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Posting this shot is worth the story alone. This was taken in Oneonta Gorge last month during a particularly chilly bout of cold weather which froze many of the area's waterfalls. For those not familiar with this gorge, it is a popular spot during the hot summer months. The gorge itself is an extremely narrow canyon that is only about 1/4 of a mile long but requires wading, sometimes up to one's chest through pools of water to reach. It is quite impossible to hike up this canyon without wading.
During the summer this is great, the canyon is shaded and always about 15 degrees cooler and the cold water is quite refreshing. Crowds of people churn up this canyon on weekends, making photography frustrating but cooling off quite enjoyable.
About once a year we get a cold snap that is cold enough and long enough to turn the many waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge into winter wonderlands. It is one of my favorite times of year. It is hard to imagine enjoying as much discomfort as this weather brings. Painfully chilled faces and hands, pants and fleeces coated in ice to the point that you crack when you walk. Spray from the waterfalls coating your cameras and freezing solid. Hurried trips back to the car to regain feeling in your extremities before venturing out for "just a few more pictures".
In other words, bliss.
I make a point of getting out here every year. So I have spent a fair amount of time at most of the main waterfalls over the past few winters. But this one had always seemed a little to crazy to attempt. Afterall, it requires wading, and during this time of year, getting wet for that long would result in frostbite at the least and even hypothermia. Probably hypothermia. I will go through a lot in pursuit of amazing scenes like this, but I think I draw the line at hypothermia. Just sounds overrated if you ask me.
The idea of making it up this gorge somehow to see this falls was awfully tempting still. A few of us talked about it and brainstormed ideas. The most popular was to buy an inflatable raft and pump it up and use it to cross the pools. The big problem with this is that there is a giant logjam at the mouth of this gorge that one has to climb over in order to enter the gorge itself. So any raft would have to be inflated on site, and it ruled out bringing in a canoe or kayak.
Then a stroke of inspiration was lent to me on a comment to a photo I posted some time ago, to rent a drysuit. A ha. Even more fortunate, I did not have to rent one, a friend likes to surf and scuba dive and owns a drysuit. Even better, we are almost the same size. So the cold snap hit, I got a day off work, naturally I called him right away and got my hands on a drysuit. All that stood before me then was a giant frozen logjam and a quarter mile of ice cold water.
The fun begins.
My first task was wading across the shallow stream to reach the logjam, which required me donning the drysuit. I had to repeatedly take it on and off as needed because I did not want to trip, or snag it on a log and tear it. But as an additional wrinkle I did not have waterproof boots to put over the feet of the drysuit. Even though the entire suit is waterproof, I did not want to walk across rocks in just the suit and risk damaging the feet. So I pulled on an old pair of my hiking boots to protect the feet. They worked well to that extent but of course got soaked the moment I stepped in the water. Which basically made them like little freezers on my feet.
The suit kept out the water, not the cold.
By the time I got across the first stream, which only took 2-3 minutes, and was never deeper than mid-calf, I could not feel my toes. So I had to sit down, take off the suit, pack it up, and hold my toes until I was certain they were still going to talk to me. Then on to the logjam. Unfortunately I hit another unexpected snag here too. Right before the logjam are two giant boulders that sit right in the middle of the stream. There are two basic choices, you can go left around them, in the tight space between them and the cliff walls. You just wedge yourself in, back to the wall and hands and feet on the nearest boulder and crab walk along, suspended over a deep little pool of water. Or you go right, which requires wading through a fairly deep pool of water and pulling yourself up on a chest-high shelf of rock onto the second boulder. Well a small waterfall had turned the left hand cliff into a sheet of ice, there was no way I would get any traction on it, even with Yaktrax on my feet. The pool on the right was doable with the drysuit, but I did not want to have to climb the jagged shelf of rock in it, again afraid I would puncture or damage the suit. So I had to climb the first boulder and jump the four foot gap down to the second boulder, with all my gear attached. I did not think too much on how I was going to get out on my return trip...
This mini-adventure brought me to the logjam, which really was the easiest part of the whole ordeal. The logs were all dry, and lacked any ice. The water level under them was high, so all I had to do was be careful not to fall. It was a slightly eerie experience to hear all the water gurgling and splashing inches away but not be able to see any of it. I am not used to the water being so high.
And then I realized that I would never have been able to do this with a raft. Normally during the summer, the water level is low enough that the majority of this short hike is dry, with the exception of two or three stomach to chest deep pools which require wading. But the rest can usually be done on the dry edges of the stream bed.
Not so this time of year. The stream came right up to the log jam and I could see no dry patches of note the whole rest of the way. So balancing on a log, I pulled on the drysuit yet again and taking a bit of a deep breath, gently slid myself into the water, which at that point was only about hip deep and began wading.
Pretty quickly the cold suffocated the protestations of my toes.
But by this point pretty much nothing was going to deter me from seeing this falls. I reached the first pool, which is the shallower of the two that has to be crossed, it came up to about my waist. It was again, an eerie experience to feel the extremely cold weight of the water pressing in on my legs, a bit like being squeezed by an extremely cold giant fist.
