Fishpond Drain's Blog

Irrigation Sunset in Seminole County

2011-08-31T14:18:00.000-04:00

For the past several days the humidity has been extremely low and it hasbeen very dry causing a lot of dust in the atmosphere. This has resulted insome beautiful sunsets that Becky and I have admired from Lake Seminole. Todaywe decided to go on a photo excursion and what happens, the humidity returnsand sky is not as beautiful as it has been for the past several days. But wewere ready and headed out to see what we could find. We saw an interestingscene down Drake Farm Rd. (a dirt road) and headed out to investigate. Anirrigation system was spraying water across the dirt road. As I began to stopthe truck began to slide sideways toward the ditch. We stopped just short ofthe ditch and as I tried to back out we just continued to slide toward theditch. I got out and Becky took the wheel after almost falling down when shestepped out. It was like walking on grease. I could not push the truck becausemy feet kept slipping out from under me. Finally I braced myself against thevertical side of the ditch and pushed the truck back away from the ditch asBecky backed up. About 50 yards of doing this and we were back on a firmsurface. We continued on to find a good spot to photograph the sunset. Wefinally found this irrigation system in a peanut field on River Rd. nearFennell Rd. The pivot was extending very near the road and gave us a good angleto view the sunset though the pivot system.

Above are the images I took. All but the very bottom image are HDR images. Iused a Canon 50D and except for the B&W images I used a Sigma wideangle lens. The two B&W images were shot using a Canon 70-200 telephotolens. Just wish the cloud bank to the far west had not been there. Maybeanother day.

White Pelicans over Lake Seminole

2011-02-12T16:31:00.006-05:00

While sitting outside Becky noticed some birds circling overhead and thought they might be Wood Storks. I grabbed the binoculars and quickly identified them as White Pelicans. I was able to get the 400 mm lens attached to my camera in time enough to catch these White Pelicans "catching a thermal" before they moved on. The wonderful birds often make a stopover at Lake Seminole during their migration between South Florida and the Midwest.

Soybean time in Southwest Georgia

2010-05-28T15:26:00.003-04:00

Time to pick soybeans in Southwest Georgia. These combines are working in Seminole County not far from where I live.

Geocaching

2010-04-11T20:45:00.002-04:00

My daughter has got me hooked on geocaching. We spent the last two weekends looking for caches hidden around the Lake Seminole area and have really enjoyed it. Tonight she informs me that there are two new caches within golf cart driving distance of my location and she expects me to wait until Saturday to go find them. She says it is going to be a long week, she just does not know.

2010-04-06T16:22:00.002-04:00

If you are wondering where I have been check me out at www.lakeseminolephotography.com

I took a web design class in November, 09 and started a web page where Becky and I could share our photos with others. I also started putting comments and pictures on Facebook. Search Lake Seminole Photography on Facebook and become a fan.

St. Marks Lighthouse

2009-10-22T21:34:00.002-04:00

No trip to the lighthouse would be complete without a picture of it.

Monarch Butterflies at St. Marks Lighthouse

2009-10-22T20:24:00.004-04:00

Becky and I found our way down to the St. Marks Lighthouse on Wednesday, October 21st, because we knew the Monarch Butterflies would be stopping to fill up before heading out across the Gulf of Mexico. Above are a few of the images we took. Enjoy!

Bainbridge Rodeo Friday Night - Opening Ceremony

2009-09-12T16:04:00.005-04:00

These images were taken before the Rodeo began. Please make sure you click on the OLDER POSTS link at bottom of the page to view all the images.

This is the first rodeo I have photographed and the the first rodeo I have attended in a long time so it was a learning experience for me. Again besure to click on the OLDER POSTS link at the bottom of the page to get to the next page of images.

Enjoy.

2009-09-12T16:04:00.001-04:00

Bull Riding Part 1

2009-09-12T16:01:00.003-04:00

This is the bull riding segment that was at the very beginning of the Rodeo.

