Laughing Gull in flight

 

Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla), likely a juvenile or non-breeding adult based on the plumage.

Key identifying features:

• Dark-tipped bill (blackish).

• Dark wings with lighter underparts.

• Grayish back and wing coverts with brownish tones—common in immature gulls.

• White head with some smudging, not the full black hood of breeding adults.

Seasonal variation:

• In breeding season, adults have a full black hood.

• In non-breeding season, the hood fades to a smudgy gray or partial cap.

• Juveniles often show more brown in the wings and mottled markings on the head.

Using Flash at night and outdoor

David Bergman's videos from Adorama are a great resource for learning photography. In this video, he explains how to use flash when shooting at night and outdoors.

 

Desert Rose

Desert Rose (Adenium obesum). This plant is known for its thick, succulent stem and vibrant, often bicolored flowers, typically featuring shades of pink, red, and white. It thrives in arid environments and is popular as an ornamental plant due to its striking appearance.

We had one of these plants at our old place, and as soon as we saw this one, we knew it had to come home with us.

Another favorite from last weekend

I knew this would happen—after a long weekend and 300 photos later, picking a favorite feels impossible!
But hey, here’s another one I really like. Who says you can’t have more than one favorite, right?

Using On-Camera Flash at Events

 Here is a video illustrating how is done. 

The only thing I do differently is that before shooting with flash, I adjust the camera settings—specifically ISO and shutter speed—to get the background looking the way I want. Once that’s set, I let the flash, using E-TTL, take care of the rest.

At events, I usually use a modifier, unless I’m shooting in a living room with a low ceiling or walls painted white or a similar light color.

Here’s one of my photos taken using flash.

This guy is my favorite model. He knows how to work with the camera. Is not it?

Here is a bonus tip:

 

Weekend Continuation: Bald Eagle.

Memorial Day. I decided to skip my usual park and head to Bay Port, one of the oldest places in Hernando County with a rich history. But for me, it’s just a spot to snap some pics of all sorts of sea birds, including the majestic Bald Eagles. Lately, I haven’t been as lucky with them, and I thought I’d be home empty-handed again. But guess what? As I was about to leave, I spotted a huge bird in the distance. And right away, I knew it was a Bald Eagle! 

Most Americans think these birds only live north, but they actually also live in Florida, even as far south as South Florida. I’ve even seen them nesting there! 

Taking pictures of these birds is always a pleasure. 

Special Mention: Flowers.

Flowers deserve a special mention. In Florida, many wild flowers bloom in May, and some even during the summer. This weekend, I took some pictures of these beautiful flowers. Here are a few of them.

Water lily (genus Nymphaea). It is characterized by its large, fragrant white petals and bright yellow center, floating on the surface of the water alongside round green lily pads.

Spiderwort (genus Tradescantia). Spiderworts are commonly found in gardens and wild areas across North America.

Lantanas are known for their vibrant clusters of small flowers, often featuring multiple colors like orange, yellow, pink, and red. 

Morning Glory (genus Ipomoea). It is characterized by its trumpet-shaped bloom, with a white exterior and a pinkish-purple center, which is typical of certain Morning Glory varieties. These flowers are known for opening in the morning and closing by the afternoon.

My favorites from this weekend

This is a long weekend, Memorial Day weekend, so we may have another post like this one to talk about pictures taken during these 3 days. 

The first one is this anhinga in flight. I did not like the blue sky behind it, so I edited it to make it more interesting. I did not replace it; I just edited it, changing the light a little bit. 

The second one is this close up of the alligator's eyes from the top. The skin texture looks amazing. 

My last pick has to be this turtle that I found laying eggs in the middle of the trail. I do not know why, but turtles in that lake do not have a sense of where the best place to lay their eggs is. This is not the first time I have found one of them doing it in the middle of a busy hiking trail. 

Tomorrow’s Memorial Day, and I’m still figuring out where I’ll be with my camera. But one thing’s for sure - I’ll be snapping tons of pics and sharing them here, no doubt! 

Shooting Indoor Events

Shooting indoor events comes with its own set of challenges. You have to consider that these events often take place in large rooms with poor lighting. In such cases, having a good “fast” lens is probably more important than having a high-end camera—but how fast is fast enough?

