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© Andy Brandl (2015) // PhotonMix Photography
Don´t redistribute - don´t use on webpages, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.
**View on Black**
I took this a few weeks back in this great little hidden spot my buddy Matt showed a small group of us. We were lucky to have a pretty awesome sunset which was predicted by Jeff Lewis and Escaype. Some new shooting and editing techniques went into this shot and I would like to thank David Thompson for helping me dial this one in. His critique and suggestions are always friendly and spot on. Plus his work is amazing!!
Hope you all enjoy!
My thoughts are with all the people of Fort McMurray, Alberta, who are being devastated by a massive wildfire at the moment. Everyone in the city is fleeing, leaving everything behind.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-fire-social...
Two days ago, on 2 May 2016, I was incredibly fortunate to be able to witness about 30 (?) of these Grouse, mainly male with just a handful of females, displaying at their "lek" or communal dancing ground. On this particular day, five of us went to see this. There had been a couple of possible chances for me to get out there, but these had fallen through. Then, out of the blue, friend Dorothy phoned me a few days ago, asking if I had been able to get to the lek yet. She said that if I hadn't been, that her husband Stephen would be willing to drive me there! This was such a wonderful surprise, though anyone who really knows this couple already knows what amazingly kind and generous people they are. I was so happy to get this unexpected chance and the three of us had a great morning, in good weather and in good company. Two young men also went, making their own way there. Delightful guys, highly respectful of not only the Grouse, but also of us, constantly moving form their seats to allow us to get our turn, and vice versa - there are only three tiny windows from which to shoot. They could so easily have left the 'hide/blind ahead of us when the Grouse had all left, but instead they waited till we were all packed up and then made sure that we were all able to safely get over the very awkward stile at the fence line. Having been out there last year, on 13 April 2015, I knew of this problem and had bought a three-step step ladder a few weeks ago, just in case I was able to go sometime this spring. This made so much difference, thank goodness, especially as I was really tired after staying up all night in order to leave at a very unearthly hour of the morning.
So glad we had a nice, sunny day - the day I went a year ago, the weather was overcast and not good for photos. This year, I got to see the Grouse in beautiful sunrise light, too. Of course, the 'problem' of clumps of tall grass was exactly the same this year, lol, keeping the birds somewhat hidden, but every once in a while, a bird would come out into the open. Most of the time, they were quite distant, but we were very lucky that several did give us a closer view. This photo was taken fully zoomed - Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm - so it's better to see it at this size and not the larger size. Such magnificent birds, with their yellow 'eyebrows', purple patch (which is revealed when the males are dancing) below the side of the neck on the males, and glorious feather pattern. Their dance display to attract the females is so fascinating to watch.
Just after we got back to our cars, another car came along the road and stopped to talk with us. It turned out that this gentleman was indirectly connected to the lek. He voiced his huge concern at how many people had been out there this spring, feeling that this was not good for the Grouse. He said that hopefully no more people would be going, so that the Grouse would be undisturbed in their mating. We agreed with him and thought that maybe people should not be allowed to visit every year, but perhaps every two or three years. I will pass on his words and great concern to our Naturalist leader who organizes these visits.
After we left the lek, we travelled a few nearby backroads, hoping to see a Western Meadowlark. We saw 10! It had been so funny, while we sat in the blind at the lek, a Meadowlark was somewhere nearby and sang for us for about four hours! When we at last emerged into the sunlight, there was no sign of it anywhere. We did manage to get a few distant shots of two or three of them.
Thank you so much, Stephen and Dorothy, for offering to take me - so very kind and thoughtful of you, as always! The stop for having our sandwiches was great and the muffins you brought along with you ended the morning very nicely.
If you have time, the following 2:30 minute YouTube video by the Alberta Conservation Association is very good for showing the action of these birds. There are several still shots first and then the video starts. Pretty amazing! The birds remind me of a child's wind-up toy : )
I came across an excellent brochure (pdf file) about Sharp-tailed Grouse on the Internet and will use some of the information from it, instead of using my own words to describe what goes on at a lek. I had seen females of this species before, on Christmas Bird Counts, but not a male and not at breeding time.
www.ab-conservation.com/downloads/educational_materials/b...
"Sharp-tailed grouse perform spring courtship displays on communal “dancing grounds” called leks. Here, males compete for breeding opportunities by displaying their "dancing” ability to females. Most activity on the lek occurs in the early morning just before sunrise and for a few hours afterwards. The males’ energetic display includes fluttering wings, rapid foot stomping and spinning in tight circles - reminiscent of wind-up toys. The most dominant males court females with low cooing sounds and by strutting around them with inflated air sacs on their neck and fanned tail feathers. It is nearly a winner-take-all form of competition, as only a few of the males are selected as mates by the females.
