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Flower in the garden of the Samten Choling Buddhist Monastery, in Ghoom.
I had mistakenly changed export settings from lightroom for a week around this time, resulting in metadata being wiped from exports. From memory this was shot with my Sony 90mm macro lens, but I would need to go back and find the original RAW image to know all the settings.
After a pre-dawn visit to Batasia Loop to see the sunrise light hit MtKanchenzonga, I spent the rest of the morning walking the road up to Ghoom before walking back to Darjeeling. I had already visited another monastery before the day's crowds reached the area, but as I arrived at this monastery, there was quite a few car/bus loads of tourists making a stop as they did the morning loop of all the local tourist sites. That dashed any chance of some quiet reflection and meant all the dreaded requests to be in selfies would begin. To try and avoid that I made myself try to look busy taking shots of flowers away from the main crowds (a common go-to tactic when I am not in the mood to be on the selfie production line). Sometimes I don't even bother taking pics, but I soon realised the lighting in this corner of the garden was actually quite good at this time of the morning. I ended spending a good amount of time closely observing the various blooms and getting different shots. Once the crowds thinned I could go and sit in the monastery courtyard with a cup of chai and truly enjoy the morning.
2020-09-06, Day 2
Bright granite domes stand sentinel above Double Lake and are wrapped in a warm robe of morning light, Fitzpatrick Wilderness, Wind River Range, Wyoming.
My friend and I had been planning an off-trail backcountry adventure in the north Wind River mountains for months. We went night-hiking once a week for 5-6 miles on an evening in the mountains just outside of town, carrying 20-25 lb loads in order to build stamina and leg strength. I threw in a few high-elevation 7-8 milers along the Front Range with the family on a semi-weekly basis for good measure, and my friend developed a before-work routine that involved schlepping 25 lbs up almost 1000 feet over 5 miles. The trip to The Winds was scheduled and mapped, food was purchased, parsed, and dried, family arrangements were made, and then a curious weather report appeared on the horizon.
We were due to depart on a Friday, and the weather forecast indicated that by Monday evening there would be a 50%-70% chance of snow showers at the elevation where we anticipated to be at that time, and there was a 60%-70% chance of snow and snow showers for most, if not all, of Tuesday. Moreover, from Monday night to Wednesday morning the temperature was forecast to be below freezing, with night-time lows projected to be just above 20 ˚F (-6.5 ˚C). For all practical purposes, a decent cold-front seemed to be on the way, and the question became what to do, if anything? A few of the arrangements that had been made for the trip involved inter-state travel for my friend's wife's sister. Besides, we surmised, the chance of snow in the weather forecast probably meant it would snow some but not that much. We speculated we might reasonably encounter 3-5 inches of accumulation over Monday night and Tuesday. This would leave the off-trail, steep talus slopes on our planned route somewhat navigable until melt began on Wednesday. There was no National Weather Service 'Winter Storm Warning', and we felt confident that we might be slowed down and maybe a little uncomfortable for a few days, but otherwise able to complete the planned route. We brought extra food, packed warm and water-proof wool, down, and Gore-Tex, and I brought gaiters. We identified three bail-out routes to the nearest trail just-in case, then we loaded up the camper van and rolled north, the weather bright and hot.
The first campsite was at the location you see here along the shores of Double Lake. The lake is approximately 9.5 miles south from the Torrey Creek trailhead along the well-trodden Glacier Trail that leads to Gannett Peak, the tallest point in Wyoming. The trail climbs 3,400 ft in 6.5 miles up and over an 11,000 ft pass before descending 1,000 ft to the lake. Being the first day, the packs were of course the heaviest with the base weight of gear and clothing, and then the full amount of food (total weight at the start was 40 lbs, more or less). I was grateful we did not have to carry much water due to it being plentiful along the trail. The next morning I got up to entertain myself with sunrise light, hoping for the air to be calm and to see a reflection of the glacier-sculpted granite in the water. The breeze dashed those hopes but the morning alpenglow was splendid. It certainly did not feel like snow was on the way.
Seen while out and about today.
