View allAll Photos Tagged afraid
quote
“The face she made at me was probably meant for a smile. Whatever it was, it beat me. I was afraid she'd do it again, so I surrendered”
Dashiell Hammett, The Continental Op
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American writer of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the characters he created are Sam Spade, Nick and Nora Charles, The Continental Op and the comic strip character Secret Agent X-9.
AI & MANIUPLUATED DIGITAL ART
to sit for a while and think.....
Location :Just Another Tequilla Sunrise, Isle of Love (162, 94, 24) - Moderate
I haven't seen the sunrise in several days, now, so I've been anxious to go regardless of the conditions. Today, I made it to Pittock Mansion to see a small fog layer behind the city. Soon after I arrived, a few photographers joined me to capture the sunrise. Unfortunately, a heavy fog layer rolled in from the North-East and blocked our view just before sunrise. I took this time to practice some other landscape shots until I finally found myself in the foggy forest. A short climb later I set up my tripod, wedged between 2 or 3 trees, and walked across the mossy log. By setting my camera on the time-lapse function, I was able to take photos every couple seconds while I got into position. I'll definitely have to try this spot out again when it's foggy enough.
Lightroom:
Increased clarity, Small increase to detail, contrast, exposure, highlights and whites.
Decreased shadows, blacks
Added vignette
On a gorgeous summer evening, westbound train Nº603 crosses the mighty Rivière-du-Milieu trestle, bound for Senneterre.
Built in 1913 for the National Transcontinental Railway, it was once a vital link on the NTR's Quebec City - Winnipeg mainline, but the glory days of transcontinental passenger and freight trains are long gone.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGj9oADcyRs
I haven't always been this way
I wasn't born a renegade
I felt alone, still feel afraid
I stumble through it anyway
I wish someone would've told me that this life is ours to choose
No one's handing you the keys or a book with all the rules
The little that I know I'll tell to you
When they dress you up in lies, and you're left naked with the truth
You throw your head back
And you spit in the wind
Let the walls crack
'Cause it lets the light in
Let 'em drag you through hell
They can't tell you to change who you are
(That's all I know so far)
And when the storm's out
You'll run in the rain
Put your sword down
Dive right into the pain
Stay unfiltered and loud
You'll be proud of that skin full of scars
That's all I know so far
That's all I know so far
So you might give yourself away, yeah
And pay full price for each mistake
But when the candy coating hides the razor blade
You can cut yourself loose and use that rage
I wish someone would've told me that this darkness comes and goes
People will pretend, but baby girl, nobody knows
And even I can't teach you how to fly
But I can show you how to live like your life is on the line
You throw your head back
And you spit in the wind
Let the walls crack
'Cause it lets the light in
Let 'em drag you through hell
They can't tell you to change who you are
(That's all I know so far)
And when the storm's out
You'll run in the rain
Put your sword down
Dive right into the pain
Stay unfiltered and loud
You'll be proud of that skin full of scars
That's all I know so far
That's all I know, that's all I know so far
That's all I know, that's all I know so far
That's all I know, that's all I know so far
That's all I know, that's all I know so far
I will be with you 'til the world blows up, yes
Up and down and through 'til the world blows up, yeah
When it's right or it's all fucked up
'Til the world blows up, 'til the world blows up
And we will be enough
And until the world blows up
Just throw your head back
And spit in the wind
Let the walls crack
'Cause it lets the light in
Let 'em drag you through hell
They can't tell you to change who you are
And when the storm's out
You'll run in the rain
Put your sword down
Dive right into the pain
Stay unfiltered and loud
You'll be proud of that skin full of scars
That's all I know so far
I decided to do a Halloween set-up with my backyardigans this year. It has been a while since I have done one!
Devil underneath your grin, sweet thing
Bet you play to win, heaven gonna hate me
🎶https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk4S0F0_UVw🎶
Go ahead and take your best shot,
Let 'er rip, give it all you've got,
I'm laid out on the floor, but I've been here before,
I may stumble, yeah I might fall,
Only human aren't we all?
