Green Anole - Audubon Park, New Orleans, Nature Shot with Leica Rangefinder

Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis), by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica 90mm f2.8 Elmarit (v.1)

iso 200, f6.7, 1/350 sec.

 

I shot this image of a Caroline Anole (aka Green Anole) in Audubon Park in New Orleans. I used my early Elmarit 90mm f2.8 lens on my Leica M9 digital rangefinder. Rangefinders are not used for nature photography all that often, as you're limited in the longest telephoto lenses that are practical (135mm is reasonable, though very hard to focus). I usually shoot a 90mm as my rangefinder telephoto. Rangefinders also don't have good closeup capabilties, without going to great lengths with accessory lens googles or reflex housings, which essentially turn your Leica rangefinder into a single lens reflex camera.

In this case, the 90mm was a fine focal length, and I didn't need to get any closer than the lens normally allows. In fact, I like the context of the leaves around the lizard. They help the composition. I love how his body is silhouetted from the other side of the leaf. I got the focus just right as well - a 1:1 zoom shows his eye is really, really sharp.

I printed this at about 7.5" x 10" and it looks great. I think I'll make a 12" x 18" print of it.

 

So, use the camera you've got in your hand, rather than worrying about if the gear fits the subject. I couldn't be much more pleased with this shot.

 

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George, From Belize

Meet George, the iguana. He seems to be the mascot of our hotel here in Belize.

 

 

George the Iguana, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Lumix 100-300mm f4-5.6 Mega OIS Lens at 200mm

iso 200, f6.4, 1/400 sec. (handheld)

 

I worked around George to shoot from various angles, and like this shot best mainly because it includes his whole body while focusing attention on his eye with shallow depth of field. I also like the red hibiscus flowers in the background.

 

We're in Belize for a few days of scuba diving and relaxation. Our hotel, Coco Beach Resort in San Pedro, is quite nice if a bit isolated. It's our first day here, so we're still getting the lay of the land. Our plan is to head into San Pedro via water taxi today to do a little exploring in the city. I'll be carrying my Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7, as it's super-capable, compact, and unobtrusive.

 

By the time this posts, we'll be back in Virginia. Here's hoping for a nice break in a place we've never visited before!

 

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Combining Two Loves - Science and Photography

I have just achieved a milestone. Combining my love for field science and photography, I have the incredible honor of being published in a first-rate Paleontology journal with a true leader in the field, Dr. Robert Weems. Our paper on amphibians and non-marine turtles from the miocene period was published in the July issue of the Journal of Paleontology.

 

(Click Here) to read the abstract.

 

My minor contributions to the work included two things - finding a humerus bone from a several million year old land turtle, and taking all of the photographs for the paper. Dr. Weems provided all of the scientific expertise, writing, and editing.

 

Here's the sample that I found:

 

Miocene Turtle Humerus, by Reed A. George

 

I met Dr. Weems through my association with Paleo Quest, a non-profit organization focused on education and scientific research, specifically in Paleontology.

 

(Click Here) to check out Paleo Quest.

 

What an exciting project! Thanks, Dr. Weems, for all of your assistance and support.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Gecko - Not An Insurance Ad! - Shot With Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica 45mm f2.8 Macro Elmarit

 

Hawaiian Gecko, by member foxtail1 on mu-43.com

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica 45mm f2.8 Macro-Elmarit

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/f54/colorful-hawaiian-gecko-30228/

 
foxtail1 on mu-43.com posted a series of pics of this cool little gecko from Hawaii. The image above isn't the best one; it's the only one I could link to for some reason.
 
(Click Here) to see them all.
 
That is one great lens. I use mine as a short telephoto / portrait lens a lot. I need to do some macro work with it. The serious competition for the Pana-Leica 45mm in Micro 4/3 mount is the Olympus 45mm f1.8. The Oly lens is faster and smaller. It offers great results. The only things the Oly lens doesn't provide is image stabilization (because Olympus builds that into their bodies), and macro capability. I love the Pana-Leica lens, personally.
 
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Reptile and Amphibian Thread on mu-43.com

 

Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridus), by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.6 zoom at 140mm

iso100, f8, 1/500 sec

I have always been a fan of snakes and other reptiles. Growing up in Oklahoma was perfect for that.

I came across a nice post on mu-43.com, where people are starting to submit their reptile and amphibian images:

(Click Here) to see the thread on mu-43.com.

I came across this lovely fellow above on a hike in Roman Nose State Park, while visiting my parents last year. On my return hike out, I noticed what looked like a new branch laying across the path. Then I saw it was moving. I ran up, and captured a few shots of him. He was not too interested in me, which was fine by me. We both went on our merry way.

I have a good friend, Larry Mendoza, who's President of the Virginia Herpetological Society. Recently, I participated in a survey with him, where we found a few snakes, frogs, and several box turtles. I posted a box turtle image a few days ago.

It's a shame that snakes are so poorly understood. They are critical to the environment, and do an excellent job of keeping pest populations under control. And, to me, they're just plain cool.

DMC-365.blogspot.com