Sam's Blog

Friday, October 17, 2025

Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon

Another October .. Another Bright Comet ! Last year on same day (14 October 2024) I captured bright comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS, this October Comet Lemmon is shining in the sky.

On 14 October 2025 I was able to capture two comet after sunset. SWAN is bit dimmer and close to horizon and Lemmon an easy target for binoculars.

Comet C/2025 Lemmon has very long tail, you can see in below pic the tail extends beyond the frame of 200mm DSLR shot.

This comet is expected to brighten even more. I wish it reaches the level of last years comet.

Canon 7D + Canon 70-200 F4

200mm / F4 / ISO3200 / 15sec x 22 sub
dark, flat, bias calibrated.

Comet C/2025 R2 SWAN

A nice comet visible after sunset on south-west horizon.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Saturn : Titan shadow transit

When Saturn's rings are aligned edge-on with Earth. During this time, the orbital plane of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is well aligned to cast its shadow over Saturn. This rare shadow transit is visible during a few brief windows every 15 years.

I was fortunate to get enough clear sky to capture this event on 19 Aug 2025. The seeing conditions were not favourable with passing clouds and wind. I could not use barlow and have to resort to prime focus but still managed to get record shot.

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Sun : Big Sunspot

Sun on May 7, 2025 : Sunspot 4079 (bigger one) & 4081 (smaller group top left)

This was very big sunspot and was visible to naked eye at sunset or with solar goggles (without telescope or binoculars)

I taken with Celestron 102GT + ASI678MC.

Monday, October 14, 2024

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan–ATLAS : Wide view

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan–ATLAS on 14 October 2024

This shot shows the extent of tail in this no crop shot.

Canon 7D + Tamron 17-50 F2.8

24mm / F4 / ISO3200 / 8sec x 7 sub

dark, flat calibrated.

Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan–ATLAS - Close up

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

Finally got clear sky to capture this beauty. Comet was very easy naked eye, and you can see anti-tail too. The Globular cluster M5 is visible in tail of comet.

Captured with Canon 7D & Canon 70-200 F4 at 200mm F4

Exposure : 2sec x 30 : Total 1min

ISO 3200

Tripod mounted (No tracking)

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Living upto expectations - Tamron 17-50 F/2.8

Dear Friends,

Recently I bought new lens for my Canon 7D as a replacement of Canon kit lens. TAMRON 17-50 F/2.8 non-VC. After going through lot of reviews for replacement of kit lens, there were few options Canon 17-55 F/2.8 IS, Canon 17-40 F/4 IS, Canon 16-35 F/2.8 IS and Tamron 17-50 F/2.8. Two canon lenses were currently beyond my budget so I left with two choices Caanon 17-40 F/4 or Tamron 17-50 F/2.8. I though its better to have F/2.8 as many times we struggle with low light situations with wide angle, this is maily true for indoor shots... Also in some reviews i have read Tammy is better in sharpness than Canon 17-40. So despite having dis-advantage of APS-C format lens I decided to get Tammy.

Being always felt bad about low quality of Canon Kit Lens, Canon 70-200 F/4 use to live on my Canon 7D all time. Once I receive Tammy the things changed and even in situation where i would / should have used 70-200 (like in Zoom & Aquarium) I kept shooting with Tamron 17-50.

There are some down sides to this lens..
- The Auto-Focus is slow compared to Canon Kit lens
- It noisy lens
- Zoom ring rotates in opposite directions

But above disadvantages are made to forget by the image quality it delivers !! And the build of the lens is Solid !!!

The images are Sharp, Color Contrast is almost same as Canon 70-200, once on beach when shooting with both lenses it was hard to tell which shot was taken by which lens unless it is obvious by wide angle !!! The Bokeh is Good though not best.

I am quite happy with the lens, and have high expectations in landscape photography.

Following are some of the photos taken with This lens...

Comments and Critiques welcome..

Cheers

Sameer

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Mill Creek Marsh Birding

Hi Friends,

I dont believe it took me 1 month to go for birding, to place which was very close to my place here in New Jersey. This is my first birding session in US. There is one nice Marsh Area near jersey city where I stay and more ever it is easily accessible by public transport.

More information about this site can be found @ http://www.njwildlifetrails.org/MeadowlandsTrails/Sites/tabid/443/Scope/site/Guide/MEADOWLNDS/Site/94/Default.aspx

Me and Ujju reached on Sunday morning at 7:30 at place. It was nice cool around 16 C and completely cloudy. The light was poor, but it was pleasant. The area is well maintained and not disturbed by anything / anyone. One can see lot of birds activity. Bird houses are posted in marsh is occupied by Tree Swallows and Sparrows. Red Winged Black bird was bullying other small birds, Mourning Dove and Canada Goose were searching for food on trails itself. Mallards can be seen everywhere in water, so as few snowy egrets and some gulls.

Checkout some of photos taken on trail, unfortunately i didn't had wide angle lens with me hence no area photos. only birds.

Click on Images to open big images.

