Must admit i went weak at the knees recently when leaving our local pub, and it wasn't from the beer I'd just had: There in the parking area was this pristine Jaguar E-Type aka Jaguar XKE 4.2 litre 2-door 2+2 fastback coupe, the object of my dreams for many years. What a beauty!

See my 'Roads etc.' album for more rare autos I have seen in that parking area over the last year or two.

Location is Cadboro Bay, Saanich, Victoria, B.C. Canada.

And I will admit it!!!

I will just say that Brazos Bend State Park is a great place for taking pictures, but it can’t compare to the bayou. There is absolutely no way that this will happen at the park, but the bayou offers up far too many opportunities to get close to wildlife and I have to admit that I am just a bit spoiled. This is another of my Little Blue Heron buddies on the bayou walking right up to the canoe before he turned around and walked back in the opposite direction. If you sit still and there is no wind, you can wail away on the shutter to now end and the sound of the shutter does not frighten them away. Move and he’s gone in the blink of eye and squawking like someone shot him. Photo taken in Alligator Alley on Horsepen Bayou.

I will be gone for a couple of days and should return either Tuesday or Wednesday. Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead.

DSC06249uls

I admit there's nothing wildly unique about this picture... but isn't this how we'd all like to feel on a beautiful, warm summer day? Perhaps on stressful days at work, I'll come back to this shot, breathe in deeply, and relax.

I admit that it looks very like a Curlew but this Whimbrel can be identified by its shorter and slightly stouter bill, and by the subtle darker stripes on its head. Curlews are with us year-round, breeding mainly in the uplands and wintering mainly at the coast. Whereas Whimbrels are largely a bird of passage in Britain, passing through in spring and autumn between their African wintering grounds and Arctic breeding grounds, though a few breed in the Northern Isles. I photographed this spring passage bird on Mull in May. This is about the nearest I could get to a comparison shot of a Curlew showing the slimmer bill and plainer head: www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/31189329538/in/photolist

“Biden administration ADMITS flying 320,000 migrants secretly into the U.S. to reduce the number of crossings at the border has national security ‘vulnerabilities’”

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13155765/biden-illegal-m...

Job 4:12 “Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.”

Democracy (transparency; accountability) and secretly are like oil and water; they don’t mix.

Should we talk about election fraud and democracy?

Oh, wait, it will take a while to count the votes. We’ve gotta count all the votes from the dead. Shut down the polling stations for the night, so that we can get rid of all these boxes of ballots...buhahaha! Electronic voting machines and mail-in voting: nothing could go wrong here. Hey illegals do you want to vote?

a clothes line of paper dresses made with baking paper and magazine paper. I must admit I used a very nice magazine but I like the results. Thank you for your kind comments yesterday. Have a good Wednesday wherever you are in the world

Okay, I admit it, the colours in this one aren't super realistic, but that doesn't mean it can't look cool! It reminds me of the first moment when you put on a pair of tinted ski goggles, and everything turns a little bit orange...

Anyways, this one is from the trail up to Rummel Lake in Kananaskis, Alberta where I went skiing with my sister and my dad this past weekend. With my newest and dearly loved Sigma 10-20mm lens, I crouched down amongst the snow-clad trees that stood silently around me, and clicked the shutter. A snowy forest is one of the most pleasant places to be-- undisturbed by any noise, and covered in undulating pillows of fresh snow caught in the morning light.

I must admit, I’m a huge fan of black and white compositions. This is also true for my food (I could easily live only on Oreo’s cookies, they have all the necessary nutriments for happiness), pictures (even if my gallery may burn your retina) and daily outfits. Since I gained weight (eating my photography props like there is no tomorrow !!!!), my outfits are all different shades of black with a tiny splash of white (like my shoes for instance, luckily my feet are still the same size even with the few extra pounds lol). In my head, it makes me look thinner but honestly, I’m not so sure if it really does. It is like a mirror which is supposed to make a room look bigger… I’m sorry I don’t see it. So, I told my coworkers that until my extra weight is gone, I will be dressing in black! And I will not buy any new clothes… ok maybe if I find something black at a really good price, I will cave in (very easily lol)…. Wish me luck on that one ;-).

This is my contribution to Sliders Sunday Group and also to Color my World Daily for the black and white Sunday.

Happy HSS and CMWD to all amazing participants!!

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments / favs/ general support / happy thoughts / positive vibes!! It is truly appreciated! Have a great day and see you soon!!

Admit it, you would love to come home to find a sexy person just like Tori waiting for you!

Hello Starlink as Venus and Saturn sets in the southern hemisphere night sky. Must admit the last thing l was looking for were satellites, let alone a chain of them. Welcome to Starlink. The skies will never be the same.

The brightest star is Venus as it sets to the West and the second brightest star towards the top right is Saturn.

I have to admit... I was a little inspired by lesliee!! hahah

www.flickr.com/photos/leslie418/4380693336/in/photostream/

sooc

View On Black

holy crap. This is explored,FRONT PAGE BAABBYY!!!! I feel like I should be writing a speech. Ok, thank you to all my contacts and people who comment/favorite my photos. Thank you flickr people. Thank you other people with good pictures, because you inspire me and make me work harder. Oh, and thank you take.a.pic.x0 BehindMyLenses. You are one cool cat.

I need to stop writing now because I am still shaking a little and my fingers are getting sweaty so the trackpad isnt working. Wow. 24 hours ago I was in the same place taking that picture. hahaha. also, I am glad this is sooc.

alright,

bye.

