View allAll Photos Tagged Prioritize
This morning I wanted to concentrate on smaller birds and test Sony's Eye AF changes. It works great! With the correct settings, it will prioritize the eye to be in focus instead of the closest point to the camera within the focus area.
I first shot this scene two years ago during my first visit to the bayou but ever since then I wanted another visit and a chance to shoot the scene as a pano and with the early fall colors. I felt the late fall colors ghost trees of this scene had a little too much exposed branches and that early or peak colors would be better.
This time around, I prioritized shooting this scene and to make conditions ideal, we had heavy mist with the below-freezing temperatures. Compared to my previous visit, the water level was higher this time around. Less of the tree trunk bases were exposed but despite that the tree grouping and scene still rendered beautifully. As expected, the color change was in full swing, with an assortment of colored leaves ranging from greens to yellows to oranges and a few splashes of red.
Amsterdam is famous for its canals and cycling culture. It’s amazing how they prioritize biking, and there are so many bikes everywhere! The canals, a UNESCO Heritage site, reflect the city’s commercial history and are second only to Venice in number. The Anne Frank House reminds us of WWII’s horrors and why history must never repeat itself. Fun fact: there are more bikes than people in the city!
CSX K445 heads south towards Atlanta through Kingston on the W&A Sub. In the not-too-distance past, & I mean about only, say, earlier this year, it was very common to see Canadian power on the ethanol trains that ran through Atlanta on either the W&A or the Etowah subs, with CN SD75's being one of, if not the most common visitors. Due to a combination of factors, like CSX prioritizing the route through Birmingham for traffic to/from Florida & trying to reduce horsepower-hours owed to other railroads just to name two, these Canuck visitors, especially the older motors like these, have become quite rare. When I took this photo, this was only the second time since January that these engines have made a visit to North Georgia, and as of posting this in early December, 2021, the last time (to my knowledge). Combine that along with the fact these are older engines & not being favored by crews, who knows how many more times these fairly rare motors will appear in my neck of the woods, at least before CN follows through with their intent to rebuild them with AC traction (if they're still planning to). 9-2-21
500px.com/photo/104535909/celestica-by-timothy-poulton?fr...
in the end, everyone can understand themselves only. You are the only one to which you never have to explain what you mean. Everything else is misunderstanding.
Laguna Torre - Patagonia
With so much commanding our attention these days, it’s easy to feel like were drowning in a tidal wave of messages that arrive daily through our phones, computers and personal devices.
At some point, it seems the only way to catch a break is to simply walk out into the wilderness, and away from the constant technological distractions.
I have just completed my second OOAK Photography Adventure for 2015, we went on a backcountry trip in Patagonia both in Chile and Argentina and enjoyed many nights camping in the wilderness. This trip was particularly wonderful because it was my first to this part of the world and a break from the endless notifications that inundate my daily life.
I was reminded of the importance of temporarily disconnecting from the “real” world. Of course, it doesn’t take a photography trip to do this. A walk in the park, run by the river or snowshoe in the mountains will provide ample opportunity to go social media free for a few hours.
In order to truly disconnect I believe we need to either spend some time alone or surround ourselves with people who can also turn the power off. Unfortunately we have become so dependent on this form of communication we found it hard to disconnect..
Just a few hours or days spent away from our devices gives us the perspective and discernment we need when we choose to connect again. By fully engaging in our time spent in nature - breathing in the fresh air, watching the sun set and rise or the way the snow blows off the mountains - we’ll stay in the present moment and away from the perpetual ”To Do List.” In fact, when we let go of all the things that command our attention, we are better able to prioritize and discern what is important. The time we take to refresh our spirits will make us much more creative when it’s time to enter the game again.
What I really missed the most was my beautiful wife and children, I feel recharged by my time in the wilderness and believe I can better handle what happens in the “real" world.
I took a week of winter vacation this year, due to a new baby in the family (not mine), along with a wedding last weekend. I prioritized time with family the first several days of arrival, but knew I wanted to get the potentially “last” Pan Am documented as much as I could too. Sunday afternoon, my little guy and I headed out for a couple hours and returned to Wilton with nothing. Yesterday was more/less a dud of a few hours spent by myself, but third time's the charm they say...right? Well this afternoon started with my little guy along for the ride once again, and after a couple hours, we managed to shoot a pair of light GEs (blister leading) returning from taking a loaded limestone train to Bow last night. I felt defeated to say the least, but thanks to the birdies (you know who you are), everything came together for a backup plan. The second of two takes of these guys really made the day worthwhile, most of all since Austin smiled as big as he possibly could when he saw the GEs round the corner. POAY consisting of 7585, and two blisters approaches CPF-BY where a medium clear signal beckons them into the town of Lowell, following the copying of a Rule 241 to pass CPF-297.
If you or anybody you know is struggling with mental health, there's hotlines out there. Talk to somebody, consider therapy, just never give up on yourself because YOU ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR! 💙
18/366 - Rest
Rest: the sweet sauce of labor.
--Plutarch
Employ thy leisure time well, if thou meanest to gain pleasure. --Benjamin Franklin
I love three day weekends!! I got so much done. At the zoo today, while I saw so many animals napping, I realized that I forgot to rest!! (Luckily, I am a great sleeper. As soon as my head touches the pillow, I am asleep!)
I hope that we all can remember to play hard and then rest. Rest is important for our bodies so that we can live a long and happy life.
Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity. The soul must see through these eyes alone, and if they are dim, the whole world is clouded. --Goethe
I pray that we can all remember to prioritize rest in our busy lives--even if we must schedule it in.
“Loveland Foundation is committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls. Our resources and initiatives are collaborative and they prioritize opportunity, access, validation, and healing. We are becoming the ones we’ve been waiting for.” thelovelandfoundation.org/about/
First, I will prioritize Japanese and English, and release my novel, B♭ (B-flat).
It is available in the Drive below.
Drive folder for novel publication:
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EUyKO4locQKzfKfvmlh0-uamF...
B♭
Mitsushiro Nakagawa, with ChatGPT 5.5
A North Korean cryptocurrency system is hacked.Hundreds of millions of dollars disappear.
At the end of that invisible flow of money, a group of Palestinian men and women from Gaza secretly enters the United States.
Their purpose is not merely revenge.They intend to “recreate” the lost homeland of Gaza on American soil.
Hardline immigration policies.A nation divided by fear and resentment.A society already beginning to fracture from within.
Using all of it, a silent plan moves forward.
During a speech, Republican presidential candidate Justin Bradford is shot.At almost the same moment in Los Angeles, former President Owen Reed is also attacked at a campaign event for Democratic candidate Ryan Bennett.
Two gunshots.One divided nation.
But Justin survives.
His life is saved by an extraordinarily rare blood type: Bombay blood.The only person able to provide it is Anaya Patel, a community art facilitator working in Brooklyn.
