“It’s weird that photographers spend years or even a whole lifetime, trying to capture moments that added together, don’t even amount to a couple of hours.” — James Lalropui Keivom
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
This week will only be photos. Did some commentaries on my photos that I wanted to post this week, but did not have the opportunity to finish so I am posting only photos. I will finish this week’s photos for next week’s blog.
Sunday, 01/12/2025: Posted photo — Grand Tetons.
Monday, 01/13/2025: Posted photo — Alaska.
Tuesday, 01/14/2025: Posted photo — Bird in Bryce Canyon.
“Essentially what photography is is life lit up.” — Sam Abell
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it keeps me inspired.
Sunday, 01/05/2025: Posted photo — Mary and Jesus.
Mary and Jesus next to the Paschal candle. Today was the feast of the Magi but the kings were hiding at the time I took this photo. When I was putting up the numbers for the hymns, I liked the look of this setup. The Paschal candle is lite at Easter and represents the light of Christ coming into the world.
Monday, 01/06/2025: Posted photo — End of the Line.
I posted a photo of the ski lift last week when the snow was melting and the trails were wet. This week, the temperature was in the low 20’s F with the wind chill making the real feel temperature of around 3 deg F.
Tuesday, 01/07/2025: Posted photo — Gardner City Hall.
I had my yearly physical yesterday and took this photo. Gardner is the 92 our of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts.
Wednesday, 01/08/2025: Post photo — Brussels Sprouts.
Brussels sprouts are named after Brussels, Belgium, where it is believed they were first widely cultivated in the 16th century.
When I took a photo of the moon today, it came out looking a little abstract. This is due to the fact that the mount of my lens was loose so there was too much movement in the lens. I knew it was loose, but I thought that it would not effect my photos. Guess I was incorrect.
Friday, 01/10/2025: Post photo — Trip Planning.
I am finalizing my plans on my second leadership hike this winter so that I can receive my Winter Upcountry credentials. I am looking for a hike in the White Mountains. I will be selecting a hike that is not one of the 4K mountains, yet the mountain will be challenging. The full planning of the hike is the last requirement for my credentials. I have planned many winter hikes in the Whites, including some of the taller 4K mountains, but none of them for the AMC.
The most difficult part of this hike is to get the one or two mentors that are needed to evaluate me. There are only a few people in the chapter that are qualified and there is another hiking series going on at the same time. Once I am credentialed, I will be able to lead hikes year round, both locally and upcountry in the higher, more dangerous, mountains.
Saturday, 01/11/2025: Post photo — Snow.
The inch of snow that was predicted turned into three plus inches. Not much snow for this time of year. The temperature will be getting warmer and then a freeze will happen, so I went out today to clean off our driveway, walkway, and deck before the freeze.
“Photographs open doors into the past, but they also allow a look into the future.” — Sally Mann
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it keeps me inspired.
Sunday, 12/22/2024: Posted photo — Never too Old.
You are never too old to believe. This is our son with Santa, his grandfather. My nieces and nephews all know that my father-in-law is the real Santa.
On a sadder note, I found out today that my college roommate passed from COVID a couple of years ago. I wished him a happy birthday on Facebook and a mutual friend let me know he passed. So sad that someone so young died from an illness that some people claim does not exist. COVID is real! Be safe.
Monday, 12/23/2024: Posted photo — Weather Front.
Here is a photo of a weather front that came through the area today. I like the look of weather fronts, the crisp line that creates them.
Here is a bonus photos of how some people feel so close to the holidays.
Tuesday, 12/24/2024: Posted photo — Possible White Christmas.
Here is a photo of my neighbor’s driveway. I just love the way the driveway looks in the winter. It is even better with tire tracks.
A white Christmas is a Christmas when there is snow on the ground or it is snowing on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve. The National Weather Service (NWS) defines a white Christmas as at least one inch of snow on the ground at 7 AM local time on Christmas morning. The last white Christmas in our area was in 2009. We had a little snow last night and there might be some more tonight.
Wednesday, 12/25/2024: Post photo — Christmas and Hanukkah.
Merry Christmas to all. Happy first day of Hanukkah.
We have an official white Christmas this year. This was a great year for this hiker. I received new MSR Lightning Explorer snowshoes, CAMP crampons, and heated socks. Friday I will be picking up a new to me ice axe. I should be ready for my above tree line winter training on Saturday.
