Tag Archives: county

Photographs: Sports

The Sprint – American Velodrome Challenge

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The Sprint - American Velodrome Challenge

The Sprint – American Velodrome Challenge. Hellyer Park Velodrome, San Jose, California. June 26, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The pack in the sprint at the night races of the American Velodrome Challenge at the Hellyer Park Velodrome, San Jose, California.

Here is something a bit different – nighttime elite-level bicycle track racing. On Friday I went to the evening events of the American Velodrome Challenge at Hellyer Park Velodrome in San Jose, California. I had a flash, but I decided that it would be more interesting to play with motion blur and shoot the pack close up at high ISO (up to 3200) and slow shutter speeds.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: bike, bicycle, racing, track, velodrome, national, professional, san jose, california, usa, santa clara, county, motion, speed, blur, rider, racer, cyclist, pack, peloton, sprint, sports, bissel, helmet, fixed gear, fixte, stock, action, speed

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Redwing Blackbird on Fence Post

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Redwing Blackbird on Fence Post

Redwing Blackbird on Fence Post. Castillero Pond, Calero Hills, California. April 28, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A male redwing blackbird perches atop a fence post on a foggy spring morning at Castillero Pond, Calero County Park.

This should be the last in the redwing blackbird series for a while – yet another photographed on a foggy morning at Castillero Pond at Calero Park. This photograph shows a male redwing though the characteristic red patch on the shoulder or top of the wing is not so easy to see in this shot is it is when the bird is engaged in display behavior.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: male, redwing, blackbird, bird, avian, perch, stand, atop, top, fence, fencepost, post, lichen, spring, season, morning, fog, cloud, grass, castillero, pond, calero, county, park, santa clara, california, usa, wildlife, nature, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Female Redwing Blackbird

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Female Redwing Blackbird

Female Redwing Blackbird. Calero Hills, California. April 18, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A female redwing blackbird perches among reeds on a foggy morning at Castillero Pond, Calero Hills, California.

At this point I almost feel like I know these birds personally. I photograph and hike at this location (Calero County Park) almost every week throughout the year, and every hike begins at a trailhead that takes me right past Castillero Pond which is often crowded with birds – the occasional egret but almost always many redwing blackbirds.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: bird, avian, redwing, blackbird, bird, female, perch, branch, reed, grass, pond, morning, fog, cloud, castillero, calero, hills, county, park, santa clara, california, usa, wildlife, nature, spring, foggy, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Chinese Houses Flowers

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Chinese Houses Flowers

Chinese Houses Flowers. Almaden Quicksilver Park, California. April 18, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A group of Chinese houses spring wildflowers growing alongside the New Almaden trail.

I also made this photograph along a nearby hiking trail at Almaden Quicksilver Park in Santa Clara County, California – in fact it was shot within a couple of minutes and perhaps 100 yards of the Sticky Monkeyflower photograph I posted yesterday. These flowers can be found all over the place in my part of Central California this time of year. To me they can be a bit tricky to photograph – sometimes some of the blossoms may be perfect while others have passed their prime, and they often grow in sunny areas against complex backdrops of foliage. Shooting flowers that include the color white in direct sunlight is really tricky – I hope for a bit of shade or some overcast – and shooting at anything but the largest apertures risks loosing the flower against background, yet shooting at these large apertures it can be tricky to get the whole flower head in focus.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: flower, wildflower, chinese, lantern, plant, foliage, spring, seaons, green, new, growth, bokeh, green, nature, leaf, santa clara, county, almaden, quicksilver, park, morning, spring, season, san jose, santa clare, county, stock, Collinsia heterophylla