View allAll Photos Tagged December2017
It was such a lovely day, once I'd finished lunch I was out for a walk. Thought I needed some good sea air so walked up to the top road over the far end of the beach.
Gorgeous views, fresh air and not a soul in sight.
Better viewed large and thank you for your favourites. :O)
30th December 2017:
This was my main present from Graham along with a woolly bonnet. The necklace is gorgeous, but the hat reminds me of a tea cosy and has since been nicknamed that.
Both this and the tea cosy (bonnet) were made by the residence of the private; (buy one, not for rental), old people's apartments in town. Everyone lives independently in their own apartment, but they have someone on call 24/7 and have an activity room if they want to use it.
Those who do; make things to sell and all the proceeds go to the Nursery Schools within the area. The older generation giving to the new generation.
Better viewed large and thank you for your favourites. :O)
I do so hope I've got this right. It's taken me most of the morning to get one decent photo of what I know is being asked for.
I can produce bokeh when I'm not asked to, but trying to take a shot where it's the main theme, is a photo from hell!!
I used both cameras, the Fuji and the Panasonic and on various settings, in the end the Panasonic won, or I hope it did.
Better viewed large and thank you for your favourites. :O)
Even for a split second which was all it took for this chap to steal a peanut! Taken yesterday in St James`s Park London.
Taken on one of the few days of good weather we had last month.
I do hope we get a bit of sun soon.
Better viewed large and thank you for your favourites. :O)
Questa la dedico a un mio caro amico, a tutte le volte che ci siamo aiutati, a tutte le volte che anche nei periodi peggiori non si è mai arreso e ha dato forza ad altre persone, alle nostre avventure, alle nostre ansie e risate. Grazie di tutto.
Gorgeous green Agapanthus leaves and a raindrop.
Better viewed large and thank you for your favourites. :O)
Torii gate of Goza no Ishi Shrine at Lake Tazawa, Semboku, Japan. According to legend when Lord of Satake came to Lake Tazawa in 1650, he sat and rested on the bedrock in front of the temple, hence the name Goza No Ishi, “The rock where the great sat”.
This looks like a very angry owl, however, this snowy was simply yawning. The photo, from a shoot a couple of seasons ago, took place on a remote portion of the NJ shore. The day was quite cold an windy. No one else seemed ready to spend the day outside, so the bird and I had the better part of the day alone. I laid on the beach for hours. If the bird slept, so did I. It only moved 2 or 3 times over about an 8 hour period and my Arctic gear came in handy.
A brief drive to the tip of Holgate hoping for a sunset through the clouds. Instead we got a little show from a snowy who seemed to be stalking a great blue heron! All the ducks were a bit further north and far from sight. It flew to within about 80 feet of the heron, perched, and waited. But when the light really got low, the heron took a bow and left the show. The heron would seem a rather mighty opponent but there's definitely an advantage when you can see in the dark.
I've taken this window before, but not for ages and hadn't tried it out with the Panasonic.
Far better.
The building is Secours Catholique, here's a link about them:
www.caritas.org/where-caritas-work/europe/france/
Better viewed large and thank you for your favourites. :O)
I hadn't got an idea of what to used for this week until I noticed a used matchstick by one of our Advent candles, so used that.
The Panasonic decided it didn't like the light again, though had been fine yesterday and for the photo I took of our Christmas goddies. I however couldn't be bothered to try again with the Fuji.
Maybe better viewed large, but thank you for your favourites. :O)
Naustavika is a very charming and beautiful place on Vigra. Great for walking and even bathing in summer. Impressive views to the island of Løvsøya and to the beach of Blimsanden.