Leks are found in areas with dry open ground, where dancing activity keeps the vegetation well-trampled. Leks are used over several weeks beginning in late March and are often used for years, even decades. They are an important part of sharp-tailed grouse life, and the loss of suitable lek habitat can be a limiting factor for sharp-tailed grouse in Alberta.
Male sharp-tailed grouse gather on the lek in late March. In April the females arrive, sparking increased displaying by the males. Peak attendance by females on the lek occurs between mid to late April in much of Alberta. Once they have selected a male, hens breed once and then seek out a place to nest, usually in late April to early May.
Leks are an integral part of the lifecycle of prairie grouse. Active leks should never be approached, as any disturbance to the birds may disrupt breeding activities and result in the abandonment of the lek. The locations of active and historical leks are of great interest to grouse biologists.
Native North Americans called the sharp-tailed grouse “Fire Bird” because of their reliance on fires to keep their habitat open in wooded areas. Suppression of natural fire in parkland and boreal areas reduces the amount of open grassland available to sharp-tailed grouse.
Sharp-tailed grouse were an important food source for native North Americans and they continue to be a popular game bird for hunters today.
In Alberta, the sharp-tailed grouse is listed as “Sensitive.”
While exact population numbers are not known, there is a feeling that sharp-tailed grouse have decreased significantly in numbers over the past 40 years. This trend is supported by lek counts, hunter surveys, aerial counts and Breeding Bird Survey data. Declining numbers are the result of a reduction in the quality and quantity of sharp-tailed grouse habitat, particularly the loss of quality nesting and brood-rearing habitat." From www.ab-conservation.com.
www.ab-conservation.com/downloads/report_series/Use-Habit...
Poznan, Poland
Crossing Podgórna
Couldn't resit this as I hurried along the way...I really enjoy this view point, especially in the morning. Last shot of this beautiful morning before heading to work....lovely start to the day!
Join me on Erik Witsoe Photography
and Behance
A start lever in an abandoned brickworks near Ewhurst, Surrey.
There is very little left of the brickworks, although most of the brick kilns are still intact. Nearly every wall has been covered in grafitti, some of it very good.
1st Lt. Meaghan Cosand, C-5B Galaxy pilot with the 312th Airlift Squadron, starts engines in preparation for takeoff from Kadena Air Base, Japan, Aug. 15, 2014. She was flying a mobility channel mission, moving high-priority cargo and passengers among air bases in the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lt. Col. Robert Couse-Baker)
We can see the beautiful cherry blossoms in the part of downtown Vancouver.
Cherry blossoms are in full bloom for a very short period of time.
But we don't have to worry to miss them because they have only buds in the most of other area.
We may have lots of chances to see Cherry blossoms for a while.
It's hard to miss.
At Hermosa, the Durango & Silverton begins its climb to gain elevation, twisting and turning along the hillsides on its way to Silverton.
title.
LINE STARTS HERE .
:)
Manhattan . New york city 2017. shot … 3 / 6
Day of departure from Japan, August 16, 2017.
The day I came back to Japan, 21 August
(4 nights 6 days.)
(Today's picture. That's unannounced.)
( ( Lumix G3 shot ) )
image.
You're My Everything … Freddie Hubbard
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Profile.
In November 2014, we caught the attention of the party selected to undertake the publicity for a mobile phone that changed the face of the world with just a single model, and will conclude a confidentiality agreement with them.
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2018/03/tokyo-big-s...
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iBooks. Electronic Publishing. It is free now.
0.about the iBooks.
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2017/03/about-digit...
1.unforgettable '(ENG.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216576828?ls=1&...
2.unforgettable '(JNP.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216584262?ls=1&...
3. Streamlined trajectory.(For Japanese only.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/%E6%B5%81%E7%B7%9A%E5%BD%A2%E3%8... =11
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instagram.
www.instagram.com/mitsushiro_nakagawa/
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Pinterest.
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fotolog
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twitter.
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Japanese is the following.
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flickr . ( XL size )
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www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/
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My Novel >> Unforgettable'
(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
Mitsushiro Nakagawa
All Translated by Yumi Ikeda .
images.
U2 - No Line On The Horizon Live in Dublin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related
There are two reasons why a person faces the sea.
One, to enjoy a slice of shine in the sea like children bubbling over in the beach.
The other, to brush the dust of memory like an old man who misses old days, staring at the shine
quietly.
Those lead to only one meaning though they do not seem to overlap. It’s a rebirth.
I face myself to change tomorrow, a vague day into something certain.
That is the meaning of a rebirth.
I had a very sweet girlfriend when I was 18.
After she left, I knew the meaning of gentleness for the first time and also a true pain of loss. After
she left, how many times did I depend too much on her, doubt her, envy her and keep on telling lies
until I realized it is love?
I wonder whether a nobody like me could have given something to her who was struggling in the
daily life in those days. Giving something is arrogant conceit. It is nothing but self-satisfaction.
I had been thinking about such a thing.