At Entrance :

American Robin

Canada Goose

Cowbird

Mallard Duck - Female

Mallard Duck - Male

Song Sparrow

Red-winged blackbird - Male

Red-winged blackbird - Female

Tree Swallow - Male

Tree Swallow - Male & Female on their nest box

Yellow Warbler

Muscrat

List of Birds seen

1> Red-winged Blackbird - Male & Female

2> Tree Swallow - Male & Female

3> Song Sparrow

4> Yellow Warbler

5> American Robin

6> European Starlings

7> House Sparrow

8> Cow bird

9> Mallard Ducks

10> Canada Goose

11> Snowy Egrets

12> Mocking Bird

13> Gray Catbird

14> Mourning Dove

15> Gulls

16> Tern

17> Cormorant

18> Osprey

Comments and critiques welcome,

Regards

Sameer

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Karnala Bird Sanctury - 6 Feb 2011

Hi Friends,

I have been to Karnala BS on Sunday morning. In my last visit I did missed some prominent birds of Karnala. This time I spend more time sitting near Forest Department Guest House, and had one round on Haryali Trail. Saw more birds and more flycatcher this time. Following is the list of Birds I have seen and few photographs.

1. Red Whiskered Bulbul (शिपाई बुलबुल)
2. Red Vented Bulbul
3. Pompadour Green Pigeon
4. Brown Cheeked Fulvetta
5. Black Drongo (कोतवाल)
6. Ashy Drongo
7. Purple Rumped Sunbird (सूर्यपक्षी)
8. Purple Sunbird (जांभळा शिंजीर)
9. Crimson Backed Sunbird
10. White-rumped Shama
11. Golden Fronted Leaf bird
12. Rufous tailed Shrike
13. Reed Warbler
14. Chestnut Shouldered Patronia (रानचिमणी)
15. Green Barbet
16. Puff Throated Babbler
17. Erasian Golden Oriole (हळद्या)
18. Black Hooded Oriole
19. Common Iora (सुभग)
20. Booted Eagle
21. Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (नीलिमा)
22. Rufous Paradise Flycatcher (शाही बुलबुल)
23. Verditer Flycatcher
24. Black Napped Monarch
25. Green Bea Eater (वेडा राघू)
26. Spotted Dove (ठिपकेदार होला)
27. Common Shrike (खाटीक)

Many photos are not good but posted just for record of observation

Verditer Flycatcher

Verditer Flycatcher

Black Drongo

Ashy Drongo

Black Napped Monarch

Puff Throated Babbler

Rufous Paradise Flycatcher

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

Brown Cheeked Fulvetta

Purple Sunbird - Male : This is amazing behavior I saw for the first time, Male was making noises and flashing Yellow-Orange Feathers on ( or below) shoulder. I never saw this in any photograph of Purple Sunbird. Not sure if this behavior was to indicate his teretory or to impress female, who was buzy collecting material for nest. Experts may shade more light on this...

Purple Sunbird

Golden Fronted Leaf bird

Pompadour Green Pigeon - Male

Pompadour Green Pigeon - Female

White Rumped Shama

Common Iora

Booted Eagle

Red Whiskered Bulbul

Comments and Critiques Welcome

Have a Nice day
Sameer

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Visit to Bird Photographer's Fair - Sinhgad Valley - 23rd Jan 2011

Hi Friends,

After half night session of Astrophotography on 22nd Night, Next Morning we (me, Nilesh and Priyanka) went to Sinhgad Valley for Birding. Sinhgad Valley is the area at the base of Sinhgad Fort in Pune and is very Famous for birding. High number of birders go there, as lot of birds are easily seen and photographed here, so many birders are there that I call this place as "Bird Photographer's Fair".

This was my first visit to place and as expected saw many prominent birds.

Following is the List of Birds i saw

1 Red Vented Bulbul (लालबुड्या बुलबुल)
2 Red Whiskered Bulbul (शिपाई बुलबुल)
3 Plum Headed Parakeets
4 Jungle Bablers (रानभाई)
5 Plain Prinia (वटवट्या)
6 Ashy Prinia -(राखाडी वटवट्या) (First time i got acceptable photo of this beauty )
7 Tailor Bird (शिंपी)
8 Rofous Treepie - (टकाचोर) First Time for me
9 Asian Paradise Flycatcher (शाही बुलबुल)
10 Rofous Asian Paradise Flycatcher
11 Verditer Flycatcher
12 Green Bea Eater (वेडा राघू)
13 Purple Sunbirds (जांभळा शिंजीर)
14 Oriental White Eye (चश्मेवाला)
15 Oriental Magpie Robin - Male & Female (दयाळ)
16 Pied Bushchat (कवडा गप्पीदास)
17 Chestnut Shouldered Petronia (रानचिमणी)
18 Spotted Dove (ठिपकेदार होला)
19 Red Throated Flycatcher Female
20 Indian Robin (चीरक)
21 Pond Heron
22 Booted Eagle Pale Morph
23 Blyth's Reed Warbler
24 White Throated Fantail (नर्तक, नाचण)
25 Drongo (कोतवाल)
26 Yellow Wagtail
27 Common Shrike (खाटीक)
28 Small Minivet (निखार)

Following are some of the photos from the Session :

Red Throated Flycatcher Female -
This photo is taken with Canon 70-200 F/4 + Kenko 2x Teleconvetor - with 2x the autofocus dose not work so have to manually focus. This is the first time i have tried 2x also it was first time I tried Monopod (Nilesh's). Its works great. The Quality of 2x teleconvetor is much much better than I expected ! Monopod increased my shake-less photos !!!

: Click on Photos to see Larger Version :