2009-09-12T16:01:00.001-04:00

Bainbridge Rodeo Friday Night

2009-09-12T16:00:00.001-04:00

Bainbridge Rodeo Friday Night

2009-09-12T15:59:00.001-04:00

Bainbridge Rodeo Friday Night

2009-09-12T15:57:00.003-04:00

Bainbridge Rodeo Friday Night

2009-09-12T15:57:00.001-04:00

Bainbridge Rodeo Friday Night

2009-09-12T15:56:00.001-04:00

Bainbridge Rodeo Friday Night

2009-09-12T15:55:00.001-04:00

Bainbridge Rodeo Friday Night

2009-09-12T15:54:00.003-04:00

Bainbridge Rodeo Friday Night

2009-09-12T15:54:00.001-04:00

Bainbridge Rodeo Friday Night

2009-09-12T15:52:00.001-04:00

Bainbridge Rodeo Friday Night

2009-09-12T15:51:00.001-04:00

Bull Riding Part 2

2009-09-12T15:48:00.000-04:00

First segment of the bull riding event at the end of the Bainbridge Rodeo.

2009-09-12T15:47:00.001-04:00

Bull Riding Part 3

2009-09-12T15:37:00.000-04:00

This is the second segment of the final Bull Riding Event.

2009-09-12T15:36:00.001-04:00

Bull Riding Part 4

2009-09-12T15:35:00.002-04:00

This is the final segment of Bull Riding

2009-09-12T15:32:00.000-04:00

Rays Lake Sunrise

2009-07-20T22:20:00.002-04:00

Lake Seminole was formed when the Corps of Engineers built a dam where the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers meet. There are also two other water sheds that feed Lake Seminole, Spring Creek and Fishpond Drain. Before the Dam was built there was a natural lake on Fishpond Drain called Rays Lake. No one seems to know who Ray is but he has a small lake named for him. This morning as part of our monthly sunrise series Becky and I photographed the sunrise at Rays Lake. Above are four images all in High Dynamic Range (HDR) using a Canon 50D.

Butterfly Garden

2009-07-03T10:06:00.002-04:00

The butterflies have really been attracted in recent days to the sunflowers that I planted in Becky's flower garden. Taken with a Canon 50D, Canon 100 mm fixed lens, f/2.8, 1/180 sec, ISO 100, custom white balance using a Lally Cap.

Thunderstorm in the Atlantic Ocean

2009-06-19T14:54:00.005-04:00

On Tuesday night before the scheduled shuttle launch a thunderstorm developed just offshore from Daytona Beach and moved toward the Kennedy Space Center. This delayed the loading of fuel until this storm had passed. The launch was later scrubbed because of a fuel leak. Look closely to the left of the bolt of lightning on the horizon and the white speck is the light from a shrimp boat.

This image was captured using a Sony Handycam Digital Video Recorder. I used Adobe Premiere Elements' Freeze Frame feature to turn it into a still shot.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm

2009-06-19T13:45:00.003-04:00

If you read the Tricolored Heron post first I know you are wondering, "Where are the pictures of the alligators?" Well here they are and this is only a sample of the many alligators located here. In the top image the alligators know where the feeding stations are and will gather there to beg for food. Tourist, myself included, can get a handfull of pellets for a 25 cents and throw it to them. The smallest gator in this group was about 5 feet long. Below that is a juvenile gator with his mough open. It is hard to find an alligator with their mouth open, even when you throw them food because they do it so fast. This is a young gator waking up from a nap. The bottom image contains two "bull" gators discussing who is boss. The small waves around the larger gator is from his growl which sounds like a "hot rod" starting up. The smaller of the two alligators is about 12 feet. You would not want to come across either of these two alligators while walking through a swamp.

