Sunday View - 25 August 2024 Edition

The weekend weather has been very friendly and it seems that perhaps Autumn may arrive sooner than later. I know I'm in the minority but it can't get here fast enough for me. The last several Summers have been way too hot. Though this one has been a little better. With some more comfortable temperatures I made it to one of my favorite spots to photograph. The Morris Arboretum right on the edge of Philly. I got lots of shots that I will share over the next few posts but to start today I'm staying small. Real small for the most part. Here are some pollinators and other insects that I saw. Oh, and one Robin.

Until next time...

Thursday View - 4 July 2019 Edition

Welcome To The Exploration Photography Daily View

Happy Independence Day To all of my American readers! To everyone else Happy 4th of July!

Today Kim and I were both off from work in observance of the holiday so we had a rare chance to visit Longwood Gardens during a Summer month. And that's just we did. So in place of a throwback photo I would like to share some pictures from Longwood. I love visiting Longwood this time of year when all of the flowers are in full bloom. There is just so much to see. And I got a lot of terrific shots. To make sharing some of them a little more organized I am posting them in categories. To start things off I would like you to see some shots from the Water Lily Garden. These are all of course water lilies but if you look closely you will see a stowaway or two. Of these shots I have a personal favorite but I am curious as to which one you like the best. If you would be so kind please let me know in the comments.

That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Tuesday View - 4 September 2018 Edition

Welcome To The Exploration Photography Daily View

Today I am continuing with another shot I made at the Audubon Center at Mill Grove yesterday. And just like the subject of yesterday's photo today's has wings too. Take a look at this butterfly I saw in a bed of wildflowers just outside the Center's museum.

Click For Full Size Image

Here is the EXIF data.

And here is Yesterday's View.

Monday September 4, 2018

That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Monday View - 3 September 2018 Edition

Welcome To The Exploration Photography Daily View

Today on a rare Monday off from work and an even more rare off day at home I was determined to get out and shoot for a bit. As many of you know Kim and I spend most weekends at the shore in the Summer. And as such I haven't had a lot of time to enjoy our local surroundings. Don't get me wrong though, I love the new places we are discovering in Cape May County and will probably miss a few of our regular stops in the Winter months. But as the saying goes "There's no place like home".

Today for only the second time we visited the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove. A place that is literally 10 minutes from our house. I have known about the center for quite a while but never really knew all that it offered. And wow! What an awesome place just brimming with nature. With my camera in hand I was like a kid in a candy store. I got so much good material for the blog and will be sharing it over the next several days. Plus as a bonus to an already great day of shooting I set up in our backyard (aka The Garden Cafe) when we got home and got lots there too. It was just one of those "on" days I have every once in a while. So for today's photo I am starting off small and sharing this dragonfly with you. I always liked dragonflies for some reason. I think it's because they look a little scary but are really quite harmless.

Click For Full Size Image

Here is the EXIF data.

And here is Yesterday's View.

Sunday September 2, 2018

And that will do it for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Wednesday View - 15 August 2018 Edition

Welcome To The Exploration Photography Daily View

Today's post is going to be a quick one and a mobile update. I believe this is a cicada but you can correct me if I'm wrong. He was on the side of our house this morning when I was heading off to work.

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Sunday View - 5 August 2018 Edition

Welcome To The Exploration Photography Daily View

Yesterday I finally got a chance to get out and shoot for a bit. As I mentioned in yesterday's post Kim and I stopped by The Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve (I mistakenly called it the Lizard Tail Nature Preserve) to see what it had to offer. And we pretty much found trails. And those trails certainly were not short of opportunity for me to photograph. But it was a little rainy and we were without bug repellent so we did not spend a lot of time. I did make the most of our time spent there though. And I was all ready to share some with you today. Then something else came along. This morning as I was cleaning up our campsite and getting ready to head home I saw a dragonfly perching itself on my truck's antenna. So I went inside our camper to grab my camera all the while telling myself the dragonfly would be gone when I went back out. But it wasn't. In fact I was able to get pretty close. I probably shot a hundred of so frames too. So for today's view here is my would be stowaway.

Click For Full Size Image

Many people are afraid of dragonflies but I like them. And they look really cool close up.

Here is the EXIF data.

And here is Yesterday's View.

Saturday August 4, 2018

That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Monday View - 18 June 2018 Edition

Welcome To The Exploration Photography Daily View

Sometimes the littlest subjects make the biggest subjects. Or something like that but I think you know what I'm saying.

