Category Archives: 1DX

Looking Past Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving

A Wild Turkey In Zion National Park (Utah)

On my next-to-last day in Zion National Park, I happened upon a flock (actually, it’s called a “rafter”) of wild turkeys. I first encountered them along the road through the park and thought that was pretty cool and I was tickled to have seen them then. Then, during a hike where I was crossing the bridge from Sand Bench Trail toward the Court of Patriarchs, I found a flock – er – rafter – of them hanging out around a park maintenance building. I had the best time walking along with them, photographing them. They weren’t the least bit afraid of me and that’s where I learned they can actually fly – enough to get up into a tree, at least. Wild turkeys, for all their grizzled faces, are pretty cool birds to watch, and their feathers are beautiful.

Copyright Rebecca L. Latson, all rights reserved.

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Filed under 1DX, birds, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, holiday, National Parks, Photography, Thanksgiving, Zion National Park

The Bald Eagle

After a presidential election, what better photo to post than the symbol of American democracy, the bald eagle. As I post this image, I am listening to National Parks Traveler podcast episode #91, about bald eagles in Chesapeake Bay and how populations in the national parks around the Bay have a bit of a better chance of survival. It’s a good podcast, if you feel like listening. It’s about 41 minutes long, and you can download it to listen to later.

To listen to the podcast, click on the image above.

This image was of a bald eagle taking off from a snag in the Brooks River in Katmai National Park, in Alaska was captured with my Canon 1DX and rented 500mm lens.

Copyright Rebecca L. Latson, all rights reserved.

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Filed under 1DX, birds, Canon, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II, Canon Lens, Katmai National Park, National Parks, National Parks Traveler, Photography, Podcast

Flower Fireworks

Spring spider lilies in bloom
Spring spider lilies in bloom

For this July 4th, how about a bit of flower fireworks, courtesy of these blooming spider lilies. They make me think of bursting white and yellow fireworks. A bit of a throwback to 2015, courtesy of Brazos Bend State Park in Texas.

Where ever you are folks, regardless of the day (which feels to me a bit marred thanks to tRump’s little Covid party last night at Mount Rushmore National Memorial), please stay safe out there. The coronavirus is here to stay until there is a viable vaccine available to everybody, so please practice social distancing and wear a mask. It aint a hoax.

Copyright Rebecca L. Latson, all rights reserved.

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Filed under 1DX, Brazos Bend State Park, Canon, flowers, holiday, July 4th, Photography

It’s Fun Fact Friday 3-6-2020!

Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher

The scissor-tail flycatcher, aka Texas bird-of-paradise, can hover with its tail spread and make abrupt turns in midair. It’s numbers have declined by about 31% between 1966 and 2014.

I found this flycatcher in October, sitting pretty on the barb-wire fence at the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge back in 2013.

Copyright Rebecca L. Latson, all rights reserved.

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Filed under 1DX, birds, Brazoria NWR, Canon, Fun Fact Friday, nature, Photography, Texas, Wildlife Refuge

Corporate Behavior

Corporate Behavior

Even the smallest and/or prettiest of creatures can be territorial and exhibit more than just a little bit of visciousness in the daily fight for survival. Heaven knows I’ve experienced it within the human workplace, hence the sarcastic title.

 
I’ve been rescuing photos from a dying portable hard drive. The hummingbird images I captured between 2012 – 2014 are favorites of mine and they needed to be saved to another drive.
 
As a photographer, you can learn quite a bit about birds or other wildlife by simply watching and photographing them on a regular basis. During that span of years my mother and I hung out those hummingbird feeders in Texas, I would be over there every morning and/or evening to photograph these soft, tiny little birdies. The more I watched, the more I learned they aren’t quite as sweet as everybody might think. Luckily, this extended observation led to some very interesting photos.
Canon 1DX and 100-400mm lens
 
Copyright Rebecca L. Latson, all rights reserved.

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Filed under 1DX, birds, Canon, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, Canon Lens, hummingbirds, Life, nature, Photography, Texas

Dawn Along The Seashore

Dawn Along The Seashore

How about a nice, peaceful, beach scene colored by the blush of “rosy-fingered dawn” to start your weekend? I have a feeling dawn won’t be as pretty where I live – it’s been overcast with a low cloud ceiling for the past few days.

Padre Island National Seashore in Texas is a great place to watch the sun rise. I got there at dark-thirty a.m. and just watched the play of colors over the sky and Gulf of Mexico, as the shore birds pattered along the water’s edge looking for breakfast.

Copyright Rebecca L. Latson, all rights reserved.

 

 

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Filed under 1DX, birds, Canon, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, Canon Lens, National Parks, nature, Padre Island National Seashore, Photography, Seasons, Spring, sunrise, Texas, Travel

It’s Wildlife Wednesday!

Portrait Of A Moose Cow

Portrait of A Moose Cow, Fishercap Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana
Last week was Waterfall Wednesday, so this week, it’s all about the wildlife. This beautiful moose cow was photographed at Fishercap Lake in the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park, Montana. I’d already heard that moose sightings were common at this lake, so I spent different times of day photographing there. It was nice to be able to do this, since my timing was a little poor to visit this national park. The Sprague Fire was raging, and there was so much smoke in the air during that time, I could barely see the mountains for landscape images. So, I’m glad I was able to clearly focus on something else.
 
Taken with a Canon 1DX and a 100-400mm lens.
 
Copyright Rebecca L. Latson, all rights reserved

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Filed under 1DX, autumn, Canon, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, Canon Lens, Glacier National Park MT, Moose, National Parks, Photography, Seasons, wildlife

Photography In The National Parks: My Five Faves From 2017

Evening Blues And Pinks

Happy New Year!  The National Parks Traveler published my first article of the New Year regarding photography in our national parks.  This first article deals with my five favorite images captured in 2017.

To read more, click on the photo to be taken to the article.

 

 

 

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Filed under 1DX, 5DS, 5DSR, Canon, Equipment, Glacier National Park MT, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Mt. Rainier National Park, National Parks Traveler, nature, Padre Island National Seashore, Photography, Travel

The Armchair Photography Guide to Mount Rainier National Park – Part 4

Christine Falls

My final installment (Part 4) of the Armchair Photography Guide to Mount Rainier National Park has been published in today’s edition of the National Parks Traveler.  Click on the photo to be taken to the site if you want to check out the article (and read Parts 1 – 3, if you haven’t already done so). 😉

 

 

 

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Filed under 1DX, 5DSR, Armchair Photography Guide, Canon, Equipment, HD PENTAX-DA645 28-45mm f/4.5 ED AW SR Lens, Mt. Rainier National Park, Mt. Rainier National Park, National Parks, National Parks Traveler, nature, Pentax 645z, Pentax Lens, Photography, Travel

Please Don’t Litter In Our National Parks

Squirrel Eating A Tissue

As I was returning to my car from a view area just before the summit of Logan Pass in Glacier National Park, Montana, I looked down and saw this adorable little squirrel munching on that icky discarded tissue as if it was starving. I moved a little closer, hoping it would let go of the tissue and skeedaddle, but it didn’t move. Heaven only knows what that tissue will do to its internal system. This is a good example of why people should NOT litter in the national parks (or anywhere, for that matter), and adhere to the tenet of packing out what you pack in. On this particular day, I picked up a discarded chapstick tube, a paper coffee cup and a hair comb.
 
Copyright Rebecca L. Latson, all rights reserved.

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Filed under 1DX, Canon, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, Glacier National Park MT, Photography, wildlife