Action Sport Photography Techniques
View allAll Photos Tagged Flip(acrobatic)
Bateleur (Terathopius Ecaudatus) is an eagle that lives in the sub-desert areas of the African continent. The most distinctive feature of this bird is that it has a very short tail. (Ecaudatus in Latin means tail-less). Despite the short tail the bird is a very agile flier and often performs flips and other acrobatic figures. The Bateleur can soar for up to nine hours and then nosedive to catch the prey.
"We can watch the downy woodpecker best in winter when the trees and shrubs are bare. But even in such an exposed situation as a leafless tree, we do not find it a conspicuous bird--one hop and it is hidden behind a branch, seeming almost to glide out of our sight. At the slightest alarm it disappears; it uses a branch as a shield--slipping behind it, safe from observation or attack.
"The bird is at home also in shrubbery, moving easily among the smaller branches, hitching along their slender length, picking at the bark, and leaping from one branch to another with the aid of a flip of the wings. It sits crosswise on a perch scarcely bigger than a twig, leaning forward a little, bill outstretched, suggesting in position and outline a tiny kingfisher.
“Here, at close range, on a level with our eyes, we realize how rapid the bird's motions are. The beak strikes and draws back--the two movements in a single flash. The head turns to one side, to the other side, bringing first one dark shining eye, then the other, to bear on the bark; we see the head in the two positions, although we get only a hint of the motion between."
Birds by Bent, Published in 1939: Smithsonian Institution
www.birdsbybent.com///////ch11-20/downy.html#behavior Thanks, Pekabo
More about Downy Woodpeckers:
1000mm, f/8, 1/640 and slow except for the lack of motion, ISO 1400
When I fill the bird feeders, I sometimes sit down and set the pitcher with bird food down. 1 chipmunk climbed inside and another came along and scared the other one out making him jump high in the air out of the pitcher. These guys are really funny to watch.
Das war eine der beeindruckendsten Flugvorführungen, die ich seit langem gesehen habe! Der Kiebitz im Balzflug fliegt akrobatisch in 20m Höhe, dreht sich auf den Rücken, stürzt in Richtung Boden und fängt sich erst einen halben Meter über der Wiese ab. Akustisch nicht weniger beeindruckend war dabei sein Ruf der mich an Kirmes-Lichtschwerter denken ließ :-)
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That was one of the most impressive flight displays I've seen in a long time! The lapwing, in its courtship display, flies acrobatically at a height of 20 meters, flips onto its back, dives toward the ground, and only catches itself half a meter above the meadow. Acoustically no less impressive was its call, which reminded me of fairground lightsabers :-)
I'm glad my cat Bart looked at the camera for a second. He's a very good boy that loves attention. He tries to catch the treats that I throw with acrobatic flair, and often does ninja flips when playing with his sister, Lisa.
This piece was inspired by a 7 second clip of an amazingly talented and inspirational little man, aged 8 and already a huge star.
So this ones for Mooshoo and the acrobatic, spinning, tumbling, 'ninja super hero' may well become a regular of some of my paintings. Created entirely on the iPad2 using Autodesks SketchBook Pro app.
Chicago - Cell Block Tango (He Had It Comin') Lyrics
Artist: Chicago
Album: Miscellaneous
Genre: Rock
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And now the six merry murderesses of the Crookem County Jail
In their rendition of 'The Cell Block Tango'
Pop! Six! Squish! Uh uh, Cicero, Lipschitz!
Pop! Six! Squish! Uh uh, Cicero, Lipschitz!
Pop! Six! Squish! Uh uh, Cicero, Lipschitz!
He had it coming, he had it coming
He only had himself to blame
If you'd have been there, if you'd have seen it
I betcha you would have done the same
Pop! Six! Squish! Uh Uh, Cicero, Lipschitz!
You know how people have these little habits
That get you down like Ernie
Ernie like to chew gum, no, not chew, Pop
Like, I come home this one day and there's Ernie
Layin' on the couch chewin', no, not chewin', poppin'
So, I said to him, I said
"Ernie, you pop that gum one more time" and he did
So I took the shotgun off the wall
And I fired two warning shots into his head
He had it coming, he had it coming
He only had himself to blame
I met Ezekiel Young from Salt Lake city about two years ago
And he told me he was single and we hit it off right away
So, we started living together
He'd go to work, he'd come home, I'd fix him a drink, we'd have dinner.