1500+ views,OHMYGOD

highest position: #7

my goodness.

hey, my sweeties. Christmas is getting closer and closer and I have to admit that I'm an absolute Grinch, so there's a slightly different Christmas picture of me - but I still like presents! xD

Heya my loves, today i wanna show you this amazing top made by Loki! Come and try it here at the Kustom9, my cuties♥

♥Loki - Marlena Top & Sleeves

... Legacy/Perky, Reborn/Waifus/Juicy Boobs and MaitreyaX

..and of course i wanna send you a Taxi to their Loki-Mainstore ♥ or visit their Marketplace for so many more cute cute stuff♥

Next one are two items made by MISSBLACK and i am so in love with her tattoos. Come and take a look here at their Mainstore and take a look in their Marketplace , my loves♥

♥MissBlack- Creepy Santas Tattoo Universal

.. comes in many different styles and strenghts

♥Miss Black - Serbian Cyber Eyes Gore

.. comes in many different versions♥

And next one is a collab of Moon Dust and eerie and it looks so so amazing, espacially to a grinch like me. You can get it here at the Disturbed-Event, my cuties♥

♥Moon Dust x Eerie // Stabby Wounds

♥eerie . Stabby Canes

.. and check out also their Moon Dust-Mainstore or visit the Marketplace for so many more amazing tattoos. For Eerie take my Taxi to the eerie-Mainstore and check out her stuff too♥

Next one is this amazing sexy pose made by Fuddle. Come and take a look in Willows Fuddle Mainstore or check out the Marketplace ♥ my loves♥

♥Fuddle - "Attractive" Poseball

... pose is slightly changed with Black Dragon :)

Next one i wanna show you is the newest gloss made by TEAR and Gurls! IT IS IN 7DAYSSALE - come and run for it - i am sure it is still there.

♥[TEAR] Nida Gloss SEXY - Lel Evo/EvoX

.. comes in a tan version too and the fatpack includes a cute version♥

Check out theirTEAR-Mainstore and take a look also TEAR-Marketplace my loves♥

.. and last one is not sponsored but my new favorite face decor :P Its made by Darkmoon and i love it so much. We talking about the lil golden Moon and the glitter on my face - thank you for this amazing item. Try it here at their Darkmoon-Mainstore or visit the Marketplace♥

♥darkmoon . Glitter Kit .

Head:

lel EvoX AVALON 3.1

[Heaux] Tulip - Browless - Blush *VE

identity faces - scars 9 //light// left

DOUX - Deenah Hairstyle [S/Big bun]

Body

[BODY] Legacy (f)(1.6)

Picasso Babe Skin for Legacy (MODELESQUE/BLUSH) S

*KUNDALA* Abdominal Muscles BOM A19 (Legacy)

[theSkinnery] BodyScars Addon 7 light 50%

As Decor:

dust bunny & con . tinsel living room . christmas tree

dust bunny . christmas presents

dust bunny . winter decor . lighted baby deer

dust bunny . winter decor . lighted female deer

{vespertine}- starry fairylights hanging / copper

{vespertine} -soft heart boston cream donuts -dispenser

{vespertine}- starry fairylights in opened deco box

I admit, a somewhat boring and atypical motif. But since I don't really feel like taking pictures at the moment, I sometimes point the camera where I don't really expect anything. The picture came out better (for me personally) than I had intended and so I think it can be uploaded to Flickr.

Admit it, we've all been there....Here is a shot of a GHO trying to catch some sleep during a nice sunny day. Such is the life of a third shift worker.

I admit I have to many camera’s, more importantly to many systems, but lets just call it the philandering whims of an old man. Up until 2017 I had only one, Canon. Then with more time on my hands I had multiple short term flings with Olympus seduced by those sexy computational features going for one model then another. Then Fujifilm turned my head and at a whim I callously ditched Olympus, all that time Canon stays faithful. So Fujifilm becomes the other camera in my life and my relationships move into calmer waters, each camera knowing there place. Then pimped by another, Olympus calls its self OM and has more to offer to entice this sad old man and I’m suckered in again. Canon and Fujifulm wait in the wings while I go on another whirlwind romance. Eventually my head catches up to my fluttering heart to tell me I can’t support this trilogy and one must go. I haven’t taken Canon out for a while but surly I’m not thinking of getting rid of my old faithful. I take canon on a two day trip and go on a serious morning catchup together. The conditions are not what was expected and the date has no atmosphere, I even forget how to handle Canon’s finer features, I’m falling out of love. The last morning and the last try, even though OM is in the car I reluctantly take Canon again and Fujifilm tags along sporting a long lens, just in case. I have no guilt leaving OM as we’d just had a wild night together under the stars. I get to the lake shore and this morning the atmosphere is better than previously, I go through the motions of setting up Canon and then I look through the viewfinder and the magic reappears and I take this image.

Some of you will need to read what I’m about to tell you with your hands over your eyes. It’s shameful to admit in these parts, although everyone from the inside can tell straight away in any case, but the terrible truth I have to confess is that I’m not Cornish. Nor are my parents, and neither were their parents. My children were both born in Cornwall, but I’m not certain whether either of them believe they’re truthfully Cornish, their mother originally coming from Lancashire. I’ve lived here since I was nine years old, and while I’m generally accepted as being “local,” there are still those who regard me suspiciously and assume I’m from London or somewhere; “London or somewhere” being a cover all for anywhere east of Exeter. People from “London or somewhere,” often tell me I sound like a Westcountry boy, while people from Cornwall usually assume I’m from “London or somewhere.” I’ve never lived in London, nor have I spent more than a couple of consecutive nights there at any time in my life before. People who can trace their lineage back through the generations of the far flung home that clings reluctantly by a short thread of land to the rest of the kingdom hold their Cornish nationality with a warm and loving pride. Try telling a Cornishman he’s English and you might get a funny look in response. My Dad was born in neighbouring Devon, but that’s generally considered to be one step away from being a convicted criminal in these parts.

