Bird Photo: Common Greenshank: Tringa nebularia

Aoashishigi (アオアシシギ) in Japan

Camera: Pentax K3

Lens: Sigma 50-500 at 500MM

Exposure: f/11  1/250   ISO 100

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time: AUG 19 2020 7:59 AM

VIEW AT CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY

Sashiba (サシバ) the Grey-faced Buzzard Shot Today

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Sigma 50-500 with 1.4 converter - Focal Length 700 MM

Exposure:  f/9.5  1/125   ISO 100

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time: November 6, 2018, 9:01 AM

More about the Grey-faced Buzzard (Butastur indicus)

Mother's Day Crescent Moon

Happy Mother's Day

This is what's called a Waning Crescent Moon and it's two days before the New Moon arrives.

Out walking the dog, early this morning, I noticed this moon.

Normally, I don't bother shooting anything but Full Moon photos at night.

Just for the heck of it, here's a Crescent Moon for all the mothers who may have been sleeping.

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Sigma 50-500 with 1.4 Converter Focal Length 700 MM

Exposure: f/16  1/50   ISO 100

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time: May 13 2018 at 5:25 AM



MOON PHASES

Morning After Full Moon

Blame It on the Dog

If the stupid animal hadn't licked me at 4 AM, this photo wouldn't be here.

There are plenty of things going on around here because it's Golden Week in Japan.

The dog got walked to my office and I grabbed the camera along with a tripod.

The moon became visible off and on for about an hour and, I shot a few photos.

This one, I'll post and may save the rest to create a clouded moon GIF.

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Sigma 50-500 with 1.4 converter  Focal Length 700 MM

Exposure: f/16   1/15   ISO 100

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time: May 1 2018   4:42 AM

Happy May Day Wherever You Are!

MAR 2 2018 Full Moon Over Okinawa

99.9 Percent on a Friday Morning

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Sigma 50-500 + Converter  Focal Length 700 MM

Exposure:  f/16   1/40   ISO 100

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  MAR 2 2018   5:27 AM

Full Moon Morning March 1st 2018

As Seen in Okinawa, Japan

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Sigma 50-500 + 1.4 Converter Focal Length 700 MM

Exposure: f/16   1/30   ISO 100

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  MAR 1 2018 5:17 AM

2 Images of NOV 2017 Full Moon

Moon Made an Appearance

Leaving home, it didn't seem as if, any moon shots would be made tonight.

The sky looked like one huge blanket of white and grey clouds.

The wife even said, "You won't see the moon. Don't drink too much tonight."

Shorts and a t-shirt was the uniform I decided to wear because it was warm outside.

By the time the sun went down I was freezing cold and put jeans and a jacket on.

Moonrise was shortly after six. I started checking the skies around 7 PM.

A Northeast wind was blowing clouds and hiding the moon.

Instead of climbing up on the roof, I set a tripod on the sidewalk in front of the office.

The first decent image was captured at 7:23 PM.

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Sigma 50-500 and 1.4 converter Focal Lenght 700 MM

Exposure:  f/22   1/40   ISO 100

It looked as if the clouds would give me time, to switch lenses so, I ran back into the office.

The weather was horrible and, I considered putting some socks on my feet.

After I made this shot, I checked the weather on the internet. It's 19 degrees Celsius.

No wonder I was shivering. That's in the mid 60's for Fahrenheit folks!

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Pentax 300 + 1.4 converter Focal Length 420 MM

Exposure:  f/16   1/80   ISO 100

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  NOV 4 2017  7:33 PM

To me, the second photo appears much sharper. And. the reason is explainable.

700 MM of the lens, sticking out in the wind, shakes more than, 420 MM does.

When the cameraman is cold, he tends to shake a bit, too.

So, the next thing I'll be doing, after closing down, is getting some anti-freeze in my system.

September 2017 Full Moon Over Okinawa

7:11 PM

This looks better than, last night's image so, I'll call it the full moon.

The Pentax K1 and a converter on a Pentax 300 Gave me 420 MM of lens.

7:31 PM

The landlord caught me climbing off the roof so, I explained what I was doing up there.

The first photo, I showed him and, told him the full moon was out tonight.

He couldn't see it from ground level so, I had him follow me halfway towards the roof.

Then, told him if, I went back up with a bigger lens maybe, I could get a better shot.

Round Two

Using the same camera with a Sigma 50-500 and the converter 700 MM of lens was available.

The difference in the color of the moon, is something a scientist could tell you.

It always seems more orange, when the moon first comes up.

The later you wait, the brighter and smaller, it appears in the sky.

After two hours, climbing and moon watching, I think, I deserve the rest of the day off.

There's a cold beer waiting for me and, I promised to show a photo of the moon to someone.

