Tag Archives: image of the day

Hand Feeding a Ruby Throat Hummingbird // Photos

September 8, 2008 – 7:08 am

Did I mention we have some crazy, very aggressive eating Ruby Throat Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) here at the house?  These little guys are not in the least bit shy, and will act more like a hungry dog if you let their food run dry.  These images were taken as Deborah was trying to put their food back on the window.  A family of about 10 Ruby Throat Hummingbirds live in our yard, I think there are probably 10 more or so that live in the close surrounding area, and when you go out to change their food, they dive bomb you.

This female Ruby Throat Hummingbird finally sat down for a meal, and stayed a while.  Usually she is fighting with the males for a seat, and this time, she decided to be bold and take a seat to eat with Deborah.  The males didn’t seems to interested in chasing her off, but not happy she was the only one eating.  She sat, alone, on this feeder while Deborah held it in her hand for about five minutes without getting up (all while flock of other hummingbirds buzzed around her head trying to figure out how to also take a seat at the table).  I have found over time, birds will get to know you, and trust you.  I have also had small wild birds eat out of my hand like the common gray finch, but this was the first time with a hummingbird.

Photos of a Ruby Throat Hummingbird in Flight

Photos of a Ruby Throat Hummingbird in Flight

I did upload a few more images of this shoot in the nature > small small creatures gallery.  One in particular is a wider angle shot that shows my wife and her holding the feeder, not just her hand.  We have had hummingbirds at this house since we moved in and each year they come back to the same window letting us know they have arrived.  They seem to have a great memory (even from year to year) and will return to the same location, feeder or no feeder.

Do you have any crazy hummingbirds at your house?  The season is almost over for them here in Alabama and soon they will be off to their winter home in Mexico, Central and South America and the West Indies.  If you want to see them next Spring, just put out a feeder and they will find it.

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in House, Journal, Photography | Also tagged birds, feeder, hummingbirds, nature | Comments (3)

Some Mornings the Sunrise is Like Fire in the Sky

September 3, 2008 – 5:28 am

This photo is pretty much the view from my bedroom window. Most mornings I wake up and see the sunrise with very little color, some days though, there are unbelievable colors in the sky, and this is what I saw this morning.  Color like this doesn’t happen very often, and most times it is gone before I can run up and grab my camera.  Today, it was so beautiful, I had to run outside with my camera to capture the sunrise, and I am glad I did.  (I try to remind myself, rarely if ever do I make the effort to get out my camera, and later am sorry I did.)

The last few days we have had a nice cover of clouds from all the different topical storm systems in the southeast, and it made for a beautiful sunrise this morning.  This sunrise photo was taken about 60 minutes ago of my parents house (about a quarter of a mile away), about 50 feet from my back door.  The morning colors change very very fast.  Today, one minute it was a deep dark red color and just 30-90 seconds later, it turned into an orange fire and I managed to take what is shown below.

House in morning sunrise over the farm

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Journal, Photography | Also tagged clouds, sunrise | Comments (4)

Cahaba or Shoals Spider Lily in Full Summer Bloom

July 14, 2008 – 7:53 am

We had a nice weekend of hot weather, but it finally started raining. We have been in such a drought that any rain at all is a welcome site. After the rain cleared out our unknown bulb started blooming, rapidly. We were given this and told it was a “4th of July plant” and it started looking very star trek like before the blooms opened.

Cahaba or Shoals Spider Lily

Once the blooms opened we could see that it was indeed what is known locally in Alabama as the Cahaba Lily. Hymenocallis coronaria (Cahaba Lily or Shoals spider-lily), is known within the state of Alabama as the Cahaba Lily (outside the state it is known as the Shoals spider-lily) because it grows on the banks of the Cahaba River. It is actually an Amaryllis bulb and should multiple quite nicely in our garden.

Cahaba Shoals Spider Lily

You can see from the image that it has several more blooms to go, hopefully we can get some more rain over the next few days and it should be very happy. What is funny about this Lily is we actually got it from Texas. My father-in-law ordered it online, probably at Jackson & Perkins, but we took it from the box in Texas, back over here to Alabama and planted it in the garden back in March/April.

