Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Bees

Today I got 4 bee photos I would like to post. :) I hope you like them. These photos were taken on the Pleasanton Trail which is located in Pleasanton, CA. They are from last year December.

Before I get started, I would just like to remind you that I made a Facebook Fan page for this photography blog. You can "Like Us" here. I have also made Google+ and Twitter pages. If you follow or "Like" me on these, you can be updated whenever I post something new! :) Please invite your friends too! I'm trying to get more viewers on here. Anyways, as always, enjoy my photos!

Full Resolution Photos and Prints: If you want to see full resolution photos or buy prints of any of the photos you see, they are up on my portfolio for viewing. To see my best Pleasanton photos from 2011 and 2012, use this link. To see all of my Pleasanton photos from 2011, use this link. To see my best wildilfe photos, use this link.




I hope you have enjoyed today's post. :) Please share this blog post with your friends!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Airplanes/Birds - Quarry Lakes (Part 2)

I recently went to Quarry Lakes Regional Park and took some photos. I am here to share them with you. As you know that park used to be close to where I live, but since I moved, it's been kind of far, but I still go sometimes. :) It is a really nice park. I have 26 photos from the park and will be splitting them into 2 blog posts.

For those who are new to my blog. Quarry Lakes Regional Park is a East Bay Park located in Fremont/Union City, CA. It is in the SF Bay Area.

我今天有一些在 Quarry Lakes 拍的照片。我一共有二十六章照片,会把这些照片分成两个文章。

Full Resolution Photos and Prints: If you want to see full resolution photos or buy prints of any of the photos you see, they are up on my portfolio for viewing. To see my best bird photos from 2011, use this link. To view my best Quarry Lakes photos, use this link. To view all of my 2011 Quarry Lakes photos, use this link.

Part: 1 | 2|

Today is mainly bird photos also.

FedEx plane photo shot with my Canon EF 70-300 USM lens

Another photo of the plane.

Seagull!

Photography Tip: If you are a Canon EOS owner, set your camera on AI SERVO when taking photos of birds in flight. Your camera will constantly shift its focus to make sure you get a sharp photo. 

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos


Help me with the name here... Leave me a comment below.

Center: American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Off to the side: American Coot (Fulica americana)

Center: American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Off to the side: American Coot (Fulica americana)

Center: American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Off to the side: American Coot (Fulica americana)

Center: American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Off to the side: American Coot (Fulica americana)

Center: American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Off to the side: American Coot (Fulica americana)

I hope you have enjoyed today's post! Please remember to share them with your friends and family members! Also make sure you check back often as I post more photos. If you would like a notification when I post, "Like" us on Facebook.

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Monday, February 20, 2012

Birds/Scenery - Quarry Lakes (Part 1)

Happy Presidents' Day everyone! I hope you are all enjoying your day! Anyways, I recently went to Quarry Lakes Regional Park and took some photos. I am here to share them with you. As you know that park used to be close to where I live, but since I moved, it's been kind of far, but I still go sometimes. :) It is a really nice park. I have 26 photos from the park and will be splitting them into 2 blog posts.

For those who are new to my blog. Quarry Lakes Regional Park is a East Bay Park located in Fremont/Union City, CA. It is in the SF Bay Area.

我今天有一些在 Quarry Lakes 拍的照片。我一共有二十六章照片,会把这些照片分成两个文章。

Full Resolution Photos and Prints: If you want to see full resolution photos or buy prints of any of the photos you see, they are up on my portfolio for viewing. To see my best bird photos from 2011, use this link. To view my best Quarry Lakes photos, use this link. To view all of my 2011 Quarry Lakes photos, use this link.

Part: 1 | 2 |

Landscape shot

I only did 2 landscape shots. The rest of the photos are of the wildlife at the park. 

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

 American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Photography Tip: For photos of birds in flight, set your camera on shutter priority mode and set the ISO a bit higher. Set the shutter speed according to how fast the bird is flying. It is usually trial and error, but you will get the hang of it with some practice. I usually use a speed of 1/1000 or 1/2000, and sometimes I even use 1/6000 if the lighting accommodates. Also, if you have a Canon EOS camera, set your camera on AI SERVO so it will continually track the bird in flight. I'm not sure if other brands of cameras have this feature, but they may have it under a different name.