Tricolored Heron

2009-06-19T12:15:00.002-04:00

The Tricolored Heron is one of the most abundant herons found in the South. It is the only dark colored heron with a white belly. This image was captured at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. Becky and I stopped there on our way back from Daytona Beach. While this place has the most alligators per square foot of any place I know, it also has an outstanding rookery where you can reach out and touch the birds if you wanted to therefore saving to cost of a very expensive telephoto lens. I recommend buying the annual photo pass which allows you in one hour before the general public. The place fills up with yankees and young'uns reel quick after 9:00 am.

Taken with a Canon 50D, Canon 70-300mm IS telephoto lens @300mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec, ISO 100.

Sunrise on our last day in Daytona Beach

2009-06-19T11:31:00.003-04:00

On our last morning in Daytona Beach we got up to another beautiful sunrise. Becky and I grabbed our cameras and of course they had been in the room all night long and were cold so when we got outside in the high humidity and warm air out lenses all fogged over. By the time our lenses had thawed out the sun was about to go behind a cloud bank and we began walking back to the hotel for breakfast. I turned and saw the above image and I was able to capture it before the cyclist got out of the frame. Kinda summed up our morning, "On the Road Again".

Taken with a Canon 50D, using a Canon 28-80mm lens @ 40mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec, ISO 100

2009-06-17T20:28:00.002-04:00

I might have missed seeing the launch of a space shuttle but I got to see it on the pad. Because it was on standby for the previous shuttle mission to the Hubble telescope it was on the launch pad that is farther away than the normal pad they use. It was a hot and hazy afternoon so the image is not as sharpe as I wanted. It is almost four miles away. Taken with a Canon 50D, with a Canon 400mm L lens f/4.0, with a Canon 2X extender. Effective focal length was a little over 1200 mm when to take into effect of the 1.6 crop factor of the APS-C sensor of the Canon 50D. f/11 @ 1/180 sec. ISO 100 and on a tripod with remote release.

Black Skimmers on the Beach

2009-06-17T12:44:00.002-04:00

d The pair of nesting Black Skimmers are resting comfortability in front of the band shell on Daytona Beach's Boardwalk. The local's tried unsucessfully to get them to nest in a more remote part of the beach but instead they choose the most popular location on the beach. Guess they like the night live here. The photo at the top was taken from the Daytona Beach Pier and gives you some perspective of the Black Skimmer's location. These photos were taken at 9:00 am, just imagine how many people will be here by noon. Taken with a Canon 50D, using a Canon 80-28 mm lens. The lower photo was taken at 80 mm, f/13, 1/500 sec. 100 iso. The lower photo was taken at 28 mm, f/13, 1/250 sec, 100 iso

Early Morning Launch

2009-06-17T07:55:00.001-04:00

Well the shuttle launch was scrubbed so we settled for this beautiful sunrise.

Shrimper @ Night and Sunrise at Daytona Beach

2009-06-16T21:34:00.002-04:00

The image at top is the sun rising at Daytona Beach, FL. If you look closely you can see a couple of shrimpers on the horizon. The lower image is a shrimper fishing at night. This image was taken from our room using a 200mm telephoto lens.

Ponce Inlet Lighthouse

2009-06-16T21:30:00.002-04:00

Above are two images of the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse located just south of Daytona Beach, FL So far we have been there twice. The first time I took these two images before the "No-Seeums" ran us off. Were were there again tonight, but the lightning ran us off.

2009-06-13T22:07:00.002-04:00

We put up corn this week and as old fashion as that sounds we did it will listening to a seminar on the laptop computer. Pictured above is Becky creaming corn with the laptop in the rocking chair. I did the shucking and removing of the silk and Becky was in charge of scraping the corn off of the cob. When it was all over we had put up 13 packages of corn. I kept a few ears out so I could have some on the cob. Taken with a Canon 40D, using a Canon 28-135 lens @ 44mm, f4.0, 1/60th sec.

