New York Hiking, Skiing, Climbing and Paddling
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Whilst out shooting the comet in the Shropshire Hills I turned around to see an opportunity to climb up onto the rocks and stand right in the middle of the Milky Way. 30secs foreground and 240sec tracked sky.
Verbier : Mont fort and the Grand Combin.Canton of Valais, Switzerland. Izakigur 25.02.11, 14:35:51.
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"Mont Fort is a mountain of the Pennine Alps, located near Verbier in the Swiss canton of Valais. It lies on the range between the valleys of Bagnes and Nendaz, north of the Rosablanche. With a height of 3,328 metres above sea level, Mont Fort is the highest summit north of the Col de Louvie (2,921 m).
Mont Fort is surrounded by several glaciers, the largest being the Glacier de Tortin, on its northwestern side. The second largest is the Glacier du Mont Fort, located on its northeastern side. On its eastern side lies the lower summit Petit Mont Fort (3,135 m). The Glacier du Petit Mont Fort lies between the two summits. There are no glaciers on the south side of the mountain. A small lake named Lac du Petit Mont Fort (2,764 m) lies on the south flank.
The summit of Mont Fort is easily accessible by cable car from the heights of Verbier or Nendaz. The cable cars from the two valleys converge at the intermediate station (2,894 m) north of the Col des Gentianes, the upper section reaching a height of 3,308 metres. In the winter and early spring season, the mountain, including the Glacier de Tortin, is the culminating point of the 4 Vallées ski area.
Der Mont Fort ist mit einer Höhe von 3'329,0 m ü. M. der höchste mit einer Bahn erschlossene Berg in der Region 4 Vallées in den Walliser Alpen. Der Berg ist von Verbier aus zu erreichen mit der Gondelbahn und Sessellift nach La Chaux - Luftseilbahn Col des Gentianes - Mont Fort. Auf der Plattform der Bergstation befindet sich ein Iglu mit 25 Plätzen, in dem man sich mit einem Fondue verpflegen kann. Von der Bergstation der Seilbahn führt ein felsiger Steig zum Gipfel-Kreuz. Von der Spitze des Mont Fort sieht man über fünfzig Berggipfel, darunter das Matterhorn, den Dent Blanche, den Dent d’Hérens und den Mont Blanc. In der näheren Umgebung sind die vergletscherten Gipfel von Rosablanche und des Grand Combins mit dem Glacier de Corbassière zu sehen.[1]
Die 125-Personen-Seilbahn aus Richtung Siviez über Tortin zum Col des Gentianes wurde 1982 gebaut, ebenso ein Gletscherlift auf dem Glacier de Tortin. Später wurde ein parallel verlaufender Gletscherlift ergänzt. Die Gipfelbahn wurde 1983 fertiggestellt. Die als Jumbo titulierte Pendelbahn (150 Personen-Gondel) aus Richtung Verbier von La Chaux zum Col des Gentianes wurde 1987 gebaut. Der Sommerskibetrieb wurde 1999 eingestellt. Seit der Wintersaison 2007/2008 können auch die Gletscherlifte nicht mehr betrieben werden."
Wikipedia.
Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them. ~ William Arthur Ward
Sorry to bother you once again with this most-photographed scene on my stream. But once in a while I need to go to this beautiful place to shoot. This time it was really challenging because of many many mosquitos around. So probably this will be the one and only image of that pond this year :-)
Happy Sunday, dear friends!
This is a postcard for Beverley, who wanted one of Jamie, but as yet I haven't been able to find him. This was the sky that greeted me just after England had scored the last penalty against Columbia to qualify for the world Cup Quarter Finals. Sail away by Nick Cave seems appropriate for Beverley. She'd just love these beaches . The sunrise this morning was equally dramatic, too many opportunities, so little sleep .
What a great opportunity to see this well known couple first thing on our visit to Seney Wildlife Refuge. They've apparently been together since 1997, making the annual 3,000 mile migratory trip returning to Seney each year. Here's a great article on the couple:
www.audubon.org/news/the-worlds-two-oldest-common-loons-a...
Did not have the opportunity to capture Mr Rainbow this season. Managed to improve the PPing of these shots to get decent IQ. The shooting condition was very dim and shaded. Shot handheld with 1/8 sec. That's why I am hanging on to my Oly system for dear life - the great image stabilisation and Pro Capture feature.
