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Because I post so many science photos, I get quite a few questions about photography. Some want to know what camera I use (Nikon D7000) or what editing software I use (Photoshop and Lightroom), but probably the most common questions is, "How do you manage to find so many things to photograph?"
It has been a very good week here in Johnson Canyon. We are coming up on the end of our first year in Utah, and are still having a marvelous time exploring and discovering new things. It still amazes us that we actually live here, and even something as simple as walking to the mailbox (1/4 mile) is wonderful.
After a very mild winter, spring seems to have settled in to stay. Nancy's garden is starting to produce flowers, in spite of nights that still go down below freezing.
The past few months have been a challenge, dealing with the fatigue from my bout with Epstein Barr. I am trying to get more exercise to get my strength back, so Nancy suggested that I get a new lens for my camera to encourage me to spend more time walking. My favorite telephoto lens had finally worn out about 18 months ago, so I got a new Nikkor 80-400 mm telephoto lens. I have been giving it a good workout, and REALLY like it.
Because of our rural location, a trip to town for groceries is also a delightful opportunity for photography. Today was no exception. I managed to capture a few shots of the Bald Eagles that are winter visitors to the canyon. It would have been nice if they had come closer, but it was still a treat. No matter how often I see them, I still love watching them.
I got the idea for this experiment while watching the sand hill cranes feeding in the fields around Hastings, Nebraska. To most people, bird watching means trying to identify different kinds of birds. Really, that is bird spotting. Bird watching means finding a bird and watching it, to see what it is doing.
A fun part of studying birds is learning about their behavior. If you understand what they do and why, you can use that knowledge to get a better look at them.
Now that we live in Johnson Canyon, Utah, we have all sorts of wildlife wandering through our yard, but we saw plenty of wildlife even when we lived in the city. All it takes is a walk to the neighborhood park.