Zinnias are Everywhere

2009-05-30T15:23:00.003-04:00

The zinnias are busting out all over in our flower garden. The electric fence has been sucessful in keeping the deer and other critters out of it including Michelle's dog, Allie, who got a little tast of last week. Both images were taken with a Canon 50D using a Sigma 10-20 mm wide angle lens set a 20mm. First image at f/22, 1/30 sec, ISO 800. Second image at f/11, 1/11 sec, ISO 800.

June Sunrise

2009-05-30T15:01:00.002-04:00

Each month in 2009 Becky and I have chosen to photograph a sunrise at the lake. Well the sun has moved so far north in the eastern horizion that we can't get a photograph without driving 50 miles to get to Sneads, FL (and that was last month's shooting location) so we chose a location close to the lake but not on the water. It is a field of rye. As the sun began to rise a thin layer of fog formed over the rye field. Only two vehicles passed by we were shooting the second vehicle was the land owner who stopped. Apparently the driver first vehicle had contacted him and told him a survey team was on his property. In the early morning light the cameras on tripods much have appeared to be survey equipment. The owner was pleased that we had chosen his field to photograph the sunrise and was relieved that we were not a survey team. I guess he thought the government might be trying to take some of his property. The above image is a High Dynamic Range image using three photographs combined. Taken with a Canon 50D, using a Canon 28-80 lens @ 28mm. f/22, 1/4, 1/15, 1 sec exposures, ISO 100 and the three images were combined using Photomatix.

Decatur County Courthouse

2009-05-26T10:55:00.002-04:00

Becky is working on publishing an online book in a month. Her theme is the Courthouses of Southwest Georgia. We began this project this morning with the Decatur County Courthouse in Bainbridge, Ga. While she was working on her images I took some photos across the street in Willis Park to bring home and merge into a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image. Above is one of those images. It is a combination of three photos merged together. This photo was taken about 30 minutes before sunrise and while the sky was a deep blue most of the light is coming from street lights in Willis Park. I did do some post processing in Photoshop to bring out some of the darker areas and shapen the image after running it through Phtomatix to get the HDR image.

Zinnias

2009-05-25T18:23:00.003-04:00

Below is a slideshow of some zinnias that are beginning to bloom in our flower garden.

2009-05-25T18:23:00.001-04:00

William & Brandie on a Boat Ride

2009-05-12T19:35:00.001-04:00

William and Brandie came up the the lake for Mother's Day and I took them for a boat ride. Photo by Michelle Miller

April Sunrise on Lake Seminole

2009-05-03T09:02:00.003-04:00

For our 2009 monthly photo assignment Becky & I choose to do a sunrise on Lake Seminole. Above is my submission for April. It was taken from Sneads Landing because the sun has moved so far north that this is really the only place on the lake that can capture the sun rising over the main part of the lake.

Another Bluebird Image

2009-04-25T11:41:00.003-04:00

This image of a female bluebird with nest material was taken while I was doing some testing of my wireless remote. After taking this image she and the male flew away and did not come back before the yellow flies found my hiding place and ran me back into the house. Canon 50D, f/5.6, 1/125 sec, Canon 400 mm L lens, some cropping and post processing using Photoshop.

Bluebirds in the Back Yard

2009-04-21T20:10:00.004-04:00

Two male Bluebirds were fighting while the female watched. I guess this the the male in the lower photo is the one that won the fight. I am not sure if this is the one that has been helping the female build a nest in the Bluebird Box.

2009-04-08T21:28:00.001-04:00

2009-04-08T21:26:00.001-04:00

2009-04-08T21:24:00.001-04:00

Trip toVenice Rookery

2009-04-06T21:45:00.002-04:00

Too many pictures to post here in the blog, I will get to that later, if you would like to see some raw pictures from 4/6/09 go here: http://s212.photobucket.com/albums/cc266/millerm155/Venice/

Or View the Slideshow here: http://s212.photobucket.com/albums/cc266/millerm155/Venice/?action=view&current=da173bf2.pbw

Islamorada Sunrise

2009-03-22T19:45:00.004-04:00

The morning of our last day in Islamorada, FL the storm clouds were beginning to roll in. There was thin gap at the horizon that let the sun peak through as it rose. This image has been processed as a High Dynamic Range (HDR) photo using Photomatix and a little tweeking and croping using Photoshop. The three photos taken to create this image were taken on March 18th from our hotel room.

