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I'm starting to feel that this is "our" Spinebill, as he visits the garden every day. In this instance, he was taking cover in the Deua Grevillea while a Noisy Miner was on patrol.
Amidst the dynamic ecosystem of Lagos Yaguacaca, the Great Egret (Ardea alba) stands as a beacon of tranquility. This photograph captures the bird in its poised vigilance, a sentinel in the marshes. The egret's stark white plumage, set against the dense greenery of Leticia, Colombia, illustrates the bird's adaptation to its wetland habitat. The striking yellow beak, a sliver of color, punctuates the scene, drawing the viewer's eye to the bird's elegant profile.
In this frame, my focus was on isolating the egret's form to emphasize its role within the ecosystem. It's a moment that speaks to the egret's solitary nature and its prowess as a hunter. The composition is a deliberate balance of color and space, inviting contemplation on the simplicity and complexity of nature. As a conservation photographer, these are the instances I seek to share, hoping to bridge the distance between our human experience and the natural world.
©2023 Adam Rainoff
Recording that instance before the Deluge.
"Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house."
Matthew 5:15
I shot this picture during a demo at one of my recent London workshops, which was rare for me as I do not typically jump up to shoot a self-portrait while teaching. This particular instance, however, seemed to call for it as I very much wanted long blonde hair. Granted my hair isn't *that* long, but it was a compositing demo after all :)
I am always inspired by fairy tales, and in this case Rapunzel came to mind. I was, and periodically find myself, in more playful moods when it comes to photography. I love turning fairy tales dark and putting my own style into it. I want more than anything to create my own fairy tales, which means I am going to work harder than ever at a new series I am developing.
I have an uber-busy week ahead of me, from going to Yosemite, creating test prints for my new show, shooting underwater with new equipment, and the biggest of all, which is that I get to spend the week with one of my best friends who I rarely get to see. I was going to post this picture then, but I anticipate a rain storm of running around like a maniac paired with little sleep :P I love it all, though :)
To read more info about the fundraiser I am hosting for my upcoming trip to India to teach photography to survivors of human trafficking, click here.
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Another instance where the morning light streaming into my flat inspired me to grab a quick photo. Here the shadow frame of the kitchen window provided the perfect opportunity for a silhouette self portrait, complete with my ever growing level of bed hair!
El Monte Park nest and chicks:
They say persistence pays off and in this instance it truly did...
I have always said that a good photographer works very hard at getting unique good images that tell a wonderful story. I happen to get very lucky!!!
If you look back two posts at the two fledgling Red-tail Hawks in their nest I said there was another downstairs in the deep nest. Well going back each day to chronicle their growth and life I got the frame of a lifetime. This folks is the very first flight leaving the nest of "one" of those Red-tailed chicks in that very nest that I posted two posts prior to this one. I am absolutely thrilled to offer this to YOU as the "FIRST FLIGHT OF ONE OF THOSE CHICKS"
This is NOT about me as I am doing the last post a disservice by posting this so early on the back of the last post. But I could not wait to share this epic event with my flickr friend. This is what flickr is all about to me...sharing of great moments in time and this certainly qualifies as a great moment for this new fledgling dropping down out of his security blanket as the adults offered a a meal on a rock as shown in the comment section.
This flight was unintentional as the branch he or she was using to catch air and lift off for practice gave way and he glided out of frame in front of a tree blocking the cameras view onto the ground about 100 yards away. The frame in comments shows him on the rock where the adults left dinner enticing any of the three to leave and come get the spoils. Enjoy I hope as much as I the wonderful event of the first flight...
As always I so appreciate you dropping by and if you choose to leave a comment all the better.
Make it a wonderful week and sore like an Red-tail Hawk in life tossing caution to wind and following your dreams.
Aulne Abbey was a Cistercian monastery between Thuin and Landelies on the Sambre in the Bishopric of Liège in Belgium. Originally it was a Benedictine monastery, founded by Saint Landelinus about 637. Before 974 the Benedictines were replaced by secular clerics leading a common life, who, however, embraced the Rule of St. Augustine in 1144.
