photography symmetry appears when parts of your composition mirror other parts. It is created when two halves of your scene look the same and balance each other out.

The log was not level but that wasn't going to faze either of us!

Having a moment with a shy red squirrel at British Wildlife Centre, UK

"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow."

-Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Treecreepers almost appear to defy gravity, as they work their way up a tree trunk & along the undersides of branches. I find them fascinating little birds to watch. The Males are also coming into song at this time of year & I love to listen out for them in the small patch of woodland near my home.

This tiny Wren appeared on the top of the bird feeder outside my window and immediately started singing in a huge voice. It had only just fledged and perhaps had not yet learned all the secretive behaviour typical of a Wren, which is usually heard rather than seen.

It stayed all morning and then came back in the evening.

Perhaps this was its first song? Regardless, it made my day.

This photo shows it larger than life-size - for comparison, look at the screwhead in the feeder.

Eurasian Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes.

#FlickrMonthlyPhoto #Joy

The Little Owl is not a native species, having been introduced to Britain in the 1870s, but it appears to have occupied a vacant niche without having any detrimental impact on other species. Numbers and breeding distribution increased gradually, reaching an estimated breeding population of between 4,000 and 8,500 pairs at the time of Project Barn Owl. The current distribution extends across England, north to the Scottish borders and west into Wales, where it is largely confined to Anglesey and to eastern parts of the country. There have been very few records from Ireland.

Pairs remain on their breeding territories throughout the year, with territorial calling evident during autumn – when young birds are searching for breeding territories – and again during spring. Small cavities are favoured for breeding, these often located within hedgerow trees or the walls of old agricultural buildings. Favoured nesting chambers tend to be located some distance from the cavity entrance and with little daylight reaching them. The male will often perch close to the nest cavity while his mate is incubating her clutch of eggs.

Little Owls often hunt from a perch, taking small mammals and large invertebrates, including earthworms, cockchafers and other beetles. There is evidence to suggest that breeding success is linked to the availability of small mammals, though some pairs evidently do well on other prey; a pair breeding on the island of Skomer, for example, took a large number of Storm Petrels (Courtesy BTO).

Thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated 👍

A storm glass is a glass tube filled with multiple chemicals, and it is said that the weather in the near future can be known from the state of the solution, precipitation, and crystals.

Crystals have appeared today, so the weather will be bad soon.

Young couple appeared to be returning into harbour at the close of day, but minutes later they made way after purchasing a case of beer. My guess is they lived or were staying close by, as small craft are not equipped to travel safely after dark.

The scenic, Steveston Heritage Fishing Village is a charming & ever so romantic fishing village that is situated in Richmond BC on the Mighty Fraser River

Canada

I 💖 Steveston

Thank-you for all the overwhelming support and many friendships.

~Christie by the River

** Best experienced in full screen

'Why be a copy, when you were born an original'

Cast iron pans with flat bottoms came into use when cooking stoves appeared in the mid 1800's. Before that, kettles and pots were the main utensils in open fireplaces, ovens and pits.

...appear lonelier than others

last night appeared to be very overcast and yet we decided to venture to the shore of Ullsfjorden fjord to take some long exposures and we found that above the flowing clouds was a beautiful Northern sky to admire with occasionally stars showing and green lights showing through. Standing there in this silent immensity puts many things in life into the real perspective: all our self-built worries and preoccupations appear to shrink into little or nothing when witnessing the grand scheme of nature.

National Geographic | BR-Creative | chbustos.com

The morning shoot was a washout from rain and fog - on my way back to the road dripping wet this last minute scene appeared and made me smile

This rainbow appeared at dusk, after a dramatic storm. It was also my Mom's Birthday. I like to think it was her way of saying she is doing well in Heaven above.

Worldwide Plaza, Hell's Kitchen, Midtown Manhattan

Of course, I love the Judy Garland version, but the rendition by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole always gives me goosebumps:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I

IMG_1458 (3)

Sundogs can appear as bright coloured patches each side of the sun. Hexagonal plate shaped ice crystals in high cirrus clouds glint sunlight like jewels to produce the prismatic colours. atoptics.co.uk/halo/dogfm.htm

Lake Winnebago is a huge lake, 30 miles long and 10 miles across. It's also a productive fishery and attracts anglers all year long. In this image, a lone individual on foot is pulling a sled for ice fishing gear. The person is a long way out on the frozen lake appearing to be near the horizon a bit left of center.

I took the photograph from the trail on the breakwater wall that protects Millers Bay in Menominee Park, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

JA234983m

...and I raced out outside with new energy!

Gerbera jamesonii blooms. Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2x macro lens. Despite how this might look, the histogram remained within bounds ;-)

A Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) appears to flex his muscles or rather puff up a bit to ward off any intruders from its territory on a meadow east of Tofield, Alberta, Canada.

4 June, 2017.

Slide # GWB_20170604_2224.CR2

Use of this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission is not permitted.