Jesus celebrated Hanukkah, and it’s mentioned in the New Testament. At that time, Hanukkah was called “the Feast of Dedication” because it commemorated the dedication of the Temple. My family celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah.
Thursday, 12/26/2024: Posted photo — Day after Hike.
It was a wonderful sunny day today. The temperature was cool and the air was refreshing. I went on a hike today during the day for the first time in a long time. The trails had heavy ice on them in some of the typical locations.
It was a practice hike for me. I had a full pack on me to practice carrying heavier weight. I wanted to carry the weight to practice for my above treeline leadership/safety training on Saturday.
Friday, 12/27/2024: Post photo — Headstone.
I had a day off today so I went to a neighboring town to pick up some supplies for tomorrow’s training hike. On the way back, I went to visit my parents, paternal grandparents, one of my aunts, one of my uncles, and by brother to wish them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
This gave me an opportunity to see if my brother’s name was on his headstone. It was.
Saturday, 12/28/2024: Post photo — Hike.
Today was a training hike for AMC up-country winter leadership. This was also a practice hike for next weekend when the AMC is leading some hiked up Mount Monadnock. All of the participants for this hike were AMC up-country winter leaders. I was the only Leader-in-Training that went on the hike. The other LIT’s could not make it for various meetings. This was a very good training in leading winter hikes and included the use of crampons. I expect to be fully certified by the end of the winter.
The summit was fogged in and there were winds of an estimated 40 mph. We were dressed for it so the weather did not bother the members of the group. These photos do not show how windy it was on the summit.
An Up-Country Hike is defined as a hike (offered within the state of Massachusetts) that is over 8 miles in length or over 1000 feet of elevation gain or any hike offered outside the state of Massachusetts. A winter hike is defined as any hike that takes place during the time period between December 1 and March 31.
The view of Wachusett Mountain from the summit of North Pack Monadnock.
Tuesday, 12/17/2024: Posted photo — Pattern.
Some interesting pattern on my car door this morning. It is starting to get cold. There will be a 40 degree F drop in temperature over the next few days.
Wednesday, 12/18/2024: Post photo — Ornaments.
Some ornaments on a tree.
Thursday, 12/19/2024: Posted photo — Roses.
Some roses to brighten your day.
Friday, 12/20/2024: Post photo — Colorize.
I attempted to do a different colorization today. Normally I would colorize using black and white. Today I wanted to use sepia.
Saturday, 12/21/2024: Post photo — Simplicity.
This week’s theme is simplicity in black and white. This is my submittal for the week.
“Once you learn to care, you can record images with your mind or on film. There is no difference between the two.” — Anonymous
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it keeps me inspired.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
Sunday, 11/24/2024: Posted photo — Gospel Cover.
When one of the two churches in town closed a few years ago, the Gospel cover was saved and is used in my parish. This is an ornate and heavy cover. The figure in the center is St. Nicholas. If I am incorrect, please let me know in the comments below.
Every week I put up the numbers for the hymns that will be sung for my wife. This week this cover was inspiring me to take its photo.
Monday, 11/25/2024: Posted photo — Looking Up.
It was a cold and windy day on the summit this week. I was attempting to take a photo of the stars. It looks like my headlamp washed out the photo. I have the red light on in an attempt not to interfere with the exposure.
You should use a red light on your headlight bulb when you need to preserve your night vision while navigating in the dark, like when camping, hiking at night, or reading a map, as red light has minimal impact on your eyes’ ability to adjust to darkness compared to white light; essentially, you would use it when you want to see without blinding yourself or significantly disrupting your night vision.
When I camp in dark sky areas, I always use my red light. When I stop at trail junctions, I use my red light so that I do not blind the other people in the group.
Tuesday, 11/26/2024: Posted photo — Kiwi.
The topic for my 52 week photo project this week is low key. Last week the topic was high key.
Low Key photography is creating a frame that is mostly dark unlike last week when the frame was mostly light. Last week I took the roses into GIMP and turned them into a high key photo. This week I took the kiwis into GIMP and made them low key.
Original PhotoLow Key edit of photo
Here are the before and after photos.
Wednesday, 11/27/2024: Post photo — Pomegranate.
Pomegranates are rich in polyphenols. There is some evidence that polyphenols help protect against diseases in your heart and blood vessels. Polyphenols may have many health benefits, including Antioxidant properties, Lower risk of type 2 diabetes and Reduced risk of heart disease.