We had some airline points that were going to be expiring and free hotel stays that were burning a hole in our pocket, so we dashed off to Victoria, British Columbia for a couple of days. No big plans, just to 'wallow' in a place that, in Canadian terms, is a little tropical.
The Port Macquarie funnel-web spider is found along the northern coast of New South Wales in eastern Australia. Stepping into my garage, I came face to face with a male Funnel-Web Spider. Considered to be the most deadly species of spider in the world. You must seek medical help if bitten, a funnelweb spider bite can cause fatality in 15 minutes. The male will wander looking for a female, the female rarely leaves her nest. I released him in the bush next to the creek. Everything has a right to life. Unfortunately he dashed under a leaf before I could not get a full shot of him. They are incredibly fast.
while in White Rock on Monday evening
we were treated by a passing freight train
this couple were waiting for it and never moved
from the fence as it whooshed by
I grabbed the shot which does not register
the speed and noise of this monster
and then I dashed down the grassy slope :)
song - "Folsom Prison Blues" - Johnny Cash
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeZRYhLDLeU
I learned a lot of info from this Wikipedia link -
A first image of 2019 ... I dashed up to Northumberland & just managed to catch the last bit of colour from the setting sun above Dunstanburgh castle ....
False Deathcap, but still not nice to eat, I don't believe in eating any that I find, this one was almost coming up as I looked at it, it started to pour down so I dashed back to the car then returned when it slowed down hoping it was still ok, and it was.
Sometimes your hopes and plans for a beautiful, colourful sunrise are dashed by Mother Nature. What was supposed to be a sunny day in September 2019, instead began with a low deck of clouds that almost completely covered the famous ten peak backdrop for Banff's Moraine Lake. While waiting in vain for the clouds to part, I was able to capture this quiet scene of mist and calm water reflections.
I arrived back home a few nights ago and the light was amazing. I ran in the house to grab my camera and dashed outside.
Too late, in a few minutes the sun had dipped down and the best of it was gone. Still, a bit of creative dof and a low POV and I managed to grab a few before it went altogether.
Have a great Easter weekend and HFF
The Shawangunk Ridge /ˈʃɑːwəŋɡʌŋk/, also known as the Shawangunk Mountains or The Gunks,[1] is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of New Jersey to the Catskill Mountains. Shawangunk Ridge is the continuation of the long, easternmost ridge of the Appalachian Mountains; the ridge is known as Kittatinny Mountain in New Jersey, and as Blue Mountain as it continues through Pennsylvania. This ridge constitutes the western border of the Great Appalachian Valley.
Shawangunk Ridge is designated by the dashed red lines.
The ridgetop, which widens considerably at its northern end, has many public and private protected areas and is not heavily populated. Its only settlement of consequence is unincorporated Cragsmoor. In the past, the ridge was chiefly noted for mining and logging and a boom-era of huckleberry picking. Fires were regularly set to burn away the undergrowth and stimulate new growth of huckleberry bushes.
Today the ridge has become known for its outdoor recreation, most notably as one of the major rock climbing areas of North America. Also known for its biodiversity and scenic character, the ridge has been designated by The Nature Conservancy as a significant area for its conservation programs
I normally have a decent sense of what to expect with respect to the moon and its whereabouts, but on this particular morning, I was coming off 4 days of work travel, and I was entertaining a violent stomach bug that struck at 3:00a several hours prior. I had intended to get up at 4:45a to make it to Picacho Peak for sunrise, and I almost didn't get there, due to the dire need to have a restroom handy at all times, and the passing waves of nausea. However, I figured I could keep it together long enough to get from Tucson to the trailhead bathroom, so I decided to risk the adventure, figuring I wouldn't likely go back to sleep anyway.
When I arrived, I was surprised to see the moon hovering over Picacho Peak, and the morning light hitting the rock put on quite a show. For a little while, I completely forgot the intestinal distress, and became absorbed in the landscape and the moment. I had hoped for wildflowers, and while the dry spring dashed those hopes, the stately saguaro more than held their own. But as all things come to an end, it wasn't long before the moment passed, and I had to seek out more cloistered surroundings back at the trailhead...