Ali on the other hand is Cornish. Her elderly parents are both as Cornish as you like and so were their parents. Her paternal grandfather was a tin miner at East Pool Mine, now a National Trust property at the back of the Morrison’s car park. You can’t get more Cornish than that (I don’t mean Morrison’s car park). In all of her sixty years she has never lived more than about three miles away from Redruth. We still have dreams of moving down to Portugal for a few years to escape the long, wet winters and the creaking joints as we get older, but other than that she’d never live anywhere else. It wouldn’t even cross her mind to. One morning while we were away in the New Forest I returned to the van to find her, eyes moistened, cheeks red and watching a performance of “Cornwall My Home” on her phone. We'd only been across the border for five days.

I remember school trips to other parts of the country. My Dad was a teacher and regularly led groups of ten and eleven year olds on boating expeditions to the Norfolk Broads on the other side of the country. I went with them once or twice, always amazed at the open mouthed expressions on the faces of some of those youngsters as we crossed the Tamar and headed into the suburbs of Plymouth. Many of them had never been this far before, never visited a big city with so many houses filling the horizon; in fact a number of them hadn’t even seen the other side of Truro, just a handful of miles from the village they lived in. Some people say you don’t need to go anywhere else when you live in Cornwall, but I disagree. We live in a fantastic place, but it’s not the only fantastic place – your own photos prove that. The Norfolk Broads are pretty special too for that matter. Good photography for us togs in East Anglia too with those huge skies and lonely windmills.

A few weeks ago on a Monday morning I decided that a trip to Holywell Bay was long overdue. Lee and I had stood here in the drizzle for an hour in February before giving up and going home early, and apart from that I hadn’t visited since the previous summer. It’s a beach that always asks me when I arrive “Why don’t you come here more often? I’ve got huge rolling dunes, a river running across the sand, a big tidal range that offers countless patterns on the beach at low water, and I’ve got a pair of matching sea stacks that beg to be photographed. I think I’ve laid on a pretty good bounty for you seascape togs. What more do you want?” “Well, a few less people wandering around, leaving footprints everywhere and generally getting in the way,” is my usual response, but it’s a pretty lame one and really just a matter of timing and placement. It’s a fantastic beach. I really should spend more time here.

Ali, it transpired, Cornish through and through had never been here at all. “What. Never?” I asked incredulously as I drove the van along the Newquay road towards the turn off. “I don’t think so. I’ll know for sure when we get there. Mum and Dad weren’t bothered about the beach when we were kids. They used to take us to Porthtowan and then Dad would go home and come back to collect us later.” Her father is famously oblivious to the beauty of the natural word. I always ask her what “Fither” would say if he were faced by the beautiful vista we’ve just arrived at on our adventures. “Nothing to see here,” she returns with a flawless impression based on a lifetime of observation. Stand him on top of a lonely mountain in the Western Highlands on a clear day and he’d complain that he couldn’t see anything interesting to look at. He is the one person you'd believe really wasn't joking if you were standing with him at the summit of the Pap of Glencoe and he were to say "they want to put a car park up here with a café and toilets over there in the corner." We often say that in jest as a form of compliment to the beauty of a location, but he'd actually mean it. I often scratch my head in confusion. It takes all sorts.

I was still scratching my head after lunch when we marched over the dunes and Ali looked at the sea stacks for the first time. “Nope. Not been here before.” “But you’ve been an adult for more than forty years; you could have come here yourself. It’s only fifteen miles from home.” She shrugged, but at the same time agreed it was somewhere we’d come to again. “I’ve been to Crantock,” she offered as if it were some form of mitigation. We walked up onto the headland and traced the coastal path to Polly Joke, where we paddled at the edge of the cold sea before making the circle back over the common towards the dunes. It had been an excellent afternoon, and the step count requirement had been more than fulfilled.

Later on, after a cup of tea back at the van I pulled the camera bag and tripod from the cab and headed back towards the beach. The sky was beginning to clear and the tide was halfway out, each minute revealing a little more of the perfect untouched sand. More than a few visitors from “London or somewhere” were in attendance. “Are you local? Can you tell me where the Holy Well is?” asked a man who seemed at least to be aware of the notion of the golden hour. “Over that way,” I pointed vaguely. “But you can only access it at low tide.” In truth I realised I wasn’t absolutely certain where it was; I was just here to chase the light. The Holy Well was surely only for tourists and Poldark fans wasn’t it?

Gradually the light shifted and a diffused sun bathed the sky in soft yellow, as Holywell Bay reminded me why I almost always leave with a smile on my face. In fact the only time I didn’t come away with a shot worth sharing was on that dreary February afternoon when we repaired to the van for mugs of hot chocolate. Still I struggled to come to terms with the notion that this was Ali’s first ever visit here, despite living within half an hour’s drive for all of her life. And then I remembered all those places on the map that I’ve not been to; especially on the Lizard and the Roseland, so close to Falmouth where I grew up and raised a family of my own. All nearby, yet all still unexplored. It’s so easy to overlook the places on your doorstep, even when they’re as gobsmackingly beautiful as the ones near where we live. A good job we’ve got time on our hands to make some amends then.

Traveling is my thing. I admit that. I love to travel, i wish i could set foot on every country of the world. I strongly believe that traveling is one of the few things that can make you richer without having to pay more taxes! and while taking photos of historic monuments, famous buildings and other touristic sites is something I can do, capturing local people is definitely not my comfort zone. It starts from asking permision to take a photo all the way to actually composing the portrait. It has been a struggle for me and most likely it will stay that way as I don't know how to handle the human factor. This was one of the very very few cases (if not the only) where i felt comfortable taking the photo. That lady was sitting there, enjoying the nature around her. That's where she grew up, these were the olive trees that provided her the means to live her life. behind her it was a small shop full of colorful handmade souvenirs. The owner of the shop was her son. As I was capturing her portrait, i felt like capturing a life full of wisdom. A life full of moments of joy, struggle (as she lives on a poor village in Crete island) and hard work.

