ⓒRebecca Bugge, All Rights Reserved

Do not use without permission.

But I am sure that spring will come this year too.

as title says, i am still with inani...:)

i feel like posting all the pictures from there.haha

thank you for viewing/commenting/faving it.

At yet another birthday party with the kids this past weekend, at Quassy amusement park located on Lake Quassapaug. The kiddie park area, where I inevitably spend most of my time, is separated from the water by only a fence. So of course, with the sun setting, my attention is being torn by this lovely sunset glittering on the water...and like usual, I feel like I'm the only one noticing the beauty.

I took some shots, but this time for kicks, I tried a few shots in sunset mode, which is something I very rarely use because I don't like the result. It seems to take away the colors and adds an almost sepia tone...maybe because it's an older camera, I don't know. But I actually like the result here, giving everything an amber glow...reminding me of tiger-eye contrasting with the dark areas.

Have a wonderful day, my friends :-)

Switzerland, May 2021

My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...

My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI

You find a selection of my 80 BEST PHOTOS (mostly not yet on Flickr) here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/western-green-lizard-lacerta-bi... (the website exists in ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH)

ABOUT THE PHOTO:

So this photo is a bit of a novelty for me - at least here on Flickr, but it's also a journey back in time in a sense. I've always loved b/w and sepia photography; already as a very young teenager I would go out into the woods with an old Pentax Spotmatic (which I had nicked from my father) whenever it was a foggy day to shoot b/w compositions of sunbeams cutting through the ghostlike trees.

I used films with a sensitivity of at least 1600 (for those of you who remember what that means 😉 ), and the resulting photos had an incredibly fine grain which I loved; I blew them up to the size of posters and hung them on the walls of my teenage man-cave next to Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Slash.

But then I abandoned photography altogether for 20 years, and when I finally picked up a camera again, it was one of the digital kind. Now neither film nor grain played any role in my photographic endeavours - let alone b/w compositions: because the reason I fell in love with shooting pictures once more was the rare and incredibly colorful lizard species that had chosen my garden as its habitat.

It's this species - the Lacerta bilineata aka the western green lizard - that my photo website www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ and also my Flickr gallery are dedicated to, but I've since expanded that theme a bit so that it now comprises the whole Lacerta bilineata habitat, which is to say my garden and its immediate surroundings and all the flora and fauna I find in it.

I like that my gallery and the website have this clear theme, because in order to rise to the challenge of portraying all aspects of a very specific little eco system (which also happens to be my home of sorts), it forces me to constantly explore it from fresh angles, and I keep discovering fascinating new motives as my photographic journey continues.

Which brings me to the horse pasture you see in this photo. This playground for happy horsies lies just outside my garden, and it normally only interests me insofar as my green reptile friends claim parts of it as their territory, and I very much prefer it to be horseless (which it thankfully often is).

Not that the horses bother the reptiles - the lizards don't mind them one bit, and I've even seen them jump from the safety of the fly honeysuckle shrub which the pasture borders on right between the deadly looking hooves of the horses to forage for snails, without any sign of fear or even respect.

No, the reason I have a very conflicted relationship with those horses is that they are mighty cute and that there's usually also foals. The sight of those beautiful, happy animals jumping around and frolicking (it's a huge pasture and you can tell the horses really love it) is irresistible: and that inevitably attracts what in the entire universe is known as the most destructive anti-matter and ultimate undoing of any nature photographer: other humans.

Unlike with the horses, the lizards ARE indeed very much bothered by specimens of loud, unpredictable Homo sapiens sapiens - which makes those (and by extension also the horses) the cryptonite of this here reptile photographer. It's not the horses' fault, I know that, but that doesn't change a thing. I'm just telling you how it is (and some of you might have read about the traumatic events I had to endure to get a particular photo - if not, read at your own risk here: www.flickr.com/photos/191055893@N07/51405389883/in/datepo... - which clearly demonstrated that even when it's entirely horseless, that pasture is still a threat for artistic endeavours).