At the instance of Henry de Leyen, Bishop of Liège, it came into the hands of Cistercian monks from Clairvaux in 1147, under Franco de Morvaux as its first Cistercian abbot. From that time onwards it flourished as a Cistercian monastery.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aulne_Abbey
Texture by Anna Lenabem: www.flickr.com/photos/42396059@N07/5657797121/in/photolis...
Camper really, really likes to push buttons, turn levers (like here for instance, where he's about to turn off the cold water), open cabinets, drink water from the soap dish (as well as bath, pool, dogie bowl... you name it) and anything else that may cause imminent pain and destruction to himself, others, or personal property.
Strobist: SB-800 at 1/2, shot through a white umbrella a couple of feet behind me. SB-600 at 1/16 shot through diffuser to camera-left.
Here is an example of the benefits of using a program such as Adobe's Lightroom (v2.5 in this instance). I have only used one type of processing within this picture, which is the Local Adjustment filter. This is an excellent tool, as it allows specific editing of points, for example, brightening the forground, whilst still darkening the sky exposure and adding shadow detail to one specific tree.
Originally when I took this photo, I was amazed at the beauty of the view, the colours, the atmopshere, it was almost magical. Yet this was totally lost within the stock output photo. I also happened to be tripod-less at the time, so a quality HDR was going to be out of the picture. I was going to bin this picture finally as I couldn't get the process I needed to bring it back to life..
I have been using lightroom now for multiple versions, and I have only just stumbled on this feature myself whilst perusing Lightroom tutorial videos on a Lightroom group. Anyway, I hope this is informative to people, and can maybe enlighten others as too how some people seem to get such excellent results from almost nothing, or those that don't see how one D40X puts out a picture like the top, and another puts out a picture like the the second... (PS I'm not blowing any trumpets here, I just think the change in picture is somewhat astonishing when some development of the article is actually taken on - after all, photographers for years have been developing in darkrooms, why shouldn't the PC and technological age give us our own "Lightroom"!)...
Please take the time to view large & on black
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Enjoy.. thanks for any comments, always appreciate those of you that take the time to leave comments or suggestions.. ta people :)
Habitat is a “home ground” or an environment in which an organism or group of species normally lives or occurs. In this sense, a habitat is any particular place that supports animal or plant life. From the habitat is where plants or animals get their survival essentialities such as water, food, shelter, and breeding grounds.
Different plant or animal species have different necessities for water, shelter, nesting and food. Thus, each and every plant or animal is adapted to survive in a specific kind of habitat. For instance, some turtles live in the seas while others live on land. Some plants grow in the deserts, some in the seas, and some in swampy areas. This shows different species have different needs. Examples of habitats include oceans, streams, or forests.
When a habitat is dramatically altered due to natural or anthropogenic activities such as earthquakes, agriculture, pollution or oil exploration, these places may no longer be able to provide shelter, food, water, or breeding grounds for the living organisms.
Such kind of events lessens the places where plants or animals such as wildlife can live and threatens the survival of various species. That sort of habitat degradation or fragmentation is what is termed as habitat loss and destruction. Habitat loss and destruction are influenced by several drivers which include:
1. Agriculture
Agricultural production has claimed much space of the natural habitat since settlers began converting forests and grasslands to croplands. In the modern world, the pressure to convert lands into resource areas for producing priced foods and crops has increasingly led to habitat loss.
Runoff of agricultural waste, fertilizers, and pesticides into marine and freshwater environments has also transformed streams and water systems. As a result, there has been a tremendous loss of natural crop species, aquatic life, and wildlife habitat.
2. Animal Waste, Sewage, Fertilizer, and Mining Waste Pollution
Marine and freshwater life forms are the most affected by pollution. Pollutants from animal waste, untreated sewage, fertilizers, pesticides, and heavy metals find way into wetlands and water systems and subsequently end up in the food web.
Animal wastes and fertilizers generate nutrients that cause an outburst in algae growth that depletes dissolved oxygen in aquatic systems. Mining wastes may also contain heavy metals that affect the health and breeding of aquatic organisms. Sewage sediments may destroy dwelling grounds of aquatic animals.
3. Industrial and Automobile Pollution
The majority of animal and plant habitats have been destroyed due to the toxic substances and chemicals emitted from industries and automobiles that pose long-term cumulative impacts on the species health. Seriously polluted regions have become dead zones since the conditions have become very harsh for biotic survival. A prime example is an acidic lake which cannot support aquatic life forms. In some areas, only a few organisms can survive owing to the cumulative effects of industrial and automobile pollution.