I might lose my way, but hear me when I say,
I will stand back up,
You'll know just the moment when I've have enough,
Sometimes I'm afraid, and I don't feel that tough,
But I'll stand back up,
I've been beaten up and bruised,
I've been kicked right off my shoes,
Been down on my knees more times than you'd believe,
When the darkness tries to get me,
There's a light that just won't let me,
It might take my pride, and my tears may fill my eyes,
But I'll stand back up,
I've weathered all these storms,
But I just turn them into wind, so I can fly,
What don't kill you makes you stronger,
When I take my last breath,
That's when I'll just give up,
So, go ahead to take your best shot,
Let 'er rip, give it all you've got,
You might win this round but you can't keep me down,
'Cause I'll stand back up,
And you'll know just the moment when I've had enough,
Sometimes I'm afraid and I don't feel that tough,
But I'll stand back up,
You'll know just the moment when I've had enough,
Sometimes I'm afraid and I don't feel that tough,
But I'll stand back up.
I'm not afraid to take a stand Everybody come take my hand
We'll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm Just let you know that, you're not alone
Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road
espero que vc goste amore hehe (ele é dificil de blendar /corre)
Lucas amanhã eu posto #EUACHO kkkkkkkkkkkkk
As noted by JJ Audubon: "The Black-poll Warbler is a gentle bird, by no means afraid of man, although it pursues some of its smaller enemies with considerable courage. The sight of a Canadian Jay excites it greatly, as that marauder often sucks its eggs, or swallows its young. In a few instances I have seen the Jay confounded by the temerity of its puny assailant.
The occurrence of this species so far north in the breeding season, and the curious diversity of its habits in different parts of the vast extent of country which it traverses, are to me quite surprising..". Birds of America.
She was afraid of heights,
but she was much more afraid
of never flying.
-Atticus
I've had this little pilot jacket for years but haven't had an idea for it up until now! For those of you who follow me on instagram, the photo bombing horse video is from this shoot! @aleah_michele
Explore #1. Thank you!
One more shot of my 72th floor shooting before I take a little flickr break. I am going for a short vacation, you'll will figure out the place when I post my next shot!
This my first Vertorama done with my Nikkor Fisheye. I created two tone-mapped HDRs of 7 exposures each (top/bottom).The stitching had to be done completely manually. Optical correction to remove the bending of the buildings.
I also took a close-up of the Burj Dubai (looks tiny in this shot) that I will post later.
The huge tower on the foreground is the Rose Rotana Hotel. It was actually totally obstructing the view on that side of the building in construction.
Credits:::
creativeimageryphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/im-all-...
""Yours"
I’ll wear your winter coat, the one you love to wear
So I keep feeling close to what’s beyond compare
The moments waking up, you catch me in your eyes
That beauty on my pillow that holds me in the night
And I would fight my strength to untape my mouth
When I used to be afraid of the words
But with you I’ve learnt just to let it out
Now my heart is ready to burst
Cause I, I feel like I’m ready for love
And I, wanna be your everything and more
And I know every day I say it
But I just want you to be sure
That I am yours
And if I be feeling heavy
You take me from the dark
Your arms they keep me steady
So nothing could fall apart
And I would fight my strength to untape my mouth
When I used to be afraid of the words
But with you I’ve learnt just to let it out
Now my heart is ready to burst
‘Cause I, I feel like I’m ready for love
And I wanna be your everything and more
And I know every day I say it
But I just want you to be sure
That I am yours
That I am yours..."
Don't be afraid to go out on a limb. It's where all the fruit is.
Shirley MacLaine
wish you a good sunday :)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
DEAR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES; THANK YOU FOR VIEWING, FAVING AND COMMENTING MY DIGITAL OBSERVATIONS.