But back to the photo. So one morning during my vacation back in May I got up quite early. It had rained all night, and now the fog was creeping up from the valley below to our village just as the sky cleared up and the morning sun started to shine through the trees.

And just as I did when I was a teenager I grabbed my camera and ran out to photograph this beautiful mood of ghostlike trees and sunbeams cutting through the mist. There had already been such a day a week earlier (which is when I took this photo: www.flickr.com/photos/191055893@N07/51543603732/in/datepo... ), but this time, the horses were also there.

Because of our slightly strained relationship I only took this one photo of them (I now wish I had taken more: talk about missed opportunities), and otherwise concentrated on the landscape. It was only later when I went through all the photos on my computer that I realized that I actually really liked those horses, even despite the whole composition being such a cliché. And I realized another thing: when I drained the photo of all the color, I liked it even better - because there was almost a bit of grain in it, like in the photos from my youth.

Since then I have experimented quite a bit with b/w and sepia compositions (some of which I will upload here eventually I guess), but this photo here is the first one that helped me rediscover my old passion. I hope you like it even though it builds quite a stark contrast with the rest of my tiny - and very colorful - gallery. But in the spirit of showing you the whole Lacerta bilineata habitat (and also in the spirit of expanding my gallery a bit beyond lizards and insects), I think it's not such a bad fit.

As always, many greetings to all of you, have a wonderful day and don't hesitate to let me know what you think 😊

I learned it till it thumped my head to numbness

Yearning it would let me rest

And then I learned it more, I learned it again

And then, just when I thought I had it done

I found myself mid-mistake, realizing I’d not yet begun

I have seen the lions turn to cubs

I have seen the hunters turn to prey

Our lessons will come again tomorrow

If they’re not learned today

Crater Lake sundown

13 event

{Le'La}

Miyuki Xmas Outfit

Sweater | Skirt | Boots | Earmuffs | Teddy Bear | Garter

Thirsty Event

Snowflakes

: frosty set // . i i c i n g .

Pose:

Roseraie- #9 Liefde Pose

His head:

BeSpoke

- Rodent Carla

Decor

:FNY: Designs

:FNY: Vines on Cracks - Set Winter/Green

all info in the blog

blog

Sometimes bygone springs, full of warmth and scents, blossom yet again inside us. And we carry them through the winter, protecting them with our chests. Then, one day, those bygone springs begin protecting our chests from the frost when we find ourselves on the other side of the window, where winter is not just a picture. It is now the ninth winter that I have had such a spring inside me, and it is still keeping me warm. Imagine, in this winter, two such springs touching like the scents of two meadows. That is what we need instead of overcoats. . .

Milorad Pavić

🎼 Que Je T'aime - Johnny Halliday

youtu.be/_lmrVrCT7tQ

RKO_9055. So little and yet so beautiful! Early morning capture!

Copyright: Robert Kok. All rights reserved! Watermark protected!

More of my work and activities can be seen on my website: robertkokphotography.com

Please do not use my photos on websites, blogs or in any other media without my explicit permission.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and faving my photos. Its very much appreciated!

This is my leather ‘belt for life’. Pretty sure I bought it from either Rhodes or Crete around 30 years ago and I’ve barely worn another since. At macro level it looks like it’s ready for the bin but as the title suggests it’s got a few more years in it yet!

HMM

These trees aren't budding yet but it won't be long. I did the processing with Topaz Studio. I don't really have the hang of it yet. There's a lot to learn and I now have limited time to play. The new Studio works really well with Lightroom. I like that because I like Lightroom better than Photoshop. Probably because I was trained on Lightroom. I have today and tomorrow off, so I'm hoping the weather is pretty

Nah, not yet.

It's the edge of a pocket on a pair of my old blue jeans. I wouldn't wear them in public, but they're comfy, and they're still fine for wearing around the house. That way, I don't wear out my good jeans any faster than I have to; blue jeans don't last as long as they used to. The stitching is usually fine, as you see here, but the fabric develops holes...