Later.....

Almost Full Moon Over Okinawa AUG 8 2017

Waning Gibbous 99.6 Percent

This is about as round as I've seen it get during the month of August this year.

The local moon phases calendar, says the moon was full at 03:10 this morning.

As I was walking the dog home, from buying my coffee, I saw the moon setting.

About 5 AM and the skies were hazy but, it looked like the moon was going to hit the highway.

Tonight, I climbed up on the roof and was waiting for moonrise at 7:30 PM.

It appeared shortly after I set the camera up, surrounded by fast moving black clouds.

There were 60 photos in the camera, when I stopped shooting and downloaded.

Tonight, I'll just post this one and, another on my Facebook Page, Ryukyu Life.

The remaining images, I may use to create a slideshow, showing the moving clouds.

All photos were taken, using a tripod and the camera timer at 2 or, 12 seconds.

Various exposure settings were used, depending on the brightness of the moon.

For this image, here's the camera specs:

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Sigma 50-500 with 1.4 converter Focal Length 700 MM

Exposure:  f/22   1/5 sec   ISO 100

Location: Kin Town Okinawa Japan

Date and Time: AUG 8 2017  8:06 PM

NOTE: AUG 22 2017 there will be a Black Moon over Okinawa at 03:30.

Do you think, I should climb up on the roof, to shoot it while it's in a black sky ?

July 2017 Thunder Moon Images

This photo was taken using the Pentax K1 and a Sigma 50-500 MM lens.

A 1.4 converter gave a focal length of 700 MM.

The image above was taken with the same camera and a Pentax 300 MM.

With the 1.4 converter a focal length of 420 MM was gained.

According to Farmer's Almanac, July is the month of the Full Buck Moon.

At Space Dot Com, the moon is also called  the Thunder Moon.

Watch this video for more full moon information:

JUL 19 2016 Full Moon Over Okinawa

Camera:  Pentax K1

Lens:  Sigma 50-500 with 1.4 converter Focal Length 700MM

Exposure:  f/16  1/200   ISO 100

Location:  Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  JUL 19 2016  9:15PM

Between rain showers and fast moving clouds, it finally got done.

This just happens to be one of the images, I liked and, I'll post more on Facebook.

Several more photos will be processed at a later date. It's time to go home.

Moon Shots -- Preparing for the JUL 2016 Full Moon

90 Something Percent

 

 

Probably, late tomorrow night. will be the best time to catch a full moon over Okinawa.

This image was cropped, placing the subject in the left of the frame, just for the heck of it.

Centering the moon in the frame, shows how out-of-round it really appears.

Both photos were taken with the Pentax K1 and Sigma 50-500MM lens.

A converter was used on the rear of the lens, to take the shots at 700MM. 

Tomorrow is a national holiday, called Umi no Hi (海の日) in Japan.

Ocean Day, would be the English translation for that event and, I may wind up at the beach.

If the weather cooperates, I could have some full moon photos, to post late tomorrow evening. 

Look What We Got Here

A Reflecting Egret

 

 

Camera: Pentax K3

Lens:  Sigma 50-500MM and 1.4 converter  --  Focal Length 700MM

Exposure:  f/11   1/250   ISO 200

Location:  Okukubi River, Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  JAN 18  2016  3:09PM

Maybe Full Moon Over Okinawa FEB 2016

Iffy Looking Weather this Month

 

 

The moon has been ducking in and out of cloudy skies tonight.

With unpredictable weather in the skies, it's best to shoot the moon whenever it appears.

My sources say the full moon will happen at about 0329 on the 23rd of February.

That's really, the evening of the 22nd, the way we do things around here.  It's tomorrow night.

So, I grabbed a tripod, camera with a humongous lens and, took a few shots.

Camera:  Pentax K3

Lens:  Sigma 50-500 and 1'4 converter -- Focal Length 700MM

Exposure:  f/11   1/40   ISO 100

Location:  Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  FEB 21 2016  6:57PM 

Visit Moon Giant for dates and times for the full moon in your location.

Common House Sparrow and Banana Leaf

This image could have been saved for a Wordless Wednesday but, here it is now.

It's been sitting in the pending files for a few years and, I haven't got a lot of words to say.

The better part of the day was used, in getting an article typed and submitted.

So, I'll just tell you the scientific name is Passer domesticus.

And, the birds can be seen, almost anywhere in the world, lots of them in flocks.

Camera: Pentax K5

Lens:  Sigma 50-500 at 310MM

Exposure:  f/9  1/250   ISO 100

Location:  Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  MAR 13  2013 3:51PM

CORRECTION:

 

Thanks to an alert reader on Facebook, we have a better Identification.
The bird pictured above is a Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) not, a House Sparrow.
More at Audubon Field Guide

Resources to Learn More about Sparrows:

National Geographic

ARKive 

July 31 2015 Blue Moon

This only happens once every 19 years, according to EarthSkyOrg.

