From Golden Moment to the Blue Hour

In the deep south and other places too, there's a brief time called "The Magic Hour".  On front porches, patios and outdoors in the summer, friends and family gather for conversation, a snack or early meal and maybe even a favorite beverage.

In photography, the Magic Hour is also referred to as the Golden Hour.  The departing sun casts shades of golden hues that illuminate woods, fields and waters.

In a Place Called Nowhere, the Magic Hour Fades
Sheen's Nature Photography

When traveling home from visiting my family, we stopped in a small town for the night. Across from the hotel was this open field filled with the fading colors of the Golden Hour.

Within minutes, I knew that the look and feel would change dramatically as we moved into the Blue Hour.

The Blue Hour Emerges
Sheen's Nature Photography

Sometimes the phrase 'hurry up and wait' is a wonderful thing.

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Happy shooting!
Sheen Watkins

Flower Power

It's spring and it will soon be summer in a couple of weeks.  Colors line highways, parks, cities and gardens.  Flower photography season is on us offering a rainbow of vibrants to pastels.

Photographing flowers ranges from honing in on the tiniest detail to capturing a collection of color, shapes and movements.

All that is needed is your lens in hand, a quick study of your subject to find the single point of interest or convey an overall story.

From macros using a Nikon 105mm:

To a telephoto perspective with a Nikon 70-200mm:

To using primes - like the nifty Nikon 50mm:

And short range zooms such as the kit Nikon 24-85mm lens:

Nature provides the color, you provide the perspective using your lens of choice and tell the story.  Happy Shooting!

Sheen

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Dancing with the Stars in Cape Hatteras

A weekend with my dance partner "Nik" (that would be short for Nikon, my husband knows all about him!) included sunrises, lighthouses, piers and stars.

My version of Dancing with the Stars began on my last morning in North Carolina's Cape Hatteras National Seashore  at 3:00 a.m.  After my iPhone alarm sounded, a phone call from my husband who wasn't with me on this particular trip and a wakeup call from the hotel's front desk, I was up and moving.  Why so many wake-up calls?

I was determined to get these shots! 

Star Trails after the Moon had Set

Dancing Stars

Cold, a bit windy and no coffee, several photographers and I headed out to  Cape Hatteras Lighthouse to photograph stars and star trails. 

The gear?  My Nikon 600, a 14-24mm 2.8 lens, tripod and cable release.  Accessories included warm clothing, a timer, Photographer's Ephemeris app and a stars trails map on my iPhone so I could readily locate the North Star.  

First on the agenda was a 30 minute exposure of star trails.  With ISO set at 100, manual focus set to infinity it was a few moments of hurry up, frame the shot, adjust the composition and wait.

After the star trails, it was on to capturing multiple, 30 second exposure settings of the brilliant array of stars.  ISO was raised to 1600 while focus was still set to infinity.

The morning was followed by more photography at sunrise on the beach.  The joy of light and life under the sky!

Costa Rica Travel: Delightful Wings

My Costa Rica travel series in the Osa Peninsula would be remiss if I didn't dedicate a blog or two to the birds.  Common, every day sightings of Parrots and Toucans soared the moment we stepped out of the jeep.  Raptors, such as the Yellow-headed Caracara regally perched on trees that were fairly low to the ground.

by Sheen's Nature Photography

by Sheen's Nature Photography

Comical, colorful masks of the Toucans stood out against inky black feathers.

Imagine sitting down for lunch your first day and a toucan is 25 feet away.  My first instinct was to grab the camera versus eat as I didn't want to miss my moment.  After watching the large number of birds hovering nearby, I realized Toucans were quite common.  They  behaved with humans similarly to common backyard birds back home.  

Toucans had their eating routine down to a science.  Like a kid who likes to toss popcorn and catch it in the air with their mouths, Toucans make mealtimes fun.  The pull the berry off the tree, they may crack it a bit before tossing, catching and swallowing whole.  

When most birds go quiet midday, the Toucans are still out and about popping their lunch.

Did I mention that their talons were blue?  What a fab pair of 'shoes'.  

Scarlet McCaws.  Seeing them in flight with the rich scarlets contrasting with bright green trees and sky blue surroundings stopped us in our tracks.

A small family with parents and junior stopped for their lunch where we were able to view family dynamics and get some fairly close images.  Their powerful bills cracked nuts like nobody's business!  Textured faces, inquisitive expressions brought a smile with every snap of the shutter.

by Sheen's Nature Photography

Costa Rica warms the spirit and graces the visual senses with brilliant colors, sounds and wings.

A perfect place for "Happy Shooting"!