4. Water Projects
The development of water projects such as hydropower plants, dam construction, and water diversion frequently disconnect or draw off waters thereby altering water chemistry and hydrology. This is because such water projects limit the amount of water and nutrients running downstream.
The downstream section of the river can dry out and the nutrients supporting aquatic life can significantly reduce. As an outcome, gradual habitat loss happens as the water flows downstream.
5. Land Use and Development
The conversion of lands into urban settings, housing developments, office spaces, shopping malls, industrial sites, parking areas, road networks, and so on takes away the naturally occurring land that provided habitat for wildlife and other living organisms. This practice has substantially led to the loss and destruction of millions of acre of natural habitable environments.
6. Global Warming
Global warming is one of the recent leading causes of habitat loss since it changes the physical environmental factors such as temperature and moisture which are essential for a sustainable habitat.
For instance, wildlife that requires cool temperatures of high elevations such as the rock rabbit and mountain gorillas may in the near future run out of habitat due to global warming. Excessive rains, flooding or drought arising out of global warming have also impacted several habitats, contributing to the loss of wildlife and other living organisms.
7. Diversity Loss and Invasive Species
When a certain ecosystem which is home to numerous species collapse, more aggressive species may enter the territory. As the original species struggle to cope in a harsher environment, the invasive species contributes to a further and rapid decline of the habitat and subsequently dominates.
The explosive entry of invasive species into a habitat presents a strong threat to the native species as they struggle to survive in the increasingly changing environment. Invasive species directly competes for food with the native species and can also alter the structure of the habitat.
8. Vegetation Removal and Logging
Vegetation removal and logging destroy the structure of the habitat since it takes away the vital materials and natural systems responsible for replenishing and purifying the habitat. Removal of vegetation cover and logging also creates room for soil erosion and decrease stormwater infiltration which leads to the degradation of water quality, further destroying the habitat.
9. Dredging and Bottom Trawling Fishing
Dredging and bottom trawling fishing gives rise to the physical destruction of the dwelling, feeding and breeding areas for aquatic plants and animals. The displaced sediments may further smother the bottom dwelling organisms. Fish gills can as well become blocked with sediments and plant life activity is reduced due to limited light.
Dredging might also release underground toxic materials into aquatic habitats. Besides, bottom trawling fishing can by-catch unmarketable fish which turns out to be the food for other bigger fish in that particular underwater habitats.
Inframe :
The greater sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) is a small wader in the plover family of birds.
It breeds in the semi-deserts of Turkey and eastwards through Central Asia. It nests in a bare ground scrape. This species is strongly migratory, wintering on sandy beaches in East Africa, South Asia and Australasia. It is a rare vagrant in western Europe, where it has been recorded as far west as Great Britain, France and Iceland. It has been spotted twice in North America, the most recent being on May 14, 2009, in Jacksonville, Florida.
This species is fully migratory, and is likely to migrate without stopping on a broad front between breeding and non-breeding areas . Migratory flocks form after the end of breeding between mid-June and early-August, and arrive in the wintering grounds between mid-July and November (adults and immature birds arriving before juveniles. Those birds wintering in South-East Asia start moving northwards to the breeding grounds in late-February (the migration peaking in March to early-April), arriving from mid-March to May; whereas those wintering in East Africa and southern Asia depart for breeding grounds from mid-April to early-May. Most non-adult wintering birds remain in the wintering areas during the breeding season . The species is typically gregarious, feeding in flocks of 2-50, and sometimes congregating in groups of up to 1,000 when roosting (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996). Habitat Breeding During the breeding season this species is predominantly found in open, dry, treeless, uncultivated areas up to 3,000 m , including dried mud, silt and clay flats, hard salt-pans overgrown with halophytic plants , and rocky plains near mountains in desert or semi-desert . In Turkey the species frequents heavily grazed saline steppe . The species usually breeds near water but exceptionally it will nest up to 20 km away from it. Non-breeding During the non-breeding season this species shows a preference for littoral habitats with mixed sand and mud substrata . It is found on sheltered sandy, shelly or muddy beaches, large intertidal mudflats, sandbanks, salt-marshes, estuaries, coral reefs, rocky islands, tidal lagoons and dunes near the coast , although it may sometimes feed on coastal grasslands . Whilst on migration the species will occasionally utilise inland habitats such as salt-lakes and brackish swamps, usually roosting on sandbanks and spits . Diet This species is carnivorous: during the breeding season its diet consists mainly of terrestrial insects and their larvae (especially beetles, termites, midges and ants), and occasionally lizards whereas during the non-breeding season its diet contains mainly marine invertebrates such as molluscs (snails), worms and crustaceans (such as shrimps and crabs). Breeding site The nest is a shallow scrape on the ground amongst sand-hills, gravel, or on other barren substrates.