In my opinion, f/2.8 is the sweet spot. You might think that going with f/1.8 or even faster would help more, but it usually doesn't. That's because most of the time, you're shooting with a zoom lens—and aside from the fact that zoom lenses with an f/1.8 aperture are practically nonexistent, such a wide aperture results in a very shallow depth of field. This increases the chances of getting out-of-focus shots, especially when photographing multiple people performing at the same time.

An f/2.8 aperture gives you a better balance—more of the scene stays in focus, which is particularly useful when you're capturing groups of people on stage.

Considering all of this, I love bringing my old Canon EF 70-200mm L lens to these events. (If you can afford the RF version—even better! Otherwise look at the used market where you can find very affordable options for good quality glass).

A full-frame camera is a must—and if it performs well in low light, even better. In my case, I use the Canon R6 Mark I, but the R6 Mark II or the R3 would also work very well. All of them are well known for handling low-light conditions exceptionally.

The photos in this article were taken during a recent event in a church, and my ISO ranged between 2500 and 4000. This range can easily be cleaned up using most post-processing applications available today. In my case, I used DxO PureRaw, and I have to confess—this software has freed me from worrying about shooting at high ISOs, even as high as 12,800 or more.

Shot at 12800 in a very dark room without flash.

For Sharpening I use Topaz Photo AI. Recent features added to this software such as Face Recovering help a lot to achieve the highest quality in your pictures. 

As you can see, post-editing is just as important as having a good lens and a quality camera. Most of the time, you’ll spend twice as long editing your photos as you did actually shooting the event. Of course, if you're a professional sports photographer, you may not have that luxury—so having the best gear possible becomes essential.

In conclusion, taking great photos is not an easy task. When you see photographers charging a high price for covering an event, consider the cost of their gear, the software they use, and the hours spent on post-processing. If someone is offering extremely low prices, chances are they’re not investing the time or tools needed to deliver high-quality images. You get what you pay for. 

For new photographers, lenses are more important than cameras and post editing can fix the lack of quality you may get from your cheap lens and camera. A good lens and camera will save you time in post processing.

Look around

Take a moment to look around when you're at home. I'm sure you'll discover great photo opportunities in the small details we often miss—simply because they're woven into our everyday lives.

Why I do not use burst mode?

To be honest, it's not that I don’t use burst mode—it’s just that it doesn’t give me the same satisfaction as capturing a photo with a single click. Sure, when you shoot 15 to 30 frames per second, you're almost guaranteed to end up with at least one good image out of 100. But if you stop to think about the fact that you needed 100 shots just to pick one, to me, it feels a bit like cheating. The funny part is that even with burst mode, you can still end up without a single good photo—and a memory card full of junk to sort through at the end of the day.

Yes, I do use burst mode when photographing birds in flight, because it increases the odds of getting one perfectly in focus. The same goes for sports photography—it’s nearly impossible to capture the exact peak moment of the action in just one click, and also have it perfectly sharp.

Captured using a burst at 1/2500. ISO 12800. 

But even so, it doesn’t give me the same pleasure. To me, it’s like bringing a machine gun to a hunt. Where’s the fun in that? One bullet, one kill. I treat photography the same way: one click, one perfect photo.

And speaking of hunting—if hunters would trade their guns for cameras, oh God, we’d be living in a perfect world.

Captured using one click.

I enjoy watching dozens of videos from other wildlife photographers, and whenever I hear the rapid-fire sound of burst mode, I can’t help but smile and think, no wonder they end up with such great shots.

But for me, the joy I get from a single, intentional click would be lost if I had to sort through hundreds of images just to find one good one. I feel that when you press the shutter once—when you really feel the moment—you remember it forever. But with burst mode, it’s easy to forget the exact instant it happened, buried among so many frames.

Burst mode just isn’t for me.

 

Lizards

I love photographing lizards. They are territorial animals, and when you get close—sometimes too close—they’ll let you know. Head bobbing, push-ups, and dewlap displays (the colored flap under the throat) are common ways lizards communicate dominance, territory, or mating interest.

