For Smile on Saturday: " Focus on heels"

Able to get out in some sunshine yesterday afternoon. Scotland's weather today has restored to default settings :-(

www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-lJZiqZaGA

I went on a photo shoot with two Flickr friends on Friday at Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, which used to be an "insane asylum." Most of it is closed now, with only a few buildings still in use. This one, in particular caught my eye, as it looks rather sinister. Unfortunately, we weren't able to go inside...I believe this building is condemned anyway, as it was definitely falling apart. I couldn't help but think of all the horrible things that went on here, and all the sad and depressed people that left here with no place to go but the street.

Was finally able to escape work and get out for what will probably be the only clear night along the east coast as we head towards new moon in June. So I headed about 3.5 hours away into West Virginia to get a darker sky than we would normally have around Baltimore.

The was my last capture made around 2am this morning in the Dolly Sods area of West Virginia. No light painting on this final capture ... but I took an adjustable LED light that I have not to practice with before heading out west this summer to those even darker skies.

Was able to get a whole seriew of images on this guy folks, but liked this one the best,

I think, will have to look again.

Thanks to all for everything.

Thanks again D.M. as always.

I’ve just read a comment from a photographer who said it’s time to stop shooting in black and white. He claimed we don’t see the world in black and white and it was something only done in the past due to the limitations at the time and it’s time to move on. Here’s a number of reasons why I think it’s critical to shoot black and white from time to time, and how it can help nurture your photographic eye.

Ansel Adams, Cartier Bresson, David Bailey, Karsh, Sebastio Salgado, Albert Watson, Peter Lindbergh, Herb Ritts, Irving Penn, Daidō Moriyama, Sally Mann, Avedon – the list of master photographers, alive or dead, who saw black and white not simply as a technical limitation but as a creative choice, could be an entire article in itself. But why did they choose it?

Here are some key reasons:

1. Color No Longer Distracts

2. You’ll See Light Differently

3. It Helps Emphasize Emotion

4. The Timeless / Classic Quality From Black And White

5. It Amplifies How You Use Negative Space

6. It Highlights Shape, Form and Pattern In The Image

7. To Highlight Beauty and Skin Tones

8. It Helps Focus On Composition

So What About Color?

The argument of not shooting black and white because it’s a thing of the past is a little odd to me, especially given that color photography is not necessarily a modern invention. Kodachrome for 35mm cameras has been around since the 1930s. The far more interesting (and possibly meaningful question) may be:“Why is black and white still so prevalent today, given we've been able to shoot color for so long?”.

I still shoot color and love playing with it, but I certainly enjoy the challenge and creative push from shooting in black and white.

Laughing gull showing off its breeding colors...

Lots of dragonflies at the lake last evening. ( I learned that if I moved very slowly towards the dragonfly, I was able to get shots that I would never get if I turned quickly).

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Apologies for not being around I became ill again and havent been able to do very much at all hope everyone is well and you all have a good weekend xxx

Im so behind will try and catch up over the next few days energy levels are very low so please bare with me x

-Morris Gleitzman, After

A very oldie, but a goodie. I haven't been able to get out for landscapes, and with winter here might be few and far between so I am looking through some archives from years past. I don't know why I never liked this one? Isn't it strange how something will inspire us years later when in the past they never sparked anything. Oh how our hearts change.

I was able to spend a few hours in morning light with the local Long-billed Curlew. We sure are blessed in Metro Vancouver to have this normally rare resident. Long-billed Curlews are threatened in Canada. There are 2 Subspecies of Long-billed Curlew and the subspecies that occurs in the USA (Numenius americanus americanus) is bigger than the ones we get and have longer bills than the Canadian (Numenius americanus) ones. There are only 500 Long-billed Curlews left in BC and with continued development and agricultural land use their breeding habitat gets further reduce we must do all we can to conserve and protect our remaining grasslands in Canada but especially in BC.

Until Tuesday, I will not be able to upload the photos to my stream, but I will try my best to watch your posts from my phone.

Thank you so much for your visit and fave !

