have their strengths and weaknesses and one may work better on any given image than the others.

Circle B Bar Reserve – Summer Sizzle

August 14, 2011Circle B Bar Reserve, INSIDE FLORIDAbirds, Flowers, landscape, sunriseEd Rosack

It’s hot and muggy here in the land of sunshine and the later in the day you go somewhere, the hotter it gets. This is real motivation to get out early – so Frank and I were on the road at 5:30 am yesterday to drive over to the Circle B Bar Reserve near Lakeland, Florida in time to catch the sunrise. I’m not sure what these flowers are, but I really like how they almost match the color of the horizon:

Misty Sunrise Flower; 9 bracket capture processed with Nik HDR Efex Pro

We saw a lot of the usual wildlife: Limpkins (one with a very large, fist sized snail!), Great Blue Herons, Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Moorhens, Grebes, many Woodstorks (especially in trees) – including some juveniles, a Bald Eagle, quite a few Ospreys, several Hawks, and of course a few Alligators (mostly in Lake Hancock). This Great Blue was posing in front of some Spanish Moss. I wanted to do something a little different, so I converted it to Black and White. It makes it much more of an abstract composition:

Great Blue Heron on one leg with Spanish Moss; B&W conversion with Nik Silver Efex Pro

All in all another good visit, but by the time we left it was very warm. I’d like to share some tips with you for this kind of weather. When you travel somewhere in your air-conditioned car and take your cool camera gear out into an environment like this, your lens and eyepiece are very likely to fog up. Try these things to minimize the issue:

Keep your gear packed up while inside the car to insulate it from the cold. It will be much worse if your camera is sitting on the seat by you right in the A/C blast zone as you drive
Consider running the A/C at a higher temp on your way over so the gear doesn’t get so cold
Try to arrive a few minutes early to give your gear time to warm up
Take a lens cloth with you
If you have a filter on the front of your lens, you can remove it when it fogs and get the next shot before the front element fogs up
The smaller your gear, the quicker it will warm up and stop fogging. If your big DSLR glass fogs, pull your point and shoot out of your pocket and keep going.

You can read what else I’ve written about the Circle B Bar here. And you can view photos I’ve posted from this great place in this set on Flickr.