Pic of the Day

    Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis – Horse Cove, Alabama:  The cardinal flower is widespread throughout the United States from Maine to Minnesota, south to Florida and west to northern California.  I saw my first cardinal flower at Sarett Nature Center in Benton Harbor, Michigan, back in 1978.  When I saw the cardinal flower I thought it to be the most beautiful flower I had ever seen and it instantly became my favorite wildflower. 

     An endemic to North America it was introduced to Europe in the mid 1620’s, and the name, cardinal flower was in use by 1629.  Its name is attributed to the vesture of Roman Catholic Cardinals.

     I photographed this one in my backyard today, thirty-four years after seeing  my first cardinal flower in Michigan.  It is still just as beautiful and still remains my favorite wildflower.

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 300 f2.8, 1/20 sec. @ f10

Pic of The Day

    Those of you who follow the blog know that I have been traveling and shooting over the spring and summer. My journey has taken me from Alabama, north to Michigan, as far west as Idaho, then south to Patagonia, Arizona and finally home.  I have decided to post images in the order of location as we traveled.  Thus, the first images I post are from Michigan,  The state in which I did my undergraduate work, and cut my teeth in photography.  Michigan is one of my favorite states; its landscape is most condusive for bird and nature photography.
       We have spent 42 days on the road and I have lots of images to post.  I will try to post every couple of days, so please check the blog often…….but, "the best laid plans of mice and men”…….  Bobby

     Zebra Butterfly, Heliconius charitonius – Sarett Nature Center; Benton Harbor, Michigan:  The Zebra is a common butterfly throughout many of the Gulf States.  I encounter my first Zebra on Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park back in 1978 on the first trip my wife and I took together in the glades. 

     The Zebra is very common in the Everglades and was designated the Florida state butterfly in 1996.  It is commonly found in hammocks and thickets.  The zebra I saw back in “78” was a striking butterfly with its yellow stripes on black wings.  There must have been hundreds flying about and I did get the opportunity to shoot images back then.  Every time I head to the glades in spring I am on the constant lookout for this fluttering beauty.

     For this image I did not have to go to the glades.  On my way northward in early June I made a stop at Sarett Nature Center in Benton Harbor, Michigan.  For its second year, Sarett has established a butterfly house.  The butterflies are those found in the southern states.  The butterfly house provided me with great opportunities to photograph these flighty creatures just as soon as they emerged from their cocoons. 

     After shooing for more than an hour I found these “love birds,” or should I say, “love butterflies,” hanging in perfect symmetrical balance against a non-obtrusive background.  I used a tripod and the depth-of-field preview button to check sharpness from the front to back of the butterflies.  Keeping the butterflies in focus while maintaining an out of focus background was essential to the visual success of the image.

Of all the images shot at the butterfly house, this was my favorite.  My trip had just begun, and was off to a great start!

See other butterflies from this trip posted on the blog by selecting these links: http://bobbyharrison.blogspot.com/search?q=Julia and http://bobbyharrison.blogspot.com/search?q=Julia


Nikon D7000, Nikkor 300mm 2.8, 1/320sec. @ f5.6, on tripod

Pic of the Day

     Zebra Butterfly, Heliconius charithonia – Sarett Nature Center; Benton Harbor, Michigan:  While I am at Mickey D’s posting I thought I would add another butterfly from the Sarett Nature Center Butterfly House.  This Zebra struck a magnificent pose against a perfect background.  I just love it when things like this happen!

By-the-way......... photographing birds is so much easier!!!!!

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 300mm f2.8 with 24mm extension tube, 1/500 second @ f5

Pic of the Day

   Orange Julia, Dryas iulia -- Sarett Nature Center; Benton Harbor, Michigan:  I have left Michigan and have arrived at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Brigham, Utah.  On the way out I stopped at Rocky Mountain NP and photographed a few birds there.  One was a “lifer,” the Pigmy Nuthatch.  I will post one of the images in a few days. 

     I’m shooting more images than I can post right now, so I am putting a folder together of what I think are the best images and will post those once I get home and have more time to write.  I am going non-stop from 6:00 (or earlier) in the morning to 11:00pm or later at night…..I sleep really well!

     As I type this I am downloading images from the last couple of days so I am still posting images from Michigan.  My last shoot there was at Sarett Nature Center in Benton Harbor.  Sarett has a butterfly house and it is fabulous!  I got some really nice images, but I am posting this from a McDonalds and they’re ready to through me out I have little time to finish.  Had hoped to post a couple of other images……maybe tomorrow.


Both images shot with Nikon D7000, Nikkor 300mm 2.8 with 24mm extention tube.

Pic of the Day

     Fern – Sarett Nature Center; Benton Harbor, Michigan:  It was at Sarett Nature Center some 34 years ago that I honed by skills as a nature photographer while attending Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.  I spent many hours walking the numerous trails and boardwalks photographing everything I could get my camera on.  Since those days of long ago I have moved far from Sarett; yet, I return as often as I can. Over the last three years I have made two trips to the preserve and had the opportunity to walk its trails to photograph its abundance of birds and lush flora.

     This image was photographed along a trail that skirts Sarett’s immense wetlands.  Ferns are abundant, lush and full within the preserve, and this fern beckoned to be photographed.  The soft, subdued light under the forest canopy was perfect for the shot, but it also meant a tripod would be essential.  I positioned the camera and tripod over the select area and used the zoom lens to compose the image.

     Though I shot the original image in color, and the subtle green values created the image I had envisioned, I saw more.  Using photoshop I dropped the color from the image and adjusted the tonality using the curves settings.  Coming from a black and white film and print background I found the black and white conversion much more appealing.

     I have posted both the color and, black and white image for you to compare.  Which to you prefer?

Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-85mm zoom set to 66mm focal length,  Gitzo Tripod with Arca Swiss monoball head,   1/4 second @ f14