Τα ταξιδια ειναι αυτο πουμου αρεσει, το παραδεχοαι. Μακαρι να μπορουσα να επισκεφτω καθε χωρα αυτου του πλανητη. Πιστευω πραγματικα οτι τα ταξιδια ειναι ενα απο τα λιγα πραγματα που μπορουν να σε κανουν πλουσιοτερο χωρις να χρειαζεται να πληρωσεις περισσοτερους φορους! Και ενω το να φωτογραφιζω κτηρια, διασημα μνημεια και τουριστικα αξιοθεατα ειναι κατι που μπορω να κανω, το να φωτογραφιζω ντοπιους ειναι κατι το οποιο μου ειναι πολυ δυσκολο. Δυσκολευομαι απο τα βασικα, οπως το να ζητησω αδεια να παρω μια φωτογραφια μεχρι και το πως να συνθεσω ενα πορτραιτο. Παντα ηταν κατι στο οποιο δεν τα καταφερνα και κατα πασα πιθανοτητα θα μεινει ετσι καθως δεν ξερω πως να διαχειριστω το ανθρωπινο στοιχειο σε μια φωτογραφια. Αυτη εδω ηταν μια απο τις λιγες περιπτωσεις (αν οχι η μονη) που ενιωσα ανετα να τραβηξω τη φωτογραφια. Η κυρια αυτη καθοταν εκει, απολαμβανοντας τη φυση γυρω της. Εκει ηταν που μεγαλωσε, εκει ηταν οι ελιες που της προσεφεραν το βιος. Πισω της ηταν ενα μικρο μαγαζακι με χειροποιητα σουβενιρ. Ο ιδιοκτητης του μαγαζιου ηταν ο γιος της. Καθως τραβουσα τη φωτογραφια, ενιωσα οτι αποτυπωνα μια ζωη γεματη σοφια. Μια ζωη γεματη στιγμες χαρας, δυσκολιων (καθως η κυρια ζει σε ενα φτωχο χωριο στο οροπεδιο λασιθιου) και σκληρης δουλειας

Well… I must admit… I’m completely undecided on this one!

Although I’ve never been a huge fan of black & white images (my eyes see in colour)… I had a feeling that this Vertorama of a small creek flowing into Bow Lake in the Banff National Park… might actually look better in B&W than it did in colour. So this morning I spent half an hour (or so) messing around with the image in Nik Software’s Silver Efex plugin… and this is what I came up with. It now looks nice and dramatic… but I also think it looks a bit too busy.

I’d love to have your honest opinions!?

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Nikon D300, Sigma 10-20mm at 10mm, aperture of f16, with a 1/250th second exposure.

Click here to check out my Vertorama tutorial.

I admit; I truly enjoy photography cityscapes, possibly from the high vantage point or from the aircraft.

But ever once in a while, I get inspired by a skyline to a point that I need 'adjust' it in order to match it with my imagination...and I've a pretty vivid one.

Here's a photo composite of my aerial shots of Dubai and Hong Kong. Enjoy!

Shot with Canon 5DMk3 and Canon TS-E 17mm lens.

I admit to not knowing the most about sheep and I initially thought this was a goat! Further research showed he was a Jacob Sheep. (which would be why I couldn't find it while researching for a spotted goat with 4 horns! ha!) Then I remembered that the critter was going Baaaa. Baaaa.... seriously. D'oh!

We saw this Fluffy Fellow at a local Mennonite store where they also have a petting zoo with lots of different types of farm animals. The Granddaughter really enjoyed this adventure and tried to pet them all! :)

.

"Era uma vez (admitindo-se aqui o tempo como uma realidade palpável, estranho, portanto, à fantasia da história) uma menina, linda e um pouco tola, que se chamava Chapeuzinho Vermelho. (Esses nomes que se usam em substituição do nome próprio chamam-se alcunha ou vulgo). Chapeuzinho Vermelho costumava passear no bosque, colhendo Sinantias, monstruosidade botânica que consiste na soldadura anômala de duas flores vizinhas pelos invólucros ou pelos pecíolos, Mucambés ou Muçambas, planta medicinal da família das Caparidáceas, e brincando aqui e ali com uma Jurueba, da família dos Psitacídeos, que vivem em regiões justafluviais, ou seja, à margem dos rios. Chapeuzinho Vermelho andava, pois, na Floresta, quando lhe aparece um lobo, animal selvagem carnívoro do gênero cão e... (Um parêntesis para os nossos pequenos leitores — o lobo era, presumivelmente, uma figura inexistente criada pelo cérebro superexcitado de Chapeuzinho Vermelho. Tendo que andar na floresta sozinha, - natural seria que, volta e meia, sentindo-se indefesa, tivesse alucinações semelhantes.).

Chapeuzinho Vermelho foi detida pelo lobo que lhe disse: (Outro parêntesis; os animais jamais falaram. Fica explicado aqui que isso é um recurso de fantasia do autor e que o Lobo encarna os sentimentos cruéis do Homem. Esse princípio animista é ascentralíssimo e está em todo o folclore universal.) Disse o Lobo: "Onde vais, linda menina?" Respondeu Chapeuzinho Vermelho: "Vou levar estes doces à minha avozinha que está doente. Atravessarei dunas, montes, cabos, istmos e outros acidentes geográficos e deverei chegar lá às treze e trinta e cinco, ou seja, a uma hora e trinta e cinco minutos da tarde".