When I make my fruit salad for the holidays, I like to put pomegranate seeds in them for a touch of color.
Thursday, 11/28/2024: Posted photo — Rutabaga.
Research on rutabagas below.
Rutabagas and turnips look similar, but they are not identical. Rutabagas are large, more yellowish, and only grow in cool climates. Meanwhile, turnips are small, usually have a reddish tinge, and grow in a variety of climates.
Rutabagas are high in vitamin C and fiber which makes them a great alternative to potatoes in a low-carb diet. One cup of boiled and cubed rutabaga contains 12 grams of carbohydrates, while the same amount of boiled and cubed potatoes contains 31 grams of carbohydrates.
With Thanksgiving today, I wanted to post a photo of a food that many people may not have on their table today. Thanksgiving is a celebration of gratitude and reflection on blessings. The holiday’s origins are rooted in the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621, when the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims shared a meal to give thanks for the successful harvest.
Friday, 11/29/2024: Post photo — Sunrise.
I took this photo on Wednesday and wanted to share it this week.
Today is what is known as Black Friday. It was that day that shops put on special sales for the holiday season. Now Black Friday starts after Halloween, so this day is not as crazy as it was. I can remember people not sleeping or camping out in front of stores to get the item of their choice.
To counter the craziness of this day, I am posting a peaceful sunrise photo. The sunrise was not as spectacular as it was last week, but the colors in the clouds warranted a photo.
Saturday, 11/30/2024: Post photo — Dusting.
We has a dusting of snow last night. It is nice to see a little snow covering. Waiting on the first snow fall of the season so that I can go snowshoeing and winter hiking.
The winter hiking season officially starts tomorrow, December 1. I will be going for my upcountry winter hiking leader certification this year. Once completed, I will be a four season local and a four season upcountry hiking leader. Looking forward to the challenge. I will not be as young as some of the leader, but I will be having fun. I have hiked year round local and upcountry so the additional training I will received this winter will be wonderful.
“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.
Sorry for the broken English some weeks. I type as I think and sometimes do not make all the corrections that are needed.
Sunday, 11/10/2024: Posted photo — Moon from Movie Clip.
Last week I noted that I would not post a moon shot unless I took it during the week. I took this one tonight as a movie. One of the features of the AutoStakkert program is that you can take a movie of the moon and then have the program stack all the frames of the movie.
The movie I took tonight was with my “moon” lens and my Canon 60D. This might have come out better if I were to have a tracking telescope, or if I did a better job focusing, but I like to practice with what I have. The wind was also blowing, and the long lens does not like the wind. Also, I do not plan on purchasing a tracking telescope. I have investigated a tracking feature for my camera, but I would not use it enough to justify the cost.
Monday, 11/11/2024: Posted photo — Ring around the Moon.
The temperature was dropping during tonight’s hike. We have not had much rain lately and the clouds were moving in for possible rain showers tonight.
I saw this ring around the moon earlier in the hike and wanted to take a photo of it at the summit. When I saw it earlier, we were in a wooded area. This ring may or may not be a luna halo, I need to look up the official scientific definition.
The White Pass & Yukon Route climbs from sea level in Skagway to almost 3,000 feet at the Summit in just 20 miles and features steep grades of almost 3.9%. The tight curves of the White Pass called for a narrow-gauge railroad.
I have, in the past, posted a photo of one of the mountains that can be seen from the railway. This is a photo of the train as it goes through a valley. Not happy about the washout in the background, but I did not have much time to adjust any camera settings.
Navajo Arch sits on a short side trail off the Devils Garden Trail in Arches National Park. The arch is made of Entrada sandstone and sits at the mouth of a small sandy alcove. The tree in this photo looks like it is full of branches, but if you look at it from the other side, the branches have been blown away. The area that I think looks like water, is the sun shining.
The day we did this hike it was over 100 degrees F in the shade. We were hugging the cliff walls during rest stops to keep out of the sun. The rule in the park is one gallon of water per person per day. We had one member of our group, me, carrying most of the extra water, with the other parties in the group carrying their own. This was a spur trail that we took on our way to Double O Arch, the second largest arch in the park, behind Landscape Arch.
Thursday, 11/14/2024: Posted photo — Fire.