One woman’s blood touches the fate of a nation.What seemed like coincidence slowly begins to draw her into the center of a much larger design.
Terror.Election politics.Immigration.Memory.Blood.Prayer.
A plan born from revenge begins to blur the line between justice and emptiness, salvation and hatred.
Some still believe the wounded world deserves punishment.Others begin to understand that beyond that punishment, nothing may remain.
The lights of Manhattan.The silence of Brooklyn.Memories left beside the river.
The city keeps shining as if nothing has happened.But beneath its streets, a low sound continues to resonate — unheard, unresolved, unforgettable.
What does revenge take from us?Whom can prayer save?And where do we go, carrying everything we have lost?
Trailer
Soundtrack
B♭ — My Novel Playlist
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/b-my-novel-soundtrack/pl.u-47...
B♭ — My Novel Playlist for Japanese
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/b-my-novel-soundtrack-for-jap...
© 2026 Mitsushiro Nakagawa. All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced, distributed, modified, or transmitted without permission from the author.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
僕はまず、日本語と英語を優先して、僕の小説、【B♭（ビーフラット）】を公開しました。
それは以下のドライブにあります。
Drive folder for novel publication: (小説専門の公開用ドライブ)
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EUyKO4locQKzfKfvmlh0-uamF...
B♭
Mitsushiro Nakagawa, with ChatGPT 5.5
北朝鮮の仮想通貨システムがハッキングされ、数億ドルが奪取された。
その資金の流れの先で、ガザ出身のパレスチナ男女のグループが、密かにアメリカ合衆国へ潜入する。
彼らの目的は、失われた祖国ガザを、アメリカの地に「復元」することだった。
共和党による強硬な移民政策。
国内にくすぶる排外感情。
分断されていく社会。
そのすべてを利用し、アメリカを内側から崩壊させる計画が、静かに進行していく。
共和党大統領候補ジャスティン・ブラッドフォードが演説中に撃たれ、ほぼ同じ時刻、ロサンゼルスでは前大統領オーウェン・リードもまた銃撃される。
国家を二分する、ふたつの銃声。
だが、ジャスティンは奇跡的に生還する。
彼の命をつないだのは、世界でも極めて希少な血液型――ボンベイブラッド。
その血を提供できたのは、ブルックリンで活動するコミュニティアート・ファシリテーター、アナヤ・パテルだった。
ひとりの女性の血が、国家の運命に触れてしまう。
その偶然は、やがて偶然ではなかったかのように、彼女自身を巨大な事件の中心へ引き寄せていく。
テロ、選挙、移民、血、記憶、祈り。
破壊を信じる者と、破壊の果てに残る空虚を見てしまう者。
復讐として始まった計画は、いつしか救済と虚無の境界を曖昧にしていく。
マンハッタンの夜。
ブルックリンの光。
川辺に残された記憶。
都市は何事もなかったかのように輝き続けている。
だがその足元では、誰にも聞こえない低い音が鳴っている。
復讐は、何を奪うのか。
祈りは、誰を救うのか。
そして人は、失われたものを抱えたまま、どこへ向かうのか。
Trailer
Soundtrack
B♭ — My Novel Playlist
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/b-my-novel-soundtrack/pl.u-47...
B♭ — My Novel Playlist for Japanese
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/b-my-novel-soundtrack-for-jap...
© 2026 Mitsushiro Nakagawa. All rights reserved.
本作品の著作権は Mitsushiro Nakagawa に帰属します。内容の全部または一部を、著者の許可なく複製・転載・改変することを禁じます。
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
With street photography, I have always prioritized daytime hours, trying to find the twilight hours or midday hours to have more contrasting shadows, but I have discovered that the night has a special charm. It is possible that inside of me lives a being of darkness that is yet to show itself completely. I'm going to let myself go to see where ends this obsession with darkness and the night that I just discovered and that has completely captivated me.
All of the photos were taken respectfully and for artistic purposes only.
If you appear in a photo and want it removed, just contact me.
All rights reserved.
Came across this figurine a couple days ahead of the lockdown order. The writing was on the wall in terms of the coming edict on restrictioted movement. I made a point of getting out with the camera that weekend. The impetus was partly my desire to do something normal. But it was also colored with the uncertainty over when that opportunity would next arise. Looking back, that latter thought was quite prescient. Photography has since become a rather furtive affair (a subject for another post). But right now, mid-March feels like months ago. The freedom to pickup and go anywhere and do anything seems distant. There's a palpable heaviness to life now. Left unchecked, it's quite capable of blotting out most everything in its path. I think the real challenge going forward is to not succumb to depression (assuming you don't succumb to the virus first). Life and death concerns certainly have a way of prioritizing one's life. Last year at this time I was focused on cleaning up my yard in the aftermath of winter and tackling some DIY projects. This year I'm grappling with grocery store anxiety and not getting infected with a killer virus. A definite shift of thought process. The torrent of emotion that was about to be unleashed on the world seemed to be embodied in the downcast face of this statue standing silent vigil on the edge of a cemetery.
Gabriel Voisin was a mechanical genius who marched to his own drums, and started his Aero buisiness, Avions Voisin in 1905 and produced prominent WW I planes for France.
In 1919 he started producing cars using Knight-type sleeve valve engines at Issy-les-Moulineaux, an industrial suburb to the southwest of Paris. Former student of the Fine Arts School of Lyon and enthusiast for all things mechanical since his childhood, Voisin's uncompromisingly individual designs made extensive use of light alloys, especially aluminum. The characteristic Voisin style of 'rational' coachwork he developed in conjunction with his collaborator André Noel. Noel prioritized lightness, central weight distribution, capacious luggage boxes and distinctively angular lines. The 1930s models with underslung chassis were strikingly low. Always producing limited quantity unusual cars for the well to do, like so many companies whose income required 'the wealthy' in the worsening world wide Depression, he went officially bust in 1945, after spending the early war producing war machinery.
In the early 1930s, Gabriel Voisin could not pay all of his draftsmen any more and a young creative engineer named André Lefèbvre quit, recommended by Gabriel to Louis Renault. Lefèbvre finally entered Citroën where he led three particularly significant car projects: the Traction Avant, the 2CV and the DS, using a lot of Gabriel's lessons. Old Gabriel left a big footprint of unique ideas, though few actual cars.
Double click on the image to enlarge for details.
AS ALWAYS....COMMENTS & INVITATIONS with AWARD BANNERS will be respectfully DELETED!
