Brown Rat / rattus norvegicus. Attenborough, Nottinghamshire. 21/04/21.

The juvenile rat, (one of three seen around a tunnel), had just mustered the confidence to emerge from the undergrowth. Ever cautious, it made a few steps towards where I was concealed. Although the camera was on silent shooting mode and I remained stock still, it sensed I was there. In the image it is looking straight at me. I love those bright boot button eyes and spotlessly clean toes!

After visiting Húsavík and Goðafoss in the north of Iceland, we really wanted to drive south to the amazing Aldeyrafoss, but since it was one of the few days with rain, we decided to skip it and instead try to reach the famous seastack Hvítserkur in the blue hour. We knew that the drive would take more than 3 hours, but if Google Maps is right, we should be able to see Hvítserkur in the last faint light of the day. After 2 and a half hours of driving, we turned right onto a gravel road that got more and more bumpy along the way. Moreover, it started to rain and got increasingly dark, but since the visibility was still pretty good we kept speeding over all those bumps with the allowed 80 km/h, passing only a few lonely houses and farms along the way.

We eventually reached the parking lot, and as we got out of our camper van, we noticed that not much of the car’s white color was visible as it was splattered all over with dirt. Since it was already late and the weather was pretty bad, there was only one other car in the parking lot which was leaving when we arrived. So we hurried to get to the viewpoint on the cliff, and for a moment we really thought about going down to the beach, but due to the sketchy “trail” down and the extremely strong winds we decided to stay up there. We then set up our tripods and I really wasn’t sure if I can take my hands off the tripod without it flying away. My girlfriend and I then held each others tripod while the other mounted the camera on it. We kept the tripod as low to the ground as possible and tried some long exposures, but soon found that the wind was so strong that even shorter exposures of only a few seconds resulted in blurry images. To make things worse, the intensity of the rain increased, but we stayed out there and waited for the brief moments of calm where I could capture the only sharp image of the evening. To make the foreground a little more interesting, I then blended in the water from a blurry exposure of 13 seconds, which was nowhere near enough to smooth out the water.

Battered by the Icelandic winds and slightly soaked by the rain, we returned to the camper van and both hoped that we got a least one sharp image on our SD cards. Finally back in the car and protected from the elements, I looked up the way to the nearest campsite and my girlfriend then told me that she remembers an accommodation right next to the Hvítserkur parking lot. Since we had to drive by there anyway, we stopped and had a look, but the lights in the house were already out and not a single person was to be seen. I then checked booking.com and found this accommodation, but there seemed to be no room available. However, there was a phone number listed and so I asked my girlfriend if I should try calling them. She was a little hesitant since it was already 10:30 pm, but I figured they don’t need to answer the phone or probably already have their phones turned off if they don’t want to be bothered by late requests. So I gave it a try and a super-friendly Icelander picked up the phone and said: “Sure, there is still a room available! Where are you?” We were actually standing right in front of the house and 2 minutes later he came out of the house across the street, greeted us and showed us the rooms. We were so happy that we had found a nearby place to stay and especially enjoyed the luxury of a spacious room (compared to our camper van), took a hot shower and fell asleep very quickly in the comfortable bed.

The next morning, we both somehow hoped for an epic sunrise, but the sky was covered with clouds, the winds were still brutal and rain was pouring down. So it was with a heavy heart that we left this beautiful and remote place to head to the Snæfellsnes peninsula, and despite the far from ideal conditions, I am very happy about this picture because it captures the memories of another great adventure in the land of fire and ice. I hope you like it too!

… And now (drum roll… ) Yes, another sunrise from my Umbrian archives from Summer 2018 (for details about Umbria and that beautiful location you could explore my album aptly named Umbria.

I explored that sunrise as much as possible, shooting from as many points of view as I was able to. A convenient approach, you could say – yet there is a drawback. There was a strange light that morning – the air was heavy, thick, damp: it seemed to resist the pouring, silky sunlight. Maybe because of this the photos taken from some points of view are almost intractable. This photo is one of them: processing it has been a long struggle, and the final result has been uncertain up to almost the end of the journey. I am not completely satisfied with this image, yet I feel that it is not utterly devoid of merits and hope that it can convey good emotions and thoughts to somebody.

This reminds me of a scene I witnessed many years ago – one of those scenes one cannot forget.

I was on the underground: the archetypal train crowded with commuters going back home after work. I could hear the faint, distant sound of a guitar and a voice singing - a street musician trying to top up his daily earnings. A girl was sitting in front of me, her head lowered. It took some time for me to realise that she was quietly crying.

The music was louder now: I could see the tall, blond young man getting nearer and nearer. When he reached us he hesitated a bit and then he positioned himself just in front of the girl and started swinging as he kept playing his guitar and singing a song I cannot remember. He was definitely not a talented guitar player - even less a good singer - but his overall attitude was very lively, energetic, uplifting. The whole scene lasted more or less one minute. At last the girl slowly lifted her head, looked at the musician, wiped away her tears and… well, she smiled. A shy, hesitant smile – but it radiated an aura of delicate light all around her.

I hope that this photo, its flaws notwithstanding, can gift some of you with a little miracle like this. After all, one can never say when a miracle will happen, nor whence it will come – yet it happens.

I wish you all a happy (if locked down) Easter!

A hug from Italy!

I have obtained this picture by blending an exposure bracketing [-1.3/0/+1.3 EV] by luminosity masks in the Gimp (EXIF data, as usual, refer to the "normal exposure" shot), then I added some final touches with Nik Color Efex Pro 4.