The second pool was a bit more nerve-wracking. For one, the stream had a good current to it, which I was wading against. The current made the surface choppy enough that I could not see where I was putting my feet, I had to go a step at a time by feel. Plus the pool came up to my chest, so I had to remove my backpack with my tripod attached and balance it all on my head to keep it dry, meaning I had to hold it up there with one hand, giving me just one other for balance. A slow and painstaking little stretch that was. I was very aware of the cantaloupe sized icebergs floating by me in the water.
But then I was through, and that was the hardest part of the whole little trek. I reached this spot and found a small stretch of dry rocks to peel off the drysuit and massage my frozen toes back to some semblance of life. (Note to self, next time take thermal socks, at least two pairs). I saw another very small stretch of dry rocks just barely poking above the surface of the stream just 15 feet upriver. So laying out the drysuit I pulled on my bag, and climbed along the cliff wall to reach that little outcropping of rock, where I was able to balance myself and everything else on a couple of rocks just above the surface of the stream and take this shot. Phew.
Yeah it was crazy I know. But fun too. And that was my adventure up Oneonta Gorge ... almost. The trip back was pretty much a repeat of the trip up, except when I reached the boulders, which I was unable to climb back up, so I had to slip the drysuit back on and navigate the pool I mentioned earlier to the right of the boulders to finally escape the gorge.
I came stumbling back up to the historic highway about three hours after initially left, still dripping water, with my wet boots starting to encase themselves in a shell of ice and probably the craziest grin I have had in a long time.
I am not sure if this means photography is my passion or my madness. I guess there is not always that big a difference between the two.
If you are interested in pricing for my images, or just plain curious, more info can be found at my website: www.zebandrews.com
I wanted to state that this is not my house; although I wish it were. When we were kicking around the idea to move to Massachusetts, we flew out during Thanksgiving week to make sure we wanted Massachusetts to become our new home. I had been drooling over this house on a real estate website so we decided to drive out and take a look during an open house. First of all, the house is PINK! I loved the idea of living in a pink house. This house felt so right to me; the owner was selling because his girlfriend (I don't think they were married) had passed away and I believe he wanted to get away and start over. She was an artist and the walls were covered with her art. I will confess, I teared up when I walked inside. It was built in the late 1800's and had charm oozing out of its walls. We weren't in the position to buy at that time (we still had a house in Seattle to sell), but I'll never forget this house. So glad I took photos that day.
Pacific National 8135 & 8178 waste no time flying through Illabo on Empty Grain Train no. 5CM6 bound for Geelong
18/9/25
The problem with losing weight is that things that I thought would fit when I go thrift shop cruising turn out to be a little big. as is the case with dress. its fine for walking around but not very good for dancing in as things don't get held in place as they should.
Still my hair held up better than the dress did even if I do have a rather high forehead.
I actually like this look and I am a little disappointed about the dress but all is not lost as my wife is on a diet (hence my getting thinner) and the dress can go her way :-)
Makes a change.
The popular funicular railway which takes tourist to the top of the Reichenbach Falls. The falls were made famous as being the point where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's hero, Sherlock Holmes fights to the death with his arch rival Moriarty.
Ghosts of Feature Film: A Cinematography Project
This project is an experimental collaboration where shots were composed from a cinema standpoint, incorporating actors actually acting out scenes, in-character, instead of modeling or just being photographed. With Joseph Petito acting on-camera as the main star, I lensed different scenes from 7 films. Each sequence is part of that specific film's larger story, each film having it's own style and distinct types of shots & angles. We designed this project to create a cohesive cinematic illusion that these are real movie screenshots, but for movies that don't actually exist... hence Ghosts of Feature Film.
Joseph Petito as Chris Platt
Jennifer Rizzi as Victoria
Sucre's obitsu broke again ... So I played with her head and some ribbons again :D She looks like an easter egg haha
My network seems like got problem again~ i couldn't log in for more than 12 hours until now~~ Please pardon me if i couldn't view,comment, fave your wonderful work.If I suddenly dissappear again, that's must be mean my local area network is down again.
...that I don't have a problem.... but not enough time... :-)
This is Yarow, one of the Dogs from Zbyszek Kunert (PL). I was in Austria last weekend - Sled Dog Race in Sportgastein.
Unfortunately there was a storm on Saturday so only on Sunday the stage was opened for the race.
A lot of dogs of course, a lot of fun with great people.
I will miss this kind of action on the weekend for the next months. It was a great pleasure to be on those events with the mushers and the beautiful dogs
When trying to read on my sunny patio in the evening with a cool, refreshing drink, I too often get distracted by the sunlight and how it moves across my borders. Normally I just sit and stare, and wish I had my camera.
Yesterday, I actually moved and grabbed my camera. Really hoping it doesn't become a habit; i want to keep enjoying my evening reading.
Apologies for no commenting today. Problems with Flickr all day. Sometimes I can access my own page - but sometimes not even that. And no success with anyone else's page either. State of play this evening! Having to give up for the night. Maybe things will be working tomorrow - hopeful!
Flickr outage map outage.report/flickr/map
Managed a Blog post - so there's a nice photo out there ;o))
Miserable day so got up into the loft to find a few old film travel photos. These are photographs of films shots taken with the P950.
