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by Diane | August 29, 2017 · 8:40 am

The Eclipse – Oregon 2017

While a over a million people flocked to Eastern Oregon to photograph the eclipse, Bob, Laura and Diane chose the west side of the Willamette Valley from backroads (the winery route) to avoid jams. Most wineries had events and are nicely positioned on hills above vineyards. We had a nice table next to the vines and positioned 2 tripods, each with a long lens (one with the ND filter for partials), calculations done in advance, and we rotated our 3 camera bodies around. The sky was clear and the winery folks kept our special eclipse wine glasses filled. What a day!

We chose to photograph the partials with a plain “eclipse” ND filter and did not add color. The sun naturally is white and only picks up color through the atmosphere at sunrise or sunset or special environmental circumstances. The spots are sunspots. Following is a selection from the sequence.

Natural starburst (no filter) worked the same as we teach you in the field – small portion of sun visible through leaves, notches in rocks, etc.
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

So what do you call an eclipse sundowner??? Whatever your photography quest… make sure you enjoy life!
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

And use the sun and the moon to capture artistic images. We work hard on our adventures to position you to take advantage of this. From our Galapagos adventure…

And from our Iguazu Falls Adventure, the falls by moonlight…

Please consider joining us on one of our photography adventures. And we just added a Galapagos 2020. And Iguazu Falls in 2019. Link our Calendar.

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by Diane | August 10, 2017 · 3:27 pm

Yellowstone Spring Photography Safari

Spring arrives in Yellowstone with anything from warm sunny days to snow. And, it can all happen in the same day! The bears are waking up and the bison are giving birth. The scenery is a lush green. Some bears have this year’s cubs and some are from last season. All are wonderful to watch.

Grizzly
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Grizzly and second year cub
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Grizzly
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Grizzly with this year’s cubs
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Wow, standing up and looking big!
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

It seems this cub is getting the word.
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Grizzly cub – Look at those claws already!!!
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Grizzly, with even bigger claws.
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Black bear scratching on a tree.
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Heart Spring with Castle Geyser in the background.
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Norris Geyser Basin
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Black Sand Basin
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Coyote
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Coyote – caught a few treats and ate them on the spot. This one is going back to the den and doesn’t look happy about it. But the babies need to eat.
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Baby bison romping around, still has umbilical cord.
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Keeping together helps protect the babies from predators.
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Bison with new baby
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Bison baby, gorgeous cinnamon color.
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Lots of babies want to be fed. Amazingly, every time the mom came back, she fed a different one.
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Bluebird
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Grand Geyser
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Osprey nest
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Clepsydra Geyser
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Find more images on the Yellowstone Spring Gallery pages and on the Yellowstone Spring Photography Safari page. We hope you will join us on this adventure.

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Tagged as bison, black bear, geysers, grizzly bear, Nature Photography Adventures, Yellowstone, Yellowstone photography tours

by Diane | July 16, 2017 · 2:13 pm

Northern Costa Rica, December 2016

Post 2 – We continue our journey through Costa Rica’s wetlands. (see the previous post)

Jabiru Stork and Wood Storks
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Egret is offering help to the stork? That fish is big enough for 2!
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Wood Stork
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Nice catch!
© 2016 Bob Harvey

Tiger Heron
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

And then we make our way up to the mountains, Mondeverde Cloud Forest.

View from the canopy trail.
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Hummingbird
© 2016 Bob Harvey

We finish our journey on the flanks of Tenorio volcano and at Cano Negro, close to the border of Nicaragua. More birds, frogs, lots of macros and the best place for the sloth.

Wood-Rail
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Keel-billed Toucan
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Another nice catch!
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Anhinga
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Cormorant
© 2016 Bob Harvey

Red-eye Tree Frog
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Blue Jeans Frog
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Caiman – What did he think of our group?
“Next time take your group swimming”
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

What our groups think of our Northern Costa Rica trip.
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Join us for our next adventure in Northern Costa Rica

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by Diane | June 14, 2017 · 3:47 pm

Northern Costa Rica, December 2016

Post 1 – This was a very memorable trip, arriving just days after a hurricane. Fortunately, our experiences weren’t affected that much and we came home with a wealth of photos. We had a really great group of photographers – all of them came in early for the 1 day workshop and worked hard to put their new skills to work. We began on the coast. The north Pacific Coast is a great place for birds, monkeys, crocks, and even leaping manta rays.

Exploring by boat, the mangrove estuary of Marino Las Baulas National Park.

Crocodile
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Crocodile with a catch
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Howler Monkey
© 2016 Bob Harvey

Boat-billed Heron reflecting the mangrove forest in the eye.
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Yellow-crowned Night Heron taking a bath.
© 2016 Bob Harvey

Drying off
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Little Blue Heron
© 2016 Bob Harvey

Offshore action from our sailboat, the Serendipity, has us busy keeping up with photo opportunities.

Setting up the sails.
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Looking for that next Manta Ray.
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Another National Park, Palo Verde, begins in an estuary and winds its way through wetlands and forest, sometimes bordering on agricultural villages – people who care about preserving the park and surrounding areas.