Then I found out, single, my ass
Not only was he married, well, he had six wives
One of those Mormons, you know
So that night, when he came home
I fixed him his drink as usual
You know, some guys just can't hold their arsenic
He had it coming, he had it coming
He took a flower in its prime
And then he used it and he abused it
It was a murder but not a crime
Now, I'm standing in the kitchen
Carvin' up the chicken for dinner
And in storms my husband Wilbrin in a jealous rage
"You been screwin' the milkman"
He says and he kept sayin'
"You been screwin the milkman"
Then he ran into my knife
He ran into my knife ten times
If you'd have been there, if you'd have seen it
I betcha you would have done the same
Mit kersek, en itt? Azt mondjok, hogy a hires
Lakem lefogta a ferjemet en meg lecsaptam a fejet
De nem igaz, en artatlan vagyok
Nem tudom mert mondja Uncle Sam hogy en tettem
Probaltam a rendorsegen megmayarazni de nem ertettek meg
But did you do it?
Uh uh, not guilty
My sister, Veronica and I had this double act
And my husband, Charlie traveled around with us
With the last number in our act
We did 20 acrobatic tricks in our world
One two three four five, splits, spread eagles
Flip flops, back flips, one right after the other
Well, this one night we were in Cicero
The three of us, we were in this hotel room
Boozin' and havin' a few laughs and we ran out of ice
So I went out to get some
I come back, open the door
There's Veronica and Charlie
Doing number seventeen, the spread eagle
Well, I was in such a state of shock, I completely blacked out
I can't remember a thing, it wasn't until later
When I was washing the blood off my hands
I even knew they were dead
They had it coming, they had it coming
They had it coming all along
I didn't do it, inspite if I'd done it
How could you tell me that I was wrong?
I loved Alvin Lipschitz, he was a real artistic guy, sensitive, a painter
But he was always trying to find himself
He go out every night looking for himself
And on the way, he found Ruth, Gladys, Rosemary and Irving
I guess you can say we broke up because of artistic differences
He saw himself as alive and I saw him dead
The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum
The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum
They had it comin', they had it comin'
They had it comin' all along
'Cause if they used us and they abused us
How could they tell us that we were wrong?
He had it coming, he had it coming
He only had himself to blame
If you'd have been there, if you'd have seen it
I betcha you would have done the same
You pop that gum one more time
Single my ass
Ten times
Miert csukott Uncle Sam bortonbe
Number seventeen, the spread eagle
Artistic differences
I betcha you would have done the same
My Grandson doing a back flip at the lake. No Grandchildren were hurt or injured in the making of this shot as he landed on his feet.
This cockatoo was in the process of doing side roll flip upside down in some howling winds. I have a feeling it was only doing it because I had the big Tamron lens pointing at it.
We recently visited friends in Bournemouth. This is one of their son's showing his acrobatic talent.
One afternoon this young athletic male entertained us for approximately 1 hour doing many types of acrobatic maneuvers.
Is he a performer with Cirque du Soleil?
He could do 5 back flips at a time. Unbelievable to watch him flipping along the beach.
All the shots I took were lousy so just one to show.
A kid enjoying a trampoline on Scheveningen Beach. He must have done 100 flips so I had plenty of chances to get my favorite shot.
The Hague was one of the most relaxing places during our European trip. A great way to end vacation.
Music: youtu.be/x_XVntliea0
Story by Ashlynn
Photo's by Iris
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I look ridiculous!", Ash said, standing their in a purple thong and top with her perky breast barely contained by a purple fishnet bra.
"You look great Ash", Iris replied without even looking up from her phone.
"IRIS!.....Can you put the damn phone down and look at me!"
Iris sighed and looked up, tucking her phone into the waist band of her pink thong. "Look, I agreed no more performing over sharks or anything that could hurt you and you said you would start performing again AND.....let me pick the costumes. So, I decided if our act became a little risque, it will go along way."
"You want us to be topless by the second act!.......and fully nude by the third!"
Iris laughed off her partner's concern. "Like you've never performed naked in front of an audience before, Ash"
"No....no I haven't Iris", Ash replied as she crossed her arms over her exposed breasts.
"Oh.....so the millions of views your videos got on taintpainters.com doesn't count?", Iris asked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
Iris' phone chimed before Ash had a chance to respond. "Damn it!", she muttered to herself as she scrolled through her phone.
"Expecting a message?"
"Yeah, the clinic is supposed to message me the results from my STD Blood Panel", Iris said out loud while slipping the phone back into her thong.
Ashlynn's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
"Ok Ash, let's go knock'em dead!"
*********************************************************************************
Iris and Ashlynn were introduced to a packed house of mostly men. The girls got a standing ovation full of wolf wistles before the show even got under way. The cheers grew even louder as Ash and Iris both ascended their respective towers. It seemed Iris plan had worked.