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With so little opportunity to be out with the camera at the moment, I spent a little time revisiting an old one last night. This is sunrise from under Worthing Pier a couple of years ago.
Window of Opportunity - It's truly amazing how fast these hummingbird chicks develop. During a break from work today, I took 15 minutes to try to capture an image during some beautiful overcast early evening light. I was amazed to see feathers coming in nicely on the the 2 chicks and their beaks thinning and growing already.
During a slow time for photography, I realize I am truly blessed to have this opportunity in the yard. Hummingbird nests may be common, but a front seat to a clear nest such as this is not. Nature as always is unpredictable, but it has been touching to see the level of effort this mother has put into feeding and defending her young - and I am hopeful she will see them through the remaining 2 weeks until fledging.
Species: Anna's Hummingbird (Calytpe anna)
Location: Santa Clara County, CA, USA
Equipment: Canon EOS R5 + EF 100-400mm IS II + 1.4x III Extender
Settings: 1/400s, ISO: 1000, f/8 @896mm (APS-C Mode)
In Parkes, NSW, for the David Malin Awards, I was told the normal floodlighting on The Dish radio telescope would be turned off to allow a timelapse to be made for the CSIRO. I hadn't planned to shoot The Dish as many others already have, but without the excess lighting, and given I didn't find a better site I thought I should try. Sigma lens, processed in Lightroom.
One piece of wood, so many photo ops. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, just north of Half Moon bay, California.
From my Wild and Weathered Wood, collection.
What once was the projectionist's booth in the old Wilson Theater.
From Cinema Treasures:
Opened in 1925, the architect was H. Rafael Lake. It was equipped with a Wurlitzer, 3 Manual/11 Rank theatre organ that was shipped from the Wurlitzer factory on 11th April 1925. This organ was taken out the Wilson Theatre and installed in the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, Cremorne, Sydney, N.S.W. Australia in 1987 (/theaters/848/).
From the early-1940’s it was known as the Fox Wilson Theatre, operated by Fox West Coast Theatres. The Fox Wilson Theatre closed as a movie theatre in August 1971.
By 1986 and for several years though to at least 1996 it had become a rock concert venue. It is now home to the Cornerstone Church who purchased the building in 1997 and the building has been well maintained, retaining all architectural features.
The sparrowhawk is surely one of the UK's most striking raptors.
Unfortunately this male's own strike was far from successful and his chosen prey had long since fled when I took this shot.
Sparrowhawk (Accipiter Nisus)
Adel Dam Nature Reserve
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This Barn Owl was perched on the post behind the tree making it difficult to get a good angle for a shot, when a brief gust of wind moved the branches allowing me to capture this photo, hence the title.
Our guides, from Guilin Photography Tours, setup an opportunity to go into some peoples homes on our first day.
It's one thing to be walking around an ancient village but something else entirely to be invited into a home and photograph people within their surroundings.
This lady, to me, was absolutely beautiful both in her appearance and in spirit. So was so welcoming when we came in and was so willing to be a subject for our cameras.
This is one of my favourite moments from the trip and one of my favourite shots from the couple of weeks that I was in China.
My website: In the Moment Creations
I love this angle looking northeast toward downtown St. Paul. This photo took a long wait, as the glaciers probably moved faster than did this manifest trying to make a start down the Mankato Subdivision. This train left Hoffman Yard and slowly worked its way to under the Wabasha Street Bridge then stopped for 10 minutes. The train then moved the distance of two city blocks near Ontario Street then stopped. I figured there had to be opposing traffic or something causing them to be so hesitant. Sure enough, a long manifest was ending its journey on the Mankato Subdivision and coming into St. Paul. Another 30 minutes went by, perhaps to give traffic downtown a break - the first manifest occupied Chestnut Street for 15 minutes. Finally, this westbound finally moved onto the Mankato Subdivision and completed a glorious scene here viewed from the High Bridge. I estimate it took 1 hour and 30 minutes for this to get here from Hoffman Yard - a distance of only three miles away.