Stop! You are too close!

South Florida is a paradise for lizards. You can find both native species and ones imported from places like Cuba. Here in the central part of the state, they tend to disappear during the winter but return in the spring and summer.

So, What Happens to Common Florida Lizards in Winter?

1. Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei) – Non-Native (Cuban Origin)

• Behavior: Becomes sluggish during cold snaps, hides under debris or in warm crevices.

• Survival Strategy: Can handle short cold periods in central/south Florida but may die off in prolonged cold.

• Note: They're invasive, so cold winters sometimes help control their populations.

2. Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) – Native

• Behavior: Brumates (goes dormant) during colder months, especially in central and northern Florida.

• Hiding Spots: Tree bark, logs, leaf litter, or inside buildings.

• Adaptability: More cold-hardy than brown anoles and can bounce back quickly when temps warm.

3. Knight Anole (Anolis equestris) – Non-Native (Cuban Origin)

• Behavior: Sensitive to cold. Often goes into torpor or dies during freezes.

• Region: More common in South Florida, rare in the center or north due to cold intolerance.

• Note: You may find them stunned on cold mornings.

4. Mediterranean Gecko – Non-Native

• Behavior: Hides in walls, attics, or warm places during winter.

• Adaptability: Can survive urban winters by living inside human structures.

5. Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus) – Native

• Behavior: Brumates in logs, under rocks, or buried in loose soil.

• Location: More common in northern and central Florida; they are well adapted to seasonal temperature changes.

Faking Sunset

 This is an idea for your next photoshot. You can fake the sunset at anytime. 

 

From last weekend

In Florida, whenever you're near any body of water, you should always assume there may be alligators. This small lake near my home was completely dry for several months last year. Thanks to the last two hurricanes, it has water again. While in the past I had only seen one alligator swimming around, this past weekend I was lucky enough to photograph two of them cruising very close to each other.

They are impressive animals. They’ve been on this planet longer than we have, and at least in Florida, they’re here to stay.

 Here is the video that I took last weekend showing wildlife around the lake. 

The Best DSLR being sold at Amazon

A few days ago, we commented on an article noting that the Canon 1D X Mark III was priced higher than the current Canon R1. Today, I found that YMCinema pointed out that the Nikon D850 is still the best-selling DSLR on Amazon, even though Nikon has released other mirrorless cameras intended to replace the D850

"In 2025, you might expect the spotlight to belong exclusively to mirrorless cameras, with their compact builds, cutting-edge autofocus systems, and rapid innovation cycles. Yet, the DSLR world isn’t just holding on—it’s thriving in select corners. Case in point: the Nikon D850, a camera first released in 2017, is now officially the best-selling DSLR on Amazon."

The first DSLR I bought was a Nikon D5200, around 10 years ago. Remarkably, this camera is still being sold by Nikon for around $589. It's a crop sensor camera that I used for wildlife and some portrait photography, and it was built like a tank.

Mirrorless cameras came along to make our lives easier with a bunch of new features, but DSLRs can still deliver images of similar quality—if you learn how to use them. And perhaps more importantly, they do so at a fraction of the price.

Hibiscus

Hibiscus were my grandmother Carmen's favorite flower. Maybe that's why I love taking pictures of them. Here are two of my most recent photos of this flower.

Pictures after the rain

 If you’ve never tried photographing flowers after the rain, I highly recommend giving it a shot.

 

The smell of wet earth and the sight of water droplets like diamonds on the petals create a unique experience that's hard to replicate—one you can capture with your camera for eternity.

Sport photography, my tricks

This is how I do it. In my opinion, in sports photography, there are two main things to consider to achieve the result you want in your photo: Do you want to completely freeze the motion, or do you want to capture some motion blur? For example, when shooting karate—if I'm photographing a kata—there’s often a moment when the person's body is still, but their hands or legs are moving very fast. In these cases, having some motion blur in the moving parts is perfectly fine. It helps convey the action.

Here’s an example where the subject’s face and part of the body are sharp, but the kicking leg is blurred.

