BauerPowerPhotographs

Monday, April 11, 2011

Birds

Eileen and I really like taking photos of birds. She uses a Canon XT and a Canon 70-300 IS lens. I use a Canon 50D and a Canon L 100-300 lens. Lately we have been attracting birds to the yard with hummingbird feeders and seed boxes. Sometimes we get volunteers who set up housekeeping in strange locations.

Here are some shots of Hummingbirds at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. These shots are hand held. The bird is a Broad-billed Hummingbird whose usual range is Mexico.

I was very lucky with Mr. Broad-bill because he was sitting in the sun showing off his pretty colors.

Our feeder at home is in the shade. We get lots of activity, especially when two hummers get into a territorial battle over the feeder. I've never been able to photograph birds fighting but here are some single bird shots.

Here is a photo of one of our volunteers, a Mourning Dove. She built the nest on top of my metal fire pit. I had left a rug and a spiral of sprinkler control wire on top of the pit and she added other nest material.

One more comment about photographing hummingbirds. In flight it takes a pretty fast shutter speed to stop the motion of their wings. The flying hummer above was shot at 1/500th of a second and the wings are still blurred.

Friday, March 11, 2011

42nd Anniversary Trip to the Grand Canyon

Eileen and I have been taking anniversary trips to the Grand Canyon since February, 1970. When we moved to Phoenix, AZ in 1987 we began going almost every year. Our anniversary month is February. That is a great month to visit the Canyon! Cheaper room rates are available and you have the ability to drive yourself to more locations along the south rim.

This year I was toting a new wide-angle lens designed to be used on my crop-sensor camera the Canon EOS 50D. The lens, a Tokina 11-16mm, f2.8, provides the same field of view as a 17 to 26mm lens would provide on a full-frame sensor camera. This lens is very sharp and is also a great lens to use indoors with a flash.

At the Canyon I was interested to see how the difference in viewpoint would affect my photos. I purposely shot the same scene at different focal lengths in order to test this idea. I'll start with a comparison of the focal lengths and then move on to more general scenic photos with explanations.

Here is a photo taken with my Canon 28-70 lens set at 28mm.

Here is a photo of the same area taken with the Tokina set at 11mm.

Finally, here is the same area taken with the Tokina set at 16mm.

Verkamps was a merchandising icon at the Canyon for nearly 100 years. Last year the family owners sold the building to the National Park Service. It is now a combined Visitor Center and gift shop. The family left behind a very large painting of the Canyon and it still graces its wall.

El Tovar is the queen of the Rim hotels at the Canyon. Over 100 years old, the hotel is famed for its gingerbread architecture and world famous dining room. Its not a cheap place to stay. I was quoted a room rate of $250.00 for one night.

For years Santa Fe railroad served the Grand Canyon from Williams, AZ. That service was abandoned for several decades but 20 or so years ago service was re-opened by the Grand Canyon Railroad. Trains leave Williams at about 9am and reach the Grand Canyon before noon. The train returns to Williams at 3:30. A simple round-trip ticket costs about $50.00. Each car has a cabin attendant to watch after your needs. Some cars are domed, affording excellent views. There is a snack bar car. Western entertainment is included along the rails.

Here is an interesting highway sign we saw in the park. Not only are mountain lions present in the park but they also carry the plague virus.

The view from Hopi Point.

A view of Pre-Cambrian sediments from Moran Point.

I call this view 2 Trees.

The snowy mountains around Flagstaff, AZ.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Dr. Paul L. Bauer

My uncle Paul L. Bauer passed away in late December, 2010. He was 95 years old. An osteopathic surgeon, he practiced medicine for 50 years in Oklahoma and Florida. He began his practice in Binger, OK, delivering babies and providing general care to a mostly rural population. He received 25 dollars for delivering a baby. He often received food as a payment in the cash-poor economy.

In 1952 he moved his family to Lake Worth, FL and opened a practice there. Working with other osteopathic physicians, he established Columbia Hospital in West Palm Beach, FL. He retired from practice in 1992. A kind and generous man, he was revered in the community. He was greeted by many as I traveled around Palm Beach county with him.

He was an avid snorkeler and SCUBA diver. He and his wife Marjorie had traveled the world to dive and capture fish for his seawater aquarium.

Paul was one of 3 Bauer brothers. My dad Howard was the oldest. Edward was the youngest. They all grew up in the Houston, Texas area.

Below are some family photographs of Uncle Paul and his family.

Howard Bauer on the left, Paul Bauer on the right.

Howard and Paul Bauer at the beach in Galveston, TX.

Paul Bauer at his Oklahoma office.

Paul Jr., Marjorie, Carole, and Dr. Paul Bauer.

Dr. Paul Bauer over the years.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Florida December 2010

I recently made a trip to Florida. I was in the Palm Beach area on the east coast. The weather ranged from quite chilly for that area to nice warm days. The ocean itself was a balmy 70 or so degrees.

I was struck by the number of bird species that were there. Although I had been to Florida many times before, my interest in photographing birds is a recent activity. Wild parrots (or escapees) were all around. Shorebirds teemed at the shore and lakes.

Below are some photos of the area and wildlife.
Flung spume on a windy day.