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Thought I’d head out and find a Rose this morning since I’m confined to the neighborhood as the result of a bit of required surgery. Too much beach time and too little sunblock can do that to you. Found this little jewel in the garden of the local church.
(70-200/2.8 @ 200 mm, 1/5000 @ f/5.6, ISO 2000, edited to taste)
Join us starting today @Frogmore for a 1 week photo challenge. This challenge will be located in our Shire area which includes a new garden splash pool for fun avatar photos. We have amazing views from every angle and lots of wildlife including Ducks, Egrets, Frogs, Doves, Seagulls, as well as Capybaras, Butterflies, and a Kitty or two. This is designed to be a fun challenge, and we will have prizes to go around. **Frogmore Inworld Group Membership Required** Avatars photos encouraged. Frogmore Main Landing - Join our group here ---> maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Frogmore/180/98/28 Shire location for photo challenge ---> maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Frogmore/19/73/21 Group discussion and photo challenge details ---> www.flickr.com/groups/frogmore/discuss/72157721918776317/ *Have fun and enjoy !!*
Kinderdijk lies in the Alblasserwaard, at the confluence of the Lek and Noord rivers. In Alblasserwaard, problems with water became more and more apparent in the 13th century. Large canals, called "weteringen", were dug to get rid of the excess water in the polders. However, the drained soil started setting, while the level of the river rose due to the river's sand deposits. Most of the current mills were built in 1738 and 1740 (see below).
After a few centuries, an additional way to keep the polders dry was required. It was decided to build a series of windmills, with a limited capacity to bridge water level differences, but just able to pump water into a reservoir at an intermediate level between the soil in the polder and the river; the reservoir could be let out into the river through locks whenever the river level was low enough; the river level has both seasonal and tidal variations. Although some of the windmills are still used, the main water works are provided by two diesel pumping stations near one of the entrances of the windmills site.
This hardy species of the merganser family will winter further north than any of the other members and will stay with us during the winter months as long as the water stays open. They prefer fresh water to salt water.
Alaska to Newfoundland is their breeding territory and they don't seem to have a nesting preference using anything from man-made boxes to nesting cavities to nesting on the ground.
They do tend to be one of the more social waterfowl species and can be found in huge flocks on lakes and do accept other species of diving ducks midst their own numbers.
Lots of open water is an asset to them when they go airborne as they require a running start across the top of the water for a distance. Once in the air they fly a straight line to their destination.
Females like this one make good use of their long body toting their ducklings around after they hatch.
Bald Eagles require about five years to fully develop the adult plumage featuring the white head and chocolate brown body that many Americans are familiar with. Younger birds, such as this one, are typically a mottled white and brown.
An interesting fact from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: "Immature Bald Eagles spend the first four years of their lives in nomadic exploration of vast territories and can fly hundreds of miles per day. Some young birds from Florida have wandered north as far as Michigan, and birds from California have reached Alaska."
I don't know where this bird originated, but it was photographed at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, near Saginaw, Michigan.
Happy Bokeh Wednesday!
This shot is completely unprocessed, uncropped. No artificial light. No adjustments what so ever!! No zoom, no filters. Just me, my camera, and a Macro lens.
I say this only to prove, that great photographic imagery starts with a great image.
All those neah sayers that believe processing is just about fixing a poor image and the digital age requires no thought or skill. So not true...great processing always begins with a great image.
Explore #8
A fellow photographer and friend from the UK wanted to learn more about masking in Photoshop, and Zoom to the rescue. I started with one of my shots that never thrilled me, but thought it was a good simple shot to start with. As far as the dime a dozen shots of '55 Chevys go, IMO, it was just OK, and it's color was not my favorite. Kind of a peach color, ergo the title. I showed him the power of the new Object Selection tool in Photoshop, and if any further cleanup is required a few other tools can be used. However, typically I use the Polygonal tool for that. I went on to tell him that if you are selecting the subject (car here) but want to do something with the rest of the image, (the background) and not the subject, you must click Inverse before doing any of that. I told him that if you are going to spray out the background like above, you can pick any color you want, but a color already in the image usually works well, or as in the case here, a complimentary color. Maybe a bit of a stretch here, and being that the cars color is in the red family, the compliment of red is green, and therefore my reasoning for going with a shade of green. So, as I'm working my way through this demo process with him my original feelings about not liking the image started to change, and I actually kind of like it now. I think it's proof as to how, with a little extra play, you can turn a mediocre image into something a little more special. So, the takeaway here is don't throw in the towel on those "so so" images, there just may be hope for them.
THANK YOU !!!!! 💖
ADMIN: 🎶 Lori Bailey 🎶
Group Link:
flickr.com/groups/3212952@N21/
Original Photo:
flickr.com/photos/139518475@N05/51909804733/in/dateposted...