A very selective contribution to the final effect came from the inverted RGB blue channel technique described by Boris Hajdukovic. While this technique (which, its imposing name notwithstanding, is pretty simple to implement) often holds interesting results in full daylight landscapes, its effects on a low-light capture (e.g. a sunrise) are utterly unpredictable, so at the end of my workflow I often give it a try to ascertain its possibilities. In this picture I have exploited this technique in a very frugal, yet effective, way – just some touches where needed.

RAW files has been processed with Darktable. Denoising with DFine 2 and the Gimp (denoised and original images blended by lightness).

When we first started hiking at Dells of the Eau Claire park, there were remnants of fog around with the sun starting to make a hesitant appearance. This tree by the river was so red that it looked like flames. It made for a beautiful & dramatic view.

And why was it so hard to reach out? Because she looked different? She is different? Why can't my heart stop beating fast? What is this fear bubbling up inside of me? She looks more scared than I do... At least she can't see the fear that is mirroring in my own features thanks to the mask that's protecting me... That feeling of invisibility just because of a mere mask is truly unbelievable. But it does help...

She smiled, did she just smile? I find myself drawn to her, maybe we can get along? So what if she is...different. Hesitantly reaching out to her hand... Why do I feel like this is the beginning of a grave change?

Does the world need to change? Or do we need to change how we see the world?

P.S. Bambi did it! This whole scene was her idea and it is oh so beautiful and oh so goosebumps feeling type of explosion!

Bambi's Version:-

www.flickr.com/photos/bambi_foxdale/50139617163/in/datepo...

Re: P.S. Ever since I told Bambi to be the Spirit of Nostalgia, she has turned both of our brains into a steampunk frenzy. I always loved that theme, especially because of the Infernal Devices book series by Cassandra Claire, Dorian Gray, Penny Dreadful and many many more! It was just something that did not cross over into Second Life yet, until now. We will be doing a lot of steampunk theme collaborations and I am super excited! (The excuse to wear a monocle)

I got to say that everything I am wearing was put together only because of [ContraptioN] (I will rant more about it in my next photo, totally made an office <3)

Spotted this alligator on Alligator Alley in the Orlando Wetlands. When I first saw this gator he had his head up and it looked like he was watching us. For the first time I was hesitant about walking by a gator on the trail. My wife and I eventually did walk by and it kept its eye on us. Took lots of photos of this gator. Figured if we were to be attacked at least I'd have photos. LOL.

Plastic shovels make great rides... but, Bernie was a little hesitant... and, did wonder aloud if "a plastic bag could keep his 'furs' dry".

I assured him we could always do a quick blow dry if he got snowy and wet... but, he didn't ... even though he fell off a couple of times. I just stuck him over the heat grate for 10 minutes... he liked that too.

I've got 4 foot snow banks where I shovelled the 17 inches of new snow out of the patio area....it was a gruelling hours work for me ... .....

he played..........

Happy Teddy Bear Tuesday

"Bumblebearies"

I've been grappling with creativity lately. It used to come so easy. I seldom really thought about the process. It just happened. Often it was fueled simply by reacting to impulsive instinct. In that sense it wasn't so much about getting into a creative frame of mind so much as getting into an activity that was likely to yield creative results. Much like priming a pump. Once started, it required no further input. In the first weeks of the quarantine all of that went out the window. I was preoccupied for one, and creative pursuits seemed a low priority in the larger scheme of things. Also opportunities were limited and at first I was hesitant to even bring the camera out of the house. Everything just felt different. I took to shooting furtively, and even trying to conceal the fact that I was carrying a camera. I've since relaxed quite a bit. There's still tension but not nearly as extreme as it was. Opportunities are still limited, but often the biggest limitation is the mind. My impulsiveness has returned. I'm more apt now to act in the moment. I thought the societal shutdown might actually be a good time to explore situations that I might otherwise have shunned. Such was the case the other day when I encountered this figurine. The classic Virgin Mary funerary statue. I passed a small cemetery on my way home for the millionth time and suddenly veered around and drove back to check it out. I had seen several Virgin Mary figurines from the road and one seemed to beckon me in. However up close it seemed dull and rather featureless. But a couple of rows over I noticed this figurine standing in a puddle or rain water. It was as if her gown was drenched from the puddle but she was undaunted. Sometimes these figurines look utterly plastic and unrealistic while others are imbued with lifelike character and emotion. This one was as expressive as any I've seen. The effect was striking and highlighted by the low sun angle and ominous clouds. I was at first annoyed by the sun glare, but ultimately realized that it was transforming the scene.

maligayang kapistahan reyna ng peninsula ng bataan.

it had been more than 3yrs now since i first saw the Birhen Milagrosa. and when my mother told me that before the Indu this was the venerated virgin of the townfolks of floridablanca, i secretly wished that I would be given the chance to see her up close... to have the chance to see details of her lovely eyes and of her nino... to have the special privilege for a beso mano...to have a quiet time with her just as when she visits me in my dreams...

3 yrs of long wait...

i requested friends from balanga, orani and lubao to help me get in contact with her florist, "tagabagbihis," or whoever will help me have a closer view of her... two yrs ago friends gave me schedules of her monthly vesting but for the countless reasons that i had, i still didn't had the chance to visit her during the said times...

many of my prayers that were uttered at her shrine were granted except this request.. =)

then came june of 2010 when my lolo became bedridden because of his illness... i once again started my visits to her shrine, praying that lolo be granted healing... it was then that this dream of seeing her face to face resurfaced... then i waited for the Virgin to "call me" instead of me making plans...

one busy night after visiting lolo, a friend from orani informed me that certain friends from pampanga will be given the chance to see her actual vesting, i was hesitant at first to join them... baka naman kasi magmukhang pinagpipilitan ko ang isang bagay na di naman talaga pede mangyari... but these friends invited me to join them and... needless to say... my dream was realized when they allowed us to take pics and i was given the priviledge to join her at her altar...

i would like to share with you these pics... this is how she looked at me face to face... in all her radiance and beauty!!! moreover, I saw the holy innocence of the child Jesus.