Note:  Images taken with Nikon 7100 and Tamron 150-600mm.  The Scarlet Macaw was captured with the Nikon 70-300mm.

Costa Rica Gone "Wild"

As I continue the series on my recent travels to the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, a highlight was a few, unexpected surprises.  One of our side trips was a venture back to the old gold mine town of Puerto Jimenez, the largest town in the Osa Peninsula.  This is where we flew in to the airstrip from San Jose, Costa Rica a few days prior.

The Caiman crocodile was just plain cool to see.  I named him "Smiley" for his pearly whites.  This was taken with my Tamron 150-600mm from a getaway quick distance if needed as I totally respected his space.  

These guys can move when they want too with a land speed of over 11 miles per hour.

Caiman Crocodile "Smiley" by Sheen's Nature Photography

Later that night, we went frog hunting with our knowledgeable guide. The night has all sorts of slithery creatures.  The red-eyed green tree frog all but glowed in the dark rainforest.  His chartreuse skin and crimson eyes lit up the night.  

Red-eyed Green Tree Frog by Sheen's Nature Photography

The same night we photographed the curious little fruit bat.  They could be seen during the day as they would cluster together in the heavy, long leaves that made a perfect shady home during daylight.  At night, they flew out as groups and some solo operators remained behind for a little extra rest time before taking off to join the rest of the bats.

Fruit Bat Stare-down, Sheen's Nature Photography

Both the tree-frog and the fruit bat were taken using a Nikon 70-200 2.8mm along with a speedlight in order to bring out the details.

Along the way we did a few stops to see the Scarlet McCaw and the Tropical Screech owl that were along the dirt, well-bumped road (it's Costa Rica, rough roads are part of the charm) and streams.  Stay tuned for the Costa Rican bird blog coming soon.

Happy Shooting!

  

Traveling to Costa Rica: Lush Lands & Magnificent Wildlife

Capuchin Cutie by Sheen's Nature Photography
Nikon 7100, Tamron 150-600mm

Costa Rica.  Just saying those two little words a country filled with tremendous beauty immediately comes to mind.

During December 2014, I traveled there for a week that passed too quickly.

From people with quick smiles and delightful hellos, to foods that enticed the pallet (would love to have some yucca chips right now!) to nature's diversity, I will return to the Osa Peninsula for another sojourn.

Until then, I'll share images throughout the next few months that share the country's love of nature and color.

The first sounds I heard when arriving at the eco lodge of Bosque Del Cabo Rainforest Lodge were dogs barking.  Or so I thought.  Instead it was Howler monkeys rapidly on the move in rainforest.

My next monkey sighting was the Capuchins.  So expressive and so cute because of their ever changing faces.

One moment the monkeys are there, the next moment they disappear deep into the forest.

The Toucan's with their vibrant lime greens, lemon yellows and scarlet reds against a cape of black feathers and chestnut colored mandible, were the first birds to make their appearance.

Toucan Man by Sheen's Nature Photography
Nikon 7100, Tamron 150-600mm

While these funny faces were visible all week long, I never tired of photographing them.  Whether eating, basking in the sun or watching their photographer of the moment, seeing them in the wild was a wonderful gift.

Stay tuned for more images and writings illustrating Costa Rica's diversity and beauty.

Happy Shooting!

Sheen

Photographing Magical, Misty Moments

Mornings mean the start of a new day, a new beginning.  For photographers, it means being up before the crack of dawn to take on whatever light, color and elements mother nature decides to bestow upon us.

This Magic Moment, by Sheen's Nature Photography
Nikon 600, 50mm 1.8G

Some of the most magical moments occur when the earth is blanketed with a light, misty fog.  As the sun rises, the delicate haze floats upward before evaporating right before our very eyes when the sun reaches the tree line.

Misty Sunshine, by Sheen's Nature Photography

Left behind are colors that appear more vivid, as the sun brings out the greenest of greens and blue, blue skies.

The Morning Evolves, by Sheen's Nature Photography
Nikon 600, 14-24mm

Since the foggy mornings are fleeting, always pack the right lenses as a just-in-case. You'll never regret being prepared.  This could include a wide angle, a kit lens or fast prime and a circular polarizing filter.  I always keep my Nikon 50mm 1.8G on hand with a B&W Circular Polarizing filter.    

Bring on the day!

What do Neil Diamond & Northern Michigan Have in Common? Cherry, Cherry!

It's an early, sunny morning in Leelanau County, Michigan and the camera and tripod are in tow.  Temperatures are a cool sixty degrees.  The fields are filled with flowers and a light, fading fog continues to disappear along the drive to my destination.

The orchard awaits.

