Karl and Kathleen Nichter Photography



This blog began in 2009, about a year after we started our photography business. People attending our photo exhibits, or our hikes and workshops, asked for details on where we traveled for photography. As naturalists we usually kept a field journal, so we used that as a basis for Field Notes.
In Summer, 2014 we took a break from the blog because our business, and lives were changing. In January 2015 the blog restarted with an expanded theme. It now contains photography, notes, and articles from all of our travels and all of our photography, not just nature themed. The posts prior to 2014 have been archived.

For more information, please click on "About Us" below.

Thank you for visiting.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Byways: Enjoying Nettle's Sausage

We took a break from wandering around enjoying a festival in White Springs, FL and discussed lunch. The RV wasn't far away, and I had a lunch planned, but earlier we found a vendor cooking sausage and the aroma drew us in.. Our lunch at the RV could wait. We both ordered a sausage sandwich with grilled onions and chips. Most of the picnic tables already had diners enjoying their meal, so we found an empty bench and sat there savoring the taste of the just grilled sausage.

Karl sat back on the bench, his sandwich finished. Finally, he stood up, gave me his chips, and said "I think I'll go back and get another". The vendor told his co-worker as Karl approached "He's coming back for another one". He told Karl as he served him what he said, and they both laughed. The sausage served is made locally in Lake City, FL, and are sold locally. The very friendly vendor told Karl that a market and restaurant called Family Traditions right in White Springs carries them.


We bought some before we left, and stop there every visit to buy more. The sausage comes in regular or hot. We've tried both, and like both. To really get the heat on the hot version, they do need to be grilled. We tried them sautéed and while the heat was there, it is much better grilled.

Trying local dishes and locally made products is one of the highlights of our travel. This sausage is now a regular in our freezer.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Photo Techniques: Using Morning Light (again)

On many occasions I photographed the museum at Stephen Foster Cultural State Park, trying different angles and different lights. I looked at the work other photographers published of the same building, and in general, we all put our vision on it but the photographs tended toward the same.

Recently, while camping at the park and taking an early morning walk, we passed by the building just as the morning sun lit part of it, and my angle of view was partial. A little mist still hung in the air.

Exposure tended toward the dark side for the trees, but the focus is the house so I didn't mind. This time I really felt like I made the photography, rather than just took a photograph.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Signs of Life: Dragonfly on Interpretive Sign

Something struck me as funny as I walked by a large interpretive sign on a trail while leading a hike, and saw this dragonfly sitting on the pygmy rattlesnake drawing, seeming to read. The shadow of the body can be seen through the translucent winds, as can the entire snake drawing. Lighting proved tricky, the sun shone directly on the sign.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Capture the Moment: "This is my pond"

I watched this duck for several minutes. It appears to be a hybrid, not quite Mallard and not quite Mottled, which I understand from the experts is becoming more and more common here in west central Florida. Regardless of species, which he doesn't likely care about anyway, he clearly felt that this bit of pond was his and his alone. He went after any bird that attempted to land near him, never getting close but definitely sending any interlopers on their way.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Photo Techniques: Using Morning Light

I took a morning walk through a hardwood swamp this past weekend. The morning light dappled through the growing leaves of the cypress trees, bursting through in areas and highlighting parts of the scene.

A Tillandsia Setacea  or Southern Needleleaf airplant, sat in one of the pools of light, on the side of a tree. The normally green to red leaves of the plant appeared completely red. I took several shots, changing my angle and moving around, or "composing with my feet" as the photographers say.

With the light directly behind the leaves, and using the zoom lens set on aperature priority to blur the background, I finally composed the shot I wanted. Wisps of webbing fall through the needle-like leaves. The red leaves stand out with the green background and angle of the light.


Further down the boardwalk, the "baby spot lights" the sun created coming through the leaves shone on some individual buttonwood flowers, just in full bloom. The reflection of the sun in with the white flower washed out a lot of detail, and even using several different angles and settings I never quite captured in the camera the look I wanted.

I almost deleted all of them when I saw them on my computer screen. Instead, I decided to play around a bit with the Photoshop Elements settings, and produced a shot much closer to that in my head.


Looking closely at the photograph, I can see the affect of the setting on the original. I think I'll go back and try to get it right in the camera this time.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Friday Photo Story: Florida Birding


Except for the middle of summer, Florida attracts birders and bird lovers. In addition to the many species found in our three climate areas (temperate, semi-tropical, and tropical), Spring and Fall migrations bring many other visitors to our area.
 
Our winter residents prepare to leave for their breeding grounds this time of year, but we enjoy many species year round. Our photo story this week shows some of my favorites.
 
My photography style for birds evolved over the years. My early shots are portraits which I still enjoy and exhibit. Lately however, I find myself trying to capture an individual of a species in their surroundings or showing movements to give a more complete story of the bird. With nature photography, growth and improvement in the craft coincides with increased knowledge and more detailed observations of species and their behavior. Both advances improve the end result.

 
 
Gray Catbird (winter resident)

Hermit Thrush (winter resident)

Carolina Wren (year round)

Juvenile Bald Eagle (year round)

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Naturalist Notes: Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin Snake

People often ask about poisonous snakes when we lead photography nature hikes. First, we explain that the term is venomous. The snake injects venom. Poisonous occurs when you eat or ingest something that makes you ill.

In Florida, especially in the wetlands, the most popular and most feared is the Water Moccasin, or Cottonmouth. The mouth, when wide open, appears cottony, hence the nickname.


Karl saw this Water Moccasin curled up near a boardwalk, and took the photograph. The coloring, large body size, and triangular-shaped head help in the identification. Unlike most other snakes, the Cottonmouth rarely moves away when approached.

The bite from this snake will land you in the hospital, and can be fatal. I recommend not disturbing it, and photographing, as Karl did, from a safe distance with a telephoto lens.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Byways: White Springs, FL

The campground at Stephen Foster State Park continues to be our favorite for a get-away, and our favorite park for the many events held there. It is located in the town of White Springs, FL, one of the original springs tourist destinations of the late 1800s and early 1900s in Florida. We enjoy walking around the town looking at the historic buildings, and often in our meanderings will strike up a conversation with the very friendly townspeople.

We took the RV there last week for a short creative retreat. Away from the house and our usual distractions, we find ourselves reading more, writing more, photographing more, and thinking more. Many of our project ideas and photo class ideas hatched in this beautiful location.

We walked by the Sofia Jane Adams House early in the morning, after walking into the town for breakfast. This Queen Anne style home built in 1863 overlooking the Suwanee seemed to gleam in the morning light. I took several shots of the entire house, and couldn't get the feeling of stately, beautiful, languid, and southern recorded in a photograph to my satisfaction. I stepped back, and started focusing on just sections.


This shot captured the feeling. Elegant, well-kept, well-lit, with the Spanish Moss as a reminder that it could only be in the southern part of the U.S. and the outdoor spiral staircase reminiscent of times past.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Signs of Life: "No Swimming"

I'd seen the sign at Homosassa Springs State Park in the alligator pond on prior visits, but this time this alligator seemed to keep an eye on me, was it a dare?

No Swimming?.....No Kidding!!