Iguana
© 2016 Bob Harvey

Tropical Kingbird
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Tropical Kingbird
© 2016 Bob Harvey

Jabiru Stork
© 2016 Bob Harvey

Kiskadee
© 2016 Bob Harvey

Great Egret
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Bats
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Bats
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Green Heron
© 2016 Bob Harvey

Scarlet Macaws
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

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Tagged as Costa Rica, Costa Rica birds, Costa Rica Photography, crocodiles, howler monkey, jabiru stork, macaws, manta rays, Nature Photography Adventures

by Diane | June 2, 2017 · 11:30 am

Exploring Tanzania February/March 2017

Post 4 – Weather has such and impact on landscapes. There is just no such thing as “bad weather”. It’s nice to have a variety, and we did.

Baobab trees in sunlight shows off the golden trunk.
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Giant Baobab trees in a storm look small against a threatening sky.
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Acacia trees
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

We explored Arusha National Park for the first time in search of Colobus and Blue Monkeys.

Blue monkey
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Blue monkey
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Colobus monkey
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Colobus monkeys
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

This is our last post on this trip. We hope you will join us on one of our future trips to Tanzania. And if you are just starting the blog, please scroll down through posts 1-3. The first photo in post 1 I have in my head all the time. It’s my “go to” space when I need a boost. Following are some miscellaneous animal photos, some of them quite entertaining.

The elephant spa, babies in there too!
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

The mud treatment does wonders.
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

And the results – just gorgeous, look at the red!
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Take. Me. Seriously.
© 2017 Bob Harvey

On the hunt, creeping along.
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Precious
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Dung beetle – yes, it is rolling dung into a giant ball.
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Crowned cranes
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

OK, I’ve had days like this.
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Cape buffalo looking so innocent. They are very dangerous!
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Tawny eagle looking for prey.
© 2017 Bob Harvey

European roller waiting to catch a bug flying by.
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

The two giants
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

The King
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Don’t forget to look at our Tanzania Photography Safari web page!

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Tagged as Arusha, elephants, hippos, lions, monkeys, Nature Photography Adventures, photo safaris, tanzania, Tanzania photography

by Diane | May 17, 2017 · 11:35 am

Exploring Tanzania February/March 2017

Post 3 – Having a leisurely time to photograph animals was a real treat. Sometimes you can see potential and you just have to wait – like a bird capturing a bug in its beak or a lion sitting on a limb in partial sunlight while you wait for that glow to come around to the eyes. And sometimes you have to be ready and respond fast – like a flamingo taking off, a hippo opening its mouth, or a zebra taking a dust bath (which only lasts seconds). Sometimes it’s fun to study and capture expressions and behavior.

Lovebird
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Lovebirds
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Lovebirds
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Ostrich
© 2017 Bob Harvey

Yellow billed storks
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Yellow billed stork
© 2017 Diane Kelsay

Hornbill
© 2017 Bob Harvey

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by Diane | April 28, 2017 · 2:23 pm

Exploring Tanzania February/March 2017

Post 2 – The Great Migration was in full swing. From our lodge at Lake Masek to the Central Serengeti, great numbers of wildebeest and their newborn babies paraded in lines and sometimes just covered the landscape.

Leopards haul their kill into trees. As we watched the mom and baby high up in the tree, the catch fell to the ground sending them down to collect it and haul it up again.

This time, the mom wedges the kill into the crotch of the tree – more secure. The little one goes right to it.

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by Diane | April 20, 2017 · 4:26 pm

Exploring Tanzania February/March 2017

Post 1 – In February and March of this year, we visited some new places, checked out some new lodges and had some incredible moments. We spent some time at our usual spots too and came back with some great experiences. Every visit to Tanzania presents different opportunities. This year was the most amazing migration ever, as you will see in future posts. And the elephants just posed perfectly under the baobab trees. We had our best ever cat moments – lions, cheetahs and leopards. This post is about the new baby lions and a really good mother (and she had her paws full). We watched in awe.

The mom had her cubs inside a hollow in some brush but they were determined to come out and play. © 2017 Bob Harvey

Her eyes are on the one that always wanders. © 2017 Diane Kelsay

Gotcha - although he did escape again (it must have been a boy). © 2017 Diane Kelsay

This game went on and on © 2017 Bob Harvey

All gathered, time to head back into the bushes for the night. © 2017 Bob Harvey

Keep checking back. Next you will see how sibling cheetahs fight over who gets to carry the kill and a leopard mom also with her paws full.

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by Diane | January 3, 2017 · 9:26 am

Andalucía Spain Adventure

Post 4 – The Alhambra. The Alhambra now draws thousands of people to see the gardens and architecture built to display “paradise on earth”. We arranged our time there to escape the biggest of crowds, but photographically, the art was mostly present where humans were not in the way. And sometimes you need patience for when they are. It is certainly worth it.

Alhambra as the sun goes down and just a hint of blue remains in the sky as the lights come on. Perfect time to photograph, and our guide led us to the optimal location. © 2016 Diane Kelsay

The Alhambra as the sun goes down and just a hint of blue remains in the sky as the lights come on. Perfect time to photograph, and our guide led us to the optimal location. We had it to ourselves.
© 2016 Diane Kelsay

Late afternoon light, after patiently waiting for people to wander on. © 2016 Bob Harvey

We hope you will join us on our next adventure to this very photographic journey through Spain. Please scroll down through Posts 1 -3 for more images of Seville, Cordoba and more. Itinerary and prices for the late September 2018 tour coming soon.

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by Diane | December 19, 2016 · 6:55 pm

Andalucía Spain Adventure

Post 3 – Around the region. Smaller cities and towns hold treasures of historic sites that call the photographer. The countryside is vast rolling hills covered with olive trees. It’s easy to feel rural Spain as we walk around with cameras.