Three photos

March 3, 2012INSIDE FLORIDA, Orlando Wetlandsbirds, infrared, landscape, Palm Warbler, sunriseEd Rosack

Five of us from the Photography Interest Group had a pleasant walk at Orlando Wetlands Park this morning. Here are three photos I made.

Water, trees and sky – made with my Infra Red modified Olympus E-PL1 and converted to black and white.

The view looking east at dawn this morning. The city did a lot of work last winter in this area. There’s more clear water now than there used to be and I think it’s much more scenic.

Palm Warbler – another life bird for me. I’ve seen these before, but this is my best photo of one and the first time I’ve actually identified the bird.

You can see other photos I’ve made at OWP in these sets on Flickr: set 1, set 2, set 3.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!
©2012, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved

The Falcon and the Redheads

February 26, 2012INSIDE FLORIDA, Jetty Park, Merritt Island NWRbirds, BPWD, infrared, jetty, landscape, Peregrine Falcon, Reddish Egret, Redhead duckEd Rosack

Another trip yesterday to the east central coast of Florida: Jetty Park in Cocoa and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (Black Point Wildlife Drive) in Titusville. Wow – it was a poor day for sunrise photos, an OK day for bird photography, and a great day for birding!

Dawn yesterday was nothing to get up for – cloudy, dim, no color. But we were up and out, so I made a photograph anyway.

Danger

That taken care of, I switched cameras and used the Sigma 150-500mm to scout shorebirds. There were many Gulls (Laughing, Ring-Billed, Herring), Pelicans and Black Vultures, a few Royal Terns, Black Skimmers, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Northern Mockingbirds, and Ospreys, and a Reddish Egret, and Snowy Egret. I also saw a couple of Hawks and was puzzled by the look of this one that flew over the jetty and out into the inlet until I got home and did some research. I’ve never seen a Peregrine Falcon in the wild before yesterday!

Peregrine Falcon

Reddish Egret in the surf – quite a “do”

By the time we moved up the coast to MINWR, it was a bit brighter and the conditions were better for photography. We’d heard about a sighting of a Redhead duck and wanted to see if we could find it. We came across it about half way round the drive on the right hand side swimming with several other ducks. I think it’s amazing how a few bits of data over the internet can lead to sighting a semi-rare (for Florida) bird. With so much information available it’s a great time to enjoy this kind of thing.

Redhead duck

Other birds we saw on BPWD: American Avocets, Common Snipe, Lesser Yellowlegs, American Robins, Roseate Spoonbills, Gulls, Belted Kingfishers, Northern Harrier, Northern Shovelers, Coots, Greebes, Green Wing Teals, Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons, Tri-colored Herons, Snowy Egrets, Reddish Egrets, Great Egrets, and others.

Once again, a wonderful day outside in our natural Florida paradise.

I’ve posted a few more of my photos on Flickr. You can see them in this Jetty Park set and this MINWR set.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!
©2012, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved

Jetty Park and Merritt Island – 12 Feb 2012

February 18, 2012INSIDE FLORIDA, Jetty Park, Merritt Island NWRbirds, BPWD, Eastern Meadowlark, jetty, landscape, Northern Pintail, Scrub Ridge Trail, sunriseEd Rosack

We had another very nice photo outing last weekend. We stopped first at Jetty Park in Cocoa for sunrise and to check out the shore birds. It was quite cold (for Florida) – about 32 degrees F with a 15 – 20 mph wind – brisk! We saw Brown Pelicans, Northern Gannets, Ruddy Turnstones, Royal Terns, and several types of gulls.

Dawn at Jetty Park: There wasn’t a lot of color in the sky, but I still like how this turned out

Next we went by the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (East Gator Road, Black Point Wildlife Drive, Scrub Ridge Trail, and the visitor’s center). MINWR continues to have large numbers and many types of birds. We saw several unusual ones (a Sora, Clapper Rail, Eastern Meadowlark) and many of the regular visitors (Redwing Blackbirds, Norther Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Ring Neck Ducks, Blue Wing Teals, Redish Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Tri-color Herons, Little Blue Herons, Little Egrets, Great Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, Coots, Morehens, etc.).

Male Northern Pintail

Eastern Meadowlark

There were disappointments at a few of the normal spots: The Great Horned Owl wasn’t on its nest, the Painted Buntings weren’t at the Visitor Center, and there weren’t any Florida Scrub Jays on Scrub Ridge Trail. But there weren’t any mosquitoes there either!

Jetty Park and MINWR are fantastic places to visit and very active now. If you haven’t been recently, go! You can see more photos I’ve made at these places here, here, and here.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!
©2012, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved

Orlando Magic fall to the Atlanta Hawks

February 11, 2012Downtown Orlando, INSIDE FLORIDA, OrlandoBasketball, sportsEd Rosack

The Orlando Magic lost a tough game to the Atlanta Hawks last night by two points in overtime. The Hawks always seem to have our number even though they were missing some starters for this game. It also didn’t help that the Magic were a bit slow and sloppy in the first 3 quarters.