© Gerard W. Beyersbergen - All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity - No Unauthorized Use.

(777 Motors) / K9-1400

(Odiren) / Sam Leather Vest @TMD~Ends 30th November

(Cult) / Murder Rings @TMD~Ends 30th November

(Rebellion) / Toby Kicks Spitfire ED @TMD~Ends 30th November

Thanks to my love ❤Gara❤ for her support in this photo

You can visit his flickr at credits

More info in 4lementshs

Taken along the edge of Grimms Ditch that runs through Barnes's Grove, Buckinghamshire, I was taken by the implied forward motion of some of these trees as they appear to be moving along the top of the bank and as we move into a new year seemed an apt image to post.

So on this new years eve can I wish you all the very best and lots of happiness for 2023.

Native to Australia and those seen in the UK are mostly from a collection or have escaped from captivity. They appear all black when swimming but they have white primary wing feathers, which can be seen in flight.

Each time dawn appears, the mystery is there in its entirety. Rene Daumal

Moored in the PORT OF SKAGWAY ALASKA

**Ship appears MUCH closer to the shore than she actually was

MS Eurodam is a Signature-class cruise ship for Holland America Line. Eurodam is the 80th ship to enter Holland America's service and, at 86,700 tons and carrying 2,104 passengers,

Skagway is a compact city in southeast Alaska, set along the popular cruise route the Inside Passage. It's home to gold-rush-era buildings, now preserved as part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. The White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad runs vintage locomotives past the famously steep Chilkoot trail and offers sweeping mountain views during its climb toward Canada. ― Google

Thank-you for all the overwhelming support and many friendships.

Happy Clicks

~Christie

*Best experienced in full screen

This little beauty appeared just after the rain. They are so gorgeous and I was thrilled we had waited out the rainstorm. the markings on the beak and the beautiful eye and feather detail was breathtaking and I can not tell you what a great moment it was to photograph the incredible species. I am forever thrilled with the beauty that surounds us and the many unbelievable species there are to photograph in Costa Rica. Our next trip is in late October and we would love to have you join us. If you would like more info please email for more info !!

!

Have a great evening and a blessed one !

There appeared to be plenty of good foraging on this buggy, seaweedy stretch of beach, but these two semipalmated sandpipers, part of a mixed flock that also included least sandpipers and a few semipalmated plovers, didn't seem to want to share. Southern Maine

spring at Devils -Pot large

Chiba, Japan

wasted on nothing

effortlessly you appear

sound of the thunder

reverberating your ear

this is a slow dance

this is the chance to transform

pause for the silence

inhabit the calm of the storm

this is your ocean

an ocean of night

this is an ocean

your ocean of night

this is your ocean

an ocean of night

this is an ocean

your ocean of night

love is a feeling

buried with me in the yard

gaze at the skyline

under the ocean of stars

this is your slow dance

and this is your chance to transform

lost in a moment

the moment your confront the storm

this is your ocean

an ocean of night

this is an ocean

your ocean of night

this is your ocean

an ocean of night

this is an ocean

your ocean of night

I am your hope down the wire, so you can hold back the fire ...

this is your ocean

an ocean of night

this is an ocean

your ocean of night

this is your ocean

an ocean of night

This is an ocean

your ocean of night

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqlY2fxaFrw

This greater flamingo appears to be a highly talented dancer. Here his attitude reminds me of the Pasodoble dance. What a guy!

Please respect my copyright. No use of the photo without my expressly permission.

And: I don't like Comment-Codes, "awards", or such groups. Because of that, Comment codes, "Awards" and invitations in such groups will be deleted. There is an Explanation at my profile.

So, if you want to say something about my photo, it will be really appreciated, no matter if it's about liking or some constructive criticism. Your own thoughts and words will mean much more to me than a universal-text.

Also please don't post pictures in the commenting-area. You could post them much better in your own photo stream. ;-D

Cycads are seed plants with a very long fossil history that were formerly more abundant and more diverse than they are today.They have a cylindrical trunk which usually does not branch. Leaves grow directly from the trunk, and typically fall when older, leaving a crown of leaves at the top. The leaves grow in a rosette form, with new foliage emerging from the top and center of the crown. The trunk may be buried, so the leaves appear to be emerging from the ground, so the plant appears to be a basal rosette. The leaves are generally large in proportion to the trunk size, and sometimes even larger than the trunk. The leaves are pinnate (in the form of bird feathers, pinnae), with a central leaf stalk from which parallel ribs emerge from each side of the stalk, perpendicular to it. The leaves are typically either compound (the leaf stalk has leaflets emerging from it as ribs, or have edges (margins) so deeply cut (incised) so as to appear compound. Some species have leaves that are bipinnate, which means the leaflets each have their own subleaflets, growing in the same form on the leaflet as the leaflets grow on the stalk of the leaf (self-similar geometry). 26357

ubnr

When everything appears dark, when hope is far away, in a moment inside a seemingly useless shot you realize that nature loves you.