It's the second full moon, we've seen, in the month of July.

Camera: Pentax K3

Lens: Sigma 50-500 with a 1.4 extender for a focal length of 700mm

Exposure: f/16  1/20   ISO 100

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  JUL 31 2015  7:19PM

Images of First July 2015 Full Moon

Full Moon Appears Twice

 

 

The full moon at the beginning of this month is called the Full Buck Moon, in the USA.

That's because it is the season when bucks sprout new antlers.

The names, Thunder Moon and Hay Moon are also used, in north America.

This photo was taken at 9:15PM JUL 2, 2015.

Camera: Pentax K3

Lens: Pentax 300mm

Exposure: f/16 1/60   ISO 100

Black clouds covered the moon so, I headed back to the office.

The moon reappeared as I was nearing the gate to my shop and, it gave me an idea.

It would have to be done, fully manual but, I wanted to try something.

The Sigma 50-500mm lens and a 1.4X converter,  would give a focal length of 700mm.

It got me a little bit closer to the moon at 9:41PM

Exposure: f/16  1/125   ISO 100

Another Full Moon Comes at the End of July

 

 

July 31st we will see the second full moon for this month. 


Click on the links above to learn more about the full moon and viewing times.

Depending upon where you live, you may have to do some searching.

If you have children or, grandchildren, you may want to see Space.com

At the bottom of the page, I found this: 

Best Telescopes for Kids 2015 - Preschool and Up

Butterfly Before the Typhoon

There's a Mini Typhoon Brewing

 

 

 

One job you never want to have, living on a tropical island, is Weatherman.

This thing, they're calling Tropical Depression #4 or, Leepi, is heading our way.

The weather folks have predicted sunshine, all day today.

Under brilliant blue skies, I walked the dogs this morning. Then, took an ice-cold shower.

Wearing brand new beach duds, I was going to take the cameras and spend all day outside.

But, before the emails were done, things changed.  A storm is coming and the sky turned gray.

So, I stayed at the office and shot butterflies out in the back yard.



Somehow, butterflies know when a typhoon is coming.

If  you studied their habits, I bet they'd be more accurate than any weather dude.

 
The rascals were real skittish and wouldn't hold still for a second.

So, I set up a tripod and used the Sigma 50-500mm lens.

My guess was, they'd land, again on those white and yellow flowers, I call weeds.

Time 2:49:58

At 2:52:33 a butterfly came along.

Firing the camera in Continuous Shooting Mode, it was still 2:52:33 when this photo was taken.

The little guy is moving fast.  My shutter-speed is 1/640 of a second.

At 2:52:41 he decides to land and I want to get a detailed shot of him.

So, I'm yelling stuff like, "Show me your eyes, you l'il varmint"!

It was 2:53:14 when I think he yelled back at me.

"Git back in your house, old man.  Don't you know, a typhoon is coming ?"

For Updates on Storm Conditions Check the Links Below

 

PACIFIC STORM TRACKER


ANOTHER FAVORITE OF MINE IS THE WEATHER WUNDERGROUND



Click for weather forecast  

Travel Photo: The Moon Over Kanucha Resort

 

Sometimes, the simple photo is the hardest one to capture.

This picture was taken from across the highway at the entrance to Kanucha Resort in Okinawa, Japan.

Camera used:  Pentax KD10

Lens: Sigma 10-20 at 10mm

f/11  8sec  ISO 100

The camera was set up on a tripod and a 12 second timer used to take the shot.

The resort is very busy during the months of January and February.

It seemed like, every 10 seconds, a car would go in or, come out the gate.

The trick to capturing a photo like this must be patience and lots of choice words.

It worked for me.

Visit my website for today's Feature Photo

Playing Games With The Full Moon Okinawa, Japan 20 Apr 2011

       Last night between 12:57AM and 1:09AM the games the moon was playing with me came to an end.

                The little sucker had been hiding behind clouds every time I went out to shoot.

      As I walked home last night it peeked through the clouds and so, I decided to play my games.

                 With the Pentax, a tripod and SIGMA 50-500MM LENS I got closer and closer.

                                             Until I got that sucker right where I wanted it.

Now, I'm done playing games, freezing my furry toes-off in my flip-flops, trying to catch the full moon in Okinawa, Japan.  This full moon thing happens a lot.  Maybe it'll be warmer next month.  Ya reckon?

As soon as I clean up the mess from all the wife's planters I knocked over last night, I'm going back to bed.

This month's Full Moon Photos were inspired by THE ASTROBLOG


RELATED POST PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS: SHOOT THE MOON


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