A Spanish cruise ship in trouble in a storm off the coast of Greenland, 2004 I think. Not the place you want to be with rudder problems. We had to stand by it for several hours untill they sorted it out
A bad vacation start for this guy and his family - didn't pay the parking fee for their Eriba caravan.
Una fotografía tomada ya hace tiempo, en la misma se puede ver a un joven macho de rebeco cantábrico. Quise obtener algo más de profundidad de campo por lo que cerré algo el diafragma. De esta manera se puede apreciar mejor el bello entorno del hayedo. Este es uno de los hayedos más extensos de la vertiente asturiana de la C. Cantábrica. Era invierno, que es la estación donde más utilizan este ecosistema.
Tengo pendiente revelar algunas tomas que les pude hacer el miércoles pasado, a un grupo de esta especie encima de una cubeta glacial con restos de neveros. Pero estoy a la espera de recibir una batería nueva para la D500. Me venía fallando, pero se ha fundido totalmente. No me había pasado esto con ninguna cámara réflex digital anteriormente. Esperemos que sea solo problema de una mala unidad de batería.
"OK little buddy, we have a break in the rain. Go potty and poopie. Come on, please. It's day two and I know you can't hold it any longer. I have a nice chunk of rib eye in my pocket. Fine it's the old cheese we won't eat, but you sometimes do. This isn't going to happen is it? You're going to go on the floor the moment we go back in, aren't you? Well I tried and no, you can't have the stinky cheese that's now stuck to the inside of my pocket."
(One photo from each month, starting top left. You can read more about these photos and each month of my 2025 below.)
Another year has gone by where I have done very much of what I love- being outdoors, photographing, editing photos and singing a lot.
But the reason I have had the time, is that another year has gone by without being able to go to work due to the problems with my legs, hips, pelvis and lower back. But I have started getting some more help, and I hope that next year will bring improvement.
But like always, I feel good at making the best out of it.
I haven’t been abroad this year like I normally do (except from driving through Finland and Sweden on my way home from one of my two Finnmark trips). But I have experienced almost all of our beautiful Norway this year instead.
The biggest reason for my Norway travels and road trips, is that I decided to do a “big year” of birding; collecting as many bird species as I was able to in Norway this year.
Both due to my health and lack of competitive instinct, I have been really tired of it many times when it has felt hectic.
But as I look back at ALL the unforgettable nature experiences I’ve had, everything I've learned about bird species and bird migration, all the places I’ve seen in our beautiful country, all the photos I’ve taken, and all the people I’ve got to know from all over the country, it has been really worth it!
My first goal was 200 bird species. I made that by early May. Then I adjusted to 250, which I made by mid July. Now I have ended at 284 species in Norway this year, as number 4 and best woman on the list of 5922 birdwatchers registering bird species on the same largest Norwegian site as me. At the end of July, I actually was number 2!
I have never had goals of competing with anyone else but myself, but it is a bit cool though, since most of those on top have done this since before I was born (and I am not able to walk far, I don’t drive a car, and I don’t have a telescope). Of my 284 species this year, as many as 70 were my very first for Norway.
During my 23 mornings and 2 nights at the bird station by the lighthouse this year, I have registered many new bird species for the year- for the bird station and our municipality. Some of them have been many years since the last time have been registered here. I love being out there, and I always get nice experiences of both small birds and birds of prey up close. And different and numerous species can pass by for migration from day to day. We have also had very many nice and warm days this year, and it is extra lovely sitting out there by the ocean on those days.
You can read more about each month of my 2025 below if you’d like to:
1. (Top left) Treasure in the snow
JANUARY: Started with the same beautiful New Year’s weather as the year before, and the same trip to our largest beach to photograph birds among the beautiful waves. We had a nice day together with my parents, after celebrating New Year’s Eve together with them at my sister and family’s place.
The year also started with an awesome northern lights display here in the south as well, but we noticed it too late for nice photos. People could even photograph it with their phones.
Then we had snow, some ice and nice weather for a little period until after my birthday on the 11th. I got some very nice winter photos of birds this period- both on our island, in town and on Jæren. It was lovely, after a very rainy December.
Especially on my birthday, I photographed both a sparrowhawk chasing a crow right outside our house, eagles on rocks in a lake right by the road, and small birds from a hide that an acquaintance made for me under his terrace. We also had two rare winter visits of a common gull and whooper swans by our house after getting back home. A birthday spent they way I like the most!
After the snow rained away, Richard and I had a nice day photographing birds of prey from a hide on Jæren, where we got many nice photos of many goshawks, rough-legged buzzards and a common buzzard (hønsehauker, fjellvåker og musvik, in Norwegian). The rest of the month I spent much time going through many old but nice bird and nature photos, while having grey weather ouside. I like going through good memories and photos that I had forgotten I captured.
The first snowdrops (snøklokker) showed up in the gardens already in the middle of this month.
And suddenly we had a large flock of nearly 200 geese of four Arctic goose species visiting the fields in our neighbourhood for several weeks. That happened many places along the coast, but is not normal at this time of year. They probably had escaped the bad storms in other European countries. Several birds of prey also hunted them. Sadly some of all these birds died of the bird flu. I also visited Jæren several times this period, to see a very rare red-breasted goose (rødhalsgås).
