Armed Forces Day 2009...

Okay, some of you asked for a change from birds so here it is. These photos were taken at the Carlisle Army Heritage Center this past Saturday during the Armed Forces Day events. I choose these photos because I was approached by one of the men in the photo about my images, by the way if you follow this link to a previous post Battle Of The Buldge Part II... the man in the last photo here is also the man in the last photo there. Not to worry after close to 2000 shutter releases this weekend I will not be running out of military photos anytime soon. I now have something to mix in with the bird photos until I can get someplace else for some more new images.

It was a great day for history and a fun time shooting, I met Rich Bistline, Woody and Wyatt and of course my son went along, sorry I missed Bill during the day. Now to plan for the next event like this coming up the first weekend in June.

Nesting Robins...

Were expecting, baby Robins that is. They are nesting right beside my garage, this view is through the window and provides me with some great viewing. With any luck for me and them they will hatch some young and I will get to watch and photograph them growing. I added the luck part because as I was watching them this past Saturday a crow came swooping in for the attack and chased away the Robin. When the coast was clear they quickly got back on the nest.

I upload and do scheduled post all the time, since I did this post there has been a change in the robins situation. The day after I took these I noticed two young robins in the nest with one of the adults feeding them. At the time I did not want to get close so I did not get any photos, later that night I noticed that the robins were not coming back to set on the nest. After checking it yesterday I found it to be empty, I guess nature took its course and the young robins lost.

I am a day late again this week with Bird Photography Weekly, I will catch on one of these days.

Wow!, What A Weekend...

No, this photograph has nothing to do with the past weekend. It just happened to be the only photograph I had ready and it was this or nothing. I considered not posting today, recently the hits the site receives has declined and life has just been to busy to spend time on it, with summer approaching the time I want to spend in front of this machine gets less and less also. With all that being said today's post is my first live post in six months or more. Normally I upload and do scheduled posting, I like to be two to three weeks ahead of schedule, but time has finally caught up with me, I have one already posted for Tuesday so the rest of the week will be catching up. This is a Coopers Hawk, he was the one I photographed this winter feeding on a rabbit in a nearby field.

This weekend was an action packed military event for my family and I. On Saturday Shane and I met up with Rich Bistline http://hfd60.blogspot.com/ and Woody and his son Wyatt http://woodysphotography.blogspot.com/ at the Army Heritage Center in Carlisle for Armed Forces Day. Unless you are new to this blog you have seen photos and heard about this event many times. Following the awesome living history we headed to the Giant Center (sorry no photos from this the BASTARDS at the Giant Center no longer let me take my camera in) for the opening game of round three of the playoffs. By the way the Bears lost 3-2. We got up early Sunday morning and headed 125 miles south to Andrews Air Force Base for there Joint Services open house and air show. For Shane and I this was our first ever air show, that also means it was the first time we have ever shot aircraft so I don't know what to expect from our photos. I am downloading the 15 1/2 gig we shot as I type. And I hope to get to look at them sometime today. I must say this was a great time and it will more than likely become an annual family event. We enjoyed it enough that we are planning on heading to Dover Air Force Base for their air show in June.

Finally we had a photographic weekend, I recorded about 1,800 shutter releases putting my camera over 21,000 in one year of shooting and Shane shot the same amount or maybe a few more (lets hope he does something with them and post to his blog). It also will give me something else to post and mix in with the bird photographs. Recently I had someone say give me a break with the birds, well here is your break.

Now for a next three days at home before heading back to work, for anyone out there looking for something to do my lawn needs mowed, the house needs cleaned and I am opening the pool over the next two days, if that is not enough you can help with my honey do list.

I almost forgot to mention that while at Andrews, Air Force 1 with President Obama took off for Notre Dame, we did not see the President himself but it was really neat to see his jet take off, and yes photos to follow.

Yes, More Front Yard Birds...