The steam engine by "Haslam Foundry & Engineering Co. Ltd. Derby England" produced electricity for the whole factory, for light, the machines, for cooling of the 12 storage rooms 5 cooling cellars, where they were able to store 180000 carcasses and 850000 tons of final products. The basic element for cooling was ammonia. The begin of the 20th century was called the British industrial revolution in Patagonia. - Former sheep meat plant in Puerto Bories - Patagonia, Chile, partially abandoned

The beautiful Bridal Veil Falls, a short hike from home. I always marvel at being able to enjoy this little wonder in my backyard.

I haven't been able to post any pics on flick'r for a couple of weeks or more ... my pc's hard drive died a death and literally had no life in it, I just couldn't access anything. I'm sure I must have overloaded it!

I could have lost everything, but my genius son in law came to the rescue. He eventually managed to get into it and had to uninstall everything.

I'm very fortunate that his job is in IT and he took my computer home with him and fitted another hard drive for me.

It was a long haul, but now everything's working, except I'm having to go on different routes to access what I want sometimes because everything is updating - which is probably a good thing!

I've missed it so much ....

Meanwhile, I accumulated a lot of photos in my Olympus camera and this one is from a set I took of colourful flowers from my little garden.

I like to bring them indoors to photograph because it means I can take my time and try out different things.

The flowers are really strong colours and I thought they went well together with the rose as the star. I added a dark vignette. I used one of my craft cards for the base/background.

Have a great day everyone!

Being able to play a guitar brings me great happiness,particularly if I'm entertaining other people.

Have a great Saturday.

... is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.

Desmond Tutu

Topaz Studio

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Use without permission is illegal.

Please, don't fave and run, you will get yourself blocked.

Fringed tulip

Have a wonderful Sunday !

After taking far longer and no longer able to be shot without the aid of lights. With a crowd already at Green Oak and I had already shot in the dark the night before, I raced west. While I wanted the train splitting the mini searchlights that protect Ann Pere Diamond, that was thwarted by cars on the interchange. Seeing another shot nearby that was a feasible set up lead to a hasty set up that yielded good results on the much anticipated D705 with its much wanted pair of SD40-2s.

Along Canyon Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico

This is what a legitimate out of control wildfire looks like. The Dixie Fire in northern California is now the largest wildfire in recorded California history. It has been burning for 5 weeks and has destroyed towns, villages, farms and ranches totaling almost 1 million acres.

We have voluntarily evacuated our home twice in the past week, and are currently awaiting instructions from the civil authorities. Haven't been able to post any pics for some time as we have packed and moved so many times, we're completely exhausted and just this evening was even able to plug in my computer in a safe place.

Many things either good or bad had happened on the past year. So many things to be thankful for, so many blessing have been received. Meeting all of you my flickr friends boost my interest in photography which I don't have much interest before, just for sharing with you just make me appreciate everything around me, be thankful for the gift & be able to share it with everyone. Thank you all so much for all the encouraging comments, visits, criticism and everything that you've done & share with me especially all the laughter & fun!!!

View On Black

After a long day working ... noticed that after two days of 50 MPH and then 30 MPH winds and sunny days, that clouds rolled in as the day was nearing an end and the winds died down to nothing.

Checked the radar and the passing front left behind a band of clouds over the Baltimore region ... and it was slowly dissipating.

I called my Dad about 40 minutes before sunset and asked if the river was smoothed out. He said it was nearly a mirror.

So I grabbed the camera gear and made a quick trip down to Middle River to see if Election Night would have some fireworks.

The conditions were great with the two days of strong winds out of the northwest resulted in a real low tide, so was able to get under some of the piers.

Here just as the sun set, the colors were golden and just beginning. The fireworks followed for about 20 minutes or more, so I ended up taking 75 captures from all kinds of perspectives given the reflections, clouds and low tide conditions.

seeing and recording are almost simultaneous. His output is limited only by his ability to see. For this reason it has always been my belief that an experienced photographer, given the means to devote himself entirely to creative expression, should be able to produce a tremendous amount of valuable work.

Edward Weston

HPPT! Kindness Matters!

cercis, smooth redbud, 'Celestial Plum', j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina

I was able to grab a fleeting glimpse of this snail as it careened across the street in front of me.