The Queen Anne's Lace flowers have turned their autumn brown and make for a pleasing foreground here against the colorful lake and sky.
The wind was blowing pretty hard here, requiring a fairly fast shutter speed to freeze their movement.
The lateral structures behind the flowers are old jetties that extend into the lake.
A good 80% of my photography comes from this two-mile stretch of the Lake Michigan lakeshore. I live a half block from this natural gem and walk its shores every day. You'd think I'd tire of it and run out of photographic opportunities. But no, its moods, the changing weather, the many birds, and the many colors and hues it displays, all combine to present limitless opportunities to capture and showcase it in photographic form.
And then I have the joy of sharing all those images with you, which is deeply satisfying.
It is Thanksgiving in the U.S. today, a day when the nation comes together with family and friends over a big meal, renewing and celebrating relationships, and thanking God for the many blessings He has shown in our lives.
Hope you have a wonderful day today and that your life is blessed with good family, good friends, and good
living!
……Tweezers were required to arrange this little posy! The miniature glass phial I have used before - I dug it up in the garden last year, it measures just over one inch high and the branches are really only tendrils off the Virginia creeper, the posy is a piece off the Viburnum bush that flowers from December through April - they may be small but I thought they’d fit the bill for Smile on Saturday’s theme ‘Flowers in March’. Have smiley Saturday, Alan:-)…..
For the interested I’m growing my Shutterstock catalogue regularly here, now sold 74 images :- www.shutterstock.com/g/Alan+Foster?rid=223484589&utm_...
©Alan Foster.
©Alan Foster. All rights reserved. Do not use without permission.……
For the "Looking close... on Friday!"- theme : "Lovebirds"
HLCoF !
Wishing you all a happy Valentine's Day, if you celebrate it, otherwise a very happy day ;-))
This is an origami model, that requires two cuts to form the cranes or Tsuru.
Folded from rectangle piece of red/gold wrapping paper, 1;4.
I will be offer several days. See you when I'm back.
Model: origami Heart with two Cranes
Design: Francis Ow
Diagrams in the book: 'Quarterly ORU Folding Diagrams - Vol. 2'
Paper: a rectangle red/gold wrapping paper 12x48cm
Final size: height 12cm, length 21cm
Such a contrast with the skyscrapers and the housing all in the same area.
All rights reserved. Written permission required for usage.
Please do not use this photo on any websites or for personal use.
Thank you.
©2018 Fantommst
I'm Fast and I'm deadly., I'm a remorseless winged hunter., and if you were on my menu I'd literally eat you alive
But don't judge or hate me
Remember I've a much right to life as you have...
I'm a killer
I'm a survivor
I'm what nature made me
I am a bird of prey
And I'm not going to apologies for what I am
Laugharne Castle is a castle in the town of Laugharne in southern Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is located on the estuary of the River Tâf and was originally established in 1116.
So! at certain times of the day the carpark near the castle will flood...and the seating area ofcourse ☺.
Silence is golden...
Who said that? And what could they have meant? That silence was precious? That silence yielded riches?
I like the silence of things...like these gloves...the story they tell in their silence.
These gloves were left behind by one of the firefighters when they broke for lunch. I was left alone on the training site...in the silence.
And the silence was lovely...
...the silence of the gear, of the blackened building, of the grass, of the empty rooms, of the empty streets...lovely...
I usually prefer sound to silence...but some sounds become just like silence...a steady hum of nothingness...a nothingness that requires no response...no reaction...no emotion...nothing...
...but silence...
Wishing all my Flickr friends warmest wishes and blessed moments filled with secret smiles...
~~Sheree~~
PINK MOON POSES
These are all new and exclusive release for Spoonful of Sugar charity event for Medecins sans frontieres (Doctors without borders)
Event dates: 3rd - 18th September
LM: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SOS%20Alafolie%20Island/81...
All items may be demoed at mainshop
NEW
Reduced during event by 25% for fatpack (263L) as well as single poses (38L). ALL are also 100% donation.
NEW
50% donation item.
NEW - Hunt item
Hunt requires group and costs 500, but includes lots and lots of items from all creators
Group: secondlife:///app/group/88edea59-d946-ecd1-ef0e-764cba73d782/about
LM to hunt sim: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Crabby%20Island%20EBP/127/...
Hunt hint: Jump right into it, but mind the rocks. I'm near my favourite colour.
NEW Sugarbowl 10L each 100% donation
Beginning of a poseset that will be finished in the future.
A fourth pose may be found as gift at InMotion art event, opening the first weekend of September.
The obligatory tree(s) on a hill shot that all photographers are required to have in their portfolio. Somewhere on Hwy 125 in Monterey County.