This was one second of me walking very fast. I was surprised how much remained recognizable because obviously there was a lot of camera movement. The spooky winter woods are so dark that it's a perfect playground for weird ICM fun!

In a way, it's like relinquishing control and becoming merely a witness to see what glimpses of another world may appear in my camera. There is something so liberating in that.

small little flowers appear in the snow...

It's the dawn of the year, February...

The silver and white winter will soon leave and spring colours will return...

Everything appeared to be calm and peaceful, but above us a storm was brewing. You could hear the thunder and see the lightning flash. This was definitely a time where I was thankful to be deep in the woods sheltered by a canopy of trees. About two seconds after I finished this shot it began to rain, and not just a little bit, but a lot! By the time we made it bak to our car we were drenched through and our equipment bags were soaked as well. Thankfully the shot still paid off, but it was not easy. Yet the moment of stillness right before the storm hit was so peaceful. It can honestly be difficult to sit and just be when there is a storm raging around you or one that is eminent. In Psalm 46:10 it says this, "Be Still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The reason that we are able to be still is because God is in total control. He sits on the throne and because He does we can sit and just be, we can rest, and we are safe in His presence.

yes is a pleasant country:

if’s wintry

(my lovely)

let’s open the year

both is the very weather

(not either)

my treasure,

when violets appear

love is a deeper season

than reason;

my sweet one

(and april’s where we’re)

e.e. cummings

Thanks a lot Frank Busch for encouraging me to mess around with "spooky stuff" like lightroom ;-) and trying portraits... You're a great support and a wonderful friend!

Artwork by Jeppe Hein, Bundeskunsthalle Bonn, 06/2022

They appeared behind us when we took the photo.

open.spotify.com/track/6RKF9byLOenU0J79r1g5rm?si=22ce738e...

All models you see in the photo are availables in cVR.

There's a new Sparrowhawk visiting our garden. Our usual male Sparrowhawk who appeared as a juvenile 6 years ago seems to have disappeared and this lovely bird seems to have filled the empty space. It hasn't wasted any time and has taken a liking to our garden mice.

Surprising to see a rainbow appear with no rain. While only faint, it was still a rainbow.

Last spring, I spotted these delicate little flowers on a neighbourhood walk and wasn't quite sure what they were. After a bit of research, I discovered they're Wild Tulips (Tulipa sylvestris). Not native to my area, I'm quite sure that the homeowner must have planted them as specimen plants. I don't know if they'll overwinter, so it'll be interesting to see if they appear next spring. If you're interested, here's a bit of info on this flower:

"Tulipa sylvestris, the wild tulip[3] or woodland tulip,[4] is a Eurasian and North African species of wild tulip, a plant in the lily family. Its native range extends from Portugal and Morocco to western China, covering most of the Mediterranean and Black Sea Basins, and Central Asia. The species is also cultivated as an ornamental and naturalized in central and northern Europe as well as a few scattered locations in North America.[2][5]"

Source Wikipedia

Thank you for stopping by and for leaving me a comment, much appreciated! Have a great day!

Taken in our garden at Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex this Spring.

Crocus (plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family comprising 90 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring. Crocuses are native to woodland, scrub, and meadows from sea level to alpine tundra in central and southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, on the islands of the Aegean, and across Central Asia to western China.

The name of the genus is derived from the Greek κρόκος (krokos). This, in turn, is probably a loan word from a Semitic language, related to Hebrew כרכום karkōm, Aramaic ܟܟܘܪܟܟܡܡܐ kurkama, and Arabic كركم kurkum, which mean "saffron" ( Crocus sativus), "saffron yellow" or turmeric (see Curcuma). The English name is a learned 16th-century adoption from the Latin, but Old English already had croh "saffron". The Classical Sanskrit कुङ्कुमं kunkumam "saffron" (Sushruta Samhita) is presumably also from the Semitic word.

Cultivation and harvesting of Crocus sativus for saffron was first documented in the Mediterranean, notably on the island of Crete. Frescos showing them are found at the Knossos site on Crete, as well as from the comparably aged Akrotiri site on Santorini.

The first crocus seen in the Netherlands, where crocus species are not native, were from corms brought back in the 1560s from Constantinople by the Holy Roman Emperor's ambassador to the Sublime Porte, Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq. A few corms were forwarded to Carolus Clusius at the botanical garden in Leiden. By 1620, the approximate date of Ambrosius Bosschaert's painting (illustration, below), new garden varieties had been developed, such as the cream-colored crocus feathered with bronze at the base of the bouquet, similar to varieties still on the market. Bosschaert, working from a preparatory drawing to paint his composed piece spanning the whole of spring, exaggerated the crocus so that it passes for a tulip, but its narrow, grass-like leaves give it away.

For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocus