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September 12, 2021

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2021

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

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Sunday, 09/05/2021: Posted photo — Angel.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/100 s, 67 mm.

This is a statue in the flower garden near the rectory of the church I attend. I have never noticed this angel before, so the new priest could have put it in. It is a welcome addition to the grounds.

I like the black-eye Susan’s that blanket the statue making the statue stand out.

Monday, 09/06/2021: Posted photo — Playthings.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/60 s, 24 mm.

Today is a holiday, Labor Day. Labor Day is an annual celebration of workers and their achievements, originated during one of American labor history’s most dismal chapters. “In the wake of this massive unrest and to repair ties with American workers, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed it into law.” according to the History Channel.

Even though today is a holiday, I still planned on going on my Monday night hike. My in-laws called me and wanted to know if I wanted to go to the cottage to visit and to have some food. I only had a couple of hours between the call and the hike, so I went over. I noticed a new picnic table for my grandniece and liked the color contrast with the wet ground. The slide in this photo was in the water for many years, until she wanted to play on it. We took it out of the water and cleaned it the best that we could for her to play on.

Tuesday, 09/07/2021: Posted photo — Cannon.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/125 s, 25mm.

This cannon at the Westminster town common. The plaque states: “Dedicated to the memory of all the men and women from Westminster who have served their country in time of war and peace.” This cannon is not on display year-round.

I ran a few errands today and drove by town common on the way back looking for something to photograph. I saw the cannon and took this photo. The town common is being cleaned up with old trees being removed and new trees being planted.

Wednesday, 09/08/2021: Posted photo — Handheld Falls.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/20, 1/4 s, 36 mm.

It was getting late today, and I was trying to decide what to photograph today. As I have stated many times in my blogs, I take photos of items during the day and decide later what photo to post. When I drove by one of my favorite locations to photograph, I wanted to test out how steady my hand can be. I practice long exposure photography a few times a month. During some of my hikes, I see flowing water and need to practice holding still while taking photos.

I did take many other photos today and liked this one the best. This is one of my favorite spots to photograph and it is one of the favorite locations for people looking at my photos.

Thursday, 09/09/2021: Posted photo — That Time of Year.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/15 s, 135 mm.

Some trees are changing, some trees are not changing. Our sugar maple is one of the first trees on our property to change colors in the fall. Because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible.

Friday, 09/10/2021: Post photo — Red-Tailed Hawk.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/800 s, 135 mm.

This morning this red-tailed hawk was spotted on campus at work. First, we thought it was a rabbit and then an owl. I took my camera out to get a closer look at it and to photograph it. I was surprised to see that it was a red-tailed hawk. The hawk did not move from its position and allowed me to walk very close to it. I kept my eyes open and was very alert that the mother of this hawk could have been around, and I did not want to be attacked by her. It did not look like it was injured but it stayed in the same location for over an hour. Someone saw it walk across the lawn so I could have been injured.

I took many photos if it and like these the best. I did not know what one to post so I made a collage out of them to post as one photo. I liked the look of the closed eyes showing its eyelids and I like the profile of the hawk.

Saturday, 09/11/2021: Post photo — Flags on the 48.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 800, f/7.1, 1/500 s, 18 mm.

Not much room on Mount Willey for a group photo. Here is the group squeezed into the overlook for a photo. This hike was for the annual Flags on the 48 event.

“We in the hiking community continue to honor the deceased with a tribute: flying the American flag atop all 48 four-thousand foot and higher mountains in New Hampshire on the Saturday closest to September 11. By demonstrating our steadfast unity in this challenging endeavor, we also hope to express our unwavering support to the families, friends, and communities whose losses are beyond comprehension and whose suffering we remember in our hearts.” — Flags on the 48 website.

I have been doing the Flags for the last 10 years mostly with the same core of people. There are two of us that have been doing if for all 10 years with various other people joining us. Out of all the people in this photo, nine of them have been hiking with us for several years. This group has not done the same peak twice.

A member of our group does a great tribute to all that passed away from that day 20 years ago to the day of the hike. The names are placed at the base of our flag.

Thank you again for having faith and my abilities. Now I need to go through the photo and pick some out.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

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

COVID is real! Be safe out there, keep your social distance, and remember to always wear your mask and wash your hands. Get your vaccine!

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September 5, 2021

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Photographic Thoughts — 08/29/2021 to 09/04/2021

“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

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Sunday, 08/29/2021: Posted photo — Hobblebush.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 125, f/1.7, 1/60 s, 4 mm

“The fruit of the Hobblebush reportedly may be eaten raw or cooked and is said to taste somewhat like raisins or dates. Hobblebush has a number of medicinal uses. The Algonquin Indians reportedly rubbed its mashed leaves on the head to treat migraines. Iroquois Indians are said to-have used a decoction of roots as a blood medicine. The plant was also used to treat chest and breathing problems.” — Adirondacks Forever Wild website.

These Hobblebush berries are growing on Wachusett Mountain. I took this photo during a hike I took today. I have seen them during my weekly hikes and thought that they would look good in a photo. I was glad to see that one of the berries had turned blue.

Monday, 08/30/2021: Posted photo — Mushrooms.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/80 s, 62 mm.

According to the University of New Hampshire Agricultural department and Better Homes and Garden: “Mushrooms grow from spores (not seeds) that are so tiny you can’t see individual spores with the naked eye. Rather than soil, these spores rely on substances like sawdust, grain, straw, or wood chips for nourishment. A blend of the spores and these nutrient sources is called spawn. Mushrooms like dark, cool, and humid growing environments. Prolonged periods of wet, humid weather, such as we have had over the past few weeks, cause fungi to send up fruiting structures. Fungi disperse to new areas via windblown spores. When the spores land in a suitable location they develop into new fungi which will grow mushrooms given enough time.

Mushrooms will go away on their own once the weather dries out. Keep in mind that although these fruiting bodies have disappeared, the fungal mycelia is still growing in the soil. The fungus will continue to grow and persist as long as there is plenty of organic matter to feed upon.”

These mushrooms were growing in my front yard. They are in the same spot each time they grow. We have had many days of rain, so it is a great growing condition for mushrooms.

Tuesday, 08/31/2021: Posted photo — Rose for an Angel.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/125 s, 79mm.

Our daughter had a rare disorder, Triploidy. I did have the medical definition of this disorder in this post. I removed that part of my post since it would be too sensitive to some people.

Almost every year I go and visit her to sing her Happy Birthday and to say a prayer with her. It is not easy losing a child. We have had this rose since she was born and it means a lot to me.

Wednesday, 09/01/2021: Posted photo — Bouquet.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 125, f/1.7, 1/60 s, 4 mm

To continue my two-day flower series, I took a photo of this bouquet. I liked the colors in the bouquet.

Once again this photo was taking during the day just in case, I did not take another photo that day.

Thursday, 09/02/2021: Posted photo — Mount Monadnock.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/15 s, 135 mm.

I summited Wachusett Mountain twice today. The first time was with colleagues from work, the second time was with a hiking group. During the first hike of the day, I took the photo of the flowing water. During the second hike of the day, I arrived at the summit just after sunset. I looked to the north and saw the great colors of the sunset around Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire.

Flowing stream along the Bicentennial Trail on Wachusett Mountain

Friday, 09/03/2021: Post photo — Petroglyphs.

Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 200, f/8, 1/400 s, 190 mm.

These Petroglyphs are in Capital Reef National Park.

Petroglyph in Capital Reef National Park

A pictograph is an image or designs made by painting on rocks or in cave. A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Petroglyphs tell stories of events that have happened. They are like the newspapers of today. There is one petroglyph outside the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park that the experts still have not deciphered.

Saturday, 09/04/2021: Post photo — Mount Whiteface.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/320 s, 50 mm.

I decided to take a warmup hike today before the Flags on the 48 event next weekend.

I chose a mountain that I need for my repeat 48 4,000 footers and that was close to home. I decided on Mount Whiteface since I have not done it as one of my repeat 48 and it was only two and a half hours from home. People normally hike Mount Passaconway with Mount Whiteface but today I did not do both since this was a warmup hike and I have some things that I needed to do at home tonight.

Mount Whiteface is a 4,019 ft mountain located in Grafton County, New Hampshire. The mountain is part of the Sandwich Range of the White Mountains. Whiteface is flanked to the northwest by Mount Tripyramid, and to the northeast by Mount Passaconaway. Mount Passaconaway is a 4,043 ft mountain about three miles from Mount Whiteface.

Thank you again for having faith and my abilities. Now I need to go through the photo and pick some out.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

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

COVID is real! Be safe out there, keep your social distance, and remember to always wear your mask and wash your hands. Get your vaccine!

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August 29, 2021

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hiking, Nature, Photography, religion, Thoughts, Travel, water, Wedding

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Photographic Thoughts — 08/22/2021 to 08/28/2021

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

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Sunday, 08/22/2021: Posted photo — Stained Glass.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/80 s, 32 mm.

This stained glass shows the initial for Ava Maria. Ava Maria is a prayer to the Virgin Mary used in Catholic worship. The first line is adapted from Luke 1:28. Ave Maria is also called Hail Mary.

“Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.”

Why did I take this photo — I took this photo because last week I took a photo of some stained glass windows with my cell phone and I wanted to take a better photo. I took my DSLR with me into church this morning, saw the glimmer of light amongst the rain, and took this photo.

Monday, 08/23/2021: Posted photo — Wet Leaf.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/40 s, 135 mm.

Tropical Storm Henri just paid a visit to the area. Yesterday there were some gusts of wind and a little rain in this area. Some other areas around me received more wind damage and rain.

Today I was walking around and say the water beading off this leaf, so I took a photo of it. Always keep your eyes open to the wonders of nature.

