Sambar - Yala, Sri Lanka

Sambar - Yala, Sri Lanka

We came across this pair of Sambar on one of the drives we did in Yala. They had just come out into the open and were about to drink at a waterhole when we drove up. Initially they seemed a bit uncomfortable with our presence but within a few minutes they settled down and had a long drink.

More photographs after the jump.

 Sambar - Yala, Sri Lanka

Unlike at Horton Plains, where large herds of Sambar are frequently seen, Sambar sightings in Yala are usually limited to a pair or a single individual. On our trip we saw this pair and caught a glimpse of another Sambar as it disappeared into the bush. We were fortunate enough to have a lengthy sighting where the animals were quite close and not bothered by our presence.

Sambar - Yala, Sri Lanka

They are a relatively large species of Deer which measure up to 160 cm in height and weigh up to 280Kg. They are found through most of South Asia and vary widely across their range. The sub-species found in Sri Lanka is Rusa unicolor unicolor which is one of the largest.

  Sambar - Yala, Sri Lanka

These photographs were taken with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. The photographs seen here have not been cropped.

 Sambar - Yala, Sri Lanka

40/52 - Forks

Forks

I hadn't done a high-key shot for a while so I thought I'd shoot one for this weeks entry for the project. This was a single light setup and the biggest challenge with this shot was to control the shadow and use it to add to the image.

Lighting setup shots inside.

Lighting setup - Forks

The only light used for this shot was a Canon 580 EX II. I positioned the flash above the subject but slightly behind it to light the white foam-core board. It was fired at 1/4th. The light which bounced off the foam-core board lit the forks.

Sri Lankan Frogmouth - Sinharaja, Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan Frogmouth - Sinharaja, Sri Lanka

One of the highlights of our recent trip to Sinharaja was being able to photograph the Sri Lankan Frogmouth. When I was planning the trip I did wonder whether we'd actually get to see one of these birds but I didn't get my hopes up because they are nocturnal. We were quite fortunate to come across a pair of them in a daytime roost.

More photographs after the jump.

 Sri Lankan Frogmouth - Sinharaja, Sri Lanka

The birds are found throughout the Western Ghats of India and in Sri Lanka. Their habitat consists of dense tropical forest with thick undergrowth. The guide we were with did a good job locating this pair as they were hidden deep in the undergrowth well off the track. Their plumage helps them blend into the gloomy environment as well. However, the fact that they use the same daytime roosts for up to a month worked in our favour.

Sri Lankan Frogmouth - Sinharaja, Sri Lanka

I was actually quite surprised by the size of the Sri Lankan Frogmouth. I had seen the Tawny Frogmouth in Australia and was expecting the Sri Lankan Frogmouth to be a similar size but it was actually 2/3 the size of the Tawny Frogmouth. 

Sri Lankan Frogmouth - Sinharaja, Sri Lanka

Photographing this pair was quite a challenge. Firstly, the dense undergrowth limited the choice of compositions that were available. As you can see in these photographs, there is a branch that was diagonally between the two birds and made it impossible to get a clear shot. Secondly the light wasn't great. I had to bump up the ISO a fair bit to be able to use a shutter speed of 1/125th. There was no room to setup a tripod.

These photograph were taken with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

39/52 - Brownies and Cream

Brownies and Cream

I was running out of time for this weeks entry for the project and didn't have any idea as to what I was going to shoot. Coming up with a new idea every week is probably the hardest part of this exercise. I opted to photograph one of the Brownies which my wife had baked earlier in the day. I'm glad I photographed them when I did because they didn't last much longer.

Lighting setup shots inside. 

Lighting Setup - Brownies and Cream

The main light for this photograph was form a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/8th through a shoot-through umbrella. The umbrella was placed slightly behind the Brownie.

The angle of the main light meant the front of the Brownie was in shadow. To only light this area I used a Canon 430 EX II fired through a grid spot at 1/16th. The grid spot allows you to control the light from a strobe and only light a very small area. The highlighted area in the photograph below was lit by a grid spot.

A Brownie only lit by a grid spot

Sri Lankan Kngaroo Lizard - Sinharaja, Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan Kangaroo Lizard - Sinharaja, Sri Lanka

I hadn't photographed a Sri Lankan Kangaroo Lizard until our recent trip to Sinharaja. Surprisingly, they were relatively easy to approach and photograph and there were a number of them in the leaf litter along the walking tracks in the park.

More photographs inside.

Sri Lankan Kangaroo Lizard - Sinharaja, Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan Kangaroo Lizard is an endemic, ground dwelling agamid Lizard that is found in the wet zone of the island (up to an elevation of 1300m). Its diet consists of insects, tender shoots and larvae. It is said to lay 4-5 eggs which take around 60-70 days to hatch. When startled, the Lizard may rise up and run its hind legs.

Sri Lankan Kangaroo Lizard - Sinharaja, Sri Lanka

Photographing the lizard wasn't hard. I found a number of specimens in the leaf litter or perched on the rocks by the side of the road. Although they were alert, they didn't run away as I approached them. The quality of light in the area wasn't good as it was filtered through a thick canopy overhead. Shutter speeds for these photographs were around the 1/40th mark.