To see the hummer's reaction to having a Yellow Jacket crawl on her chest, see the next photo.
Having watched Yellow Jacket for a few days I have concluded:
1. Yellowjacket wants the hummer's food and will fight for it.
2. If the Yellowjacket is on the flower, He will launch an attack when hummers get within 2 feet.
3. If the hummingbird is feeding, the Yellowjacket will launch an attack from far away.
4. Yellow Jackets will sting for no reason at all
5. Yellow Jackets have no concept of personal space
6. Yellow Jackets are dicks
www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-06-15/abe-passes...
"The Swamp" is a metaphor for fascism, from the point of view of Meilo Minotaur's actual experience of fascism in Portugal, the Carnation Revolution, and the actual lived experience of CapCat Ragu from post-revolutionary Portugal.
At a time when the crisis is trying to push us back into obscurantism is the moment to resist, to fight against the totalitarianism of capital, but never to return to fascism!
By the artists- Meilo Minotaur & Cap Cat Ragu
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Nordan%20om%20Jorden/182/2...
Original image I took in Secondlife on 1st comment
How do you feel?
What is there to feel?
So how do we now come to be
Afraid of sunlight?
Not much going on here but the broad leaf trees reaching across the divide, in the gloom, somehow struck a chord.
Rainy day in Herefordshire.
Nikon Df, 75-150 f3.5, handheld - hence the high ISO.
IMPORTANT: for non-pro users who read the anecdote on a computer, just enlarge your screen to 120% (or more), then the full text will appear below the photo with a white background - which makes reading so much easier.
My best photos (mostly not on Flickr) are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO:
The photo above is far from perfect - believe me, I'm aware. But I'm still very proud of the shot: because getting it was such an excruciatingly long process that it drove me to the brink of insanity. I'm afraid the anecdote that follows is equally long (though hopefully only half as excruciating 😉), but especially for birders it might be interesting.
To provide some context: In the winter of '23 I started feeding the birds in my garden on a huge tree trunk which I'd dragged underneath the fig tree right opposite my wooden shed. And it was through a small hole in that shed's wall that I was then able to photograph my unsuspecting avian guests from a distance of not even two meters (that's a story in and of itself, you can read all about here: www.flickr.com/photos/191055893@N07/52994208987/in/datepo... )
Using the shed as a blind was a game-changer for me; I hadn't managed to produce more than a single usable bird photo in the years before, and now within only a few weeks I succeeded in capturing most of the regular visitors to my garden (nuthatch, blue tit, great tit, marsh tit, dunnock, Italian sparrow and many more) up close and in great detail - yet I wasn't satisfied.
The reason for that was simple: the most beautiful bird in the neighborhood - a Eurasian jay - had so far eluded my camera. I was hell-bent on capturing that fella, but he stubbornly and consistently refused to play along. I'm aware not all jays of the species Garrulus glandarius are that difficult to photograph, but unlucky for me, mine was a regular diva and obvious VIB (that's short for Very Important Bird - in case you wondered 😉), and he behaved as such.
On the few occasions that Mr. Jay did grace my garden with his presence - and I could observe this through a window from the house - he would fly onto a branch of the fig tree right above my buffet for birds, sit there for maybe twenty seconds contemplating what was on display below, only to then fly away again (and I swear I could see him wrinkle his nose - or rather beak - before he took off 😉).
To be fair, it probably wasn't just the menu that didn't convince him; I'm pretty sure this jay knew something fishy (or worse: human) was going on in the shed, and my sunflower seeds and peanuts - which he could probably also get from birdhouses nearby where no paparazzi were lurking - just weren't good enough for him to be willing to take a risk.
Naturally I also tried other delicacies, ranging from fresh apples to grapes to raisins and other dried fruit, but nothing worked; Mr. VIB remained suspicious, which was more than a little frustrating.
Now at this point it might be worth mentioning what probably every birder already knows, namely that Eurasian jays are incredibly clever. If they don't want to have their picture taken and you insist, well, then it becomes a battle of wills between you and the smartest guy in the woods.
