First Snow

The first snow of the season came early this year, October 20. As much as I dislike the "snow" word that early it surely offered some great photo opportunities. All images taken in the Blue Hills, northern Wisconsin. The lakes are Audie and Perch Lake.

Enjoy, Susanne

Hummingbird Tales

It was at the beginning of August that all of a sudden I had large numbers of Ruby Throated Hummingbirds showing up at my feeder. All the babies had left the nests but I had no idea where they came from as I had only a few adults all spring and summer. I had to get 2 more feeders as I wasn't able to keep them filled. And what a joy it has been to watch them and listen to all the sounds they are making - besides the humming from their wings they seem to have very lively conversations! It starts at the crack of dawn and ends at dusk. Usually they can be quite territorial and there always seems to be one that chases the rest away but this little group hanging out at my place seems rather peaceful and cooperative. I've observed several times 2 birds drinking together out of one hole at the feeder. And in the mornings they all sit nicely at their spots and drink their breakfast - they must be really hungry.

I used my 105mm macro lens for these images as it is the fastest lens I have. I find it very challenging to get a sharp photo and am happy with the results thus far. But there is definitely room for improvement and I am still missing a shot of a hummingbird drinking out of a flower.

I read that the male hummingbirds leave first in the fall, then the females and a week later the juveniles take off. Each hummer migrates by itself - so how do the young ones know where to go?? 

Nearly all hummingbirds and songbirds migrate at night. One of the most impressive feats is the flight over the waters of Gulf of Mexico - a 500 miles journey with no place to stop. For 18-22 hrs straight the hummers fly nonstop to reach the other side.

And comes spring they return to the same place they were born. Makes me wonder if I will need 6 feeders next year to accommodate  them.... It will be very quiet around my house when they'll leave soon and I am looking forward to spring already.....

Enjoy, Susanne

  

Waterfalls

Waterfalls have become a favorite subject of mine to shoot, especially in the spring as there is more water volume and the soft green colors add a special light and touch. A cloudy or partly sunny day is perfect for getting the smooth, milky look of the water flowing. I prefer shutter speeds of 1.5 to 2 seconds as there is still some detail in the falling water left. Using a polarizer or neutral density filter is a necessity to slow down the shutter speed, and a tripod of course!

The first 2 photos are taken at Devil's Kettle in the Blue Hills (near Weyerhauser). The next 2 are at Houghton Falls near Washburn and the last are Morgan Falls - all in Wisconsin.

Enjoy, Susanne

Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, part 3

Part three of my visit to the Crex Meadows Wildlife area. Besides all the exciting animal encounters (see part 1 and 2) I also found many interesting landscape scenes and opportunities for some abstract images. The first one is a "multiple exposure" of some colorful willow branches. They looked like they were on fire! And for the ending of a beautiful day a perfect reflection of two trees in one of the many lakes. Enjoy, Susanne

Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, part 2

Part two of our visit to the Crex Meadows Wildlife area - we saw and heard several Sandhill Cranes, the one on the last picture was alone and wouldn't stop squaking... maybe he/she was looking for a companion. But the highlight were the beavers, especially the one we saw right at sunset that turned the whole scenery into a golden light, even the water. This guy was busy munching away on a cattail root. Once or twice he got upset and splashed his tail but I guess his hunger was greater and our presence less annoying. 

Enjoy! Susanne

Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, part 1

What a fantastic day (4.27.) we had at Crex Meadows Wildlife area near Grantsburg, Wisconsin. If you haven't been there yet - it's a paradise for birds and other wildlife. http://www.crexmeadows.org
And we are so fortunate to be able to watch it all. We saw several pairs of Trumpeter Swans and they were all very friendly and one pair did a little courtship "dance".
There was still ice on some of the lakes though we had temperatures around 73 F.
Lots of birds - geese, ducks, swans, cranes, loons... we missed the pelicans that passed through 2 days prior.
One of the highlights was a Blanding Turtle sitting in the middle of the road soaking up the sun's warmth. I have never seen one before. She was very friendly and let us take her picture from all angles.
More to come in the next post.
Enjoy, Susanne

Dreaming of Spring

As I look outside this morning and see all the new snow coming down - it would be easy to get depressed. It must be almost 6 months since we have seen anything in nature that isn't brown or white. Hmmm, are we living in an ice age??

I needed something to cheer me up and this little bird (a common Redpoll) always puts a smile on my face. Hope it does the same for you!!  And we can always dream of spring....

Cheers, Susanne

A very long Winter

This has been a very long winter and everybody is getting tired of the snow. I was hoping to post some spring like photos by now - maybe next time. I do like winter photography and enjoy it as long as I can.
Here are some tree images and the promise of spring after all with many geese returning home. 
Enjoy! Susanne

Sweet Remembrance - Valentine's creations

On Valentine's Day we remember our dear ones and sweethearts with flowers, chocolates, a special dinner or whatever surprise we can think of. Of course these loving gestures should not be limited to just that one day. Whenever your heart prompts you to express your gratitude and love - do it.
But what I like about Valentine's day is the fact that so many people think about their beloved and dearest friends. So I imagine the sweet earth being filled with love and who knows - if I could see the earth from outer space she might glow with a pink light....
So I took the time to create some Valentine's with my camera using some conversation hearts, pink roses and my creativity.
Wishing you all the sweetest and happiest Valentine's day!
Susanne

If you like any of my creations - they are available at my Etsy shop.

Baby it's cold outside

I have to admit - I don't like to venture outside when the temps are in the single digits or below 0 F plus windchill!! But I also know winter scenery is quite beautiful and always changing depending on the time of day and the sunlight. So when I do get myself to go I am always grateful for what I find. 

The first image is at the Little Falls, Flambeau River (Cty M, north of Hawkins, Wisconsin). It was shortly after sunset and the colors turned blue and pink. The second image is at the same location just a bit earlier. The golden sunlight reflects on the ice and water and snow. What a different mood just with 30 minutes apart. 

The third image is in Minnesota, near St. Peter. The clouds lit up after sunset and created wonderful tones of pinks, yellows, reds and oranges and combined with the blue ice - quite spectacular!

So yes, Baby it's cold outside, but you wouldn't want to miss the winter beauty.

Stay warm, Susanne