My Nan was a prodigious collector of useless things. For instance, she had 17 rolls of the single ugliest contact paper in creation - a kitchen themed hodgepodge of images. For what purpose did she have it? We don't know. But we know that she never used it because it was still in the wrapper. So the question remains why did she keep it? Why did she keep the 32 vases of fake flowers? We can't know.
(These are the things we miss.)
Well, as usual, I screwed up! In this instance I screwed up big time.
First, I did not pay much attention to my wife telling me there will be light. I said not in California and that too in Bay area.
Second, I did not take the tripod ball head and any other lens than a 20mm F1.8. It was a huge struggle to mount my camera on the gimbal head and adjust the tripod legs to get the right angle. So I wasted much precious time.
Third, I did not know anything about how to photograph auroras. So, stupid me used 30s-60s exposure to get the photos. And this last mistake was the absolute blunder. This is unfixable. My stars are long and my Aurora strikes are not that prominent.
But it was worth experiencing what might be once in a while event. I also went to the nearest darkest area that I know too well. Thankfully, most of the Bay area was busy doing what they do.
The naked eye did not see much other than some faint colors. But a 60s exposure did gather a lot of the hue of the Aurora. I am told this hue is not often seen.
A rare instance of level and almost centered framing from a moving car. I was driving, so I only took a fleeting glance as I held the camera out to the side at arm's length. I did crop it some on the right side to put the tree more in the center, but made no other adjustments. The odd sky color must be the result of shooting through a dusty window. I like how opaque the sky looks and that the tree is in focus, also a hit or miss phenomenon in drivebys.
Everything wakes up hungry. When asked..."How did you get that shot"...this is most often my answer. In this instance a breeding pair of Bald eagles depart the roost in search of breakfast.
I planted several varieties of zinnias this spring, none of which were marked on their packets as being curly-petaled. There were, though, some marked "goliath", whose blooms have proved to be so petite that if I had seen them in passing at a florist or maybe in a neighbor's garden, I'd have inquired about them, curious at the "teacup" breeding.
Not being a picky person when it comes to these things, my focus being more on preventing the plants' premature death, I have been quite overjoyed at the surprises I've been coming home to each day. (Fun fact: If one is looking for validation in the "adulting" department, I highly recommend growing flowers from seeds. It's exceptionally helpful at dulling the pain of life's hum-drum happenings, like, for instance, not getting the laundry done, taking way too long to correct the grammar in one's sister's college paper, or say, pushing forty. Not me, necessarily, which is why I used the indefinite "one", so y'all don't get confused.)
This bloom, I think, looks like me. I have curly hair, and it has curly petals! See? Maybe, like pets, plants eventually begin to resemble their owners? No? Okay.
Another thought: Maybe the folks at the seed packaging, um, place, are stoned. They take all of the carefully bred seeds, toss them into the air, which is really high up, because it's probably a warehouse with incredibly tall ceilings, then let them fall in a mix onto the floor. They then scoop them into their packets willy-nilly, and then they all smile because a crazy person somewhere will get a real kick out of it. I wonder what music they're listening to in that big seed packaging place.
Every photo has a story behind it, not least the circumstances around location finding. On this occasion I had carefully planned my spot (Google Earth, tides, weather etc), only to discover what looked promising in silico was in fact a flop of a location.
Time was short 'til sunset, the wind was blowing, there was rain threatening and the photographer was feeling a bit despondent. Feeling defeated but not wanting to admit it, I decided (somewhat half-heartedly) to stop at Manu Bay on the way back to Raglan. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this raised boulder bed overlooking the surf in the nick of time! Before the sun had set the clouds had gathered and the rain started.