Muskrat with a mouthful of foiliage on his way to the burrow.. This little guy was so busy going back and forth gathering a variety of vegetation that he nearly stepped on my foot as he dashed across the trail.. Wildwood Park, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
I went out to Banff yesterday evening with my friend Shawn to catch sunset at Castle Mt. We quickly stopped at the pullout a few kms before Castle Junction because the light on the Sawback range was phenomenal! Castle Mt. was faintly visible through a squall behind us as well. Unfortunately, this was the best light that we got, for once we reached Castle Mt. the sun had gone down behind a cloud bank to the west and our dreams of golden light on Castle's ramparts were dashed. Still, you have to work with what you get, and fortunately we found a cool spot along the 1A on the way home for some more shots. Thanks for looking!
The 1881 St Abbs fishing disaster, more widely known as the Eyemouth disaster or "Black Friday", was the worst fishing disaster in Scottish history, occurring on October 14, 1881. A severe storm struck the East Coast fishing fleet off Berwickshire, causing the deaths of 189 fishermen, including men from St Abbs, and leaving 78 widows and 182 fatherless children. The suddenness of the storm left boats unable to find shelter, leading to swamped vessels and boats crashing against the coast.
189 fishermen were lost, with 129 from Eyemouth and others from nearby villages like Burnmouth and St Abbs. The disaster left 78 widows and 182 fatherless children, with many families losing multiple members.
The disaster created a crisis for the families left behind. However, the women of Eyemouth famously refused offers to place their children in a children's home, determined to keep them together
A powerful bronze memorial called "Widows and Bairns" was erected in Eyemouth to honour the lost men and the families they left behind. Sculpted by Jill Watson, it features bronze figures representing the 78 widows and 182 children. Other memorials are located in St Abbs and Cove.
The memorials depict the women and children watching from the shore as the boats are dashed against the nearby rocks as their menfolk are drowned.
128/365 - Day 2 of our short trip to Cornwall, and the thought of a nice sunrise was dashed … so instead, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast and then had a brief and damp walk around Falmouth harbour before a final coffee at The Windjammer (heartily recommended … cracking chef… 😉) to say cheerio to G … before the looong drive home …
Still … job done … thank you Rod for riding shotgun … and good luck to George and Becka … :-) xx
I was in Haworth in West Yorkshire which is known as the home of the Bronte Sisters. Haworth is very popular with overseas visitors and on this day there was obviously a coach trip in the village.
I spotted this guy as he was walking behind a group of tourists. He looked vey smart and I loved the hat so I asked if I could take his photo.
Despite some language problems he was happy for me to take a coupe of photos before he dashed off to catch up the group.
I wished I'd got his name but I am pleased that I got his photos at least.
This picture is #28 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
Go on Barn, are you having one last swim then?
Ooh, I... I... Err. Yes. No. Yes. Maybe. Umm, I don't know. Woo-woo-woof!!
Shh! Stop barking!! Jump in if you want, or don't if you're tired & cold, but either way, we're going to have to go soon.
But. But I don't KNOW if I want to swim! It's not a decision to be rushed hooman! Woof. Wooof!!
Stop barking! OK, I think you must've had enough swimming, so lets go.
No! No. I haven't... Maybe I DO want to swim again! I might do. Woof!
The barking continued for some time, while Barney dashed up & down the bank...
Right, OK, Barney! Time's up. It really is time to go home now. Come on.
SPLASH!!
Haha, why is it that whenever I encourage Barney to go for another swim, he acts like he really isn't sure he wants one... but the moment I turn to leave, he immediately launches into the water?! Guess it works well though - this way he always gets to spend an extra few minutes at the lake before we really have to leave.
Saturday was quite hot & humid, so I thought the pups might enjoy a splash about at Earnslaw lake. We didn't get there till late-ish, when it was getting a bit dark for photos but the dogs made the most of it. I was excited to spot a Peregrine falcon - they're quite rare, so it's always good to see one. No pics though, as unfortunately it flew away rather fast on our arrival, I don't think it appreciated Barn's loud barking...
Oct '86. I finally positioned myself as wanted, but sadly the sheep had dashed out of shot! Still, even without them, I like it. Ektachrome 100 (EPN) film. Mamiya 645 Super.
