At Safari West, the ring tail lemurs live on a small island protected by a Koi fish-infested moat. These critters were perfectly content to sit and pose.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 400, 300mm, 0 EV, f/9, 1/400s

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks is a marvelous place. Ever since I stepped into a pitch black field and witnessed the Milky Way splashed across the night sky, I was hooked.

Last night, I stayed at Safari West in Santa Rosa, CA. Santa Rosa is far less developed than the peninsula, and Safari West is a few miles away in the mountains. So, this was my best chance in quite some time. Although we were between storms, the night was clear at the moment with plenty of stars. I didn’t see the Milky Way, but that may have been a timing issue.

The location also wasn’t completely dark. I wasn’t penalized for leaving the flashlight in the cabin. Also, the outdoor dining area had a bit of ambient light that illuminated the foreground railing. You can also see a flock of flamingos grouped together on the left.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 800, 14mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 42.2s

I took this photo almost four years ago. This was before my tripod days.

Since then, I have worked with a D50, D7000 and the full-frame D800. However, I am not sure what I could do differently even with the latest gear. First, the inside of the UK Pavilion was crowded, as was the entire Expo. I could not have even set-up a tripod.

Next, the inside of the pavilion was dark. Despite the aperture, I was still at ISO 1600. You don’t want to see the photo at 100%.

The most challenging part would be the exhibit itself, where all the illuminated rods are situated at different depths. A depth of field nightmare.

Every factor conspiring against a sharp, noiseless photo.

Nikon D50, Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8 N, ISO 1600, 50mm, 0 EV, f/2.5, 1/30s

I spotted this MH-65 Dolphin from USCG Air Station San Francisco circling above the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. I think it was escorting the caravan that was taking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet with Governor Jerry Brown.

Nikon D800, Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/2.8G, ISO 200, 600mm, 0 EV, f/5.6, 1/2,000s

I used the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III with the 300mm lens. Quite a heavy and unwieldy set-up when the camera is pointed almost overhead. Even at 1/2,000s, the helicopter rotors have a bit of motion blur.

Sacré Coeur has a unique vibe. I don’t know if the atmosphere is always like this, but when I went, the place was vibrant. The path up the hill was a slow climb with street hustlers and peddlers tempting passersby.

At the top of Montmartre, shoulder-to-shoulder crowds packed the Christmas market and the church. If you are late, forget about finding an unobstructed view of the sunset.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 42mm, 0 EV, f/16, 1/13s

Update: I had to re-upload this photo. For retina quality photos, I read that I could save them in a lower quality setting, which quickened the load times. That was pretty much true for most photos, where I could see the higher resolution, but no noise when photos were saved in Medium (30) instead of High (60) Quality. For images with a lot of sky, that was not true. I could see obvious banding at the Medium Quality.

The magician performed at an indoor stage in the Musée des Arts Forains. After the crowd had cleared, I tried to take a clear indoor photo. I used a Pocket ‘Pod TFA-01 from Really Right Stuff. This compact mini tripod gets you into places where a larger tripod would trigger a stern stare from security.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 400, 24mm, 0 EV, f/19, 3.0s

The only time I wish that the camera had a swivel screen is when the camera is inches off the ground.

I knew the general location of the Bing Concert Hall, but had not actually seen it. While driving down Palm Drive, I spotted it on my left across from the Stanford Museum. After walking around the campus, I stopped back at the concert hall to take a closer look. I’m still waiting for an opportunity to experience a performance inside.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR, ISO 100, 16mm, f/4.5

Not too many people were in the Stanford Quad last night, even though there was a full moon and it was Valentine’s Day.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 24mm, f/8

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR, ISO 100, 35mm, f/4.5

I was experimenting with HDR all night. Towards the end, I discovered that Live View counts down the number of frames remaining when auto bracketing is activated; i.e., from 5/5 to 1/5. Had I noticed earlier, I could have avoided the problem where I miscounted frames or changed locations in the middle of a set. 🙂

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR, ISO 100, 16mm, -0.7 EV, f/4, 8.0s

I stopped at the J. Henry Meyer Memorial Library during a night time walk around the Stanford campus. Built in the 1960s, this library has served undergraduate students for almost 50 years. It is scheduled to be demolished next year.