VIVA LA VIRGEN MILAGROSA!!!

I'm hesitant to say this before May 1st, but I think spring has come to New England now, so I wanted to post one last snow photo because I love winter so much, and I already miss the snow.

This is Fat Bear Week. From Sept. 29 to Oct. 5 the public has a chance to vote on which bear in the Brooks Falls area is fattest. One of the candidates is Chunk, shown here chowing down on a salmon to improve his chances of victory.

From the National Park Service:

"Chunk is a large adult male with narrowly-set eyes, a prominent brow ridge, and a distinctive scar across his muzzle. Even at his leanest, Chunk carries substantial fat reserves, especially on his hind quarters. In early summer he tends to shed much of the fur around his shoulders and neck. This gives him a two-toned appearance and exposes numerous scars and wounds. By late summer, his newly grown fur is dark brown.

Chunk was first identified in 2007 as an independent, chunky-looking two and half year-old bear. Since then, he’s grown to become one of the largest adults at Brooks River. He was estimated to weigh more than 1,200 pounds (544 kg) in September 2020.

Chunk ranks among the most dominant bears at Brooks River. This allows him greater access to mating opportunities and fishing spots. Like most large bears, Chunk is not hesitant to challenge and displace others from the resources he wants. However, his behavior can also be enigmatic. He may wait patiently to scavenge leftover salmon and even play with other bears. These are two uncommon behaviors for a dominant bear to display. Due to his size and strength, Chunk is poised to take advantage of opportunities not available to most other bears. Yet, it is only by observing his full range of behaviors that we can get a true sense of his individuality."

Here's the link to the website for info and voting. explore.org/fat-bear-week

I was hesitant to include this one, but within the series it represents the transition of light, where direct sun is beginning to light the landscape. It was the bit of blazing colour on the tops of a few trees that caught my attention. Pretty much impossible to really render even close to how it was seen by eye at the time, as tips of the trees were very much brighter and more intense than the rest of the scene. Short of desaturating everything else and making it all even darker than I did I found this to be the best compromise.

It is kind of like the problem of trying to hold colour in a setting sun while still making it appear very much brighter than other elements in the scene.

A wee bit about the area. This pond used to be great to find both beaver and muskrat, but with the very low level of water, out of the frame to the right there are a couple of holes in the bank that are now completely exposed, which I assume were dens of muskrats. Although I have seen muskrats here recently, nothing like the numbers nor with the regularity of before, and can only recall seeing beaver a couple of times here this summer. Having said that, Beaver are clever architects and may figure out a way of making it all work. The tree to the right center with many branches sticking up has only been there a very short time, so maybe they are already at work on a pond reno.

The departures screen flickered for a moment and changed. Gate 12; and if we were in any doubt it was immediately assuaged as a massed scrum of pensioners began to head towards it, dragging Ali and I along with them in their midst. On our previous visit to Madeira, sixteen years earlier, the only couple who looked to be of a similar age to ourselves were wearing matching jumpers. Not long before the return I'd admired the chunky navy blue cable knit sweater she'd bought in one of her charity shop expeditions and hastily made an acquisition of my own so that in the event of one of us getting lost, they could be returned to the other without delay. We needed to make sure we fitted the demographic after all - especially now we're no longer in youth's full bloom. This time we would be firmly among the majority - couples of a certain age dominating the departure lounge, with just the odd family gazing at the hardy looking pensioners around them and wondering whether they should have gone to Magaluf instead of Funchal. It's not the sort of island you come to for a beach holiday, but don't forget your walking poles. A floating garden that bursts forth extravagantly from the sea, and filled with flowers it plunges up into the clouds where the Laurisilva forest waits for the more adventurous visitors to explore its depths along the levadas and mountain trails. A hiker's dream. A photographer's paradise.

"We've just left the coast at Porto, so we should be arriving in about ninety minutes." Our captain's announcement reminded us just how far away our destination was from the rest of the world, a few hundred miles west of the coast of Morocco. I carried on reading my book - we'd be there soon enough and all of the worrying had come to nought. More than two years and one pandemic after our last overseas adventure and the prospect of the journey itself had become a three headed monster in our minds. But check in, security and boarding had been pretty much like it ever was - better in fact because it was quiet and the plane wasn't completely full. The only thing that was different from before was that everyone was wearing a mask, and we're used to that anyway of course. Originally these two flights, booked in September 2019 had been bound for Seville the following summer, so that we could explore the Costa da Luz of South Western Spain. When Covid put paid to that, and our airline having realised that they'd need to offer some flexibility if they wanted to keep their customers coming back in the future, those flights morphed into a visit to Porto and a motorhome rental to potter around the northern mountains and centre of Portugal. When it became clear that this wasn't going to happen either, at around the same time that Nigel Danson had shared his visit to Madeira over three consecutive weekends, I decided it was time to return to Funchal. And then we waited, more in hope that expectation. It was only about four weeks before the outbound flight with the restrictions in the UK easing and the island keen to welcome visitors that we booked the hire car and paid for the airport parking.