It's said that photography is the coming together of careful planning and good luck. In this instance luck was by far the dominant influence!
The rose is England's national flower. Usually red, it is used, for instance, in the emblems of the English Golf Union and England national rugby union team.
This was one of those rare instance in which I liked the way my camera’s LCD looked better than the view out in front of me. The long exposure, which was made well after sunset, brought out the subtle colors and smoothed the rough water. While not my typical shot, I like the way it turned out and realized once again it pays to experiment.
Large on black is nice for this one
As always, thanks for your input!
Barrett
9
Photo of Icicle Creek captured via Minolta MD Zoom Rokkor-X 24-50mm F/4 lens. On the Snow Lakes Trail and on the way to the Core Enchantments. Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Stuart Mountain Range. Central Cascades Range. Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Chelan County, Washington. Late October 2017.
Exposure Time: 1/100 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-200 * Aperture: F/5.6 * Bracketing: None * Color Temperature: 9000 K * Plug-In: Vibrant Fall Minimal - Lou & Marks
...they wouldn't have to wait for someone else to get them an ice cream cone. Jeri Gonza plans to share hers with Kevin Bacon. As you can see from the picture below, Kevin managed to get the whole thing in this instance.
So happy to find a complete Rides and Surprises. Now I can do before pictures for The Great Escape. The sky, btw, is a photo from my bird watching window.
Halation: The scattering of light. To surround, as if with a halo. The instance where light disperses while hitting film emulsions, especially around highlights.
I try to keep my geeky, technical side in check with photography. I am a bit wary of it, truth be told. I try to make my photography less technical and more creatively by chance. But I do enjoy geeking out now and again while learning the technical nuts and bolts of how film emulsions work and why certain films do certain things that other films don't. When pursued properly, such technical information can inform the less formal creative exploration of film photography. As long as I don't get too fixated on it, or too narrow-visioned, I find it can open possible avenues of exploration.
Anyhow, I was reminded of this general philosophy recently while researching the characteristics of Fomapan 400, which is kind of a unique film among black and white negative films. There are two things it does kind of strangely. The first is that it has a very uncharacteristic spectral sensitivity chart. While most black and white films kind of balance out in their sensitivity to the visible spectrum, Fomapan 400 starts out with relatively low blue sensitivity and progressively gains sensitivity as it moves to the red end of the spectrum. It makes the film behave almost as if it has a built-in red filter in terms of how it renders tonality and translates color into shades of gray. The other thing it does is exhibit frequent halation, especially in 120. I am guessing this is because the 120 format is coated onto a polyester base instead of the more usual triacetate base, and polyester bases are prone to "light piping". Fomapan 400 has an anti-halation layer added to it to help prevent this but apparently it is not super effective, as evidenced by this and other images I have made.
Anyhow, I dig this kind of thing and just wanted to share a little bit of it. I don't think I was aware of all these qualities while making this image, so they were a bit of a surprise... but a good one.
Hasselblad 500C
Fomapan 400
Sunrise light begins to illuminate a redwoods grove in the Boy Scout Trail, near Crescent City, CA. Out of all the groves and trails that we visited, Boy Scout trail was my favorite by far. It was like being in the Jurassic, amongst ferns that, in some instances were as tall as my shoulders. And then there's those amazing redwood trees! A really humbling experience to be standing next to a living organism that is 10 times older than me, or even older.
A game we play with the grand kids. The animals have their specific talents, for instance, the sharks are good shooters with their tails and the hippo and the grizzly and polar bears are better defenders. We haven't found a useful talent for the giraffe, other than keeping a bird's eye view of the plays. The only trouble is it spends 90% of the game on it's side... it looks nice and adds some vertical to the cluster of animals.
The Robin is a year round resident in the UK, but a small minority of female Robins migrate to southern Europe during winter, a few as far as Spain. Both the male and female feature similar plumage, both with the distinctive red breast. The male bird is extremely territorial and will aggressively defend his territory, attacking any similar sized birds that try to muscle in on their patch.
