Okay, it's not actually within our backyard, but it's just beyond it. The yard behind our house borders a large park that is just being developed. The park was recently seeded, and the straw was put down as mulch. I took this shot while standing on our backyard deck. I think these Sandhill Cranes must have been eating the grass seed.

I know that there's not a lot going on in this image. But I rather like the repetitive poses of the birds, and I thought it was kind of cool that I could get this shot without leaving home, so I decided to go with it. The abundance of Sandhill Cranes in the area near our new home in Michigan has been one of the pleasant surprises of living here.

This thing is actually the roof of a "light well" or "skylight" that provides daylight to the mezzanine level of the U-Bahn station "Harthof", located at the southern end of that station.

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

The Mute swan actually gets its name from the fact that its is less vocal than other swan species and is one of the heaviest flying birds. A male swan is known as a Cob while the female is known as a Pen and has a lifespan of around 12 years in the wild and can reach 30 years if in an protected environment. One of three species of wild swans to be found in the UK and is the national bird of Denmark. The Mute Swan is unique in making a vibrant throbbing sound with the wings when in flight. A large group of swans can be called, school, ballet and regatta. No swan has ever broken anyone's arm, this is a actually a complete myth.

actually

I was actually hiding behind a wooden kissing gate in a dry stone wall, trying to obtain shots of a Stonechat pair ahead of me on the footpath, when this Robin that had been hanging around on the cliff-side fencing and posts, flew down in front and landed on this isolated, dead bramble stem protruding from the bracken field margin. He was quite distant, so this is a huge crop, but at the time it landed, I was immediately taken with his pose and the bracken background, so fired off a quick burst of shots.

Thank you for your faves and comments

but actually a trace of it. No painting or drawing, however naturalist, belongs to its subject in the way that a photograph does :-)

John Berger

HGGT! HFF! Justice Matters! No one is above the law!

prunus mums, japanese flowering apricot, 'Nicholas', j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina

... actually with full sun and 37°C ... TGIF !

Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff'

in our garden - Frankfurt-Nordend

Actually after sunset. This is twilight after the very cloudy day.

Actually it's in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon but I couldn't help but think of that great water storage that kept so many invaders outside the walls of Constantinople. You can see it in that great movie Topkapi

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Antiquorum/159/139/22

The bird is actually being mobbed by a crow, but the latter was a little way behind at this moment, having just made a pass, so I cropped for the buzzard only.

IT came a bit closer than on my first visit on Wedneday, but still middle distance and heavy cropping of the frame.

A pleasant day spent with Stuart Allen and nice to meet up with Paul Coombes again back at the cars.

Thanks for viewing and for your faves and comments

This was actually taken a couple of weeks ago during a snow storm as I scurried around the valley floor trying to get as many shots as possible before the storm broke up. I was fortunate enough to set up my tripod at the tunnel that morning at 6 AM next to Willie Huang and Aaron Meyers among several others.

More snow covered Yosemite photos and my top 10 tips for shooting Yosemite in the snow may be found at:

The Resonant Landscape: Tips On Shooting Yosemite In The Snow

I will definitely be missing the snowstorm that's moving in today at Yosemite with a snow level down to almost 2000 feet tonight as I will be with my wonderful family. I wish safe travels to all who are out there tonight, and a very Merry Christmas to all of you!

-----------------

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Actually it's a balloon. 🎈😂

I actually worked on this image last year on my return from NZ/Canada. This shot was taken on a wet day re-tracing my steps to my primary school. The tree ferns were all along the pathway and they sheltered me from the rain. I have added the water to this image - i wasn't wading through it!

Posted for Sliders Sunday

I actually have a title in mind for this one, but the theme for this week's Looking Close on Friday group is "Title Wanted."

So have at it. :-)

Also for Our Daily Challenge: "In A Box"

HLCoF

Addendum: Thanks to Ben Edge for the title!

The Damrak houses first introduced me to the Dutch word gezellig (meaning cozy or homely) I was always wandering in from the train station after dark and I would constantly stop and stare at these houses thinking it felt like an incandescent oasis in a city of fluorescents, warming the night and the Damrak with its soft glow.

When you walk by during the day usually things are shut tight against the throngs of tourists walking back and forth from the central station but at night when the crowds have dissipated the curtains open and the world seems to be welcome to become a witness to the nocturnal activities of the residents.

The Damrak historically was originally part of the Amstel river below the Dam that gave Amsterdam its name, Rak means a straight stretch or place to gain speed, so the Damrak was actually the straight piece of river below the Dam across the Amstel where sailors would pick up some speed on their home stretch to the port of Amsterdam.

I took this on Sept 10th, 2017 with my D750 and Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens at 44mm 25 sec f/11 ISO100 processed in LR, PS +Lumenzia, Topaz , Luminar and DXO

Disclaimer: My style is a study of romantic realism as well as a work in progress

...errr actually a shower. . . . .

i used a spray bottle before i took this picture

a new leaf on the ficus tree was happy to be moist

Actually it was a little warm on this late summer evening by the river ... but the cool tones of blue hour were quite soothing. A pretty place to sit and enjoy the sounds of the flowing river ... and nothing else.

