Forced Intermission

Due to some unforeseen and annoying issues involving my PC (read: broken) the last two weeks have been busy and bad for my photo sorting/editing/writing/posting work flow. Hopefully, everything will be fixed (one way or another) by early next week.

For now, here is an image I captured while wandering quickly through the Luxor, a casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their Egyptian theme is so well done, I may have to stay there if I ever end up in that part of the United States again.

(Nikon D300, 24mm, f/5.6, 1/8 sec, ISO 1600)

Close Encounters

As I very noisily and unsteathily hiked along the Skyline (trail #7) on the west coast of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, I heard a noise... a steady grunting. 'That's odd,' I thought and stopped, listening carefully. I held my breath and noticed the sound continued. The source of the deep, repetitive, almost-subsonic grunt was nearby but it wasn't coming from me. Curious, I backed up a few steps, crunching none-too-silently in the gravel, and peered through the branches. It was a solitary, female moose and she was so close that I almost peed a little from excitement and fear! She was right there!
Slowly, but without hesitation, I raised my camera and took a few photos.
Moose are notoriously temperamental and can weigh as much as a car; not a hiker-safe combination. Was she at all concerned about how close I was? I remembered reading somewhere that when a moose is annoyed it pins back its ears and the fur on its neck stands on end, like a cat or a dog. So far, this moose looked reassuringly uncat-like but if this was a mama-moose where was the calf? More importantly, would she remain reassuringly uncat-like if it appeared?
I hurriedly took a few more pictures.
I suddenly also recall reading somewhere that it's rutting season. That doesn't make me feel any better. Was the huffing noise she continued to make a mating call? Do female moose call to males? Or perhaps bull moose woo females with vocals and rhythmic dancing? I needed the knowledge of a Boy Scout that has his badge in moosery!
I took a few more photos and dared not move.
Some branches snap in the growth behind her. Okay, was that from a clumsy, harmless calf or a creeping, amorous bull? More snapping. It seems like there's movement all over the place! Maybe she's calling other females over to see the handsome photographer!
I take a few more pictures and panic a little inside.
...
(Nikon D300, 200mm, f/5.6, 1/60, ISO 900, cropped, WB changed to daylight)

Morning Bliss

Well, I'm back and it looks like my scheduled postings worked; that's a neat feature. Here is the first of probably quite a few postings from my recent trip around the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. 

This picture was taken of the Baddeck Lighthouse in Baddeck, NS, on the very first morning before getting to the Cabot Trail. The fog was still in the air and I stopped by the side of the road to photograph the lighthouse (of course). As I took the pictures, I was delighted to see a boat suddenly, and quietly, break the mirror-still water even though I was already enamored with the peaceful scene.

It wasn't until later that day, though, that I realized that my ISO setting was way too high (from a previous photoshoot involving dark cats in a dark room) so some of the pictures on this day end up a little grainy. Luckily the camera dropped the shutter speed to compensate... although I suppose if it hadn't I would have noticed the issue much sooner. I guess resetting the camera to its default settings before each new session is what I'll learn from this experience, although I personally like the image with a little grain in it.

(Nikon D300, 55mm, f/9, 1/8000, ISO 1600)

The B&O revisited

This is my last scheduled post. I'll arrive home again in the next few days to see if I fail at scheduling. I'll need a vacation when I get back if everything scheduled has gone as planned.

This image was taken at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. I liked the way the light and shadows effected the side of this car. It spoke to my more artsy side. 

(Sony DSLR-A100, 35mm, f/5.6, 1/50, ISO 160)

Ferris Wheel

This is my second (of three) scheduled posts.

Here is an image of a ferris wheel from the carnival the first night of the Sussex International Balloon Fiesta. Oooh, those poor people.

(Nikon D300, 40mm, f/3.5, 0.6 sec, ISO 200, cropped, removed a rogue lamp)