What Changed Last Year?

Last year I was invited to document my grandson’s karate completions. You know, in the role of the family photographer.

 I have been documenting their lives since all three of them were born. They have played baseball, football, and soccer, but never at the level they are now with karate. Besides that, these other sports demand a different type of photography: they are outdoor sports, and I relied more on zoom lenses. Karate is an indoor sport, and a 70–200mm lens works very well in this scenario. All of this was new to me, and I was not expecting to shoot more than 5,000 pictures at these events.

For somebody shooting mostly widlife, this is a huge change, believe me. In one hand you have the silence of nature and in the other hand you have the endless noise that you find in sport events. In one hand you have wildlife and in the other hand you have people moving fast and constantly. So I had to adjust to the new circunstances. 

Karate gave me the chance to shoot amazing pictures, especially portraits of the athletes during their process before and after the competition.

 Each of them is a different universe. They meditate a lot before competing. I have seen their smiles and their tears. I have seen their transformation from peace to fury.

Karate has given me the chance to explore the human mind, and even though I do not have access to their thoughts in those intriguing moments, I enjoy imagining what they might have been thinking.

 You don’t find this kind of joy by asking someone to pose for the camera. It comes from stealing the moment as it quietly reveals itself.

 

Cave Photography

Pardon my title; I do not know if there is such a type of photography. I’m talking about photographing caverns. Most people think that caverns are cold places, but the fact is that they are not. Normally, caverns stay warmer than the temperature on the surface, and that is what happened during our visit to Florida Caverns. It was about 40°F on the surface, but when we went inside the cavern, the temperature was around 60°F and the humidity was very high. This sudden change caused my camera lens to fog up to the point that I could not use the camera for most of our time in the cavern.

While I knew about this temperature change, I completely forgot about the humidity, so I was very disappointed when I realized that I could not use my camera. Fortunately, this change did not affect our phones, which run warmer. I was able to take pictures like the one you see above. 

Thinking about this issue, the only solution would have been to warm the lens somehow before entering the cave, something that could have been done while we were driving from our accommodation to the cave, using one of those USB-powered devices. If you are planning to do this type of photography, learn from my experience.

By the end of the tour, I was able to take few pictures using the camera.  

Overall, I was happy with how the pictures taken with the iPhone 16 came out. As people say, better than nothing. You can find more pictures here. For other recommended gear, visit this page. 

A cave without proper lighting may not be very attractive to some people, but certain spots, when illuminated with colored lights as in this case, become a spectacle worth seeing.

 

After two weeks.. I'm back!

After two weeks of posting nothing on this blog, I'm back.

We took a few days to visit the Florida Panhandle. Unfortunately, there was a cold front passing through, and there were not many photo opportunities during that time. Except…

The amazing opportunity of taking pictures of a couple of Bald Eagles playing around while flying. 

 It's always an immense pleasure photographing these birds.  

We took our grandsons to visit the Florida Caverns, located in the small town of Marianna.  

 A very colorful place that I recommend anyone staying in that area of Florida. 

After coming back from this short vacation, and now in 2026, I visited my favorite spot for wildlife spotting and photographing: Crews Lake Wilderness Park. I never leave that place empty-handed.

During the last two weeks of 2025, I found a family of spoonbills there, and they were still present during the last weekend.

 Flamingos are not seen that often in Central Florida, but Spoonbills can be found around, specially during the winter migration. 

In about two weeks, the 2026 USA Sport Karate Season starts, and I have been checking my Canon 5D Mark III to use it more often in my photoshoots. I received as a Christmas Gift from my daughter a Double Shoulder Camera Strap Harness, and I'm planning to put it to work in this new season. The Canon R6 will be armed with the 70-200 f2.8 and the 5D Mark III with the 28-80 L lens. In this way I'll have a huge range from 28 to 200 mm. More than enough for this kind of event. 

As you can see, the planing starts long before the season begins.  

You can check pictures of the past season in this Instagram reel.  

 

 

 

Pictures from last weekend

Last weekend was a good one from the point of view of birds and photos. I managed to capture a nice picture of a red-winged blackbird. 

From far, this bird looks black, but when you look at their pictures, you can see little brown and red lines. The bird behind the male in the front is a female of the same species. 

The above you can see the details of the female. 

I also took some pictures of swallows flying. I do not have to say that you need a lot of skills and patience to get them sharp. 

Another photo from last weekend

 The Carolina wren is a small bird with an outsized personality. Despite its compact size, it fills forests, gardens, and backyards with a bold, ringing song that often sounds far too powerful for such a tiny body. Its warm reddish-brown plumage, long curved bill, and distinctive white eyebrow give it a lively, alert appearance that matches its energetic behavior.

Common throughout the southeastern United States, the Carolina wren is a year-round resident, even in colder months when many birds migrate. It’s known for its adaptability, often nesting in unusual places, flower pots, mailboxes, old boots, or any cozy nook it can find. Pairs are strongly bonded and frequently seen together, reinforcing their reputation as loyal and resilient birds.

What truly sets the Carolina wren apart is its voice. Its cheerful, rolling song is often one of the first sounds heard at dawn, bringing life to quiet mornings. For many nature lovers and photographers, the Carolina wren represents persistence, warmth, and the simple joy of noticing the small wonders living right alongside us.

 

 

Simplicity

Simplicity is a recurring theme in my work. This is the kind of scene many people pass by while going about their lives, absorbed in their own thoughts and concerns, without ever noticing it, until the beauty of their surroundings is revealed to them. The image below is a perfect example of that.

 

Last weekend pictures

There are a few photos I took last weekend that I truly love. One of them is the image below, showing a pair of Sandhill Cranes in flight. I especially like how the cloudy background closely matches the cranes’ gray coloring, creating a harmonious look. 

Another photo I enjoy is this landscape, where the dry winter vegetation glows with golden tones, unmistakably revealing the time of year when the image was captured.

The below image captures a quiet woodland scene where winter is gently asserting itself. A winding paved path curves through the frame, inviting the viewer to follow it deeper into the forest. Tall trees stand on either side, their trunks dark and textured, while branches overhead are draped with fading leaves in warm shades of gold, amber, and rusty orange. The remaining greenery contrasts softly with the seasonal colors, suggesting the transition between autumn and winter. Fallen leaves carpet the ground, catching the light and adding warmth to the scene. Overall, the photograph conveys a sense of calm and reflection, a peaceful moment where nature slows down and the changing season is clearly written in color and light.

Path to nowhere