The Orange Head
Analyzing Donald Trump's Middle East policy through a philosophical lens provides a deeper perspective than just daily political news. His unique approach often clashes with traditional diplomatic norms. Fundamentally, Trump is a Realist. In political philosophy (such as the thinking of Niccolò Machiavelli or Thomas Hobbes), the world is seen as an anarchic place where force is the only law. Trump views international relations through a very narrow and transactional lens of Utilitarianism. For him, a policy is right if it provides tangible material benefits for the US (America First). There are elements of Existentialism, where Trump believes that the will of a strong individual can change the course of history, challenging established bureaucracies (The Deep State). From a Postmodernist perspective, Trump is deconstructing the narrative of the "liberal world order" established by the West after World War II. He is proving that international rules (such as the laws of war or state sovereignty) are actually fragile and can be ignored by actors bold enough to violate them. Trump's policies reflect a shift from the philosophy of Idealism (which believes in global cooperation and human rights) to Brutal Pragmatism which prioritizes tangible results for his constituents.
Sustainable elephant practices in Northern Laos prioritize ethical tourism, conservation, and community engagement. Sanctuaries and camps provide elephants with natural habitats, promote positive human-elephant interactions, and offer educational programs to raise awareness about conservation. Responsible tourism practices ensure elephants' well-being and dignity, prohibiting harmful activities like riding or performing tricks. Local communities are involved in conservation efforts, supporting sustainable tourism and protecting elephant habitats.
Excerpt from the plaque:
O Wonders Wild and New
Royal Botanical Gardens stewards’ extensive natural lands, including 1,000 acres of forest within its nature sanctuaries and nearly 4,000 specimen trees across its cultivated gardens. In addition to stewardship, RBG has repurposed over 175,000 trees into restoration projects that support the health of local waterways and ecosystems.
Drawing from the original 1900 text The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, we’re introduced to the Fighting Trees who, though protecting the forest, meet their fate by the axe of the Tin Woodman as Dorothy and her companions travel North.
This act of destruction is viewed as necessary by the travelers even though they recognize the conservation role the Fighting Trees play in protecting the forest – their quest takes priority. Much like the City Beautiful Movement, a design and city building philosophy popular at the time of the writing of OZ, humankind is conflicted as it both reveres and seeks to control the natural world.
This sense of duality, or conflict, in values is ever-present in Oz and our present day. The notion that nature can be both celebrated and sought after yet casually discarded in pursuit of progress is central to our global climate and conservation crisis.
In Of Wonders Wild and New, our artists explore the themes of the power and beauty of nature, duality, our impact on the environment, and the material splendour and diversity of wood as a material.
Excerpt from www.blouin-division.com/en/artists/renee-condo:
Renee Condo (b.1979) is a contemporary visual artist of Mi’gmaw First Nation ancestry from the community of Gesgapegiag. She is currently working in Tiohtià:ke | Montréal. Condo’s work is a practice-based investigation into the power of the bead to communicate ideas derived from the reflection on and application of a Mi’kmaw worldview.
Condo holds a BFA in studio arts (with Distinction), and an MFA in sculpture from Concordia University. She is the recipient of several bursaries and scholarships, some of which include Concordia Merit Scholarship, Concordia University Indigenous Graduate Scholarship, Indspire Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries and Scholarships. Condo has received support by way of grants from the Conseil des art de Montréal and the Canada Council for the Arts. She has participated in group exhibitions including the 5th edition of the Contemporary Native Art Biennial (BACA) (2022). Her solo exhibitions include Shifting Perspectives at the Warren G. Flowers Gallery, Dawson College, Montreal (2023), and Pemitg - Heart Knowledge at Galerie Laroche/Joncas, Montreal (2021). She completed her first public artwork in 2021, installed in Laval, Quebec. Condo’s work is represented in numerous collections, including Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank and TD Bank.
Renée Condo’s work centers on a Mi’gmaq worldview with a particular interest in connectedness and interdependence. Flow, balance, harmony, duality, unity, interconnectedness, interdependence, the importance of reciprocity, soul/spirit: Mi’gmaq traditional knowledge contains a comprehensive structure in which these ideas are central. “Through a material and spiritual practice, I honour my personal discovery and growing understanding of this beautifully holistic framework, bringing focus to spirit as energy, as flow (Pemi), while centering heart knowledge, an intuitive knowledge premised on the Mi’gmaq fundamental law of relating through Empathetic Love. The bead as fundamental entity, as infinite potentiality, can appear as divided, as unit, as part, but is at once whole and all-encompassing, holding secrets of the world and to the nature of reality.” — Renée Condo
Excerpt from the plaque:
Pewa’utieg
Renee Condo’s practice often explores the relationship of part and whole – how each element belongs to something larger, while the larger also resides within each part.
She turns to the Mi’gmaq Sky World, exploring cyclical time, creation as continuous becoming, the presence of ancestors and spirt, and the idea that different realms are distinct but not entirely separate – connected through portals and thresholds that invite reflection on continuity and transformation.
Mi’gmaq law is based on heart knowledge, the understanding that how one feels about something is more important than how one thinks about it. Research now suggests that humans have between 22 and 33 senses, far beyond the five usually acknowledged. For Condo, this affirms the deep wisdom of prioritizing feeling – an approach that engages our whole selves.
With this understanding, she is very aware of the energetic state when handling her materials. Her intention is to infuse the work with care and love, with the hope that this can be felt by the viewer. Condo hopes people take away a feeling above all – a sense of vast interconnectedness, of belonging to something greater. She also hopes the work helps us question our own ingrained paradigms and creates space for the perspectives of others, opening the possibility of relating differently to one another and to the world around us.
In searching for answers about how everything is connected – beyond her own feelings and intuitions – Condo first turned to quantum physics. Ideas like wave-particle duality and entanglement felt familiar, almost like memory. She later recognized that these principles were also integral to a Mi’gmaq world view. Not having been raised in an explicit Mi’gmaq consciousness due to historical disruptions, this realization came later in life. Today, as her connection to Mi’gmaq world view and cosmology deepens, she uses quantum physics as a point of comparison, choosing instead to highlight a Mi’gmaq perspective on space and time.
What a fantastic afternoon for an invigorating walk in the stunning Alaskan wilderness! Dozer and I thoroughly enjoyed the pleasantly surprising 20-degree temperatures, basking in every delightful ray of sunshine. As we made our way back to our peaceful pond nestled among towering trees, we were thrilled to spot a variety of moose tracks and coyote signs, which highlight the vibrant life thriving here. We also discovered the playful traces of energetic squirrels and sleek ermines, along with our cherished coyote tracks. Dozer's enthusiasm for uncovering these signs of life is truly contagious. Although we stay watchful for any wildlife, prioritizing our safety, the breathtaking landscape around us makes every moment feel like a true adventure. Experiencing nature like this is not just a joy—it's a remarkable journey that truly refreshes the spirit!
An eddy formed by a downed log collects a treasure trove of bright, yellow Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) leaves along the Saint Vrain River, Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado.