Long Road Home

2009-03-18T19:24:00.002-04:00

We left the Keys this morning and made a side trip to the Everglades National Park. We went to Flamingo, FL to the Flamingo Visitor Center. The lodge and most everything else had been wiped out by a hurricane and they were busy demolishing it. It is about 38 miles from Florida City to Flamingo and the road takes you right through the heart of the lower everglades. This photo was taken Wednesday, March 18th from the middle of road looking back to the SW at a passing shower. This very long road was not traveled very much any longer. Reminded me of the storms we face ahead of use.

Becky kicks back in the Keys

2009-03-17T20:56:00.002-04:00

Tonight's Dinner

2009-03-17T20:48:00.002-04:00

I know by now eveyone it tired of seeing the view from our room so I thought I would show the the view from our dinner table tonight.

This was my dinner. It was very good but it would not stop smiling at me.

Last Sunset Before We Leave

2009-03-17T20:41:00.004-04:00

These to photos were taken from the shoreline next to a bridge at Tea Table Pass. It is the last sunset we will see before we leave. Taken Tuesday, March 17th.

The Sun is Melting into the Sea

2009-03-16T22:38:00.004-04:00

Sunset on Florida Bay. Photo taken just off of Key Largo on the Florida Bay side on Monday, March 16th.

Tricolored Heron

2009-03-16T22:30:00.002-04:00

A Tricolored Heron on Tavernier Creek in the Upper Keys. Photo taken on Monday, March 16th.

A Mature & Immature Ibis

2009-03-16T22:09:00.003-04:00

A mature and immature Ibis on Tavernier Creek in the Upper Keys. Photo taken Monday, March 16th while on a two hour sunset cruise from Caribbean Watersports & Enviro Tours.

Did I mention the view from our room?

2009-03-16T21:56:00.003-04:00

Approaching rain clouds in the Atlantic Ocean approach Islamorada on Monday, March 16th. Photo taken from our room.

Becky goes nuts with Coconuts

2009-03-16T16:13:00.001-04:00

Becky taking a photo of a palm tree at Crane Point on Monday, March 16th.

Sunrise over the Keys

2009-03-16T14:13:00.002-04:00

View from our balcony as the sun rose over the Florida Keys the morning of Monday, March 16th.

Magnificent Frigatebird

2009-03-15T21:52:00.002-04:00

The photo of this Magnificient Frigatebird (yes Magnificient is part of the bird's name) was taken on Sunday, March 15th in Florida Bay off of Islamorada, FL.

White Herron

2009-03-15T21:41:00.002-04:00

Taken at a rookery off of Islamorada, FL in Florida Bay on Sunday, March 15th.

Good Times

2009-03-15T21:30:00.002-04:00

Taken on Sunday, March 15th, from Florida Bay off of Islamorada, FL from the deck of Captain Ann Baxter's boat. Good times.

Seminole Sunrise Project for February

2009-02-24T10:12:00.002-05:00

I have not posted in a while but this morning I got up to work on my sunrise project and after shooting some photos I must share a few of these wonderful images. Becky and I started this project to go the the same location every month for a year and photograph the sunrise. We choose Sealy's Landing because of the good view to the east over Lake Seminole.

This morning we got up at 6:00 am to catch the 7:11 am sunrise. When I got up I checked the temperature and knew the forecast was for 27 degrees but the temperature was 37 degrees. I thought that was odd and soon realized why, it was overcast outside and the clouds trap the heat in and keep it warmer at night. I thought our morning would be a bust but as we drove to the landing at 6:30 am I could see the deep red color coming from the east. There was a break in the clouds where the sun would rise. God provided one of his most spectacular sunrises this morning and I was blessed to be there to photograph it.

