Fall Photography Story

I’ve been doing my outdoor photography a little closer to home this year… no Tetons or elk this fall.  Included below are some photos from the marshes at South Padre Island, Resaca de la Palma State Park butterfly garden, and the Santa Margarita Ranch near Cotulla, Texas.  One of the best finds was a nice hatch of blue metalmark butterflies near Brownsville at the Resaca de la Palma State Park.  After several years of drought, butterfly numbers were sparse in south Texas.  Now that we’ve had several heavy rains, the butterflies are emerging again.

Last week, I lead a group of 7 photographers on a quest for large white-tailed deer bucks at the Santa Margarita Ranch near Cotulla, Texas.  None of us could believe how numerous and easy to approach these big guys were.

Yesterday, I was on South Padre Island with the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival helping an eager group of nature photographers work on their bird photography.

** Click in the upper right area of a photo to optimize sharpness and image size.

American Alligator sunning in late afternoon at South Padre Island, Texas.

For many years, I’ve sought an opportunity to photograph a big alligator with its mouth open displaying its gleaming white teeth.  With the help of photographer friend, Steve Sinclair, I captured several images of this big gator sunning by a freshwater pool at South Padre Island World Birding Center.

Male Blue Metalmark on mist flower.

Blue Metalmark butterflies, about the size of a quarter, are very hard to find in the U.S.  After excellent summer and autumn rains, they have begun to appear at butterfly gardens along the border in south Texas.

Blue Metalmark female sunning on heliotrop plant.

 

Vesta Crescent nectaring on mist flower.

 

For most of my butterfly photography, I use a Canon 300 mm, f4 lens with 1.4 X teleconverter or a 25 mm extension tube between that lens and the camera, a Canon 7D (its small sensor provides an additional 1.6X magnification of the subject).  Of course, this camera and lens combination is supported by a Gitzo Carbon Fiber tripod with ball head.  You won’t get sharp photos trying to hand-hold a big lens.  Macro lenses require the photographer to get within inches of the subject and most butterflies won’t stand for that.  I can work at a distance of about 4′ and get crisp, frame-filling images without disturbing the butterflies.  Much of the time I’m shooting at f 11 – 16, trying to get the depth of field needed to keep both wings sharp.  Of course, part of the secret is getting into the right position to make an interesting photo capture.

White Peacock working a mist flower.

 

Grasshoppers mating in the butterfly garden.

 

Giant White-tailed Deer on the Santa Margarita Ranch at Cotulla, Texas.

 

Buck walking into the orange light of sunrise.

 

Photographer getting close to big whitetail bucks for that "perfect" photo.

 

Buck attempting to pass on those incredible antler genetics.

 

Doe silhouetted against a lighted fountain at Santa Margarita Ranch.

 

Great Egret landing at South Padre Island World Birding Center pond.

 

** I have one slot left on each of this winter’s Whooping Crane Photo Tours … December 17 – 19 and January 21 – 23 at Rockport, Texas.  Both are very popular, so let me know quickly if you want to join me on either shoot.  Check this website under “Photo Tours” for more information.

“For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made…” Romans 1:20.

Thanks for visiting this newsletter,

Larry