DSC08133-HDR_Lr9
Miss Stumpy emerged from her nest and nibbled on a few of the seeds I had put out. But then, she dashed up the crabapple tree and hit the highway, the power line highway. There must be a sale at The Bay...
This Magpie was busy scaring off every tiny bird he saw at the feeders - so I dashed outside to scare him off, and all he did was sit in an overhead tree and give me the evil eye. It was actually quite funny.
Taken for SSC 01/12/2018 - Shot through a hole .
Bad weather and still issues go on so one chance this week ( so long as the internet holds out , it still needs a fair bit of TLC - another engineer coming out Monday ) . Had to go down to the postal sorting office and it is near these bridges and the shot I saw going over the road bridge previously . Trouble is it was quite late in the afternoon and the weather was very rainy and light levels getting on for twilight . Even though it was Black Friday last week and I updated my dslr ( but still to push the shutter button yet ) I took the little pocket camera , dashed to the bridge looking down through the two railway viaducts over the River Mole . Took 7 or 8 shots each with a different creative filter settings and this one came out the best to compensate for the awful weather conditions .
The Leatherhead to Dorking line crosses the River Mole three times. The first viaduct, just south of the junction at Leatherhead, is quite ornate. It is in red brick and has four round-headed arches. Decorations include stone imposts and a string course, arch bands and a roundel of raised brick in each spandrel. The brick balustrade is an attractive feature.
A five-arch viaduct takes the Leatherhead to Effingham Junction line over the river on a curve. Three arches are over the river, with one either side.
I must say there has to be an awful lot of bricks in these viaducts - a ha ,
a tune ----
This wren set off what was to be an excellent birding morning. It dashed up, down, and around this bit of wood in heavy pursuit of breakfast. Two birds dashed by the windows at one end of the house. Camera in hand at the other end found first this Carolina wren looking for insects in this decaying bit of yard decor. The flicker was next then the red-breasted nuthatch then after the rain came the cooper's hawk. This is not to denigrate the 'regular' crowd of robins, blue jays, and cardinals.
It's been a while since the camera has been out. We have been moving house. Anyway, one of the perks of my new lifestyle is an early morning walk with the hairy mongrel. This morning there was quite a thick mist so dashed back to grab the camera.
Not so visible from this angle is the sleet and snow falling as Lostwithiel receives a freezing deluge from the north. I had arrived in good time to set up for the shot in beautiful spring sunshine only to have my hopes for a bright sunny shot dashed as the clouds rolled in.
The 0901 TRO-PLM was running nearly 20 late, had she run on time then Odin would have blessed us with a sunny vista.
The glorious bracket signal helps to lift the shot as the LSL trundles by.
January has brought a reprieve from the succession of winter storms that marked December. It's a welcome lull, don't get me wrong. But the melted snow pack has revealed a drab and dreary landscape. The vibrant colors of summer and autumn have been bleached away by the cold and snow. And the low sun angle continues to haunt the sky. Everyday scenes look familiar, but feel different. These seasonal oddities are often more apparent in photos than to the naked eye. This rather dystopian scene caught my eye. The overall gloom magnified by the dead overgrowth and furniture out on the lawn. The utter hopelessness of the scene punctuated by the one missing drawer in the dresser. (Odd the things I obsess on; as if putting back that drawer would mollify the grimness of the scene. Still I can't stop seeing that little black square.) And the bent and misshapen sapling in (front center) suggests things here won't be looking much better even when spring weather arrives. This house seemed a fit metaphor for the hope and optimism that greeted the arrival of 2021. Our expectations for a new dawn were probably unrealistic. Just like the countryside around me, the world looks familiar, but feels completely different.
I confess, I read a lot of science fiction.
When I visit places like the Alabama Hills it's easy to pretend these structures are ancient relics from an extinct civilization.
What did these time eroded monoliths look like 50,000 years ago?
What events did they witness?
What stories could they tell?
The deafening silence of desert places such as this allows my imagination to run wild.
What do you imagine when you spend time in these holy places?