The image was taken very late in the afternoon. I love photography of flowers, but the conditions have to be just right to be able to get a sharp image, with a good background, and in good light. Especially when photographing a white flower, special care should be taken not to overexpose the white part of the flower.

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Journal, Photography | Also tagged bloom, flower, images, lily | Comments (2)

The Red Double Knock Out Rose in Bloom in Alabama Summer

July 10, 2008 – 7:55 am

This week has gone by in a blink. Yesterday we planted 5 oak trees before breakfast trying to avoid the mid-morning heat and by about 10am it was to hot to do anything outside. I looked over at our rose bush today, a red Double Knockout Rose (or aka a Double Knock Out Rose) and it was in full bloom.

Thinking again like I was yesterday, I went out to try and capture a photo of the bloom before it got way to hot outside. As my luck would have it, the wind was blowing like crazy.

The Red Double Knock Out Rose Bloom

Normally this time of year they are covered in red double bloom flowers but this one was not planted to long ago and it sat in the hot dry drought we have going on for several weeks looking rather pitiful. Two days ago Deb put some rose food around its base, and now, blooms everywhere.

Double Knock Out Rose in Bloom

This variety of rose is a sister to the Knockout Rose which can get to be a very large, tree, shrub sized rose bush. The Double Knockout is quite a bit smaller and well suited to our very young garden. I took this shot this morning, about 7am, before it got really hot outside.

The wind gave me fits as it decided this morning was the morning to blow, continuously, but I was still able to enjoy a small amount of time to smell the roses this morning before I went to work.

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Journal, Photography | Also tagged flower, images, macro, rose | Comments (0)

A Foggy Summer Morning in Auburn Alabama and a Tree Swing

July 7, 2008 – 11:18 am

What a busy weekend it was this past week. Being a holiday weekend with the 4th of July on a Friday it was just a little chaotic but all tranquility of a Monday has returned. I think I would have to qualify a Monday or Tuesday in January or February as the most tranquil, but this one will do.

For those of us in the south, the summer bring little rest from the heat but a rare foggy morning is one of those reprieves for July. We have been in a horrible drought for the last few years and this summer has proven to be more of the same, except a few mornings where fog blankets the grass and trees.

Fog in Alabama Summer

Spider Web in Early Morning Dew

Our tree swing has quickly become one of my favorite places to eat breakfast and today, it wasn’t cool, but it wasn’t hot either. I took the photo of the tree swing about 5:30am right out my bed room window, and by the time I grabbed a bowl of cereal most of the fog had burned off, but still left a quiet misty pasture to look at while I ate.

The spider webs I just love early in the morning. They are transformed into some pearly design only nature can create. Now as I write this post, it is full blasting sun at what feels like 95* or higher. Guess if we didn’t have the heat the cool foggy mornings would get boring, but I don’t think so.

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Journal, Photography | Also tagged fog, images, spider, swing, web | Comments (4)

Bachelor Loop Road in Creede Colorado, a Must See

June 2, 2008 – 9:39 am

I finally got back around to doing the photo of the day. This image is from a trail called Bachelor Loop that runs from the town center of Creede Colorado up into the mountain that overlooks the city, then back down the other side.  The road runs in front of the cabin and you can see it in the photo here.  It is a dirt forest road (not big at all, one lane at most) that winds around the mountains through Bachelor Loop.

Cabin in the Woods in Creede Colorado

It is an incredible drive as far as scenery goes, but you better leave your nerves behind and make sure your have a 4-wheel drive vehicle, at least in the colder months. The road here in front of the cabin is the loop road, which narrows greatly as you go up the mountain.  This image of the cabin just calls out Colorado to me. Isolated at times, in the mountains, dirt roads, beautiful surroundings. Colorado has some incredible places to visit.

Now Available on Auburn Images Photography

I have started to add my images like this image of the day, current, and past photo shoots to my business gallery, called Auburn Images Photography.  You can see additional images here as I add them to Auburn Images gallery, or just click on the link at the top of this blog called gallery. Enjoy.

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Photography | Also tagged cabin, colorado, creede, forest, images, wood | Comments (0)

Photographing Holes in the Clouds at Sunset // Fire in the Clouds

May 19, 2008 – 5:38 am

This week I will do a shortened version of the Image of the Day, today being the only one, at least on the blog. You can follow several images I will post throughout the week via Twitpic on Twitter if you so desire.

