CLOSE UP-- "BULLY BEES"

PLEASE DON'T MISS MY AMTRAK SHOTS, INCLUDEING HARD TO GET DEER SHOTS=BELOW THIS POST=NEW AS OF 8/17/2006


"Highlight"

A honey bee, in flight. This is just be beginning of a series and sequences of shots I have been taking this summer. Sorry about the long wait! I have had to completely re-do my file system and backup literally 100s of CDs. All this work and way to many pictures caused me to switch to RAW, which has given me new abilities and new knowledge. Someday I wish to be pro, I have the power to learn how to shoot like one and I got to start somewhere. The advantages also outwaigh the problems. I got allot of pictures here and allot of words I wrote after not sleeping for a couple of days--non-stop to get this published. Finally I'm getting these pictures on line. I thought about publishing them with no words at all--but I should be able to find some middle ground to describe what I have observed. As you will see, this is important.
CLICK ON PICTURES FOR LARGER VIEW <-- TO get back to my site.

PLEASE DON'T MISS MY AMTRAK SHOTS, INCLUDEING HARD TO GET DEER SHOTS=BELOW THIS POST=NEW AS OF 8/14/2006
NEW SHOTS ADDED-8/17/2006--THE ACTUAL TAKEDOWN OF A BEETLE

THIS IS THE COMMON GREENISH-GOLD SWEAT BEE
These shots were a bit of luck and a bit of new-learned lighting techniques. I am learning more and more about lighting and camera settings. As soon as I think I know something well you realize that you are such a beginner. In some ways that‘s what I like about photography. There is no end to things to learn. I hear old-timers who have done this for 50 years and still learn new many new things today. It is a dynamic art and science as much as it is static. That is what I love about it.. Sometimes I forget things more then I used too, but I am still determined to get better and what I do and how I take pictures. THE BACKGROND to this picture IS REAL AND WAS NOT ADDED--it's all about your F-stop. Learn how to use it and you won't need to spend so much time in Photoshop. I'm no pro--but I got some experience now.


There are no intended insects in this shot.
"Bully Bees"
I decided to photograph and document the actions of a small semi-large sweat bee new to myself and my photography in The Dalles. A local bee I have been tracking that I have dubbed the "bully bee" because of it's aggression towards it's own kind and other insects. But that aggression stops in a very bizarre way---as you will see. Some lucky shots have let me be able to actually prove it! The beetle and bee caught by my digital SLR right on time shows the attack in progress. Like a tackle in football--the bee body slams into it's victim and then falls with it nearly to the ground recovering. All of this sometimes in less then a second. Each it’s a game. In lighting speed it flies up to the flower it had targeted and removed the competition from and gut’s its' reward--only to possibly be toppled by another one of these gray robust bees. These are mostly all color-matched accurate files. Only the lady bug shots are off a big in white balance. Most of these shots were not taken with any Photoshop or other modifications accept a bit of levels here and there and pinning my auto-stamped name and Copyright. The greatest thing here is a was able to capture these actions as they happened. I have science right here. Showing this. I plan to study more as long as this incredible sunflower continues to attracted insects. Here is is--there are better pictures of this "bully bee" below--but it can be quickly picked out by how fuzzy it is. Especially in this overexposure. Click on picture for larger View.



A beetle found often on sunflowers. You will see this poor guy get hit by an attack from a bully bee--looking!

These tiny weaves are only about 2mm long. Probably the smallest beetles I have ever photographed.


What's this? Keep looking at the pictures and see!




I HAVE NAMED THESE BEES "Bully bees" for how they treat there peers and other insects sometimes. IT SHOULD BE NOTED I made this name up myself because I can't find a name. It is one of 100s of species of bees called "sweat bees” I will tell get you the true name (if they have one) when and when I can. Until then they are just another kind of sweat bee. Many sweat bees exhibit similar behavior with there own kind. I have just not ever seen a species this aggressive, especially towards other insects.