Just minutes before creating this image, I'd recorded a tutorial with Greg Snell for the F4 Road Trip. We wrapped the shoot and so Greg dashed off to film Adams tutorial just on the other side of that spikey rock there.
As I was walking out of the ravine in the crease of that big pointy rock, I spotted this strangely shaped boulder looking like a frozen wave.
As soon as I saw it, I thought 'that would make a perfect frame'. So, I shambled over to give it a closer look and went all of a quiver when I realized it would work and that the clouds were lighting up majestically.
As always, I assumed I had mere seconds before the light faded. With shaking hands and sweat pouring down my back, I went into full frenzy mode to capture the necessary frames to create this image.
I often wonder what I must look like muttering to myself in fits of joy and rage, faffing with my tripod, screaming at flat batteries and then whooping at glowing clouds.
Thankfully it was just the desert and I. Sharing a moment.
Thanks for looking
Gavin Hardcastle
Some amongst the crowd were so bedazzled by the spectacle they abandoned restraint and dashed into the sea to grab fistfuls of color.
Backyard butterfly - Morgan County, Alabama - 2017. Mowers came this afternoon and took out a wildflower haven near our home. Just as my hopes were dashed, this Great Spangled Fritillary sampled some Zinnias and then moved to the Lantana.
I actually drove here this morning with a different shot in mind, but when I saw the sunrise behind the bridge, I literally stopped the car in the middle of the road, pulled over, and dashed out to set up the tripod and get some shots. Good thing it was early morning and there were no other cars around. I wasn't planning on taking this because I already have a shot of this bridge from day 22. This was such a different look to it, I thought worth repeating the subject.
After nearly 2 months of drought we finally got what we had been wishing for - rain!
It descended in torrents .. and felt like the pent-up rain of all 2 months was being delivered, Special Delivery, this morning! So the day's plans were hastily set aside as we dashed to move planters into shelter, and donned wellies to wade through to the sheds and find any buckets or empty trugs we could use to divert the water from the house, and take it from the paved areas to the storm drains. Looking back it was probably a futile effort ... the rain beat us, but mercilfully spared the house!
It was only as the storm abated and more 'normal' heavy rain replaced it for a while that I noticed just how beautiful the submerged flagstones looked beneath the clear rainwater! A strange madness to stand in the water and shoot the raindrops falling!
I combined 2 shots here in a double exposure ...
In Explore: Here
Explore #342 July 28th
The steps were icily lethal this morning. I arrived as the sun was rising in an orange ball. So I dashed up the steps watching as the sun started to disappear behind an extremely low cloud base. And just as I thought I had seconds left to catch it, I pulled off my back pack and unzipped it to get my camera. Doh! No camera! I had left it in the car!
Usually I like to take my time to compose a scene. You see I've listened carefully to the advice of my favourite landscape photographer on YouTube (Nigel Danson - he's a man who understands how to do this stuff) and absorb a location before I open the camera bag. I even do this in places I know well - places such as the space between Cape Cornwall and Botallack Mine here at the Edge of Eternity where the Atlantic Ocean stretches west for 2200 odd miles before arriving in Newfoundland. It takes a while to leave the journey to a location behind and settle in the surroundings. Often I will sit and watch for an hour or more, hoping to sight that pod of dolphins that so rarely appears, straining my eyes over the horizon for the distant Scilly Isles, and simply gazing at the sea below me. It's a place that brings the senses alive, whatever the time and whatever the weather. Eventually I'll fix on an idea and set the camera on the tripod, take a test shot and then wait for the light.
And so it was on this Saturday afternoon at the end of June. The lockdown restrictions in the UK had eased a little, and we were able to get out and about to the places we love so much. The summer holiday to Andalusia had been postponed because neither of us really fancied the idea of wearing a mask everywhere in 40 degree heat, but with places like this in our own back yard it didn't seem to matter. In fact despite what's going on around all of us this year, it's been a particularly enjoyable summer. It's only really dawned on me this year how lucky I am to be able to leave my home and stand here, at the edge of the British Isles in under an hour.