The show got underway and the girl's act didn't skip a beat. Their twirled and soared gracefully through the venue, showing off their acrobatic skills. The crowd gasped in suspense as Ash flipped and twisted through the air. With no net below to break her fall, one wrong move could ruin the performance and possible destroy Ashlynn's life. Time seemed to slow down as the pint sized aerialist seemed to fly through the room, a blur of purple spandex and tan flesh. Iris swooped in on her own swing and caught Ashlynn by the wrist and swung her friend back to the safety of the platform.
"One more pass in act one!", Iris called out as she swung to the other side of the apparatus.
This last trick was something the girls always saved for the end of the show, but they both agreed that the crowd would get a better visual affect from this stunt if they were still in costume. The maneuver consisted of Ashlynn getting enough momentum that she when she finally let go of the bar she would be able to pull off a quadruple back spin into a twist and finally be caught by Iris who would come swinging in upside down.
Iris winked at Ashlynn from the other side of the trapeze rig. Ash smiled back, took a deep breath and began her approach. She swung from one side to the other, picking up speed. The drooling men in the audience watched with amazement as Ash let go of the swing and began twisting and spinning flawlessly through the air. Iris swung in by her knees ready to catch Ashlynn by the hands when suddenly her phone vibrated against her curvy hip. "My results!", she thought and reached for phone. Ash's eyes widened as she came out of her final flip and focused in on Iris swinging through the air with her attention on her phone.
"IRIS!!!!", Ashlynn screamed out in horror
"THE RESULTS ARE NEGATIVE, ASH!", Iris yelled back
*******************************************************************************
8 hours and 1 trip to the emergency room later.
"Everyone loved the show, Ash!"
Ashlynn scowled at Iris as she sat on her living room couch with her broken leg propped up under a pillow. "Well I didn't love it, Iris.....I have a partner that can't put her phone down for 5 freakin minutes to make sure I don't die!"
"Look Ash, I am sorry.....It was a mistake but this was life altering news!"
"Kinda like falling out of the freakin sky and getting lucky that you landed Gus The Gassy Goat!"
Iris looked at her friend and pouted her lush lips. "Oh Ash, is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"
"Well first you can.........
Iris' phone chimed in interrupting what Ash was about to say. Iris pulled her phone out and smiled as she brought up a text from her good friend, Mark.
"OH MY GOD ASH!....It's Mark.....he wants me to come over tonight to celebrate the negative test results!!!", she excitedly yelled out loud.
Ash stared at her friend texting away. "You've gotta be fucking kiddin me!"
Humpback Whale Breaching
Personal Note: Having moved several years ago to the Monterey Bay Area in Northern California, I decided to teach myself wildlife photography and concentrate on Marine Mammals of the Monterey Bay, which was self-published as a photo essay book. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one of the most abundant marine sanctuaries in the World with extensive academic research facilities studying its inhabitants and health.
One of the species I have concentrated my efforts on has been the highly intelligent and entertaining Humpback Whale. For two years I am been trying to capture them breaching out of the water. With two flips of their flukes they can propel 35 to 50 tons of mammal completely out of the water! Prior to July 6, 2015 I have only been able to photograph them breaching from a distance.
Over the next two weeks I will be posting a series of images from this incredible experience.
Here are some of the photographic issues:
•They never stop moving, even when they place half of their brain on "rest" while the other half navigates for them. When that half has enough rest, the other half takes over.
•Your Whale Boat is moving about 80% of the time. If the Bay is choppy that means it is rocking back and forth as it propels itself forward.
•Other Whale Boats are positioned around the best sites and can ruin your shot.
•We can tell when a breaching Humpback is going to dive. What we cannot tell is if they are going to keep breaching or just feed on the bottom?
•Normally they breach once or twice and stop. The Blue Ocean Whale Watch boat captain has seen Humpbacks breach as many as 70 times. They are based in Moss Landing and I highly recommend them. You can book a trip at: blueoceanwhalewatch.com/contact.
•Therefore, you do not know how long they are going to stay under the water (5-7 mins. is normal) or WHERE OR WHEN THEY ARE GOING TO COME UP, which is always in a different place.
•I keep my camera under my chin and watch over the top of the lens. Once they start to breach, you have 3-5 seconds to find them in your viewfinder and squeeze off a series of shots. If they are less than 1/3rd of my viewfinder I know they are too far away.
•On the way back to port, three different whales did a "Lunge Feed" in unison just like in the Olympic synchronized swimming events. It was extraordinary, but It took us all by surprise and I could not even raise my camera in time.
•We all know whales communicate with each other, but this was an extraordinary example. The three whales dove together, communicated with each other and then raced to the surface side by side with their mouths wide open! They then captured the sardines, anchovies and or krill, filtered out the water, swallowed and dove again. They can take in enormous amounts of water (up to 70% of their body weight) filter out the fish and krill and eject the water.