However, I guess what she saw in me was because I had nothing. That‘s why she tried to see
something in me. Perhaps she found a slight possibility in me, a guy filled with ambiguous, unstable
tomorrow. But I wasted days depending too much on her gentleness.
Now I finally can convey how I felt in those days when we met.
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Fin.
images.
U2 - No Line On The Horizon
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related
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Title of my book > unforgettable'
Author : Mitsushiro Nakagawa
Out Now.
ISBN978-4-86264-866-2
in Amazon.
www.amazon.co.jp/Unforgettable’-Mitsushiro-Nakagawa/dp/...
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Schedule of the next novel.
Still would stand all time.(unforgettable'2)
2018. Spring. It's expected to open it. That's Japanese.
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An exhibition in 2019.
spring.
theme.
Silence Is the Way. (Tentative title)
place. Tokyo Big Site.
Sponsoring. Design festa.
2020.
Date unknown.
DIC Kawamura Memorial Art Museum attached gallery.
place. Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture.
theme.
From that day, forever ...
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instagram.
www.instagram.com/mitsushiro_nakagawa/
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Pinterest.
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fotolog
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twitter.
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Japanese is the following.
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WT333 bursts into life at Bruntingthorpe.
The starting process is by a cordite charge. Just awesome to watch!
Dull start to the morning but sun came out later & not as windy as forecast.
This Egyptian Goose came down to the pool & nudged off the roosting Mallards. I think he is trying to claim the pool as his own & appear to be looking for a partner. Sprucing himself up a bit in the video
Soundtrack // Bande-son: THE PALE FOUNTAINS ("You'll Start A War"): www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuVHhlTEPXA
"It's the same old story... How you're gonna change the world... (...) You're really gonna START A WAR... You're really gonna start a war..."
"Superbe trompe l’œil, discerner le vrai du faux est ici particulièrement difficile..Joli travail Regisa.!!!" // "Magnificent trompe-l'oeil illusion. So hard to recognize the true from the false." (Georges LISSILOUR / www.flickr.com/photos/geolis06/ )
"Un décor de cinéma bien réalisé ....de quoi tromper l'œil !" // A well-done movie set... something to fool the eye." (FLORENCE.V / www.flickr.com/photos/flo59/)
"Impressionant, ça a l'ait tellement réel." // "Impressing. That looks so real." (PIERRE à VANCOUVER / www.flickr.com/photos/sofarsocute/ )
I was arriving to the end of this tour and I remember that feeling, when you realize what you can do, what you've got to do.
In fact I never opened my eyes that much on me, it made me feel sad and disoriented at first, but now I know.
This shot was taken in front of the Brienz lake, one of the both lakes that surround Interlaken with the Thun lake.
Have a great day folks!
(EXPLORED)
New year , new destination and new project... I hope I can finish it this time! It shouldn't be so hard after trying the 365.
Not too happy with this start though. I'll try to make it better in the future ;)
Starting my new journey from today . A restless journey .
Follow me on Instagram : apypuddyn
or
my Facebook : www.facebook.com/afifuddin.alwi
After turning on the Master Key and putting it into neutral, the driver of 43002 ‘Sir Kenneth Grange’ presses the engine start button to breathe life into the MTU engine.
I grew up being taught that only American cars were cool and that Japanese and European stuff was lame. As I grow up I am slowly starting to realize that is a really sad way to go about cars...and life. This Suby is dope and I like that I can appreciate it now.
A small portion of the herd that I spotted on my arrival. The Buck standing at the front is the same one that encountered later on the hilltop on the other side of the property.
Going on a roadtrip in a few weeks and bought a new tripod for the hikes. It's very compact and only weighs in at 1100grams - feels like a toy but it's sturdy as.
It's a ball head with clamp lock legs .. I've been using twist lock legs and a pan n tilt bowl head for a decade or so now .. can literally use it blind in the pitch black - this new one ... not so much.
Practice makes perfect as they say and the 'numbers' for a half decent sunrise were ok on Saturday morning .. headed down to the Shallows (literally 5 mins from home) and got some frames in.
Shooting with the Olympus I rarely use a tripod now, high ISO performance, great stability and fame rate make it superfluos mostly...
Having to concentrate on the tripod proved to be quite disctracting (shouldn't be surprised I suppose) and I did manage a couple of compositions with it without too much cursing 😉
It'll be ok with more practice and on those day trips to Sydney etc its going to come into it's own ..
Alrighty then enough BS from me .. as stated a few frames from a sunrise at the 'Shallows' Bass Point, Shellharbour.
Oympus OM-1 w M.Zuiko 7-14/2.8 Pro
ISO1600 f/8 7mm 0ev x 5 frames
Raw developed in DxO PhotoLab 9. stitched and blended in Affinity Photo 2.6.4, colour graded in Nik 8 Color Efex and finished off back in PhotoLab.