My choir had a fun and full Gospel church/concert together with our Swedish favourite Samuel Ljungblahd. And on the last day of the month the weather turned from grey to nice and cold again.
FEBRUARY: Started with a nice and cold Saturday, and after some days of rain we had a longer nice period where I spent much time outdoors among the birds, both on road trips and by my bike. Richard and I went back to the hide with all the birds of prey on Jæren, and in addition to the regular birds, we had the beautiful hen harrier (myrhauk) on this month’s photo, up close for the first time. I really got goosebumps all over when it suddenly sat there!
I had a fun winter morning photoshoot one day, of a cute 1 year old at our beach and at their place, right before my mother in law’s birthday party. And I photographed a newborn some days later. I also wrote a long article about my favourite bird spots in our neighbourhood (with photos), for a local bird magazine.
Towards the end of the month, I managed to fall on my bike on the too frozen road, in a roundabout on my morning ride for my pool workout. I hurt myself really bad, and barely managed to turn and cycle back home, after resting in a bus shelter feeling really sick and barely manage to use my arms. I didn’t go to the doctor, since I didn’t work anyway and didn’t feel that anything was broken, although I was really blue all over, felt beaten up for a long time and needed help to get dressed. Especially my left knee and both thumbs do still hurt 10 months later and I will soon take an MRI to see what really has happened to the thumbs.
On the 22nd, the first oystercatchers and lapwings turned up in our neighbourhood for spring- some weeks earlier than the year before.
For the winter break, I traveled together my sister, niece and nephew to visit our parents on Bømlo. In addition to the nice family time, I also did some birdwatching with a friend there. Then my brother, his wife and my niece also came to visit us from Bergen.
MARCH: I was still together with my family at my parents’ place for a lovely winter break, and I did some birdwatching there as well. It was nice to finally register and photograph my first marsh tit (løvmeis), after only seeing it as a child since it is rare where I live now.
Back home, I had a newborn photoshoot, and went on many birdwatching road trips on Jæren and in southern Norway, where I passed a hundred bird species for my big year list. Large flocks of migratory birds came back to our island as well, especially after foggy nights and mornings. A wonderful time of year!
I also did some singing this month, and I went to one of the bird hides I use to visit in southern Norway, together with some photography friends. We didn’t get any birds of prey, but many woodpeckers (like the great spotted woodpecker (flaggspett) on this month’s photo), in addition to many smaller birds up close in nice light.
The last weekend, we went back to Bømlo island and my parents, to celebrate dad’s 70th birthday. We had another nice weekend together up there, and I made a nice film of family memories for his party. Richard and I also took a little road trip among the nice nature there, and had a lovely close encounter with a ringed white-tailed eagle we hadn’t met before.
4. (Top right) Morning Song
MAY: Started with a nice day of birdwatching and bird photography on Jæren and by our bird feeders. I envy my mum whose birthday is on this lovely holiday/Labour Day. The next day I went to Jæren to photograph a beautiful confirmand.
We had a lovely weather the whole month, and I spent much time outdoors (although it was colder and windier despite the sunshine, by end of the month). I went back on birdwatching trips to southern and eastern Norway. The most memorable was the days on the bird station at Jomfruland island, where this month’s photo is from. There I also reached my bird species number 200 this year.
Back home, I sang at several confirmand ceremonies, photographed a confirmand and his family, and spent much time birdwatching on Jæren and by our bird station by the lighthouse. I was together with friends at the bird station on our National Day on the 17th as well, and we went on a tawny owl ringing trip in the evening on that beautiful and warm day. The next day we had a fun concert with my gospel choir in Stavanger and the great Swedish singer Evelina Gard. Then Richard had his first surgery for the disease in his hands, which was successful but took time to recover from.
Throughout the month I also checked up on and photographed a couple of lesser spotted woodpeckers (dvergspetter) once a week, that I saw mating while visiting a forest in town on the last day of April, and made a nest where they raised their young ones throughout May. It was my first time following that species that close. I also found a great spotted woodpecker’s nest (flaggspett) nearby when the chicks were big. Among all my birdwatching, I also photographed a relay race in Stavanger with our photography club, and a lovely puppy for The Norwegian Society for Protection of Animals.
I ended the month with a nice trip to eastern Norway with a photography friend, photographing birds and badgers (grevlinger) from a great hide, and also birds like bluethroats (blåstruper) on our way over the mountains.
By the end of the month, the lakes, streams and waterfalls were dryer than people could remember from before, and I guess many birds must have had a struggle nesting and finding food there. But luckily, we had some rain again towards the end of the month.
JUNE: Started with more grey and rainy weather than the last months, but nature needed it after a dry period. On the first day, I photographed and listened to a new and rare species- the river warbler (elvesanger) in Sandnes, where I used to live. Then I watched the lesser spotted woodpecker chicks (dvergspettungene) at home one last time before leaving the nest. Now spring really was over.