Ouvindo isso o Lobo saiu correndo, estimulado por desejos reprimidos (Freud: "Psychopathology Of Everiday Life", The Modern Library Inc. N.Y.). Chegando na casa da avozinha ele engoliu-a de uma vez — o que, segundo o conceito materialista de Marx indica uma intenção crítica do autor, estando oculta aí a idéia do capitalismo devorando o proletariado — e ficou esperando, deitado na cama, fantasiado com a roupa da avó.

Passaram-se quinze minutos (diagrama explicando o funcionamento do relógio e seu processo evolutivo através da História). Chapeuzinho Vermelho chegou e não percebeu que o lobo não era sua avó, porque sofria de astigmatismo convergente, que é uma perturbação visual oriunda da curvatura da córnea. Nem percebeu que a voz não era a da avó, porque sofria de Otite, inflamação do ouvido, nem reconheceu nas suas palavras, palavras cheias de má-fé masculina, porque afinal, eis o que ela era mesmo: esquizofrênica, débil mental e paranóica pequenas doenças que dão no cérebro, parte-súpero-anterior do encéfalo. (A tentativa muito comum da mulher ignorar a transformação do Homem é profusamente estudada por Kinsey em "Sexual Behavior in the Human Female". W. B. Saunders Company, Publishers.) Mas, para salvação de Chapeuzinho Vermelho, apareceram os lenhadores, mataram cuidadosamente o Lobo, depois de verificar a localização da avó através da Roentgenfotografia. E Chapeuzinho Vermelho viveu tranqüila 57 anos, que é a média da vida humana segundo Maltus, Thomas Robert, economista inglês nascido em 1766, em Rookew, pequena propriedade de seu pai, que foi grande amigo de Rousseau."

(Extraído do livro "Lições de Um Ignorante", José Álvaro Editor - Rio de Janeiro, 1967, pág. 31

Millôr Fernandes)

.

I will admit that I am still a relative novice when it comes to Africa but Samburu National Reserve took me over. It is rare that I can so easily say that I have found a place that has left me so unequivocally spellbound. It’s a feeling I easily recall the first time I arrived in Grand Teton National Park some years ago. It isn’t just the wildlife that make the refuge special. The lush landscape, rolling hills and mountains, and the rusty red soil all help to create a deliciously flavorful palette. This cheetah and her cubs used a termite mound as a sentry point to look out over the landscape. It is a vista that left me in awe, and I have the sense that I will someday need to return for at least a second helping. #Cheetahs

www.danieldauria.com

Moersch easylith 20+20+960 on Foma Retrobrom. The print came out darker than expected after drying. I must admit I added some brightness in the scan.

.....admit it already!!

I must admit, this wood has me stumped a bit. You really need to work so hard to find the compositions in it, which is no bad thing and I must say I learned a hell of a lot on my last visit to it. This particular scene was on of the easier ones but I had already worked it for about twenty minutes before I settled on this angle. The balance between the top right and bottom left seems good, The three trees running left to right draw the eye into the scene and overall its a strong composition. The more I look at it the more I think its in my top ten personal favourites I have taken this year.

My new drone arrived on Christmas day (thanks Santa), but sadly its yet to fly and to be honest I am starting to have my doubts about buying it at all. I am seriously considering setting up a Youtube channel next year and so it might be going to be replaced by and Pocket 2 and DJI mic system. I am also, finally getting a new computer as the one I currently use is a bog standard gaming PC and although its ok its no M1 Mac mini ( hint hint!).

Thanks, as ever for reading and always appreciate those that like and comment my images!

In eigener Sache: Weihnachten hatte ich den ersten PC Crash. Mein Mann erweckte den PC wieder zum Leben, aber im Februar stand die Kiste dann endgültig still. Besonders ärgerlich, weil ich so viele bewährte Programme auf dem PC habe, die einst viel Geld gekostet haben und die ich nicht einfach aufgeben wollte. Also hat mein Mann den PC in einem zweiten Anlauf komplett neu aufgesetzt. Adobe Photoshop CS6 läuft wie durch ein Wunder wieder, obwohl uns der Support dringend Upgrades empfohlen hat und eigentlich nichts mehr von Windows7 unterstützt wird. Von den Topaz Programmen habe ich im Moment zwei Plug-ins verloren, der Rest arbeitet wieder. Nik-Filter unter Google einst kostenlos - kosten jetzt wieder, aber auch hier konnten wir alle Plug-ins wieder kostenlos installieren. Ich gebe zu, mein Equipment ist ein alter Dinosaurier und ich weiß, dass viele von euch auf dem neuesten technischen Stand sind. Aber es bereitet auch Freude (und Leid), das alte, bewährte noch in Gang zu halten - wer weiß, wie lange mein PC durchhält.

“On a personal note: I experienced my first PC crash at Christmas. My husband managed to revive the PC, but by February, it finally stopped working for good. It was particularly annoying because I have so many tried-and-true programs on the PC that once cost a lot of money and that I didn’t want to give up easily. So, my husband completely reinstalled the PC on a second attempt. Adobe Photoshop CS6 is running again, as if by a miracle, even though support strongly recommended upgrades and actually nothing is supported by Windows 7 anymore. From the Topaz programs, I have currently lost two plug-ins, but the rest are working again. Nik filters, once free under Google, now cost again, but here too, we were able to reinstall all plug-ins for free. I admit, my equipment is an old dinosaur and I know that many of you are up to date with the latest technology. But it also brings joy (and sorrow) to keep the old, reliable things going - who knows how long my PC will last.”

Have to admit, I was quite pleased with this shot. I wasn't too sure what to expect and didn't know whether the iconic RAF Red Arrows would have their coloured smoke trails on. I knew that they were going to be following the River Wear down to the coast and were due to fly over Wearside's brand new river crossing 'The Northern Spire'. It's not actually open yet, although all being well, is due to open next month (August 2018).