Local Acrobat well known n the neighborhood able too climb any thing in search of food.

Platz für Zwei [Reihe: Krummer Pfuhl] / Foto Orlon - Alle Rechte vorbehalten © AndiDroid ;-)

Orlon; Nature/Landscape Photo. Thank you in advance for your comments, awards, favorites, group invitations and gallery choices; I'm sorry I may not be able to respond individually. All rights reserved

Not able to got that far for a pic at the moment, but sometimes subjects come to me.

“The mermaid is an archetypal image that represents a woman who is at ease in the great waters of life, the waters of emotion and sexuality. She shows us how to embrace our instinctive sexuality and sensuality so that we can affirm the essence of our feminine nature, the wisdom of our bodies, and the playfulness of our spirits. She symbolizes our connection with our deepest instinctive feelings, our wild and untamed animal nature that exists below the surface of outward personalities. She is able to respond to her mysterious sexual impulses without abandoning her more human, conscious side.

I could not resist posting another image of the Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides) because of the different canvas I was able to capture the bird flying along the beach.

Have been un-able to post an image folks for the last 2 hours and am now finally getting there, a Flickr Thing I hope.

There were a few nests of this species that I was so glad to see this season, not as many as the other species but enough to ensure the population of this beautiful bird here in out wetlands, and there transformation to adulthood.

Thank you so very much for stopping by, commenting, and have a wonderful Sunday and week ahead.

Existe el destino? Todos sabemos cómo terminan las hojas en otoño.

Sin embargo, algunas logran seguir acariciadas por el sol todo el invierno.

Exists the destiny? All we know how the leaves in autumn finish. Nevertheless, some of them are able to stay caressed by the sun all the winter.

HFF!!!

GLASS

I am a great fan of anything made out of Glass. Stained glass, Art or Studio glass pieces and etc. When I’m south of the Thames I always visit Peter Layton Glass in Bermondsey for a treat. The last visit was no exception, brilliant abstract glass. These are just few of the items I was able to photograph (with permission). Wish I could afford them now.

CN 2032 leads an empty limestone train around an S-curve in Culver, MN bound for Proctor.

Going home with a sunny shot here didn't seem possible as our first day was cloudy, and the following two days had no southbounds running late-morning. All hope was lost since the weather forecasted was cloudy. However, the clouds broke free and we were able to get two trains in sun here.

I happened to be around the swampy area of the Lake when a very young Wood Duck brood took to the water. They seemed quite nervous and hesitant to enter the water, but, like many other animals, after one entered there was a mini-stampede behind it. This duckling fairly quickly found the lily pad, and found sitting watching the brothers and sisters from a floating pad was more to its liking. At this time of year, and given the heat and low water levels, there is a virtual canopy of reeds and other vegetation over that part of the Lake - which is just as well, given the presence of multiple species of hawk. This duckling though was in the open, and I was able to hide well enough not to alarm the adult female supervising them.

Look at the flowers, their brief moment of life,

But how Pure are the tenderest creatures.

And in each There is the Light and Mystery of the Universe,

And in each there is a silent cry about Love.

Look, Love lives in flowers too.

And in their beauty, and in their fragrance

You will hear the breath of Holy love

, You will see the flight of trembling desires.

And let the withered ones not be revived,

They give us Love when they die.

Flowers are messengers from Paradise,

Be able to Love so beautifully too.

No need for words, I'm giving you Flowers,

What do they say, will you understand?

Not able to do much today, so I trawled through my pics and found these pics of Heuchera leaves that I'd never posted.

I can't remember what 'effect' I used on this one, but it was most likely done with ON1 software.

To be able to fly like the birds seems so fascinating. Crows and/Ravens have always interests me...I think they are one of the most mysterious creatures in the world.

This is a quick study of drawing birds on 160G paper in which I decided to use charcoal & a hint of graphite.

for close-up shots=> www.saatchiart.com/art/Drawing-THE-SURVEYOR/980307/658014...

I've never been able to capture so clear a photo of a Common Merganser before. She was most cooperative. A couple more to come.

Thanks for Viewing.

Elantxobe, Vizcaya, País Vasco, España.