The adult European robin is 12cm long and weighs between 15 to 22 g with a wingspan of 20–22 cm . The male and female bear similar plumage; an orange breast and face lined by a bluish grey on the sides of the neck and chest. The upperparts are brownish, or olive-tinged in British birds, and the belly whitish, while the legs and feet are brown. The bill and eyes are black. Juveniles are a spotted brown and white in colouration, with patches of orange gradually appearing. Male robins are noted for their highly aggressive territorial behaviour. They will fiercely attack other males and competitors that stray into their territories and have been observed attacking other small birds without apparent provocation. There are instances of robins attacking their own reflection. Territorial disputes sometimes lead to fatalities, accounting for up to 10% of adult robin deaths in some areas
Believed to be the first instance of a 5 engine lashup on the SCFE, CSX sending TRRA 3004 (USSC 6327) back and forth through Florida for a week ultimately coincided the delivery of 3004 with the completion of traction motor swaps at Childs for 6322 and 6323, making for a massive power move of 3 SD40s DIT. One of the wackiest consists to date
SCFE SBT-25 w/ USSC 4204, USSC 6325, USSC 6322, TRRA 3004 (USSC 6327), & USSC 6323
A very different approach to the crocus shot from yesterday. In that instance, I isolated two on a hillside, shooting upslope and trying for as clean a look as possible. Here, in contrast, a beautiful cluster buried in a tangle of old and new grasses. I did think of doing some grooming, ie. removal of dead material, but two things stopped me: 1. the grasses provided some insulation - protection from wind and cold - and removing them would expose the plant and maybe damage it; 2. this is how we often see wildflowers, in context, as part of their habitat, not neat and clean, not calendar-worthy... so why not show them like this? Perhaps the pattern of blue splashes is enough to cut through the chaos of criss-crossing lines.
The two photos were made minutes apart. Are they equally successful? I don't know; probably not. But there's no point in endlessly repeating what I know will work.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2019 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
I finally got around to processing some of my twilight shots from a recent trip to Cape Kiwanda.
Sorry I haven't been very active on here recently. My life has been a mad scramble for the past couple weeks, and the way the summer's going it probably won't stop anytime soon. This morning, for instance, I found myself crawling around in the attic trying to figure out why the furnace's blower isn't working (which means we have no AC at the moment). And we have guests visiting tomorrow.
I hope your summer's just as busy as you want it to be. Until next time!
another instance of York's impressive Victorian railway station. You can tell that I am a convert ;)
One of the reason's I haven't been doing anything SL wise is in part due to this game I've been sucked into -- here is one of the things you can do, its an instance set to 400% difficulty - but this character I have is somewhat "broken" and just melts everything (so fun) - plus trying a new video capture that gives no lag when recording. The game is also free if anyone is interested and I can help you with whatever you need.
MACHERMORE CASTLE WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT BY PETER MCDOWALL AND SITUATED ON THE EAST BANK OF THE RIVER CREE, ABOUT A MILE FROM THE TOWN OF NEWTON STEWART. MACHERMORE CASTLE IS A THREE HUNDRED YEARS OLD AND THE GREY OLD CASTLE AND BRAVELY WEATHERED THE STORMS, AND IT WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO DO SO UNSCATHED HAD NOT MODERN TIMES NECESSITATED STRUCTURAL CHANGES. THE CASTLE NOW PRESENTS A HAPPY INSTANCE OF THE BLENDING OF THE OLD AND NEW STYLES OF ARCHITECTURE—AN ADAPTATION OF THE PAST TO PRESENT REQUIREMENTS.
MACHERMORE CASTLE IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN BUILT ABOUT THE LATTER END OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. TRADITION SAYS THAT IT WAS AT FIRST INTENDED TO BUILD THE CASTLE ON THE HIGHER GROUND, A LITTLE TO THE NORTH-EAST OF THE PRESENT SITE, BUT THAT DURING THE NIGHT THE FOUNDATION STONES WERE ALWAYS REMOVED, SO THAT WHAT WAS BUILT DURING THE DAY WAS CARRIED OFF BY UNSEEN HANDS AND DEPOSITED IN ANOTHER PLACE. AS IT WAS NO USE TO STRIVE AGAINST THE SUPERNATURAL, THE CASTLE WAS EVENTUALLY BUILT WHERE THE MATERIALS WERE ALWAYS FOUND IN THE MORNING.