Otter At Play

2009-01-07T20:39:00.004-05:00

Among all the birds at Ding Darling NWR an otter appeared and the birds scrambled to get out of his way.

More from Ding Darling NWR

2009-01-07T20:10:00.004-05:00

Finally got an opportunity to sit down and go through some of the pictures I had taken over the past three days. The Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is an amazing place to see migratory birds up close. Here are a few more pictures. The top photo is a White Herron in flight taken from an observation tower in the refuge. The next photo is a Tri-Color Herron. The third photo down shows the difference between the American White Pelican (2nd largest bird in North America) and the Brown Pelican. Michelle and I saw American White Pelican last week on Lake Seminole. The biologist thought the pelicans we saw on Seminole might be migrating south. The fourth photo is of Roseate Spoonbills and the bottom photo is a Wood Stork.

Ding Darling NWR

2009-01-05T21:29:00.001-05:00

Too tired to post more but Becky and I had a great time today on Sanibel Island at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

Santa Arrives Early

2008-12-22T17:20:00.002-05:00

Guess what Santa brought me early. Photo courtisey of courtesy of Michelle Miller

More Images from Coheelee Creek

2008-12-15T21:52:00.003-05:00

A short distance downstream from the Coheelee Creek covered bridge are two ledges that form small waterfalls. The lower image is a little more dramatic but both are unique. There has to be a lot of water flowing for water to fall all the way across the ledge in the lower image. Normally it all falls on the right side.

Coheelee Creek

2008-12-15T19:05:00.003-05:00

Last Wednesday we got over 7 inches of rain in less than 12 hours. We knew Coheelee Creek would be raging but were unable to get up there until the following Monday and the creek was still flowing strong. Above are a couple of images that were processed using High Dynamic Range Imaging software. The top photo of the bridge had some adjustments made in Photoshop using the color curves tools. The lower photo only had some sharpening applied post HDRI processing.

Bok Tower HDRI

2008-12-03T07:26:00.002-05:00

This is a photo taken by me of Bok Tower in Lake Wales, FL. It is a combination of three photographs. Because the photo was taken in early afternoon the sunlight was very harsh and a single photo either had areas that were too bright or too dark. By taking three photos of the same thing and making one as the camera thinks it should be exposed, one underexposed (dark), and one overexposed (light), then combining the three I am able (via computer software) to choose the best exposure from each photo and put in into one. This is called HDRI (High Dynamic Range Imaging).

Lake Wales

2008-11-25T10:13:00.003-05:00

Becky and I went to Lake Wales, FL last week. There were Sandhill Cranes everywhere. Walking on the side of the road, flying overhead, in the marshes and out in prairies as shown in the photo above. More to follow.

Video of Fall Color on Fishpond Drain

2008-11-13T14:48:00.003-05:00

Shot the following video Veterans Day on Fishpond Drain just north of our dock.

Fall Color on Lake Seminole

2008-11-11T16:15:00.002-05:00

Fall has arrived at Lake Seminole and the Red Cypress trees are at their peak for color. Becky and I took a short boat ride this afternoon and captured some of these brilliant colors. Below is an example taken of course on Fish Pond Drain south of our house.

Niagra Falls

2008-11-02T08:20:00.005-05:00

Becky and I got up early Saturday morning and went to the Cohellee Covered Bridge to take some early morining photographs. Because so many of the leaves on the trees were changing around Lake Seminole we thought they would be changing there as well. The leaves were still green execpt on a few trees that were not near the covered bridge. However we did adventure farther down the creek and found three more small waterfalls. Above are photos of these newly discovered waterfalls. We took pictures until all our batteries had run down. It was fun finding these new falls at a place we had been to many times before.