Later in the day, I took my normal Monday night hike up Wachusett Mountain. There was only two of us this week because of the heavy rain that came in this afternoon. It was wet and rainy on the way to the summit, and it was very wet and heavy rain on the way down. When I hike, I just keep wiping the water from my eyes and just follow the tail. You need to take all your steps very carefully. Hiking is still fun in the rain.

Tuesday, 08/24/2021: Posted photo — Web.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/20 s, 135 mm.

Is it just me, or are there many more spiders this year that there have been in the past? I keep seeing webs and the light shining off the webs. Today I stopped and attempted to take a photo of a web in the sunlight.

Looking at the photo, it looks like my ISO was set too high since the web looks blown out to me.

Wednesday, 08/25/2021: Posted photo — Moon.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/16, 1/125 s, 300 mm.

Look, Joe took another moon photo!

This morning, as the moon does many times, I was just called to take a photo of the moon.

Thursday, 08/26/2021: Posted photo — Hike.

Settings: N/A.

This is not a photo. I took many photos today and did not like any of them good enough to post.

This is a photo of the trail I took tonight on Wachusett Mountain in the heat. The hike was 3.5 miles long, it started in the light, and ended in the dark. The air was very moist and heavy. When you hike in situation similar to this, you must drink plenty of water.

Friday, 08/27/2021: Post photo — Aialik Glacier.

Settings: N/A.

Aialik Glacier is the largest glacier in Aialik Bay, located in Kenai Fjords National Park. While stable, the glacier calves most actively in May and June. We say the glacier in June and saw the calves.

We went to Alaska in 2016 for our 25th wedding anniversary with my son and niece. Alaska is a great place to visit. If you have an opportunity to visit, please do so.

Poster created from my photo of the Aialik Glacier

About the photo. I took some of my travel photos and made posters of them to remember were the photo was taken. It was a fun process to learn a new photo editing technique. I made a photo script to help me do this for my photos. The script will resize the photos and add the text and boarder.

Saturday, 08/28/2021: Post photo — Mr. and Ms.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/125 s, 24 mm.

I would like to thank Doug and Vicky for allowing me to photograph there special day. This was my first official wedding that I photographed. They had faith in me do this knowing that I am primarily a landscape photographer.

I have worked with Doug’s father for many years. He asked me if I was comfortable enough to take photos as his son’s wedding, I said I would love to do so. As you can see from the photo, they are a fun couple. When I was told that there were wearing Hawaiian shirts for the wedding, I thought that just Doug was going to wear one. When I went to their house and saw that everyone in the family had one on, I went home to put my shirt from Hawaii on to fit in with the crowd. My house was on the way from the morning photoshoot to the wedding.

Thank you again for having faith and my abilities. Now I need to go through the photo and pick some out.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

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

COVID is real! Be safe out there, keep your social distance, and remember to always wear your mask and wash your hands. Get your vaccine!

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August 22, 2021

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Photographic Thoughts — 08/15/2021 to 08/21/2021

“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

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

This week will only be photos.

My computer hard drive crashed this week. I was able to recover information late Saturday so no commentary this week.

Sunday, 08/15/2021: Posted photo — Church.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 125, f/1.7, 1/60 s, 4 mm

Monday, 08/16/2021: Posted photo — Brace.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/120 s84, 4 mm

Tuesday, 08/17/2021: Posted photo — Change in Season.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/250 s, 52 mm.

Wednesday, 08/18/2021: Posted photo — Cloud.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 800, f/7.1, 1/6 s, 48 mm.

Thursday, 08/19/2021: Posted photo — Rock.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 100, f/1.7, 1/60 s, 4 mm

Friday, 08/20/2021: Post photo — Red Sox Win.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/100 s, 74 mm.

Saturday, 08/21/2021: Post photo — Clouds.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/8144 s, 4 mm

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe. Back to normal next week.

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

COVID is real! Be safe out there, keep your social distance, and remember to always wear your mask and wash your hands. Get your vaccine!

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August 15, 2021

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Photographic Thoughts — 08/08/2021 to 08/14/2021

“The whole point of taking pictures is so that you don’t have to explain things with words.” — Elliott Erwitt

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Enjoy this week’s rambling mind of a mechanical engineer and photographer.

Sunday, 08/08/2021: Posted photo — Balancing the World.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/160 s, 106 mm.

My wife’s family have a reunion the first Saturday of August every year. Relatives from all around the country, and sometimes the world, come to visit. The reunion is only schedule for one day yet it occurs over the course of the week.

My brother-in-law likes to juggle. He juggles clubs, balls, boxes, fire clubs, fire balls, scarfs, and people. He also does tricks for the younger members of the family. People young and old look forward to his juggling act. In this picture, he is spinning the parasols to balance the world.

Monday, 08/09/2021: Posted photo — Backpack.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 80, f/1.7, 1/120 s, 4 mm

Monday night is hiking night, as some of you may know by now. We purchased a new backpack for my son since his is old and losing padding. I tried out his backpack tonight to see how comfortable it is to use. This photo was taken on the summit fire watch tower on Wachusett Mountain.

