Category Archives: Landscape

Photographer’s Choice – David Smith

Forty Feet Below: An Amazing Featherduster (and Friend)

David Smith - Featherduster Worm (Sabellidae)

David Smith - Featherduster Worm (Sabellidae)

In June of this year, David traveled to Bonaire, a small island in the Caribbean lying 50 miles north of Venezuela and a part of the recently formed ‘Caribbean part of the Netherlands’. Bonaire has many of the characteristics of Caribbean islands in general but perhaps its main draws for tourism are warm, clear water for diving and windsurfing. David has special gear for underwater photography, the DX-2G Sea & Sea (a waterproof housing coupled with a modified Ricoh camera) which he used to capture the image above. Illumination was provided by a strobe not only for light but to bring out the natural colors of the creature and its surroundings. The featherduster is the main attraction but see if you can also find the ‘friend’.
David captured another creature on the same trip, not as brilliant but the detail is fascinating. Take a close look at his shy “blenny”.

Photo of the Week – Betty Rembert

 In Our Own Backyard – Fall 2011

Betty Rembert - Horsecreek in the Fall

Betty Rembert - Horsecreek in the Fall

The fall season for this year has truly been spectacular in Ashe but now it’s rapidly becoming a memory as the golds and yellows fade into winter’s brown and cover the forest floor once again. But the camera catches the moment in time and replays it whenever we wish to visit the moment again, winding the clock back to 3:42:21 PM on October 15, 2011. When the snows of winter lock us in, we can know that spring will come again soon, followed by warm summer and another fall show of color. We don’t even have to leave the County-no plane tickets, no security checks and very little expense. How fortunate we are to live where others vacation.
Canon 50D with an EF24-105mm f/4L lens set at 24mm, a shutter speed of 1/160 sec, aperture at f/11 and and ISO of 100. All perfect manual settings for this afternoon shot.