Wednesday, January 31, 2018

1/31/18

It's the last day of the month and Lunar Eclipse day.  I saw it going into total and then total for a short while before the clouds obscured it for the rest of the time.  It was pretty.  Anyway, my image for today is of a pair of Bald Eagles I shot last year.  I need to get out to the lake to see if I can see any this year.  This pair was in a tree just off Highway 77 at one of the coves.


Tuesday, January 30, 2018

1/30/18

The yoyo has gone back up the string today and it's 50-ish.  Just crazy.  What we really need is some good moisture.  Anyway, found this image in the archives while getting some photos ready to back up.  This is a lovely Anemone that I shot a fairly extreme macro of.


Monday, January 29, 2018

1/29/18

So the YoYo is on the end of the string today, very cold out with highs only at 30-ish.  Crazy weather.  I thought this image was appropriate.  I found this in the archives while getting some folders ready to backup that I had missed.  This is a frost pattern on the storm door that reminds me a lot of an evergreen tree with a star off to the side.  I maybe should have waited till closer to next Christmas to post.  😉


Sunday, January 28, 2018

1/28/18

My image today goes back to Rollag, Minnesota and the Steam Thresher's Reunion this past September.  I captured the locomotive I get to help fire on in the morning light at the water tower.  I liked how the fireman's face seemed to glow in this light.



Saturday, January 27, 2018

1/27/18

Another warm day today.  Spring flowers are beginning to emerge which is probably not a great thing.  This is another image from this past summer at the Grand canyon.  A view showing the Colorado river winding it's way through.  The red rock formation in the right hand corner is called The Alligator.


Friday, January 26, 2018

1/26/18

So the other day when it was fairly cold it snowed.  Today it's 60.  Anyway, it was not really cold enough to capture a snowflake image, the snow was not coming down well at all and most of it was broken.  I didn't have time to get anything black cold enough so I used this scarf that I had outside to do bubbles with.  So things were working against me but I was able to capture a couple of flakes that turned out fairly OK.  This is one of them.  From the snowflake photographer that I follow on G+ this snowflake looks as it does, with that mottled look, was because it was warm and beginning to melt and crystals attached to it as well. 


Thursday, January 25, 2018

1/25/18

This is an image I have had for a bit that I really liked how it turned out due to the colors and light.  I shared it over on G+ as an example of something peaceful.  Streams and the sound of flowing water is always a peaceful thing for me, my sound machine for sleep is set from the flowing water sound.  This is a stream in Eldorado Canyon in Colorado that I shot in long exposure.


Wednesday, January 24, 2018

1/24/18

It was snowing on Monday and today it is 50-ish.  Crazy how we are bouncing around.  The one thing I have liked is in the cold I have been able to create the frozen bubbles.  This image today is a bit different for me.  It's using one of the bubbles and a Christmas ornament and creating a Sci Fi scene from those elements.  It was fun to do as well.




Tuesday, January 23, 2018

1/23/18

We got a bit more snow that I thought we would get yesterday, at times the flakes were huge and beautiful.  Since it's all white and brown out I wanted a pop of color.  I shot this back this past autumn.  This is a big, beautiful Red Maple tree out on Fort Riley.  It was really showing off it's colors.


Monday, January 22, 2018

1/22/18

This is an image I took in the Grand Canyon that shows off the rock layers and buttes rather well I thought.  You can see the Colorado River in the left hand corner which formed this canyon many years ago and is still changing it a bit today.  I also was photobombed by a Raven.  You can see it at about the center of the image.


Sunday, January 21, 2018

1/21/18

This image was taken while I was riding the train as we headed around a curve of the Animas River headed to Silverton, Colorado.  This is the Durango & Silverton Railway which follows the river most of the trip.  The water looks so fresh and clear and is very popular for Kayaking.


Saturday, January 20, 2018

1/20/18

Here is another frozen bubble that I had fun trying to do this winter.  For this one I used a technique suggested by a photographer on G+ who does some really beautiful ones along with his magnificent macro snowflakes.  Anyway, I shot this at night using a bright flashlight behind and a special lens to diffuse that light.  I think it gave the bubble a glow like effect.  I just love the patterns that are created by the bubble freezing.


Friday, January 19, 2018

1/19/18

A bit different image for a Friday for me.  There is some water bokeh in it and Friday is all about the bokeh.  😃  This is a Canada Geese family I captured as they were out for a swim on one of the 10,000 lakes up in Alexandria Minnesota this past June.  Crazy weather we are having, going to be 50 the next 2 days after highs in the teens.  I like this weather better.  


Thursday, January 18, 2018

1/18/18

I felt like a summer image today.  This is from this past summer while I was up in Minnesota.  There is a large group of Hollyhocks that grow in this spot and the bees just love them.  This is a Honey Bee just full of pollen from visiting the blooms.


Wednesday, January 17, 2018

1/17/18

I have had this image around for a while and never shared it for some reason.  G+ had a theme of Arches today and it reminded me of this image so thought I would share it here as well.  This is the main area of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis Minnesota.  It was opened in 1907 and was the first basilica in the US.  It was so ornate and beautiful inside and huge.  I visited it a while back and took several images of which this was one and is an HDR image to bring out the detail.