It becomes a game of chess, but one where you're up against a grandmaster: only you don't know it yet (unbeknownst to many, every insane asylum comes with a special wing that is reserved for wildlife photographers who tried to get a jay photo - the so called "Jay Wing" - where only the toughest and most experienced psychiatrists are allowed to treat the poor souls 😉).
I had no luck with the jay all winter, but I wasn't ready to give up (nor was I ready to have myself admitted to the "Jay Wing" - yet 😉). Once spring arrived, I hoped to attract Mr. Bluewings with a special treat. Growing up near a fruit orchard, I knew how much Eurasian jays loved cherries, and in May I could finally get the first fresh ones - still imports - from the store.
That timing was crucial, because the cherry trees around my village didn't bear any ripe fruit yet that could have competed with mine - though they would be soon. So there was now this very small window of time where I was able to offer our local "star" the kind of exclusive VIB-treatment that he clearly demanded.
And it worked... almost. It took a few days, during which the jay probably observed the tree trunk from afar (I imagined him with binoculars, in a trench-coat and with a fedora hat like a private eye from the 1940s 😉 ), but eventually he couldn't resist the juicy bribe, and he indeed came to collect the cherries.
The only problem was: the clever devil timed his raids on the buffet so perfectly that I was never in the shed when he did it. It was crazy, but I never even saw him from the house; once the cherries started disappearing, I just assumed it had to be him, because the other birds showed zero interest in anything other than the nuts and the seeds.
For almost a week the same story kept repeating itself (with slight variations): sometime during the day - and never at the same time - the cherries were being collected. The thief never took more than four or five, and it always happened within a time frame of around ten minutes (this I deducted because I checked the tree trunk at pretty close intervals) - and without exception during a moment when I wasn't there to witness it.
By now it was obvious that the jay had the house and the shed under constant surveillance, probably from a high vantage point up in the trees outside my garden where he could even see me through the windows, while I couldn't see him. It drove me nuts: the meticulousness and stealth with which this fella went about his cherry-thieving business were simply unreal!
He might have been a diva, but he showed incredible discipline: once he'd had his fill, he didn't come back, and the rest of the cherries remained untouched until the evening. It was hopeless: if I wasn't willing to observe the tree trunk non-stop or hire a private detective (and I admit I considered the latter for a moment 😉), it was clear I wouldn't see as much as a tail feather. But then I had an idea.
You have to know that I didn't want the bird food to be visible in my photos, so right from the start, I had put three somewhat photogenic looking logs of firewood in a little triangle on the tree trunk, and I'd always "hidden" the bird food in their midst (a bit of a cheat, I know, but all's fair in love and photography 😁).
This meant that while I could see those logs through the window from my house, I couldn't see the cherries and thus never had a visual clue when they started to go missing. The next day I put a single cherry on one of the logs, the remaining ones I put in the space between, like I had done before.
I went back into the house and made myself comfortable with my laptop on the sofa next to the window. Every once in a while I would turn my head to see whether the cherry was still there. After maybe two hours, it finally happened: A moment before I had still seen its silhouette clearly, and now the cherry had disappeared.
I jumped up and quickly (but silently) snuck into the shed where my camera was already mounted on the tripod and ready. The adrenaline started to kick in: I had no idea if my plan would work. The logic behind my idea was: if the jay went for the most exposed cherry first and was then busy for a minute or so eating it somewhere, maybe he wouldn't notice me sneak into the shed.
The suspense was nearly unbearable; sweat was dripping from my brow into my eye, and I didn't dare to move, for fear the slightest noise (like my clothes rustling) would give my position away to the jay. I looked through the viewfinder, eyes squinted, frozen like a statue, for what felt like eternity (but in reality couldn't have been more than a minute or two), when out of nowhere he appeared: the master thief materialized on one of the logs like some sort of magic trick.