We sat at the edge of the granite outcrop high above the sea - they're known as castles here, which used to confuse me but I believe it's in reference to the hard igneous rock that makes the backbone of our county. We were facing north, directly away from the scene in the picture. You might wonder why on earth we'd be looking in any direction other than this, but the view towards the sunlit old engine houses of Botallack Mine, perched perilously over the sea is something in itself. The deed was done; I'd settled upon a composition and now it was a matter of timing and light. I sat and waited. It's a place where you can lose your sense of time and drift away on a tide of daydreams, but my reverie was interrupted by the voice of Ali, who was looking in the opposite direction. "Behind you!" she called across the stiff breeze, pointing enthusiastically towards the Cape Cornwall side of our vista. From her obvious excitement I was expecting to look round and see a pantomime villain advancing towards me.
And I turned to see this. A leaden sky with yellow sunlight filtering eastwards from over the sea. Of course light like this never lasts more than a minute or two and an almighty flurry of activity ensued very quickly as I hastened to a new position, the opening of the camera bag flapping about furiously in the wind. These are tricky places for the unwary and you have to take care unless you want a terminal bath before being dashed upon the rocks, and framing the shot wasn't as unhurried as I'd have liked it to have been. But in less than three minutes the ominous black and grey had been replaced by fluffy white on blue and it was as if this moment had never happened. The weather in this country, especially along its wild western edges is so delightfully capricious. It makes planning a family barbecue an ever risky affair, but for us photographers it's an absolute dream.
It's Saturday - the weather is forecast is looking decidedly fickle. I think I know what I'm going to do today.
Blackrock Cottage, Glencoe
Having dashed across Rannoch Moor to find a location for sunset we headed back to our accomodation, thinking there was nothing more to be had we were surprised by the pink light cutting through the Glen and onto Buchaille Etive Mor.
Having travelled from York thanks to a lift from my fellow sunrise chaser Justin, we initially headed towards the beach just below the lighthouse at Flamborough Head.
Having made our way down to the bottom we soon realised that the tide was in and proceeded to dash, well Justin dashed, I just huffed and puffed, our way to this spot for sunrise.
Thanks as ever for looking :)
A jogger ran past me and asked if I'd seen the big bird? So I dashed behind a building and stood on a high spot just to see the kite briefly before disappearing.
A tractor in a field was trimming the hedge of a harvested field which also attracted 2 crow harassed buzzards.
Just when you wait hours for a bus, 3 come along at once...
I dashed out the door with camera pointed upward, when my husband alerted me that Sandhill Cranes were calling in the distant sky. I could not get all of the birds into the shot, but there were approximately 70-80.
Following on from my image yesterday of my pint in the pub this is what was going on as I dashed outside to take this shot at the same time.
It was raining with a strong wind and generally miserable, there was no detail in the sky or any colour so I have toned down the image to reflect on the weather that day, Trebarwith strand Cornwall.
Saw this little guy in the garden. I dashed to get my camera, put my 70-200mm lens on it and when I came back he was still there munching away. Easy shot for the day!
I had been disappointed that our snow was being ruined by rain, but on my way to work I spotted the pink pushing its way between horizon and those heavy clouds.
I timed my fuel stop at a station near this lookout and dashed up to find the rain had frozen on the rocks leaving them deadly-slippery ... and beautiful! I stayed to catch the sun's best pink paint-job on the clouds. It lasted only about 5 minutes and then quickly died. What a great start to the morning!
I went out to pick some raspberries for our tea this afternoon and it immediate started to rain heavily. I dashed inside and went to look for black clouds in the front to give me an idea of houw long the rain would last. To my surprise there was a silver lining - a rainbow.
Due to long-term poor health I'm unable to take on new contacts but do my best to reply to comments. Thank you so much for your interest, comments and favours on my photostream. Also for your good wishes. I send you joy and peace.
To demonstrate this fascinating phenomenon, I filled a 4 cup white plastic measuring cup (see it in the bottom left of the image) and dashed it into the frigid air where it seemed to explode into clouds of vapor.
In my opinion, the curved spine-like line of ice seen in the middle of the plumes of vapour is probably one of the stages that the boiling water goes through on its way to being vaporized. I think that I unintentionally captured this stage because I inadvertently had my camera on the Macro setting. Whatever the explanation, I think it looks pretty cool.