Then I spent much time editing the previous portrait assignments, planning the upcoming wedding assignments, and rehearsing for our summer concert with the Swedish singer Samuel Ljungblahd.
I still had some time for birdwatching at home and in southern Norway as well.
In addition to testing wedding photography on Jæren for the first time in two years (due to my health), I photographed confirmands and families on our island, and a confirmand with a beautiful horse on northern Jæren.
We also got to visit Feistein lighthouse on an island outside Jæren for the first time, for our photography club’s summer party. I had dreamed of going there since moving to Jæren 22 years earlier. It was lovely out there, with many seabirds nesting.
Then I flew to Finnmark for the second time this year- for the first nice but cold week of a 3.5 weeks long birdwatching road trip, in some of western- and the whole of eastern Finnmark county.
7. 2025 Highlight: Siberian Jays
JULY: Started on the amazing Hornøya bird island in Finnmark. Whilie visiting in the snow in April, I couldn’t go ashore due to a broken gangway after a storm. But this time I spent many lovely hours walking among all the guillemots, puffins, auks, shags and both smaller and larger birds out there. The weather was also warm and nice. We stayed at the wonderful Vardø hotel again, eating more of their delicious food and talking to the staff I got to know in April.
After 2.5 weeks of birdwatching and photography in Finnmark (and also meeting some of both my and Richard's realtives), we used 1 week on they way home, through Finland, Sweden and Norway from Røros- where we spent some lovely days visiting a birdwatching friend’s cabin. After some cold weather in Finnmark, the heat stroke the whole country (and Finland and Sweden) on our way home. A little too warm for my comfort ツ
By mid July, I had 250 species in Norway this year. We got 127 species on our Finnmark list, 16 new on my big year list, and 11 new on my life list. We also met some more nice species in Røros, and had an unforgettable close encounter with Siberian jays on our way home over the mountains.
Back home, we arrived in time to still see the rare roseate tern (rosenterne) on Karmøy island, that hadn’t been in Norway since I was a baby. Then we went to southern Norway for even more new species, and I also got some new ones on Jæren at the end of the month.
I photographed a wedding on our island on a very warm day, and a charming one year old at the beach another day. My brother and his family also visited us one day.
The weather stayed nice throughout the month, with only some thundershowers in between- but nothing like the wet July we had the year before. I spent two unforgettable, still and warm nights at our bird station by the lighthouse, together with an ornithologist friend - first hearing my first Leach's storm petrel (stormsvale), sitting right by our side “singing” in the dark for a very long time. The second night, we catched and ringed my two first European storm petrels (havsvaler).
We also heard the wonderful song of the Eurasian eagle-owl (hubro) in the dark in our neighbourhood this period. I invited a new friend from eastern Norway, that I met while birdwatching on Jæren, to our island to hear this owl for the first time, and to watch a beautiful eagle nest from a distance, in addition to show her flowers and plants that she wanted to see, that they don’t find in eastern Norway.
I also spent much time photographing insects on our island that last part of the month- both by a lake, by the beaches and by our house. At the largest beach I found two rare grasshopper species, that several people came to see as well. I also found one of the species by our lighthouse while registering birds for the bird station.
We also skipped mowing our lawn, to see how many more insects (and birds) we got around the house, and it really worked. I also spent much time on a large neighbouring plot with lots of wildflowers, insects, birds and animals (like the summer before), to photograph all the life there before they sadly recently leveled it to make way for a rich man’s mansion. In addition to some rare bees, I had 10 different butterfly species on that plot one day, and up to 10-15 of each species.
We ended the month attending a neighbourhood party by the sea for the first time. I hope that will be a tradition, since there are many here I don’t know that well yet.
AUGUST: Started with a very nice morning, and I went on my bike to find many nice migratory species in our neighbourhood- including the first little ringed plover (dverglo) registered out here in 43 years (!) and the second ever. After some rain in the afternoon, I did the same the next nice morning, and found even more migratory species I hadn’t seen on our island before, like spotted redshanks and a wood sandpiper (sotsniper og grønnstilk). I also cycled to town, to photograph butterflies by a trail- like the silver-washed fritillary (keiserkåpe), that is not common to find in our municipality. I also found a rare bee ツ
After another wonderful day, spent at the bird station and the lighthouse, the storm Floris hit us. It was an unusually early autumn storm. We had some nice days again, in between some rain and wind, and I spent even more nice days at the bird station. There I enjoy myself for about 7 hours- watching and counting birds on my way out, by the lightouse and in the small forests by the bird station, and writing it all in the bird station’s log and diary.
The second weekend, I went on a fun trip with my choir- singing on a festival in eastern Norway. We stayed at a former prison in Arendal, and we loved it! It was both lovely and authentic, and the rooms in the old prison cells were both nice and cool. I stayed in the former cell of the owner, who was really good at telling stories of his previous life. He also does a lot of good work with young people now.
In the middle of the month, Richard and I went on a road trip to some of our favourite places in western Norway; Kråkenes lighthouse on Vågsø, and Stryn, and also Hemsedal in the east. We went up to Runde bird island one day as well, since I hadn’t seen great skuas (storjo) yet this year. On Kråkenes lighthouse, I loved to be able to count large flocks of migratory birds during the early mornings, right outside our windows by the ocean. In Stryn, we took some nice landscape photos, where several of them were included in the book En dag i Norge (A day in Norway), on the occasion of World photography day.