Actually, I wanted to photograph dew-wetted insects, but at this time of day it doesn't work out so well. At least the lavender is still glittering a little (probably it hadn't moved enough yet as it was fixed with the spider's thread). Happy weekend everybody ☀️

Olympus E-M1 Mark II + Olympus 60mm F2.8 Macro

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to watch or leave a comment or award :)

All my photos are © All Rights Reserved. The pictures are for viewing, not to be downloaded and shared on any other site or for personal use without my explicit permission. And definitely do not post ads in my photos!!! Thank you! :)

- Living Jewels of Nature 14, Precious Living Jewels of Nature 12, Members Choice 11

- Nature's Carousel 10, Nature's Golden Carousel 10, Nature's Platinum CArousel 13

actually - today is not a beautiful day, it's most worse weather this winter, roads and streets are like ice rinks and ice rain instead of snow.

Actually they're two bridges here - the Brooklyn and the Manhattan bridge.

* addition - one more in the comments...

Have a wonderful Friday!

© All rights reserved, don't use my pictures without permission.

Actually, I did see this Snowy owl, but two years earlier at Zoo America in Hershey, Pennsylvania. 😄 My dream of seeing a Snowy on the snow-covered dunes could only be realized through Photoshop😜

I am holding an online photo exhibition. For details, check the Photo exhibition venue. I was planning to actually exhibit it at a gallery in Tokyo in April, but it was postponed at the request of the government.

Photo exhibition venue → kyoto-muse.jp/web-exhibit/110790

playlist→ music.apple.com/jp/playlist/%E5%80%8B%E5%B1%95/pl.u-38oWZ...

COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 is attacking all over the world. Japan is no exception, and everyday is becoming more difficult. As a photographer, I also thought about life and postponed the exhibition according to the government's request. The Japanese government does not support artists. So I decided to hold an online photo exhibition. This is free to watch.

The photo exhibition should be in the dark in the room at night, preferably with the playlist. Look at the brightness of mobile terminals at 1/3.

*My planet, My Life.*

*Simple reason, Simple stories, Planet is circulate and “Life” is a season. *

* SONY ILCE‑7M2 / Lomography New Jupiter 3+ 1.5/50 L39/M *

・Link: Official photo gallery.

shinikegami.com

・Work - `work`

shinikegami.com/work

・Street - `Street wark`

shinikegami.com/street

Official Photo gallery, Art/snap works Updates every Monday.

Better enjoy it - tomorrow rain will come (actually it is quite literally true, we've been promised 14 mm of rain!).

ⓒRebecca Bugge, All Rights Reserved

Do not use without permission.

I actually took this shot as a drive by shot, very quick and last minute as it came up fast and cars behind us at the time

Actually the lighting looks like sails and its inside the Oculus--a transportation hub!

Actually it's a family portrait - my husband and I are in the reflection of the French window.

Thank you all for visits, favs and comments, it's greatly appreciated!

Actually the lighting in the 5th floor waiting room at Jovan Bea Hospital in Loves Park, IL. HSS everyone!

Photo exhibition venue → kyoto-muse.jp/web-exhibit/110790

playlist→ music.apple.com/jp/playlist/%E5%80%8B%E5%B1%95/pl.u-38oWZ...

Online photo exhibition is the last 3 days! For details, check the description. I was planning to actually exhibit it at a gallery in Tokyo in April, but it was postponed at the request of the government.

COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 is attacking all over the world. Japan is no exception, and everyday is becoming more difficult. As a photographer, I also thought about life and postponed the exhibition according to the government's request. The Japanese government does not support artists. So I decided to hold an online photo exhibition. This is free to watch.

The photo exhibition should be in the dark in the room at night, preferably with the playlist. Look at the brightness of mobile terminals at 1/3.

Thank you for your support. Thanks to everyone, we had more access than in Japan. Thank you. Last but not least, I would be happy if you could share the URL of the photo exhibition on your SNS. Thank you!

COVID-19、SARS-CoV-2は世界中で攻撃しています。 日本も例外ではなく、日々の日常がますます難しくなっています。 写真家として、命のことも考え、政府の要請で展覧会を延期しました。 日本政府はアーティストをサポートしていません。 そこで、オンライン写真展を開催することにしました。 これは無料で見れます。

写真展は、出来ればプレイリストと一緒に、部屋を暗くし携帯端末の明るさを1/3に見てください。

ご支援いただきありがとうございます。 おかげさまで、日本よりも多くのアクセスがありました。 ありがとうございました。 最後になりましたが、写真展のURLをSNSでシェアしていただければ幸いです。 ありがとうございました！

this is actually the young shoot or fiddlehead of a huge fern i found in the botanical gardens in washington dc! it looked like an alien creature and at the same time reminded me of ursula, the octopus ifn the little mermaid cartoon! lol!!!

if you have time, see the rest of the photos in my washington dc set: www.flickr.com/photos/doctony/sets/72157600264872206/show/

thank you for you visits and kind comments my friends!!!

“Actually, they didn't have chocolate in Ancient Greece, but Aphrodite was fond of apples. That was her sacred fruit, maybe because it was pretty and sweet, just like her. ”

― Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson's Greek Gods

Credits . . .