Dwight Howard dunks in traffic

We had very nice seats, which made for a good photo-op. I used a Micro 4/3 camera and had plenty of reach with a 40 – 150mm (80 – 300mm equivalent) lens. I did suffer a bit from the small aperture. I had to set the ISO as high as 1600 to stop action at around 1/500 sec and f/5.6. The Amway arena seems to have a pretty consistent lighting – I set the white balance to tungsten for these.

Jameer Nelson shoots a 3 over Jeff Teague

It was a nice night and Lynn and I had a good time, even though our team lost.

The Magic Dancers dance

You can see the other photos I made last night in this set on Flickr. And I have two other sets from previous games here and here.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!
©2012, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved

Orlando Wetlands Park, 5 February 2012

February 7, 2012INSIDE FLORIDA, Orlando, Orlando Wetlandsbirds, infrared, landscape, panorama, Purple Gallinule, Vermilion Flycatcher, wildlifeEd Rosack

Orlando Wetlands Park has re-opened, and three of us from the Photography Interest Group met there before dawn last Sunday. I was hoping for a sunrise photo, but fog and lack of color in the sky made those efforts a challenge. Luckily I had my IR converted camera with me and made this 4 image panorama of the marsh. I think the colors in the scene are interesting so I left it as an IR false color image instead of converting to black and white. The IR sensor really brought out detail in the clouds that couldn’t be seen in visible light.

Misty marsh at dawn – Orlando Wetlands Park, just before dawn. False color IR image.

If you haven’t been to OWP lately, you’ll be surprised at the changes. There’s been extensive reclamation in cells 16A and 17, resulting in much more scenic views. Check it out!

While we were there, we ran into a tour led by the Friends of Orlando Wetlands group. Vermilion Flycatchers are rarely found in Florida, but two or more are being sighted regularly at OWP. The group let us know about these birds and even led us right to them.

Vermilion Flycatcher – not a great photo, but another life bird for me.

We also ran across a very pretty Purple Gallinule – my second life bird of the day.

Purple Gallinule

It was a good outing. Birds we sighted included various Herons, Egrets, Sand Hill Cranes, Limpkins, Coots, Moorhens, huge numbers of Black Vultures, and others.

You can see other photos I’ve made at Orlando Wetlands Park here on Flickr, and you can use the blog category pull down to locate other articles I’ve written that mention OWP.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!
©2012, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved

Keb’ Mo’ at the Plaza

February 2, 2012INSIDE FLORIDA, Orlando, Plaza Theatreconcert, music, peopleEd Rosack

Another wonderful concert at Orlando’s Plaza Theater last night! Keb’ Mo’ was in town – if you like the blues you probably already know about him. If not, you should.

Lynn and I had excellent seats which made for great listening as well as a great photo vantage point.

Keb’ Mo’

He and his band seemed to really enjoy themselves. They played a combination of older tunes and some off of his new album (The Reflection). The audience enjoyed it too.

… And the band

If you live in or near Orlando, pay attention to the Plaza. There might be some shows you’d be interested in. It’s a great venue. If you go and want to take a camera, bring a smaller one. They don’t allow “professional cameras or flash photography”. I’ve posted a couple other photos from last night in this set on Flickr. And you can read a blog entry I wrote about Hot Tuna at the Plaza here.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!
©2012, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved

Theraputic Photography

January 31, 2012Colorado, OUTSIDE FLORIDADenver, Elk, landscape, philosophy, snow, sunrise, wildlifeEd Rosack

Why do we photograph? For many reasons: To capture a moment and save it. To document something, so others can see what we see. To amuse or delight viewers with our images. To create art as a form of self-expression. To report facts as in a newspaper, or slant facts as in an advertisement.

Most of the time I’m trying to make something interesting or beautiful. To show viewers what I’ve seen and how I’ve seen it. I also like to record where I’ve been. And making family photos at gatherings / events is also important to me.

Great Gloomy Plains – Photographs often reflect the photographer’s mood. I made this photo during a break in a light snowstorm near the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Hudson, Colorado.

For the last couple of weeks, my photography has served another purpose – one that I hadn’t ever considered.

My Mother was 80 years old and apparently in worse health than any of us knew. She passed away while in the hospital for back surgery. Even though she hated to carry around her oxygen tank, she was sharp and active until the end. Mom was a great woman and much loved by everyone who knew her. She was a wonderful mother and I miss her terribly.