American Coot (Fulica americana)


American Coot (Fulica americana

Left: American Coot (Fulica americana
Right: Mallard Duck (绿头鸭) (Anas platyrhynchos)

Left: American Coot (Fulica americana

Left: American Coot (Fulica americana

Sea gulls in the sky! :D Really compliments the cloud and the blue sky don't you think?


Amazing photo right? I had to wait 20 minutes to catch it in flight, it was flying in and out of the tree, but was way too fast! Photography is all about patience! 

Same bird you saw above.
 This is probably a Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis).

Another in flight photo! :D


Photography Tip: To get photos of birds taking off or about to take off (like the one above), put your camera on a tripod and aim your camera at the bird. Then it is a waiting game. Once you see signs of the bird about to take off, take several photos rapidly. Make sure you are on shutter priority and have a high shutter speed. Also, if you'd like, set your camera to take several shots when the shutter button is pressed down (the multiple image mode). You don't really need AI SERVO for this as the bird will most likely not be moving that fast.

 This is probably a Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis).

I will be posting the rest of the photos of this trip soon! Make sure you check back! I hope you have enjoyed today's photos! Please don't forget to share this blog post with your friends and family members! See you guys next time.

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Sunday, February 19, 2012

Central Park and Del Valle Regional Park

Anyways, these photos are kind of old about a few month back. I decided to combine the two place's photos together because I didn't take many photos. I hope you enjoy viewing them! I've been busy lately, that's why I haven't been posting as often. Sorry!

这些照片是我几个月前拍的。我最近很多事所以没有写那么多文章。

Central Park is located in Fremont, CA. and Del Valle Regional Park is located in Livermore, CA. We will start off with Central Park photos first.

前面七章照片是在 Central Park 拍的。后面八章照片是在 Del Valle Regional Park 拍的。

Full Resolution Photos and Prints: If you want to see full resolution photos or buy prints of any of the photos you see, they are up on my portfolio for viewing. If you are interested, please pick a link below.
Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos)
绿头鸭

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
加拿大鹅

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
The lighting for this photo was done with a Canon Speedlite 580EX II. I borrowed one from a friend.

Took this at sunset. This is the island at Lake Elizabeth (Central Park). Don't the birds and trees look pretty against the sunlight?

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)


The following photos are taken at Del Valle Regional Park. 下面的照片是在 Del Valle Regional Park 拍的。

Landscape shot of the park.

Don't know what bird this is. Help me out in the comments!

American Coot (Fulica americana)

Don't know the name. Help me out in the comments!

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Bird in flight. :D Can't believe I actually got a good photo. I suck with birds in flight.

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

This concludes today's blog post! I hope you liked viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share this blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you would like to be notified of a new post, please "Like" us on Facebook!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Front Yard Photography

If you have been reading my blog from way back, you know I own pet birds. Sadly, I used to have 5 (2 cockatiels and 3 parakeets), now I only have 2 parakeets left. 2 (the cockatiels) died from disease and 1 (parakeet) flew away. Since my pet birds do spill a lot of food, and I usually leave them in my front yard during the day time, a lot of wild birds have made nests in the bushes in my front yard. They usually come on during the day time to scavenge the food my birds have spilled on the floor. Sometimes I even see my pet birds spill food for them on purpose. I wonder if they can understand each other... Anyways, what a better place to get photos of birds than my own front yard right? Today, that is all there will be. Bird photos from my front yard. Enjoy!

Full Resolution Photos and Prints: If you want to see full resolution photos or buy prints of any of the photos you see, they are up on my portfolio for viewing. To see my best bird photos of 2011, use this link. To see my best at home and backyard photography shots of 2011, use this link. To see all of my at home and backyard photography shots of 2011, use this link.

Today's photos was taken using the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens and a few of the photos was lit up using a Canon Speedlite 580EX II.

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophys)
The reason you see so many leaves is because these photos were taken half way through last year December. I got 5 giant trees in my front yard and all the leaves started falling. HAHA A lot of work raking them up!

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophys

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophys

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)
This ones a fat one...

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)


Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)

Can't see the "crown" on the bird, but should be either a golden-crown or a white-crown. That is the only types I see in the bushes.


California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)

California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)

Can't see the "crown" on the bird, but should be either a golden-crown or a white-crown. That is the only types I see in the bushes.

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophys

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophys

I hope you enjoyed today's bird photos! Anyways, I might take more soon because it seems the babies hatched! I saw a lot of little birdies flying around and hopping on the ground eating my parakeet's leftovers. LOL So make sure you check back soon! Also, please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar. See you next time!