I'm A Keeper

2008-10-28T09:12:00.002-04:00

Becky got William a cap and gave it to him when we saw him last week. This photo has been photoshoped in several ways. First I desaturated the color and changed the hue to give it a slight sepia tone. I then brought back the color in his face and the green fish and "Keeper" on his cap. I then used a radial blur in the zoom mode to create the blur around his face. Finally I used a gradiant mask to remove the blur from his face creating the blurry halo around his face.

Flashback

2008-10-27T17:42:00.002-04:00

Going back through some older photographs this afternoon and came across this picture of Tallahassee Police Lieutenant (retired) Sid Keller and his wife. This photo was taken in December of 2002. Sid and his wife were both 93 years young at the time and I wish I rememebered how many years they had been married but I know it was near 70 because I did a photobook for them on their 70th and this picture was included. Sid was the first motorcycle officer in the Tallahassee Police Department and was hired because he owned a motorcycle and knew how to ride one. He had been driver for Rainey Cawthown delivering fuel oil and gasoline prior to becoming a police officer. On this day the entire motorcycle unit when down to the shores of the Ochlocknee River in Wakulla County to visit with Sid and his wife. We took them out for lunch at the Oaks Restaurant and shared stories of TPD and days gone by. It was a good day. Sid passed away a few years back but before he died he had driven around the United States going through every state in the lower 48 that touches the Atlantic Ocean, Canada, Pacific Ocean, Mexico, and the Gulf of Mexico THREE times on a motorcycle with his wife riding on the back. Good times.

William Walking

2008-10-26T13:40:00.005-04:00

As Becky mentioned in her blog (http://ladyoflakeseminole.blogspot.com/) she and I had the wonderful opportunity to babysit our grandson, William, a couple of nights this past week. William has been slow to begin walking and I was sure Becky and I could get him to walk with a little proper grandparent coaching and we were successful. We were trying to get William to go to sleep and had turned all but one light in the kitchen out so I was using the night mode on the camcorder to video his walking and that is why the green cast is present in the video. Enjoy.

Also you can see a longer version on YouTube:

KKK Rally

2008-10-18T16:38:00.000-04:00

As you can see from the photos above it has been an interesting day. The last time I saw any of the KKK was in Madison, FL about 15 years ago when Becky, Michelle, and I were driving up the Lake Park, GA to do some shopping. This rally was organized by the Georgia Knight Riders and was scheduled to conflict with the Donalsonville/Seminole County Harvest Festival. Their message was directed toward "Latinos" and sex offenders. During the entire rally they were heckled by a few in the the crowd of about 100 people who had gathered to hear them.

Night Photography

2008-10-16T15:00:00.000-04:00

Wednesday night after Church Becky and I went to the Silver Lake Wildlife Management Area to photograph the barn we had photographed last week only this time we were going to do it with moonlight. Right is a photograph of the barn taken over a 9 minute interval. It was converted from color to black & white using Photoshop. The only light used was the light of the full moon. The white line in the sky above the barn are stars.

The next morning we got up at 5:00 am and went to Bainbridge to the Earl May Boat Basin to photograph the launch of the bass tournament. This is one of the major bass tournaments with about 150 boats involved. The boats begin arriving at about 5:00 am and must wait until 7:30 am to leave the boat basin. During this time the boats must circle through the basin past a check-in boat to get inspected before they depart. The photos below are from this time and were taken using a 15 to 30 second exposure. The boats are in motion so all you really see is the navigation lights from the boats and their reflection in the water. The line of light you see under the pine trees are from the lights of the trucks and boat trailers waiting to launch. Remember the only light was the light from the moom and the parking lot lights at the boat basin.

The photo below was taken with a much faster shutter speed so you can see to boats as they wait for the start of the tournament.

