Bits And Pieces
View allAll Photos Tagged Bit,
This is what a visitor sees when exits from the other side of the upper Antelope Canyon. I've made this photo for the second time after seven years and the result is almost the same; but this time I was more prepared to capture its stunning textures details; then I underexposed a little in order to capture all blue and purple hues that the sensor was able to register, maintaining the strong light coming from the outside. The result is something that I printed on a metal surface like aluminium in a vertical, supersaturated composition.
Now it feels a bit like spring in Holland
But we still had a little bit of winter
Thanks for your visit and comments, I appreciate that very much!
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © all rights reserved.
Regards, Bram (BraCom)
There's a bit of a large patch of some forgotten part of the garden where lots of Foxtail Barley grows and it's all become golden and yellow and so I ventured into the patch this morning with my camera. Got half-bitten to death by mosquitoes in the process; suffering for my art! :-))
We had a walk in an oak wood today as the autumn colours from them are stunning at the moment. Unfortunately I couldn't walk for any length of time as my gammy leg was causing me so much gyp. I did though manage to capture a few shots including this of a wonderful oak in full colour.
Looking a little bit tacky here but this Robin is over two years old now which is a good age for a Robin. Always hanging around in the same area in one of my nature reserves I often go to visit. Ever since I first spotted this as a juvenile there has always been a dark patch below the right eye that is still there to this day. My little friend here has become very tame and always so very photogenic and hopefully will be around a bit longer yet. In the 1400's when the Robin was named the colour orange had not been classified and this is why we say that the Robin has a red breast and not orange. America has an eagle so it's about time the UK had the Robin as its national bird !!!!!!
I got a lovely surprise when the first one opened it was perfumed.
Enjoyed the lilies for about 10 days .
Have a good day/evening
A Bit of Trivia For You
August this year will have 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays.
Only happens every 823 years
Available on Getty Images' Catalogue
... or is it a bit of Paradise in the Swiss Italy?
In Ticino's Canton, the Italian speaking part of Switzerland.
@ Lugano, Switzerland
Bit of a special evening yesterday! Popped up to one of my favourite local places after work, Healey Dell nature reserve near Rochdale, a little hidden gem of a place right near the town, kinda hidden away.
It's the kinda place that if it was in the Lake District it would be swamped by visitors and you'd have to pay £10 to park, but as it is, there's virtually never anybody around, even locals don't know what they have there :)
This is the 2nd of a series of 5 or 6 big waterfalls that run through the place.
But when I got there my eyes nearly popped out at how beautiful it had become with the golden leaves carpeting the rocks.
One of those special moments that makes you feel good to be alive :)
Hope you like, Visit my Facebook page if you want more pics and info
Happy Friday all :)
_
Pentax K-5
Vivitar 80-200mm F4 MACRO FOCUSING ZOOM MC
_
© 2020 stefanorugolo | All rights reserved.
_
Thank you for your visit, most appreciated!
I had a bit of rare time to try an experiment for Macro Mondays yesterday. The theme is 'Reflection.' Not sure the reflection here is good enough, so I probably won't use this shot, but I had so much fun, I couldn't resist uploading one ahead of time...
(Well, I decided this one was the best of the lot. Feather is just under or just over 2" in it's curled state, depending on how 'loose' the tips are in the breeze etc., which makes this frame barely in the 3" limit. If the moderators want me to crop it more, or upload another, I will comply....).
I sprayed the hood of our vehicle with water, stuck the feather on, hoping to get a clear shot and it wouldn't fly away in the slight afternoon breeze. It was wonderful to see how the image changed depending where one was in the light, the POV and where on the hood it was, as sometimes the reflection of nearby trees added some different colour.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs, etc. without my permission.
If you decide to travel along this highway into the bowels of the Universe, carry enough fuel to cover the billions of light years ahead of you. You won't find a place to refuel. When you have travelled this distance without finding anything, not even a little bit of intelligent life and you reach the far reaches of the Universe... don't be scared... there's nothing there, either. Only the "nothing". Or since everything is cyclical, perhaps you have returned to the place where you started, full of wisdom from your long trip. It's probably better to look for intelligent life on Earth, but it's also very likely that you'll have a hard time finding it. Don't worry about not understanding the Universe or the reason for its existence... you're not Einstein, but one day you'll understand that... The Universe is wounded, but it still has infinity ahead of it. It still has you and me. Merry Christmas to all and to the infinite Universe that is within you.
Gregory Alan Isakov - The Universe
Y el Universo está susurrando tan suavemente que puedo oírlo todo... el zumbido de los insectos, todos los taxis, todo el cambio gastado de los vagabundos, todos los chicos jugando a la pelota en los callejones. Son sólo pliegues en su vestido. El Universo, está herido, pero aún tiene el infinito por delante. Todavía nos tiene a ti y a mí. Y todos dicen que es hermoso. Y todos dicen...