Elantxobe es un municipio español situado en la costa nordeste de la provincia de Vizcaya, a 50 km de Bilbao, en la comunidad autónoma del País Vasco.

Elantxobe se sitúa en la ladera este de la mole rocosa del cabo Ogoño, que protege el puerto pesquero, pero cuya enorme inclinación conforma una cascada de calles estrechas y empinadas en las que las casas parecen formar una escalera de tejados que llega hasta la misma orilla del mar. Esta disposición obliga a que el pueblo tenga dos accesos totalmente separados, uno por abajo hacia el puerto y otro hacia la parte alta, donde una mínima anchura plana es lo único que puede considerarse una plaza, con un magnífico mirador y una sorprendente plataforma giratoria que deben utilizar los vehículos de mayor tamaño para poder girar y salir del pueblo.

La villa surge en 1524 con el puerto pesquero, tomando cierta importancia en el siglo XVII como puerto defensivo de la costa vizcaína, que en la actualidad tiene uso como puerto deportivo. Hasta 1858 fue un barrio del vecino municipio de Ibarrangelu. Celebra su fiesta patronal el 6 de diciembre, día de San Nicolás de Bari.

En el siglo XIX la industria pesquera de Elantxobe vive un momento de auge, llegando a albergar siete fábricas de escabeche y una de conservas, entre ellas Conservas Garavilla (Isabel) y conservas Serrats.

Este momento quedó reflejado en la construcción de la Iglesia de San Nicolás de Bari, fruto de las donaciones de los pescadores.

Elantxobe is a Spanish municipality located on the northeast coast of the province of Vizcaya, 50 km from Bilbao, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country.

Elantxobe is located on the eastern slope of the rocky mass of Cabo Ogoño, which protects the fishing port, but whose enormous slope forms a cascade of narrow and steep streets in which the houses seem to form a staircase of roofs that reaches the very shore. from sea. This layout forces the town to have two completely separate entrances, one from below towards the port and the other towards the upper part, where a minimum flat width is the only thing that can be considered a square, with a magnificent viewpoint and an amazing revolving platform that they must use the larger vehicles to be able to turn and leave town.

The town emerged in 1524 with the fishing port, gaining some importance in the 17th century as a defensive port on the Biscayan coast, which is currently used as a marina. Until 1858 it was a neighborhood of the neighboring municipality of Ibarrangelu. It celebrates its patronal festival on December 6, the day of San Nicolás de Bari.

In the 19th century, Elantxobe's fishing industry experienced a boom, coming to house seven pickle factories and one canning factory, including Conservas Garavilla (Isabel) and Conservas Serrats.

This moment was reflected in the construction of the Church of San Nicolás de Bari, the result of donations from fishermen.

Despite the quarantine, I am still thankful to be able to get outdoors and enjoy the beauty of nature all around me. It is soothing to my soul... I love squirrels, and this adorable critter briefly posed for me in this lovely garden, captivating me with its beauty...

Praying dear friends you are continuing to stay safe and well during these trying times and grateful to those who take the time to view, fave, or comment. It is truly appreciated...

Grey Heron - Ardea Cinerea

The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.

The birds breed colonially in spring in "heronries", usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for a period of about 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when seven or eight weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about five years.

In Ancient Egypt, the deity Bennu was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork. In Ancient Rome, the heron was a bird of divination. Roast heron was once a specially-prized dish; when George Neville became Archbishop of York in 1465, four hundred herons were served to the guests.

The grey heron has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks.

Fish, amphibians, small mammals and insects are taken in shallow water with the heron's long bill. It has also been observed catching and killing juvenile birds such as ducklings, and occasionally takes birds up to the size of a water rail. It may stand motionless in the shallows, or on a rock or sandbank beside the water, waiting for prey to come within striking distance. Alternatively, it moves slowly and stealthily through the water with its body less upright than when at rest and its neck curved in an "S". It is able to straighten its neck and strike with its bill very fast.