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do. To me flowers are usually a bit dull unless I win some points with the ladies with them! But they come alive when I see one with complex living insects on them. This combination is not only my favorite but also seems to sell me the most pictures. Flowers or green foliage pictures are everywhere--but good insect shots on them are not. I still photograph flowers alone, but they often need the incredible power they have over insects to be there greatest. I am fascinated by this ability flowers have to bring the incredible world of insects and spiders alive. I'm into bugs and photography of nearly all kinds now. So flower shots I have to ask my mom about. I am going to try to grow my own by next year. Simple ones that target insects and butterflies. It would be a great advantage to not have to risk trespassing, dogs and shotguns like I often do out here to get a good shot! The insect and thus spider possibilities have my blood pumping so much. So I think I will plant this garden for next spring and try to have some flowers of my own here more then just the regular weeds. I doubt they will live long because I deffinately don't have a green thumb but it can't hurt to try.

It's taken me over 14 hours of nearly non-stop work to bring you these pictures. It is ALLOT of work for me to get things right to be posted. I know--I write to much, but this compulsion is hard to control and I like to describe things. Very quickly this can get out of control and I forget to check all spelling and other things. PLEASE FORGIVE these errors. On average I am on line for 2 hours per picture.


The "bully bee". At least that is what I call it now. See how fat she is, you will notice the clear difference between other sweat bees I photographed this year and last.

Ladybug walks on the underside of a bud.
Here is one kind of sweat bee that I have seen compete by wrestling in the same way but only very rarely and for small flowers that are too large for two bees. So they are nothing in aggression like the "bully bees" as I have named them--which are clearly another species.





Another iridescent green-golden bee showing some size perspective. These are not typical huge sunflowers. They are not even as large as my outstretched hand. It will tolerate other occupants unless the flower is very small or very over crowded in which case this species attacks as well. Smashing into each other--I have a really good example of this on my wall. The "digital negative" is buried so deep in CDs I can't bring it back here without allot of work but if you go back in my website to last year you should find it in one of the summer months. Click for a slightly better view. USE < -- to get back to my website (your browsers back arrow) Here it is with that look "I’m going to kick your a--!" in it's eyes. These guys don't care how big the flower is---while buzzing around so fast I don't know how it can see anything, this one huge flower is not big enough for two of them. This one would be knocked down quickly if another one locked on to this flower. Face on--this high-macro shot is one of the best resolution shots I have. It is also definitely color correct. As most of my pictures are. I spend time to set my white balance right (usually).



This is a view of the Hills over on the Washington Side. On the Sunflower, is a small red Beetle.
Watch what happens to it.

THE ATTACK!
The red beetle, shown in other pictures--as it is about to be knocked off the flower by this bee dive bomber. My observations show that they do not sting when they do this--but just use the force of there bodies. Incredibly they often get into fights as they fall down together (something I have not yet been able to photograph) but yet come out of it fine. A sting or bad bite from another bee would probably cause serious damage. I doubt they sting or even bite because this would be dangerous if not fatal to there own kind and a waste of valuable protein. And each one of these bees I have seen through my macro lens or photographed is not hurt or dammaged. No battle scars like the ones you seen other types of bees sometimes. Here is the next best frame I have pushing my digital SLR to it's limits--this is all completely over in I'd guess less then 1/2 second. This was even faster.


THE TACKLE and this is when it gets very exiting. These are the bees frames. This is the same picture of the same beetle and bee and the incident happened so quickly it takes a digital SLR to get the shot. As you can see the bee hits the beetle and seems to be grabbing it. The interesting thing about this attack is not that this flower has lots of space and the bee is being a true "jerk". It is very interesting that the beetle seems to be unharmed.

It landed on another flower and I watched and photographed it again. The same way when they attack each other. Since there are not dead beetles or bees on the ground here it seems they are normally do not use a sting or dangerous bites--it's more of a wrestling match. And they do not seem to attack other types of bees, probably because of the real danger they will not know this game and get hurt? I am just putting simple observations here. This is admittedly a very amateur study--but no less interesting.