•It is hard to describe, but three huge whales surfacing with their mouths open, side-by-side, perfectly in unison takes your breath away. I literally snapped my sunglasses in half during the whole breaching experience, but it was a small price to pay. If anyone had gotten a sharp image of these three whales, it would have been a cover story.
•Humpback whales (belong to the class of marine mammals known as rorquals that feed through extraordinarily energetic lunges during which they engulf large volumes of water equal to as much as 70% of their body mass. (Source: Marine Mammal Science)
HUMPBACK WHALE: Megaptera novaeangliae (meaning of scientific name: (Large-Winged of New England)
BEHAVIOR: Acrobatic humpbacks regularly breach (jump out of the water), stroke each other, and slap the water with their flippers and flukes. Scientists believe these activities are forms of communication because they create a great deal of noise, which can be heard at long distances under water. Humpbacks swim in groups or pods of up to a dozen at calving grounds, and in smaller groups of three to four during migration. Unlike other baleen whales, they can often be seen feeding cooperatively.
DESCRIPTION: The humpback whale was given its common name because of the shape of its dorsal (back) fin and the way it looks when the animal is diving. Its scientific name, Megaptera, means, "large-winged" and refers to its long, white, wing-like flippers that are often as long as one-third of the animal's body length. Humpbacks are gray or black, except for the flippers, parts of the chest and belly, and sometimes the underside of the tail flukes. Each whale has its own unique pattern on the underside of its tail flukes, which can be used like "fingerprints" to identify individual whales. Unique to humpbacks are wartlike round protuberances (bumps or tubricales) that occur on the head forward of the blowhole and on the edges of the flippers. Humpbacks are baleen whales that have 14 to 35 long throat pleats that expand when the whale takes in water while feeding.
Northern Hemisphere humpbacks reach an average length of 49 to 52 feet (15-16 m), and southern humpbacks reach 60 feet (18 m). Females are generally larger than the males. The average weight for a mature adult is 35 to 50 tons.
RANGE/HABITAT: Humpbacks are found in all oceans to the edges of polar ice, and follow definite migration paths from their summer feeding grounds to warmer waters in the winter. In the North Pacific, where their populations reach 15,000, humpbacks feed in the summer along the coast from California to Alaska. In the winter, they migrate to breeding grounds off of Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Japan. The population in California migrates to Mexico and Costa Rica, whereas the Alaskan population migrates to Hawaii.
In feeding, they use baleen plates to strain other small fish such as krill or herring, and plankton out of the water. Their 270-to-400 baleen plates are dark and each is about two and a half feet long. Humpbacks use several different feeding methods. While "lunge feeding," they plow through concentrated areas of food with their huge mouths open, swelling with large quantities of food and water. During "bubble net feeding," which is unique to humpback whales, one or several whales blow a ring of bubbles from their blowholes that encircle a school of krill or fish. The whales then swim through the "net" with their mouths agape, taking in large amounts of food.
Humpbacks are best known for their haunting vocalizations or "singing." They have a rich repertoire that covers many octaves and includes frequencies beyond the threshold of human hearing. These songs, apparently sung by males, last as long as 20 minutes, after which they are repeated, often with slight changes. Each year, the song undergoes changes from the year before, but all males sing the same song. When a whale is singing, it floats suspended in the water, head down and relatively motionless. Behavior such as dominance, aggression, and mate attraction may be related to singing.
MATING AND BREEDING: Females give birth every two or more years. Pregnancies last for 12 months. The calves nurse for eight to eleven months. When weaned, the calves are 24-27 feet (8-9 m) long.
STATUS: Humpbacks are among the most endangered whales and less than 10% of their original population remains. However, in recent years, humpbacks have been observed more and more frequently feeding along the California coast. Nearly 1400 humpbacks feed along the California Coast in the summer and fall. The current word population is estimated between 35-40,000.
The Marine Mammal Center has helped several humpback whales over the years. One famous patient was Humphrey the humpback, who we helped twice. First in 1985, he swam up the Sacramento River, and then in 1990 he was stuck on a mudflat in San Francisco Bay. Both times, we successfully got him back out into ocean. In 2007, a mother and calf pair called Delta and Dawn, received world-wide attention as they swam 75 miles inland up the Sacramento River (going farther than Humphrey). Both had severe wounds from a ship strike. After antibiotics were administered to these free-swimming whales, a first in marine mammal history mom and calf returned to the ocean.