For your information, the backpack was comfortable for short hikes. I may not be so for the longer hikes we have planned so we will be purchasing another backpack for him.

Tuesday, 08/10/2021: Posted photo — Can You Hear Me.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/1600 s, 135 mm.

Hearing protection is required when one is exposed to a sound level over 85 dB for 8 hrs. Some examples of how loud that is are: Garbage disposal, dishwasher, average factory, freight train (at 15 meters). Car wash at 20 ft (89 dB); propeller plane flyover at 1000 ft (88 dB); diesel truck 40 mph at 50 ft (84 dB); diesel train at 45 mph at 100 ft (83 dB). Food blender (88 dB); milling machine (85 dB); garbage disposal (80 dB). Manufacturing plants have sound levels that exceed the 85 dB threshold so hearing protection is required.

Why did I take this photo? I took it since I liked the mixture of colors in the container. This is one of the photos that I took today for my photo project. I liked this one over the other once that I took today. I will not be posting the other photos I took. That should be telling you the quality of those photos.

Wednesday, 08/11/2021: Posted photo — Feed Me.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/125 s, 135 mm.

These birds were waiting for their mother to feed them. I have walked past then a few times over the last two weeks and decided to take their photo today. I took a similar photo last year. I like the way that one of the birds is looking for food and the other one is just looking like he is annoyed.

Thursday, 08/12/2021: Posted photo — Find the Meteor.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 1600, f/4, 15 s, 28 mm.

The Perseids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift–Tuttle. The meteors are called the Perseids because the point from which they appear to hail lies in the constellation Perseus. The meteor shower reached it peak this year at 4:01 a.m. today. The photo is dark because I had to adjust for the light pollution in the area. I look online and see these great photos of the meteor shower taken from dark sky areas. Someday I will travel to a dark sky area during a meteor shower. Last year I posted my first photo of the Milky Way from a dark sky reserve, Canyonland National Park. Dark Sky Reserves are designated by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). They are areas that offer exceptional starry nights and are specifically protected for scientific, natural, educational, cultural, heritage and/or public enjoyment.

Did you find it? Look northwest of the “Seven Sisters”. What are the “Seven Sisters”?

From space.com: “The Pleiades are a group of more than 800 stars located about 410 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus. Most skywatchers are familiar with the assembly, which looks something like a smaller, hazier version of the Big Dipper in the night sky.

Also known as the “Seven Sisters” and Messier 45, the object derives its English name from Greek legend. The Pleiades are the seven daughters of the Titan god Atlas and the ocean nymph Pleione. During an ancient war, Atlas rebelled against Zeus, the king of the gods, who sentenced his foe to forever hold up the heavens on his shoulders. The sisters were so sad that Zeus allowed them a place in the sky in order to be close to their father.”

Friday, 08/13/2021: Post photo — Sunflower.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/287 s, 4 mm

Sunflowers have symbolic meanings in love, luck, spirituality, and dreams. Why did I post a photo a sunflower today? Today is Friday the 13.

From my web research I found out more information. This is from the CNN website: “From Scandinavia, Panati explains, the superstition then spread south throughout Europe, becoming well established along the Mediterranean by the start of the Christian era. It was here that the unsettling power of the numerals was cemented through the story of the Last Supper, which was attended by Jesus Christ and his disciples on Maundy Thursday. The 13th and most infamous guest to arrive, Judas Iscariot, was the disciple who betrayed Jesus, leading to his crucifixion on Good Friday.”

For you that follow FOX news: “According to the history website, the association of 13 being unlucky likely started in Western culture the Last Supper in the Bible. In the biblical story, 13 people sat at the Last Supper table – Jesus and his 12 disciples – and the next day, Jesus was crucified.”

Here is wishing you luck today.

Saturday, 08/14/2021: Post photo — Sunrise.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/160 s, 300 mm.

Saturday is my day to sleep in. I wake up around 4:30 a.m. every day so I look forward to sleeping in on Saturday mornings. Today I woke up at 4 a.m. to climb Wachusett Mountain to take a photo of the sunrise.

When I arrived at the summit, I was the only one there. The sky was clear until just about the time the sun was to rise, 5:42 a.m. There was a fog bank that rolled in. I could see the sun over the horizon since I knew the location that it was to rise. I was giving up hope of seeing the sunrise. Then the fog burned off just enough for me to take this photo.

I went back to bed for a few hours when I came back home from my hike.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

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

COVID is real! Be safe out there, keep your social distance, and remember to always wear your mask and wash your hands. Get your vaccine!

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August 8, 2021

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Photographic Thoughts — 08/01/2021 to 08/07/2021

“A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.” — Diane Arbus

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Enjoy this week’s rambling mind of a mechanical engineer and photographer.