I thought I saw a person working on a farm in the footpath, but in fact it was someone waiting a photo opportunity.😆
農作業中の人がいる、と思ってシャッターを切ったのですが、その人は写真撮影中の人でした😆
(Warning: this is a long one, so grab some popcorn and settle in.)
Photographing landscapes has provided me with countless opportunities to have my mind blown over the past few years. From summits in the Canadian Rockies, to countless sunrises in the Sierras to spectacular night skies in remote corners of Utah to beautiful coastlines in Oregon....so many incredible moments. Of all of these experiences, the one I endured last Friday was truly special. It was a personal triumph and one that I have literally been working toward for the past two years.
Tom Bricker was the first one to mention the Diving Board to me. I had seen the shot by Ansel Adams, of course, and had always wondered where he took that shot from, but I figured you would just...you know. Get closer. I was sure that the location must be just beyond Curry Village. What was the big deal?
The big deal is that the diving board is a location in Yosemite that cannot be reached by taking one of the major, well maintained trails. Back in Ansel's day you just took some ropes and charged up the Leconte Gully. But the gully has long been deemed unstable due to frequent rockfalls. The standard route nowadays begins on the mist trail and winds around behind Lost Lake before heading steeply straight up the side of base of Half Dome. From what we were able to gather from scouting online, this would be a 16 mile round trip hike and the word "strenuous" was being thrown around by some very hard core hikers and climbers. My heart sank as I first heard these reports. After all, the hike up the Upper Falls trail had nearly finished me off a few years before. How in the world could I expect to haul my camera gear up the Mist Trail let alone the nearly vertical sections of this crazy trail to the foot of Half Dome?
But I really wanted that shot. I hit the treadmill and began building up my endurance. (Of course the first night was only 10 minutes, but hey. It was a start.) I also began challenging myself with some more difficult hikes, the most recent of which was up to the Fern Ledge in Yosemite. As the Summer drew to a close, we finally had a chance of thunderstorms and the promise of a possible sunset, and I sent Tom an urgent message: Can we go for it on Friday?
So last Friday, Tom and I took off at 4 AM for Yosemite. By 10:30 AM we were taking off from the Mist Trail parking area. Man I was feeling good! No stops at all on the way up to the first bridge. I was blowing past old people and asian tourists like they were standing still. Then the REAL climbing began. By the time we made it to the top of Nevada Fall, I was wiped. But we hadn't started the tough section yet. Tom and I had found a short cut up from Emerald Pool and we had a GPS map with us on Gaia. We were all set. What could go wrong?
So up we went.
The trip from Emerald Pool to the regular bush trail junction was easily the hardest climbing I've ever done. The nearly 30 pounds on my back turned out to be a huge mistake as I nearly gave up several times. Between the steep terrain and the bushwhacking, I was toast. When we hit the junction, things only got worse. I was having to stop almost every 100 feet and poor Tom just sat there waiting for me. After clawing my way up another 700 feet or so, I finally collapsed, unable to continue. I told Tom to head up without me, but he refused. After a long break, it finally hit me: I could dump whatever I wasn't going to use at the top and grab it on the way down! So out came my 24-70 lens (way too hazy for a valley shot), the tripod, almost all of my food, two jackets and over a liter of water. I dropped by stuff in a neat little pile behind a tree reminding myself that it would be a bad idea to forget those items on the way down.
Suddenly the backpack was WAY lighter and even though it hurt, I continued to force my way up. For the final 500 feet, I hung back and sent Tom up ahead. After another 1/2 hour break, I lurched back onto my feet and with the soundtrack of Rocky playing in my head, I charged up the last 500 feet to the Diving Board...some EIGHT hours after leaving the parking lot.
The view was absolutely spectacular as Half Dome rose far more majestically than I could have ever imagined. Although we didn't get quite the epic sunset we were hoping for, we did get some color during the last few minutes, just enough to give some atmosphere. A goal I had set two years prior had just been achieved. I had made it all the way to the diving board!
