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Wet grasses and bokeh caused by the lens Marlene takes a shot Thank goodness for the new waterproof shoes I bought yesterday.  After the storms moved through yesterday, there was a lot of water left on trees and grasses at the sanctuary.  Combined with the humidity, today's walk was definitely a wet one.

Water droplets lay like crystal beads on the grass. This morning, my friend Marlene came with me.  It was her first visit to the sanctuary, and I hope to introduce many more people to it.  I also have been in contact with members of the board of directors of the Audubon Society of Central Maryland, and they are pleased about my project.  We're discussing ways that my work can benefit the sanctuary, so stay tuned!

Jewel-like beetles mate on a leaf. A widow skimmer dragonfly Today's lesson is on the minimum focusing distance of a lens.  I am using a large 200-500mm lens, and I have to back up at least five feet from whatever I am focusing on to get the subject sharp.  Without that distance, the lens will not focus, either automatically or manually.  

Hummingbird clearwing moth on wild bergamot. Black swallowtail butterfly on wild bergamot So let's say I want to focus in on some little beetles on a leaf.  I need to back up at least five feet until the leaf is in focus.  Then I can use the zoom feature to zoom in on the beetles, and they will be sharp.  Marlene had a 70-300mm lens on her camera, and she had to back up about 4.5 feet to get focus.  Every lens has a minimum focusing distance.  Some will find focus only a few inches away; others, a few feet.  It pays to figure out what your minimum focusing distance is, to save frustration when trying to focus on something close by.

Eastern Kingbird Backlit leaf and shadow The wild bergamot will only be in bloom a few more days, so if you want to see the hummingbird moths in action, you need to get to the sanctuary soon.  The butterfly garden is on the left soon after entering.

Click this link for directions to the sanctuary:  Fred Archibald Sanctuary, New Market, MD

<Copyright Cam Miller 2017 - All Photos Are Available for Sale Upon Request>