Sunday, 08/01/2021: Posted photo — Calibrachoa.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/258 s, 4 mm

Calibrachoa, commonly called million bells or trailing petunia, is a tender perennial that produces mounds of foliage, growing only 3 to 9 inches (7.5-23 cm.) tall, along trailing stems and flowers in shades of violet, blue, pink, red, magenta, yellow, bronze and white.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Growing Calibrachoa Million Bells: Growing Information and Calibrachoa Care https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/million-bells/calibrachoa-million-bells.htm

Today when I went shopping, I saw these flowers and took this photo. As always, I take many photos as I can during the day, so I have a photo for this project.

Monday, 08/02/2021: Posted photo — Hiking Group.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 3200, f/7.1, 1/50 s, 44 mm.

Monday night hike. I joined a Monday night hiking group a few months ago and like this group. They are a group of hikers of different abilities, yet the hikes are safe and challenging. I have tried other hiking groups during the week. I like this one the best, so I plan on hiking with them every week.

I am one of the faster hikers in this group. I hiked ahead of the group to take this photo as they were hiking done the Pine Hill Trail on Wachusett Mountain.

Tuesday, 08/03/2021: Posted photo — Boat.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 1600, f/14, 1/800 s, 79 mm.

Pontoon boats are a type of recreational boat that relies on structures called “pontoons” to float. A pontoon is a type of floating device used to add buoyancy to a structure. These tubes are airtight and hollow, making them water resistant and virtually unsinkable. Pontoon boats utilize two or more pontoon tubes to float effortlessly on the water.

This pontoon boat belongs to the neighbor at my in-law’s cottage. They go out in it every evening to watch the sunset from the lake. The neighbor has had many different style boats over the years and now have this one to leisurely float in the lake.

Wednesday, 08/04/2021: Posted photo — Flight.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/5, 1/400 s, 50 mm.

I was taking photos of purple loosestrife today. When I was taking photos, this bumble bee flew into the loosestrife giving me the opportunity to capture it in flight. I am always glad when a bee flies into my flower photos. Most of the time the bee is too quick for my camera settings. I was very happy with this photo.

I was going to title this photo The Flight of the Bumble Bee towards the Purple Loosestrife, but that would be too long.

Thursday, 08/05/2021: Posted photo — Mammoth Hot Springs.

Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 100, f/10, 1/200 s, 55 mm.

“Mammoth Hot Springs is a large complex of hot springs on a hill of travertine in Yellowstone National Park adjacent to Fort Yellowstone and the Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District. It was created over thousands of years as hot water from the spring cooled and deposited calcium carbonate.” (Wikipedia) The springs are incredible to see. Hot springs in volcanic areas are often at or near the boiling point. People have been seriously scalded and even killed by accidentally or intentionally entering these springs.

This photo was taken a few years ago during one of our National Park tours. Yellowstone is a great National Park with many different features. One day my family will get back to the park and visit the less know areas of the park and more of the lesser visited geysers.

Friday, 08/06/2021: Post photo — Wych Elm.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/80 s, 60 mm.

“The Wych Elm tree is a hardy specimen that has evolved into a popular landscaping addition over the years. Its towering appearance, pretty purple flowers and winged fruit are just some of its many attributes. In addition to its natural beauty, the Wych Elm is not terribly challenging to propagate, which is why growers of varying experience choose to plant the tree on their property.” Wych Elm Tree | LoveToKnow

Some of you may recognize this location and this tree. It is the cemetery near my house that I photograph a few times a year. I just like the majesty of this tree. I always wanted to know what type of tree it was, so I took out my Seek app and the app identified the tree as a Wych Elm.

If you know it by another name, let me know in the comments.

Saturday, 08/07/2021: Post photo — Milky Way in Light Pollution.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 1600, f/3.5, 15 s, 18 mm.

Photographing the Milky Way is not easy. I live in an area were there is some light pollution from the surrounding towns and the rehab place down the street.

I came home from my wife’s family reunion and took this shot. The moon was low, and the stars were bright. Besides the light pollution in the area, I may have forgotten to take the image stabilization off on my lens when it was on my tripod when taking this photo.

After 4237 days in a row of taking photos, I still make rookie mistakes occasionally.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

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

COVID is real! Be safe out there, keep your social distance, and remember to always wear your mask and wash your hands. Get your vaccine!

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July 25, 2021

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Photographic Thoughts — 07/17/2021 to 07/24/2021

“The camera makes you forget you’re there. It’s not like you are hiding but you forget, you are just looking so much.” — Annie Leibovitz

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Enjoy this week’s rambling mind of a mechanical engineer and photographer.

This week’s post is short. I spent most of the week doing final preparations for my mother’s funeral and relaxing after.

Sunday, 07/17/2021: Posted photo — Roses.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 100, f/1.7, 1/60 s, 4 mm

Yellow is bright and conveys happy thoughts, so it is no wonder that yellow roses showcase positive feelings of warmth. The yellow rose meaning is often considered that of friendship.