The first thing I always notice when we arrive in what Ali calls "a nice place" (by which she means somewhere warm) is the creaking of cicadas coming from every hillside and verge, welcoming the weary traveller to a more gentle climate than the cold February landscape they left behind. It's a sound that forever brings a joyful sense of calmness, especially at the end of a long winter at home, seen out by a volley of inhospitable storms. Even in the evening, more than an hour after sunset the air feels warm - much warmer in fact than we've felt at home for four months or more. Winter may bring wonderful light to the photography community in Cornwall, but I just wanted to feel the soft breaths of spring again now.

As we drove the car across Funchal, the heavy rains we'd remembered a holiday rep refer to as the city's irrigation system stirred the windscreen wipers into a quick march. Everywhere you drive in Madeira is either a steep uphill or a perilous descent as you hesitantly dab the brake pedal at regular intervals. If I ever need to go back to work I've already decided I'll retrain as a car mechanic and move to Funchal, specialising in brake pads and clutch replacement servicing - the market for it here must be insatiable. One minute you're cruising merrily down an incline in sixth gear, and then a few seconds later you're labouring up a near vertical slope in third, wondering whether you'll need to change down again before you reach the crest.

An hour of alternating sixth gear with third later we arrived here, at Porto Moniz on the northwest tip of the island. The final long climb out of the small coastal resort took us to our base for the first week, high above the sea, almost in the clouds, a perfect recipe for life on this most extraordinary island. The following day I would begin to gather my first shots over the seascape that in many ways reminded me of home - with the exception that it was ten degrees more agreeable and everyone around us was speaking Portuguese. I'd remembered how powerful the sea was here from a day trip all those years ago, and the image of those big rollers smashing into the black lava rocks and flooding the lido had made a big impression and made the place an obvious choice for a longer visit. It felt wonderful to be at large in the wider world again at last. The floating garden had lived up to expectations.

Europe, The Netherlands, Zuid Holland, Den Haag, Kunstmuseum, P.H. Berlage, Dick Braeckman, 5 B&W photos. People (uncut)

Walking thru the Kunstmuseum The Hague, formerly Gemeentemuseum The Hague) it is sometimes difficult to choose to focus on the delightful early modernist Berlagian flow of space and light or the artworks on display. Luckily there’s photography to balance things out and have it both ways, like in the pic shown here – a light court doing its magic.

Check out Hendrik van Leeuwen's text below to learn about Dirk Braeckman and this work. Thanx Hendrk, also for your narration during the visit to the museum.

“Dirk Braeckman (born in 1958 and closely associated with Ghent) felt that painting was not for him. Just as Odysseus was lured to the rocks by the song of the Sirens, an inner voice lured him to the darkroom of photography. To the magician's chamber that Dutch enthusiasts abbreviate to 'doka'. He felt at home there. Classical rules about tonal value, focus and composition were soon thrown overboard. He started painting with lamps and chemicals, in an increasingly larger format.

What drives a person? Dirk Braeckman does not want to know when he works, but he too must have core images from his youth that do not let him go. He tells us hesitantly about his father. “Unlike me, he was very sporty. He liked to dive deep into the sea. As a child, I often went with him. I would sit on the shore for hours waiting. Or worse, on a boat far out at sea. He didn’t notice it, but I never knew when he would surface again.””

This is number 309 of the Museum and 490 of interiors.

This parent was hesitant to feed it's young inside as this paparazzi could hear them calling to be fed.

I was very hesitant to post this, but the fact that this is real won out.

Many times when walking through abandoned places I have come across scenes like this, crack pipes, heroin wrappers, needles, dime bags and a plethora of other shit. This place however shocked me because of the sheer volume...the amount of people and the amount of time (years) that it would take to accumulate the mounds of trash laying around.

It was sad. To think that people are cast into the shadows, literally held up in their own private prisons (mentally and physically)...well it's a thing that people probably shouldn't dwell on.

Ignorance is bliss.

And I understand if this photo offends. The scene offended me.

But don't doubt that it is real. This is someone's existence.

Layne's Fund

After already chasing 608 earlier in the day, I was hesitant to head out for 610. But, since the Blue & Golds wont be around forever and they were bringing a transformer H&W load south, I set up at Horton Cove in Montville. here's 610 heading south, nearing New London with the pair of 38's.

I was hesitant to get too close. Heavily cropped

Westwold, B.C.

I had been seeing these yellow flowers around for a while growing wild but was hesitant to call them canola (or rapeseed in Europe) because, well, they were growing wild. I didn't think we grew it around here but seeing this in an irrigated field convinced me that we do. :-)

You can see some of the big irrigation sprinklers going on the right side of the field and straight ahead as well. My next shot is a closeup of the pipes in action for the benefit of some Flickr friends who had never seen these before.

I went to Elk Island Nat. Park this past Saturday morning to check on how the ponds were coming along as far as thawing. I knew it would be busy as temperatures were expected to soar to around room temperature, and they did, and it was as busy as I could remember ever seeing the park. Tons of people, and lots of large groups with very few people wearing masks...arghh!!!

But enough of that. It was a very clear and sunny day, and I believe that humidity was very low, so the sky was quite blue. Of course in my normal style of processing I have taken advantage of a blue sky and have pushed it to what I consider a still tasteful limit. No polarizer, just exposure and processing.

In the sky were what I believe were a few contrails that were being shaped by winds and they made for some great skies, but I did find them tough to compose with.

On the subject of composition, I was hesitant to post this one, especially as an introductory image to this series, but I still really like it. I liked the ice and I liked the sky and of course I liked how the sun is between the contrails, but overall I find the image very very busy.