Brimming with Cherries by Sheen's Nature Photography

Brimming with beautiful, ripe fruit the orchard shimmers in the sun.  A multitude of sparrows, blue jays and robins all sing overhead.

Sweet Treat by Sheen's Nature Photography

Yet, the song that I keep hearing is a childhood favorite, "Cherry, Cherry" by Neil Diamond.

Cherry Baby!

Standing in the middle of a cherry orchard among the cheeriest of cherry red fruits definitely "Move's Me, Baby" and inspires an extra sense of happiness into my work.

So while I'll probably never meet Neil, his song added a little extra joy as I photographed and yes, tasted some of the juiciest cherries I've ever experienced.

And if he ever makes it to Leelanau County in August, I hope he gets to indulge in one of Michigan's purest treats.

Who knows, it may inspire another great song!

Happy Shooting (and singing)!

Sunflower Field - A Photographer's Playground

It's August in Michigan.  Cherry's have been harvested, apples are expanding every day and in the near future pumpkins will be glowing orange in the fields.

Sunflower Row - Sheen's Nature Photography

This is the time of year when many farmers have dedicated acres of their farms to sunflowers.  Rows and rows of vibrant yellow faces are loaded with pollen for the bees and seeds for the birds.

"Blues Skies Shining on Me" - Sheen's Nature Photography

Bee's Breakfast - Sheen Watkins

Sunflowers with their happy, yellow petals and intricate, kaleidoscope patterns of seeds are simply a joy to photograph.

What lenses to use?

Because of their photogenic nature, portrait, macro and wide angle lenses allow the photographer to 'play' in the field. The "Sunflower Row" image was taken using my 50mm 1.8G lens on a full frame camera (Nikon 600).

The "Bee's Breakfast" macro image to the right was captured with a 105mm Macro lens.

These images were taken last weekend just north of the little quaint town of Pinckney, Michigan. I spent two hours 'playing' photographer in sunflower rows on this multi-acre sunflower farm.

There were still many petal-posers in full bloom even though I was two weeks behind the peak blooming time for this particular patch.

When in the field, it's easy to lose track of time.  But that's ok when surrounded with subjects that shout 'sunshine and happiness'.

Happy Shooting!
Sheen

Gear Review: Nikon's 50mm 1.8G Lens is a Fast Friend

How clearly I remember the day when my first 'surprise' camera with a Nikon 55-300mm telephoto lens arrived.  As someone who's primary subject was to going be birds and wildlife, I seriously thought this was the only lens I'd ever need.

First and foremost I am a bird photographer.  Birding was the passion that stirred the interest in photography.  Over time, the passion for birds has not changed.  Instead, a passion for photography expanded my horizons of what images I capture.

After investing in a bigger telephoto lens (150-500) and a Nikon 105mm macro lens, I started playing around with the 24-85mm lens that came with one of my cameras. The world of landscapes emerged as subjects.  A landscape lens was then added to the growing collection.

Along the way I heard many photographers talk about how they enjoyed 'walk around' prime lenses.  I received another 'surprise' gift.  A 50mm 1.8G lens.

A big hello to world of exploring things outside of macro, telephoto and landscape.  

Airport Wait - 50mm, f/4, ISO 250, 1/80sec

The 50mm 1.8G is fast, lightweight, sharp prime lens (fixed focal length) with a beautiful bokeh.  The 50mm is easy to take on a walk in a garden, the woods, and even use in the airport for something to do while waiting for the flight.

A prime lens encourages and forces the photographer to consider different perspectives and composition. 

Night Moves - Nikon 600, 50mm,  ISO 2500,  f/1.8 1/60sec

The Night Moves image above was captured in my hometown, Birmingham, Michigan around ten at night.  Using a big aperture (f/1.8), the shallow depth of field, bokeh and desired sharpness all came together.  No flash or tripod needed.

The flowers below would have been only a close up with my Macro.  I intentionally left it at home because it would have been faster to gravitate to the macro comfort zone.  With the 50mm, the composition brought in more of the surroundings and better reflected the cheerful sunny day.

Cheerful Flowers, Sunshiny Day - Nikon 600, 50mm, B+W Circular Polarizing Filter

We are all in different mindsets with our photography and subjects.  As someone who waited too long to add the 50mm to their arsenal, I would easily recommend this as a must-have lens sooner versus later.

The 50mm is a photographer's friend, offering speed, fun, creativity and awesome quality images. 

At the very reasonable price point of $219.95 on the Nikon site and $216.95 on Amazon and B&H Photo, it's a relatively painless addition from a cost standpoint.

Happy Shooting!
Sheen