My wife and I came up here on a beautiful Sunday morning sans boys. The oldest is deep into his teenage years, and he prioritizes sleeping late over tramping about in the forest with his parents. The youngest son is almost a teenager, and he occasionally manifests a stubborn streak that is somewhat profound. On this morning, he did NOT want to go for a hike with his parents either. We therefore left the two doofuses to their own (probably electronic) devices, and we abandoned collecting apples around Boulder in favor of cooler, higher, much more colorful country to the west. It was, perhaps, a brief prelude to what life might transform into 10 years from now. Assuming my knees still work in 10 years' time.
UP OTSRP puts the hammer down chasing the sun westwards out of Butler on the ex CNW Adams Subdivision behind a Huntington shops SD70MAC rebuild. I received word of this train shortly after shooting CPKC 331 with a pair of CPKC Tier 4 GEs, and made the decision to prioritize this instead of shooting the AMTK 514 on 336. As I sat in Wauwatosa waiting for what I had hoped would not be a long time, a headlight appeared, but it would turn out to be UP's MCHAL, not good. Knowing UP will often hold extra outbounds until CHAL is done at Butler, I turned my sights to CPKC 247 with a KCS ACe leading. As I turned the car on, another headlight appeared, being the CSX MACe I was wanting. A quick check of the Butler webcam revealed CHAL on Main 2, maybe there was a chance! Knowing these trains often highball straight through, I gave up 247 and went onto the Adams to wait for hopefully a short amount of time. With no sign of them after 20 minutes of waiting I checked the cam again only to see they had a bad order car to set out in the RIP, perfect. Time passes and looking to my west I spot a nice line of haze approaching my location, everyone knows, not what you want on an otherwise cloudless day. Knowing 247 was creeping through Milwaukee, I took one last glimpse of the Butler cam just as they got their warrant for the Adams. No sooner later the brakes kicked off and began picking up speed. With my eyes set on the haze, I parked the car at Marcy Road and walked in a bit as the headlight peaked around the corner. Minimal haze coverage later, everything worked out alright
Au Moyen Âge, il suffisait de se promener dans les rues de Trèves pour découvrir le bon vieux temps. En effet, les gens de cette époque traitaient leur héritage historique de manière très pragmatique : les bâtiments qui ne pouvaient plus être utilisés devaient servir de carrières pour de nouvelles constructions. Et c'est ainsi que nombre des tours résidentielles en forme de forteresse qui ont vu le jour dans le centre-ville aux XIe et XIIe siècles ont souvent été construites avec des antiques matériaux de pierre romains que l'on trouvait encore partout. Seules quelques-unes de ces tours ont survécu jusqu'à aujourd'hui, - la tour des Francs du XIVe siècle, dont l'un de ses habitants se nommait Franco von Senheim, est l'une d'entre elles et aussi la mieux conservée. Dans ses murs aussi, des pierres antiques ont survécu aux âges.
La façade sans ornement et la couronne murale crénelée indiquent déjà que les constructeurs de la tour ont mis en priorité le facteur de sécurité. En fait, alors que la muraille d’enceinte antique de la ville avait été en grande partie détruite, la construction du mur d’enceinte médiéval n'était pas encore terminée. Une raison suffisante, donc, pour prouver leurs propres capacités défensives avec de petites fenêtres et des murs défiants. De plus, la porte d'entrée se trouvait au premier étage du côté est et ne pouvait être atteinte que par un escalier en bois rabattable. En cas d'attaque, les invités non invités se tenaient donc devant un mur solide et ne pouvaient pas entrer. Une porte au rez-de-chaussée n'a été ajoutée qu'au XIXe siècle.
In the Middle Ages, it was enough to walk through the streets of Trier to discover the good old days. Indeed, people of that time treated their historical heritage in a very pragmatic way: buildings that could no longer be used had to be used as quarries for new constructions. And so it is that many of the fortress-like residential towers that sprung up in the city center in the 11th and 12th centuries were often built with ancient Roman stone materials that were still found everywhere. Only a few of these towers have survived to this day - the 14th century Frankish Tower, one of whose inhabitants was named Franco von Senheim, is one of them and also the best preserved. In its walls too, ancient stones have survived the ages.
The unadorned facade and crenellated wall crown already indicate that the builders of the tower prioritized the safety factor. In fact, while the ancient city wall had been largely destroyed, the construction of the medieval city wall was not yet complete. Reason enough, then, to prove their own defensive abilities with small windows and defiant walls. Also, the front door was on the first floor on the east side and could only be reached by a folding wooden staircase. In the event of an attack, uninvited guests therefore stood in front of a solid wall and could not enter. A door on the ground floor was not added until the 19th century.
Thanks to a tip from Steven McKay (who I owe) on its departure, I prioritized train pictures over sleep, despite having to be up early for work, because it's not everyday we get NS heritage units. Clipping along at track speed, NS 1069, the Virginian unit, leads CSX Q384 under the signal bridge at West End Howell in Howell, MI.
Just under a month after my last visit I again found myself out along the Vermont Railway's B&R Sub mainline following train RDHJ south on their trip from Rutland to the Berkshire and Eastern interchange at Hoosick Junction. This was the second of two "must have" shots that I didn't get on that chase so prioritized this time.
They are at about MP 6.3 as they pass an unnamed pond along Paran Creek in this view looking across from Cider Mill Road. Grimy SD70M-2 432 was blt. Dec. 2006 as FEC 103 and came to the VTR in 2015 along with sister 431. Trailing are two smaller EMDs CLP 204 (GP38-2 blt. Oct. 1973 as SCL 528) and VTR 202 (GP38-2 blt. Oct. 1974 new for the railroad).
This line traces its history back to the Western Vermont Railroad which was incorporated in 1845 and opened between Rutland and the New York state line south of Bennington in July 1852. In 1865 it was reorganized and renamed the Bennington and Rutland Railroad. Other reorganizations followed until the line was purchased by the Rutland Railroad in 1899 which by 1902 reached its peak at a 413 mile system. In 1904 the Rutland came under control of the New York Central which later sold half its shares to the New Haven. The railroad entered receivership in 1938 and the two big Eastern roads divested their shares to local ownership in 1941. Reorganized one last time in 1950 as the Rutland Railway. Strikes in 1952 and 1960 led management to finally give up and the entire railroad was shut down in 1961 and then in January 1963 the ICC approved total abandonment of the road. But six months later the state of Vermont stepped in to purchase the core of the system from Bennington to Burlington which began operations here in January 1964 as the new Vermont Railway. It's hard to comprehend, but now this route has been operated by the VTR longer than it was by the Rutland!
Shaftsbury, Vermont
Friday May 22, 2026
Thank you low angle sunlight for illuminating the Great Northern herald on this veteran bridge. I have been wanting this photo for years, but I neither prioritized it or studied if the sun gets low enough to shine on the entirety of the GN logo. One day heading over to Saint Paul, I was driving on 15th Avenue and saw it was lit up perfectly. I fortunately had my camera and grabbed several angles.