Lynn and I went to Denver to be with family and help settle Mom’s estate. Her affairs were in good order, but there was still a lot to do. As you might imagine, it was an emotional and stressful time.

Bull Elk, photographed near Buffalo Bill’s Grave outside of Denver, Colorado

Of course this wasn’t a photo trip, but I did decide to bring a small point and shoot camera. I’m very glad I did. During the two weeks we were there, we took a couple of short side trips. I found that when concentrating on photography, I could exclude other things from my mind and feel almost normal for a while. It really helped me cope and get my emotions back toward a more even keel. These are three of the photos I made.

Sunrise over Chatfield Lake – I made this photo on the morning we left to return to Orlando.

Photography helps us remember. It can also help us forget. At least for a short time.

You can see more Denver images in this set on Flickr.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos.

Year of the Dragon

January 23, 2012INSIDE FLORIDA, Orlando, Orlando Wetlands, Theme ParksAlligator, Animal Kingdom, Komodo Dragon, wildlifeEd Rosack

Today is the Chinese New Year, also known as the “Spring Festival”. 2012 is the Year of the Dragon.

The dragon is the most powerful of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac, and is associated with high energy and prosperity. It’s also the only mythological beast in the Chinese astrological stable that also includes the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

I don’t have a photo of a mythological dragon. But I do have this image:

Komodo Dragon

Komodo Dragons are found in Indonesia and can grow to about 10 feet in size. They’re carnivores and dominate the ecosystem where they’re found. This particular one lives at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

This year is considered especially auspicious because it is the year of the water dragon, something that only happens once every 60 years. I don’t have a photo of a mythological water dragon either. Perhaps this one will do?

Rising Gator at Orlando Wetlands Park: Is this a Water Dragon?

"The Senator" is destroyed by fire

January 16, 2012Big Tree Park, INSIDE FLORIDACypress, Longwood, The SenatorEd Rosack

Note: This post was updated on 2/29/12 after the arrest of a woman who has confessed to starting the fire. And on 3/18/19 to remove dead links.

Today is a sad day.

“The Senator“, one of the oldest cypress trees in the world, caught fire, burned and collapsed this morning in Longwood Florida. It burned from the inside out and local firefighters spent several hours trying to put out the fire and save the tree. Efforts even included dumping water on the flames from a Sheriff’s helicopter. The fire was apparently caused by a woman inside the hollow tree who started the fire so she could see the illegal drugs she was using. These Orlando Sentinel links (used to) have more details (but they’ve all been removed now in 2023):

~~http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/seminole/os-senator-cypress-tree-fire-20120116,0,6171920.story~~
~~http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/seminole/os-the-senator-pictures-011612,0,1977825.photogallery~~
~~http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/os-ed-michael-sacasas-tree-myword-011912-20120118,0,2070404.story~~
~~http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-senator-tree-fire-arrest-20120228,0,4902574.story~~
~~http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-beth-kassab-senator-fire-030112-20120229,0,3475224.column~~

The tree was an estimated 3500 years old. A 20 – 25 feet section of the base is still standing and it’s all that remains of the 125 foot tall tree that was there only yesterday. It was even taller before the top section was lost to a hurricane in 1925. “Lady Liberty”, a nearby companion tree thought to be 2000 years old was not damaged in this fire. Seminole county is now planning to spend $30,000 for fencing at the site to protect the remains of the Senator as well as Lady Liberty.

It is a big shame that Seminole County did not adequately protect this site. I’m so very glad I went by Big Tree Park last September to photograph the tree and write it up for Central Florida Photo Ops. I hope you visited too.

The Senator: Prior to the January 16, 2012 fire that destroyed it.

Rectaflex Italian 35mm SLR Camera

January 15, 2012Cameras and PhotographyAntiques, camera, equipment, film, RectaflexEd Rosack

NOTE: I’ve posted updated info about this at this link: https://edrosack.com/2015/12/20/rectaflex-update/

Italian Rectaflex 35mm SLR film camera and lens, front view

You don’t see Italian cameras and especially Italian Single Lens Reflex cameras very often. We inherited this Rectaflex 35mm SLR film camera from Lynn’s Grandfather. Camerapedia has some information on the brand. They were introduced in 1949, and the company went out of business by 1955. It was one of the first SLRs to have a pentaprism.

Italian Rectaflex 35mm SLR film camera and lens, top view

Judging by the serial number, this particular one was probably made in 1953 or 4. It came to us in a leather case with accessories including extra lenses, extension tubes, and a flash unit.

Italian Rectaflex 35mm film camera lenses, extension tubes, cases

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to run any film through it. The shutter’s inoperative and repairing it would probably be an expensive custom rebuild job. But it looks good sitting on the shelf!

I think it’s fascinating to look at these older cameras to see how things worked WBD (way before digital).

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!