Just seconds before they arrived, a river angler came into view and had just cast off. He heard the Red Arrows approaching and was quick off the mark getting his mobile phone out!

You only get one go at a photograph like this, because jets are moving at quite some speed. I was happy to be able to get both an upright and wide view because from coming into view and disappearing out of shot couldn't have been more than just a few seconds.

Come on, just admit it.

(pic is Hi Def! Click it for all the juicy details!)

@ We Love Role-Play:

skin . Pure Cocktails [xx] - Aquamarine (BOM) / by Fallen Gods

nailpolish . 'Selkie' stiletto nail HUD / by VENGE

nails . Stiletto Nails / by VENGE

by Dotty's Secret:

glitter . Cleo Face Glitter set (for Catwa HDPRO, BOM) @ ANTHEM

eyeshadow . Cleo Eyeshadow Palette (for Catwa HDPRO, BOM) @ ANTHEM

brows . Instabrows (for Catwa, BOM) @ mainshop!

by The Stringer Mausoleum:

eyes . Mermaid Scale - S.E. Toxic Sludge (BoM)

by Soul:

ears . Uni Ears - Mer Long @ mainshop!

horns . Pohilystor @ mainshop!

also used:

face speckle . "Aura" cheek glitter (BOM) / by alaskametro

body speckle . "Aura" body glitter (BOM) / by alaskametro

underarm . Insectum Underwings (orange) / by FAS

shells . Araxie Shell Pasties / by Beautiful Dirty Rich

necklace . Kraken / by BadWolf

fingerweb . Webbed Hands / by aii

eyeballs . Glimmer Mesh Eye System / by Birth

teeth . The Sharps / by ContraptioN

hair . Over the Edge / by Exile

head . Catwa / by Catwa

body . Lara / by Maitreya

aura 2 . Lightbeams - Deep Sea Aura / by Cole's Corner

aura 1 . Glamour Glitter - Orbs / by Cole's Corner

facepose . bento Facial expression HUD / by Happy Dispatch

pose . from * Stoked * set / by Go&See @ ANTHEM

windlight . Naturally Dreamy (dawn's daydream), from ColeMarie's Windlight Set (Series #1) / by Cole's Corner

✭

CIRCA ✭

Deadly Nightshade ✭

Del-ka Aedilis ✭

Dimma ✭

Dotty's Secret ✭

eXxEsS ✭

✭

{Frick} ✭

Lovely Alien ✭

Lumae ✭

NANTRA ✭

Nefekalum ✭

✭

✭

Soul ✭

TSM ✭

TwoSided ✭

VENGE ✭

We Love Role-Play ✭

Zibska ✭

Image taken in the virtual platform of Second Life (tm)

I have to admit: I hate this redesign. I'll be lucky if anyone even sees what I'm typing now, since the redesign has me composing my words in this little ineffectual corner beneath a behemoth of a black box. Everything's big and glaring and... well, ugly. Even the titles seem an afterthought, pushed into the corner, as though they're being swept under a rug. Pages load slowly (Michael's laptop won't even load his page after long minutes of waiting). Images on homepages are crushed together, justified forever, unable to stand alone. They breath down each other's backs, their forced togetherness creating a visual assault to all who happen to see them.

Normally, I'd post a number of images over the course of one day. Today, I'm only posting this one for a Portland pinhole challenge, because honestly... this redesign has me not wanting to spend any time on Flickr. I suppose I'll still need to keep posting for the purpose of Getty picking images up, but it's a difficult prospect when viewing my own homepage has me grimacing in distaste.

Sigh.

Image made with my Innova 6x9 Pinhole on Worldwide Pinhole Day.

I have to admit being somewhat pessimistic about the prospects for a trip out with Iain - Highlandscape yesterday. He, on the other hand was fairly upbeat; I learnt later that he had not seen the flat-grey forecast that I had found for the areas we were due to visit! I am very pleased to say that Ian's positive outlook won through and though at times 'challenging,' we were treated to some great photographic conditions. First stop of the day was Glen Shiel. There was some low cloud/hill fog scudding along pretty much blocking the Glen Shiel peaks in their entirety. However we were given the odd tantalising glimpse and decided to sit and wait in the hope of something more substantial. Eventually we got this almost surreal but stunning view of Sgurr Na Sgine and The Saddle/Sgurr Na Forcan, a scene we decided was more reminiscent of the Alps rather than the Highlands of Scotland.

I must admit that I am sucker for Green Herons and was finally able to get one to halfway stick around on my last outing! I saw a total of three of them on my last outing and it’s great that at least that many of them stuck around for the winter haul! This one was stalking the shores of Horsepen Bayou but not interested in doing any posing for me and quickly vanished into the undergrowth along the edge of the bayou!

The good news is that the sunshine has finally returned and after a cool snap this evening we should have some decent weather! Hope the winds are low!

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I admit it: I love these creatures! So of course, what better place to spend an afternoon than at the Alpaca Farm? Now the next question is this: how many photos do I dare post before this interest reveals itself as the obsession that it is?

Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard.

I must admit, I haven't had chance to check the prompt for today as I'm busy prepping for a cyber crop that im running this weekend.

A Snowy Egret waits for something to break the surface of the water nearby so that it can scoop it up. They are very opportunistic feeders. Photo taken on Horsepen Bayou. I’ll admit that those toes are not twinkling, but they are a bright yellow color.

A7R03208uls

I must admit the Feather could be more in focus, it my defence it was moving around in the wind quite a bit.

Exciting news about my swimming photos MiniClick are publishing a book of my Brighton Swimming Club photos, find out more on my blog here.

Taken from the water with Olympus OM-D E-M5 in an under water housing.