Tuesday, January 16, 2018

1/16/18

Posting early again today because I have another day off due to the cold.  It is cold too, went out just for a moment to feed the birds and that was quite chilling.  I got this image over the break at my in-laws home though, I don't get Bluebirds at my house much.  It was snowing a bit and this big group of them came to have a drink.  It was very neat to see so many at one time.  I love how they have to stretch their necks out to drink.  Looks like they are singing.


Monday, January 15, 2018

1/15/18

Posting early today as we have a holiday today.  It's a blah, bitterly cold day, so I felt like a pop of color.  This is an older image I have never shared of some Kalanchoe blooms in light and shadow.  I have a great deal of trouble getting these plants to grow.  I took this image from a friend's plant.  I have one now that I am trying not to kill, it has not flowered though.


Sunday, January 14, 2018

1/14/18

It's only the second Sunday of the month but this month seems endless for some reason.  We got a bit more snow and headed into a bit of a warm up before another deep freeze.  My image today was taken as I was waiting to go in to breakfast up in Minnesota at the Steam Threshers Reunion that I get to help fire this locomotive at.  It was making one of it's first rounds of the morning and I captured it in that early light.



Saturday, January 13, 2018

1/13/18

We have been having bitter cold weather and the only reason I don't mind as much is because I get to experiment with something kind of fun, frozen bubbles.  This is one I shot yesterday that I was rather pleased with.  I hope to do some more experiments today but wish the sun would come out for some that I have in mind.  Looks like I might have a few days to try as we are to be in the deep freeze for a while.


Friday, January 12, 2018

1/12/18

We are in quite the cold snap again.  In the house though, my Christmas Cactus is blooming and providing some color.  The proper name for these is Schlumbergera.  I loved this bloom as it was rather perfect and frilly looking.  The flowers on this plant as compared to another I have are more delicate looking.  I took this image last night.


Thursday, January 11, 2018

1/11/18

So we finally got a snow storm and a snow day but I still had to work for a bit.  Sigh  I have another bird image I was able to get over Christmas break in Missouri.  The in-laws have Blue Jays that come several times a day.  I was able to get some shots and this is one of them.  Loved the look it was giving.


Wednesday, January 10, 2018

1/10/18

We get another warm day today and then we head into the deep freeze again.  Thinking of warmer days, this is an older image of a Hackberry Butterfly warming itself in the sun on the side of our house.  It's vibrant color and perfect wings indicate it's probably newly emerged.  


Tuesday, January 9, 2018

1/9/18

It's warm today but heading for a major cold snap again where the only good thing is I can practice freezing bubbles again.  A sight I am looking forward to is the Tulips coming back, hopefully the bulbs survived the deep freeze.  This is one from the garden this past Spring.


Monday, January 8, 2018

1/8/18

I captured this image over the Christmas break when I was in Missouri for a few days.  There was a bit of a snowfall one day and I captured this Bluebird sitting in the Ornamental Pear tree just off the deck.


Sunday, January 7, 2018

1/7/18

It's the first Steamy Sunday for the new year so I am sharing a highlight of the trip this past year to the Durango & Silverton Railway in Colorado.  I took this shot from the train as we were moving along the famous High Line on the way to Silverton.  At this point the train is only moving along at 5 mph due to the steep drop off to the Animas River below.  The rock cut is quite beautiful in this area with all the colors. 


Saturday, January 6, 2018

1/6/18

I wanted something colorful for my image today so here is a sunset that I shot back in July.  I was on a trip back from the lake and the sky to the west was just exploding with color.


Friday, January 5, 2018

1/5/18

I know I posted a shot like this one a few days ago but I am rarely inspired by a photo subject in the blah of bitter cold winter.  This is the only reason I am finding any joy out of the single digit temps we have been having.  I used the technique I was told about of back-lighting the bubble and I do like the results I got.  I have one more chance of very cold tonight before we warm up this weekend to try again and get rid of the hotspot of light on the bubble.  



Thursday, January 4, 2018

1/4/18

I just posted a bird photo yesterday but I thought I would post another today of the male version.  This is a shot I got this past Saturday that I really liked as I captured this Cardinal in the Trumpet Vine in the backyard this past Saturday.  He stood out very vibrant against the background and I got him very sharp so all the puffed out against the cold feather detail stood out.  


Wednesday, January 3, 2018

1/3/18


It's Hump Day and first day back to work so back to posting later in the day.  This is an older image that I have never shared for some reason.  A lovely female Cardinal sitting in the Mulberry tree in the winter.  She's a bit puffed up to stay warm, could have been taken lately, all the birds have been puffed up.



Tuesday, January 2, 2018

1/2/18

Warming up a bit today.  The cold weather was good for something, I was able to try an experiment that a guy I follow on G+ from Canada does, freeze bubbles and take photos.  I followed a few tips from him but missed one about back lighting it but I was happy with the results I got.  I lit mine from the side and at an angle.  I hate the cold weather but this was a fun thing to do.  This was from my 3rd and best attempt of the day.  I had done some in daylight but I like how this night time version turned out.


Monday, January 1, 2018

1/1/18

Happy New Year 2018!  May this year be better than the last.  I wanted to begin the year's postings with one of my favorite things to photograph, I ended last year with another.  This image was taken this past October as a few Monarchs decided to stop off on their migration south to enjoy the Zinnias in my garden.  The Painted Ladies were still around and enjoying them as well and one is in the foreground.