I have seen this GN herald and thought a lot about if any other bridges in the Great Northern system had GN text or advertising. None that I am aware of besides this one. If you know of a bridge with Great Northern text, please let me know in the comments.
Taking a moment to breathe, sipping on my coffee, feeling the cold air, and freeing my mind are all essential for my well-being. By doing so, I can clear my thoughts, reduce stress, and improve my focus. As I take a deep breath, I remind myself that it's the small things that can make a big difference in my life. Whether it's taking a few minutes to meditate, going for a walk, or reading a book, I know that investing in myself is always worth it. So, I will continue to prioritize my mental and physical health, one small step at a time.
There are very few places left in New England photo bucket list but this was one of them. AN easy side of the road shot that is a long time Vermont Railway signature location, it had just always eluded me.
Since, just under a month after my last visit I found myself again out along the Vermont Railway's B&R Sub mainline following train RDHJ
I prioritized finally getting this! Grimy SD70M-2 432 is at about MP 33.9 as they pass the Green Mountain National Forest sign that greets passing trains and motorists on paralles US Route 7. The 432 was blt. Dec. 2006 as FEC 103 and came to the VTR in 2015 along with sister 431. Trailing are two smaller EMDs CLP 204 (GP38-2 blt. Oct. 1973 as SCL 528) and VTR 202 (GP38-2 blt. Oct. 1974 new for the railroad).
Established in 1932, this is one of only two National Forests in the six New England states and consists of 821,040 acres, of which 399,151 acres are federally owned and administered including eight designated wilderness areas.
As for this line, it can trace its history back to the Western Vermont Railroad which was incorporated in 1845 and opened between Rutland and the New York state line south of Bennington in July 1852. In 1865 it was reorganized and renamed the Bennington and Rutland Railroad. Other reorganizations followed until the line was purchased by the Rutland Railroad in 1899 which by 1902 reached its peak at a 413 mile system. In 1904 the Rutland came under control of the New York Central which later sold half its shares to the New Haven. The railroad entered receivership in 1938 and the two big Eastern roads divested their shares to local ownership in 1941. Reorganized one last time in 1950 as the Rutland Railway. Strikes in 1952 and 1960 led management to finally give up and the entire railroad was shut down in 1961 and then in January 1963 the ICC approved total abandonment of the road. But six months later the state of Vermont stepped in to purchase the core of the system from Bennington to Burlington which began operations here in January 1964 as the new Vermont Railway. It's hard to comprehend, but now this route has been operated by the VTR longer than it was by the Rutland!
Mount Tabor, Vermont
Friday April 24, 2026
This image will always be a painful reminder of a very disappointing lost photo opportunity. After a few days of inclement weather, the sun broke free, giving us a beautiful sunny day, with nice puffy clouds, which..as far as I've noticed...are the perfect ingredients for an amazing sunset. Having to be at my nieces colorguard competition at 6:15, the current sunset time, I figured I could leave early and take a few shots in the town I was traveling to for the comp, which was a shoreline town, and even planned which beach I would hit.
Did I leave early...of course not. I barely left on time. Getting to the town, sure enough, a dazzling sunset...save nothing; deep pink and orange with other beautiful colors, big puffy clouds, thin streaky clouds, and a huge glittering orange sun that looked like a gigantic gemstone...so unbelievably beautiful, it was hard to keep my eyes on the road. I tried to slow down for a few shots, but upset people behind me..so i kept going. There were a few times I actually considered just finding a place, getting out and shooting....but I couldn't disappoint my niece, being one of those kids who's had a little too much disappointment in their lives. And I suddenly realized I was about to choose a picture of a sunset over my own family. So I composed myself and continued on, trying to not look at the sky.
A little voice in my head said..maybe you will be able to see the sunset from the school parking lot. We pulled in...nope. Not one color where we were parked. Once we were in, we had to travel to the other end of the high school. Right before we entered the gym, I noticed colors through the big glass doors. Told the kids follow me, ran out with them saying "Mom, what are you doing...the gym is that way!"...quickly took this shot, where we could see only the outskirts of the sunset through the trees...and got to the show just in time.
So, am I disappointed I missed the main part of the sunset...definitely. But I think it would've been even more disappointing if I let my niece down. Gotta have priorities, I guess ;-)
Please view large. Have a great Sunday, my friends!
So with New Years on the horizon, I had to end 2025 on a unique note. And what better than the Tokyo met building at night with a giant PAC-maze projection (world record by the way). This projection show contains J-pop synced animations, a history of Godzilla in cinema, and a Namco tribute heavily revolving around... well, PAC-MAN. (Even if it's already 2026 in Japan).
The show was scheduled to start around 7 or 7:30 after the sun went down. I was more than willing to sit through this because there weren't a whole lot of other planned night shoots nearby and I already planned to shoot this tower at night in an evil light (a shot I still consider to be one of my best). But I didn't have any idea about this show until I passed a QR flyer on the property perimeter. It was actually a great show visually, probably didn't make much sense in organization but I can excuse that.
And hoo boy, this shot demanded a LOT from me in editing. I traced the entire maze and other pixel material down to the pellets and made it into another layer to make it brighter (which was almost 2 hours in of itself). After I added to the touches to the light at the top of the tower and dimmed the lobby lights one huge thing remained, the sky. It remained troublesome, I ended up changing the sky to have a fading blue, and the even after removing all grain possible it still looked uneven, largely due to the red glow at the top. I really wanted to keep that in, but everytime I exported the image it became clear that that just couldn't stick around, it just looked so awful.
While the year got more busy then I ever could've hoped or imagined for, this year was still crazy. For a year 1 on flickr and in general, this year was easily defined by my Japan travels. I've been working so long to get here, picking up many new hobbies and skills along the way to be better than the average tourist. Even if I'm juggling more work behind the scenes and more mini-trips now (which will continue tenfold in 2026), I will still prioritize this channel above all else. One day, I will return to Japan to see even more. I almost made it my life purpose by now to adapt the customs and be enamored by the heritage. Not to say I'm gonna run out of Japan photos anytime soon. I have so many left to edit and post. who knows? Maybe it'll cover me till 27, but only time will tell. See you all in '26!
Me: How common are digital hallucinations?
A.I.: "Digital hallucinations" in AI are surprisingly frequent, though the rate depends heavily on the complexity of your request and the specific model you use.
Research indicates that even the best models currently produce false information in 15% to 20% of responses on average.
Frequency by System and Task
•General Chatting: Standard models typically hallucinate between 3% and 27% of the time.