IN THE CASTLE ITSELF WAS A ROOM REPUTED TO BE HAUNTED. IN THIS INSTANCE THE PARTICULAR APARTMENT WAS IN THE NORTH-WEST ANGLE, AND WAS ALWAYS KNOWN AS DUNCAN’S ROOM. PROJECTING FROM THE TOP CORNER OF THE OUTER WALL IN THE SAME PART OF THE CASTLE WAS THE FINELY-CARVED FIGUREHEAD OF A MAN. A CLOSE INSPECTION REVEALED THE FACT THAT THE NECK WAS ENCIRCLED BY AN EXQUISITELY-CHISELLED LACE RUFFLE OF THE TUDOR PERIOD. THIS PIECE OF SCULPTURE WAS ALWAYS KNOWN AS DUNCAN’S HEAD. ON THE FLOOR OF DUNCAN’S ROOM THERE WAS THE MARK OF A BLOODY HAND, DISTINCTLY SHOWING THE IMPRESS OF THE FINGERS, THUMB, AND PALM. IT WAS SAID THAT REMOVING THAT PART OF THE FLOORING HAD BEEN TRIED SO AS TO ERADICATE ALL TRACE OF THE BYGONE TRAGEDY, BUT THE MARK OF THE BLOODY HAND APPEARED IN THE NEW WOOD AS FRESH AS BEFORE.
THE WHITE LADY OF MACHERMORE
THE WHITE LADY OF MACHERMORE WAS ONCE ALSO BELIEVED TO BE A GHOST AS SHE WAS ONLY SEEN AT VERY LOW LIGHT WANDERING AROUND THE GROUNDS OF THE CASTLE. THIS IS NOW KNOWN THAT ONE OF THE PREVIOUS OWNERS OF THE CASTLE HAD AN ALBINO DAUGHTER WHO ROAMED THE GROUNDS AT DUSK EVERY DAY AS SHE COULD NOT SEE IN NORMAL DAYLIGHT.
THERE IS A TRADITION THAT SOMEWHERE ABOUT MACHERMORE CASTLE THERE IS BURIED UNDER A FLAT STONE A KETTLE FULL OF GOLD, BUT SO FAR HAS NEVER BEEN FOUND.
Other than the stray cats and trees, the other living thing in significant numbers at Dakota Crescent happen to be the pigeons, which can be seen hanging in the most unusual places sometimes. Like for in this instance, hanging on a clothes drying pole.
Chandeshvara Nayanar
The South Indian legend, narrated, for instance, in the Periyapuranam, states that he was born into a Brahmin family and was called Visarasarman. When he was a young boy, he found that cows remain uncared for, and hence he himself commenced tendering and caring for the cows. While doing so, he would pour some milk on a lingam, which he made of sand. The news of this wastage of milk reached the ear of his father, Datta; and he himself came to the field to scold his son. Chandesha was deep in meditation in front of the sand lingam, and he did not see his father. The enraged father kicked the sand lingam. At this Chnadesha’s meditation was interrupted, and he struck his father’s leg with a staff. The staff turned into an axe and his father’s leg was severed. At this point, Shiva manifested himself, and blessed Chandesha, declared that he would become a father to Chandesha; and restored the severed leg of Datta to normal state.
Night long exposure milkyway shot over ki (Key) monastery (gompa), Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Nikon D810 + Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens
The history of key monastery
Key gompa is said to have been founded by Dromton (Brom-ston, 1008-1064.CE), a pupil of the famous teacher atisha in the 11th century. This may however, refer to a now destroyed kadampa monastery at the near by village of Rangrik, which was probably destroyed in the 14th century when the sakya sect rose to power with Mongol assistance. Key was at attacked again by the Mangolis during the 17th century, during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama and became a Gelukpa establishment. In 1820 it was sacked again during the wars between Ladhak and Kullu. In 1841 it was severely damaged by the dogra army under Ghulam Khan and Rahim Khan. Later that same year suffered more damage from a Sikh army. In the 1840s it was ravage by fire and in 1975 a violent earthquake caused further damage which was repair with the help of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the state public works department. The successive trails of destruction and patch-up jobs have resulted in a haphazard growth of box-like structures and so the monastery looks like a fort. With temples built on top of one another. The walls of the monastery are covered with paintings and mural. It is an outstanding example of the 14th century monastic architecture, which developed as the result of the Chinese influence. Key monastery has a collection of ancient murals and books of high aesthetic value and it enshrines Buddha images and idols, in the position of Dhyana. There are three floors, the first one is mainly underground and used for storage. One room called the Tangyur is richly painted with murals. The ground floor has the beautifully decorated assembly hall and cells for many monks. Key Gompa now belongs to the Gelugpa sect. The monastery of Key for instance accommodates nearly 350 monks, who reside within the monastery. These monastery have their regular heads or Abbots.