COUGHT IN THE TACKLE GAME
Here they are. In a moment captured by pure luck. The bee is comming in hot and fast--I had no idea and was only trying to get a shot of the single bee (the one on the flower) when at the exact moment at increible speed the tackle happened right in front of me! My shutter speed was very high. The attacking bee is marked with an arrow "The attack" This was cool--and I got a picture of it! You can see how the other bee is aimed at the one on the flower. This honestly was not camera skill--it was pure luck, and is nice proff of what I observed happening regularly. I still ask the question? Why do they do this?

Me having not seen them attack any other species of bee or wasp may just have been chance, but a venture a guess that the actions of tackling relitively harmless insects and the idea of going at it with another species of larger or even smaller more agressive bees--would cause them to look for warnings and not pick a fight with the wrong bug. For example--I never have seen them attack honey bees--honey bees are much larger. These bees are only 1/2 the size of a honey bee. And I never watched them hit smaller sweat bees which are easy to see by color are very different. They seem to be able to know at least for the most part what they are picking a fight with--but this is all pure amatur speculation.

This kind of bee seems to have to be "king of the flower" and unless in the state illitrated below, they will be very difficult to photograph. In the normal state of mind they will fly about drinking necktor for only about 2-10sec on each flower it goes to or steals from another bee, often until it gets toppled by another bee! And they spook at the first sign of me or a big camera. They seem to pick out flowers when they see thier own kind, or other insects like that beetle, and close in for the tackle. I still can't help but ask what for? Do they think that an occupied flower will have the best nektar? Or is it actually some kind of a game they play all day in the sun?
I find that impossible to beleave insects are playing games, but why would they do this only to turn completely dosile twards there own kind AND EVEN ME. It seems more a waste of energy to do these fights.

It is best to do short bursts of high-speed shots when you are close-at macro levesl this high, just a breeze can bring the subject out of focus. You can get 5 and then 10sec--and finally I got a shot like the few single-bee shots here at the moment before they takeoff. It takes ALLOT of effort and I have to be very sneeky about it when I photograph them as they go from flower to flower. Carefully approching them, litteraly not looking them in the eyes. Acting like a praying mantis. Being seemingly totally still and moving in close when they seem most distracted by the flower. I got less then a half dozen good shots out of nearly 100 of a single bee in the attack and active mode. I must have spent about a combined time of three to four hours there watching and taking pictures. On my last trip, Ready to walk away with some expected nice shots---on a gut-feeling I chose to look at the other plant and I found this! --this is the shock
of the year!

THE SAME BAD BEES! -First off, I know they are NOT mating or fighting or too cold. So with those things elinated then why do are they doing this!? Incredibly they become docile almost cuddly creatures quickly. Here seen covered in pollen. It is my guess that's because they are finished and full. Honey bees become docile under those conditions as well. Bee keepers use a smoker to get the bees to drink up there honey reserves leaving them almost drunk on sugars and thus far less aggressive. I theorize these bees are tired and getting some rest before taking flight to get to hives after feeding on the near by larger flower other larger sunflower bush.
If I recall, most sweat bees live in undergroud hives. They could be quite a long ways from home. Grouped together they are very passive and seemed not to notice me even when I got veryh close. Finding a couple of slightly secluded flowers like this shows more--they have a palce to hide in as these flowers were draped with dead folage and not easy to quickly see. Thier behavior completely changes. I observed and photographed them for at least another hour until sundown. Clearly as I say, they were not mating, or doing much of anything social except sitting there. The bee version of couch potatos.

Possibly they are drinking more nectar. Clearly they are part of a group of tolerations here I am nearly certain they were battleing eachother before this just as I documented but change when they get full or something. Honestly I need to look up more about how sweat bees usually live--but as I recall they are individually (like honeybees) unable to reproduce. Therefore they are all sterile-females and all from a hive with a queen or number of queens. I recall reading that they are less organized then honey bees but still follow some of the codes. Honey bees however to my knowledge--do not tackle each other like this except in the hive in rare deadly serious conditions.