Actually, some reflections were supposed to be created on the idyllic, smooth mountain lake, but the strong wind didn't want that. www.gamssteig.de/touren/wildbarren-bichlersee

Actually, it was a quartet -- see the one in the upper left?

Beautiful roses, beautifully colored. Isn't God a great artist?

Thank you for looking.

Actually called Carr Head rocks on the maps but you can see where it gets it's name from. You can see the Cement works at Castleton in the background.

Finally a new photograph

Actually ALL horses are my valentines, I love them so much. Wells County, Michigan.

Well, actually it's a little Eastern Amberwing dragonfly. They are very small and like most dragonflies, lightening fast.

There were lots of them zipping about and luckily this tiny branch seemed to be a favorite landing spot. Still not the most accessible spot being way down at the water's edge, but I watched and waited - hoping one would land long enough for me to grab a shot or two.

Seen during a recent visit to a nearby arboretum. *** And yes, it's still facing the wrong way and too far away, but beggars can't be choosers.

I was actually there earlier that day to take pictures but every single spot of this infamous palace which was made more famous by the famed "The Last Emperor" was cramped with local tourists. So I decided to return later that afternoon hoping that people have dwindled as admission closes. Had to find a place where crowd was less and was lucky enough to get a bonus from this setting sun.

Built from 1406 to 1420, The Forbidden City was the home for he Emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties. For almost five centuries, of course, it was also the home of the Emperors' household and also served as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.

It consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms that covers 720,000 square meters. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture that influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere.

Actually looking at this, I see why I *had* to take it - the layout of the folds and her markings and the sheet/comforter markings has fabulous lines to it. And Kitty smile. After I took this she put her paw over her eyes to block light so I’m glad I grabbed the cell pic rather than try to get the camera. Oh, and this hasn't been in Happy Caturday and with the 6 February 2021 theme "A Winter's Nap"... I guess it is now!

Well, actually he didn't make it- it's just the inscription on the front of the Pantheon in Rome that says so. The fountain, Fontana del Pantheon, was made in 1575, designed by Giacomo Della Porta after a commission from Pope Gregory XIII.

It is not even quite true that Agrippa made the Pantheon building we see today. He paid for a temple here, but the only thing that remains seem to be the facade - the rest is later, but there is some debate as to which Roman emperor did what to the building.

HMM-- actually i had a wonderful time choosing, shooting, and experimenting with pics for this theme!! and learned so much about rendering things into b&w and the relative values in sliders.

this is thurman and his smile/face is just under an inch and he's my favorite of the possibles for "back to square one". he's particularly happy to be a part of the macro mondays group's pool for the theme of:

"back to square one" “Center Square B&W”: center composed, black and white image in square format...

ODC "available light"

actually a reedit, posted this one before, just took a little bit more time in post processing...

for murdering mice......actually the wonderful dolt just plays with them, undoubtedly terrifying the deer mice out of significant growth (they're all in counseling) carrying them about then leaving them covered in saliva to scurry into hiding.....for another day of fun.

This is our 100 year old Forest Service Summer Cabin that, at 6800 ft. elevation is now buried in several feet of snow (hooray!....wet snow). We used to ski or snowshoe in during the winter, and have had numerous Christmas visits in the past, but are too old to go to the effort now. Good memories!! and a 20 minute drive to Lake Tahoe and it's glorious views. And the really nice part is that when we tire of the snow, we bundle back in the car and the 3 hour drive puts us back in clear snow-free sunny NapaSonoma hillsides. The wine tastes good in either place.

The cat is thinking.....'there are mice out there...I Know It!'

COMMENTS & INVITATIONS with AWARD BANNERS will be respectfully DELETED!

still can't catch this dude actually catching a fly, but getting closer

Actually, I was going to ditch this when the title occurred to me.

Explore #376

actually this is just a word play, since the plate is from the series Manufacture Rock from Villeroy und Boch.

Same plate differnt day , different light, light shaped by the railings of my balcony, one photo with an addidional reflector zebra gold and silver.

Actually, I was looking for the mating pair of Peregrine Falcons, but the Brown Pelicans did keep doing fly-bys of the seaside cliffs to keep me entertained. This was the only one I got in full breeding color though.

This Was Actually Taken Spotted One Late Evening After Taken Laurel Home ... Mother And I Both Saw It ... Mother Said " It Will Be Beautiful When The Sun Is Hitting It" She Was Right ..

The Next Day I Came And Got the Pic ... I Do Think It Was One Of The Prettiest Trees In All Of Roane County ..

Not Much Of A Story .. But Proved To Be A Swell Shot .. And Not Sweltering ...

Right Now In My Neck Of The Woods... We Are Rejoicing For the Rain ... We Are Getting Hard Rains - ( Much Needed At That ) ... The Mountains Are On Fire.. All Around Us ..

God Shows Up, And Off, Just In The Nick Of Time ..

.

HAVE A TREE MENDOUSLY WONDERFUL TUESDAY ... Cindy

Actually this is a cell phone color shot but there was very little color in the photo.