I was bored today. It was the coolest day of the week so far and we had a fire in the wood stove. As I was loading wood into the fire, I had and idea of adding texture to a photo. I took a photo of the fire and went into the archives to my texture photos.
This photo is what I came up with. It looks like the photo is sideways, but it is not. This was just after I placed a log in the fire and the log was beginning to burn. The fire was following the contour of the log.
Friday, 11/15/2024: Post photo — Beaver Moon.
This is a composite of 12 photos stacked together with the AutoStakkert program. It is one of my favorite moon photos. I have been taken moon photos for 14 plus years and I am almost happy with one. All I need to do next is to take a full moon photo at moon rise, when it is closer to the horizon, so that it looks big.
The full moon for November is named after beavers because, at this time, they become particularly active in building their winter dams in preparation for the cold season. The beaver is mainly nocturnal, so they work under the light of the Full Moon. This is also the last supermoon of the year. A supermoon occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time the Moon is full.
Saturday, 11/16/2024: Post photo — Photo.
Needed one for today so I took a photo of the buttons on our projector.
“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” — Elliott Erwitt
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
Sunday, 11/03/2024: Posted photo — Ready for Winter.
All our wood has been delivered and stacked. Including the wood we have left over from last year, have about six cords of wood available to burn this winter.
Unless we have a very cold winter for an extended period, I will not be ordering as much wood next year as I have been for the last two years. The next step is to cover the wood that is outside the protect it from the elements.
Monday, 11/04/2024: Posted photo — Boston at Night.
Here is a view of Boston from the summit of Wachusett Mountain. I know this photo is dark. There was some cloud cover and what seemed to be very light snow on the summit, so everything was dark.
I had a good hike last night. There were only two of us tonight, both strong hikers, so my average speed was 2.8 miles per hour. To put that in perspective, when I hike with the normal group, my speed is slightly less than 2 miles per hour. It took us a half hour less to hike the four-mile loop than if I were with the normal group.
Tuesday, 11/05/2024: Posted photo — Bird in the Clouds.
When I pulled into my parking space at work today, I saw this hawk flying near me. By the time I was able to take my camera out, he moved away from me. This was the best shot that I took.
When I looked at this photo, I liked the way the simplicity of it. Not the perfect composition, yet simple.
Wednesday, 11/06/2024: Posted photo — Another Moon Shot.
Practice, Practice, Practice.
Not only practicing moon shots but practicing with my new software. I have been taken my old moon photos and processing them again using the AutoStakkert program. This will be the last practice photo I will be posting. Any future moon photos will be ones taken that day.
Thursday, 11/07/2024: Posted photo — Abstract.
This week’s photo topic is “full frame”. The idea is to fill the entire frame of your photograph with your subject, allowing it to take center stage and draw the viewer’s eye to its details. This photo is my first attempt of a full frame photo this week. It may not be the photo I post, but at least I will have a photo to post.
This is abstract wall art that is in one of the cubicles at work. This is a very colorful painting that drew my eyes. I will look at it for a few days to see if it is good enough to post. I have not been happy with my photos lately and need to step it up a notch.
Friday, 11/08/2024: Post photo — Moon and Venus.
Walked out of the office to this wonderful site — the moon and Venus at sunset. Venus is hard to see in this photo.
Saturday, 11/09/2024: Post photo — Centerpiece.
Today was the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC’s) Annual Meeting. During the meeting we voted on the new Executive Committee for the Worcester.
I was the official photographer for the meeting. I have not looked at any of my photos yet, and hope that some are good. I am sure they are. I am my worst critic.
This is a photo of the centerpiece on our table. The logo on the water bottle is the newest logo for the AMC.
“The picture that you took with your camera is the imagination you want to create with reality.” — Scott Lorenzo
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
This week has a hiking theme.
Sunday, 10/27/2024: Posted photo — Here they Come.
Here comes the hiking group, ascending the mountain at night.
Little tricky ascending the mountain tonight due to the low temperatures, leaves, and acorns on the trail. We all made it back to the trail head safely.
Monday, 10/28/2024: Posted photo — Trail Ahead.
Mountain House trail on Wachusett Mountain tonight. I was able to get out earlier than normal tonight since no member of the Monday Night hiking group was able to make it to the hike tonight.
Tonight there was a wonderful view of the sunset. I will have at least one more week with this group since next week I will be back to my regular hiking schedule.
Wednesday, 10/30/2024: Posted photo — Mount Monadnock.
