Author: jstv

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Summer Gear Up

We had some grand plans for summer gear options and then Covid wrenched the works. So now it seems like a good idea would be to share a list of “gear” we discovered during lockdown.

Hand sanitizer should be at the top of this list. This stuff has been as rare as hen’s teeth in most stores since March.

There are a number of online recipes to make your own, but even the basic ingredients for this DIY project are difficult to find, well except for vodka.

More recently the stuff is showing up in stores again, but in using this stuff we’ve found that spray is far better than that gelatinous goo we’re used to. The other aspect of the ‘sanitizing’ process is boxes, countertops and general grocery wipe down. for this we are using bleach based sprays.

Masks, perhaps the hottest fashion accessory of 2020, have gone through a  number of iterations over the past few months. What was nearly impossible to find in March, has become standard crowd-funded projects and Target checkout counter fare.

We’ve moved through a couple of versions, starting with no-sew cotton t-shirt squares, a Buff, and the classic bandana. These were soon upgraded to basic black sewn cotton, then evolved into our current shaped silicon with replaceable filter. It seems that the face mask is going to be with us for the foreseeable future, so I’m sure that this collection will be expanded yet again.

The quarantine has made us better food shoppers. Infrequent trips to a grocery store mean you need to devise methods to make what you find last longer.

The tool proving most useful in this process is the “food saver.” Breaking down quantities of any purchase into meal sized portions and then freezing them has made a big difference in getting the most out of our groceries.

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Story and picture

It wasn’t that long ago you needed to carry a camera if you wanted pictures. Of course, this was not always conducive to the spontaneous capture of life’s simple events … all possible with phone and app.

This blog has always been an excuse to post pictures the way we want them to be seen. To that end, we’ve pushed the limits of our iPhone cameras.

Simple lenses offer a fraction of the image detail,  but it does get a boost from some very clever software and offers some pretty good pictures.

 

We enjoy exploring remote landscapes, so naturally wildlife photography is one of our interests.  iPhones, unfortunately, are not great tools for this type of image taking.

We’re not advocating abandonment of smart phones, it’s just time to up our game a bit.

This week we spent nearly every day working with a Sony mirrorless system and super telephoto lens. There were some successes and plenty of learning opportunities.

Kudos to Jack for getting this beautiful shot of an American White Pelican!

We made good use of the rental. By the end of the week we had completed 9 separate shoots and taken nearly 10,000 images. It was a great experience … and we are hooked!

 

 

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Birding to Social Distance

Tree Swallows

You may have heard of Malheur Refuge in southeastern Oregon’s high desert.  It’s known for it’s birding, fishing, and hunting.

But just 200 miles east of there is our favorite site to photograph birds and wildlife, Summer Lake Wildlife Area. It is strategically located within the Pacific flyway and sits in the northern corner of the Great Basin.

Great Egret

For birding, we’ve found Summer Lake is more rewarding. You can gain access via car and dike paths to the marsh lands. Canals and ponds are adjacent to the major loop road.

Plus there are camp/picnic sites within easy access. It might also be that Summer Lake is just an hour’s drive from our house.

Yellow-headed Blackbird

We manage to spend a day at the refuge at least every other month, keeping track of the migratory birds, as well as full time residents. There are nearly 300 bird species that nest or pass through the area and it also hosts about 40 different mammals and another 20 or so fish, reptiles and amphibians.

Currently we’re looking to upgrade our photography kit with shooting wildlife in mind. This means we need a telephoto lens at least 400mm.   Borrowed Lenses has equipment rentals so you can try out a camera and lens to see if that is going to work. This saves a lot of frustration in what will eventually be a major purchase.

Muskrat

The week’s  trial was enlightening.  The lens, a 200 to 600mm zoom, was a great fit but we also fell in love with the camera, Sony’s A6400. The other piece of information gleaned was that a smaller, lighter wide angle lens is going to be critical.

Trumpeter Swan Family

Being able to capture images at distances even with the great level of wildlife proximity Summer Lake offers has always been an issue. iPhone cameras are great, Moment lenses work well, but neither of these let you “pull in” those distant critters.

Tree Swallows

 

The week was spent with lots of early morning trips to all our favorite haunts. Not just the edge of a marsh, but the mountains and onto a stream side as well. I think in all we had some 5K frames to work with … with wildlife that means you have about 2 dozen decent shots.  The ones shared here are just a few. Expect a new photo essay going up next month.

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A Day Trip

This week marked the start of summer and saw Deschutes County dipping a tentative toe into reopening. We remain masked against the potential second wave, avoiding areas of population while still seeking out forest retreats.

Fishing, hiking and photography have offered good distractions and excellent means of social distancing over the last few months.

As society stumbles back to some semblance of normal, if that is even possible, the river banks we frequent are seeing increased pressure. BLM (Bureau of Land Management.) opened Crooked River camping this past week, which greatly increased traffic on parking sites.

Discovering a tent set up in our favorite spot, we moved downriver a couple of miles.

This new stretch of river is more of a canyon with rock walls dominating the far bank.

It is every bit as peaceful and will be added to the list of potential stops.

There are lots of places within an hour’s drive of our house offering fishing, views, trails or a combination of all those.

Day trips will continue to present a great way to maintain a level of sanity in these chaotic times.

New Photo Essay … check it out!

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An ant’s eye view

At first glance the landscape reveals nothing more than a mix of tans and browns. Sand and rock litter the ground. It appears nothing is here. Jack and Tip park under a lone shade tree and I head out in search of high desert wildflowers.

I have to change my approach. Many of these blooms are close to the ground which means I need to take a low angle and get an “ant’s eye view.” I love this type of photography … that said, it does require a certain amount of … flexibility.

I’m equipped with a small tripod and an assortment of iPhone lenses (wide angle and macro being my favorite). I take a wayward tack. I’ve been lucky in the past … meandering and wandering has paid off for me. It takes a while, but then my focus shifts and it’s like another world is revealed under my feet.

 

Its been a successful shoot. I’m pretty psyched at finding a cactus.

I can’t wait to get back and share my news … plus Jack and Tip have an ice tea waiting for me. It’s been a great day!