Purple plain

Strabrechtse Heide just after sunrise. My contribution to the flowering heathland.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 17-40mm/f4 @ 19 mm; ISO-200, f16, 1/3s; +0.3 stop; 3 stop ND hard gradient filter; tripod.

Greenshank

The fens on the moorland of the eastern part of Noord-Brabant are almost dried out at the end of this summer. Luckily, migrating waders, such as this juvenile Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), find these former water surfaces easily, and they pick an amazing amount of food from the mud. I personally like the expressionist style of this image, i.e. the spotlight effect on the bird (created by the last sunrays of the day), strongly contrasting with the dark colourful surroundings.

* Canon 7D; 500mm/f4 + 1.4x; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/800s; -0.7 stop; bean bag.

The days are getting shorter

My grandmother always used to say around this time: “It is getting dark much earlier already”. I didn’t like that when I was a kid because it meant that the end of the long summer holiday was near. But now I look at it from a different perspective. Sunrise is at a more decent hour, and the nights are getting colder. Autumn, party season for nature photographers, is about to start. Here, is a solar harp and spider web preview from my local patch.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 100mm/f2.8; ISO-200, f8, 1/200s; -0.7 stop; tripod.
* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 100mm/f2.8; ISO-200, f11, 1/250s; -0.3 stop; tripod.

Chalk-hill Blues

Chalk-hill Blue (Polyommatus coridon/Bleek Blauwtje) ♂ (top) and ♀ (bottom). Abundant on the southern slopes of the Eifel, Germany. The ♀ butterfly is foraging on Carline Thistle (Carlina vulgaris/Driedistel) the ♂ is posing on Pigeon Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria/Duifkruid).

* Canon EOS 7D, 100mm/f2.8; ISO-400, f4.5, 1/200s; -1 stop; hand held.
* Canon EOS 7D, 100mm/f2.8; ISO-400, f4.5, 1/160s; -0.3 stop; hand held.

Romance on Pietersberg

There is a true invasion of Clouded Yellows (Colias croceus/Oranje Luzernevlinder) in The Netherlands going on right now. This photo is taken a week ago on the Sint-Pieterberg near Maastricht. A new generation is being made that can continue the journey to the North. With Arie Ouwerkerk, Iolente Navarro, en Kees Ouwerkerk.

* Canon EOS 7D, 100mm/f2.8; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/800s; -0.3 stop; hand held.

Silverwings

Banded Darter (Sympetrum pedemontanum/Bandheidelibel) at sunrise. I was lovely to be out in the field this early surrounded by dew-covered darters. The backlight and dark background creates ‘silverwings’.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 300mm/f4; ISO-400, f8, 1/1250s; +0.7 stop; hand held.
* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 300mm/f4; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/250s; -0.3 stop; hand held.