Since I almost didn’t find and insects and flowers to photograph on the road trip, I thought that season was over- but back home I could spend time photographing many of in our neighbourhood, just like in July. Back home, I also went on some more bird watching both on our island, by the lighthouse, on Jæren and in southern Norway, hoping for some new species. Some I found, and some were harder- like throughout the rest of the autumn. We felt the autumn weather coming at the end of the month.
I also photographed some kittens for The Norwegian Society for Protection of Animals and a confirmand this month, and sang and showed photos on a service with a bird theme. It’s always nice to combine the hobbies ツ
9. (Bottom left) Heart-Shaped Raptor
SEPTEMBER: Like the year before- we had almost only nice and warm weather this month, and just some early or late showers of rain some of the days. For that reason, I spent many days at the bird station and lighthouse this month as well- where I got even more nice bird experiences and photos, and even more new species for the station and municipality for the year.
I also went on road trips to Jæren when some interesting species showed up there, and attended the Lista bird festival for the first time, which was very fun- enjoying the birds, delicious food and sunshine together with lots of nice birdwatchers.
I sang and photographed on various occasions, like at a funeral where I did both, and I photographed another confirmand. It is also always fun when the photography clubs and bird clubs start again in September, after a long vacation.
In the middle of the month, I went on a lovely rehearsal and social weekend with my choir.
I also had to spend some time indoors, editing all the previous portrait assignments, and I baked lots of apple pies of the large amounts of apples in our garden. It is also always nice for my aching body with quiet days. But I started going to a good physiotherapist again this month, who really tries to help me getting better.
I spent the last days of the month in the bird hide in southern Norway, together with some photography friends. We got many nice photos of Eurasian sparrowhawks and other birds, including a beautiful adult male which is not common to get there.
10. Snacking on the autumn leaves
OCTOBER: Started with the first autumn storm (since the very early one in August), and the extreme weather called Amy. I was supposed to on a girls' trip with other birdwatchers to the bird island Utsira, for the known rarity week for the first time, but they canceled due to the large waves on the ferry and the heavy wind. Since I am an island girl and don’t mind waves or wind, I went anyway just one day later with another birdwatching friend.
The first photo I took there, of the waves in the hurricane gusts, ended up on national TV for a weather photography contest. We found many bird species to register (81 in total) and photograph, despite the weather. And as the weather got better, I got two new species on my life list. I had a wonderful week there, in all types of weather, staying in two nice accommodations and meeting lots of nice birders. They even had a wonderful restaurant and a lovely bar on that small island, and a grocery store with a café with delicious food and lovely staff as well. I really look forward to going back another year, in better weather as well for even more rare birds.
Back home, I edited my last portrait assignments, and made a presentation from my Kenya trips, for a meeting at BirdLife Jæren. We attended the photo fair in Stavanger as usual, with many great lectures and great photographers, and we both ordered a new wonderful Sony 300mm f/2.8, and Richard bought a new bird photography camera as well.
We had an invasion of long-tailed tits (stjertmeis) throughout the country, and in a period of nice weather I got so many nice photos of them both at home, on Jæren (like on this month’s photo) and in southern Norway. We also had them on our island and by the bird station for the first time in 31 years, and second time ever. I also had many nice little auk (alkekonge) encounters this period. The best ones in our neighbourhood and by the lighthouse, where some of them came swimming towards me, giving me unforgettable moments and nice photos. I had hoped to see them alive here for such a long time, after only finding dead ones previous years, and only seeing them alive on Svalbard and Jæren before.
I also did some singing, both with my choir and American gospel artists in Stavanger, with a group and by myself on some meetings, and in a double 60th birthday party, where I both sang and had a bird photography presentation of local birds.
We had more and more rain and autumn weather, but I still went on some trips to southern Norway and Jæren to get some more bird species on my list.
The last week of the month, they started digging, rock blasting and leveling the nice wild plot outside our house, with all the wildflowers insects, birds and animals I’ve described earlier. It’s a pity losing all that nice nature outside, and getting a wide rich man’s mansion there instead.. And they will work there for two years before it’s finished.
Just like the month before, I spent the last days of this month as well in the bird hide in southern Norway, together with some other photography friends. Sadly, the Eurasian sparrowhawks weren’t that interested in posing this time, but there are always other birds to photograph as well.
11. Colour Palette
NOVEMBER: The first weeks were very mild, and we still had may migratory bird visits. I got unexpectedly many new bird species both for the year and for life this late at year, both in our region, on Jæren, and in southern and eastern Norway- on trips with both Richard and a birdwatching friend. I got my new 300mm delivered in time to photograph some of the rare beauties with it, like the common firecrest, rosy starling and desert wheatear (rødtoppfuglekonge, rosenstær og ørkensteinskvett).
Richard and I went on a nice hotel weekend among beautiful nature and birds in Telemark as well. In the middle of the month, I passed 280 big year bird species and 300 bird species for life in Norway.