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For a more scientific explanation click this link:
whyfiles.org/2011/ive-heard-of-people-throwing-boiling-wa...
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What is in a name?
“Hey, I say, you young bear chappie…erm, what’s your name again?”
“Barnaby, what can I do for you Wellington?”
“No good, you’ll need to speak up and stop mumbling young bear.”
“Sorry Wellington, I said my name is Barnaby.”
“Yes, that’s right, Mandy. Knew it was something like that. Keep getting your name mixed up with someone else, don’t you know?”
“Never mind, what can I do for you?”
“The polar bear, Icecap, haven’t seen him about recently. Just wondering what became of him. Don’t like losing touch with any bear. Just been to his cold place and it is empty, don’t you know? Checked it out thoroughly, not there.”
“No, Icecap has gone out with Ellie in the ellicopter to visit his family and play in the white stuff. He said providing Ellie finds her way back he should be home in a few sleeps.”
“Out with Ellie, dangerous stuff then. Wouldn’t catch me going up with that crazy elephant. Saw her once take that thing up, go downside up and flew off backwards. Couldn’t see what was coming, or is that going? Just hoped that everything got out of her way I suppose. Not proper flying, no, couldn’t go up with her. Think I will give it a miss.”
Posh Bear, Sky and Bertie all arrived and sat down with Wellington and Barnaby.
“Morning chaps, I was just asking young Mandy here about the polar bear. Hadn’t seen him for a while, just keeping in touch, don’t you know?”
“You mean Barnaby.” Said Sky smiling at his friend.
“Really? I was sure he said his name was Icecap. Oh well, Barnaby it is I suppose. Dashed if I’ll remember it, too many names about these days. I sometimes think that every bear has a name. Never used to be that way, well I don’t think it did. Didn’t used to see that many bears about, not like now. Good to see all you guys.”
“We have just been out with the man. He went out on his two-wheeled thingy and we got in one of the side bags.” Said Bertie.
“Yes, it is nice outside, seeing all the green stuff and flying through the countryside.” Said Posh Bear.
“I did that once, it got very wet so I did not do it again. I suppose it could be nice on a warm day.” Said Wellington still looking confused.
“It was warm out there today.” Said Sky smiling at his friends.
“I say chaps, are you sure that the bear that lives in the cold place is called Barnaby? I was sure he told me Icecap.”
“It is Icecap, he is away at the moment though.” Said Sky.
“Why tell me that he is called Barnaby then and who is Mandy?” Asked Wellington scratching his head in confusion.
“I didn’t, Wellington, you got mixed up that is all. This is Barnaby.” He said pointing to Barnaby.
“Oh, are you sure? So, who is Mandy?”
“I don’t know anyone called Mandy. Wellington, I think you need the fur trimmed in your ears as you are not hearing too well today.” Said Posh Bear.
“Really? What was that you said? Oh, fur in the ears, yes just off to see Linda Bear now. Fine bear, very good at trimming things, don’t you know? Have you ever tried her, Posh, you should you would hear better so they say. I should have gone yesterday I think, then the honey arrived and I had to sort that out.”
“Linda Bear is on the bed; she will help you.” Said Sky smiling.
“Sky, I knew I had to tell you something. That honey that came yesterday, I think half of the jars had the label on the wrong side so I had to turn those jars around. Why do they do that? Awkward turning jars around with small paws, don‘t you know?”
“I think it is because some bears are left pawed and some right pawed. It doesn’t matter Wellington but if you don’t want it let me know and I will lose it for you.”
“Right, yes, I had heard something along those lines. No, I have sorted it out now all the same. Anyway, must go, got to see Linda Bear don’t you know. She trims the fur out of my ears so I hear better.” Said Wellington standing up and leaving the bears who all smiled.