You might think they are attacking bugs and bees because they are close to a hive--this is not probable as these pictures were not taken in a very good place for any kind of hives these bees could make. It is clear from other observations I made last year in another spot and where there are other sunflowers this year as well, that these "bully bees" keep up this kind of attitude no matter where the hive is. So it's not like hornets that attack everything alive to keep there hive safe. These bees are fighting each other but clearly stop and I'd bet that they are all from the same hive.

I've never seen this before let alone photographed it in action. I may never be able to get enough proof to say I photographed anything new or discovered a new behavior in sweat bees, I'm very sure I have not really found a new behavior. There are lots of qualified people who probably know all about this. And thus I am probably not the first to photographically document it, but sweat bee as "bullies" towards their own kind and even other insects and then being so paradoxically different later is if nothing else, a very interesting study in nature and photography. If given the chance, even in North America there are still countless insects and spiders we know little about. Any kind of study done is worth it especially to me. Learning how to observe and photograph animal behavior is one of my goals in photography. I am not limited to insects and spiders but they remain what I like to photograph the most.


This is the spot. Behind my place there is a back road and the neighbors setup a big sunflower plant. I found even more in another plant just out of view closer to the van.

SNUG AS A BUG IN AH---FLOWER?
Once aggressive enemies while dog-fighting from flower to flower--these usually very hard to shoot bees are side by side snug and also un-afraid of me while I got as close as 6 inches for this shot. The flower was filled. The wind was blowing which may have something to do with this puzzle as to why they chose to do this rather then compete on the other plant with only open flowers. One of these flowers offered some shelter. The other's did not. What makes them aggressive to such a "king of the hill" degree over there--and so passive and tolerant to each other now. One OTHER THEORY I have is that we are dealing with a male and female sunflower here. And that the large amount of pollen indicates a male sunflower which provides the bees far more nectar then the female plant while covering them in pollen. If this is true--then they may be drinking there full here and hitting up the female sunflower for nectar only. I don't have a book on plants---research is needed to prove any of these theories.



Here was a great shot. No, I'm not kidding. This clearly shows the serious differences between the iridescent greenish-yellow nearly golden bees and these fatter furrier species I call "bully bees". I'm going to have to find there proper name--but they may just be another sweat bee without one. Notice the difference in line patterns and hairs when you see the other bees on my website.



THIS is the other common sweat bee. A big brighter yellow then last year? Na--probably my color settings on my camera. This iridescent bee may be one of two very similar species or just the same. Honey bees can have different colorations in some cases to a small degree. These "races" of bees are common in other insects as well. Slight variations are very common so I can't be sure. This bee also will knock off competing sweat bees of it's own species, but it's not as aggressive and I have never seen it be as serious as the slightly fatter and furrier species. The one's I call "bully bees".

The beetle harmlessly drinking nectar. Like other bees--it's evicted quickly by the "bully bee" but not by the other sweat bees who don't seem to care.


The sun goes down as I flash the flower very lightly. It's getting dark--are the bees going home like I am? I have many questions to answer. And a night vision video camera. Tonight?
I don't know---I've been up for about 3 days working on this--so forgive me if I made some errors in spelling and stuff here. Each block of text I have to run over to my word processor, spell-check it there--and then come back. The logger spell-check does not work on my system.



Some trick lighting created a new effect to know about. I have better examples for later posting.

And a very small beetle, almost too small to see with the naked eye. I have allot of pictures to explain and show. Be sure to click on these for best view. This boll weevil is less then 2mm long.