I took this shot a few years ago and I am always amazed at what the cloud formations can turn into so quickly. This image in the clouds during a sunset lasted only a few minutes, but it was enough for me to pull out the camera and take a shot of the fire in the clouds.

Fire in the Clouds at Sunset

Camera data: Body Nikon D100, Shutter 1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO-200, focal length 120mm

The beauty of the sun in the clouds, but it is really cool when it opens up like this and displays something that none of us can reproduce ourselves.  You can just see the trees at the bottom of the image but the hole that the clouds opened up just screamed for a photo.  It only lasted a few minutes at most.  I have several other shots taken in sequence but the hole closed up very fast.

How often do we look at the clouds for great photo opportunities?

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Photography | Also tagged clouds, images, sunset | Comments (0)

An Empty Beach is So Peaceful, Especially in North Carolina

May 14, 2008 – 8:36 am

This is just one of probably 5,000 images I have of an empty beach. People often tell me they can’t find any beaches without big crowds anymore, especially here in the continental U.S., but I beg to differ. More often than not, Deborah and I find ourselves on a beach with less than 10 people in a 5 square mile area.  This beach is one of our favorites.  In North Carolina you can go to the Outer Banks and find empty beach after beach.

Of course one of the keys to finding an empty beach is going when everyone else doesn’t want to go.  This may sound stupid, but if you want to get a tan and lay in the sun, then go where everyone else is going.  If you are interested in walking on a place like the photo below, go in the off season, it is great.  So far, we have been able to find empty beaches in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and some incredible ones in Alabama.

Empty Beach in North Carolina

Empty Beach in North Carolina

They are certainly nice places still left, you just have to look. This is one of our favorites spots, and it is usually empty all year long with white sand and no trash. It is COLD in the winter winds, but still a great place to spend an afternoon, and today, it is the image of the day.

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Photography | Also tagged beach, north carolina | Comments (1)

Capturing the Sunrise Over a Beautiful Minnesota Lake

May 13, 2008 – 9:44 am

Well, who would have thought, the sun actually does rise as well as set. For those who know me, taking a sunrise photo is a rare thing for me, but in this case I am glad I got up before the sun. This is a lake up around Minnesota, sorry didn’t record the exact location this time.  I was traveling to Minneapolis St Paul on business and, at this time, I always brought my camera equipment with me.  Years and years later, I no longer work for that company, but I am left with the images I took along the way.

This morning I was trying to catch a flight home but it didn’t leave until mid-day, so I thought I would try my hand at capturing the sunrise over this lake.  This was one of my first visits to Minnesota (outside of the twin cities) and there are some really beautiful places just a short drive out of the main stream of city life.  I just wish I had written down where this lake was so now when I look back I could be more specific as to the location of the image.

Sunrise Over a Minnesota Lake

One thing about taking sunrise / sunset photos is that you never know when you are going to get the perfect light reflecting off the clouds. So, the best way to get a good sunrise or sunset photo is the very basic beginner rules of photography. Show up. I came across this lake the night before and had decided I was going to get up and be there. I took many different orientations and positions, but I like this one with the diagonals running through the image.  The person was intended to be in the shot here, but a few told me they didn’t even notice the person was standing there in the first place.  A peaceful morning to watch the sunrise.

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Photography | Also tagged minnesota, sunrise | Comments (0)

Golden Eagle Pose at the Auburn University Raptor Center

May 5, 2008 – 6:53 am

The image of the day is an image that is pretty much a symbol of lower Alabama area, the Golden Eagle. More than a mascot, this is a magnificent bird to see in flight. This is another photo that was taken at the Auburn University Raptor Center during a photography shoot.  There were so many magnificent birds at the raptor center like a Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Falcons of all kinds and so much more.

Golden Eagle at the Auburn Raptor Center

Photographing wildlife, in the wild is very challenging and can require some expensive equipment to really get the shots you are looking for. A good way to get your feet wet in the wildlife area is to photograph in a controlled setting, like a zoo or wildlife sanctuary.  These large raptor birds are so beautiful and seeing them up close is really something.  If you have a chance, go down to the Auburn Raptor Center and see all the birds they have.

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Photography | Also tagged auburn, eagle, nature, raptor | Comments (0)