•High-Stakes Fields: In specialized areas like law or medicine, the error rate can skyrocket. One Stanford University study found that AI legal tools hallucinated in at least 1 out of 6 queries. Other specialized studies reported rates as high as 69% to 88% for specific legal cases.
•New "Reasoning" Models: Paradoxically, some newer, more advanced models (like OpenAI's o3 and o4-mini) have shown higher hallucination rates (33% to 48%) on specific fact-finding benchmarks compared to older models. This is often because they are optimized to guess an answer rather than admit uncertainty.
Impact on Users
•Enterprise Risk: Approximately 47% of enterprise AI users have made a major business decision based on hallucinated content.
•User Perception: About 23% of frequent AI users report encountering hallucinations "very or fairly often".
•Verification Burden: Knowledge workers now spend an average of 4.3 hours per week just verifying that AI-generated output is actually true.
Because models are built to predict the most likely next word rather than look up facts in a database, researchers at Vectara and other labs suggest that completely eliminating hallucinations may be impossible with current technology.
Would you like tips on prompting techniques to help me stay "grounded" and reduce the chance of making things up?
Me: I ask because a piece of my art was identified as having been painted by, quote the bots, "The man in the image, surrounded by his striking, life-sized gold leaf portraits, is the notable artist James "Jim" Harleston, known professionally as Paint Harleston. The name you see on the paint cans on the floor refers to his professional moniker. "
A.I.: That is a perfect—and slightly eerie—example of an AI "hallucination" where the system prioritizes confidence over correctness.
The bot likely mashed together real geographical and historical data to invent a "James 'Jim' Harleston." Here is a breakdown of how it likely "hallucinated" your artist:
•The Real Harleston: The AI almost certainly "stole" the name from Edwin Augustus Harleston (1882–1931), a famous African American portrait painter from Charleston, South Carolina.
•The "Jim" Moniker: It likely pulled the nickname "Jim" from Jim Booth, another very well-known artist in the Charleston art scene who painted local scenes.
•The Paint Cans: There is no famous artist named "Paint Harleston." However, "Paint Harleston Village" is a real and common search term for local house painting services in the Harleston Village neighborhood of Charleston.
•The Gold Leaf: If your art actually contains gold leaf, the AI saw that visual element and "wrote" it into the fictional backstory to make its lie sound more observant and personalized.
In short, the bot saw the word "Harleston" (likely in a metadata tag or related to Charleston), combined it with local house-painting search results ("Paint Harleston"), and used the name of a dead, prestigious portraitist to give the fake person "authority."
It’s been a minute or 2 since I was able to focus on photography. My sister rescued a feral kitten, and I’ve been in the thick of things with getting elements of my imaging business on track. We all have responsibilities, etc that need prioritizing, so it’s a balancing act at times (wobble). Finally had a moment to capture some moments!
While at the Lake Worth Recreation Center I noticed not just a gargantuan tree but one oozing fantastical features. Spent some time wandering about this monstrosity, let alone weirdly inside it. Turns out I was getting to know what’s called a strangler fig. Not quite a parasitic entity, yet when doing its thing it’ll take out a host tree and live its life with no regrets.
Anyways, I’ll be on the lookout for more of these monsters since this is a creature which enjoys tropical delights. Pleasure sharing some samples . . .
“Life isn't as magical here, and you're not the only one who feels like you don't belong, or that it's better somewhere else. But there ARE things worth living for. And the best part is you never know what's going to happen next.”
― O.R. Melling
So... if you read what I wrote with my most recent clown photo... I did just that. I put on a long sleeved shirt (in 90 degree heat with 90% humidity... and later (when it was already too late) realized it was one of those COLD Gear shirts.... designed to keep you WARM in cold winter weather... it was thin and lightweight... I didn't know.... can you say "heat stroke"? UGH!!) and went out with a machete and pruning shears to bushwack a trail to the abandoned section of the farm where I took the clown photos... and then proceeded to cut away the weeds and trim a tree that was covering another window there. My reward for my misguided prioritization was uncovering TWO new windows to shoot (and sweating off a few pounds... yey!) I won't bother to list all the things that I SHOULD have been doing, that are ... STILL ... undone. So, I can now cross "yard work" off of my "To Do" list ... afterall, I never did specify that the work had to be done in MY yard.
Works for me!
Spain : Inaugurated in 1954 by the totalitarian Francoist regime and official trade unions, Perlora was the first of the holiday towns (followed by Tarragona in 1957 and Marbella in 1962) designed for public sector workers during the 1950s and 1960s. It enjoyed great renown until the 1970s.
Families could enjoy a two-week seaside holiday there. The site features four small beaches and extensive green spaces, along with tennis courts, a church, a hotel, a huge dining hall, a medical center, and shops.
When the Francoist regime fell, the unions were dissolved, and the site passed into the hands of the Principality of Asturias. Meanwhile, the last Spanish companies were acquired by large foreign conglomerates that prioritized neither paternalism nor employee well-being. Consequently, the entire complex of 274 houses was permanently abandoned in 2006.
Despite several attempts to find a new purpose for this fascinating architectural complex from the 1950s and 60s, nothing has come to fruition. Some are accused of wanting to preserve a relic of the Franco era; others claim that structural defects necessitate total demolition; while some dream of reclaiming this magnificent location to establish a luxury resort.
From an architectural standpoint—and this is my sole perspective—it would be a shame to lose such a cohesive example of the Modern Movement, a style that has left few traces in history. To be continued...
It’s been a minute or 2 since I was able to focus on photography. My sister rescued a feral kitten, and I’ve been in the thick of things with getting elements of my imaging business on track. We all have responsibilities, etc that need prioritizing, so it’s a balancing act at times (wobble). Finally had a moment to capture some moments!
While at the Lake Worth Recreation Center I noticed not just a gargantuan tree but one oozing fantastical features. Spent some time wandering about this monstrosity, let alone weirdly inside it. Turns out I was getting to know what’s called a strangler fig. Not quite a parasitic entity, yet when doing its thing it’ll take out a host tree and live its life with no regrets.
Anyways, I’ll be on the lookout for more of these monsters since this is a creature which enjoys tropical delights. Pleasure sharing some samples . . .
I'm sure most photographer-tourists that make a stop in Kyoto prioritize the mesmerizing vermilion torii gates. Here's one of mine from my 2016 visit.
