Life: Through the Lens

Red-Eyed Tree Frog - Costa Rica Taken with tripod, cable release and head lamps ( more easily found at night) Canon 100mm macro lens Ah, the challenges of photographing wildlife.  There are times we have taken photo workshop adventures, or gone somewhere with the sole intent of taking beautiful and interesting photographs.  For planned trips we always have a tripod, cable release, and  time to set up our shots.  Poison-dart Frog (Mr. Bluejeans) - Costa Rica Tripod, cable release, off-camera flash, 100mm macro lens But when not on an excursion, we do find the backyard an excellent spot to view wildlife, and grab some unexpected shots.    For instance, this year we had a Killdeer nest in the middle of our yard.  She was undisturbed enough to lay 4 beautiful eggs, and hatch 3 fluffy chicks.  The nest was rather far away and we didn't want to disturb her, so the shots from our dining room window didn't turn out to be anywhere near excellent shots - but a record

Do you remember when you were growing up and summer vacation was coming?  The anticipation was high and all you could picture was a vast sea of time to do whatever you wanted to do. For me it was reading, swimming, time at the cottage, and evenings of running around the neighborhood with friends, playing  Red Light, Green Light and any of a large number of games that were much more fun when the sun went down and the street lights came on. I still anticipate summer vacation, and I'm almost there.  I still have my stack of books to read (no e-reader yet), but the swimming tapered off over the years and there is  no cottage to go to.  Running around the neighborhood doesn't sound good anymore, either. So as I begin to unwind and put the busy school year behind me, I find the coffee on, camera out, and my eye on the critters - both outside and in.  The computer doesn't automatically turn to my school pages, I am able to open the Blog and anticipate the changes I