Thinking of taking your pristine vintage cabriolet for a spin on a tropical beach, especially one known for its baboon population? You might want to reconsider, unless your idea of a good time involves an unscheduled primate party in and on your prized possession. These aren't your average, polite picnickers; baboons are curious, mischievous, and incredibly strong. That canvas roof you lovingly restored? To them, it's an intriguing new climbing frame, perfect for a high-energy game of chase. And those gleaming chrome bumpers? Ideal for practicing their acrobatic flips, leaving behind a trail of tiny, but undoubtedly tenacious, claw marks.
Then there's the interior. Leave a single crumb, a stray pair of sunglasses, or even just an interesting-looking air freshener, and you've essentially laid out a five-star buffet and entertainment center. They'll rummage through every compartment, pull out every loose item, and perhaps even attempt to hotwire your classic ride with their nimble fingers. Imagine returning to find your meticulously arranged dashboard now a chaotic mess of flung-about CDs (if you're still rocking those), gnawed-on gear shifts, and perhaps a rogue baboon or two still attempting to figure out the electric windows. Your vintage beauty will quickly go from showroom ready to "safari chic" in the most chaotic way possible.
In short, while the mental image of a baboon joyriding in a vintage cabriolet might be hilariously absurd, the reality of the aftermath is far less amusing. Your classic car deserves a peaceful, primate-free existence, not to be transformed into a jungle gym or a snack bar by a troop of furry, four-wheeled enthusiasts. Save the beach for your towels and sunscreen, and keep your vintage treasure far, far away from any potential primate parties. Your insurance agent (and your sanity) will thank you.
This Great White Egret was fishing in the tidal flats on the west coast of Florida when it capture this little fry. The reason for the awkward pose? During th "flip" the fish almost escaped and the Egret had to perform an acrobatic behind the back catch.
Our Daily Challenge:
I'M DOING IT "WRONG" is the topic for Friday, April 29, 2022
Actually this wind sail surfer is doing it right as he performs a flip and I failed to capture two of them flipping and touching hands together!
I found this photo in my archives when I was searching for a dog photo to print for a friend. I not only found the photo of her dog that I took over 10 years ago, but found this image cropped to 4X6. I had captured this image in RAW on my Canon EOS 60D back in 2011. The 60D could produce both raw and jpeg files for the same image. Since I have not experimented with raw in a long time, I did not try to bring out the original image that was much silhouetted but cropped the 4X6 to 5X7 – an easier procedure than reediting the original.
Clark helped me a lot. He helped me realize that I need to continue to fight for justice. Luckily I had a knack for costume making and quickly made myself a new suit. I made myself a make-shift bo staff that could split in half and form two escrima sticks. I had kept a few of my wing dings to use to throw at criminals. It's time to test these out.
I had picked up a trail of thefts happening in a neighbor city of Gotham called Blüdhaven. Witnesses say the thief would magically appear with a cloud of purple smoke and disappear with his loot the same way.
This'll be the perfect way to prove myself as a hero to Bruce.
Thanks to the thief's theatrical entrances and exits, his hideout wasn't too hard to find. The purple smoke left a residue that was easily to identify where it was from. Only one place in Blüdhaven had recently received a shipment of oxidizer. A chemical used in creating smoke pellets. Alakazam Magic Shop. According to records the place has been shutdown for years, so the fact that it has recently received a package is evidence enough that someone is using it as a base.
I arrive at at the street that the shop was located on. I notice a man walking into the back exit of the shop. Looks like I found my man.
I jump from my vantage point and run to the door. I slowly open it, but the door still gave off a quiet creak. Hopefully no one heard that.
A man's voice can be heard in the next room. It sounds like he's on the phone, but I can barely hear what the conversation is about.
I open the door to the room and the man is staring right at me.
"Well well well, looks like a vigilante has come to stop me. Excuse my memory, but I don't quite know you're name."
"The name's Nightwing and you might be?"
"The name is Abra Kadabra, I am a trained magician. There is no way you can stop me."
He throws down a smoke pellet. It's a good this Haly's Circus had a magician. I know exactly how this trick works.
I run over to where the man was standing and search for a trapdoor. Ah ha! I found it. I quickly open it up and jump down into a dark hallway. The hallway is narrow but I see a light on the ground only a few feet away. I open the trapdoor and jump down into what looks to be a maintenance room.
"Figured out my trick, did you? Well you won't out smart this one."
He raises his hand and suddenly shoots out what looks like a purple lightning bolt. I do a cartwheel to dodge it and then a front flip to get closer to this maniacal magician.
"An acrobatic. Excellent."
He raises both hands and forms a sphere of purple lighting in his hand. Not going to give you this one man. I hurl myself into the air and swing my feet at him. He stops trying to hit me with the purple energy and he tries to grab my leg in midair. He does not succeed as I connect with his head. He gets pushed down to the ground from the force and wipes blood from his nose.
