Unfortunately, the baymen, who also must make a living I grant you, use this time to patrol the beaches and just fill their buckets with them. No, horseshoe crabs are not a delicacy in some far off nation’s cuisine. Instead, they are bait for a delicacy here on eastern Long Island-eels. It is the eggs of the horseshoe crabs that are most appealing, so the baymen gather up what they can. During spawning, it is like shooting ducks in a barrel.

So while it was heartbreaking to see the buckets full, it was wonderful to see the hundred or so crabs furiously working to continue the species. See the collage board below.

But first, let me also share with you the other life’s goal I accomplished this week-a ride in a helicopter. When I tell you that I have been trying to accomplish this since I was a teen, I am not exaggerating. But, for one reason or another-weather, timing, cost-I just never made it off the ground. Well this time around, my photographic skills were needed to assist in the Southold Relay for Life, by way of an aerial photo of the event. So, just before sunset, I climbed aboard a crop duster type chopper, strapped myself in, and got ready to shoot. It was one of the best 10 minutes I have ever been airborne! I have also included a collage board of some of that, too.

The reception was on March 12, but that allows me to reach only those of you who had time in your schedule to visit the library then. So many have expressed an interest in viewing the photos, so I have posted them to the online gallery where they are also for sale in various formats. These images are great for gifts, greeting cards, screensavers, and of course home decor, plus if you purchase one, 25% of your purchase will support the North Fork Audubon Society.

Visit the online gallery here

Here’s a sample:

See below for the promo card. If you are in the Mattituck area on March 7th, please stop by and say hello.

This year, the best gift I have received is the blanket of snow that Mother Nature tossed on eastern Long Island.  We don’t often have a white Christmas, so I have not had many opportunities to capture the beautiful Christmas lights and decorated homes with a snowy landscape as the backdrop. There is just something magical about a Christmas tree in a village green that has a fresh covering of fluffy snow.  I long for the chance to capture snow-covered holiday images, and this season I had that chance in spades.

I’ve posted a few of my favorites below.  I hope they help bring the Christmas spirit to you.  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Tree at Cutchogue Village Green

Manger and Menorah –Cutchogue Village Green

Decorated Home-Southold

The cutest front porch guard

Another technique to help your colors really pop is to use a polarizer.  This is usually used to remove reflections on water and in glass, but it also helps accentuate the blue of the sky and the reds and yellows of the leaves.

After getting the exposure properly set, watch for your composition next. It is very easy to miss the stray power line, or car roof in our haste and excitement to capture the photo.  So, check the edges of  your image to make sure there is nothing that would detract from the photo when you print it out.

If it turns out Mother Nature has dropped the leaves before you were able to get out and shoot, all is not lost.  Look for carpets of fallen leaves along paths and on grassy areas.  These will make lovely backdrops to a still life of harvested bounty such as Indian Corn, mini pumpkins and hay bales.  If you can’t find a carpet of leaves, look for colorful stragglers that you can zoom in close on. If you light it from the side (easy to do as the sun sets), the texture of the leaf will add interest to the photo.

Do you have favorite Fall Foliage images to share? Post a link to your gallery in the comments section.  Happy shooting!

Lake Maratooka, Mattituck

Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon

Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon

Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon

Maratooka Lake, Mattituck

Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon

These birds are unique looking shorebirds.  They are about the size of a seagull, with yellow stilt-like legs about 6 inches long, and a long orange beak that they use to dig in the soft sand looking for, well, oysters, and other sand-dwelling crustaceans.  In flight they are just as distinctive with a hooting, laughing kind of call that demands your attention.  A very dear friend has admired them for several years, as he would often share the same tidal flats while clamming in Orient. I have been hoping to capture a usable image so I could convert it to a digital watercolor for him to enjoy.

And here are my results:

This was a photo that I processed in Photoshop, using filters and patterns.  If you would like to know more about how, just send me an email and I’ll give you some pointers to start you off. Hard to believe it started out as  photo, isn’t it?

I was grateful for the anti-shake feature on the Sony A700, which allowed me to snap a couple shots without the tripod.  Here is one with a few minor tweaks made in Lightroom. I really just appreciated the beautiful colors. Such a palette often provides a starting point for colorizing a promo piece.  Serene and peaceful despite the dramatic color, don’t you think?

Thanks for the history-botany-climate lesson Dad.

But he was right, those rainy April days were more bearable knowing that in just a few weeks, the flowers of May would be in full bloom, and May is the blooming time for one of my favorites-Lily of the Valley.  Small little flowers they are, but on a damp morning, the garden would be redolent with their bright fresh sweet scent.

These lily of the valley must have been a family favorite, because my aunt, Dad’s elder sister, grew them prolifically in her own garden.  When she retired and sold the house, I managed to acquire a few of the pink varieties.  They smell just as nice, but seem to have a special glow in the setting sun.  Don’t you think?