Our smiles began to fade as it dawned on us that it was getting dark in a real hurry and my car was still 8 miles away. There would be no "short cut" on the way down as we were pretty sure we would not survive a hike back down the sketchy ravine we had just clambered up. So down we went on the long, normal route around past Lost Lake. About 45 minutes later, I said something like "Hey Tom....where's my stuff?" Both of us were convinced that it must still be below us, so we plowed on. After we had gone another 1/2 hour or so, it dawned on us that we must have passed it. We were both beyond exhausted and nearly out of water. But Tom, being the hero that he is, charged back up to look for it. But didn't find it. He had a quarter of a liter of water left and I had maybe a half. I wasn't even sure if I could make the hike out, so I took a deep breath and told Tom we just needed to leave my lens...and all of my other stuff up there, which would have been roughly $2500 to replace.
Ouch.
Okay...this is taking way to long. I'll skip to the end.
After we passed Lost Lake on the way down, we found water in a creek and used my filter to keep from dying on the way back. Tom made it back to the car around 2:30 AM and very kindly drove the car around to the trailhead as I had some severe blisters. I didn't make it back to the trailhead until 3:30 AM.
Fast forward to last Monday when I drove back to Yosemite to find my stuff. I stayed overnight in El Portal and set off the next morning, this time without the 30 pounds taking only water and food. I left at 4 AM and by 8 AM I found my stuff exactly where I had left it! I made it up there in HALF the time! My lens and gear were undamaged and I breathed a huge sigh of relief before heading back down.
For those of you who might be interested taking this hike, I'll have much more details for you including maps, etc on my blog in the very near future. Sorry for the ridiculously long story and THANK YOU for reading the whole thing if you are still with me! The Diving Board was truly a once in a lifetime trip for me....at least for now. I MIGHT try it again, but if I do, it will be with MUCH less gear and more water!
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An opportunity to see some Gray-crowned Babblers while I was walking around Lake Fyans in the Halls Gap area.
There were several of them chasing each other from perch to perch - usually in many branches - - so as much fun as they were to watch they never were a great photo op as a grouping.
Gray-crowned Babbler - Halls Gap, Australia
Here was me yesterday morning bemoaning my lack of motivation in photography. I posted a photo from June advertising the fact, and a few friendly instapals sympathised in the comments, oh woe is me! Driving back form a dog walk along the coast a spied out of the corner of my eye straw bales on Cleadon hills, maybe a picture there? So I ventured back nearing sunset on the half chance I could make anything of it. When I got there I could see I was losing the clouds big style and at sunset they would be all but vanished. The sun was too strong at the moment I could hardly make out the foreground, so was not too sure about the composition and was iffy on whether to take a photo or not. I took the photo with little enthusiasm on the success and moved on to a less dynamic composition in the light department. So I was surprised to see that this photo had a lot more merit than I gave it credit for and decided to post it.
Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken! Take heed, do not squander your life.”
― Dōgen
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OKUNOIN is the largest cemetery in the country. Located on Mount Koya (高野山 Koya-san) in Wakayama Prefecture (和歌山県), that cemetery does not just contain an estimated 200,000 graves, but a site which is sacred to the Shingon School of Buddhism, being where the mausoleum of the sect’s founder, Kukai or Kobo-Daishi, is located and where he is said to lie in eternal meditation.
The cemetery, together with the mausoleum at the end of a 2 kilometre walk through the cemetery is in fact a pilgrimage site for Shingon Buddhism, one of the mainstream schools of Buddhism in Japan
Also known as a Sand Martin, this is a very rare visitor to our Southern state though more common in North India where they winter after migrating from the Pale Arctic region. They have a wide spread across much of Europe, Asia and even North America.
The birds are pretty small - maybe 12-14 cms and have a slow erratic flight path. They tend to catch the insects in flight making them pretty hard to shoot in flight. Two birds came to a city lake, I was lucky to have spotted them close. I sat on the ground trying to shoot some birds and this one came close by giving this wonderful opportunity. The birds are solo fliers unlike other swallows like the Barn Swallow or Streak Throated Swallow which fly in small groups. The Bank swallow joined others species, but it was flying alone with no other members of its species around.
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On my way to the city centre I noticed that the gate to the back yard of a shop was open with fairy lights sparkling, so I took the opportunity to quickly take a photo of the scene.