Now to get to the point of the series, the thawing ice. For the most part the large ponds and lakes at the park are still frozen with exception of the very edges. Very small and very shallow ponds are open, but as far as waterfowl go it is still practically zilch at the park. It seems that one finds more in small ponds or even ditches on the way to the park, but that will change quite quickly. Although I saw only Geese walking on ice, I did spot a couple of Muskrats swimming in open water along the edge of two ponds.

So there you have it. I am not sure how many images the series will contain, but I do know that future posts will have a much shorter description. Thanks for bearing with me.

Good Sunday Morning Folks, I was a little hesitant to post this image, obviously injured and not in good shape, but would like the opinion of the people out there as to what they thing the injury, besides this was on of the very last images of 2017, time to move on to some of 2018's of which I am pretty happy about, tough shooting conditions, but happy just the same.

Have a great day and thank you very much for visiting.

I was hesitant to upload this due to lack of focal interest - taken at The Loughor Estuary last evening.

The open-hearth furnaces of Bethlehem Steel in Bethlehem Pennsylvania dormant since they last were fired up in 1995 were once producing an average of 23 million tons of steel per year during the 1950’s as Europe and much of the world rebuilt after the ravages of World War II. However during the economic downturns of the late 1970’s, newer more effective technologies became available as Germany and Japan rebuilt their steel industries and the top brass of Bethlehem Steel was hesitant to change to a newer technology because the hit the company’s bottom line would take a gamble that signaled the end of one of America largest manufacturers and employers. The furnaces with much rust have been preserved, the Steel Stacks as a testament to the industry that shaped the region. Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark 1 Olympus Zuiko 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 Digital ED SWD Lens MMF-3 Micro Fourthirds Adapter. #developportdev @gothamtomato @developphotonewsletter @omsystem.cameras #excellent_america #omsystem @bheventspace @bhphoto @adorama @tamracphoto @tiffencompany #usaprimeshot #tamractales @kehcamera @mpbcom #omd #olympus #microfourthirds #olympusphotography #micro43 #micro43photography @steelstacks_pa @museumofindustry @visitpa @lehighvalleypa

Must have rocked the house down! This beauty was found in a house so decayed and leaning we were hesitant to enter but figured it will last one more day, hopefully!

a very young female Kudu approaches a waterhole at Kgalagadi, she was extremely cautious from the outset and when she saw me, froze in this pose...before she hesitantly continued forward to drink

in the quiet echo of the arched passageways, two figures wander, lost or maybe found in a moment that entwines them with the shadows and stone. their steps, light and almost hesitant, trace the lines of a story laid down by centuries. it’s a simple tale of now meeting then, their pale forms a stark contrast to the deep, enduring walls built long before their whispered words filled these chambers. this scene, a fleeting capture of life’s quiet embraces, resonates with the timelessness of human connections, drawing us into the frame, asking us to listen, to dwell a moment longer in the dance of light and darkness.

Finally managed to get out on what I would consider to be one of our normal adventures, some astro work and a wonderful place to watch a sunrise. I have been hesitant to go back to this location as my only other visit was probably the most perfect morning of photography that I have had, It wasn't as good but still very good.

Hello friends,

Something new from me. I was hesitant about posting this as this my first attempt at this type of photography and edit. But when I saw the back of my camera after taking it I knew I had to try. I should get better at these types of pictures since I never seem to sleep at night anyway. First time for everything!

I was listening to Stairway to Heaven when I started the process of posting this and had it titled as such. But the more I thought about it the more cliche it sounded. It does remind me of something similar to that though. Perhaps some of you will catch the reference to the title :) Even though it is imperfect in a million times I think the only way to see growth is by posting pictures along the way. It's astonishing to look back and see how we grow. I do that often with people here I follow. Some of you have been with me since the very beginning in my very humble efforts. Flickr will always be my first love when it comes to community. I have never experienced the same type of encouragement anywhere else that I experience here. Thank you for being with me on this journey, for growing with me and never failing to inspire me.

Love always,

Rachel

This small greenbul is unusually plain, even by the standards of greenbuls. It does show a rusty tinge to the tail. Found in the understory and mid-story of forest, thickets, and overgrown cultivation. Skulking bird that is difficult to see well, but which is often common. Usually detected by distinctive song, which starts with hesitant introductory notes, then finishes with an explosive, bubbling jumble of notes. Very similar to several other greenbul species. Best distinguished by a combination of vocalizations and lack of a pale eye-ring.

Ankasa National Park, Ghana. March 2019.

Is there a phobia that specifies a fear of slimy underwater life touching your feet? If so, I have that.

This is a photo of Washington's most famous mountain, Mt Rainier. This was taken last year on one of the first hikes we were able to go on after I moved back to WA. I was keeping an eye on the weather and noticed some pretty good conditions down by Rainier so I decided to go and check it out. I had not been on this hike before, but it is a popular one so I was hesitant about the crowds. It was a weekday and was pretty much empty so that was very welcome. It is a steep hike and was pretty grueling with a pack full of camera equipment. When we got to the top, the view was awesome and the clouds were perfect! The sky was clear to the west so I was really hoping that the sky would get some good color. I picked out my spot to shoot from and sure enough the light was good and the clouds lit up! This ended up being a focus stacked panorama, consisting of a total of 31 images. In full resolution the image is really impressive! Overall, its a little dark, but as a print it would really shine (I think). This was a great trip that I really want to try again.

Consonance and dissonance.

I the body would be sharing certain events cached in its data files.