"You broke my freakin' nose man!"
He tries to get up, but I quickly hit him over the head with one of my escrima sticks. He falls to the ground and grabs his forehead that now has a minor cut on it.
I grab some chains that are around me and chain him up.
"Now, what was that about outsmarting you?"
He spits on my boot and grunts at me. Hehe, typical.
The cops arrive after I call them and before they can spot me I duck into an alleyway.
Y'see Bruce, I can handle things on my own.
May 1, 2020
Our eastern bluebird tenants (Sialia sialis) are rearing their young. These are shots of the parents delivering insects to the babies.
Brewster, Massachusetts
Cape Cod - USA
Photo by brucetopher
© Bruce Christopher 2020
All Rights Reserved
...always learning - critiques welcome.
Tools: Canon 7D & iPhone 11.
No use without permission.
Please email for usage info.
Here are some shots I took this morning of firemen,dressed like their Edo-period hikeshi predecessors, making their rounds to the local shrines and temples to pray for good luck & safety in the new year. After getting their blessings, the firemen showcased their dezomeshiki acrobatic skills on a bamboo ladder.
Humpback Whale Breaching
Personal Note: Having moved several years ago to the Monterey Bay Area in Northern California, I decided to teach myself wildlife photography and concentrate on Marine Mammals of the Monterey Bay, which was self-published as a photo essay book. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one of the most abundant marine sanctuaries in the World with extensive academic research facilities studying its inhabitants and health.
One of the species I have concentrated my efforts on has been the highly intelligent and entertaining Humpback Whale. For two years I am been trying to capture them breaching out of the water. With two flips of their flukes they can propel 35 to 50 tons of mammal completely out of the water! Prior to July 6, 2015 I have only been able to photograph them breaching from a distance.
Over the next two weeks I will be posting a series of images from this incredible experience.
Here are some of the photographic issues:
•They never stop moving, even when they place half of their brain on "rest" while the other half navigates for them. When that half has enough rest, the other half takes over.
•Your Whale Boat is moving about 80% of the time. If the Bay is choppy that means it is rocking back and forth as it propels itself forward.
•Other Whale Boats are positioned around the best sites and can ruin your shot.
•We can tell when a breaching Humpback is going to dive. What we cannot tell is if they are going to keep breaching or just feed on the bottom?
•Normally they breach once or twice and stop. The Blue Ocean Whale Watch boat captain has seen Humpbacks breach as many as 70 times. They are based in Moss Landing and I highly recommend them. You can book a trip at: blueoceanwhalewatch.com/contact.
•Therefore, you do not know how long they are going to stay under the water (5-7 mins. is normal) or WHERE OR WHEN THEY ARE GOING TO COME UP, which is always in a different place.
•I keep my camera under my chin and watch over the top of the lens. Once they start to breach, you have 3-5 seconds to find them in your viewfinder and squeeze off a series of shots. If they are less than 1/3rd of my viewfinder I know they are too far away.
•On the way back to port, three different whales did a "Lunge Feed" in unison just like in the Olympic synchronized swimming events. It was extraordinary, but It took us all by surprise and I could not even raise my camera in time.
•We all know whales communicate with each other, but this was an extraordinary example. The three whales dove together, communicated with each other and then raced to the surface side by side with their mouths wide open! They then captured the sardines, anchovies and or krill, filtered out the water, swallowed and dove again. They can take in enormous amounts of water (up to 70% of their body weight) filter out the fish and krill and eject the water.
•It is hard to describe, but three huge whales surfacing with their mouths open, side-by-side, perfectly in unison takes your breath away. I literally snapped my sunglasses in half during the whole breaching experience, but it was a small price to pay. If anyone had gotten a sharp image of these three whales, it would have been a cover story.
•Humpback whales (belong to the class of marine mammals known as rorquals that feed through extraordinarily energetic lunges during which they engulf large volumes of water equal to as much as 70% of their body mass. (Source: Marine Mammal Science)
For those of you that would like to know more about these incredible creatures please read below or visit the source: (www.marinemammalcenter.org/)
HUMPBACK WHALE: Megaptera novaeangliae (meaning of scientific name: (Large-Winged of New England)
BEHAVIOR: Acrobatic humpbacks regularly breach (jump out of the water), stroke each other, and slap the water with their flippers and flukes. Scientists believe these activities are forms of communication because they create a great deal of noise, which can be heard at long distances under water. Humpbacks swim in groups or pods of up to a dozen at calving grounds, and in smaller groups of three to four during migration. Unlike other baleen whales, they can often be seen feeding cooperatively.