This will be short today, I just wanted to share a few more of my front yard friends. They were kind enough to pose for some portraits. Of course it is the least they could do with all the food I give them. Have a great weekend.

Battle Of The Buldge Revisited...

Since Armed Forces Day is this Saturday I thought I would revisit some of my Battle of the Buldge photos I took this past January. I upload and do scheduled post so this entry was made over a week before the Armed Forces Day events. If the weather is nice I will have many new military photographs from Colonial times to Civil War, World War 1 and 2, Vietnam and more to post in the near future form the Carlisle Army Heritage Center this Saturday. My next military event will be in Reading in June, I am really looking forward to that one also.

Eastern Bluebird...

I finally got some Eastern Bluebirds in my yard to photograph, they wanted no part of me so I had to take them from a distance but they still finally showed up. For me this may be the prettiest bird there is, to learn more about the Eastern Bluebird follow the link http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Bluebird/id. Now if these birds would just occupy the house I put out for them.

Yesterday I mentioned the amount of bird I have seen in my yard this spring, for anyone that may be slow the number 16 was different species not total birds and that went up yesterday when I had a White-breasted Nuthatch eating from my backyard feeders. Many times of the day like now I can look out at my feeders and see six or seven different species at a time and over 20 birds total feeding.

House Sparrow...

This is a House Sparrow to learn more about this bird follow the link http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Sparrow/id. At last count I have had at least 16 different birds, chipmunks, rabbits and squirrels and groundhogs (they are not welcome here) eating from my feeders this spring. If I ever identify a bird wrong please don't hesitate to let me know, some of these birds are so similar that I have trouble at times to identify them. If you have ever clicked the links I put up then you have seen it is a great site for birds. I also use a couple a books one in particular, National Geographic Field Guide to Birds, Pennsylvania and an application I downloaded to my itouch called ibird. If you have and itouch I highly recommend this application as it is a fantastic tool.

I am a day late but I am participating in Bird Photography Weekly, it is much like Sky Watch Friday but about birds and on a smaller scale. Click the link below and visit other sites with great bird photographs.

Great Egret...

This is a Great Egret, this bird was photographed during my February trip to Florida. This was one of the many birds I photographed at Merritt Island, note the Boat Tailed Grackle on the ground below the Egrets feet. To learn more about this bird follow the link http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Egret/id.

Common Merganser...

This is a male and female Common Merganser, I photographed them a few weeks ago in a local stream. They were some distance from me as the were shot with a 400 mm lens making it 600 mm with the conversion factor and then cropped in significantly. To learn more about this bird follow the link http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Merganser/id.

More Skywatch Alaska...

It is skywatch Friday again. I want to thank everyone that stopped by last week and left the great comments. Because of time and weather I have not had the chance to get out and shoot anything lately so I have to keep going back to older photos. This one comes from Alaska again, if I remember correctly is was taken at Portage, further down the turnagain arm from the photo last week.

Don't forget to click the link on the left to see more great skies from all over the world. And a big thanks again to the staff of Skywatch Friday for putting together such a great program. Maybe when I retire I will find the time to do other ones like My world Tuesday and Camera Critters Saturday.

Gas Pump...

I took this photo a couple of weeks ago in Gettysburg at the Eisenhower farm. As Forrest Gump would say, "that's all I have to say about that."

Morning Dove...

This Morning Dove is another one of my yard birds. I always make sure I have plenty of feed on the ground for the Dove's and Mallards, now if the chipmunks would just stop filling their cheeks with the seed. Follow the link to learn more about the Morning Dove http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Dove/id.

More Than Birds In My Yard...

This spring I have counted more than 15 different bird species in my yard, many male and female. But birds are no the only thing eating from my feeders, there has also been squirrel, rabbits and chipmunks. After allowing the corn to run empty this squirrel decided he would raid the bird feeder, he struggled but still managed to get hat he wanted. The rabbit photos was taken early in the morning, after grazing on the flowers he decided to jump into the flower pot and do some bathing. It is hard to tell in the photo but it was taken early in the morning and shot at ISO 2000, 1/30 second at f2.8.

