The suns rays

 
The sun approached the horizon behind a bank of clouds (which shortly turned into local fog as it passed over Kitt Peak). These striking rays only lasted a few moments before conditions changed a little and they were gone. This image was taken with the kit lens on my 20D at 55mm focal length. The exposure was 1/400 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 400. Oh, and the wind was gusting well over 60mph at times and it was c-c-cold, but I stuck it out and got some excellent pictures of the conditions of this sunset. 

Humid sunset

 
This image of last nights sunset hints at just how humid it was. Moments later, intermittent fogbanks rolled past as I stood in the pulpit at the top of the Spacewatch 36 inch dome. This view towards the southeast shows the McMath Solar telescope on the southeast part of Kitt Peak against a background of low level clouds (fog at the altitude of the top of Kitt Peak) and higher cirrus still lit by the setting sun. A bank of lenticular clouds to the left almost look like a fleet of UFOs. This image was taken with the kit lens on my 20D at 18mm focal length. The exposure was 1/500 seconds at f/3.5, ISO 400. 

Telescope ready for action

 
This image is part of a time-lapse sequence. I set up the camera on the dome with my A/C adaptor plugged into a UPS (to ride through the occasional power dropouts and to protect it from power spikes as the A/C on the dome goes through slip rings). I aimed it towards the telescope and dome slit and set it off taking 30 second exposures while I observed with the telescope. Just before starting up, I used my flashlight to light the telescope during one of the 30 second exposures so that the darkening sky outside would also be visible. This image was taken with my 24mm lens on myh 20D. The exposure was 30 seconds at f/2, ISO 800. Most of the shots were too dark, so I'm going to have to figure out how to faintly light the telescope (but not so much as to interfer with our observing program!). 

Stormy afternoon

 
This view from the top of the Spacewatch 36 inch dome towards the southeast shows the afternoon clouds. The odd shaped telescope on the right is the McMath Solar telescope and visible on the horizon in the distance are the Santa Rita Mountains where the Whipple Observatory and MMT telescope are stationed. This image was taken on my 20D with the kit lens at 30mm focal length. The exposure was 1/50 seconds at f/8, ISO 100. 

Afternoon weather in B&W

 
Lots of clouds and even some rain in the distance are visible from Kitt Peak this afternoon. This image looks to the northwest past the 36 inch dome. The image was taken with a polarizer and converted in Picasa to B&W using a red filter. The image was taken with the kit lens at 18mm focal length with and exposure of 1/200 seconds at f/8, ISO 100. 

Sunset tonight

 
The clouds were too thick for a good photographic sunset, but that didn't stop me from trying.... I was hoping for the sun to peek through the clouds as it touched the horizon, but alas, it didn't. The sunset was lousy from an Astronomers point of view ande also from a photographers point of view.... This image was taken with the kit lens on my 20D at 18mm focal length. The exposure was 1/8 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 100. 

Autograph time

 
I was impressed by the generosity of some of the players. Long after the game was over, a few players lingered, signing autographs for fans along the 3rd base stands. In this image, Chris Snyder, a catcher with the D'Backs signs autographs. He and Chris Carter, another player, signed autographs until there were no fans left to sign for. Snyder even gave one young fan a pair of his batting gloves - he has a fan for life in that kid. This image was taken at 300mm focal length with an exposure of 1/800 seconds at f/8, ISO 200. 

Stolen Base

 
The runner slides into second base ahead of the tag for a successful stolen base. This image was taken at 300m focal length with an exposure of 1/1000 seconds at f/8, ISO 400. 

Diving back to first

 
The runner at first dives back into the bag as the first baseman is about to catch the pickoff throw from the pitcher. This image was taken withmy 70-300mm zoom at 214mm focal length. The exposure was 1/2000 seconds at f/8, ISO 400. 

To the showers

 
The game is over for this pitcher as his replacement arrives at the pitching mound. This image was taken at 190mm focal length with an exposure of 1/2000 seconds at f/8, ISO 400. 

Delivering the pitch

 
Pitcher Dustin Nippert of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a pitch to the plate. This image was taken at 300mm focal length with an exposure of 1/1600 seconds at f/8, ISO 400. 