The weevils feed by pushing there long mouthparts like a trunk into the plants veins to drain it of fluids. I am proud of this shot and the rigging on my digital SLR that I came up with to make it possible. I weighted my digital SLR down with a L clamp and then a tripod mount so you can use your chin to further stabilize the picture. I might think about a patent for this idea--but I am certain most digital SLRs will soon have that vibration control rendering such heavy stuff obsolete if someone allready has not invented the thing.



A typical green iridescent bee I shot yesterday.


A ladybug, just hanging out on the sunflower too.


They are not that large. This picture makes them look bigger. They are only about as wide as my hand--even less. Not like the towering sunflowers we are all used too thinking about, and they all come up in the dozens form one plant.

Another iridescent bee--green-turned nearly golden by the pollen. Notice the colors--white and black. The size, and other things. The eyes give it away as a sweat bee--that is all.

Notice the pollen sacks--this means this bee is definitely part of a hive. More on that later and can be found in my website back a few months.





THE SAME BEES! - time of day AND they are NOT mating or fighting or too cold! Then why do are they doing this!? Incredibly they become docile almost cuddly creatures in hours. Here seen covered in pollen, probably because they are finished and full. Honey bees become docile under those conditions as well. Bee keepers use a smoker to get the bees to drink up there honey reserves leaving them almost drunk on sugars and thus far less aggressive. I theorize these bees are tired and getting some rest before taking flight to get home after feeding on the near by larger flower bush. Grouped together they are not as alert and thus not very afraid of me. Finding a couple of slightly secluded flowers like this to hide there behavior completely changes. I observed and photographed them for a few hours. Clearly as I say, they were not mating, or doing much of anything social except sitting there.

Possibly they are drinking more nectar. Clearly they are part of a group of toleration here. Honestly I need to look up more about how sweat bees usually live--but as I recall they are individually (like honeybees) unable to reproduce. Therefore they are all sterile-females and all from a hive with a queen or number of queens. I recall reading that they are less organized then honey bees but still follow some of the codes. Honey bees however to my knowledge--do not tackle each other like this.

You might think they are attacking bugs because they are close to a hive--this is not possible as where these pictures were taken is not a place for the kind of hives these bees make. (Often underground). It is clear from other observations I made last year in another spot and where there are other sunflowers this year as well, that these "bully bees" keep up this kind of attitude no matter where the hive is. So it's not like hornets that attack everything alive to keep there hive safe. These bees are fighting each other and likely all from the same hive.

I've never seen this before let alone photographed it in action. I may never be able to get enough proof to say I photographed anything new or discovered a new behavior in sweat bees, I'm very sure I have not really found a new behavior. And probably not the first to photographically document it, but sweat bee as "bullies" towards their own kind and even other insects and then being so paradoxically different later is if nothing else, a very interesting study in nature and photography.

Now they settle in as I carefully adjust my lighting to the sun as it goes down. Will they spend the night here? That might be--since there are many bats that fly by night, I just might have to go back with my night-vision camera and find out if they do this to give themselves a rest and be ready to fly in the morning when bats are not around. It's 130am--walking around with a video camera in night-vision mode into this person's back yard might get me into more trouble then I can handle--so for now I will call this off. But I plan tomorrow to go and check this out. If they are still huddled--when the sun is down I will go with night vision on Hi8 tapes and find out if they are waiting or leave before sundown. This would be another peace to the puzzle.




No matter how close I get they do not even notice me. When usually in order to capture a shot of a single bee--I have to be very quick and very patient. It often takes at least an hour to catch one. But when they are huddled--they seem to forget the outside world.


Why are they out of the game? Wind is high enough, but the others are buzzing. Why are these one's hiding here? And why is there behavior and temperament so much less serious when in this state? Why do they swarm and attack other insects and almost certainly there own rivals of the same hive? And then drop that attack mode--and get along like this?





Lighting changes don't matter.



Bee Donuts. Different lighting angles. As you can see they are pilled on top as if suckling from a mother. I have never seen anything like this in all my years of watching insects. And all this time I could have taken nearly perfect close ups here!


