Minneapolis Photographer Mitch Rossow presents daily photos of Minneapolis. Cityscapes, People & Perspectives: Mitch explains composition and techniques.

This little buckarooo was gathering mud along the path on Lake of the isles to build a nest. Low morning sun is great for photographing birds, the low sun allows for capturing the iridescent quality of their feathers.

S orry about skipping yesterday, I have a lot work to do!

Would you believe that this is a blackbird? Gackles are right up there with sparrows on the unnoticeable list and look black most of the time. Their feathers are quite iridescent and in the right light, they can be down right spectacular.

A lot of my images have been post-processed to enhance colors and detail, but this guy was so colorful that I left the image alone.

I caught this fellow in a maple tree on the North end of Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. I was using my new Nikon 500mm Reflex lens that, though powerful and light, is starting to bug me with it’s ring bokeh effects.

Minneapolis Photographer Mitch Rossow presents daily photos of Minneapolis. Cityscapes, People & Perspectives: Mitch explains composition and techniques.

Meow, baby. This little guy was hanging out on Lake of the Isles this week. I have been hearing them and even photographed one high in a tree in another location (below). My heart was set on finding one, but he found me! As I was walking up the trail he landed in front of me and I had the good sense to stop and shoot before he took off. He was actually quite tolerant of my approach, I got within ten feet of him!

Minneapolis Photographer Mitch Rossow presents daily photos of Minneapolis. Cityscapes, People & Perspectives: Mitch explains composition and techniques.

The first posted image from the great and glorious Nikon 500mm Reflex Mirror Lens. In one lap around the lake I took 200 pictures. Trying to hand-hold this beast is quite a challenge, it’s not heavy, it’s just hard to hold still enough to get it to work right. I have some ideas and will show them to you as I test them.

In the mean time, I wanted to show off this little monster I found. Ain’t he cute?

Also, I found another Minneapolis Photo blogger, or should I say another Mpls photo blogger found me? Anyway, her name is Kat Singer and she’s got some great work, check it out!

Minneapolis Photographer Mitch Rossow presents daily photos of Minneapolis. Cityscapes, People & Perspectives: Mitch explains composition and techniques.

An encore to bird week, I had to add this little guy that I managed to catch on Friday afternoon. He was standing on a nesting box and chatting away. They return to the nest 10 to 20 times per hour, so if you find a nest, usually in a dead tree (thus the name), or a birdhouse, camp out and you’ll get the shot!

Tree swallows have iridescent feathers on their back, and I was wondering if that looks different in infrared? I’ll have to go back and find out.

Minneapolis Photographer Mitch Rossow presents daily photos of Minneapolis. Cityscapes, People & Perspectives: Mitch explains composition and techniques.

After 200 shots, I managed to catch this male Red-breasted Merganser earning his breakfast. He was a ways out and it was very overcast, so this isn’t that great of an image, but I wanted to show it off.

As amazing as this snap was, it is still a consolation prize to me. I was out walking the day before and when I got down to Lake Harriet, there were 13 loons in one area. Everyone there was impressed, pointing, staring and talking about it. I was on a long walk and didn’t have time to go home and get the camera and come back that day. When I returned the next morning, the loons were gone, so I hunted Mergansers.

Tomorrow: Grab a Pepsi for the Saturday Moment of Zen

Minneapolis Photographer Mitch Rossow presents daily photos of Minneapolis. Cityscapes, People & Perspectives: Mitch explains composition and techniques.

The true sign of spring is the American Robin. His little cheer-up cheerio song brings hope and a longing for summer. They stomp along the ground trying to get earthworms to move and thus give away their presence. The saying The Early Bird Gets the Worm is referring to the robin. Though I enjoy getting up early to go shooting, a squishy worm is not much of an enticement to me.

Tomorrow: The Red-breasted Merganser, Mergus serrator