Small fish are swallowed head first, and larger prey and eels are carried to the shore where they are subdued by being beaten on the ground or stabbed by the bill. They are then swallowed, or have hunks of flesh torn off. For prey such as small mammals and birds or ducklings, the prey is held by the neck and either drowned, suffocated, or killed by having its neck snapped with the heron's beak, before being swallowed whole. The bird regurgitates pellets of indigestible material such as fur, bones and the chitinous remains of insects. The main periods of hunting are around dawn and dusk, but it is also active at other times of day. At night it roosts in trees or on cliffs, where it tends to be gregarious.

Population:

UK breeding:

13,000 nests

UK wintering:

63,000 birds

I have not been able to find out more about this place - I imagine it had something to do with the celebrated Waddington Family, Victorian industrialists who were born in France but educated in England and with English family. William Waddington won the boat race for Cambridge and in later life briefly became Prime Minister of France. I suspect this place was associated with his brother Richard, also a French parliamentarian, as a nearby street is named after him. The view of the castle was pretty fleeting, almost as mysterious as its history.

Warbler #8

I find these Common Yellow-Throat Warblers rather challenging to photograph. I usually see them down low in the thick weeds or brush. So I was pretty ecstatic when I was able to capture this image.

I hope you enjoy this photograph.

Have a great weekend my friends!!!

I was lucky to be able to pop down to Labrador Bay in Devon in June 2017, to be able to catch up with one of the UK's rarest residents that are being given a lot of help from the RSPB to maintain the small UK population. I didn't have to look too far on arrival this fella was sitting up on the hedge-line to the car park :-)

Being able to walk along the river in the sunshine on a winter day is actually absolutely beautiful. Here the air is as fresh as the colors of the building and the sky is as blue as the river. Here we live side by side, humans, birds, beavers, roedeer and many other creatures. The strangest of them all is me, high and low, crawling around on my knees, or lying behind a bush or in the snow with my camera or mobile phone ....

強風のため、灯台の外の展望台は閉じられていました。

夜になって、鍵が開けられ、外の展望台に登りましたが、

三脚は役に立たず、振れずに撮れたのはこの一枚だけでした。

Because of the strong wind, the observatory outside the lighthouse was closed.

In the evening, the key was opened and I went up to the outside observatory,

The tripod was useless, and only this one was able to take without swinging.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jan. 14, 2017

dedication

this picture is dedicated to the valiant, tireless and overworked women and men around the world who, at great risk to themselves and to their families and friends, fight, sacrifice and increasingly die heroically trying to treat, save, comfort and console the infected and keep safe their communities.

in this time of great human suffering, uncertainty and angst, my heart weeps for these amazing people with tears of profound awe, sorrow and, most of all, thanks.

please, if you are able, raise your voice and your wallet to support and fight hard from the outside so that those on the front lines inside can do their best safely with the personal protective equipment they terribly need and so-richly deserve.

life is short. please do not forget to share the love you have while you can.

finally, many thanks to each of you for your consistent, heartwarming friendship and kind words of support. you put smiles on my face each and every day and i am deeply appreciative.

keep the faith and be safe.

- j. k.

dayton, ohio

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man

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// . posted . tuesday, march 31, 2020 11:38:35 am est

I was able to take a bird off my bucket list today. We went to Felts Audubon Preserve and we saw a Painted Bunting. They are so colorful! They are not great quality shots, but I was so excited to finally see one! One of my contacts identified the blue birds as non-breeding Indigo Buntings. Doubly exciting!

Happy Wing Wednesday!

I was able to get over to near the osprey nest this evening about 15 minutes before sunset in hopes to get a quick fly-by in the pretty warm light. I was probably too late as the osprey was still alone there and just sitting around. As the sun was setting behind the trees, I started to head back away figuring no action this evening. I am glad I looked back though as I was leaving as I saw the crescent moon up in the sky.

I walked around the field below the nest to get the moon behind the osprey. Did a quick focus on the moon and took a capture, then focused on the osprey to get it in focus. Took a couple captures of the osprey as it was turning its head around checking out the sunset view. Got lucky with it turning and catching the fading sunset light on the eye.

It was easy to overlay the in focus moon then over the other image to get both together in focus as the exposures of the sky matched up with them being taken a couple seconds apart.

So I guess it turned out pretty cool that the osprey did not take a late day flight after all.