I am posting this photo to thank all the people that have supported my family during the last few months when my mother was ill. She passed in her sleep, at home, last Saturday at the age of 95. I would like to thank family and friends, her doctors and caretakers, and anyone that had her in their prayers. She was playing cards up to the end. Raising seven boys was not easy. She did it lovingly.

As my mother said in the hospital last Tuesday, she did live 95 wonderful years.

Mom — may your rest in peace. Until we meet again. Love you.

Monday, 07/18/2021: Posted photo — Ten Commandments.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/160 s, 37 mm.

This monument is on Mountain Road in Princeton, Mass. It is very easy to drive by since it is small and not near any landmark. It has been on the side of the road since 1927. The monument was produced by S.D. Sargent in Gardner Mass. The monument starts with “God Sake All these Words I the Lord thy God”.

I had the history of the monument once. Now I cannot find out any information about why this monument was place where it located.

I took a similar photo last week on the way back home from my mother’s house and did not like it enough to post. I took this one today as I was returning home from finalizing the funeral arrangements. The arrangements were easy to finalize since my mother was supposed to pass last March. She was a strong French woman that had many card games left in her.

Tuesday, 07/19/2021: Posted photo — Blue Vervain.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/640 s, 85 mm.

“Blue vervain is a flowering plant that belongs to the vervain family, Verbenaceae. It has purple flowers and simple leaves with double-serrate margins. The scientific name of blue vervain is Verbena hastata and it is also known by other names like American vervain, simpler’s joy, and swamp verbena.” — Organic Facts website

Wednesday, 07/20/2021: Posted photo — Turkeys Through Windshield.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/600 s, 135 mm.

Turkeys this morning on my way to work. Took this through my windshield.

Thursday, 07/15/2021: Posted photo — Mass Card.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 160, f/1.7, 1/60 s, 4 mm

The mass card from my mother. We had her wake and funeral today. I will always love you mom!

Friday, 07/21/2021: Post photo — Nubble Light.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/5.6, 10 s, 25 mm.

Today my wife and took a trip up north to Maine to get away and relax. Here are some photos from Perkins Cove where we had our lunch and photo of the Nubble Light where we ended out day before driving home.

Saturday, 07/22/2021: Post photo — View from the Trail.

Settings: FUGIFILM FinePix XP70, ISO 100, f/4.7, 1/350 s, 12 mm.

The view from Old Indian trail looking down the Look Mom ski trail on Wachusett Mountain.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

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

COVID is real! Be safe out there, keep your social distance, and remember to always wear your mask and wash your hands. Get your vaccine!

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July 18, 2021

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Photographic Thoughts — 07/11/2021 to 07/17/2021

“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” — Dorothea Lange

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Enjoy this week’s rambling mind of a mechanical engineer and photographer.

Sunday, 07/11/2021: Posted photo — Rough Hermit Beetle.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/125 s, 135 mm.

The rough hermit beetle is a near threatened species with its population decreasing. The adult beetle lives two to three months. These beetles do not bite. They grow inside rotting, hollow trees. The larvae feed for three years on the wet, decaying wood. They are harmless and probably make great fish bait.

The beetle in my photo was at my in-law’s cottage. I did not see it at first and be wife pointed it out to me. I took out my Seek app to identify it.

I was going to post a photo of a hammock or a photo of water lilies before taking a photo of this beetle. Since I did not post these photos in my 365 project or on my website, I will post them here for you to enjoy as a bonus for reading my blog.

Monday, 07/12/2021: Posted photo — Wachusett Mountain Ski Area.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/171 s, 4 mm

Mountain Stats:

Summit Elevation: 2006 ft
Vertical Drop: 1000 ft
Trails: 27
Lifts: 8
Uphill Capacity: 9200 skiers per hour
Snowmaking: 100%
Grooming: 2x per day
Times I have skied on the mountain: 1 or 2 times in my life.

As you can tell, I do not ski. I would rather hike the mountain than to ski the mountain.

Today I hiked 4.6 miles on the mountain. It has been a week since I hike Mount Isolation and just took my time to relax and stretch out my legs. I hike with a group on Monday nights which is a great motivator. Tonight, we hiked in the rain and fog and being with a group made the hike easier. You could not see the mountain much due to cloud covering so my gear was damp at the end of the hike.

This is a photo of the fountain at the base of the mountain. This location is used for many events, such as weddings, reunions, and other celebrations. The Midstate trail goes past this location giving my fellow hikers a great view to refresh their mind during a long hike.

Tuesday, 07/13/2021: Posted photo — Unicorn.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/50 s, 135 mm.

A unicorn is a mythical, usually white animal generally depicted with the body and head of a horse with long flowing mane and tail and a single often spiraled horn in the middle of the forehead, or it is an animal mentioned in the Bible that is usually considered an aurochs, a one-horned rhinoceros, or an antelope.

Many people are into unicorns. My mother is one of those people. She is not a crazy unicorn woman by any means. She has a collection of unicorns in her China cabinet. This one is a Christmas unicorn as you can tell by the wreath around its neck.