Macro Mondays: "Stitch" theme

HMM

Another Friendship Valley Music Festival in the books. Few places or moments encapsulate the word Friendship any where on the grid. It's been a crazy last year and half and yet through the ups and downs we celebrated, laughed and sung together. It's what we do and it's who we are. I think I have a beer left and I raise it to you all. CHEERS till next time!

See Abi's much better version here: www.flickr.com/photos/186631040@N06/51411446311/in/datepo...

Yet it is doubtful whether most people realize how extraordinarily slippery a liar the camera is :-)

James Rufus Agee

HPPT! HBW!

camellia, sarah p duke gardens, duke university, durham, north carolina

Great Blue Heron

This vantage point situated the heron at the head of a lake giving it a clear view of any potential meals.

Yet another Circle B resident.

This fabulous jetty was graced by the presence of wonderful aurora borealis displays making it appear to be floating over green waters. The night was so calm and starry, cold yet not windy, a delight to be outside and to photograph the natural beauty of Troms in Northern Norway.

copyright All rights reserved - Don't use my images on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission

Women in sarees are like snowflakes. Unique yet beautiful in their own way.

Credits . . .

A wild looking area. Yet there is so much splendor in the simplicity of the moment. I find beauty in this grass.

In the tunnel of the Rappbodetalsperre / Germany. A man comes out of the darkness and goes towards the light at the end of the tunnel. His body appears as a silhouette in the light at the end of the tunnel. Abstract street photography in black and white.

You can find the story here:

www.atlasobscura.com/places/heave-awa-hoose-2

"I'd rather be a lover than a fighter, 'cause all my life i've been fighting.

Never felt a feeling of comfort, all this time I've been hiding.

I'm in need of a savior, but i'm not asking for favors, my whole life i've felt like a burden... I think so much and i hate it..

I'm tired of caring..."

Silence

Taken in Green Story

It has been a long time to not see you. Around seven years and you came to my life again. Still want to carry me with you?

You took my life and happiness during the days it supposed to be happy. Now why you're back?

Thanks for rememberme the nightmare of being in the hole.

I can just give you three of my days but not all me...not yet.

The wild garlic is not yet in bloom, but sometimes an acceptable picture results even from a location check

Too good a sky to let away without taking an image or 2.. ..

The Captain wonders if it's time yet for some iron lungs.

Series

Repulse: Putrid Makeup

Reviver: Mikele Makeup

Okiya: Broken Heart Scar

Cruz: Nose Scratch, Bloody Staple Scar

Relentless: Body Hair

RZ: Deadly Cigarette

AviGlam: Royalty Eyes

Volkstone: Bryson Hairbase, Kurt Skin, Pavlo Facial Hair

Legacy Athletic

Lelutka: Jon

Gabriel: Level G Cyber Arm, Level G Vest (available at Cyber Fair)

Poses are my own

© Marie Eve K.A.

Yet...these primitive pictures are of great historic significance...Through them we have a detailed picture of everyday life of a kind never previously available.

Brian Coe

HFF!! Bring Bach Humanity to Our Government! Resist the Despicable Authoritarian Orange Cockroach and his Cabinet of Stooges and Buffoons!!

prunus mume, white japanese flowering apricot, 'Big Joe', j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina

And yet another! They were running like streetcars. Chicago & North Western C40-8s 8524 & 8516, with Union Pacific SD60M-6213, are on the point of E/B Powder River Basin coal loads. US Rt. 18/20 is center left. Today, in 2022, this is Union Pacific's Powder River Sub and is triple tracked.

Yet Another shot of a 'Short-eared Owl'

One more Bokeh Photo with Helios-103. The nature of bokeh changes very much closer to subject we got.

Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.