I can't resist fairy lights when I have mounted a vintage (or fast) lens onto one of my cameras ; ))
[ manual Ricoh XR Rikenon 50mm f1.4 on a Pentax K-70, stopped down a bit ]
I recently had a wonderful opportunity to spend a few days photographing a few of the beautiful and ethereal cypress swamps in the southern US. This time of year is known for fall colours and for the mist hovering over the water. But nothing ever goes to plan. The day before I arrived, a great storm raged through and took down many of the leaves. And the weather was unseasonably warm, and without the cold air the mist mostly didn't materialize. But it was a magical experience all the same, and I loved the stillness, the sense of gothic mystery and the somber colour palette.
When an opportunity comes knocking, you don't necessarily have to open your door. But you owe it to yourself to at least look through the keyhole. Marc Randolph
I have in my basement a very very old armoire that belonged to my grandmother. Nicks by the keyhole from the key over the years.
Macro Mondays.
Keyhole.
When opportunity knocks, you have to make sure that you have everything just the way it needs to be, nothing left to chance. So when a SD40-2W and BC Rail Dash-9 in red, white, and blue show up, you do everything in your power to make it perfect. With fine tuning done on all of my lights, the execution was all that had to happen. The results are good, and there was a lot less stress wondering if everything was going to be right.
Yes, I know street photographers are supposed to be stealth and blend into the crowd, but I tend to interact with the population when the opportunity arises.
RKO_6412. “Shall I…”
While trying to get some shots of the European Kestrel I came across this interesting situation. Obviously the Common Buzzard just killed -and was feasting on- a bird while this crow (?) was nearby waiting for the left overs. You can almost read the common buzzards thoughts......
I couldn't resist to upload this image as it was so interesting to watch.
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Great skua (Stercorarius skua).
Gannets have been diving for fish below - this Gt. skua waits for one to surface with their catch before diving down to seize it!
The sun was waning as the lights came on at this impressive Provincial government center.
"The purpose of the buildings is to serve as the seat of B.C.’s provincial government. It is here that important decisions are made regarding the province on matters such as health, education, transportation, and housing.
The Parliament Buildings are located on the banks of the Inner Harbour in British Columbia’s capital city, Victoria. As one of the dominant features of the downtown core, B.C.’s government buildings are one of Victoria’s must-see sights, teeming with history and culture. They reside on 12.5 acres of lush property. The Empress Hotel is nearby.
Staying in the area until sun sets is highly recommended. The Parliament Buildings will eventually light up with approximately 3500 energy efficient lightbulbs, highlighting the striking outline of the structure, and making for a great photo opportunity.
Incredibly, the original idea for the lightbulbs was first brought to life in 1897 when the buildings were first completed. This was a time when electricity was still a novel phenomenon. While fewer than there are today, the lightbulbs were strung in honour of Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee, as they were supposed to look like diamonds shining brightly in the darkness. The idea was brought back in the 1960s, and since then, the buildings have been lit every single evening at dusk." victoriabc.ca
Windows of Opportunity" have been on my mind a lot. We are tentatively scheduled to take a May tour of Bryce & Zion canyons with Road Scholar in May of 2022. The COVID numbers are rising. If I were in my 40's , I would wait and say that there would be other opportunities "when life becomes more normal (safe)". I am in my mid-70's and healthy. There is still the thought in the back of my mind as to how many windows of opportunity will be in my future. We will decide as the time draws nearer.
I am reflecting, not complaining. We have weathered the pandemic well and our living situation is comfortable. I have also had many opportunities in the past to experience other places. The Irish rover in my genes still longs for a look beyond my present horizon, however, and it's a nagging feeling.
There will be one other post in this "windows of opportunity" series.
As the fair weather continues, I thought it would be a good opportunity to practise some focus stacking techniques. This is one of the more simple ones that I did but I liked the composition enough to share the image. I am blending manually and this can be a pain-staking and lengthy process but I really do think that the rewards are worth the effort. There are still mistakes in focus points in all of the images I took yesterday but ultimately, I feel I managed to conceal these well for the most part. This image was taken on the coastline of Portknockie in Morayshire, Scotland.
It was strange yesterday, the sun never broke through and we were shrouded in a cloak of fog which made the day very cold. Luckily the visit from the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister went well, an awe had a great opportunity to raise the profile of the work for the High Brown Fritillary. Everything will be alright is by The Killers, let's hope they will be.