summer - David Mathre Photography

Saturday (24-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

It was much cooler, so I spent the morning catching up on yard work. The electric fence (not charged yet) is already helping the Forsythia and Lilac shrubs we planted earlier this spring. They have new leaves that the deer haven’t nibbled. I am in the process of installing a drip hose to water both these shrubs and the daffodil patch (using rainwater collected in barrels). The grass hadn’t been mowed in two weeks, so that also had to be done. Also lots of mile-a-minute vine weeds needed to be pulled. The walkway from the front to the patio was overgrown with tall Cosmos and Sunflowers that needed to be trimmed back. Time-lapse video recorded with a Garmin VIRB-360 camera and the video processed with Photoshop CC (including the Little Planet view).

After the yard work I did my daily walkabout with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. The deer wondered why I mowed their lawn. In addition to the last week being hot, we only got 0.42 inches of rain. The water level in the pond is way down. Kermit the Bullfrog was only partially submerged in the middle of the pond in a section that is normally a couple feet deep. I only saw one Hummingbird Clearwing moth (white legs) feeding on a Bee Balm flower. The only recent new flower is a bright red Indian Paintbrush. Finally a beat up Monarch butterfly.

Fawn and Doe. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Kermit the Bullfrog in the Pond. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Hummingbird Clearwing moth feeding on a Bee Balm flower. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Indian Paintbrush Flower. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Monarch Butterfly. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (48.2 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (71.9 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cooler outside and the sun was out most of the day for a net surplus of 23.7 kWh. Laundry used 3.7 kWh.

One note — the WaterFurnace Symphony software indicated the system used 3 kWh, however the Sense Energy monitor indicated that the geothermal heat pump used 5.4 kWh. I tend to believe the Sense numbers since they more closely the energy being recorded at the external power company (PSE&G) meters. I’ve asked the WaterFurnace folks in the past about the discrepancy, but they didn’t have a good answer. The Sense folks told me they thought that the WaterFurnace/Symphony system was only measuring one phase of the energy even though the system is powered by the 220V circuit (using two phases). I wish an electrical engineer that understands this better would correct me here.

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Eleven-Years Ago (24-August-2008) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

North American Gypsy Moth Caterpillars in a Silk Nest. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 280, 400 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). Since the Gypsy Moths are so destructive, I removed and burned the nest right after taking the picture.

North American Gypsy Moth Caterpillars in a Silken Net. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 280, 400 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)

Thirteen-Years Ago (24-August-2006) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Lone Rabbit. Image taken with a Nikon D200 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/10 sec). The ninth image taken with the camera. Not a very good image, but it does show that the vibration reduction (VR) helps since this was hand-held with a relatively long (1/10 sec) exposure. Below are the original jpg image, an updated version from 2010, an updated version using current tools (2019). For the current version the image was first converted from jpg (8 bit) to a tif (16 bit) file with Topaz JPG to RAW AI, and processed using Capture One Pro. I then attempted to sharpen the rabbit with Focus Magic (motion blur) and Topaz Sharpen AI (stabilize). Not perfect, but much better than the original.

Lone Rabbit. Image taken with a Nikon D200 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/10 sec). Original jpg image. (David Mathre)

Lone Rabbit. Image taken with a Nikon D200 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/10 sec). (David J Mathre) — Lone Rabbit. Image taken with a Nikon D200 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/10 sec). Processed with tools available in 2010. (David J Mathre)

Today is my thirteenth anniversary of using a DSLR camera. I have made many mistakes, and learned a lot since then. Over this time I have taken over 2 MM images. I save everything, and continually review the bad images and failed compositions to become a better photographer. Part of the reason I go back and review images taken on each day of the year. Initially, I only used Nikon DSLR cameras (D200, D300 (2x), D700, D800, D810a, D850, D2xs (2x), D3 (2x), D3s, D3x, D4, Df, and D5). More recently I have been using smaller mirrorless cameras Nikon (N1-V1, N1-V2, and N1-V3 (2x)), Leica (X1, X2, T (2x), TL2, CL), and Fuji (X-T1 (2x) X-T2, X-T3, X-H1). Of these, only two failed — Nikon Df (shutter sleeves buckled while in Antarctica, subsequently repaired), and one of the Fuji X-T1 (water damage while visiting Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, not repairable). Some of the cameras my brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces are using. I have also used a large collection of lenses (macro, prime, zoom, telephoto, perspective control, fish-eye). Recently, I have been trying out some 360 degree panorama cameras.

For the initial trip across the US with the D200 camera I had the kit 18-70 mm lens and the 80-400 mm telephoto zoom lens. I didn’t know how to use the camera, and the manual wasn’t much help. Somehow, I got some great images during the trip and became hooked on photography as my new passion. I have always been the type of person that has to learn and become an expert of something new every few years. I’ve had many great mentors to guide me, and have been on many photo related trips. I’ve had cameras with me on every one of my Semester at Sea voyages, visiting over 50 countries. Now that I am retired from corporate America, I can spend my time with photography and travel. I probably am not going to buy new cameras and lenses as often – and believe that “the best camera is the one that is with you”.

Friday (23-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout, today with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens. It was cloudy with light rain. Also 20 degrees cooler than yesterday. The Fuji X-T3 camera is supposed to be weather resistant. [I did have a Fuji X-T1 camera fail six months after visiting Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and was told that the camera was not repairable due to water damage to the electronic circuits.] No butterflies or hummingbird moths out since it was raining, so today is all Sunflowers.

Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.

Daily Electric Energy Used (43.0 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (21.2 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cooler outside temperatures reduced the need for cooling, but much less sunlight reduced the solar energy generated, for a net deficit of 21.8 kWh. Cooler weather expected tomorrow!

One note — the WaterFurnace Symphony software indicated the system used 4 kWh, however the Sense Energy monitor indicated that the geothermal heat pump used 7 kWh. I tend to believe the Sense numbers since they more closely the energy being recorded at the external power company (PSE&G) meters. I’ve asked the WaterFurnace folks in the past about the discrepancy, but they didn’t have a good answer. The Sense folks told me they thought that the WaterFurnace/Symphony system was only measuring one phase of the energy even though the system is powered by the 220V circuit (using two phases). I wish an electrical engineer that understands this better would correct me here.

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Eleven-Years Ago (23-August-2008) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

I didn’t see the crab-like spider hiding until processing the images. And then it wasn’t that sharp of an image. Reprocessed with Topaz Sharpen AI (stabilize). Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec).

Camouflaged Crab like Spider hiding on a Queen Anne's Lace. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre) — Camouflaged Crab like Spider hiding on a Queen Anne’s Lace. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)