A celebration of its millennium was conducted in 2000 in the presence of the his holiness the Dalai Lama.
Altitude : 4,166 metres (13,668 ft) above sea level.
Place: Kaza, Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Another instance where patience paid off in Patagonia as we waited for storm clouds to disperse around the peaks of the southern Andes looming over Lake Viedma outside El Chalten, Argentina.
Like most who visit Disneyland much less frequent than Walt Disney World, New Orleans square is a standout area to explore. The rich themeing and tight streets make for a very engaging environment. I was disappointed that the Court of Angles had been transformed in to a Christmas gift shop, but the rest of the area looked amazing with the lights and wreaths adorning the buildings.
I knew I wanted some photos of this area, so late the first night I set up for this bracket and waited for the area to clear. In fact, you can see a few ghosts in the image because it never fully cleared. What you can't see is a security guard directly behind me, and another cast member directly to my left.
This was an instance where the park was closed and I really wanted to get my shot, but the cast member to my left was very talkative. He had just emptied the trash cans on the left of the frame, saw me set up with my tripod, and came over to chat cameras. Apparently he had a Canon Rebel series camera and wanted to know what lens I was using and a few tips for night shots. I like chatting with CMs, but in this case it was going a little long, and with the security guard behind me, my shot was at risk. Fortunately, I got in just one bracket...
Disneyland | New Orleans Square
The camera does not lie, but in some instances, it does not convey the entire experience. I have struggled with dappled light in old tree groves. The experience feels somewhat dreamy for me, but straight exposures yield images that are either too harsh or too dark. Here's a version using ICM.
I thought I would post a typical photo of an Alaskan backyard at this time of year. In this instance it is our yard that I have featured, and it definitely won't be on the cover of "Better Homes and Gardens" magazine.
As you can see Doc has a little more wood to split and stack. In the background is a rickety old garden cart that will be put under cover for winter - once he's done hauling away the unused rhubarb that is still growing at an alarming rate.
You also see his trusty old burn barrel that sees a lot of use. He does have a beautiful new burn barrel (if a burn barrel can be considered "beautiful") - to replace this rusty old critter - but Doc insists on squeezing every last ounce of life out of old "Rusty".
Our hand dolly used to be "bright red" in color - but is now "sissy pink" since it has been left out in the summer sun for so long. It doesn't bother Doc though - he is secure in his masculinity, and he says; "it still does the job", and that's all that matters. LOL!
Wishing everyone a happy weekend.
A very small frozen rivulet on the face of a bolder (it was not much more than a trickle actually). The sun was bright and warm enough for it to begin to melt ever so slightly. (One of the very few photos I took this past less than brilliant winter.)
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"The whole world is, to me, very much 'alive' - all the little growing things, even the rocks. I can't look at a swell bit of grass and earth, for instance, without feeling the essential life - the things going on - within them." Ansel Adams, photographer and environmentalist, 1902 - 1984
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This shot is similar to some others I have added over the years but I love the many shots I took of this lion after he mated. It is quite difficult to always get a picture of an animal's soul while on safari, but in this instance, I think he looks quite vulnerable. No processing here. The colors are from nature!
I am continuing this series of endangered or threatened wildlife species by adding another picture of each one of the previous animals. This image corresponds with # 6. That way you can go back and read information on the animal if you missed it before. They are all in the album titled "Endangered"
There are 9 animals in the series. Count them again, the number is huge and of course there are many more species I don't have pictures of. Many of the animals are ones that we all love and when they are gone they will be greatly missed.
A reminder that all of my images are copyrighted and are not for your use in any way unless you contact me.