At that time, Richard and I were invited to photograph the release of a white-tailed eagle on Jæren, that had been treated for lead poisoning. We got some nice photos, that were used both in several social medias, on TV, in articles and even sold for walls. We went to their clinic one week later as well, so meet a beautiful merlin (dvergfalk) up close. It was Richard’s first time seeing one.
We also attended several interesting lectures and presentations in our bird- and photography clubs. And I photographed a one-year-old and his family on Jæren, and started rehearsing for my 6 Christmas concerts, both with my two choirs and by myself.
The second-to-last weekend I went with my sister and her kids on our annual November visit to our parents, for my mom’s mission club’s church raffle. Although we had rain and no snow to have fun in like the year before, we had a really nice family weekend.
I was glad that I finished all the Christmas presents by the end of the month, before a busy December with many concerts.
DECEMBER: Started mild and rainy, and yet again I went on several birdwatching trips to southern Norway to search for rare species seen there. I had to try several times in all kinds of weather before finding them- the final two new bird species for the big year list and also for life, leaving me at the total of 284 bird species in Norway this year (303 in total since I started registering in 2020), 70 new life species in Norway, the best woman and number 4 out of 5922 birdwatchers registering bird species on the same largest Norwegian site as me. Considering that I am still a newbie on this, I am not able to walk far, I don’t drive a car, and I don’t have a telescope,, I think it is a great accomplishment ツ
During the first week, I also attended 2 dress rehearsals and 4 Christmas concerts, and two more Christmas concerts later on (an having a cold and losing my voice between them). The second week, Richard finally had a surgery on his second hand after some postpones. It went well, although it was painful for him. But hopefully it will turn out as good as the first hand.
Then I had a presentation of photos from our neighbourhood on the last meeting this year in one of our photography clubs. In addition to use photos from the archive, it was nice to spend time finding newer ones as well- of both birds, animals, insects, landscapes and portraits. In the end, I sang a Christmas carol on top of the winter images. As I’ve mentioned before- it is nice to combine my hobbies.
The weather turned beautiful from before Christmas and all throughout the rest of the year. Although we didn’t get any snow, it was lovely to have sunshine and nice sunrises and sunsets every day, considering the year before when it only rained. I think many have spent much time in nature during the holidays this year.
Due to my own health and Richard’s surgery, we haven’t been outdoors much ourselves, but indoors I have gone through the thousands of photos of nice memories from this year, listened to nice Christmas music and watched many Christmas films and series together with Richard.
We only went on a few short trips to the little forest by our beach during Christmas, to photograph the small birds coming close there in the sunshine- like the crested tit (toppmeis) on this month’s photo, taken with my new 300mm lens. We have had 4 of them here for a while, which is not usual that many places.
Christmas Eve was a lovely one, celebrating together with my parents, my sister and her family at their place. I love spending time with my niece and nephew there, and they were so grateful and happy. And they all had made two wonderful Christmas dishes for the evening, while I brought dessert. We also had another lovely Christmas dinner at my mother-in-law’s.
I ended the month by sadly singing in a friend’s father’s funeral, but it is a nice feeling to be able to bring something good for others on such a day.
And now we will travel home to my parents, siblings, nieces and nephew on Bømlo to celebrate New Year’s together. It will be the best ending of a lovely year, filled with so many nice moments and people.
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I am so grateful for all the nice weather and nice nature I have enjoyed, near and far in our country this year. The amounts of awesome nature experiences and of nice people I have met this year are countless.
Althought I won’t travel that much to see birds next year, I really hope to meet many of all the nice birdwatchers I’ve got to know again- like on the fun birding festivals I attended for the first time this year.
I still hope for another new year where my health will be better, so that I will be able to walk and stand more, and finally will be able to work and do more for others.
Unlike last year, I have now taken the chance of ordering some trips abroad again for the new year. I will go on bird photography trips to both Greece (where I’ve been before and looove) and England during late spring. It is mostly sitting in cars, boats and hides, so it won’t be too hard for my legs and back. And probably Richard and I will go on photography road trips both in western and northern Norway, like we use to.
I also hope to spend even more time on the island I’m from as well next year. All my visits this year have been for family time, which is great- but I loved staying there for a very long time during summer last year, having the time to do things, visit people and experience nature like I don’t have the time to on short weekends. This summer I didn’t go there at all, while hoping to see new bird species other places..
But I will spend even more time in nature here at home next year as well. It is so healing for me going out to our bird station and lighthouse, by bike and a short walk by feet, to register birds and enjoy the large amount of nice nature experiences out there. Although I have spent much time there this year as well, I have had to prioritize traveling other places many times, for new big year species- although it hasn’t always been the best for my health and mind.
But next year I will only collect species for our bird station and municipality, and only do so when it will be a good thing for me ツ
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If you’d like to see more of all my photos from 2025, you can do so by scrolling down my page here on Flickr, or on Ranveig Marie Photography on Instagram and Facebook.
Thanks to all who wanted to read about my year, and to all my photography followers!
In addition to doing it for myself, it is a big bonus to contribute with joy, knowledge or inspiration for others.
I hope your 2026 will be great!