I must admit, when I spotted this group, knowing there were supposed to be penguins in the same area, as i had my telephoto trained on the group, saw the black and white frames and size and put two and two together - I was taking some pictures of penguins. That is until this one came flying into the group. I don't know what part of my brain figured this out first, the illogical reasoning part that yelled out "Hey a flying penguin" or the logical part that reasoned, "Mmm Hey wait a second, penguins don't fly".

Sony ILCE-7RM4

FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS

ƒ/5.6 400.0 mm 1/640 ISO 320

Poznan, Poland

Summer

I will admit that this color and lighting makes me uneasy which is exactly why I had to cross the street and grab it. There is something about the color green in scenes like this that really disturb me.....hmm

Join me on my personal website Erik Witsoe or on Facebook

Erik Witsoe Photography

and EyeEm and Behance and Twitter Instagram and also Google +

well, you have to admit ...at first glance they do sort of look like little trees.... don't they?

One of the succulents in my garden... down in front in more or less the 'dry' area. Although, they get a bit too much water from sprinklers...in a normal year.

This year, with Stage 4 water restrictions for most of the summer so far..and, higher than usual temperatures and no moisture from Mother Nature.... this happened.

We are now in Stage 1, but the word is... back to Stage 4 by August 26, for the foreseeable until they fix the stupid water main. They apparently found 6 more damaged areas in the past week.

This is a Sempervivum of some sort. It is difficult to know exactly which one ... I didn't buy it ...it just sort of appeared in my garden a couple of years ago. Has never gone to seed like this though... maybe got one small stalk with flowers one time. They are referred to as monocarpic which means they get these stalks one time only ... and, then that particular rosette dies. But, before they die, they have put out many babies. which are sometimes referred to as "pups" ...

This is a variety of "rolling hen and chicks" ... the tiny balls on the ends of the runners at the base have little ball babies which fall off and roll away to land and take root wherever they end up.

There is one of my 'regular' hens in the front lower left area.... totally different 'leaf' or petal look to it.

The little pile of rocks ends up there as every time I find one when I dig around...I toss it onto the area.

Any succulent lovers out there? I think it a Sempervivum Globiferum of some type...

I should admit, since it is obvious enough from my uploads, that I loved (*loved*) hanging out on the railroad tracks. This shot gives you some idea of how beautiful the area is; hilly, lake-side, fall foliage galore, beautiful chilly but sunny weather ... my idea of a perfect day.

I brought my dog Jack with me for the day. I actually played hooky from work, but it was much needed -- I did a ton of reading (Eliot) and photography, and spent quite a bit of time romping around the woods with Jack. We were down by the tracks for an hour and a half, I think -- only two trains passed us by. I managed to get one shot, which I'll be posting at some point. The rest of the time, we were in the woods, climbing some boulders, doing the aforementioned romping, and laying on slabs of rock, looking up at the trees. Just perfect.

check me out, all big 'n stufffff :)

I must admit, while I know nothing about Pokemon, I have recently taken to playing Pokemon Go. Yes, I am late to the party, but to be fair I was in Romania when the craze occurred and did not have the necessary wifi access to sufficiently enjoy the game.

Oddish is, of course, the cutest of Pokemon and thus had to be built. I regret nothing. This will be a gift for a friend.

Those of you of a certain age who grew up listening to the "wireless" will remember the statement, heard every Sunday afternoon And now for the Hard Word and so the presenter, Paddy Crosbie would introduce the word of the week for some youngster to spell! In our case it is Infirmorum and Morning Mary will have to admit that she never came across it before. As to today's image? The Mater Hospital in Belfast looking new and pristine but with some delightful posters, new and worn, to add some interest for the long sighted!

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865 - 1914 1900

NLI Ref: L_CAB_07575

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

I have to admit when I first saw this building I didn't know what it was. The exterior was very unique and I loved the patterns the outside panels made. When I got home I went onto Google maps and found out that it was the new(ish) US embassy building. I think I now remember that the panels served not only an aesthetic function but also a protective one. Apparently there is also a moat of some description surrounding the building, giving the building added security. If you're interested please have a look at: www.dezeen.com/2017/12/18/kieran-timberlake-us-embassy-lo...

Olympus digital camera

SOOC.

I admit it, 'Carpe diem'.You have to live life. And live means that every morning when you wake up you have to choose to take advantage of what life offers each time and go ahead no matter what pase… or close the curtains and end the day.

YAAAAAAAY, TODAY I HAVE FINISHED MY EXAMS! I'm so happy, and i still have class, but no more study till september again! Yay! I've missed you flickr. Weather is crazy, today has rained and then it was sunny.

So, now i have to start a new proyect, is a video of this last four years, for all my friends, because this year is the last with some of them, so i have around ten days to finished it, awww, i'm so excited.

Soon i'll see your photos, i promise.

Ok this is a curve ball cos I'm feeling a Cheesy Saturday today .. & I admit it ..I like a little Katy Perry ...For your enjoyment ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath

Scared to rock the boat and make a mess

So I sat quietly, agreed politely

I guess that I forgot I had a choice

I let you push me past the breaking point

I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything

You held me down, but I got up (hey!)

Already brushing off the dust

You hear my voice, your hear that sound

Like thunder, gonna shake the ground

You held me down, but I got up

Get ready 'cause I had enough

I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter

Dancing through the fire

'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar

Louder, louder than a lion

'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar!

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

You're gonna hear me roar!

Now I'm floating like a butterfly

Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes

I went from zero, to my own hero

You held me down, but I got up (hey!)

Already brushing off the dust

You hear my voice, your hear that sound

Like thunder, gonna shake the ground

You held me down, but I got up

Get ready 'cause I've had enough

I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter

Dancing through the fire

'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar

Louder, louder than a lion

'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar!

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

You're gonna hear me roar!

