Saturday, January 31, 2015

1/31/15

Well January is going out in a very dreary way but at least we are getting some moisture out of it even if it isn't amounting to a whole lot.  It's nice that it's coming in rain instead of snow for now too.  With all the dreariness outside I like to brighten it up inside so I buy flowers to do that.  Last night I bought a bunch of Tulips and decided to play around with photographing them and this is the result of one of those shots.   I shot these in front of a light table and used a flash on the camera so they were lit from both sides.  I then added a glow to the whole image and this is the result.


Friday, January 30, 2015

1/30/15

Well January is going to go out like actual winter.  it's cold and dreary today and rain and maybe even snow on the way for tomorrow.  Knew the nicer weather couldn't last.  So I am dreaming of summer once again and sharing this image of Sunflowers in a field to help think warm thoughts.


Thursday, January 29, 2015

1/29/15

We are on our way back to winter now.  Temps will keep dropping after our weird high of 70F.  That was nice but probably not the best thing.  Anyway, thinking back to summer and flowers and bees.  I captured this bee that was very busy in this Hollyhock flower.  I loved how covered in pollen that it was but still busy gathering more.


Wednesday, January 28, 2015

1/28/15

It is unseasonably warm today.  High of 70 and then tomorrow it all drops out and there is supposed to be a high in the 40s and next week is even worse.  I just hope that everything that is starting to come up because of this warm weather does not get damaged too much when it turns back cold again.
This is an image I took last Fall on Konza Prairie of the wildflower called Ironweed with a Question mark butterfly bonus.


Tuesday, January 27, 2015

1/27/15

I took this image over the Christmas break when I was in Missouri.  My in-laws have these Yew bushes and one morning they were covered in sugary looking frost.  I loved the bokeh behind in this image and that's why I am sharing this particular image.  Bokeh  is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens. Bokeh has been defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light".


Monday, January 26, 2015

1/26/15

I had posted a photo a couple of weeks ago of a Tufted Titmouse with a peanut in it's beak.  This photo shows that they actually do eat them.  I had originally bought the peanuts with the thought of feeding blue-jays but so far it's these Titmice that are getting the most of them.  It's cute to watch them breaking the shell open to get at the peanut.  It's fun to watch them come get them too.  The peanut is so big in comparison, a lot of the time they drop them as they try to fly off with it and then have to go pick it up again.



Sunday, January 25, 2015

1/25/15

This is an image I got one very foggy morning in Rollag, Minnesota.  During the shift before mine they were watering up ex Soo line locomotive 353.  All the fog gave quite the moody look.  I was just heading back to our camper to get ready for my shift as a fireman when I saw it looming out of the fog like this and had to get a shot.  Rollag has a lot of rain but the fog was different.



Saturday, January 24, 2015

1/24/15

This is a view of  Kansas City that I got one morning a few weeks ago as we were headed in from the north to visit the art museum and do some shopping.  I liked the color the sky had that morning due to the cloud cover and I liked that I captured some birds in the sky as well.  I was not driving while this photo was taken, in fact, I was in the back seat.  :-)


Friday, January 23, 2015

1/23/15

I bought some flowers to brighten up the house.  This past weekend i decided to play with lighting on them and this is a result of one of the images.  It gave it a high key kind of effect that I liked.  I lit the flowers from behind as well as from in front to get the look.


Thursday, January 22, 2015

1/22/15

It was a bit colder today so thinking about summer days again.  I took this photo this past summer in the Butterfly Pavilion just outside Denver, Colorado.  These are Common Lacewings.


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

1/21/15

So today I am wishing it was summer.  Anything but this dreary blandness.  This is a Dragonfly that I was able to photograph in Minnesota at Tamarack Wildlife refuge this past summer.  When I was at the refuge there were so many swarms of dragonflies, I had never seen so many at one time.  I had lots of chances for photos.  This is one I liked due to it's golden color and clear wings.  I had never seen one like this in Kansas.


Tuesday, January 20, 2015

1/20/15

We are experiencing some warmer days lately which is nice.  We have even been in the 50s which like Spring.  However it's really winter and drab and brown.  Waiting for days like this when the trees are in bloom again.  I am hoping they don't start to bud out now only to be damaged when it goes back to normal weather.  This is a Cherry tree in bloom.


Monday, January 19, 2015

1/19/15

I finally got a decent image of a Cedar Waxwing.  I was surprised to see these birds yesterday as I don't have them around very often.  Several of them and a bunch of Robins were drinking from the birdbath.  Usually they all visit the pond in the backyard but my pump stopped working when it got so cold out and the water is frozen over so they all made use of the birdbath.  I caught this Waxwing while it was resting on the railing in-between trips to the bath for a drink.  I love their faces with the mask.



Sunday, January 18, 2015

1/18/15

This is an image that reminds me of summer with the lush green and the plus of a steam train!  :-)  This was taken in West Virginia at the Cass mountain & Scenic Railway.  We were being pushed by a Shay type locomotive through the woods and up the mountain.  A beautiful and fun ride and I highly recommend it. 