I shall remove the text if anybody feels hurt, offended or humiliated by its contents.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This):

In my teens, pretty engaged with professional singing, I was eager to try anything that would help me improve.

It was indeed a challenge to stretch my vocal cords in a residential area, and so I decided to give it a try at the local beach. That didn't work, as I soon realised that it's absurd to sit somewhere at the beach and sing aloud. I even doubted that fishers and other visitors to the beach would drop coins near me if I dare try. Finally, I managed to find the right place. Yes, in a boat!

I started visiting the local boat club all alone, hire a rowing boat and row it in the backwaters, as far away as possible from the shore. It became a routine that I would reach the boat club by 3 pm and return by 5 pm.

Most often, I would be the only rower at the specified time slot. The audience consisted of cormorants, egrets, cranes, ducks and moorhens, and I believe I was not a trouble for them. Occasionally a train would vroom through the railway overbridge far above the lake.

The songs I used to scream/sing were ' Sweet Dreams ' and 'Missionary Man'. As my countertenor is close to Annie Lennox's contralto, I preferred singing those Eurythmics songs. Both of them have a punchy rhythm that perfectly goes along with the rowing tempo. In between, 'Let it Be' or 'Eight Days a Week' by The Beatles, 'Still Loving You' by Scorpions, 'Rosanna' by Toto or 'The House Of The Rising Sun' by The Animals, once a day. Occasionally, I 'tried' a few songs of Freddie Mercury and M.K.Thyagaraja Bhagavathar (mostly Amba Manam Kaninthu).

My rowing wont continued for several months till about the onset of the monsoon rains.

Being a daily visitor, the secretary of YMCA who is in charge of the boat club used to have friendly chats with me and once I revealed my honest intention to him, as he drew curious to know why I'm rowing all alone.

Those days, I have often seen a lady, probably in her late forties, at the boat club premises. Sari-clad and carrying a handbag, she had a charming, graceful face. I saw her eagerly observing my activities and watching me until I moved out of sight from the coast. Seldom when I return, I could see her waiting at the shore as if she's expecting someone.

One cloudy evening as I reached the boat club, as usual, I saw her sitting at the shore gazing at the lake. After signing the register at the office, I walked towards the boats, with the oars handed over to me from the office. On seeing me, she stood up and hesitantly approached me with a smile. Though she had her head covered with the palla of her purple sari, a sudden heavy breeze blew a wisp of her hair on to her forehead. Clearing her forehead and adjusting the drape, she asked," Son, where are you from?". When I introduced myself, she apologised for dawdling my time and politely asked me whether I can spare some time to lend an ear to her. I said it's all right, and she said, "Please come," and walked towards a large tree in the compound. We sat on the concrete around the tree seat, and straight away, she asked, "Son, you come here to sing, right?". While I smiled, she continued rather hastily, "Do you know the song 'Manjil Virinja Poove '? " I said, "Yes, I sing it", and I could see her face brighten. She said, " I don't want to waste your time." Pointing to a spot bit far from the shore, almost below the railway overbridge, she said," Many years back, a person dear to me drowned there. He loved this place, and he used to sing. Today is his birthday. Can you please do me a favour?". Perplexed, before I could answer, pointing to the spot that she showed earlier, she continued," When you reach that spot, can you please sing that song for him?. It was his favourite song." As I sat stupefied for a while, I even forgot what I am there for when she abruptly shook my shoulder and repeated the question. I said, "Don't worry, I'll do that", and I could see her soul through her tear-filled eyes. I got up and walked towards the boat as I saw her whimpering uncontrollably.

I know the song very well, and I often sing it, but I have never sung any song in such an exigent situation. Oblivious of what I am doing, I unfastened the boat and set off from the shore with involuntary movements. Even though I was far from the coast, I didn't sing my usual songs.

I could see the dark clouds looming, along with heavy winds.

In a soliloquy, I asked," Does Nature read one's mind?" and I turned to check whether she is watching me from the shore. No, she's not there. Perhaps she's communicating with her beloved, else crying her heart out. I nearly reached the place that she pointed to, and I sang the song in my sonority. Felt that my regular audience is more attentive than usual, felt everything around, and the whole eternity is listening keenly. As I stopped rowing, the vessel just drifted along the lake. Back to my senses, I took control of the boat and thought of returning.

I was pretty sure that she would be waiting underneath the tree, awaiting my return and was keen to inform her that I fulfilled her desire. Eager to see her smile, quickly I fastened the boat to the shore and hurriedly walked towards the tree. No, she was not there. It started drizzling when I came out of the office after handing over the oars. With the song still reverberating in my mind, I left the place as the drizzle turned to a downpour.

The next day, another sunny day, I reached the boat club as usual and set out with my routine exercise. I sang my songs aloud as always and returned by about 5 pm, as earlier. That day, I inquired about her to the secretary. He said she's a frequent visitor and usually keeps gazing at the lake for hours. Though not clear about the circumstances of the death of her lover, he's sure it's drowning, and it occurred rightly at the spot that she pointed. He said that she remained a spinster following the death of her beloved, and people say she's mad.

I continued my routine for a few more weeks, and I nevermore saw that lady again. Soon the monsoon showers followed, and my rowing and singing practice stopped forever. Later one day I visited the boat club and found a new secretary has taken charge. I walked towards the lake and found that the rowing boats have vanished. It was a sunny day, and the lake appeared to be smiling in glee.

Very soon, the sky turned dark and cloudy. A heavy wind blew away dead leaves and fallen flowers from the ground as I walked back humming 'Manjil Virinja Poove '.