✨* Hɣ ቢēⴓ ɣēaṛ! *✨
To watch and read my Highlights of 2013, take a look here.
To watch and read my Highlights of 2014, take a look here.
To watch and read my Highlights of 2015, take a look here.
To watch and read my Highlights of 2016, take a look here.
To watch and read my Highlights of 2017, take a look here.
To watch and read my Highlights of 2018, take a look here.
To watch and read my Highlights of 2019, take a look here.
To watch and read my Highlights of 2020, take a look here.
To watch and read my Highlights of 2021, take a look here.
To watch and read my Highlights of 2022, take a look here.
To watch and read my Highlights of 2023, take a look here.
To watch and read my Highlights of 2024, take a look here.
"She would've made such a lovely bride
What a shame she's fucked in her head, " they said
But you'll find the real thing instead
She'll patch up your tapestry that I shred
And hold your hand while dancing
Never leave you standing
Crestfallen on the landing
With champagne problems
Carmen has been wearing this dress since January, I think she is too perfect in it, so I guees she will keep it on for a little while :P
When the poor and needy seek water
Longing for food, many are hungry
Longing for water, many still thirst...
(Bernadette Farrell)
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink...
(Matthew 25:35)
“Dear God, give bread to those who are hungry and a hunger and thirst for justice to those who have plenty. Amen”
(Benedictine prayer)
Praying for all around the world who are suffering from lack of food and water especially in war-torn countries.
Peace begins when the hungry are fed.
(Dorothy Day)
Hunger is not a problem. It is an obscenity.
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.
(Anne Frank)
No actual maths skills needed. The key to uncorking your own personal solution to the Collatz conjecture is choosing the right bottle of wine. Your local Fred Meyer wine steward can help.
Tualatin Fred Meyer, 11:31 PM
Media:
* Veritasium: The Simplest Math Problem No One Can Solve - Collatz Conjecture
* Wikipedia: Collatz conjecture
* Wikipedia: 3x + 1 semigroup
See also: SAM_1894 Wine Folly, Wine Simple
Hi Everyone,
Just a quick note to let everyone know what it happening!! My wife was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday and will just say that the issues have not resolved!! Please no emails at this time because I don't have time to address them!! We only have questions at this time and no answers so it will do no good to speculate!! I ask that for those of you who pray that we would appreciate it if you kept her in your prayers!! I will try to get back here as soon as possible and fill everyone in but it has been a 20 hour day today! Peace and blessings to everyone!!
Thanks to all. Jerome
DSL_1115uls
IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE
El conjunt dels objectius tipus Petzval, tots de bronze. De moment només he pogut fer servir el Derogy, però espero aviat poder emprar el Voigtlander, el Lerebours i el Dallmeyer, tant per plaques de 13x18 com de 18x24.
Es tracta d'un ambrotip en vidre fosc, format 4x5 polzades, realitzat amb una Graflex Speed Graphic, fabricada entorn 1950; objectiu Kodak Anastigmat f4.5; col·lodió Mamuth Liliana, revelat amb Mamuth MD8. He de dir que no estic gens content amb aquest col·lodió, m'ha donat força problemes.
Les plaques de col·lodió es realitzen al moment, cobrint una placa de vidre o planxa metal·lica negra amb col·lodió i sals de cadmi i/o potassi, sensibilitzat amb nitrat de plata. Aleshores s'ha de fer la fotografia i revelar-la en uns 5 minuts, abans no s'assequi la emulsió. És un dels processos fotogràfics més antics del món, inventat el 1851, i que dominà fins el 1880. Però ara ha resorgit, ja que les imatges, molt treballades, que dona són úniques, màgiques i i irrepetibles.
ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Col%C2%B7lodi%C3%B3_humit
Aquí en teniu una demostració de com es fan:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1ZH4RTaM60
=====================
Those are my brass oldies, all petzvals. By now I could only use the smaller Derogy, but I'm preparing lens boards et al. to use at least the Voigtländer, Lerebours and Dallmeyer.
Ambrotype in 4x5 format, made with a Graflex Pacemaker Speed Graphic; Kodak Anastigmat f4.5 lens; Mamuth Liliana collodion, developed with Mamuth MD8. I'm not happy at all with this Liliana collodion, has given a lot of problems, like cloudly lines & peeling, even with the developer!
The collodion plates are made covering a glass plate or black metal plate with collodion and salts of cadmium and / or potassium, sensitized with silver nitrate. Then you have to take the photo and reveal it in about 5 minutes, before the emulsion dries. It is one of the oldest photographic processes in the World, invented in 1851, and which dominated photography until 1880. But now it has resurfaced, as the images, very elaborate to create, that it gives are unique, razor sharp, magical and unrepeatable.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collodion_process
intrepidcamera.co.uk/blog/rikard-osterlund-guide-to-wet-p...
Here's a nice video of the wet plate collodion process:
Little MOC for the french BrickPirate Challenge during november and december.
The goal : NPU of the minifigure arms.
"The problem with cats is that they get the exact same look on their face whether they see a moth or an axe-murderer." ~Paula Poundstone
Cat- courtesy of Tom Tapio www.flickr.com/photos/tomitapio/2859574161/in/set-7215759...