Monthly Archives: December 2022

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

December 25, 2022

Posted under

hiking, Nature, Photography, religion

Comments

2 Comments

Photographic Thoughts — 12/18/2022 to 12/24/2022

“Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph.” — Matt Hardy

This week will be short because of the Christmas holiday.

The week started out with the fourth Sunday in Advent. On the fourth week of Advent, we light the final purple candle to mark the final week of prayer and penance as we wait for the birth of our Savior. This final candle, the “Angel’s Candle,” symbolizes peace. It reminds us of the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.”

The second item I would like to show this week is my patch for completing all 48 of New Hampshire’s highest mountains. These are all over 4,000 feet in height. The shortest of these mountains is Mount Tecumseh at 4,003 feet and the tallest being Mount Washington at 6,288 feet. To be on this list there must be a 200-foot prominence between peaks. There are many other mountains that are over 4,000 feet but they do not meet the 200-foot rule. Follow this link for a history of the 4,000 foot club.

A History of the New Hampshire 4,000-Footers List

After 40 years (10 on, 20 off, 10 on) I have finally completed my counting round of 48. The last peak of this round, Mt Hale, I did was after my ankle injury. Hale was a nice and easy 4000-footer to end on. I started this round just out of high school to help some friends complete their first 4K, Mt. Washington. I hiked with more friends in college just to get outdoors. I took a break when I started to work and finished when my son started to hike. Never give up on your goals.

The last photo I would like to share this week is from the summit of Wachusett Mountain. I just like the glow of the lights from the ski area on the snow and ice covered trees.

Thank you and happy holidays to all.

Back to normalcy next week.

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

December 18, 2022

Posted under

hiking, Inspiration, Nature, Photography, water

Comments

Leave a comment

Photographic Thoughts — 12/11/2022 to 12/17/2022

“A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it. It is, in a word, effective.” — Irving Penn

Photos from this week. I was on vacation this week so I had a little more time to get out and take photos.

Sunday, 12/11/2022: Posted photo — Covered Bridge.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/125 s, 24 mm.

A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. This covered bridge is mor of a covered walkway that leads to the Old Mill Restaurant in town.

Here is a photo of the waterfall that you can see as you cross the bridge.

Monday, 12/12/2022: Posted photo — Round Meadow Pond Dam.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/400 s, 35 mm.

This is one of my most photographed locations. I took a photo a month at this location a few years ago.

We had some snow overnight. Here are some photos of the snow.

Tuesday, 12/13/2022: Posted photo — Hike.

Settings: Google Pixel 7, ISO 51, f/1.8, 1/5155 s, 7 mm.

This photo was taken from a member of the hiking group that did not want their photo taken.

Today I went on a hike with members of the Wachusett Hikers. The Wachusett Hikers is a group, that I am a founding member, that was formed by one of my friends a few years ago to organize local hikes. Currently there is over about 1.4K members to the group. Not everyone is active in the group, but we are surprised by the number of people interested in local hiking. Not bad for a group that started out with just five members.

Wednesday, 12/14/2022: Posted photo — LL Bean Boot.

Settings: Google Pixel 7, ISO 57, f/1.8, 1/1287 s, 7 mm.

This is the 90thanniversary boot. My wife and I take a trip up to the LL Bean Flagship store every year to go shopping for the holidays. We have a weekend away in Maine and other places a few times a year. Some of these trips we took were electronics free. We spent time in Kittery, ME and Freeport, ME.

Here is a photo of one of the decorated trees at the flagship store.

Thursday, 12/15/2022: Posted photo — Ducks and Goose.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/500 s, 50 mm.

I went back to the Old Mill today to take a photo of the ducks and geese. The Old Mill has a duck pond and there are ducks and geese there all year round.

As a bonus for today, I am posting a photo of our neighbor’s driveway. I always like the look of their driveway in the snow.

Friday, 12/16/2022: Post photo — Wachusett Mountain.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/1250 s, 88 mm.

Here is a photo of Wachusett Mountain from Round Meadow Pond. You have seen a photo from this location in the past. This is the first one at this location in the snow for this winter season.

Saturday, 12/17/2022: Post photo — Wachusett Mountain Ski Area.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/640 s, 18 mm.

Here is a photo of the Wachusett Mountain ski area. This is the mountain that I hike one or two times a week since I fractured my ankle. I hiked this mountain two to three times a week, minimum, before my accident.

For more photo of other projects, visit my website: https://photobyjosephciras.weebly.com or visit me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PhotobyJosephCiras/. I hope to update these sites at the start of the new year.

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

December 11, 2022

Posted under

hiking, Inspiration, Nature, Photography, Travel, water

Comments

Leave a comment

Photographic Thoughts — 12/04/2022 to 12/10/2022

“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” — Karl Lagerfeld

In memory of Pearl Harbor Day, I will be posting photos of my last trip to Hawaii.