To achieve this, I set the camera to Aperture Priority mode, selected an aperture of f/2.8, and let the camera calculate the shutter speed and ISO. In this case, the shutter speed was 1/320 and the ISO was 1250. A shutter speed of 1/320 isn’t fast enough to freeze the motion of his leg. I could have used Manual or Shutter Priority mode with the same 1/320 shutter speed, but using Aperture Priority allows me to control the depth of field and achieve a better blurred background.

From experience, I know that using the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 in Aperture Priority mode, under the typical lighting conditions at these competitions, usually results in a shutter speed that isn’t fast enough to freeze the action. This is why it’s so important to know your lens and its capabilities.

When shooting fights I love to freeze the image and in that case I set the camera to use Shutter Priority Mode using the speed of 1/800 to 1/1200 with Auto ISO. In very little occasions I set the speed at 1/2000. All depends on how bright is the room where I'm shooting. 

Here is a picture using these settings.  

In this case, the shutter speed was set to 1/1000 to freeze the motion. The ISO ended up at 12,800, which years ago was considered high and often resulted in noisy images. However, thanks to applications like DxO PureRAW and the camera’s excellent dynamic range, this is no longer a significant issue. 

Here is another example where I used a shutter speed of 1/1250 to totally freeze the image. 

 

I see many professionals using Manual mode when shooting sports, but I don’t find it comfortable to adjust three settings while photographing such fast-paced action. What works for me is either Aperture Priority with Auto ISO or Shutter Priority with Auto ISO. Manual mode with Auto ISO is another option, but I prefer using the C1 to C3 custom modes. These allow me to quickly switch between Aperture and Shutter Priority modes, each preconfigured with the aperture and shutter speed I plan to use throughout the event. That's my last trick, use the C# custom modes.

 

My favorite photos from last weekend karate event

I can't be completely objective in picking my favorites from this event because our three grandsons participated—two of them for the first time. Naturally, I was observing them closely and probably paying more attention to them than to my second grandson, who is already a 'veteran' in these competitions. So, starting with my grandsons, here is the first one:

This is our oldest grandson observing another competitor's reaction. I was surprised by how calm he was throughout the entire event—he didn't seem worried or nervous at all.

Seeing our youngest grandson compete for the first time was indescribable. He performed so well that it was hard to believe it was his first time. He finished in second place in his group and proudly carried his medal everywhere.

 

The middle one, as I already mentioned, is a veteran. His Kata is getting better and better. His expression in this picture reflects how deeply he immerses himself in the role when performing his Kata.

Talking about faces, how can you forget this one?

Have you ever tried taking a group picture with a zoom lens? It's a nightmare! No way to fit all of them in one shot! Then I remembered a photographer who once told me he stitched together group photos using Lightroom’s Merge Panorama feature, so I decided to give that technique a try. The biggest challenge I encountered was that everyone in the group kept moving and looking at different cameras. I was genuinely surprised that I managed to put together the picture below.

Click to appreciate the details.

 The rest of this event pictures can be seen here.

Topaz Photo AI

Topaz Photo AI released a new update, and I tested it with all the pictures I took over the weekend. The face recovery option is amazing—especially for group photos where not all faces are always in focus. The following video shows this new release in action.

 In my opinion, Topaz Photo AI has become a mandatory tool in the arsenal of any photographer.

Last Weekend

Last weekend was a Karate Weekend! Almost 1000 pictures in burst that then I had to sort and clean deleting the ones that I did not like or were not too good to leave and process around 400 pictures all of them summarized in the above slideshow. Later during the week I'll post my favorite here. 

 

The Story of a Windows User

It’s not my story, but it might as well be, considering I’m older than the guy telling it and the fact that I have used all the Operating Systems released from Microsoft from DOS to Windows 11. I didn’t buy an M4—I got the M3—but still, the experience you get from Apple MacBooks is unbelievable, especially for those whose world was previously Windows- or Microsoft-based.

 The Windows Laptop Sleep mode... I had those issues described by him so many time! With the Macbook air, I never turn off the Macbook. The only issue that I have found was the battery draining because Adobe Creative Cloud App decided to run some upgrades and even with that the battery was drained to 40% but the Macbook was not even warm.