Hasselblad 500C, Planar 80mm f1:2.8
Kodak Portra 160, C41
Location: Fyr at Naustavika / Vigra / Norway
Please view on flickriver and choose a white background:
www.flickriver.com/photos/105795038@N03/
It looks better :-)
I have wanted to photograph a snowy owl in the snow for some time. The opportunity arose when the nor’easter began to form last weekend. The tides were exceptionally high earlier in the day, meaning access might be difficult, but low tide was anticipated at about 3 pm with the snow predicted to start at a similar hour. At the last minute, I decided to attempt the trek. As the wind driven flakes began to fall, I found the owl perched atop a dune behind a tuft of dune grass. It looked vaguely uncomfortable, swinging its head from side to side as usual, but then intermittently staring wild-eyed up into the sky then down at the ground, as if it had no concept of frozen precipitation. I had never seen a snowy so disturbed by the weather. I sat watching the owl for a few moments, taking selected photos. Then, in an effort to blur the snow, I slowed my shutter to 1/160 of a second, never anticipating that the bird might actually fly. Suddenly, after shaking the snow from its face, it burst into the air. There was no time to change shutter speeds. So, while mumbling some obscenity I shot a burst of photos, anticipating a lost opportunity. Sometimes luck is in your favor and unexpected opportunity can be more beautiful than one that is planned.
. . . The heart of the Traverse City downtown area on a snowy almost Christmas night! The community Christmas tree is just to the left in the middle of Cass Street, Expresso Bay is just to the right, and of course the famous State Theater sign lights the entire block.
Have a great week Facebook and Flickr friends!
Still got the plasterers in and still a bit miserable outside so it's back to my "outage" of 2017-18 and this one of "The Crooked Spire" in Chesterfield. Taken in December 2017, after a good afternoon session in Wetherspoon's, just across the road!
The littlest falcon doesn’t lack for bravery, for it either doesn’t realize that it is small or, quite frankly, it doesn’t care. I shared a few encounters with this beautiful male while visiting Flamingo in Everglades National Park. My efforts to capture it in flight were met with mixed success. And even though he didn’t seem terribly distressed about my presence, he was more than upset when a red-shouldered hawk flew into his territory. North America’s smallest falcon set out in pursuit, chasing the hawk across several acres of ground and up into a distant tree. The hawk remained for the next hour. It’s not unusual to see smaller, less fearsome birds chase larger, predatory birds. In fact, it’s fairly common. Have you ever seen it happen? #AmericanKestrel
Yesterday, I was able to spend a little time with this handsome gentleman and his squishy, delicious meal. He’s an American Kestrel, North America’s smallest falcon. Despite his small size he chased red shouldered hawks almost 3 times his size out of his territory.
His meal reminds me of a conversation my wife, son, our server and I had over dinner last night about food aversions based not on taste but on texture. My son has an aversion to the chewy textures of some foods like calamari. The server said she could never tolerate fruits with fuzzy skins. Do you have food texture aversions? What are they? #AmericanKestrel
Commuter train beside the Royal Canal at Broombridge, Dublin, Ireland
Passenger services commenced on 9 December 2017 on the new Luas Cross City Tram route from St. Stephen's Green to Broombridge, Dublin, Ireland. The route links up the existing Green and Red lines.
I was fortunate to make the journey on the very first Tram from St. Stephens Green to Broombridge. I then got off and we went for a stroll. I took a later Luas Tram back.
Every particular in nature, a leaf, a drop, a crystal, a moment of time is related to the whole, and partakes of the perfection of the whole. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Traffic Light trails on M11 at Kilmacanogue, Co Wicklow just after sunset. Sunset now takes place at peak evening traffic. The white trails is heavy traffic heading out of Dublin. The red trails is lighter traffic heading into Dublin.
Thought certainly not an irruption year, some weary, but no less majestic, northern travelers will still grace our shores this winter. They will bring out the best and the worst in some of us. Be kind! Note that photographs like this one are taken with extremely long lenses. If you approach these birds with your 100 mm lens you will stress the bird and scare it away. If you can’t afford longer glass, rent it! Through the appropriate looking glass, you can acquire the image you desire, and these visitors can claim some territory of their own. #SnowyOwls