Totally overcast, and totally still. I have never seen conditions like this before (and probably won't again for a long time). It was the end of the day and I already had a few images that I was happy with. So I wasn't really paying attention. Plus, the egret was very far away, requiring a heavy crop. But looking at it on my computer screen afternoon, I was kicking myself for not appreciating the potential of this moment.
Part of the meerkat social structure requires group members to fulfill important jobs each day. One job is called the sentry. This individual stands at the highest possible "lookout" while the rest of the group searches for food. The sentry sends out a soft, high-pitched call every few seconds to let the busy hunters know they are safe from danger.
Window taken apparently in the same town as the dog on the boat in East Anglia. I still don't know where that was :)
" A Hover Fly and Nectar..."
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Copyright ©
All Of My Photographic Images Are Subject To Copyright ! Each Of My Photographs Remain My Intellectual Property ! All Rights Are Reserved And As Such, Do Not Use, Modify, Copy, Edit, Distribute Or Publish Any Of My Photographs ! If You Wish To Use Any Of My Photographs For Any Reproductive Purposes, Or Other Uses, My Written Permission Is Specifically Required, Contact Me Via Flickr Mail !
You are taking one courageous step after another down the healing road. While these are healthy steps, it’s intensely challenging to face the unknown and experiences so terrorizing that your mind wisely blocked them out for the sake of your survival. This is too much to handle alone and it’s important to remember that God’s presence surrounds you in each moment and you have the gift of your small though incredibly mighty group of supporters. Things are unclear, difficult, scary, require a tremendous amount of perseverance, and when you reflect on the past the healing process is evident, encouraging and certainly worth the effort it requires.
___________________
Recently I was struggling a lot with my own intense mental health struggles in addition to the stress and fear of my husband’s health struggles and recent hospitalization. Somehow I found the strength to spend some time outside capturing the beauty I saw in the fog and frost that was visible through the windows that morning—it seemed to tell an important, uplifting story that helped me continue pressing on.
Can a house be semi-abandoned? Aspects of the place appeared to be looked after, others not so much. For example, the broken window in the kitchen, which had glass pieces on the sill.
Sometimes when the weather stops me from going out to take photos I look for inspiration around the house. This was taken on one of these occasions. The Kodak Six-20 Brownie model D is a recent purchase and I may see how well it still works.
Stayed in The Rocks with amazing Sydney views from our hotel rooftop.
All rights reserved. Written permission required for usage.
Please do not use this photo on any websites or for personal use.
Thank you.
©2018 Fantommst
Barn Owls are nocturnal owls and we often find them around granaries, warehouses, abandoned sheds etc... which often have lots of rats in and around them. But these Owls require night birding and a high powered torch to take some shots.
We went to a place far outside the city to see a pair nesting. While one lazily sat on the dead tree top and distracted us, this one quietly delivered several small rats to its chicks who I think could be around 10-15 days old. We couldn't see the chicks since they were deep inside a tree covered with creepers. The parent collected 3 different rats simultaneously - fed the young ones -then took off to get some rest per my knowledgeable friend who was with us. Apparently, the nest has become too small as the chicks were ready to fledge and the adults didn't have enough space to fit into the tree trunk.
Thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.
requires mindfulness :-)
Simhananda
HPPT! Justice Matters! No one is above the law!
cercis, chinese redbud, 'Kay's Early Hope', j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina
A lady harvesting morning glory ผักบุ้ง (pàk-bûng). What is not evident is that she is standing almost waist deep in water.
Wikipedia: Ipomoea aquatica or water spinach, is a semi-aquatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable for its tender shoots. I. aquatica is generally believed to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia. It is widely cultivated in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and South Asia. It grows abundantly near waterways and requires little to no care.
Ipomoea aquatica is most widely known as kangkong (also spelled kangkung), which originates from its common name in Southeast Asia. It is also known as water spinach, river spinach, water morning glory, water convolvulus, or by the more ambiguous names Chinese spinach, Chinese watercress, Chinese convolvulus or swamp cabbage.
Ipomoea aquatica is most commonly grown in east, south, and southeast Asia. It flourishes naturally in waterways, and requires little if any care. It is used extensively in Indonesian, Burmese, Thai, Lao, Cambodian, Malay, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Chinese cuisine, especially in rural or kampung (village) areas.
Miami Beach 20 minutes after sunrise. Only a few people on the beach: On the phone, practising yoga, jogging or shooting photos. So: No lifeguard required!
Just looking back over some old shots I came across this from 7 years ago. Some of my followers may remember that I've issued this previously but I still find it astonishing that a bird can even attempt to swallow something so large. In the end the cormorant gave up trying and the bream eventually recovered and swam off to tell its pals about its near death experience.
Thanks to all who have visited, commented or faved (it would be nice if you left a comment too) my photos. It is very much appreciated. Constructive criticism welcomed.