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

You're gonna hear me roar!

Roar, roar, roar, roar, roar!

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter

Dancing through the fire

'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar

Louder, louder than a lion

'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar!

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

You're gonna hear me roar!

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

You're gonna hear me roar!

Katy Perry ~ Roar 2013

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CevxZvSJLk8

Model Harley Stormborn

Taken At Tra La Las Diner: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Pine%20Lake/225/97/37

I made my first visit to Palouse Falls not too long ago. I have seen plenty of photos of this place, but had never actually set foot there myself. The tricky thing about this falls is that pretty much every landscape photographer that goes there takes the same picture as the one before them, which is this comp from the cliffs overhead at either sunrise or sunset. This has produced some pretty fantastic images, but creatively speaking it gets a bit dull, so I wanted to make sure I tried something a bit different. I figured I would probably try to put together a Holga composite but that night I found myself wondering if I could take a star trail photo over the falls and then blend that with some sunrise photos. In other words, instead of using stitching to allow me to cover a wider swath of land than one single image could capture, why not use it to cover a longer swath of time than one exposure could encapsulate? It is a fascinating idea, especially as it could be used to really cover a long stretch of time, imagine say a year, all stitched together into a seamless composite. Ideas are kicking around in my head after this one.

Anyway, so I set up my Pentax and made a 25 minute exposure of the stars above the falls themselves. Then I got up the next morning and tried to set up in the same spot and shot the rest of the falls and the canyon at sunrise. I made six exposures altogether. The blending was a bit tricky, and I admit I am still getting better at that. This image has a rough spot or two, but I was tired of working on it and ready to move on. But I do like the idea of capturing the transition from night to day in a single image. I plan to try this a bit more.

And here are a couple of other links, one for an an image of Chip's, which is one of the more unique shots I have seen of this falls.

And over here, is a photographer treating waterfalls in a way I have never seen done before. The jury is still out on the execution of the idea, but I like the concept. Click on Black and White in the lower left and select Waterfalls.

I'll admit that, if given the chance, I'm not very inclined to get up too early in the mornings. In fact on the days where I'm not in work my mornings are usually, at most, only a couple of hours long. However, last night I had got it into my head that, no matter how low the chances of a good sunrise were, I would be up early to head to Penarth and attempt to get some photos of the sunrise. As you can probably tell the sunrise was a bit non-existant but, it was nice to be out in the fresh air when nobody else was really around. I'll definitely have to try this photo again another time to see if I can get a better sunrise and, now I know I can actually get up this early, I will hopefully do this sort of thing more often.

I must admit I did take quite a lot of photos up here! Initially it felt a bit scary being up high with the wind in my hair! But the walkways are wide and the steps are long and shallow, so it's really not too bad. I'm not sure what I can telly about this view, but you can see the curve of the bridge - Puente de la Barqueta - and the tall The Alamillo Bridge, to the right of it.

Metropol Parasol

It has dimensions of 150 x 70 meters and a height of approximately 26 meters, and was the winning project of the competition opened by the City Council of Seville to carry out the rehabilitation of the square in which it is located; its designer was the Berlin architect Jürgen Mayer. The structure consists of six large mushroom-shaped parasols, whose design is inspired by the vaults of the cathedral of Seville and the ficus trees of the nearby Plaza del Cristo de Burgos.

It has a large mushroom-shaped roof.As a whole it has five levels. The upper level houses a lookout plaza and a panoramic path on platforms that runs through most of the set. Inside the central parasols, at a height of 22 meters, there is a tapas restaurant and a space for events. Under the parasols is an elevated, shady, open-air plaza (Plaza Mayor) designed to host events of different types. At ground level is the current Mercado de la Encarnación, along with retail and restaurant space.

Finally, the basement houses the Antiquarium museum, which exhibits the archaeological remains found on the site. This Antiquarium was designed by the Sevillian architect Felipe Palomino Gonzalez, who participated in all the construction management of the major project. (From visitasevilla.es/en/las-setas/)

I admit that I got a little greedy and wanted to capture the arch from the beach as well as above the beach. So as the sun approached the horizon I scrambled up to the bluff overlooking the arch for this capture. I did clone out the many photographers that were there to give this a more peaceful feel.

I admit that I do try to get close to my subjects, but the 600mm lens does have its advantages. He never seemed alarmed by my presence and I was able to get my shots and back away and let him get his nap time in. Yellow-crowned Night Heron perched on and old snag on the banks of Horsepen Bayou.

Finally, a day without rain here and nothing more than big ol’ puffy clouds drifting by in the sky. Tomorrow I’ll be busy with other things, so I hope the weather holds through Friday.

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I totally admit, that when you look upon this plain image there's not much to see really, a hillside devoid of green grass, but, if you look closely you can see the trails where perhaps long ago ancient people once roamed this part of the earth. And for a short brief time, I too joined them alone on this seemingly ordinary hillside.

I spent hours hiking all across this hillside alone. For me personally, this was a major high point of my weekend here. I felt so fortunate to be in good physical shape where I could thoroughly enjoy myself hiking and crisscrossing this hillside under a beautiful warm day. I felt so free and relaxed here with no social constraints. There's something magical about a hillside that compels and draws people to walk upon her. Maybe it's our ancient spiritual ancestors deep inside all of us calling out, yearning to be free once more and to walk upon a path. It was with reluctance when I finally had to come down.......

May your hikes be as pleasant my friends.

I hope to have an opportunity to come back in the spring when the hillside turns that lovely shade of green and calls for me to once more walk upon her.

1700 Walker Creek Ranch is a retreat located off of the Marshall Petaluma Rd (out of Petaluma) about 6 miles from highway 1 which runs along the California coast. Located there is also the Marin County Office of Education.

photo done in Watercolor IV