DESCRIPTION: The humpback whale was given its common name because of the shape of its dorsal (back) fin and the way it looks when the animal is diving. Its scientific name, Megaptera, means, "large-winged" and refers to its long, white, wing-like flippers that are often as long as one-third of the animal's body length. Humpbacks are gray or black, except for the flippers, parts of the chest and belly, and sometimes the underside of the tail flukes. Each whale has its own unique pattern on the underside of its tail flukes, which can be used like "fingerprints" to identify individual whales. Unique to humpbacks are wartlike round protuberances (bumps or tubricales) that occur on the head forward of the blowhole and on the edges of the flippers. Humpbacks are baleen whales that have 14 to 35 long throat pleats that expand when the whale takes in water while feeding.
Northern Hemisphere humpbacks reach an average length of 49 to 52 feet (15-16 m), and southern humpbacks reach 60 feet (18 m). Females are generally larger than the males. The average weight for a mature adult is 35 to 50 tons.
RANGE/HABITAT: Humpbacks are found in all oceans to the edges of polar ice, and follow definite migration paths from their summer feeding grounds to warmer waters in the winter. In the North Pacific, where their populations reach 15,000, humpbacks feed in the summer along the coast from California to Alaska. In the winter, they migrate to breeding grounds off of Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Japan. The population in California migrates to Mexico and Costa Rica, whereas the Alaskan population migrates to Hawaii.
In feeding, they use baleen plates to strain other small fish such as krill or herring, and plankton out of the water. Their 270-to-400 baleen plates are dark and each is about two and a half feet long. Humpbacks use several different feeding methods. While "lunge feeding," they plow through concentrated areas of food with their huge mouths open, swelling with large quantities of food and water. During "bubble net feeding," which is unique to humpback whales, one or several whales blow a ring of bubbles from their blowholes that encircle a school of krill or fish. The whales then swim through the "net" with their mouths agape, taking in large amounts of food.
Humpbacks are best known for their haunting vocalizations or "singing." They have a rich repertoire that covers many octaves and includes frequencies beyond the threshold of human hearing. These songs, apparently sung by males, last as long as 20 minutes, after which they are repeated, often with slight changes. Each year, the song undergoes changes from the year before, but all males sing the same song. When a whale is singing, it floats suspended in the water, head down and relatively motionless. Behavior such as dominance, aggression, and mate attraction may be related to singing.
MATING AND BREEDING: Females give birth every two or more years. Pregnancies last for 12 months. The calves nurse for eight to eleven months. When weaned, the calves are 24-27 feet (8-9 m) long.
STATUS: Humpbacks are among the most endangered whales and less than 10% of their original population remains. However, in recent years, humpbacks have been observed more and more frequently feeding along the California coast. Nearly 1400 humpbacks feed along the California Coast in the summer and fall. The current word population is estimated between 35-40,000.
The Marine Mammal Center has helped several humpback whales over the years. One famous patient was Humphrey the humpback, who we helped twice. First in 1985, he swam up the Sacramento River, and then in 1990 he was stuck on a mudflat in San Francisco Bay. Both times, we successfully got him back out into ocean. In 2007, a mother and calf pair called Delta and Dawn, received world-wide attention as they swam 75 miles inland up the Sacramento River (going farther than Humphrey). Both had severe wounds from a ship strike. After antibiotics were administered to these free-swimming whales, a first in marine mammal history mom and calf returned to the ocean.
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So basically this is inspired by The jungle book and tarzan, 2 of the greatest childhood movies :D
I found this fantastic location under a thicket, so the lighting was really excellent. I kepty but-dialing my friend while doing these back bends. Hahahaha.
I found this turtle shell the day before, and I knew it would make an excellent prop.
Hope you like it; And I hope your day is fantastic!
This is a teaser of the series I am creating for my next Brick Journal Article about designing in a theme. The nice guys who created the Clown Commandos Comics are assisting in writing the article. If you don't know their work check it out at www.clowncommandos.com
Just saw the article proof and it is packed with photos.
PROFILE:
Bubbles grew up on the streets. Orphaned in her early teens, she used her natural agility and stealth to commit petty crimes. A growing adrenaline junky, her crimes soon began to escalate. However, once apprehended, she was given a choice: juvenile detention or the Clown Commando Boot Camp for Troubled Youth. She chose the later for an easy ride and to pick up some new moves along the way. Yet, when she met Colonel Clown, he convinced her that she could use her talents for a more noble purpose. Now, after being stranded in our world, sensing the colonel’s lack of faith, and once again being considered a fugitive, Lieutenant Bubbles constantly struggles between her former addiction and her oath to the CC.