Many of the bass fishermen choose to pull their boats up on the bank and wait. In the photo below you see that twilight has arrived as the sky is beginning to get brighter to the East. You can also see the Bainbridge outdoor stage in the background. After everyone has launched, parked their trucks, and checked in and inspected everyone turns off their motors and the Tournament Director offers a prayer followed by the singing of the National Anthem.

Boats then depart one right after the other through a narrow canal leading to the Flint River where they can then hit the throttle and go to full speed to reach their choice of fishing holes for the day. This causes a lot of rough water as a couple of bass fishermen discovered in the photo below.

2008-10-11T09:23:00.000-04:00

Becky and I went on a short photo safari Friday evening to the new Silver Lake Wildlife Management Area located in Southwest Decatur County. This is a 9,000 acre track of land that was previously owned by International Paper Company and is primarily long leaf pine trees and wire grass. There are several small lakes on the property the largest being Sivler Lake. The barn in the photo above is located at the old maintenance/office compound.

The photo on the left is taken from the dam that was built to raise the water level in Silver Lake. The lake was initially formed when Lake Seminole was created in 1957. It was very shallow and swampy so International Paper Company built a dam and this allowed the lake to fill above the water level of Lake Seminole.

As we were driving out through the tall pine trees Becky wanted to stop and take a picture of the sun setting through the pine trees so I took advantage of the moment and took a picture of her taking a picture of the sunset.

As we reached Yates Springs Road the sun was setting so we drove over to Chef Jay's Bristro for a very fine diner. Chef Jay sent a couple of his cinnamon rolls home with us so we would have them for breakfast. If was a very good evening.

2008-10-09T19:58:00.000-04:00

Spent Wednesday in Tallahassee and had dinner with Michelle, Brandie, and William. After dinner Becky and I went over to Brandie's house just ahead of a big storm. I was able to get a play table Becky had gotten for William out of the truck and into the house before the storm struck. As soon as William saw it he grinned from ear to ear. In no time he was busy playing with it and discovering where all the loose items fit. He had so much fun playing with it he never noticed the thunder, rain, wind and lightning.

2008-10-05T19:55:00.000-04:00

Another great weekend is coming to an end. It began with a great meal with good friends Thursday evening, followed by a great boat trip up the Flint River to Bainbridge and above on Friday (Emily & Becky pictured). Capped off with a fine fishfry on Saturday night at Gene & Nancy's house. Life is good.

Gator Hunting

2008-10-03T16:43:00.000-04:00

Today around noon Becky, Steve, Emily, and I were crusing down the Flint River in Bainbridge. We had just passed under the first railroad bridge north of the US 84 bridge and were flagged down by Benny West, an independent alligator hunter. Benny asked us to wait for a few minutes because he was trying to capture the alligator that had eaten a dog that was playing in the water near a public park the week before. We agreed and thought it would be great photo opportunity but the gator swam away as Benny approached. Benny motioned us to continue on as he took a rod and reel and tried to catch the gator that way.

2008-10-03T08:25:00.000-04:00

Becky and I had a very good meal in Thomasville last evening. We dined outside at Jonah's Fish & Grits Restaurant with good friends Angela & Kim. The weather was perfect, food was great, and company outstanding.

This morning we are off on a boat trip to Bainbridge. Wooo Hooo!

2008-10-02T14:07:00.000-04:00

Did not get any photo work done today. Had to work on the pastor's house and we (Becky & I) are going to Thomasville tonight to dine out. Tomorrow we are going to Bainbridge by boat and hope to get some good photos.

Photoshop Elements 7

2008-10-01T20:47:00.000-04:00

Photoshop Elements 7 (PSE 7) was released Monday night and I downloaded it Tuesday. The look of PSE 7 is basically the same as version 6 but has been updated to look more like the full version of Photoshop CS3. All of the images from PSE 6 transferred over without any problems. Watch for some photos later in the week.

First Blog

2008-09-29T15:24:00.000-04:00

Thought I would post a picture for my first blog entry. This is the rare bottle tree found mainly in the rural areas of the Southeast United States.