Sri Lankan Kangaroo Lizard - Sinharaja, Sri Lanka

All photographs on this post were taken with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. A tripod was not used.

Unique and Free Graffiti Girls Cartoons Design Ideas

Graffiti Girls Cartoon Design Ideas

May be today you want find graffiti cartoon. This is some graffiti girls cartoon with unique ideas. Graffiti girls cartoon pictures just for you who want find graffiti cartoon. Please give your comment about it.Thanks. . .

38/52 - Little Creatures Pale Ale

Little Creatures Pale Ale

This weeks entry for my project 52 is a photograph of the cap of a bottle of Little Creatures Pale Ale. I had to play around with a few different compositions before I settled for this one.  I liked the effect of the condensation on the bottle top (click on the image to see a larger version) and I tried to light it in a way which would emphasise the droplets. Not sure if I succeeded but I like the end result.

Read on for lighting info and setup shots.

Lighting setup - Little Creatures Pale Ale

I wanted to light this from two separate angles so that the photograph had a bit more depth. 

I used a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/128th through a CTO gel as the main light. It was placed on the left of the camera and slightly behind the subject. This light created the highlight on the left hand side of the lid.

I used a Canon 430 EX II fired at 1/32 through a 1/2 CTO gel and a reflective umbrella to bring out the label on the neck of the bottle and the right hand side of the lid. This light was placed slightly behind the subject on the right of the camera. I used a reflective umbrella because I wanted the image to be lit evenly.

I created some Bokeh by placing a red tea light holder just behind the lid. The effect is subtle but I think it helps balance out the image.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

The Herd - Yala, Sri Lanka

Huddling around the calves

One of the highlights of my trip to Yala was the encounter we had with a herd of 8-10 Elephants. We had already been on a couple of rounds inside the park and were yet to see a herd of Elephants when we came across them. It was about 6.15 AM and we had just entered the park and were driving along the main road when we saw the Elephants feeding. I think we had actually driven past them before we realised!

More photographs after the jump.

 Smallest member of the herd

There were two calves in the herd and the adults seemed to be quite protective of them. As soon as we pulled up alongside them the adults gathered around the two calves. They also kicked up a bit of dust which was presumably a warning (first photograph).

Sub-adults of the herd

The Elephants did eventually come a lot closer to the vehicle to feed on the shrubs by the road but didn't stay too long. Again they were watchful of the calves but I did manage to get a few shots of the young ones.

The Approach

The matriarch was massive but we didn't get a good look at her as she didn't venture out towards the road. She can be seen in the background of the third photograph. I was hoping they would cross the road so that we would be able to get a look at the whole herd but that didn't happen. The sighting lasted about fifteen minutes before the elephants decided to head off. By this time there were a couple of other jeeps as well and we moved on.

One of the Calves heading off

Surprisingly (to me anyway) this was the only herd of Elephant we saw on our 5 rounds in the park. I'm not sure whether this was because the park was dry and the elephants had moved on to better feeding grounds or if the Elephant population in the area has decreased.

A dust bath

All the photographs on this post were taken with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. The Elephants were in such close proximity of the vehicle that the 100mm focal length was too long.

37/52 - Jeans for Genes

Jeans for Genes

The 5th of August was Jeans for Genes day in Australia. Jeans for Genes is a charity event aimed at raising funds for the Children's Medical Research Institute and is held on the first Friday of August. People are encouraged to wear Jeans on the day and donate generously. 

Lighting setup inside.

Lighting Setup - Jeans for Genes

This was a single light setup. I used a canon 430 EX II fired form the top right of the image at 1/16th. I opted to use a shoot through umbrella to create even light across the jeans. The light was positioned at a relatively low angle so that the folds on the jeans would create shadows and add a bit of depth to the image.

I'd like to find out what you guys think of the end result. If you do have a minute to spare let me know via the comments.

The Rukvilla Cubs - Yala, Sri Lanka

One of the Rukvilla Cubs - Yala, Sri Lanka

 

The Rukvilla cubs are the current stars of Yala. Born around a year or so ago, they have grown up surrounded by noisy safari jeeps and don't seem to be too bothered by them anymore. Due to this fact they offer lengthy sightings and are one of the first stops made by most jeep drivers. We actually experienced a number of traffic jams, caused by the cubs, in the Rukvilla area during our 2.5 days in the park.

More shots after the jump.

One of the Rukvilla Cubs - Yala, Sri Lanka

  

Yala has changed a lot over the years. I remember going to the park as a child and spending five days in the park and not seeing a single Leopard. This trip we stayed outside the park and were able to see Leopard on every single drive into the park (No, we didn't see the Rukvilla cubs over and over again!).  From what I have heard this is the norm.

One of the Rukvilla Cubs - Yala, Sri Lanka

The mortality rate for cubs during the first year is around 41% - 50%. Thankfully these cubs seem to be doing well. Although they are able to fend for themselves from now on, they will remain with the mother for another 6 - 12 months before moving off on their own.

One of the Rukvilla Cubs - Yala, Sri Lanka

The photographs on this post were taken with a Canon 7D and a Canon 100-400mm lens.