When out shooting I record a good variety of what nature has to offer. Landscapes are obviously a big one and of course squirrels and birds. People? Not so much. And when I do they are either family or close friends and those pictures tend to be candid. But aside from all of that I also like to focus on the little things. You would be amazed at how much photographic material I can find in just a few small feet of space. It's not always easy but usually very much worth it. Take today's image as an example. I saw this dragon fly (I think it's a dragon fly) while out walking with Kim and Terry and did my best to capture it to share here. This is the only good shot out of about 10 or so.

Click For Full Size Image

I should have set my camera to Shutter Priority but I shot this on the spur of the moment. Still not too shabby though.

Here is the EXIF data.

And here is Yesterday's View.

Sunday June 17, 2018

Today's Link

I don't think I shared this before but even if I did it's worth sharing again.

This website and the apps that work along with it is an excellent resource in the identification of birds. And all you need is a picture. I have personally used it and fully recommend it for your bird watching needs. Click Here to check it out.

That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Welcome To The Wednesday View

One thing I have noticed this Autumn season is an unusual number of bees and butterflies. I just don't think it is normal. And being three hundred miles south of home at the moment I have seen even more. For today's photo I would like to share this butterfly I saw while at the Virginia Zoo yesterday.

Click For Full Size Image

Here is the EXIF data.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Tuesday November 14, 2017

And that's all for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Welcome To The Saturday View

For the past couple days I have been noticing something unusual in our front yard. Well unusual for October that is. Then today it got a little more unusual. And not for the good.

What we have is a handful of dandelions on our lawn. Not terribly out of place but being Autumn they really shouldn't be there. But what is bad is I saw a very young bee on the dandelion. What I am thinking is that the weather has confused mother nature and things are going awry. I am no expert but common sense would dictate that the bee will definitely not last through Winter. And that means less bees in the Spring and that means flowers and vegetables will be affected. Let's hope things straighten out.

So for today's photo I would like to share our Autumn oddity.

Click For full Size Image

Technical Info

- Canon EOS 80D
- Sigma DC 18-250mm Lens at 212mm
- Aperture Priority
- Aperture F10
- Shutter Speed 1/125 Second
- ISO (Film Speed) 250
- Spot Metering

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Friday October 13 2017

And now I must go my friends. But I'll be back real soon. Thanks for stopping by!

Until Next time...

Welcome To The Sunday View

Today was a rainy one around here and early on I was unsure as to whether or not I would get any shooting in. There was no way I was setting up my camera gear where it might get wet so the Cafe was pretty much out. And then as I was looking out our front door I saw it. Today's photo. It is a simple subject but one that most of us probably don't pay too much mind to. An everyday, garden variety moth. He was on the outside of our storm door. I don't shoot through glass often but with the light shining through I thought this was perfect.

Click For Full Size Image

Technical Info

- Canon EOS 80D
- Sigma DC 18-250mm Lens at 250mm
- Aperture Priority
- Aperture F6.30
- Shutter Speed 1/25 Second
- ISO (Film Speed) 100
- Spot Metering

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Saturday October 7, 2017

And that will do it for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Welcome To The Sunday View

So it's like this. Today I had plans to get out and do some shooting. But as luck would have it things didn't work out that way. The place I had in mind was WAY too crowded and in fact had no available parking. I was very disappointed. So to get a little bit of camera time in I figured I'd head out to the garden for a bit. And I had something specific in mind. But as I set up and was ready to shoot I saw something even better. And that is what I am finally sharing with you today.

Click For Full Size Image

This little guy just showed up as I was setting my camera and remote up. Glad I saw him because he didn't stick around too long.

Technical Info

- Canon EOS 80D
- Sigma DC 18-250mm Lens at 250mm
- Manual Control
- Aperture F16
- Shutter Speed 1/60 Second
- ISO (Film Speed) 100
- Center Weighted Average Metering

Here is the "Before" image.

Click For Full Size Image

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Saturday August 5, 2017

Saturday August 5, 2017

Saturday August 5, 2017

And that will do it for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 20, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

While out photographing the other day I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of natures most feared yet also most interesting insects. There was a time when you couldn't get me near one of these little guys but I have grown to be fascinated by them. And I have found that when treated properly there is very little risk of upsetting them. I am of course talking about the all important bee.