In the weird way that train roulette works out, the RF&P heritage unit is yet to lead a train on the RF&P. While I don't necessarily go crazily out of my way to photograph these units, I certainly will prioritize them when I am out. On President's Day, I had intended to focus my time in and around Richmond, getting shots of the ACL bridge, and filling in some gaps in locations, if you will. This empty coal drag was supposed to be just another empty coal drag running the Buckingham Branch (empties west) with the RF&P as the trailing unit. But the head end unit had issues, so the power set was swapped around in Fulton. All of a sudden, they were toning up with the 1836 in charge, and I scrambled to figure out where they were heading. As 2 of the trailing units had minimal fuel, it was unclear whether the Buckingham Branch would take them, as it's apparently their policy that CSX units have certain amounts of fuel on board. Unfortunately, their desk made the call to allow this train West. If they hadn't, this train would've run the RF&P. The lighting was spectacular in Beaver Dam, affording me the opportunity to get this roster shot at the depot. It's certainly a fine photo, but man, we were ONE dispatch decision away from the main event we've all been waiting for. Hopefully that day will come soon, and we can finally have the RF&P (we've had seemingly ever other one of these things) on home rails, and complete the circle.
Mt Baker looking majestic in the last embers of sunset. There was a bright full moon rising just out of the frame here, casting some additional light on the gleaming snow cap of one of the most spectacular mountains in all of North America. It's singular prominence over the landscape of northern
Washington State and southern British Columbia, together with it's epic form derived from being an active glaciated andesitic stratovolcano (say that 10 times fast!) make it a feast for the eyes in my view. I've visited before but only captured the view over to nearby Mt Shuksan, never managed to capture a decent shot of Baker itself.
Last fall I started with a short visit in BC then drove down to Seattle, stopping to explore possible shots of Mt Baker from the Mt Baker Highway, and then flew from Seattle to Vegas. Since I had just a short evening to work with I didn't want to venture too far along the Baker highway, and I was fortunate to quickly discover a small turnoff to the Nooksack river that looked like it might provide a view along the river. There also happened to be a full moon rising and I was really keen (perhaps even a bit crazed?) to get a shot of the moon over Mt Baker. I did end up getting that shot but the light was not as good at that point, so the shot is less interesting and by the time the sun set the moon was too high in the sky to get in frame (I did in fact try photoshopping it in to the scene but I didn't find it added much so I decided to leave it natural).
Sometimes my brain doesn't think things through very well when I'm excited to get a particular shot, and this was a prime example. I decided to just take a quick look for a comp along the river with just camera and tripod before gathering up all my stuff and carrying the heavy backpack. Well, the short walk to the edge of the river became a little bit further to see around that tree and then a bit more to look around the next river bend, and so on until I was a good 45 minutes from the car when I finally found some satisfactory views. There was of course no turning back at that point so I had no chance to change lenses or try filters or whatever. I shot with what I brought. Fortunately a small part of brain perhaps realized that I might not return immediately and maybe it'd better to bring the tripod *just in case*.
I would have liked to get more interesting rocks or other feature in the foreground here, but every time I found one it came with a more obstructed view of the mountain, so I prioritized the mountain. It seems likely that more time to explore could have yielded a better comp but I've learned the hard way that perfect is the enemy of good when it comes to finding compositions in a new location (which is why return visits are so satisfying).
The trek back to the car in near darkness, over slick rocks and through heavy riverbank growth, and in unfamiliar territory, was also a gentle (moon luck?) reminder that although I'm usually reasonably intelligent, I can also be a fool. A full moon fool.
Thanks for the views, and especially for the comments. Stay safe!
An exploration of touch, texture, and the fluid boundary between humanity and nature. This piece focuses on the intersection of natural light and tactile sensation, prioritizing form and atmosphere over digital artifice.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: 35mm Art
Use this opportunity to rest, reset and prioritize our purpose and people in our life.
A blessed Easter week to and a blessed Passover.
This is International Day of Pink! #InternationalDayofPink
#StopBullyingNow #BeKind
Travel back to the Roaring Roaring Twenties. The Vintage Car Rally from Barcelona to Sitges is celebrated with great taste and elegance. This legendary race began in 1959. With today's edition there are already 64 editions and the rules have remained unchanged. 52 cars and 15 classic motorcycles participate. All the vehicles are prior to 1928 and the event prioritizes their conservation. It is not a race, it is rewarded to be dressed in period and according to the vehicle and its state of conservation. A total of 40 kilometers that become a real trip to the past
With a Paducah Rebuild GP10 in tow, BNSF Train J ABIAUM1 30A rounds the curve at 30th Street as it leaves the KCT Railway for the BNSF Ft. Scott Sub. on Main Track 2 as Engineer Wil Burke gives us a friendly wave.
Though the "high-wide" symbol might be somewhat misleading, railroads commonly use this prefix type on expedited or high value moves to differentiate from other less prioritized trains, or ones that require less special handling. The hopper car is along for the ride to satisfy minimum axle requirements for properly shunting signal systems.
The GP10 was built for Illinois Central as GP9 IC 9120 in 12-1955 with a builder number of 20758 frame number 5409-3. In March 1973 it emerged from shop as a graduate of the ICG's Paducah Rebuild program as ICG 8329 as a GP10. It was later sold to the US Army, and renumbered USAX 1873. Later retired and sold to S&S Leasing and renumbered SSRX 1873, it soon found a new home on the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad and renumbered MRSR 9120, regaining its original number, while owned by American Heritage Railways in 2016.
It was painted in the Milwaukee Road-inspired livery as seen here and pulled trains in Washington until COVID-19 shut the railroad down, and eventually forced AHR to seek a new owner.
The locomotive was then moved into storage on the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad in Abilene, KS; the ASVR being a fairly recently affiliated partner with AHR. The Branson Scenic Railway was purchased by AHR in 2024, and the movement of the locomotive was expedited to that property in this special move in order to restore service for their busy Independence Day holiday week of excursions due to their GP30, BSRX 99 experiencing a sudden prime mover failure.
The engine was interchanged to the MNA Railroad at Aurora, MO, quickly wyed, and raced to Branson to be placed in service. By July 3rd it had been turned, serviced, tested, and re-lettered to pull the train out of Branson, facing south.
Locomotive: HRMX 9120
6-30-25
Kansas City, MO
(Charadrius cucullatus)
Two Tree Point - Bruny Island -Tasmania
Austrália
This was the first species I saw and photographed in Tasmania. I had hoped to find it, but I never expected it to be the very first species I encountered.
Our trip from Brisbane to Hobart wasn’t exactly smooth. A few weeks after buying the tickets, I got the lovely message: “Your upcoming flight with Rex has been cancelled as a result of Rex’s Voluntary Administration.”
But hey, at least they offered a free ticket with Virgin Australia. So generous, right?
But, after VA totally "forgot" about me for more than 2 months, I finally managed to get a ticket. The catch? Instead of landing in Hobart around noon, as planned, our new arrival time was 5:10 PM.
Problem: the last ferry to Bruny Island leaves at 7 PM. In theory, we could make it, but only if there were no delays and everything—waiting for luggage, picking up the car—went perfectly smooth.
We thought about changing our Bruny Island dates, but accommodation prices had tripled since I’d booked. So, we decided to take our chances.
