What’s Up?

On Monday, I left Boise City, OK and drove to the top of Capulin Volcano National Monument in northeastern New Mexico. I took 412 to the southeast and then 87 north and west to the entrance road. The views along the way were less than thrilling. Part of the 8,000 square mile Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field, Capulin Volcano showcases the volcanic geology of the surrounding area. The views are spectacular day or night, with views of 4 different states from the volcanic rim and one of the darkest night skies in the country. It was snowing lightly when I arrived, and visibility was near zero.

I pulled over by a really cool pine tree skeleton, but could not figure out how to make a decent photo. After taking a peek into the crater, I drove down the switchbacks and turned right to head north to Folsom, NM. From there, I headed north and then east on 456 to Kenton, OK. The scenic views on 456 were spectacular, especially along the 17 miles of unpaved road.

On the final stretch of 325 as I headed back to my hotel in Boise City, I had a zillion meadowlarks, several Red-tailed Hawks, a Ferruginous Hawk, and another Golden Eagle. I managed to get a few of the raptors in the frame with the 200-600 as they jumped off their telephone pole perches, but I deleted every one.

Today is Tuesday 25 October 2022. I left Boise City at 430am and headed for Wichita National Wildlife Refuge to see what I could see. I head to Dallas on Wednesday afternoon for my afternoon non-stop flight to Orlando. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes two hundred-thirteen days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Mind Boggling 70-200mm f/2.8 Versatility. And Drive-by Handheld Roadside Shooting

This image was created on 24 October 2022n in northeastern New Mexico. I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 99mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. ISO 800: 1/800 sec. at f/8 (stopped down three stops) in Manual mode. AWB at11:39:08am on a solidly cloudy morning. Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: abandoned farm buildings

I Thought that the Cows were Metal Cutouts

When I first spotted this tranquil scene, I thought that the cows were metal cutouts, similar to those I had seen in the Palouse year ago. When they began mooing and moving, I realized that I was wrong. As the 200-600 was much too long even at the short end, I grabbed the 70-200 and went to work. You can see part of the cinder cone of Capulin Volcano in the upper right background.

Drive-by Handheld Roadside Shooting

When driving though scenic country, it often pays to pull over (if you can do so safely) or find a parking area when you spot something neat to photograph. Proper technique for each of today’s images would call for setting up a sturdy tripod and taking your time. But when I am doing drive-by shooting, my choice is to go handheld all the way. The faster I work, the more beautiful things I can find.

This image was also created on 24 October 2022n in northeastern New Mexico. Again, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (this time at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. ISO 1600: 1/250 sec. at f/8 (stopped down three stops) in Manual mode. AWB at 2:50:02pm in light snow. Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: feather detail: road-killed Turkey Vulture

Found on Road Dead

It was snowing as I drove by the road-killed Turkey Vulture, so I pulled over and again grabbed the 70-200 lens. The short minimum focusing distance of this lens makes it perfect for quasi-macro applications such as large flowers, butterflies, large bugs, and feather detail. As I saw very few vehicles from dawn to dusk, it was easy to simply pull slightly off the road and park when I spotted something interesting to photograph.

This image was also created on 24 October 2022n in northeastern New Mexico. Again, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (this time at 84mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. ISO 1000: 1/250 sec. at f/8 (stopped down three stops) in Manual mode. AWB at 4:39:38pm under cloudy skies. Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: fall color along creek-bed

Cottonwoods?

I came across many small stands of trees with bright yellow leaves. If this image are not cottonwoods, please let me know. It was the dead portion of the tree near the center of the frame that caught my eye. Had Monday been clear and sunny, I would have had far fewer photographic opportunities.

This image was also created on 24 October 2022 in northeastern New Mexico. Again, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (this time at 122mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. ISO 640: 1/320 sec. at f/8 (stopped down three stops) in Manual mode. AWB at 5:47:24pm under cloudy-bright skies. Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: rock formation

Are You a Geologist?

I saw dozens of interesting rock formations along 456 and stopped to photograph many of them. The one in Image #4 was reminiscent of a Mount Rushmore with almost a dozen famous folks. If you know the name for formations like the one in Image #4, please leave a comment and let us know what it is.

Rank These Images Please

All are invited to leave a comment ranking today’s four featured images with A being the strongest image and D the weakest. I will share my rankings with you in Thursday’s blog post.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.