I have also renamed my header to the current week since I will not add the week that I missed.

Sunday, 12/04/2022: Posted photo — Diamond Head.

“The unique profile of Diamond Head (Lē’ahi) sits prominently near the eastern edge of Waikiki’s coastline. Hawaii’s most recognized landmark is known for its historic hiking trail, stunning coastal views, and military history. Diamond Head State Monument encompasses over 475 acres, including the interior and outer slopes of the crater.”

Diamond Head State Monument

Monday, 12/05/2022: Posted photo — Rainbow Falls.

“The Rainbow Falls are a broad waterfall in the Wailuku river that is conveniently located within Hilo town. They are very easy to visit and you’ll have a high chance of seeing rainbows if you visit somewhat early in the day (perhaps even before breakfast).”

The Rainbow Falls (Waiānuenue) in Hilo

Tuesday, 12/06/2022: Posted photo — National Memorial Cemetery.

“Few national cemeteries can compete with the dramatic natural setting of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The “Punchbowl” was formed some 75,000 to 100,000 years ago during the Honolulu period of secondary volcanic activity. A crater resulted from the ejection of hot lava through cracks in the old coral reefs which, at the time, extended to the foot of the Koolau Mountain Range.”

https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/nmcp.asp

Wednesday, 12/07/2022: Posted photo — Anchor.

One of the anchors from the USS Arizona.

https://www.nps.gov/perl/index.htm

Thursday, 12/08/2022: Posted photo — US Sailor.

My father served in WWII in the US Navy. He had a uniform just like this. I used his duffle bag for a hockey bag when I was young.

Friday, 12/09/2022: Post photo — USS Arizona.

This is one of the most visited historic sites in the United States. “Other highly-visited historic sites include the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington D.C., along with Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, and Castillo de San Marcos in St Augustine Florida.The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center is operated by the National Park Service and is free to the public. It includes a museum with exhibits about World War II, an outdoor walkway with numerous historical plaques and signage explaining the attack, and a theater that shows a video of actual footage and events from the attack which is viewed before boarding the boat which takes visitors out to the memorial.”

USS Arizona Memorial

Saturday, 12/10/2022: Post photo — USS Missouri.

“Located on Ford Island and in line with the Arizona Memorial along battleship row, the Battleship Missouri (USS Missouri (BB-63)) towers over its dock some 216 feet high. It is accessible only by shuttle from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center or on our tour vehicles. The island is a military installation so the public is unable to drive onto it without special passes.”

Battleship Missouri

For more photo of other projects I have work, visit my website: https://photobyjosephciras.weebly.com or visit me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PhotobyJosephCiras/.

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

December 4, 2022

Posted under

Uncategorized

Comments

Leave a comment

Photographic Thoughts — 11/20/2022 to 11/26/2022

“One doesn’t stop seeing. One doesn’t stop framing. It doesn’t turn off and turn on. It’s on all the time.” — Annie Leibovitz

Random photos this week.

Sunday, 11/20/2022: Posted photo — Sunrise at Work.

The sky was wonderful the morning I took this photo. I have a new phone and am looking all the features on the camera. The phone is in the top 10 of cell phone cameras. I did not get a higher rated phone since I did not want to pay the money for it.

Monday, 11/21/2022: Posted photo — Deer through Office Window.

There are a lot of deer and other animals at work. I work in a remote area on almost 30 acres of wooded area.

Tuesday, 11/22/2022: Posted photo — Female Longhorn Sheep.

Some female longhorn sheep I saw during one of my national park trips.

Wednesday, 11/23/2022: Posted photo — Sunrise Someplace.

Taken off a cruise ship someplace in the world.

Thursday, 11/24/2022: Posted photo — Smith Glacier.

Smith Glacier is a 5.5-mile (8.9 km) long glacier in the U.S. state of Alaska. It trends southeast to Harvard Arm of College Fjord, 2.8 miles (4.5 km) northwest of College Point and 51 miles (82 km) west of Valdez. It was named for Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts by members of the 1899 Harriman Alaska Expedition.

Friday, 11/25/2022: Post photo — Koldinghus.

Koldinghus is a Danish royal castle in the town of Kolding on the south central part of the Jutland peninsula. The castle was founded in the 13th century and was expanded since with many functions ranging from fortress, royal residency, ruin, museum, and the location of numerous wartime negotiations.

I took this photo with my very first digital camera. The light off this castle was amazing and was very surprised of the way this photo came out.

Saturday, 11/26/2022: Post photo — Lego Land.

Nyhavn made from Lego bricks at Legoland in Billund Denmark.

Nyhavn is a 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district in Copenhagen, Denmark. Stretching from Kongens Nytorv to the harbor front just south of the Royal Playhouse, it is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

For more photo of other projects I have work, visit my website: https://photobyjosephciras.weebly.com or visit me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PhotobyJosephCiras/.