Wednesday, 07/14/2021: Posted photo — Pillow Pattern.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 160, f/1.7, 1/30 s, 4 mm

Sitting at my mother’s house, I needed a photo (surprising is it not) and I saw these pillows. Pillows have some interesting pattern in them. I took this photo and did not think anything about it.

When I went to process it to post, the pattern looked to me to be either and alien spaceship, an alien, or one person doing a handstand on the hands of another person. Apophenia is a general term for interpreting patterns or meaning in meaningless data. This data may be meaningless, but the power of suggestion will make someone see something that is not there.

Thursday, 07/15/2021: Posted photo — Bench.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 1600, f/8, 1/200 s, 41 mm.

At the intersection of Bicentennial Trail and High Meadow Trail is a bench for people to rest. This bench looks over high meadow and faces to the due south and has great views of the surrounding hills.

I meet a hiker there that told me that a local college was doing a snake study in the high meadow. I checked out the study one day only to find a snakeskin. I was going to look for a snake tonight, but I did not want to walk in the high grass in the study area because I did not want to get any ticks on me. I had my camera ready to take the photo, and my son with me to lift the board so I could get a photo of any snake that was resting.

I thought I knew everything that goes on at the mountain, but I am learning new things. You can teach and old dog something new!

Friday, 07/16/2021: Post photo — Sunrise.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/500 s, 135 mm.

What a wonderful sunrise this morning. The hazy sky made the reds jump out at me.

As I was driving into work, I saw this wonderful sunrise over Round Meadow Pond. I drove around the area of the pond to find a good location for taking a photo of the sunrise. I could not find a good location off the main road, so I stopped in the breakdown lane to take this one. Good thing I live in a town where there is not much traffic, especially at 5:40 a.m. when I was on my way to work.

Saturday, 07/17/2021: Post photo — Mother’s Hand.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/167 s, 4 mm

My hand in the hand of an angel.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

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

COVID is real! Be safe out there, keep your social distance, and remember to always wear your mask and wash your hands. Get your vaccine!

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July 11, 2021

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Photographic Thoughts — 07/04/2021 to 07/10/2021

“Photography is truth.” — Jean-Luc Godard

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Enjoy this week’s rambling mind of a mechanical engineer and photographer.

Sunday, 07/04/2021: Posted photo — Planter.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/50 s, 52 mm.

Planters are used on houses and cottages for plants. A planter is a decorative container in which plants are grown. This planter is located at my in-law’s cottage. I like the look of this, very rustic. A few of the leaves on this planter looked real to me when looking at it quickly.

Just for fun, I am posting a photo that I took today and that you should be able to see in 3D.

See if you can view this photo in three dimensions. Use the techniques below and a middle photo will appear.

Go to this page to see the instructions on how to view this photo. “How to See 3D: Magic Eye 3D and more” (vision3d.com)

Monday, 07/05/2021: Posted photo — Inversion.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/6.3, 1/500 s, 45 mm

A cloud inversion, or temperature inversion is when the normal temperature distribution of air – warm at the bottom, colder as you go up – becomes inverted or flipped upside down. This means you have a cold layer of air trapped at ground level, overlain by warm air. I know that information may not be useful to you, but it may be useful to some.

Cloud inversion from the Glen Boulder Trail

This photo was taken on a 14-mile round trip hike to the summit of Mount Isolation in NH. I did this hike with my son and two of his friends. Mount Isolation is one of the 48 4,000-foot mountains in New Hampshire. The path we took was Glen Boulder Trail to Davis Path to Isolation Trail to Rocky Branch Trail. Mount Isolation is only 4,003 feet tall. To get to it we hiked over Gulf Peak (4,774 feet) and North Isolation (4,291 feet). Both mountains are not official 4,000 footers because they do not meet the official criteria to be counted. A 4,000-footer is a mountain that has an elevation of at least 4,000 feet and a minimum of 200 feet prominence. Today turned out to be the best day of the holiday weekend.

Here are some more photos of our hike.

Tuesday, 07/06/2021: Posted photo — Reflection.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/385 s, 4 mm

I was on my way home from my mother’s house and was thinking about what photo I would be posting today. As it was much if the weekend, it was rainy and overcast. I drive past the Holden Reservoirs. The Holden Reservoirs supply the city of Worcester, Mass, and the surrounding communities.

Sunset reflection from one of the Holden Reservoirs

As I passed the last of the reservoirs, I say some color in the sky, so I took to take a photo of this. I took this photo not knowing if there was anything else to photograph for the remainder of the day. Cell phone photos do not do any justice to the beauty of sunsets.

Wednesday, 07/07/2021: Posted photo — More Clouds.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/6.3, 1/1000 s, 25 mm.

One word for today, humid. It was not raining and very humid, with a severe weather warning. One of the things I like about a day like today is watching the clouds grow as the storm develops. I like the contrast between the white clouds and the blue sky. I also like when the sun rays seem to jump from cloud to cloud.