Auto Accident With Confinement...

This past Wednesday morning while coming home from the Barbour's an auto accident was dispatched for the intersection of Church and Mulberry roads, Silver Spring Township. Since it was dispatched as a rollover and it was on my route home I thought I would stop by and take a few photos. I should insert here that I go no place without my camera, it is always on the seat beside my.

I arrived just before the first rig to find a pickup truck that had rolled onto its side and came to rest on all four wheels after being struck by a tractor-trailer. Soon after apparatus began arriving from Co. 31 (Silver Springs), Co. 33 (New Kingston) and Co. 27 (Citizens of Mechanicsburg). Crews found on person injured and confined to the pickup.

The photos follow along with the functions the firefighter performed, in the first shot they are stabilizing the truck to prevent movement. In the second photos they are using the spreaders (jaws) to pop the passenger side door and in the third in fourth photos they removed the glass and used the cutters to cut the hinges and completely remove the door. The last photo they are spreading stay dry on the fluids that spilled from the tractor.

That is all for this week, tomorrow the Hershey Bears open at home against the Baby Pens in the first game of the second round of the playoffs and the Washing Capitols open at home against the NHL Pens in the first game of the second round of the playoffs. Go Bears and Caps, send those Penguins scurrying across the ice.

Skywatch Alaska...

It has been a few weeks since I have been able to do skywatch Friday, between work and other commitments I just did not have the time to do it right, but this week I do. Click the photograph it gets much larger and reveals allot more detail. This photograph was taken along the turnagain arm in Alaska during our family vacation two years ago. What a beautiful place Alaska was, we spent almost a month traveling around in a rented camper. We would like to go back again sometime and do a cruise of the inner passage, to many places to see and to little time to do it all. Be sure and click the link to see great skies from all over the world. Thanks to the skywatch staff for putting together a great program.

Making Tintype Photographs Continued...

I guess I should have switched yesterday's and today's post around since you must take a photograph before you can develop it. This is a continuation of yesterday's post, the camera in the first photo was made by this man. When you look into the back of the camera to take a photograph unlike today's camera the image is upside down. I hope you enjoyed the break from bird photographs, I really need to get out and do some shooting.

Making Tintype Photographs...

Last Friday I posted a photograph from armed forces day last year at the Carlisle Army Heritage Center, these photographs come from the same event. Unfortunately I do not remember this mans name but he is from New Jersey and he travels to these events and makes tintype photographs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrotype. I spent some time with him as he explained his camera and the process involved to make the tintype images. Everything he does is the same as it would have been done in the 1800's, his camera and photography cart were all made by him. I am hoping he will be there again this year, it is a fantastic process and a true art.

Brown-headed Cowbird...

I did say last week that I would return to my feathered friends that I keep fat and safe in my yard. This bird is a Brown-headed Cowbird. I had not seen any in my yard until last Tuesday when two of them showed up under my hemlock tree. It was in the afternoon and the lighting was a little harsh but they were kind enough to give me a chance to get a few shots off before flying away. Follow the link to learn more about this bird http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown-headed_Cowbird/id.

No Birds Today...

I thought I would end the week with something different than birds from my yard, but they will be back next week. I photographed this WWI reenactor last May at the armed forces day festivities at the Carlisle Army Heritage Center. This years event will take place May 16Th if you have never been there mark your calendar it is a fantastic time.

Red-bellied Woodpecker...

Okay this one wasn't taken in my front yard but in Florida during my February visit. This is a Red-bellied Woodpecker, he is very similar to the Downy woodpecker I featured in the last month, the biggest difference is the size of his pecker LOL, I made a funny. Follow the link to learn more http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/id.

More Front Yard Birds...

All girl day with the female House Finch and female Cardinal. Short and to the point today. Go Caps and Bears tonight!

