Photo ABCs

Welcome!

Welcome to my photography blog!

Here I share photos of birds, travel, sports and people (mostly birds).

If you wish to hear about upcoming gallery exhibitions or slide shows, please sign up for the mailing list on the left.

I will have another (my fifth) solo show of bird photography at the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center Gallery in Santee, California, from October 22 through December 2 of 2022. Details will follow when the time approaches.

Thanks for visiting, do come back, a new post appears almost daily.

Alexander Zverev

German Alexander (Sascha) Zverev is currently the #3 ranked player on the men's tennis circuit.

Here he practices at Indian Wells prior to the 2021 BNP Paribas Open.

Indian Wells Tennis: Madison Keys

Madison Keys, competing in a first-round match against Kaia Kanepi, at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. Keys would win the match in straight sets.

This was the first time I photographed tennis with a camera with face/eye detection technology.

While photographing tennis is always difficult, it is much easier with face/eye detection! It did not work flawlessly (I'm sure the new Nikon Z9 will work even better), but having the camera find the face anywhere within the frame is much easier than trying to place the focus point on a rapidly moving subject, and ending up with a shoulder in focus instead of the face...

I cannot wait for my new camera on order to arrive. It will have eye detection for birds, which my current camera does not...

Indian Wells Tennis: Sloane Stephens

In October of last year I was able to spend two days at the Indian Wells Tennis Center at their annual tennis tournament  (BNP Paribas Open, rescheduled to October from its regular slot in March).

What better time to post photos than now, with the tennis season starting again with the Australian Open?

Here are photos of Sloane Stephens, during her first round match against Heather Watson. Stephens would win the match in three sets.

 

Ring-necked Duck

A Ring-necked Duck, photographed at Santee Lakes about two weeks ago:

Gadwall

I love how understated and handsome Gadwalls look.

Here is one at Santee Lakes photographed two weeks ago:

Cinnamon Teal

It seems that there are more Cinnamon Teals at Santee Lakes this winter.

Here is one photographed two weeks ago:

Northern Shovelers

A Northern Shoveler couple, female in front.

Photographed two weeks ago at Santee Lakes.

Brown Pelican

These pelicans flew past on New Year's Day.

Nice lighting and wing position:

Nice wave in background, lousy wing position... oh well.

 

Whimbrel

On the morning of New Year's Day I spent 40 minutes observing and photographing this Whimbrel near La Jolla Cove, while it bathed, preened, and rested.

If it took any notice of me, it didn't let on!

Fluffing its feathers:

Startled by a wave that came too close for comfort:

Spotted Sandpiper

On New Year's Day I headed to La Jolla, where there was an extremely high tide at sunrise.

I found a Spotted Sandpiper which fed in the same area for about 45 minutes, and took no notice of me.

The Spotted Sandpiper is always one of my favorite birds.