Image dédiée à Pat. Joyeux Noël. Bisou, jolie.
..........
Music for your trip to the Universe:
Ground Control to Major Tom. Ground Control to Major Tom. Take your protein pills and put your helmet on. Ground Control to Major Tom (ten, nine, eight, seven, six)... Commencing countdown, engines on (five, four, three)... Check ignition and may God's love be with you (two, one, liftoff...)
Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts VI–IX
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond", was written as a tribute to Syd Barrett, one of the founders of Pink Floyd. He was also known as "The Crazy Diamond Syd". Barrett was a very creative musician and is considered one of the rock icons, with a strong influence on many artists, very especially to David Bowie. Syd Barrett is a key piece to understand the evolution of rock in the 70s.. Excessive drug use, especially LSD, caused him serious mental health problems. Syd Barrett died in 2006 at the age of 60. Always shine diamond.
The Universal is a science fiction song written as a tribute to two films by film director Stanley Kubrick. In the video, the Blur members wear outfits similar to Alex and his gang of thugs, the protagonists of the movie "A Clockwork Orange." The image used for the cover of the single alluded to what is possibly Kubrick's best film: "2001: To Space Odyssey."
We haven't changed that much in 300,000 years of evolution.
Moby - We Are All Made of Stars
Radiohead - Subterranean Homesick Alien
Smash Mouth - Walkin' On The Sun
PS: Electronic - Can't Find My Way Home Just a recommendation. It is important to learn the road signs of the Universe... happy return.
PS: Ground Control to Major Tom. Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong. Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you...
"Here am I floating 'round my tin can, far above the moon. Planet Earth is blue. And there's nothing I can do" (Major Tom)
PS: Merry Christmas to all Flick(e)r users... and to the Universe full of crazy diamonds that shine... And Major Tom
Still a bit of white ⛄️ Christmas, although it is from the archive.
Toch een beetje witte ⛄️ Kerst al is het uit het archief
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Thanks for all the nice comments, it is much appreciated
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.copyright all rights reserved.
Regards, Bram van Broekhoven (BraCom)
A bit repetitive but I liked the pattern that emerged as I kept folding, distorting and tiling the sample of a syringe image!
Happy Slider Sunday - HSS
FYI: Perhaps this reminds some of "Acid Queen" and Tina Turner's performance in the movie "Tommy". I totally understand...
Vancouver has hit the rainy season and all that mist up in the mountains makes for dreary days. A bit of colour still hangs on in the leaves of some of the trees. A crow on one of the branches seems to survey the scene. They come to our balcony now and beg for peanuts! Smart birds!
Mulholland on left was a rescue Thoroughbred (mine at the time) - Bits on right - stablemate friends to the end.
It's a good thing foil came up as a theme for Macro Mondays because now I have a reason for keeping a bag of multicolored foil bits! Perhaps they'll make it into ice cubes some day but for now it's a foil abstract.
The image area measures about 1.5 inches X 1.5 inches.
Nikon 55mm f/2.8 NIKKOR Micro, 9 image photo stack shot at f/11.
Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus). This wood pigeon was trying to keep cool by oscillating his throat. However, he just looked a bit deranged to me!
Three Mile Island
This plant will close soon. I remember visiting it when it had a partial meltdown years ago. To say it's eerie, out in the night - is a bit of an understatement. You can hear the machinery softly whirring.
They may have a bit of an ice coating on this morning but what a seat this tree family has to welcome in each new day! From High Point State Park, the appropriately named highest spot in New Jersey, 1 January 2020, about 5 1/2 minutes after sunrise. A couple of days before I took this there was a storm that left about a 3/4 inch ice coating on all the trees but not the roads, made for an interesting look!
Knowing a bit more about photography makes it easier to understand how and why some oil paintings, say the impressionist, abstract or even watercolour paintings, came into being.
"A beautiful closeup of delicate orchid blossoms and a kaleidoscope of background colors. Great depth and soft light."
A review by Flickr friend/Connoisseur Gertrud Klopp
I have a bit of time this morning, so I will tell the start of this magnificent day; the first day we, (a photographer friend, my younger two sons, and I), saw two owls in this park together.
We had not been in the park long, when this owl flew over our heads. We stayed put, and several minutes later it came back and landed in a Western Red Cedar right next to us. (The moment of this portrait).
Again, it didn't stay long, when it decided to fly right over my friend's head!
Another relocation, (we were staying put, watching the owl fly to and fro), and suddenly the second owl joined the first. The 'original' owl left it's perch moments before the second owl reached it, and they joined in the air in what looked like a brief scuffle with talons, before they both landed on the same branch.