And yes: it was the jay - and he looked magnificent. He made a quick movement with his head, and then he was gone. I was stunned. It all had happened so fast that I hadn't even tried to get him in focus - I just stood there, almost shocked. I had never had a chance to get a shot. A minute later, while I was still silently cursing myself, my prized bird appeared again. I fumbled on my camera - he was gone before I could do so much as adjust the direction of the lens.
I started cursing loudly now - I just couldn't help it - but the jay didn't seem to mind. Within the next three minutes he came back two more times, and all I had to show for in the end was a perfectly focused - albeit entirely birdless - photo of the logs on the tree trunk (well, that and some very nice clumps of my own hair in my hands 😆). I hoped against hope he would appear one more time, but he didn't; he'd taken his usual five cherries, and the raid was over for the day.
I have to say that despite my anger (mostly at myself), I was impressed: the speed with which my adversary acted was incredible - no wonder I had never seen him. But there was simply no way I could shoot this lightning fast creature the way I usually do, which is by selecting the smallest focus and then only aiming for the eye. If I wanted to capture Mr. Bluewings at all, I had to switch to auto and continuous shooting mode, hoping one of the photos would end up being in focus.
I enacted my new strategy the next day, and thankfully the trick with the single exposed cherry on the log worked again: the jay went for it first, and I was again able to quickly sneak into the shed, apparently undetected. As had happened the day before, Master Garrulus glandarius appeared out of nowhere - and again was gone before I could even think of pressing the trigger.
But after the third attempt, my timing was finally right; I aimed and shuttered in rapid fire as if I were working a machine gun; the camera went "trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" (yes, that's my best imitation of that sound 😂 ), and I could see immediately how that noise irritated the jay. Weirdly enough, he seemed to be much more bothered by the camera noise than he was by my constant muttering and swearing.
This time, he didn't come back for a fifth and final cherry. But I couldn't have cared less (and as a nature lover it embarrasses me to admit this); I was in a reckless, almost feverish "hunter mode", and the only thing that mattered now was my photographic prize.
I was euphoric, because I knew I had captured the jay. Still in the shed, I immediately went through the photos, fingers trembling with excitement (I know this must sound exaggerated and very ridiculous to most people, but I bet you photographers out there know exactly what I'm talking about 😄).
My euphoria dissipated quicker than you could utter the words "Jay Wing". Even on the small camera screen it became instantly apparent the pictures were unusable. They were out of focus at best and a total blur at worst. I scanned my surroundings for a suitable object or surface where I could bash my head in. I wanted to scream (and maybe I did - my neighbors looked at me funny later that day, but then they often do that 😂).
So far it was 3:0 for the bird. I had failed at every attempt, and he had outplayed me on every level. To make matters worse, I didn't dare to apply the continuous shooting mode again: the noise was just too loud, and I was afraid I would scare the jay away for good (plus the results - due to my ineptitude - weren't likely to improve).
I was used to photographing reptiles, insects and roe deer, and none of them moved as fast as the Eurasian jay: I needed more time. Just a few seconds would have been enough, but I realized the clever bird would never give me those. The situation seemed hopeless - until I had an unexpected Eureka moment. All of a sudden I knew how I might get an extra second (or two) with Mr. VIB (provided he did come back after my loud shuttering).
The following morning I went to the tree trunk once more, and again I put a single cherry on one of the logs, but the rest - you know: the ones that I always put into the middle of this log triangle - I covered with some thin twigs. Not too many - after all, the bait had to remain visible underneath the twigs - but enough that a single picking motion wouldn't be enough to snatch a cherry.
"Your move, Mr. Jay," I thought as I went into the house. I lay down on the sofa, then I waited. The jay didn't come. All day long I regularly peered out the window: the silhouette of the lone cherry on the log remained in place, like some weird little statue, mocking me.