I took this photo with treetops in the foreground to have some contrast between the sky, trees, and clouds. There were better clouds to photograph down the road, but I decided to use this photo because it seemed dramatic to me.

Thursday, 07/08/2021: Posted photo — Calculator.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 400, f/1.7, 1/10 s, 4 mm

These are some of the keys on my HP 35s Scientific Calculator. It is an older RPN calculator and is one that is allowed into the professional engineering examination. I am not taking the examination for a little while longer since I need to study for it. Being a mechanical engineer for over 35 years, I need to get back to study topics that I do not use every day.

Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) is a system of representing mathematical and logical operations in which the operands precede the operator, and which does not require the use of parentheses. I find RPN much faster to use and I now find it difficult at times to use regular, or normal, notation when using a calculator.

Friday, 07/09/2021: Post photo — Mushroom.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/320 s, 113 mm.

Rained today. Heavy rain today due to Tropical Storm Elsa. The storm brought very heavy rains in flooding to some towns in the area. Once the sun came out, the sky was a great blue.

On my way home from work, I was just going on settling on posting a photo from the past because the rain put a damper on taking a photo outside. When I arrived home, I saw some mushrooms growing in our front lawn. Great photo opportunity for me. A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. Some people eat mushrooms, some people can tell if it is poisonous or not. I am neither of these people. I do not eat mushrooms and cannot tell if one is poisonous or not. I should work on identifying edible and non-edible mushrooms since I see many on them on my hikes.

Saturday, 07/10/2021: Post photo — Rose.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2500 s, 113 mm.

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” — William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet.

Red roses are often considered the universal symbol of love.
Pink roses symbolize gratitude, grace, and joy.
White roses are a symbol of purity, innocence and in some cases, chastity.
Purple roses are not nearly as common, they indicate a fascination or adoration.
Yellow roses are a symbol of friendship and caring.
Orange roses indicate enthusiasm and passion, making them a creative substitute for Valentine’s Day roses and other holidays when people typically buy red roses.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

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

COVID is real! Be safe out there, keep your social distance, and remember to always wear your mask and wash your hands. Get your vaccine!

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July 7, 2021

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Photographic Thoughts — 06/27/2021 to 07/03/2021

“Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.” — Marc Riboud

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Enjoy this week’s rambling mind of a mechanical engineer and photographer.

This is the last of the “catch up” series of blogs.

Sunday, 06/27/2021: Posted photo — Bridge.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/3 s, 18 mm.

This is one of the bridges in Watkins Glen State Park. This bridge is over Central Cascade, one of the 19 waterfalls that are in the park. We camped at the state park three nights, enjoying the Glen in-between storms.

Monday, 06/28/2021: Posted photo — Yahoo Arch.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7, 1/250 s, 24 mm

Yahoo Arch has a height of 17 feet and a base of 70 feet. It is in McCrary County, Kentucky. You get there by hiking 1.5 miles, one way, on a spur trail that brought you to Yahoo Falls. The height of Yahoo falls is 113 feet.

Tuesday, 06/29/2021: Posted photo — Clouds.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/1000 s, 44 mm

Now that we are back home, I needed a photo. The air was very humid, and clouds were forming near Round Meadow Pond.

Wednesday, 06/30/2021: Posted photo — St John’s Wort.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/25 s, 69 mm.

“St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a flowering shrub native to Europe. It gets its name from the fact that it often blooms on the birthday of the biblical John the Baptist. The flowers and leaves of St. John’s wort contain active ingredients such as hyperforin. St. John’s wort is available as a supplement in teas, tablets, liquids and topical preparations. People use St. John’s wort to treat depression and menopausal symptoms.” — Mayo Clinic

These wildflowers are in an area that I hike often. I stopped to take this photo since I was in a rush to take one for the day.

Thursday, 07/01/2021: Posted photo — Round Meadow Pond.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/25 s, 18 mm.

This is a new month, and I wanted a good photo for the first day of the month on my web page. This location is one that I photograph often and is one of the favorite locations for those who look at my photographs.

Friday, 07/02/2021: Post photo — Raindrops.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/200 s, 113 mm.

Rainy day today. No opportunity to get outside to take a photo. I took this when walking between buildings at work. This photo can also be used as a historic record of today’s weather.

Saturday, 07/03/2021: Post photo — Mangos.

Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 64, f/1.7, 1/120 s, 4 mm

“A mango is a popular tropical fruit that is eaten in sweet and savory dishes around the world. It can be green, yellow, orange, red, or a combination of these colors, and has yellow or orange flesh surrounding a flat, hard pit. The fruit is typically peeled and cut away from the pit before use. A mango can be eaten raw unripe or ripe, or cooked into desserts, curries, and chutneys. It’s a moderately expensive piece of produce per fruit, but many varieties are large and heavy. It is also a popular dried fruit.” — The Spruce Eats

Back to a “normal” blog next week.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

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