They stayed there for less than a minute before the two of them joined ranks in chasing a Gray Squirrel that was jumping tree to tree, then spiralled down a nearby tree and off across a log over the creek and into the forest with one of the owls inches behind it in a graceful swoop.
We marvelled at this action right in front of us, all happening too fast and too close to even attempt a picture. Leaving the owls to finish their hunting in peace, we once again stayed put talking about the experience and occasionally seeing one of the owls zig-zagging through the woods in the distance.
Some ten minutes later one of the owls came back and landed in a nearby moss covered Big Leaf Maple tree and started preening. Minutes later the second owl joined it and they participated in allopreening. (The greeting that proceeded this mutual grooming session I have already uploaded).
...and that is only the beginning of a most remarkable morning spent with them.
I am making a semi-educated guess that the two owls involved are last years siblings. That was one story I heard from people who live nearby and frequent this park. The large female who used to 'rule' this park had disappeared, and I found out that she had been hit by a car and killed on a nearby road.
The other story I came across was that they are a mated pair. I spent many hours observing and keeping an eye open for a possible active nest site, and never found one, if there ever was one. Neither did I find any young owlets.
I will continue this story with more photos and at least one video link when time allows.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs, etc. without my permission.
A bit of color fun to offset the grey skies we've been having! Happy Slider Sunday and all the best this Holiday season.
Thank You for making this a wonderful year and I appreciate all the views, comments and faves; but most of all the friendship and support you have shown.
Happy Slider Sunday - HSS
This male bufflehead had been diving recently, and had the evidence in drops all over. At Commonwealth Lake.
The hill as seen over the River Cannich, Scottish Highlands.
A fair bit of cloud movement here so opted for a long exposure.
#sliderssunday
Spot the two birds :)
For a change, this is a new (outside!) photo, taken just a few days ago at the wonderful Britzer Garten, one of Berlin's biggest and most beautiful public parks (please check my album for more "Britz bliss", if you like).
For better dynamic range, I've used exposure bracketing (three images), pre-processed the images in DXO PhotoLab (sharpness and DeepPrime denoising only), from which I directly went into HDR Efex Pro to combine the images. I'm trying to get away from the annual Adobe subscription, and combining images from an exposure bracketing series in HDR Efex instead of Lightroom is one step into that direction. Unfortunately, whenever I think I can finally leave Adobe behind for good they come up with improvements such as the new "supersize" function (now also available in LR), a ton of new presets for LR, and other interesting stuff (and I'm still used to the LR/PS workflow, and the layers in PS). Well, maybe I'll be ready next year ;)
Extra sliding was done in Color Efex, where I added some "Brilliance and Warmth" and a tiny bit of "Contrast Color Range".
Happy Sliders Sunday, Everyone, stay safe and have a nice week ahead!
Decision behind the gate 任意門的抉擇
Marina Park, Alviso, California
Cloud structure is a little bit strange today.
今天雲層的結構有點奇怪
DSC_5945A_DNG
Think I will have a "Bit of Something on Blue week" (bound to be fairly minimal so no offence if you decide to pop back when it's all over :-)
C R E D I T S
My List is going to be bit long today, wish you all a wonderful Day and I will struggle to an other hard Day, a busy Week but Weekend is coming soon and i will calm down a bit .
My Look
Head
Lelutka - Korina 3.3 @ Mainstore
Head Applier
Glam Affair - Kora [ Lelutka ] 006 ( Shape is included ) @ Uber
Outfit
Dead Dollz - Gardenia Set @ FaMESHed
Hair Base
Tableau Vivant - Lelutka HB 06 @ Mainstore
Hair
Tableau Vivant - Pearl Hair @ Mainstore
Pose
DECORATION
Bedroom Set
Fancy Decor - Blague Set @ Uber
• Fancy Decor: Blague Bed
• Fancy Decor: Blague Endtable
• Fancy Decor: Blague Lamp
Other Decoration Items
• dust bunny . sweet dreams . alarm clock . gold
• dust bunny . sweet dreams . morning tray
• dust bunny . wood beaded curtain
• dust bunny . potted dragon tree
• Bazar - Toronto-Bedroom motivation poster
• AF Monogram Luggage Bag
“It’s too late. I’ve made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends ... You’ve chosen your way, I’ve chosen mine.”
— J.K. Rowling
I tried something a bit different with this photo. It's a hand blended 3 exposure HDR. Rather than let Lightroom do it for me, I chose to blend the photo using a series of masks in Photoshop. I wasn't happy with the colours, so B&W was an easy choice. Rather than using the standard, high contrast B&W, I lifted the black-point to about 20 to get a nice vintage film look.