Why are they out of the game? Wind is high enough, but the others are buzzing. Why are these one's hiding here? And why is there behavior and temperament so much less serious when in this state? Why do they swarm and attack other insects and almost certainly there own rivals of the same hive? And then drop that attack mode--and get along like this?


It is getting darker--but not colder. I have yet to go out at night and check because this is not exactly my yard and I have never met the owners. This was a tricky shot for lighting and ballencing depth of field.

The communal huddle in a larger flower. Could there be something special about this flower or kind of Sunflower that produces this reaction?



The loan fighter. Maybe it's just getting started. But she seems to delight in attacking everything else on that flower. Especially other bees of her kind. Notice how she's not covered with Pollen yet. This has led me to believe that the bees turned docile in groups like the ones above this picture are full and resting as where this one has just arrived.




This is a lighting trick that sometimes just happens. In this case, I wanted to get the background lit and the bees in the flower as well. This is not a blended image, in fact, the only thing added or changed in this picture is my tiny (C) 2006 Gabe Beasley notice. This is an example of how an error can cause me to have to go to a great deal of trouble to fix. This time I will let it go. I got allot of work to do on my file system still and that is why I have not been posting pictures.






Here is a view of another one covered in polen. They are easy to tell from other sweat bees. The size of there abdomen and markings hold the key. These pint-sized sunflowers get most of the bees covered in polen until they nearly look as if they are in gold-dust. Incredible views made possible only by long waits. If I ever write a book on photography--the first rule I think I will put in it is the need for PASHENTS. I took a break and then tackled my database of pictures. 100s and 100s of CDs. I am glad I figured out a RAW + JPEG shooting mode that gets me what I want in my digital SLR.

THIS IS NOT THE END OF MY WEBSITE!
THERE ARE 100s MORE PICTURES TO SEE! MANY PEOPLE DON'T FIGURE THIS OUT. SEEING THE REST OF MY PICTURES HERE IS VERY SIMPLE, PLEASE READ HOW HERE!
Go to "all pictures" at the top of my website and click on each month starting with last month. Go up month by month and scroll down to the bottom until the very first month and you will have seen my entire website. I can't put 100s and 100s of pictures on one page or it would take days for even a fast computer to load my website. So I had to break it up into months. There are tons of pictures NOT ABOUT BUGS as well as articles. PLEASE DONT MISS IT--you will be glad you did not!

TRAIN TRIP- HIGHLIGHTS and TIPS

Mom and I were driving to Hood River--speaking of trains--Jese! I hope this guy does not crash. Each one of those must be as heavy as the truck that is carrying it.



A BIT OF GLARE AND DEFUSED LIGHT CONTROL Ver.1.0
This was my best shot yet of the crew car and our locomotives. But it had problems. I spent an hour or two in Photoshop having some fun and this is what I got. I cut levels off sharply to emulate old fashioned films and I was able to completely remove the serious glare and clear the ghostly projection of an elderly man who is sitting right in the center of the picture (below)! Glare and reflections is a big problem on trains. If you are only shooting 35mm you better take allot of shots! When I shoot 35mm sometimes I take my compact digital out and "plot" a good angle and settings to take a 35mm or 120 shot at. If you have time to do this--a test of lighting and ISO emulation can make for the ultimate light meter.

Then shoot your picture with your film camera. No matter what, in time you learn how to get around the worst of it on the train or in your "digital darkroom" or when you get your prints. I may yet be able bring up the slight colors in the RAW image and do a color version of this. On a train it is best to try to get a clean window seat--and you usually can if your smart and fast. The observation car has the worst glare and ironically it's often the worst place to take pictures. Try it from your seat and try to get a window as clean as possible. Using a longer lens zoom is the best idea to minimize problems caused by dried water droplets and other nasty effects. Your flash is useless--it won't penetrate the glass. It took me a large flashgun to finally do that--so bright it startled people. You can't take pictures outside the train by flash. Making friends with the right crew member might allow you to open a window--but DONT TRY THIS without asking--they usually think you were smoking and can throw you off the train!
Time of day has a great deal to do with window pictures due to glare inside the laminated glass. Be sure to keep that in mind and not give up right away. I've shot pictures that are in this website so good from the train that it's as good as if I was riding outside. It all depends on the situation. This is what it looked like before--notice the projected man in the bottom half of the image. Click for larger view.



