White summer beech

I spend the first week of my summer holiday together with my family in the Auvergne, France. A quiet rural region with ancient extinct volcano’s. I didn’t plan anything photographically (summer is not the best time for nature photography), but when I came across this tortuous white beech I couldn’t resist my drive to look for a composition and to take a few shots. I wonder how this fairy-tale forest would look like in autumn or winter.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 16-35mm/f4 @ 16mm; ISO-800, f10, 1/15s; +0.7 stop; hand held.

Large Checkered Skipper

Registration of a Large Checkered Skipper (Heteropterus morpheus/Spiegeldikkopje), one of the rare local butterfly gems.

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

Afterglow sinkhole

Fabulous light of yesterday evening after sunset at the Strabrechtse Heide near Eindhoven. It was magical, no more words, just a photo.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 16-35mm/f4 @ 16mm; ISO-100, f16, 2s; ND3 hard gradient filter; tripod.

Nightjar endurance

It must be a relief for this breeding Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus/Nachtzwaluw) that the heat wave of last week will end soon now. She sits on her ground nest on the hot forest floor (with temperatures well above 40°C in the sun) from 5h30 AM till 22h15 PM in exactly the same pose, without anything to drink. This must be harder than a stage in the Tour de France. Respect!

* Canon EOS 7D, 500mm/f4; ISO-400, f4, 1/1000s; -0.7 stop; tripod.

Fifty shades of grey

Strabrechtse Heide. Photo is taken just after a heavy thunderstorm. No coloured sunset but a fifty shades of grey variant this time.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 16-35mm/f4 @ 16mm; ISO-200, f16, 1/25s; ND2 hard gradient filter; tripod.

Orchid paradise

Most photographers have more or less a fixed agenda dictated by nature. For me this nearby marshland with Heath-spotted Orchids (Dactylorhiza maculate/Gevlekte Orchis) is the place to be early June.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 70-200mm/f2.8 @ 140mm; ISO-125, f5.6, 1/320s; tripod.
* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 70-200mm/f2.8 @ 200mm; ISO-50, f3.2, 1/250s; tripod.
* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 70-200mm/f2.8 @ 200mm; ISO-400, f4, 1/100s; -0.3 stop; flash; tripod.

Spring garden

What's flowering in the magical spring garden this week? Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris/Fluitenkruid)!

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 70-200mm/f2.8 @ 200mm; ISO-400, f4, 1/250s; +0.7 stop; hand held.