Super Harvest Moon

Today’s post features the “Super Harvest Moon” as it arose over the Lake of the Ozarks (MO) last night.

I was aware of this event, but was not planning on getting out and shooting it. After dinner, I walked past my front door and saw this beautiful moon, quite large-looking and with a nice, orange color. So I grabbed my camera and tripod and set up just outside my front door and captured several images of this wonderful sight. To achieve the best possible image, I combined a couple of images to get this resulting Super Harvest Moon:

Super Harvest Moon

Had I realized it would be so clear and visible, I would have tried to find a more scenic location to shoot!

Photographic Equipment Used:

  • Canon 5D Mark 3 camera body
  • Canon 100-400mm, f/4.5-f/5.6 IS lens
  • Bogen 3021 tripod, with ballhead
  • ISO 800
  • Aperture f/22
  • Shutter 1/15 sec.
By James Braswell | Published September 29, 2023
Posted in: Astrophotography, Landscape Photography, Nature Photography | Leave a comment

King of the Sunflowers?

Today’s post features some images of Maximillian Sunflowers, captured this past week in the church butterfly garden, here at the Lake of the Ozarks (MO).

The Maximillian Sunflower is a new addition to the church butterfly garden. Several bare root plants were planted last fall and in one short year, they have proved to be a great addition to the garden. Although they were to grow 6-feet tall, a couple of the plants have reached 9-feet, and even 10-feet!

Over this past week, I have captured a lot of images of this beautiful sunflower, including some of the pollinators that love this plant.

First year bloom of Maximillian Sunflower patch:

Maximillian Sunflowers

A Monarch butterfly visits the sunflowers:

Monarch butterfly on Maximillian Sunflower

“Stretching to the Heavens”:

Maximillian Sunflowers

Bee collecting nectar:

Pollinator visits a Maximillian Sunflower

Another flower about to appear:

Maximillian Sunflower bud prepares to bloom

Coming up … the great Monarch migration!

Photographic Equipment Used:

  • Canon 5D Mark 3 camera body
  • Canon 180mm macro lens and Canon 100-400mm, f/4.5-f/5.6 IS lenses
  • Handheld
  • ISO Various
  • Aperture Various
  • Shutter Various
By James Braswell | Published September 26, 2023
Posted in: Nature Photography, Uncategorized, Wildflowers | Tags: ,
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Pollinators at Work

Today’s post features an image I captured over the weekend. I have 3 patches of Showy Goldenrod planted in the church butterfly garden and all are profusely blooming right now. Being an “end of season” bloomer, the Goldenrod is near the top of the pollinator’s wish list at the buffet table, this late in the season.

The Goldenrod’s bright yellow flower is a “can’t miss” sight for lots of pollinators, like this bee I caught seeking nectar from the flowers:

Bee seeking nectar from a Showy Goldenrod flower

As the end of the blooming season nears, I’m sure many more pollinators will be visiting the butterfly garden … I will be there, camera in hand, to capture the beauty that visits us!

Photographic Equipment Used:

  • Canon 5D Mark 3 camera body
  • Canon 180mm macro lens + 36mm Extension Tube
  • Handheld
  • ISO 800
  • Aperture f/3.5
  • Shutter 1/8000 sec.
By James Braswell | Published September 20, 2023
Posted in: Insect Photography, Macro Photography, Nature Photography, Uncategorized | Tags: ,
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Let’s Get Really Small!

Today’s post features an image I captured over the weekend. With the annual fall Monarch migration in full swing, there have been lots of Monarchs visiting the church butterfly garden, here in the Missouri Ozarks.

This featured image shows the sizes of a Monarch egg (upper, lefthand edge of image) and a freshly-hatched Monarch caterpillar, as compared to a dime:

Monarch butterfly egg and very small caterpillar

As you can readily see, both are very, very small! I will have some more images, even videos, available soon. I have been spending LOTS of time over the past few days, monitoring and photographing both hatching eggs and the chrysallis formation of older caterpillars. I even spent an “all nighter” Sunday night/Monday morning, capturing images and videos of these processes. Hope to have them available soon!

Photographic Equipment Used:

  • Canon 5D Mark 3 camera body
  • Canon 180mm macro lens + 36mm Extension Tube
  • Bogen 3021 tripod, with ballhead
  • ISO 3200
  • Aperture f/13
  • Shutter 1/6 sec.
By James Braswell | Published September 12, 2023
Posted in: Butterfly Photography, Macro Photography | Tags: , ,
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Arachna-Thursday

CAUTION ARACHNOPHOBICS … You might not want to check out this beautiful spider!!!

Today’s post features a camera photo I captured yesterday while working in the church butterfly garden, here at the Lake of the Ozarks (Missouri).

While weeding, deadheading some of the flowers, and spreading fresh mulch, I noticed this beautiful and brilliantly-colored Goldenrod Spider casually walking across the mulch:

Goldenrod Spider

I do have several large clumps of Showy Goldenrod wildflowers in the garden, so I guess this little guy knew where he was and what he was doing!

Photographic Equipment Used:

  • Google Pixel 3 phone camera
By James Braswell | Published September 7, 2023
Posted in: Insect Photography, Nature Photography | Tags:
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The End of Summer is Near!

Today’s post features a few images I captured over the weekend while working in the church butterfly garden. Once you see Monarchs arriving in numbers, you know summer is coming to an end!

An adult Monarch collecting nectar from a Mexican Sunflower:

Monarch butterfly

A Monarch laying an egg on a milkweed leaf:

Monarch butterfly

A Monarch laying an egg on a whorled milkweed plant:

Monarch butterfly

A couple of Monarch caterpillars checking each other out:

Monarch caterpillars

Photographic Equipment Used:

  • Canon 5D Mark 3 camera body
  • Canon 100-400mm IS lens
  • Handheld, with IS “On”
  • ISO 400 and ISO 500
  • Aperture f/5.6 and f/11
  • Shutter 1/90 sec. to 1/2000 sec.
By James Braswell | Published September 6, 2023
Posted in: Butterfly Photography, Nature Photography | Tags: ,
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