As far as I know I am not allergic to bee stings. But the last time I was stung was as a child. Probably about 40 years ago. And I know we can develop allergies as we age. So I will be very careful as I capture them on film (or virtual film).

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Tuesday July 19, 2016

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 15, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

I was out in the Garden Cafe this evening cleaning and filling up the feeders and I noticed a bee hanging around one of the hummingbird feeders. I thought it was a long shot but I went inside and grabbed my camera to see if I could get a good shot. And for today's photo I would like to share this with you.

I was kind of nervous shooting this but he was much more interested in the nectar than me. Sometimes the hummingbirds have to work around or chase the bees away.

And here is a video I meant to show you last week. It's a small glimpse of one of our mornings at the beach in Atlantic City during our trip for the Independence Day holiday.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Thursday July 14, 2016

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - December 28, 2015

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

This afternoon I was going over some photos from the last several months. Ones that I have not previously shared. My normal process after I go out shooting is to create a folder with the days work and carefully screen them for the few that I want to show. I then do whatever post processing I feel is needed and decide what I want to share and where. Some I show here and some may be posted to one of the dedicated photo sharing sites that I use. Then like today, every once in a while I take a second look. And sometimes I find something that I skipped over the first time around for whatever reason that I think has some merit and decide that I would like to share it. And that is what happened today.

Today's photo is from September 26th of this year and was shot at Longwood Gardens.

As all of us in the Northeastern U.S. knows the weather has been very unseasonably warm. So now it is of no surprise that this bee was still buzzing around in late September. But when I shot it I was very surprised. As I have said before I really, really LOVE this weather we have been having but I sure hope it doesn't affect this Spring and Summer too much. It's just not normal.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - September 6, 2015

Hi and welcome to a late edition of the Daily View!

It really is getting late so this is going to be quick. Yesterday I shared a photo of a Dragonfly I shot at Longwood Gardens and today I would like to share this with you.

How's that for a closeup? And I was close. probably four or five inches away. I am amazed I wasn't stung. guess he was too busy to notice me.

And that's it for today folks!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - September 5, 2015

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

Today Kim and I took a drive to one of our favorite places. Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square Pennsylvania. If you have been reading my blog for a while you know that I love to photograph Longwood. From the great wide open views and the abundance of flowers and nature to the fountains and many specialized gardens there is just so much to see and record. And today's visit was a virtual treasure trove of opportunity. I have so much to share that I am still working out how I want to present it to you. I think there may be a few larger posts coming soon. But for today's photo I would like to share this with you.

The Waterlily Garden was loaded with Dragonflies. Specifically blue ones. You wouldn't know it from this photo but they are actually rather small. By luck and a little patience I was able to snap several of this guy (or girl? I really don't know). He looks white but that's just the sunshine. He is definitely blue.

As I said I have a lot to share and am working out how but for now I would like to leave you with this video. It is the same scene that I posted yesterday.

As usual I recommend viewing at Full Screen and in HD. And be sure to turn up the volume and enjoy the sounds of nature. It's a bit subtle but it's there.

And now I must go but I'll be back real soon. I hope to see you here!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - August 11, 2015

Hi and welcome my friends!

Here at Exploration Photography I share a lot of images of our local wildlife with a strong emphasis on birds and squirrels. And flowers. Lots and lots of flowers. But today I would like to share this.

After all without these little guys there would be no flowers. We have always had a decent number of bees but now that I have added a hummingbird feeder to the Cafe those numbers have gone way up. And I couldn't be more pleased. I understand more and more every day how one part of nature works with other parts. By adding that feeder I have attracted hummingbirds. To attract more hummingbirds I added more flowers. I have also attracted more bees and those bees will help produce more flowers. It's a big circle. And how about the other birds that frequent the Cafe? They also help keep the insect population down. The squirrels? Well if nothing else they provide lot's of entertainment. Isn't nature awesome?!

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 18, 2015

Hi and welcome to another early Saturday Daily View. Kim and I are going to be in and out all day so I don't know when else I am going to get a chance to post. Though I may try to do a bonus second Daily View. Maybe. But for now please check this out. Again it's not the most crisp photo I have shared but it's pretty cool.

This bee was pollinating leaves laying in our driveway. And there was more than one bee. Strange huh?

And I'm going for now but keep an eye out. I may have more for you later.

Until next time...