(BEFORE)
I was not going to show this but here is the picture BEFORE I touched it with Photoshop editing.
Notice the ghost like images and glare. An elderly man can be seen right in the center of this image (click larger view). I suppose I could have said "I swear, this image was taken from my seat and I have no idea how this happened--the train was dark--it's a ghost, these trains are haunted!" I will pass- I've seen the sometimes pathetic hoaxes and as only an amateur photographer I notice how most of them are done and wonder how dishonest someone will be just to get on TV. I've been on TV a few times, it is no big deal. I am very amazed what some people will do to get on TV these days. The worst of our psychological septic system is revealed in those daytime TV talk shows and small claims court programs.

The old guy might be a bit hard to see, like one of those puzzle pictures. His hand on an invisible table but his fingers and ring are very clear. And his head is right on and then below the first locomotive. This guy was behind me when I shot this picture. A big problem with train shots are reflections like this. In the bottom center of this image very clear reflected object can be seen above the creek. If you can't make out that man, I'm sure you can see the rest of the glare and how I removed it. All the haze is a product of the tinted thick bullet-resistant train windows and the glare in them. Years of use has also made the lamination not as good as it once was.


You sure do get allot of opportunities for nice shots on the train you never would get on the road or find in back roads. Using a GPS it is possible to mark your train spots and try to get back to them in a car someday for better pictures.


I was under the station, carrying all this gear--and somebody told me to go the wrong way. I had to howl all my stuff back up but before I went I shot a quick picture of this underground walkway. Lights at night can do all kinds of cool things if you have a good enough camera. If you get a digital SLR make sure it at least goes above 1000iso. I think they all go higher then that but you will want those speeds. Pro-films emulated, they let you take pictures anywhere without a flash if you are good at it. 1600 is enough for most stuff.



Another picture I have not played with in Photoshop yet. It could use some work. I wished I could go outside and clean the windows. That is not going to happen!



Portland Oregon, the nearest major city to The Dalles. I have lived here off and on or near for most of my life. You should practice to get shots like this, on a train or in a car. But I must admit luck is a serious factor. Often a photographer's worst nightmare is to have someone tell you that we are in a hurry and we got to go now! A sure way to drive any photographer crazy! It's literally painful!



I am not sure where this is except that it is probably southern Oregon. I have a GPS that by map would tell me, but I only keep track of points I want to re-photograph and forgot to take it out to ID many of these mountains and hills. If you are a serious photographer, Amateur or Pro-- you will want to get a GPS. A good new simple handheld GPS with a built-in US, area, or World map can tell you when you are traveling where things are quickly as you "fly" through the virtual landscape. It will track all your travels down to less then 100ft or so. You can mark an area you want to photograph with notes on a good GPS for later. You don't have to write down navigation coordinates--I can mark the map with a place and save that place with a note--all done with a somewhat like a PDA. I never even look at my exact position and those numbers. Modern GPS units take care of all that for you. I use this on the train to find points that I will need to be ready for when we go by them on the train the next time. Units now days don't just give you your latitude and longitude--they tell you everything from elevation to the next McDonalds to park or historical landmark. They usually don't work in metal vehicles, incredibly-Mine works fine when placed near or on the window of the train EVERY TIME. Really useful to know where you are even when the crew is not sure!


This bus is one of countless buses and other vehicles are all over out in the desert. Like in the movies, there is no shortage of them and they can really take you back. I look at some and go "..oh yah, that's mom's old car!"

More dead or dieing autos. The graveyard goes on for miles.
Dump trucks, motor homes--being into junk and experimenting with it--I'd have allot of fun out here.