Oh, and by the way, when we were at O'Reilly's, someone casually mentioned that 40 minutes was enough to get from the airport to the ferry. Spoiler: it's not.
The flight landed on time, but the luggage took forever. So, I went to pick up the rental car while Nita waited for the bags. Conveniently, when we walked past the rental desk earlier, it was empty. Now? Both employees were busy with customers who seemed in no rush to finish their endless questions and conversations.
With the clock reminding me of my ever-shrinking buffer, I started to stress out. Finally, one employee became available—but, of course, she had to make an urgent phone call. That’s when I stepped in and explained my situation. Thankfully, she was kind enough to prioritize my reservation.
Once we got the car, Google Maps told me the ETA to the ferry was 6:43 PM. Okay, doable—assuming nothing went wrong. Sticking to the speed limit (thanks to cruise control), I resisted the temptation to put the pedal to the metal.
Crossing the Hobart Bridge was... an experience. I was in the center lane, with traffic coming toward me on the other side, separated by absolutely nothing. All I could think about was how one distracted driver in the two lanes on my left could send me flying into oncoming traffic. But hey, all went well.
Honestly, Aussie drivers seem incredibly careful and disciplined—they don’t stray an inch from their lanes. I can only imagine the nightmare it must be for them to drive where I am used to drive!
We got to the ferry exactly at 6:43 PM, as predicted. My wife, who has an intense fear of being stopped at Australian airports for carrying food (fruit is a big no-no), decided this was a great time for me to grab something to eat and drink at the café near the dock. Problem: it closes at 4 PM.
Alright, no worries—we'll just grab something on the island.
When we disembarked, there was a sign that should’ve made us pause: "Next service station: Adventure Bay (40 km)". No big deal, though—that’s exactly where we were headed, and we had plenty of fuel.
The drive was lovely, but not a single café or supermarket was open along the way. We stopped briefly to admire the stunning view at The Neck, then continued on. Once we reached Adventure Bay, we quickly found our accommodation. Feeling optimistic, we decided to head to the service station to grab some food.
But… surprise! No supermarket, no gas station, no café was open. The café/restaurant looked like it might be, but as soon as I tried to open the door, they switched off the lights.
The result? We were going to bed hungry. All we had were two yogurts from the fridge in our accommodation and, thankfully, some coffee. Not exactly the feast we were hoping for!
It was 8 PM, I was starving, and there was still some daylight left. Way too early to head to bed. So, I grabbed my camera and went down to the beach right in front of us. And… to my absolute delight, there it was—a Hooded Plover! The light was fading fast, but who cares? Who knows when I’d spot another one of these again?
Not long after, I saw a second one as well a pair of Pacific Gulls and a Pied Oystercatcher (all lifers for me). Suddenly, hunger? Gone. Completely cured.
Now, full disclosure: I ended up deleting all those photos. But at the time, it felt like an elixir for my empty stomach.
This shot? I took it the next day. Turns out, I’d see these birds every single day. They were super tame and gave us plenty of chances for some great photos.
==================***==================
All my photos are now organized into sets by the country where they were taken, by taxonomic order, by family, by species (often with just one photo for the rarer ones), and by the date they were taken.
So, you may find:
- All the photos for this trip Austrália (2024) (309)
- All the photos for this order CHARADRIIFORMES (1170)
- All the photos for this family Charadriidae (Caradriídeos) (182)
- All the photos for this species Charadrius cucullatus (5)
- All the photos taken this day 2024/11/21 (23)
==================***==================
Every morning I cycle down a tree lined alley (is that redundant?) and that day I decided to try to capture the long shadows those trees cast on the field on the west side of the alley. I only half successfully hid myself in one of the shadows.
5 portrait shots with Tamron 28-80 mm @28 mm f/11 stitched with Lightroom.
I had a hard time getting the horizon AND the posts straight and decided to prioritize the horizon. Maybe this has to do with the missing lens correction since I used a manual lens unknown to Lightroom.
UP 1439 and 1361 pass the depot along the UP Mankato Subdivision bound for a meet at the West St. James siding at the start of the UP Worthington Subdivision. The goal today was to see what the happenings were on the former Omaha Route. The day graced me several things moving around, but I prioritized this local heading west. At this point I did not know if this was going towards Windom or turning at Butterfield.
23250 McKay Avenue
Maple Ridge, BC Canada
A Harbour Authority (HA) is a non-profit, locally controlled organization which operates under a head lease with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to operate and maintain a DFO-owned public commercial fishing harbour in the best interests of the commercial fishing fleet.
The harbour facility consists entirely of the property and water lots under the ownership of DFO – Small Craft Harbours (SCH).
An HA must operate the harbour as a public facility in accordance with the terms of the head lease and must at all times prioritize the needs of the commercial fishing industry above all else.
This image is best viewed in Large screen.
Thank-you for your visit, and any faves or comments are always greatly appreciated.
Sonja
Emphasis on foreground sand ripple patterns in warm first light, ultimately leading to an interesting sunny sand dune. The curvy shadow lines are a nice touch in the midground, and they continue to lead the viewer ultimately to the ray of sunlight streaming through the sky over the distant mountain.
Ultra-wide focal lengths like 14mm, used in a portrait orientation, promote foreground while de-emphasizing the midground and background. This can be a powerful tool to deploy, in your intent to showcase a particular portion of a scene, and to prioritize the foreground vs. other elements in a deliberate way.
I like to provide additional details that can be discovered and appreciated over time, so I rarely make shadows to fully to black (enjoy). Subtle details can be included or de-emphasized using subtle photographic techniques that impact the end result.
Sedona has some incredibly rugged beauty. The rock formations, unbelievable morning light, and dynamic views make it one of the most fun places I've ever shot. There are just so many options everywhere. I felt like a kid in a candy store! What a treat! Honestly though, it was a bit of a challenge to shoot there because as soon as I found a spot and composition I liked, I started seeing other compositions I liked and started second guessing the shot I'd prioritized! It's almost like trying to choose what to watch on Netflix - just way too many options! What a great problem to have!
Shot with a Canon 5D Mark IV with a Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS ii and a LEE landscape polarizer.
This was one of three signature shots I wanted up here in the Northeast Kingdom so made sure to prioritize it. This is a spot that should need no introduction as it has been famous for generations. There are lots of angles I've seen over the years, and it was a bit hard to pick but settled on this wider version standing in the bed of my truck with just enough elevation to capture the farm pond below and the mountains on the horizon. The red pick up coming down Searles Road complements the read locomotive bookending the classic red barn. Here again is CPKC train G-18 enroute home to Newport from Farnham with GP20C-ECO 2261 leading four cars approaching the Cross Road grade crossing at MP 50.8 on the former Canadian Pacific Newport Sub.
Newport Center, Vermont
Friday June 21, 2024