Sacred Kingfisher

Scientific Name: Todiramphus sanctus

Description: The Sacred Kingfisher is a medium sized kingfisher. It has a turquoise back, turquoise blue rump and tail, buff-white underparts and a broad cream collar. There is a broad black eye stripe extending from bill to nape of neck. Both sexes are similar, although the female is generally lighter with duller upper parts. Young birds are similar to the female, but have varying amounts of rusty-brown edging to feathers on the collar and underparts, and buff edges on the wing coverts.

Distribution: The Sacred Kingfisher is common and familiar throughout the coastal regions of mainland Australia and less common throughout Tasmania. The species is also found on islands from Australasia to Indonesia and New Zealand.

Habitat: The Sacred Kingfisher inhabits woodlands, mangroves and paperbark forests, tall open eucalypt forest and melaleuca forest.

Seasonal movements: In Australia, Sacred Kingfishers spend the winter in the north of their range and return south in the spring to breed.

Feeding: Sacred Kingfishers forage mainly on the land, only occasionally capturing prey in the water. They feed on crustaceans, reptiles, insects and their larvae and, infrequently, fish. The birds perch on low exposed branch on the lookout for prey. Once prey is located, the Sacred Kingfisher swoops down and grasps it in its bill, returning to the perch to eat it.

Breeding: For most of the year Sacred Kingfishers are mainly solitary, pairing only for the breeding season. Usually two clutches are laid in a season. Both sexes excavate the nest, which is normally a burrow in a termite mound, hollow branch or river bank. The nest chamber is unlined and can be up to 20m above the ground. Both sexes also incubate the eggs and care for the young.

Calls: The voice of the Sacred Kingfisher is a loud "ek ek ek ek" repeated continuously throughout breeding season. Birds also give a "kee kee kee" in excitement and a series of chirring, scolding notes when alarmed.

Minimum Size: 19cm

Maximum Size: 24cm

Average size: 21cm

Average weight: 45g

Breeding season: September to December; occasionally extended to March, if conditions are favourable.

Clutch Size: 3 to 6

Incubation: 18 days

Nestling Period: 26 days

(Sources: www.birdsinbackyards.net and "The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds - Second Edition")

__________________________________________

© Chris Burns 2021

All rights reserved.

This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.

Thanks for all the faves and kind comments!

Warsaw, Poland

I'm sure it looks like an animal of some sort - what do you think?

Rosignano, Tuscany - Italy

This photo was taken on our last night in Maui. It is taken at a little park behind Front St. in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. The image perfectly captures my mood... the reality of going home and yet caught up in the surreal beauty of this place. Aloha Maui... Maholo nui loa.

Met another Flickr photographer this evening.

Follow me on:  - Instagram   - 500px   - Twitter

______________________________________

Please NOTE and RESPECT the copyright.

© Bob Cuthill Photography - All rights reserved

This image may not be copied, reproduced, published or distributed in any medium without the expressed written permission of the copyright holder.

BobCuthillPhotography@gmail.com

______________________________________

Does 2020 suck shit? Yeah, but at least we still have some decent stuff running around on CSX. A quartet of EMDs provide the muscle for this evenings Q350 as it rolls up the Toledo Sub, passing the B&O bracket at South Ottawa.

The barred owl, also known as the northern barred owl, striped owl or, more informally, hoot owl, is a North American large species of owl. A member of the true owl family, Strigidae, they belong to the genus Strix, which is also the origin of the family's name under Linnaean taxonomy. Wikipedia

Scientific name: Strix varia

Thanks to everyone that views and comments on my images - very much appreciated.

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. On all my images, Use without permission is illegal. m

The hills are a bit dry. No significant rain in a year. It will snow soon, so the remaining flora will at least have moisture.

Showing the intricate pattern, texture, complex yet subtle colouration and engaging personality of a diminutive adult female Eastern Sign-bearing Froglet (18mm in length) from the margins of a rural dam on the volcanic plains to the north of Melbourne, Australia.