Many photos of this mountain at sunset. Here is another one taken with my cellphone.
Thursday, 10/31/2024: Posted photo — Super Moon.
This photo was taken back in January. I am posting it this week since I am getting more comfortable with my new software and I wanted to share the results.
Friday, 11/01/2024: Post photo — Baking.
The topic for one of my photo project this week is bake. I made some chocolate chip cookie dough tonight and make some cookies for the photo project.
Saturday, 11/02/2024: Post photo — Training Setup.
Today was the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC’s) Winter Hiking Workshop. During this workshop, new hikers were taught the ins and outs of hiking in the winter.
During this training, I set up a table to discuss winter navigation. I displayed what I do from the initial planning to out on the trail. This is a photos of my compasses. I did demonstrations on how to use a map and compass together and how to determine your UTM coordinate on a map.
“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” — Elliott Erwitt
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
Sunday, 10/20/2024: Posted photo — Past Foliage.
The foliage has past in my area. We do not have bright, vibrant colors. We have the browns of fall. The sky was a great color blue and the contract between the leaves was amazing, especially with the brightness of the sun.
Monday, 10/21/2024: Posted photo — Comet.
If you look closely to the middle of this photo, you can see the comet that I posted last week. The comet is very hard to see with the naked eye tonight. You can see it very clearly when using binoculars and I was lucky to capture it with my phone.
Tuesday, 10/22/2024: Posted photo — Full Moon.
Last week I experimented with new software to stack my photos of the harvest moon. This is a second attempt at it. I am much happier with tonight’s photo. I also used my “moon” lens tonight, getting better starting photos of the moon prior to stacking.
Wednesday, 10/23/2024: Posted photo — Milky Way.
Used a different software tonight to take a photo of the Milky Way. The moon is my primary photography subject. I would like the Milky Way to be my second subject, except I live in an area with many trees so it is a difficult subject.
Unlike moon photos that I have been taken for years, I have only been taking Milky Way photos for a few years.
Thursday, 10/24/2024: Posted photo — Lightning.
I took this photo a few years ago. I was looking at old photos this week, saw this one, and wanted to share it again.
Friday, 10/25/2024: Post photo —Fenway Park.
The baseball championship started today with the best team winning game one.
I that honor, I posted one of my favorite photos from the oldest ballpark in MLB, America’s Most Beloved Ballpark, Fenway Park.
Saturday, 10/26/2024: Post photo — Acorn Cleanup.
Last week I posted about all the acorns in our yard, today I started to clean the up.
“Photograph: a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art.” — Ambrose Bierce
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
Sunday, 10/06/2024: Posted photo — Foliage.
Foliage time of year. The leaves are not at peak yet in this area.
A color palette needs pigments, and there are three types that are involved in autumn color:
Carotenoids: Produces yellow, orange, and brown colors in such things as corn, carrots, and daffodils, as well as rutabagas, buttercups, and bananas.
Anthocyanin: Gives color to such familiar things as cranberries, red apples, concord grapes, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and plums. They are water soluble and appear in the watery liquid of leaf cells.
Chlorophyll: Gives leaves a basic green color. It is necessary for photosynthesis, the chemical reaction that enables plants to use sunlight to manufacture sugars for food.
Monday, 10/07/2024: Posted photo — Mums.
Mums symbolize joy, life, friendship, luck, and rebirth. Part of its beauty is its resilience in the face of a sudden drop in temperatures.
Tuesday, 10/08/2024: Posted photo — Blue Sky.
I took this photo to show the contrast between the blue sky and the leaves starting to change.
Wednesday, 10/09/2024: Posted photo — More Foliage.
Some of the trees in the area are at peak colors. The light off the red caught my eyes, so I took this photo.
There was a surprise tonight when I went out to my car to get something – the Northern Lights. This is a composite photo of the lights. It looks like a heart to me.
This is a photo of what the Northern Lights looked like from my yard. I have many trees on my property so I did not get the full light show until I went up the road a little.
Friday, 10/11/2024: Post photo —Northern Lights Colors.
Second day of the Lights. At the beginning of this year, I have never seen them. So far I have seen them three times.
The Northern Light and a full solar eclipse in one year!
Saturday, 10/12/2024: Post photo — Sunrise near Boston.
I did a sunrise hike this morning. I wanted to do this last week, but I was too tired to do so.
Photo by Joseph Ciras 