Category Archives: Photographs

GRAIL NASATweetup Group Photo

This is the group photo for our #GRAIL #NASATweetup. It was supposed to be taken out in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center, BUT there was a torrential rainstorm at the time scheduled for the photo shoot, so it was shot in the lobby of the Debus Center. We still haven’t seen the launch yet (the Thur launch windows were scrubbed due to high upper winds and Friday’s opportunity was also scrubbed). Can you find me?



Link to larger image.

If you poke around the NASAHQphoto photostream, you’ll see some other photos of the GRAIL launch.

My iPhone pics of the #GRAIL #NASATweetup are here. My “real” pictures haven’t been edited and uploaded yet, but I’ll let you know when they are!

Gecko Feet

I’ve got some things to say about geckos and their wonderful feet. But for now, please take a moment to gaze at just how marvelous (& artistic) they look.

Gecko Feet

Photo used with permission. Original link.

Bear Feeding at NC Museum of Life & Science

This is a reposting of my post at the Animal Keepers blog on the NC Museum of Life and Science website.

Every now and then the Museum offers special opportunities for Members to experience some behind-the-scenes aspects of life at the museum. This past Sunday, Animal Department Director Sherry Samuels led an enthusiastic group of parents and children down to the bear exhibit to help feed the bears (I tagged along and took some photos). Normally, visitors are never allowed to feed any of the animals! Each animal has a special diet which must be followed for their health and wellness. So this was a very special opportunity to not only observe and learn about the 5 bears who live here, but to also help feed them by tossing in the fruit, nuts, and vegetables that Sherry gave the participants. The bears gave quite a show and demonstrated many of the behaviors that the keepers regularly observe, but which members may not have seen before. Check out this schedule and then register to join us for a future Bear Feeding! The next one is a morning feeding on Sunday, April 17th.

The group walked down to the Bear Overlook after the museum closed.

The kids loved tossing in nuts, apples, sweet potatoes, and a few other goodies for the bears to eat.

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The Snowflake (Redux)

This is a re-posting. I am adding two photos of snowflakes I took yesterday (Dec 4, 2010) in Durham, NC. I could not believe we had snow! I ran outside and shot these macros hand-held. Not great, but I was so excited. Will get out more this winter and work on some new techniques.

Snowflake I captured in our yard, Durham, NC, December 4, 2010.

Snowflake melting. Durham, NC, December 4, 2010. Camera: Panasonic GF1 (Micro-four thirds).

It’s no secret that I love snow. One of the best books that I’ve seen about snowflakes is The Snowflake: Winter’s Secret Beauty by Kenneth Libbrecht (photography by Patricia Rasmussen). If you’ve ever been mesmerized by the shape of a snowflake that has fallen onto your gloved hand, then this book will delight you. The stunning photography of individual snowflakes is complemented perfectly by excellent explanations of the science behind the beauty.
Snowflakes
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iPhone Camera Macro

I’m still playing with my iPhone 3GS and macro photography. I have had some success using a small Bausch & Lomb 20x Hastings lens held directly to the camera lens on the phone body. My main frustration is with the curved back of the iPhone 3GS. I am very much looking forward to next year when we can trade up to the flat-backed iPhone 4.

In the meantime, I’ll keep experimenting. Here is one recent project.

This leaf was found on the Explore the Wild trail at the NC Museum of Life and Science in May 2010. I was attracted to the delicate structure of the vascular system of the leaf.

Reference Shot of Decayed Leaf

Reference Shot of Decayed Leaf

Leaf structure magnified

Leaf structure magnified

More than just bears

You might get the impression from my Tweets and blog posts that I only pay attention to the bears at the NC Museum of Life and Science. While it’s true that the bears hold a special place in my heart, we are non-discriminatory when it comes to giving attention to all the critters at the museum. To prove this, I present two pieces of supporting evidence for my claim.

First, not all the excitement is with the animals that move around a lot. This little frog was sitting quietly on the path and was hoping we would ignore it. I only wish I had a macro lens with me to try and get a better shot of his eye. Such interesting patterns!

frog

Second, as we were leaving today, we walked past the barnyard and saw Lightning (the donkey) kicking up quite a storm. Check out these ball handling skillz!!