I became convinced the intense camera noise the previous day had disgruntled the jay to the point where he'd had enough of my shenanigans. Hard as it was, I had to get ready to accept the fact that my trophy shot of this beautiful bird just wasn't gonna happen. Then, sometime during the late afternoon, I suddenly noticed the cherry was gone. Ten seconds later I was in the shed - and ready.
The look on the jay's face when he landed on one of the logs was almost comical. He apparently hadn't noticed the twigs before, and his short moment of hesitation was all I needed to get a first shot. He heard the noise and looked right at me - click! - and that was my second shot, which nicely captured the bewildered look on his face (you can see that photo here: www.flickr.com/photos/191055893@N07/52994208987/in/datepo... ).
It only took Mr. Bluewings two seconds to adjust to the new situation; he quickly threw out a few twigs with his beak, picked up a cherry - click! (my third shot, that you can see above) - and off he flew. But it was clear the jay knew exactly he was being photographed, and he didn't like it one bit. The annoyed expression on his face had been unmistakable: he looked like Sean Penn when he's confronted with a paparazzo.
Meanwhile I was over the moon: it had worked (and a quick check on the tiny camera screen confirmed this); I had at least two acceptable photos. The few extra seconds the twigs bought me had done the trick.
All's well that ends well, as the saying goes, and if the 'Tale Of The Jay' were to conclude here (and it could), this would indeed be a happy ending. After all, I had eventually outsmarted the clever bird and gotten my desired photos. But there is a short epilogue to the story, and I believe it's worth telling (and if you made it to this point, you might as well continue reading 😉).
You see, I was only able to pull off the "single-cherry/twigs strategy" one more time (the very next day, and you can see those photos here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/post/eurasian-jay-garrulus-glan... ) - and then never again. Two days later, the single cherry was still visible on the log at nightfall, and so I assumed the jay hadn't come. But when I went to check - big surprise! - five of the other cherries were gone.
"Well," I thought, "That's pure coincidence." In my mind there was no way the jay could have realized the exposed cherry on the log disappearing was my visual clue that his stealth "attack" had started: no animal was that smart. And yet I have no other explanation, because believe it or not: he never went for the single cherry again. Ever.
In all my subsequent attempts, my visual clue remained untouched, while the jay cheekily collected the other cherries. And soon after, the cherry trees around the village were starting to bear ripe fruit, and the jay's visits to my garden stopped. In fact for the entire remainder of the year, there were no more photos for me of Mr. Garrulus glandarius.
So in the end - who REALLY won this game of chess between me and the jay? If you ask me, I'd have to call it a draw (and that's probably still being generous to myself) - but you be the judge. 😉
P.S. This year I photographed and filmed a Eurasian jay in my garden (I have no idea if it was the same fella as last year), and this clip here might give you an idea just how quick these guys are: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA9s_bciA-Y - I timed the cherry theft: it takes the jay not even two seconds to land, snatch his prize and take off again (you can also watch it in slow-mo), so I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself. 😂
Many thanks for looking and reading, and have a wonderful weekend everyone 🙏 😊 ❤ - and as always, let me know what you think in the comments (I'd be particularly interested if anyone had similar experiences with jays or other clever corvids - or was outsmarted by any other wild animal the way I was).
Doing self portraits is a completely different experience and always a new adventure.
Why do you like doing self portraits?
“I built a constellation lair
out of the moles that hovered there
a fever billowed with the wind
and I bade the sky therein…”
FOR MORE INFO, link location and stuff about the Skin Fair 2015, skin details and close up shot of the skin + tone variety, visit blog link.
On a windy bluff in my city is an area where Pasque Flowers bloom annually, an almost hidden area not many know about....and yet, every time I go there is always at least one person looking for them too:)
I was afraid I waited too long this year to visit but clearly I was on time...
Often known as an Easter flower due to its timing but in our climate it rarely blooms that early.
Happy late midweek, flickr friends...thanks for your visit....Pat...xo
****RIP Prince