Aerial acrobatics

Mike Wiskus in a dive with the smoke generator on as he runs through a series of amazing loops, turns, spins, climbs and dives over the Richard Russell Airport in Rome, Georgia on Sunday.  This was one of the fantastic demonstrations included in the Wings over North Georgia Air Show which we went to see.  The “Super Stinker” Pitts S1-11B shown here, was the last design of the famous Pitts Special line of aerobatic airplanes.

As a 2002 U.S. National Aerobatic Champion, and a member of the 2004 U.S. Aerobatic Team, Mike Wiskus has traveled the World with the same aircraft we saw him performing in at the air show.

Wings Over North Georgia Air Show
Richard Russell Airport
304 Russell Field Road
Rome, Georgia, USA

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
[Pro]Master Professional Gimbal Head GH-10 #5111
Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM
500mm @ f/8 –  1/500 sec – ISO 100

One more dogwood shot

What can I say?  The dogwoods are showing some nice colors and I had to share one more view.

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF Micro-Nikkor
105mm @ f/22 –  1/20 sec – ISO 400

#Dogwood #Trees #berries #Autumn #Fall #macro #macrophotography #detail #closeup #colorful #Nikon #RoswellGA

Dogwood berries

Though not as abundant as in many years, the dogwoods do have berries visible this fall.  I love those bright red splashes of color.  This is definitely one of the signs of autumn that I look for every year.

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF Micro-Nikkor
105mm @ f/22 –  1/15 sec – ISO 400

#Dogwood #Trees #berries #Autumn #Fall #macro #macrophotography #detail #closeup #colorful #Nikon #RoswellGA

Fall foliage

The autumnal colors are trying their best to give us a show in spite of the drought we have been in.  A couple of days ago, I posted an image from this same dogwood tree where you could see the color creeping into the leaves with the veins showing different color from the leaf.  What a difference a day or two makes!  The leaves are now beautiful shades of yellow and red.  There are lots of spots and wilting along the edges but the color is still there.

Now, someone needs to tell Mother Nature that this is really supposed to be the Fall season.  Yesterday, I put on my jeans and pulled out a sweater and ended up wearing shorts all day because it was too hot.  Once again, we are in the Atlanta version of change of season.  The season changes every day and sometimes multiple times in the same day.  Oh well, enjoy it while you can.  I’m sure winter will appear all too soon and then I’ll be longing for summer to return.

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF Micro-Nikkor
105mm @ f/22 –  1/15 sec – ISO 400

#Dogwood #Trees #Foliage #Autumn #Fall #macro#macrophotography #detail #closeup #colorful #Nikon #RoswellGA

Kiwano melon

We took a trip to the grocery store this week to search for interesting objects to try in macro and came across this.  On the outside, it is pumpkin orange with a delicate pattern and little spikes all over.  On the inside, it is neon green with tons of seeds.  It has a mild flavor something like a kiwi with a bit of a bananna on the side.

Cucumis metuliferus, also known as the horned melon, kiwano, african cucumber, jelly melon, or blowfish fruit, is an annual vine in the cucumber and melon family. Native to Sub-Saharan Africa, it is one of the few sources of water during the dry season in the Kalahari Desert.

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
ProMaster LED120SS LED light
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF Micro-Nikkor
105mm @ f/5 –  1/200 sec – ISO 500

#Kiwano #BlowfishFruit #AfricanHornedMelon #CucumisMetuliferus #macro#macrophotography #detail #closeup #colorful #Nikon #AtlantaGA

Floral detail

Just another experiment with detail and color.  This is a blossom from a store-bought bouquet.  I am playing with my ProMaster LED120SS light to get different effects with shadow and light and bring out the details.  Amazing how much difference a little light angle can have on an image!

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF Micro-Nikkor
105mm @ f/32 –  0.8 sec – ISO 100

#flower#floral #leaves #petals #macro#macrophotography #detail #closeup#colorful #Nikon #AtlantaGA

Autumn Dogwood

The colors may be lacking due to the drought conditions we have had here in Atlanta but there is still color to be seen.  This is a series of dogwood leaves backlit by the sun.  It is always amazing to see how the veins show the progression of colors from green to autumn yellows and reds.

Dogwood leaf detail with changing colors

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF Micro-Nikkor
105mm @ f/16 –  1/25 sec – ISO 250

#nature #dogwood #leaves #fall #autumn #macro #macrophotography #detail #closeup#colorful #Nikon #AtlantaGA

Calavera

This is a ceramic planter made to look like a skull (calavera in Spanish) that is a common decoration in Mexico when celebrating the Day of the Dead or All Soul’s Day.  To some people, Halloween is the biggest holiday of the year but most of us have forgotten that it is actually part of a 3-day religious season.  Allhallowtide or Hallowmas is the triduum encompassing  All Saints’ Eve (Halloween), All Saints’ Day (All Hallows’) and All Souls’ Day celebrated from October 31 to November 2.

The Christian tradition of On All Hallows’ Eve includes a belief that the barrier between the material world and the afterlife is lessened on this day.  In order to prevent recognition by a ghost, people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities.  Trick or treating comes to us as a modern version of this practice.

Day of the Dead skull

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF Micro-Nikkor
105mm @ f/16 –  1/125 sec – ISO 250

#Halloween #DayOfTheDead #skull #calvera #ceramic #planter  #macro #macrophotography #detail #closeup #colorful #Nikon #AtlantaGA

Gerbera side-view

Gerbera daisies are frequently displayed in gardens, cut arrangements and photographic images.  The are large and showy and have lots of color and detail but I decided to do this capture of a lovely red specimine from the side.  I really liked the intricate patterns of the base of the flower and the tiny white hairs on the stem.  I included a back-lit leaf as a backdrop to give the image another layer of contrast and detail.

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF Micro-Nikkor
105mm @ f/32 –  0.8 sec – ISO 100

#nature #GerberaDaisy #leaf #sideview #red #flower #floral #botanical #macro #macrophotography #detail #closeup #colorful  #Nikon #AtlantaGA

Autumn Still Life

Finally, the weather has a hint of autumn in the air!  To recognize that we are actually in mid-October, I thought some images with a harvest theme made sense.  Pumkins and gourds are such a symbol of this time of year and have marvelous colors and textures.

I’m having lots of fun playing with arrangements and looking for the best lighting effects. Right now, my equipment is very basic.  Just something for a background and an LED light to get the highlights and shadows in the right spots.  If things go well, maybe I will start a legitimate studio set up later on.

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF Micro-Nikkor
105mm @ f/16 – 2 sec – ISO 250

#nature #pumpkin #maple #leaf #macro #macrophotography #detail#closeup #colorful  #Nikon #AtlantaGA #autumn