I was on the upper deck of the hop-on-hop-off bus when I took this shot. Very lucky that the traffic was rather busy at that time of the day and when the bus stopped just in time and at the right spot, I quickly dashed to the back of the deck to get the best symmetrical shot I could get. Can't complain about the result I guess esp there was a glimpse of the sunset reflection on the building too :D
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About
Sunset With the World's Tallest Building, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Shot
3 exposure shots (+2..0..-2 EV) in RAW taken handheld
Camera :: Canon 5D Mark II
Lens :: Canon 17-40mm F/4.0L
Photomatix
- Tonemapped generated HDR using detail enhancer option
Photoshop
- Added 3 layer mask effect of 'curves' for selective contrast
- Added 1 layer mask effect of 'level' to tone up the vegetations
- Added 1 layer mask effect of 'level' to tone up selective area of the building
- Added 1 layer mask effect of 'saturation' (yellows) to slightly tone up the sunset reflection
- Added 1 layer mask effect of 'saturation' (blues) to slightly darken the sky
- Used 'free transform' to slightly correct wide angle distortion
- Applied noise reduction on the sky section
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A quick trip out to Twistleton Scar near Ingleton in the Yorkshire Dales. On arrival the light was pretty good, but any hope of a sunset was soon dashed by cloud on the Western horizon. Nonetheless, its always a pleasure to walk on this stunning limestone landscape. This Hawthorn tree somehow manages to survive year on year here on the exposed limestone escarpment. Its gnarled limbs frame the Peak of Inglebrough in the background. Very shortly after this the light went and the tops became enshrouded in cloud. I will return to get a sunset soon!!
Had another of those weird time lapses the other day. Happens often when I peruse old photos. I was looking at a series shot back in June that showed the early phase of the local growing season. I couldn't help but think 'what the hell just happened?' Those corn stalks are now well over seven feet tall and ready for harvest. The soy bean plants, verdant green when I took the photo are withered and yellow (and laden with beans). I don't feel one second older than when I stood alongside this tired old country road. But a full quarter of the year has passed in a blur, much like the one before that, and the one about to begin. Autumn begins in the northern hemisphere on Monday the 23rd and it seems incomprehensible to me. Summer always begins with so much hope and optimism. I always think it will last forever, a tendency that started back in childhood. It's a fantasy that has been dashed time and again but I just can't manage to let it go. Yet here I am again standing on the edge of autumn, watching summer memories receding into the rearview mirror or life, along with all of the others. New ones are in store for sure, both good and bad. Situations I can't even imagine. Great photos and stories to go with them. I feel ever more determined to create. Time passes, and the change of season has a way of bookending not just the phases of year but the progression of life as well. At the heart of this all is fear of the clock running down. It's not something that dominates my mind, but it's always there somewhere in the background. Tick-tock.
Another from our recent cruise around the Greek islands in the summer.
I was woken early one morning by a text message to let me know how use my phone in Greece. I took a look out of the window and saw that we were approaching Corfu and the sun was just rising. Being so far south I'd forgotten the the sun rises much later than here in Scotland. I quickly threw on some shorts and a t-shirt, grabbed my camera and dashed up to the 12th deck where there was an outdoor breakfast area at the back of the ship. I spent the next hour just sitting taking photos and being severd coffee and danish pastries as we sailed into Corfu:-)
westlich von Neapel;
Cape Miseno (Italian: Miseno, Latin: Misenum, Ancient Greek: Μισήνον) is the headland that marks the northwestern limit of the Gulf of Naples as well as the Bay of Pozzuoli in southern Italy. The cape is directly across from the island of Procida and is named for Misenus, a character in Virgil's Aeneid.
Historically, the cape was important to the Romans since it was a natural shelter for passage into the inner harbor of Portus Julius, the home port for the Roman western imperial fleet. Mythologically, important sections of the Aeneid play out in the Gulf of Naples: This is where Aeneas' comrade, Misenus, master of the sea-horn — the conch-shell — made "the waves ring" with his music and challenged the sea-god Triton to musical battle. He was dashed into the sea and killed by "jealous Triton". Then:
"...Pious Aeneas
sets up a mighty tomb above Misenus
bearing his arms, a trumpet, and an oar;
it stands beneath a lofty promontory,
now known as Cape Misenus after him:
it keeps a name that lasts through all the ages.
(trans. Allen Mandelbaum. The Aeneid. Bantam. 1981)
(Wikipedia)