Percentage of Bad Photos – What is the percentage on average of photos that don’t make the cut and end up on the editing floor so to speak.

Well on average 2 out of 20 photos will be good when you are photographing a series or trying to follow a subject like wildlife.

Here are some perfect examples. I am trying to photograph this red squirrel, who by the way can move very fast.

Leaf in the way, no good

Not a fast enough shutter speed at all

Not fast enough yet

Below is a short video showing this squirrel moving so quickly, you can see why they are hard to photograph. I put the music from mission impossible movie with this clip. It fits pretty well 🙂 or click here; Mission Impossible Red Squirrel

Oh the expression, he seems a bit perturbed with me and would rather eat in peace. Bird seed doesn’t come free for these guys, the deal is they have to get their photos taken. I am pretty sure they signed a contract somewhere along the line. Maybe just in my mind. 🙂

Come back here

Who knows what happened here

The odds are right on, I had two good photos out of 18. I did not put all the bad ones on here. Just keep that in mind when you are out taking photos. They will never all be perfect, but photography is like playing golf to me. When you get that one awesome shot, it just makes me want to keep going and do more. Have a great weekend.

Have a great weekend. 🙂

Percentage of Bad Photos

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

Stop to Smell the Flowers

Wait Mom, I’m coming

Stop to Smell the Flowers

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

But Wait There Is More

But Wait There Is More

Have a wonderful weekend.

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

They Grow Up So Fast

Slow Motion Video of Mother and Fawn below. Or click here; Mother and Fawn

They Grow Up So Fast

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

Mother and Fawn – Well mom is finally bringing her baby out into the open with her. This female deer below is the oldest of the adults, she has seniority over all the others ones and lets them know it if they get to close to the feeders when she is around. I know her now because of her size and a dark spot on the side of her neck.

This fawn is a little older now and still has a few of its white spots across its body.

I snapped this photo just right, looks like she got a taste of some sour corn off of the ground.

Mother and Fawn

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

The Colors of Summer, I believe I mentioned awhile ago that the hummingbirds seems to have already left my area. Well, they are back, or they were just waiting for all my flowers to bloom so they could enjoy them.

I planted lots of zinnia’s and cosmos and a few other things to bring bright colors to my yard for the hummingbirds and butterfly’s.

They are buzzing all around the gardens, enjoying the warm weather and bountiful nectar found all around my yard. This has been the best year for flowers for me. I planted them all over 2 months ago and thought they were never going to make it for the birds, bees and butterflies, but they did.

So much fun out in the gardens this month.

Oh, and the little goldfinches are enjoying my bird bath as well.

The Colors of Summer

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

Photographing Star Trail Circles – another goal of mine is to photograph a circle of star trails, a full circle with no obstructions in the foreground. Finding the spot and the right conditions is the challenge more so then actually taking the photo.

I live in dark sky country, so that makes it much easier to accomplish this task. Well, a couple of days ago I went to a lake that I knew had a clear view to the north and I though that would have plenty of space to photograph the circle of stars.

But what I did not think of, is that even after the sun went down behind the horizon, the glow of the sun would still linger way past sunset with no obstructions to hide the last bit of light. Which made it more difficult to find the north star.

I used a compass to find due north, but as you can see in this first photo I was off center and the north star is to the left. Plus the mist coming off the lake kept blurring the lens. But it sure was fun trying to get the shot.

Not this photo is from my yard, I know where the north star is and as you can see I have a lot of trees blocking the full circle effect. But I will find a location yet to accomplish this task.

On our way home at midnight, we stopped at a lake that I knew at a clear view to the south and photographed the milky way over the water.

I did a little photo light painting as I shined my flashlight on the water to light it up for this first photo. The second photo is without the extra light.

Adventures await everyday, sometimes right outside out own backdoors.

Have a great weekend.

Photographing Star Trail Circles

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

Snow in August – no, 🙂 these photos are from 2 years ago. I have not seen snow in 2 years and that is ok with me. But I do enjoy looking at the photos I have taken of snow and deer in the snow.

We are preparing to head south already, time to go visit family and put the lawn mowers away. I love the autumn season and traveling when it isn’t so hot out as well.

Snow in August

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

Last Falls Deer – Autumn is approaching fast, I have a few leaves starting to turn color all ready. I do believe fall is my favorite season.

Here are just a few photos of last years deer as I wait to see this years new babies enter my yard for their portrait to be taken.

Last Falls Deer

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

White Tailed Deer – Wildlife has been very scarce this year. Normally there are over a dozen deer around here and this year I have seen 2 adult female deer. This one has a fawn running around, I have seen it a couple of times, still has its spots on it.

But it is just starting to come out of the woods with mom, so hopefully I will get a few photos of the fawn soon to share here.

Below is a short video of mama deer looking for some food out of my feeder, or click here; White Tailed Deer Standing

White Tailed Deer

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

Portrait of the Black Bear

Have a wonderful weekend.

Portrait of the Black Bear

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

Black Bear Trail Cam Video – here are a few more photos of last years younger black bear that came to visit with his mom and this years young bear.

I added a short clip from my trail camera of the bear that visited this year below. This clip is not on You Tube so there isn’t a link to it. You would probably have to click visit page in reader to see this clip. It shows the young bear and how it stands up to check out the empty feeder.

Below is what happened when the bear finally saw me. I did not know they could run that fast.

American Black Bear

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

Mom Bear – now this is a good size bear. These two visited our place two years ago. I saw the little bear first and again stood outside my back door with a 600mm lens and was photographing away when all of a sudden, mom came out of the woods.

I have to admit, my heart rate went up a bit when I saw her. She was so big and quite beautiful. These two trashed the feeder and again I had already put everything away when I first figured out they were here.

I don’t want them staying around, one has to respect these giant animals and give them space. They stuck around for about 4 days and then were gone. Bears are always on the search for food, if there isn’t any available they will move on as these two did.

This years bear below.

Mom Bear

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

Standing Bear – They sure look strange when standing up. This black bear is actually a smaller one. Standing he is shorter then 6ft. Compared to the pole I measured behind him.

This bear is about 80 yards from my house. I was standing next to the backdoor of our cabin as I photographed him. Being very quiet to not get its attention. Plus being right by the door incase I have to go back in.

I also use a 600 mm lens so I can get a closer photo.

Standing Bear

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

New Visitor the Black Bear – every couple of years I might get to see a black bear as it wanders through my yard. Last month this small black bear stopped for a visit.

I woke up to my bird feeding pole bent over to the ground which tells me a bear is in the yard. So I take down my bird feeders and put them away as I know he will keep coming back looking for food. Once I put the feeders away, he came back a couple days checking things out and now I have not seen him for a few weeks.

I put a trail camera out so I can monitor it as to what activity is going on at night while I am sleeping. He hasn’t been on the trail cam for a while now.

He sat down near my bird bath and just looked around for awhile. It was hot on this day and he wasn’t moving very fast. By the way, I am just guessing a he, I don’t really know for sure.

New Visitor the Black Bear

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts