Category: on closer examination

a second look, nature, on closer examination, perseverance, photography, sky, sunset, the big picture

The sunsets keep coming…

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This one is from a few nights ago at Cypress Point Park.  The plan was to take photos of planes coming in and landing with the sunset colors behind them.  What a photo op that would have been.  But the winds caused a change of runways at the airport, and even then I came away with 676 photos to go through.  So here are a few of the sunset, just a little late.  Let me just say that I got distracted by two boys tossing a football back and forth.  I was hoping to capture the action of throwing the ball.  Then when I reviewed the photos I was very excited thinking since it looked like a bird had thrown my shots.  They were potentially nice shots, this was the only one that I could have cropped to not show the football.  I left the boy in this shot just to remind myself to keep my mind on what I’m doing.4-14-19cypressparksunsetfeature

But there were lots more sunset shots, ones without footballs…4-14-19cypressparksunset54-14-19cypressparksunset44-14-19cypressparksunset34-14-19cypressparksunset24-14-19cypressparksunset1And I couldn’t help but watch another photographer in action.  I wouldn’t enjoy doing portrait photography.  If I’m taking pictures that turn out to be disappointing then I’d prefer that the only one annoyed at me is ME!4-14-19cypresspartwogirls24-14-19cypresspartwogirls

a second look, nature, on closer examination, perseverance, photography, sky, sunset, unintended images

Crepuscular rays…

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Going out for the sunset wasn’t on my to do list for today.  But when I glanced out back and saw the sky I couldn’t resist, and I made it out there at the last possible second.  I thought I’d missed the best of it, but it continued to develop into a nice one.  One that Dave, the photographer I’ve run into a few times, would have liked because of it’s crepuscular rays.     I did get to some of the things on my to-do list for today so that’s good, and the things I didn’t get to will still be waiting for me tomorrow.  Along with another sunset…04-07-19homesunset204-07-19homesunset404-07-19homesunset5

'scene' along the way, a second look, home, home improvements, nature, on closer examination, perseverance, photography, sunrise

Happy St. Paddy’s Day…

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There is nothing Irish about these photos, except that they were taken this morning from a bridge on Rt. 19 in Port Richey, FL.  I still haven’t scouted for new and different spots to shoot the sunrise and/or sunset from my new and different home base.  I’m too busy having brainstorm after brainstorm concerning decorating my new home.  And each new idea seems to require turning the entire house upside down to accomplish them.  That’s not new for me, my kids can attest to that, but once I’m ‘done’ that’ll be it.  It’s the getting there… 03-13-17stpaddy'ssunrise403-13-17stpaddy'ssunrise303-13-17stpaddy'ssunrise203-13-17stpaddy'ssunrise

'scene' along the way, a second look, home, on closer examination, perseverance, photography, sky, sunset

The Ides of March…

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After a nice dinner with a friend on Wednesday I realized that I had some choices of places to stop for the sunset on the way home.  But if I headed straight to the pond at home I would be exactly on time, and I’d also be at home.  I opted for home, even though there is only one view available, but it is the sunset that is the star of the show after all. And I don’t know that it’s ever taken me a day and a half to look at my pictures, but my heart hadn’t been in it and I didn’t expect much from them.  I was right, but not completely. 03-15-19sunset1

finding my way, friends, fun, life goes on, on closer examination, perseverance, photography, technology, unintended images

Ghostly images…

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Several years ago a neighbor happened to make a Facebook post about a photography class, Photographing Birds, that was being offered at a wildlife preserve nearby.  I was off that day, and the class started at 10 AM so I had plenty of time to get there, so in that way the timing was good, but the timing was also good for me personally.  After three years of being a bit of a hermit after Charley died I guess I had realized that life was going to go on after all, and as a long-term strategy being a hermit probably wasn’t the best idea I’d ever had.  I believe that it was just the four of us at that class, plus the teacher, and we have stuck together ever since.  Is it photography that stuck us together?  Because we could not be coming to this hobby/obsession from more different personal angles, but yet here we are.  So while I was away my friends had discovered a photography group that is based a lot closer than our St. Pete group, which we still love and participate in, but easy access is easy access.  So I tagged along to a class last night and enjoyed it a lot.  The leader, Carolyn, is a forensic photographer, so as she was explaining the settings on the camera, etc., the frame of reference she would use as examples might be to include everything you were seeing in the scene you were photographing, such as the body, the murder weapon, the blood spatter, etc. and the settings you need to accomplish that.  A very different point of view to say the least.

I don’t think that this particular technique was related to her work per se, just a fun exercise in what your camera can do.  To use a gauzy flowing drape is an obvious choice of prop for these pictures, and those were the pictures I was liking as I looked at the images in the camera.  Then I got home and was tired, and I didn’t like the images at all.  But this morning, with a cup of coffee, I liked them more.  And really liked the images without the flowing robe also.  03-12-ghostlybetty03-12-ghostlycarolyn03-12-ghostlycarolyn2  Now to think of a way to use the technique.  Someone suggested shooting in a graveyard and having a ghost rising out of a grave.  Now that has potential…

'scene' along the way, a second look, egrets, Florida wildlife, life goes on, nature, nesting, on closer examination, perseverance, photography

Life on egg shells…

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Day-to-day life in my new neighborhood is actually quite convenient.  I’m saying this with one full day here under my belt.  But everything from movies, to car washes, grocery stores, and even our little mall, is right here.  Even Michael’s and JoAnn’s!  And as I’m running errands I’m aware that the little rookery is also right there.  Why wouldn’t I stop?  My cameras are usually with me, along with my tripods (3), and yesterday I bought a three-step step stool specifically for the nice wide steps and the over-all sturdy appearance of the thing.  It will live in the car also, because a short girl never knows when she’ll need a boost.  Or to see over a fence and photograph whatever is on the other side.  Besides, until and unless I tackle the shed there won’t be any other place to put it.  So it was off to the rookery, and I was a little disappointed that there didn’t seem to be much happening.  It looked like siesta time.  And then I spotted chicks in a great white egret nest.  And some in a wood stork nest too.  I know there were more chicks because I could hear them calling for food.  But the decibel level wasn’t what it will be soon, because I realized that all those birds were sitting on eggs.  Not so much nest building going on, just egg-sitting.  02-28-2019egret402-28-2019egret502-28-2019greategret+102-28-2019woodstork102-28-2019woodstork302-28-2019woodstorkbaby It wasn’t all just nativity scenes though.  These two great white egrets seemed to be under attack by this out of place looking anhinga.  It looked as if there was a question of who was going to nest where.  They hadn’t resolved the issue when I left.02-28-2019fighting02-28-2019fighting2