Saturday, January 17, 2015

1/17/18

Late today posting.  I've been gone all day.  Thinking of summer with this Praying Mantis juvenile that I captured on a wild Sunflower. Cute little alien looking bug when they are young.  :-)


Friday, January 16, 2015

1/16/15

When it is very cold out in the morning, under 20 F at most, our front storm door gets these lovely frost formations on it.  I have been able to get several photos of frost patterns this winter, it's the only good thing about it being that cold.  I converted this one to B&W and i loved how the frost looked like ferns.  Remember you can always view large to see more detail, just click on the image.


Thursday, January 15, 2015

1/15/15

Today we have warmed up so I can look at cold images.  :-)  This one i even have a name for, Sugary Leaf.  This Holly leaf was covered in frost one morning in December and looked so much like it was covered in sugar.


Wednesday, January 14, 2015

1/14/15

We are finally warmer today and will even get into the 50s by the weekend!  Yay!  So thinking of warmer times with this image of some wild Asters that were growing in a field near where I live.  They are usually purple but were very pale and look almost white when I took this shot.


Tuesday, January 13, 2015

1/13/15

It's very cold today though it is supposed to warm up starting tomorrow I think.  Today it's just cold and dreary and grey.  Thinking of spring Days with flowers and bugs.  :-)  This is a neat Black Moth that was on the Lilacs at one time.  I never have figured out what it is so if you have an ID, that would be great.


Monday, January 12, 2015

1/12/15

This is a macro of an Iris from my garden that I did a while back.  I put it on a black background and really liked how it turned out.  I had converted it to B&W and liked how that turned out as well and I shared it on Google + if you care to take a look.  The link is over on the right side of the Blog.


Sunday, January 11, 2015

1/11/15

Those of you who follow my Blog regularly probably notice the trend of a steam train of some sort on Sundays.  This is due to the Steamy Sunday theme I help co-curate over on Google Plus.  Today though I have something I thought fit in perfectly but was very different.  One morning in late December while I was visiting the in-laws it was bitterly cold out and caused the heated birdbath to steam.  This Blue-jay was nice enough to pose on it after getting a drink so just had to share it.





Saturday, January 10, 2015

1/10/15

While I was visiting my in-laws over the Christmas break there was one morning when there was actually some color in the sky as the sun rose.  I am a bit envious that they get views like this and even more colorful quite often and get to see it out their kitchen doors.  :-)  I have to travel for a view like this.


Friday, January 9, 2015

1/9/15

I've had about enough of winter and we are barely even into it.  This image reminds me of warmer and peaceful days.  This is a view of the horse power area of the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion grounds.  This area does not have steam but showcases how horses were utilized during the same time period.  It was looking rather lovely on this particular day.


Thursday, January 8, 2015

1/8/15

We are having a heat wave today, it's 34 out according to NOAA.  Yay!  Tomorrow we drop again.  In the mean time I am remembering summer with this Gerber Daisy image with a Metallic Bee and a fly visiting.  I liked the shadows they created.


Wednesday, January 7, 2015

1/7/15

Well winter is back in full force today.  We even got a day off due to the bitterly cold temps so yay.  I took this image a couple of weeks ago and thought it was appropriate for today.  This is an image of frost on a wood railing.  I converted it to B&W to bring out a bit more detail.  While I do not know the techniques of focus stacking with multiple images to make a highly detailed image I was happy with the amount of detail I was able to get.  Amazing what frost looks like when you view it up close.


Tuesday, January 6, 2015

1/6/15

I took this photo at Christmas time at my in-laws home.  They had some lovely dried grass along a part of their yard.  I loved the wispyness of this particular type.  


Monday, January 5, 2015

1/5/15

I finally got a decent photo of a Tufted titmouse.  As you can see I had to bribe it to get a shot though.  I put peanuts out for the Blue-jays but lately it is the Titmice that have been enjoying them.  Looks big for it but they sit in the tree and break them open and enjoy them and I like them so it's all good.  :-) 



1/4/15

Have to start off the New Year of train photos with an image from my favorite tourist railroad, the Cumbres & Toltec that runs from Colorado to New Mexico.  This was our train waiting to depart from Antonito, Colorado this past June when we went on a special Geology excursion that was a lot of fun.



Saturday, January 3, 2015

1/3/15

So possible sleet and snow on the way today.  Ick.  This is an image from this past October on a drive home one evening where I captured a sunset over the pasture lands not far from where I live.  I liked how the sun's rays were captured.


Friday, January 2, 2015

1/2/15

Well, we are heading into the very blah part of winter here after the holiday decorations are taken down and it's just brown outside.  This is the part of winter I dislike the most, just dreary.  I have to come up with other ways to brighten the house.  At the office I have these Geraniums that I took this image of just a few weeks ago so at least there I have some color.


Thursday, January 1, 2015

1/1/15

Happy New Year!  We are starting it off with cold but sun so a step in the right direction.  Hope 2015 is a great New Year for you all and thanks so much for visiting my Blog!  Hope to share photos you all will enjoy in this new year as well.  Thanks!