Category: Photography

Comin’ At Ya

~ Ben Messick

Northern Mocking birds are common in the Rockport area. They have a beautiful song and were once kept as caged birds for their melodies. I was photographing this handsome bird when he took off toward me. I’m glad I didn’t notice the evil look in his eye until after I got home and was going through the pictures!

I took this photograph earlier this year at the Ivy Lane Bird and Nature Site in Rockport, Texas. It was taken with a Nikon Z5 camera using a NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S lens (11250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 560, 400mm). It was edited in Adobe Lightroom.

Canyon Lake Sunrise

~ Ben Messick

Today is our last day in Phoenix. We will be headed north to spend the next month in the Sedona area. While we have barely scratched the surface of the things to do (and photograph) here, I will be so glad to get away from the traffic of Phoenix. Red rock photos coming soon!

I took this photograph earlier this week near Canyon Lake, Roosevelt, Arizona. It was taken with a Nikon Z5 camera using a NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens (1/100 sec at f/4.5, ISO 100, 24mm). It was edited in Adobe Lightroom.

Desert Moonset

~ Ben Messick

When I went out earlier this week to Canyon Lake to watch the sunrise, the near full moon was setting behind me. Because of camera limitations, it is difficult to capture the bright moon and dark desert in one photo. I took several photographs exposed for the moon and several photographs exposed for the rest of the desert. This image represents my attempt of putting the best two photographs together to match the beauty I saw.

The photographs used to make this were taken Wednesday morning near Roosevelt, Arizona. They were taken with a Nikon Z5 camera using a NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S lens. (Main Photo: 1/50 sec at f/4.5, ISO 12800, 125mm. Moon: 1/640 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100, 400mm). It was created in Adobe Photoshop and edited in Adobe Lightroom.

Sawyer Glacier

~ Ben Messick

For today’s photograph, I dug back into the vault of one of our favorite trips. We took a seven day Carnival cruise out of Seattle to Alaska and loved it. Sailing down the Alaskan fjords, it was hard to believe we were still in the United States. We can’t wait to go back and explore it at a different pace in our motorhome. Maybe next summer? #tbt

This photograph was taken in Holkham Bay, Alaska in June of 2019. It was taken with a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV that I rented for the trip. (1/250 sec at f/4, ISO 160, 600mm). It was edited in Apple Photos.

Saguaro at Dawn

~ Ben Messick

Living in Fort Wayne for years, I know where most of the great spots are to take photographs. But here, I have no idea. I spent time yesterday on the internet searching for Phoenix sunrises. I found some beautiful photos, but few had the locations marked. So thank you to the photographers that are willing to share their photo spots. I will do the same.

I took this photograph this morning near Canyon Lake, Roosevelt, Arizona. It was taken with a Nikon Z5 camera using a NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens (1/80 sec at f/4.5, ISO 100, 48mm). It was edited in Adobe Lightroom.

Desert Lemonade

~ Ben Messick

It was a beautiful day in Phoenix yesterday and we drove over an hour to attend an event… that is today. I bought tickets over a month ago and put it in the calendar wrong. So… I used the AllTrails app on my phone to find a nearby loop hike. And that is how we discovered White Tank Regional Park and turned some of life’s lemons into lemonade.

This was taken in White Tank Regional Park, Waddell, AZ. It was taken with a Nikon Z5 camera using a NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S lens (1/1250 sec at f/9.0, ISO 100, 100mm). It was edited in Adobe Lightroom.

Canoe at Sunset

~ Ben Messick

This illustrates several of the principles of nature photography. We stopped at this roadside park so I could get pictures of what was turning out to be a magnificent sunset. (Principle: Always have your camera with you!) Looking at the scene layers, I had a good background (sunset) and middle ground (reeds), but I lacked a good foreground layer. While I was taking some pictures, this couple pulled up and put their canoe in. Perfect. (Principle: Layer your photographs). And as a bonus, the ripples in the water created natural lines to the focal point of the photograph. (Principle: Leading lines)

This was taken last fall in Ashland, Wisconsin. It was taken with a Nikon Z5 camera using a NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 lens (1/125 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100). It was edited in Adobe Lightroom.

The Lonely Coot

~ Ben Messick

In search of sunrise pictures, I tried the 120 acre fresh water marsh at Aransas Woods. The fog was dreamy, but very few birds. This American Coot was kind enough to swim by so I at least got a few shots. The coots are very common here and can sometimes be found in large groups. When taking off, they beat their wings and appear to be walking on water for a few yards.

This photograph was taken in January 26 in Aransas Woods, Rockport, Texas. (Nikon Z5, 1/400 sec at f/5.3, ISO 11400, 350mm)

Franklin Mountains Sunset

~ Ben Messick

Destined for Phoenix, we have made it more than 700 miles from Rockport. Driving with with the wind gusts was challenging. It took concentration and both hands on the wheel. We did make it safe and found our campground backdropped with these beautiful mountains.

This was taken last night in Anthony, Texas. (Nikon Z5, 1/250 sec at f/4.0, ISO 640, 43mm)

Sunset of Progress

~ Ben Messick

Texas leads the nation with over 16,000 turbines installed. I was discussing sunsets with another photographer in Rockport. The conversation led to his favorite places to take sunset pictures that wouldn’t have wind turbines in them. I don’t know. I guess I would rather have visual pollution rather than air pollution. Your thoughts?

This was taken just after sunset on February 3 on Cape Velero Drive in Rockport, Texas. (Nikon Z5, 1/500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 500, 400mm)