WEAPONS:
Bubbles primarily uses a series of special hula hoops designed to suit her acrobatic abilities. When thrown, flipped or swung, these hoops can ensnare an enemy, or render them unconscious. New hoops are periodically tested that provide various functions. The lieutenant also carries a standard assortment of Clown Commando armaments.
QUOTE:
"Sure, I’m a regular girl. I just happen to be able to kick butt."
Mimbre performing on the High Street at the Stockton International Riverside Festival in 2009. What a wonderful performance these three ladies produced which had the audience totally captivated for the 40 minute show.
The performance was a combination of dance, acrobatics, mime and drama and is described as such in the SIRF brochure:
Mimbre - 'Until Now'
Mimbre's new show is a beautifully improbable acrobatic adventure. A poetic universe is fashioned from joyful flips and harmonious balances that speak of journeys, goodbyes and astonishing feats of friendship.
Sometimes photo opportunities come in pairs as did this photo I made of a dog doing flips for its owner at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. The second image capture of this young woman and her pet is in the slide following this one. Many people and their dogs visit ocean beach every day, rain or shine. This couple looks like they have done this many times before. Shot using a Canon EOS 60D in March 2011.
The spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) is a small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. It is famous for its acrobatic displays in which it spins along its longitudinal axis as it leaps through the air. It is a member of the family Delphinidae of toothed whales.
Spinner dolphins are small cetaceans with a slim build. Adults are typically 129–235 cm long and reach a body mass of 23–79 kg. This species has an elongated rostrum and a triangular or subtriangular dorsal fin.
Spinner dolphins generally have tripartite color patterns. The dorsal area is dark gray, the sides light gray, and the underside pale gray or white. Also, a dark band runs from the eye to the flipper, bordered above by a thin, light line. However, the spinner dolphin has more geographic variation in form and coloration than other cetaceans. In the open waters of eastern Pacific, dolphins have relatively small skulls with short rostra. A dwarf form of spinner dolphin occurs around southeast Asia.
In these same subspecies, a dark dorsal cape dims their tripartite color patterns. Further offshore, subspecies tend to have a paler and less far-reaching cape. In certain subspecies, some males may have upright fins that slant forward. Some populations of spinner dolphin found in the eastern Pacific have bizarre backwards-facing dorsal fins, and males can have strange humps and upturned caudal flukes.
Spinner dolphins are known for their acrobatics and aerial behaviors. A spinner dolphin comes out of the water front first and twists its body as it rises into the air.[20] When it reaches its maximum height, the dolphin descends back into the water, landing on its side.
A dolphin can make two to 5.5 spins in one leap; the swimming and rotational speed of the dolphin as it spins underwater affects the number of spins it can do while airborne. These spins may serve several functions. Dolphins may also make nose-outs, tail slaps, flips, head slaps, "salmon leaps", and side and back slaps.
This image was taken at Moorea in the Society Islands in French Polynesia.
The spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) is a small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. It is famous for its acrobatic displays in which it spins along its longitudinal axis as it leaps through the air. It is a member of the family Delphinidae of toothed whales.
Spinner dolphins are small cetaceans with a slim build. Adults are typically 129–235 cm long and reach a body mass of 23–79 kg. This species has an elongated rostrum and a triangular or subtriangular dorsal fin.
Spinner dolphins generally have tripartite color patterns. The dorsal area is dark gray, the sides light gray, and the underside pale gray or white. Also, a dark band runs from the eye to the flipper, bordered above by a thin, light line. However, the spinner dolphin has more geographic variation in form and coloration than other cetaceans. In the open waters of eastern Pacific, dolphins have relatively small skulls with short rostra. A dwarf form of spinner dolphin occurs around southeast Asia.
In these same subspecies, a dark dorsal cape dims their tripartite color patterns. Further offshore, subspecies tend to have a paler and less far-reaching cape.[8] In certain subspecies, some males may have upright fins that slant forward. Some populations of spinner dolphin found in the eastern Pacific have bizarre backwards-facing dorsal fins, and males can have strange humps and upturned caudal flukes.
Spinner dolphins are known for their acrobatics and aerial behaviors. A spinner dolphin comes out of the water front first and twists its body as it rises into the air. When it reaches its maximum height, the dolphin descends back into the water, landing on its side.
A dolphin can make two to 5.5 spins in one leap; the swimming and rotational speed of the dolphin as it spins underwater affects the number of spins it can do while airborne. These spins may serve several functions. Dolphins may also make nose-outs, tail slaps, flips, head slaps, "salmon leaps", and side and back slaps.
This image was taken at Moorea in the Society Islands in French Polynesia.