Close play at third

 
The runner, advancing on a sacrafice fly from 2nd to 3rd base dives into third ahead of the ball. This image was taken with my 70-300mm lens at 300mm focal length. The exposure was 1/1600 seconds at f/8, ISO 400. 

Gonzo between 3rd and home

 
Luis Gonzalez watches the play in front of him as he creeps down the line at 3rd - to go home or not? This image was taken at 300mm focal length with an exposure of 1/1000 seconds at f/8, ISO 400. 

A hit!

 
Luis Gonzalez hits the ball. Is this just before or just after contact? This image was taken at 300mm focal length with an exposure of 1/1250 seconds at f/8, ISO 400. 

Luis Gonzalez

 
Luis Gonzalez gets ready to swing. This image was taken during the March 16 spring training game between the visiting Kansas City Royals and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Royals won 5-4. This image was taken with my 70-300mm zoom at 300mm focal length. The exposure was 1/800 seconds at f/8, ISO 400. 

Anticipation

 
The ball is about to contact the bat - will it be a hit or an out? Spring training is alive and well in Tucson. Unfortunately for my D'Backs, they lost a close game today to the Kansas City Royals, 5-4. This image was taken with my 70-300mm zoom at 300mm focal length. The exposure was 1/1000 seconds at f/8, ISO 400. 

Pine cone macro

 
I was playing with macro mode and my lens found this pine cone laying on the ground. This image was with my 70-300mm lens at 300mm focal length. The exposure was 1/320 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 400. 

Back to the birds...

 
This sparrow is foraging for food, taking a close look at the berries on this bush. This image was taken with my 70-300mm zoom at 300mm focal length. The exposure was 1/250 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 100. 

Another thing that Flies

 
Having explored feathered flight and manned flight, I also found this critter within my viewfinder. Flies look much more interesting in macro despite their being a pest otherwise. This image was taken with my 70-300mm zoom in macro mode at a focal length of 214mm. The exposure was 1/1600 seconds at f/8, ISO 400. 

Yet another bird

 
I had more trouble identifying this bird who was sharing this palm tree with a Gila Woodpecker. I'm pretty sure this is a European Starling enjoying his perch. This image was taken with my 70-300mm zoom at 300mm focal length, an exposure of 1/800 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 400. 

More birds

 
This house finch hardly noticed the loud clacking of my 20D's shutter as it sat on the tree just 10 feet away from my car bird blind. My 70-300mm zoom was set at 263mm focal length and the exposure was 1/1250 seconds at f/8, ISO 400. 

Another kind of bird

 
When a break in the Heritage Flight practice happened, I started shooting other things in the park hoping to see some more old planes. I noticed a some birds flying around a couple small trees next to my car, so I used the car as a bird blind, sitting inside it with my 70-300mm zoom lens ready on my 20D. Soon enough, the birds continued playing in the tree and I caught this sparrow as it sat in the branches. This image was at 300mm focal length with an exposure of 1/800 seconds at f/8, ISO 400. 

More Heritage flight

 
Another image of Heritage flight practice over Tucson on Sunday. An F-4 flies in formation with an F-15, and two WW2 era planes, a P-51 and P-40 fighters. This image was taken with my 70-300mm zoom lens at 263mm focal length. The exposure was 1/2000 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 400. 

On Afterburner

 
This F-15 is on afterburner as he pulls a high G turn during the Heritage practice last weekend. This image was taken with my 70-300mm zoom at 300mm focal length. The exposure was 1/1000 seconds at f/7.1, ISO 400. Not quite short enough an exposure to abolutely stop the jets motion. 

Heritge Flight II

 
Another image from the Heritage flight practice sessions this past weekend in Tucson. One of the highlights was the presence of one of the newest fighter jets to enter service, the F-22. This image shows the stealth F-22 Raptor on the left with a pair of P-51 Mustangs in the middle and an F-15 Eagle on the right. This image was taken with my 70-300mm zoom at 190mm focal length. The exposure was 1/1600 seconds at f/7.1, ISO 400.