 

Behind the scenes with miniatures

The fascinating world of behind-the-scenes miniatures. Any movie featuring large-scale destruction that's difficult to reproduce in real life often relies on them. The following video shows how these miniatures are created.

It’s amazing how photos and videos of these miniatures look unbelievably close to real-life landscapes.

Canon R1, the dream camera of many, the camera of few

 The well known authority in the Computers World PC Magazine has reviewed the Canon R1. 

The Canon EOS R1 is a fantastic camera made for a clear audience: Creative professionals who point their lens at fast-moving subjects and are expected to deliver a clear, sharp image for publication. It's the camera you want on the sidelines at major sporting events, and in the hands of photojournalists covering major news events. On that level, it's a rousing success, and Canon-using pros who haven't yet made the move away from a 1D SLR and don't mind paying extra to be on the bleeding edge are sure to get great results.

This is Canon’s flagship camera, and despite the criticism—mainly due to the minimal differences between the Canon R3 and the R1—the R1 remains a dream camera for every sports and wildlife photographer, though its steep price tag ($6,300) puts it out of reach for many, including me.

Baby Alligator

Alligators in Florida are, quite literally, everywhere, and their presence is deeply woven into the state’s natural landscape and culture.

With over 1.3 million alligators estimated to live in the state, they can be found in virtually every freshwater body, including lakes, rivers, swamps, marshes, ponds, canals, and even some brackish environments. From the Everglades to suburban retention ponds and golf course water hazards, it’s not uncommon for Floridians to spot an alligator sunning itself along a bank or gliding stealthily through water.

Their widespread presence is due in part to strong conservation efforts. American alligators were once on the brink of extinction in the mid-20th century due to unregulated hunting and habitat loss. However, through federal and state protections, they’ve made a remarkable recovery and are now considered a conservation success story.

If there’s water, there are most likely alligators—that’s the rule you should follow. Even if you don’t see them, they see you. This baby alligator was watching me without moving a muscle for a long time, and if it hadn’t been for his nose breaking the calm surface of the lake, I wouldn’t have noticed him at all.

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III priced higher than Canon R1

I completely agree with this article. Technically speaking, there’s no logical reason to justify why Canon is pricing the EOS-1D X Mark III at $6,499 while the Canon R1 is being sold for around $6,300—unless, perhaps, the R1 isn’t selling well and is being treated as little more than a new version of the Canon R3.

 

Don’t get me wrong—the EOS-1D X Mark III is built like a tank. It’s one of the best DSLRs on the market. It’s just strange to see a company release a new version of what’s supposed to be the flagship at a lower price than the old “king.”

Minimalism in photography

Minimalism in photography is a compositional and aesthetic approach that emphasizes simplicity. It seeks to convey an idea, emotion, or story using the least amount of visual information possible—focusing on elements like space, color, form, and texture. 

Here is an example from last weekend.

Pictures from last weekend

This weekend, I took some good pictures on Saturday, but to me, the one below is the best. I took it after the rain on Sunday. I love the rain—especially when it stops.

From the ones that I took last Saturday I will pick one from a Pileated Woodpecker. 

You can find the rest of the pictures here and here. I almost forgot to mention. I keep shot a video too!

Why I use DXO PureRaw

It’s no secret that sometimes you’re forced to take pictures in less-than-optimal lighting conditions, which often results in what we call "noise" in your images. In recent years, with the rise of AI, many tools have introduced de-noising features. However, not all of them do a good job of removing noise effectively. If you’re interested in seeing how Lightroom Denoise compares to DxO PureRaw, here’s a video that shows you exactly that.

 

Wildlife Photography Tips

 Here is an article that I found very useful for those already into wildlife photography. 

For decades, OM SYSTEM Ambassadors Joe and Mary Ann McDonald have traveled the globe, documenting wildlife in its natural element through their photography.

This husband-and-wife team photographs birds, reptiles, mammals, and marine life across all seasons and continents. Their extensive experience, from photographing bison and wolves in Yellowstone to penguins in Antarctica, has yielded invaluable insights. The photography team shares practical tips that have helped them improve their wildlife photography, especially when tackling challenging conditions.