"Sweet Dreams are made of this, Everybody's looking for something."

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Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This): Sweet Dreams

Manjil Virinja Poove: Manjil Virinja Poove

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© 2020 Anuj Nair. All rights reserved.

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Anuj Nair's Official Blog

www.anujnair.net

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© 2020 Anuj Nair. All rights reserved.

All images are the property of Anuj Nair. Using these images without permission is in violation of international copyright laws (633/41 DPR19/78-Disg 154/97-L.248/2000).All materials may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed,posted or transmitted in any forms or by any means,including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording without written permission of Anuj Nair. Every violation will be pursued penally.

This is a policeman i happened to chat with at the Shalmar Gardens at Srinagar. He looked quite scary and i was a lil hesitant to speak with him, but once i spoke with him he was kind enough to pose for me !

The coast has been my bread and butter for outdoor photography. Even though over the years I have visited and attempted to photograph most of the coastal areas in my vicinity, I am always on the lookout for somewhere new that I may have missed. I was initially hesitant coming here, but this stretch of beach was quite phenomenal with the conditions Aaron and I had this evening. The multitude of sea stacks reminded me of the Oregon coast and there were plenty of compositions to attempt. The sunset light lasted a while as I worked my way across the beach at different spots. This was the final composition I tried and it ultimately was my favorite of the evening.

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Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba)

/ Birds of the Tidal Meadow

Lo, slick as wet thoughts slipping from stone, at lifting of wing a white like sudden shore break! bright slash upon the sea’s dark page. No hesitant seabird, she rides the tide and dives; a small, stern swimmer, exploring secret corridors where kelp and surge keep slow counsel.

On jagged edges, the teeth of islands, in harbor’s shadow and lee of old breakwater, she nests like a hermit in rock hollow, under pier, in crumbling crevice of sand swept bluff ; one white egg, guarded by two tireless bodies, parents trading watch like sentries of the deep.

She feeds on living currents of sand lance, herring, sculpin, and crustaceans, the quicksilver of forage-fish taken by sudden plunge, pursued beneath the surface, flying underwater with wing and foot, then returned, a shining gift to the waiting throat of chick or mate.

Mark her feet, red as secret flame beneath wet plumage. Hear the soft, insistent notes she gives - whistling peeps and thin cries that stitch rock and foam into swirling maps, her sounds like a ship sending beacons through the fog between this and the underworld - singing of abyssal topography beyond the reach of mortals.

O hardy little mariner of cliff and quay, you teach the economy of seas: taking and giving, patient love's labor feeding the next small life. Both island and messenger, you remind the shore-bound that everywhere life plies its quiet trade, there is beauty to behold.

Seen but not heard in the reeds at The National Botanic Gardens of Wales. I've been hesitant in uploading this because there's a part of his beak hidden behind one of the reeds,

Shell Creek Rd.,

Eastern San Luis Obispo Co., California

I'm a bit hesitant to post this, since I was sheltering afield on Friday. But, in honor of the upcoming Earth Day.

I was hesitant to even do anything with these shots as everyone had pretty much the same thing. I finally got around to it and wanted it to stand out from the rest somehow so I blended the two exposures (the flag light is super bright) and went crazy with the orton effect action I made long ago...

Brookfield and Upper Brookfield are rural western suburbs of Brisbane, nestling in the valley behind Mt Coot-tha. A delightful place, with its own little showground and a licensed country store (for serving/selling alcohol) with a delightful eatery. Just a little scary though, because the further up the road you go to Gold Creek Reservoir, the more rural and forested it gets, still with many homes and properties nestled in the bush and the day we were there, it was a total fire ban day during the recent bush fires. Had a fire erupted, the consequences do not bear thinking about. We were even hesitant driving up the road, but we had never been there before.

Happy Fence Friday.

Brookfield/Upper Brookfield, Brisbane, Queensland.

Archilochus colubris

Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area

Cape May, NJ

As pumped as I was about seeing my first male ruby-throated hummingbird sporting an actual ruby-throat (yes, really), I was hesitant to post this given how much of a dog's breakfast the scenery is.

Still, I can't help but be impressed by the R7's ability to lock-on to the eye of a walnut-sized bird through a mess of vines and branches. Whoever came up with the AF system on this camera is the greatest hero I've ever known. Sorry, fireman who pulled me out of the burning wreckage. I guess SOMEBODY should've gone back to get my iPod like I asked them to.

The original Agfa Rodinal (and the newly produced Adox Rodinal/Adonal) beats any other film developer when it's comes to shelf life (and performance). Opened more than 1 year ago it still does it's work, although looking very old with a black-brown colour that makes you hesitant. Don't be hesitant, it will for sure work, trust me. As it did when it was new, to the last drop.

Here's to amazing chemistry :-)

I don't suppose anything can really prepare you for your first sunrise in Arches National Park. Like most landscape photographers, I had seen dozens of photos before I arrived, but I was still hesitant to give up on Toroweap after it looked like our weenie SUV officially wouldn't make it out there. So when Eric Gail suggested making the trip up to Arches a couple of weeks ago, inwardly I was thinking "Well...it's not exactly the Grand Canyon, is it?"

So in case you are wondering, the answer is yes,,,and no. It is JUST as mind blowing as the Grand Canyon, but in completely different ways. But it was only after I arrived at the park that I truly understood this. Eric and I hadn't planned on sunrise here at all that weekend, and because of this, we hadn't thoroughly scouted out the area before arriving. At 1 AM, we finally asked our new friend Scott Wakefield (who had been shooting up in Arches for several years) where the good sunrise spots were. We knew that Delicate Arch would be crowded and we also knew that Eric probably wouldn't be able to make it out there given the condition of his foot. Scott's next suggestion was to shoot the Windows. Eric was pretty much thumbs down on this as we had just shot the sunset from this location, but Scott and I ganged up on him and he finally relented.