American Goldfinch...

Since I have not been out to photograph anything for weeks and all my shutter releases have come through my front or back window I will stick with the birds and critters that live around my house and eat the gourmet meals I supply for them. This is one of the many American Goldfinch that eat the thistle on a regular basis from my hemlock tree. They provide me and the cats many hours of viewing pleasure, to learn more, well you know the routine, follow the link http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/id.

Northern Bobwhite...

Today's photograph was taken by my son Shane last Monday. I missed the entire visit because of working overtime, my wife called me in the evening to tell me there was a Northern Bobwhite eating our bird seed just off our front porch. Of course I quizzed her on how she knew it was a Bobwhite and still didn't believe her until I looked at Shane's memory card. This female spent the whole day at our house and by the time I got off work Wednesday night she was gone and has not been back since, just my luck. And to top if off there was a house fire right around the corner from my house the previous Monday when I was working overtime and I missed that also. To learn more about this bird follow the link http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Bobwhite/id.

Common Grackle...

Hey I took a day off now it is back to birds, this one is a common grackle and was photographed in my front yard, to learn more about this bird follow the link http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Common_Grackle.html. Soon I will post a list of all the birds I have had in the last couple of weeks in my front and back yard, there has been many eating from the eight feeders I have out.

Harrisburg Pump Training...

No sky watch Friday again this week, I finally got a day off but now I need to make up for lost time so I do not have the time to do it properly. Today's photographs come from last weeks pump class in Harrisburg. As a firefighter progresses through his career he reaches the point when he can go for driver operator status. To do so he should have spent his last three years driver training and preparing for this time. When that time arrives they spend two weeks working daylights training on pumps, hydraulics calculations and operating ladder trucks. At the completion of the class the candidate needs to take two written and two practical test administered through the state and another test given by the Bureau of Fire. If they pass these test they become driver operators in the department. Being a driver is a huge responsibility, he is responsible for the lives of the other firefighters on the rig and the citizens on the street and in their personal vehicles. He is also responsible for operating the rig once it reaches the scene. That task can be very difficult at three in the morning after waking up from a dead sleep with fire blowing out of a building and people screaming that there is someone trapped inside. If they cannot perform these tasks the other firefighters cannot do there job either.

The center photograph is Captain Sam Clark, Sam was the lead instructor in the classes and I had the chance to assist him once again this year. Sam and I were partners on an engine company when I came on the job many years ago, I would have never imagined then that we would be training the future of the fire department now.

Hopefully you noticed that I did some different things in post processing of these photographs. After reading all the great reviews of Nik Silver Efex Pro I finally purchased it a few weeks ago and used it in the post processing of these images.

I have Something Stuck In My Throat...

I have not featured this bird yet and later this week I will post another photograph of one that is not trying to bite off more than he can chew. This is a Anhinga http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Anhinga.html, he was photographed at Viera wetlands in Florida during my February trip. He struggled for sometime before finally getting his dinner down but he was eventually successful. I did make a previous post of one coming out of the water and a great blue heron hot on his tail it can be found by following this link http://bradleymyersphotography.blogspot.com/2009/02/fight-for-food.html.

American Wigeon...

During my recent trip to a local pond I had the opportunity to photograph a male and female American Wigeon http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Wigeon.html. These are the first I seen this year at the local waterways. I have been out recently trying to capture some new big game photographs to post but have not had any luck so for now you will just have to keep looking at Pennsylvania and Florida birds. With the spring gobbler season approaching maybe I will have some fresh turkey pictures to post in the future.

You Are Cleared For Landing...

Last week I posted portraits of some water fowl at a nearby pond. In that post I mentioned trying to photograph the birds in various stages of flight, I also mentioned that I didn't have much luck. This was one of my few keepers from the day. I see I need to get my shutter speed up a little more to prevent wing blurring, I always seem to be looking the wrong direction when the action occurs.