I think this is Mount Shasta. But I am not sure. I shot this from the train with a long-lens. The train actually pretty stable but I also use a trick on my camera. I have an L bracket and a tripod top which seriously stabilizes the camera by putting force stability in the right places. Between my eye through the eyecup, the handles and my chin through a part of a tripod mount. I wonder if anyone markets this kind of device? I invented the idea of using the top end of a tripod for this and it works very well. I doubt a patent is worth it since image stabilization is being added to the new generations of digital SLRs



An old shack, probably from the old west era. Ranchers often had to spend time out during winter or at other times to check fences. A long and complex ride on a horse. It's hard to imagine how much work they used to have to do. Only to come home to this kind of shack not much larger then an outhouse. I got the shot--what's really interesting is to get into one of these places. My dad and I have found several in the middle of nowhere somewhat un-disturbed with all kinds of interesting old stuff in them.


Lights at night can make really cool shots.
Now this has got to be Mt. Shasta? Sorry but I can't tell by looks. There are quite a few mountains in Oregon.


There is allot of chances on the train to get good shots. And better windows then this one. It takes allot of sometimes difficult and even rude actions to get pictures on the train! I may clean up more of these pictures with Photoshop--so far it's not been touched.

I just managed to fire a burst and got several good shots of this buck and doe. If your fast and camera is ready--you might get lucky. This was a very lucky shot as we were moving fast and I had my settings for a scene like this. High enough shutter to stop blurring, and ready to fire a burst to catch as fast as I can. Admittedly this was allot more luck then skill, somebody yelled "deer!" and I just aimed my camera.


Clearly this buck really likes her!
He's going for it now! I shot these pictures one at a time as we were not going very fast. My GPS can tell down to 0.5 miles an hour how fast we are moving because it does not need as much data to tell that more precisely. You can tell exactly how fast you are walking if you are just walking! It is right on with a pedometer and accurate as any car speedometer I have ever seen--everybody thinks this is cool. The GPS I got was about $400. Now days however they are much cheaper and might even have more features then mine. I have the Magellan SporTrak Pro. The SporTrak Map is less expensive last I checked. I think they have a new one for under $100. Most people still don't know GPS no longer costs what it did just a few years ago.



Sometimes B&W shots can cut through color problems caused by the limited bullet-resistant glass in trains and some busses. Filters try--but they can only do so much. B&W came in handy for this shot. Shooting RAW you can re-process it into color if you chose.



Much of the trip is in the desert. Along with seeing the hind-end of low-class America, junk yards and other abandoned things can get interesting. Getting used to shooting while moving takes time--but if you have a digital SLR you have a real advantage! But don't feel discouraged if you don't--I could have shot all this stuff with my compact with some practice and did shoot similar before I got my first digital SLR. My very first train trips and many of the pictures on this website I shot with a Kodak DX-7630. A nice camera which I still use. I modified it to use special home-built macro and wide angle lenses.



I might come back and do some work on this shot as well--but I could not wait to show it. If I recall, this is the only covered bridge in Oregon or no, maybe he said the longest. I forget. If I get allot of time I will change my white balance on this shot and do a few other things that would make this picture look far better. It's shot in RAW so I can do more with it then when I used to shoot in JPEG.




The sun rizes and goes down on every trip.

Sometimes circumstances come together in just the right way. I'm not sure where this was, but keeping glare out of some of these shots I found out was possible by putting my hands around my lens-hood. I was ready for this shot, if you want to get shots on the train--you must have your camera ready to go at any moment. Do not be afraid of people--the more you tell them about your interest and show them you are not taking their pictures the better!


Once again I am not sure where this is. A fast boat comes towards us. I'd love to be able to step outside to take shots. The best I could do from inside the train. Laminated nearly half-inch bullet resistant tinted glass demands changing your settings and being alert for that very quick fleeting shot. The train stops sometimes, but you normally can never get off unless your at a station.