So after just a few of hours of sleep back at the campground, we woke up at 5 AM and hurriedly drove back across the park to the Windows. I hit the ground running as I already had my spot picked out and wanted to beat the crowd. It looked like we had a decent sky to work with and both Eric and I shot like crazy before all of the pink was gone from the sky that morning.

We were feeling pretty satisfied with out shots....and then the sun came out from behind the clouds. You could hear a collective gasp from all of the photographers who by now had gathered around the North Window and then it was nothing but clicking shutters. It was one of those mornings where you could clearly hear the angels singing.

After a while, the sun went back behind the clouds and most of the photographers began heading off for a well earned breakfast. Eric and I began to make our way back to the car when suddenly the sun broke through the clouds again. I wheeled around and quickly took this shot before the sun disappeared. This was definitely one of those moments where the Rokinon 12 mm really came in handy as it pulled both the arch and some of the foreground into the shot.

Lastly...10 points if you can find the lone figure on the right side enjoying the view from her fantastic vantage point. It truly was an incredible morning, and as I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, Arches is like crack for landscape photographers. I can't wait to head back there for my next fix.

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Thank you so much for your views and comments! If you have specific questions please be sure to send me a message via flickr mail, or feel free to contact me via one of the following:

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I think the Wattlebird at the back looks like he's about to pounce ;-)

Happy EOFY!

On a side note: Has any of my Aussie Flickr friends been connected to the NBN (National Broadband Network) yet? My house has just become eligible but I'm a bit hesitant because I've heard a lot of nightmare stories.. keen to hear your experiences - Thanks!.

I do feel a little hesitant offering this photo depicting a true Highland giant bereft of its normal snowy 'crowning glory'.

The scene is undoubtedly a enthralling one; but with more than a trace of melancholy in tow.

"The fog of the mind will steal your clarity, making you trust in the worlds of fantasy." Manisha Mishra.

Due to limited time and considering the large number of interesting places near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, I was hesitant to include this town in our trip to Bavaria. However, I decided to select a small number of locations to visit and photograph here, hoping to return one day in the future with more time. Of the two days we had, the first one was completely wet, with constant rain throughout the day, so our plans were totally affected.

For this reason, we had to change our sunset visit to the Geroldsee to the next sunrise. This alpine landscape was the destination that I most longed to photograph in this area. Once there, as darkness began to give way to twilight, the mist began to lift and dance across the lake in a magical way, gradually revealing the mountains and wooden cabins. Although sunrises are always a challenge, they have given me some of the most unforgettable moments of my life, so I will continue to trust in them to capture the fantasy worlds that they hide.

Our YouTube Travel Video with Behind the Scenes of this picture:

youtu.be/BsVwXy8UK94

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"La niebla de la mente robará tu claridad, haciéndote confiar en los mundos de fantasía". Manisha Mishra.

Debido al tiempo limitado y considerando la gran cantidad de lugares interesantes cerca de Garmisch-Partenkirchen, dudé si incluir este pueblo en nuestro viaje a Baviera. Sin embargo, decidí seleccionar un número reducido de localizaciones para visitar y fotografiar aquí, esperando volver algún día en el futuro con más tiempo. De los dos días que disponíamos, el primero fue totalmente pasado por agua, con lluvia constante durante todo el día, viéndose nuestros planes trastocados.

Por esta razón, tuvimos que cambiar nuestra visita durante el atardecer al Geroldsee para el amanecer siguiente. Este paisaje alpino era el destino que más anhelaba fotografiar en esta zona. Una vez allí, cuando la oscuridad comenzó a dar paso al crepúsculo, la niebla empezó a levantarse y bailar sobre el lago de una forma mágica, revelando poco a poco las montañas y las cabañas de madera. Aunque los amaneceres son siempre un desafío, me han dado algunos de los momentos más inolvidables de mi vida, por lo que seguiré confiando en ellos para capturar los mundos de fantasía que esconden.

Hello friends! Took this picture at one of my favorite places for sunsets here in my neck of the woods. It was so beautiful that night, I thought i would go for a longer exposure. Really liked the way this one turned out ☺️ I hope you all are well… I’ve recently discovered a different platform other than instagram that I’ve been using and really enjoy. It’s a mix between Instagram and Flickr. Maybe you’ve heard of VERO? I’m really enjoying that! Lately when I post here which isn’t very often, I get a lot of bots and spam on my posts and sometimes messages too. Does that happen to anyone else? I love Flickr and always will. Don’t plan on deleting from here whatsoever but am uploading more and interacting more on my VERO account. If your over there please don’t hesitant to say hi ❤️❤️ user name is - mysticbliss or you can look up my regular name Rachel Brokaw. Or feel free to say hi here as well much love always, Rachel

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Instagram - @rachelbrokawphotography

VERO- @mysticbliss

A huemul stag wanted to cross the stream for the richer grazing on the other side, but was a bit hesitant about crossing the faster deeper water on the far side of the Estero Mallines O Paso las Mulas and turned back toward the near shore where I was standing. Carretara Austral, Patagonia.

20/06/2021 www.allenfotowild.com

From the archives. I'm always hesitant to post shots from here because there are already so many... But I like this spot so I'm sharing it.