“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
Here are some mountains that I have seen during my travels.
Sunday, 03/03/2024: Posted photo — Sunrise.
A wonderful sunrise. Took this photo on Monday morning and not on Sunday. I was busy on Sunday with a birthday celebration from a member of my family.
Monday, 03/04/2024: Posted photo — Night Hike.
I lead the Monday night hike this week. As the weather is getting better, more people are hiking on Monday nights. We have had 2–4 people on hikes during the winter, tonight we had seven. More people are expected due to the warmer weather and it being lighter at night. Time for some sunsets!
Tuesday, 03/05/2024: Posted photo — Stream.
With the snow melt and the rain we have had recently, the streams on the mountain are running. This is a photo from tonight’s night hike. Again, I did not realize that my headlight had a blue tint to it.
Wednesday, 03/06/2024: Posted photo — Bouquet.
A bouquet of flower that I took while food shopping this week.
Thursday, 03/07/2024: Posted photo — Rabbit.
The rabbit that lives on our property has been seen for the first time this year. I have seen rabbit prints in the snow during, but this is the first time I have seen it. Glad to see it made it through the wet, cold winter.
Friday, 03/08/2024: Post photo — Cube Solving Robot.
I help the robotics team at my high school alma mater. They were practicing their judging speech for the state championships and showed us that they have designed a robot that will mix up a cube to create a pixel for a mosaic that will be making. They did this through a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education program) that they started. This is the first STEM Rubik’s project in the country and they are sponsored by Rubik. I know a couple of the robotics team members from the speed cubing community. Here is a video of the robot: https://youtu.be/Id_YpwkuKww?si=U987aegensWYtoMc. It is long but it give you an idea of how these two cubers programmed the robot.
Saturday, 03/09/2024: Post photo — Covered Bridge.
This covered bridge is at the Bull Run Restaurant.
I attended Don White’s Annual Birthday Show at the Bull Run with some old college friends. It was not about the show, it was about connecting with people you spent a lot of time with earlier in your life and just getting together very sporadically over the years. The show was interesting, and the company was great. Will I remember who performed or what they sang, probably not. I will remember going out with some old friends.
When I was younger, people would tell me not to take family and friends for granted. As I get older, I understand what they mean. Thank you Chris for taking this group photo to keep the memories alive.
Settings: Google Pixel 7, ISO 62, f/1.8, 1/678 s, 7 mm.
During the ride down to our vacation destination, I noticed the contrail left by at plane as it was turning. Contrails or vapor trails are line-shaped clouds produced by aircraft engine exhaust or changes in air pressure, typically at aircraft cruising altitudes several miles above the Earth’s surface. A little later, I noticed that a plane took a turn and flew in front of another plane. I took my phone out, since I was the navigator at this time, and took a photo.
Monday, 02/20/2023: Posted photo — Shell.
Settings: Google Pixel 7, ISO 66, f/1.8, 1/593 s, 7 mm.
We reached our destination and took a walk on the beach. I took a photo of this shell because of its color. The beach was full of white shells. I did not see many shells that were dark. This shell is a common cockle shell. The common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) is a species of edible saltwater clam.
Tuesday, 02/21/2023: Posted photo — Under the Pier.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/320 s, 22 mm.
The Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier is nearly a quarter of a mile long and offers visitors close-up views of the Atlantic Ocean. The pier was closed for years because Hurricane Matthew wiped out part of the pier in 2016, then Hurricane Irma damaged it some more in 2017. Unfortunately the pillions on the pier do not make a good of a photo as the last pier did. At least this one might hold up to hurricanes.
Wednesday, 02/22/2023: Posted photo — Sunrise.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7, 1/8000 s, 300 mm.
Woke up early this morning to take a photo of the sunrise. Drove down to the pier to get this photo. The cloud cover was sparse, but the sunrise was wonderful. Each sunrise is different.
Tonight, while visiting family members, I saw the moon and Jupiter. Later on, I saw the moon, Jupiter, and Venus. I took out my camera and took a series of shots just after sunset. These photos are ones I took a little later at night at night time. These photos are handheld photos.
Thursday, 02/23/2023: Posted photo — Lizard.
Settings: Google Pixel 7, ISO 42, f/1.8, 1/234 s, 7 mm.
Don’t know if it is a brown anole or a Florida scrub lizard. Someone can tell me. All I know is that this little guy wanted to go with us to the beach today.
Friday, 02/24/2023: Post photo — Leaving the Nest.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/320 s, 300 mm.
We watched this osprey flying around and gathering sticks for its nest. They move so quickly. This was the best photo that I got of the osprey. This photo was taken in Cradle Creek Preserve. Cradle Creek Preserve consists of 36 acres, purchased on August 9, 2001 by the City of Jacksonville Beach and the city of Jacksonville. The City of Jacksonville Beach holds title to the property. It a very peaceful place in the middle of the hustle of the beaches.
Saturday, 02/25/2023: Post photo — Feet in Ocean.
Settings: Google Pixel 7, ISO 42, f/1.8, 1/4049 s, 7 mm.
As my vacation winds down, and the snow and ice falling up north, I took this opportunity to put my feet in the ocean. With temperatures in the 80s F here and in the teens up north, just relaxing for one more day.
Here is a gull and a Royal Tern that was hanging out with us on the beach.
I also took a walk in a nature preserve and saw this great blue heron. It was going to be a quick walk so I only had my cell phone. Watched it for about 15 minutes and it did not catch a fish. I do like the reflection and the shadow.
Back to the cold weather and reality.
Went back the next day and this egret fished successfully caught a fish, a small fish, but a fish none the less.
“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.
Sunday, 01/23/2022: Posted photo — Music.
Settings: Google Pixel 2, ISO 252, f/1.8, 1/120 s, 4 mm.
Psalm 23, The Lord is my shepherd…
This is best known psalm out of the 150 psalms in the Bible. There are five books and four literary styles in the psalms. The styles are hymns, prayers of thanksgiving and petition, religious lyrics, and didactic psalms. You can go online or ask your religious leader for more information on the psalms.
Songs, or hymns, at mass are used to enhance the service. I played the organ/keyboard during Mass when I was in college. My family still plays and sings in the choir during Mass today. A good song will lift your spirits.
I did not intend to use this photo today. I used it because it was one of the only photos that I took and it was the one that I liked the best.
Monday, 01/24/2022: Posted photo — Dusting of Snow.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/5, 1/15 s, 50 mm.
Last week we received heavy and wet snow. This week we received a dusting of snow.
In taking this photo, I was practicing depth of field (DOF) in my photos. I am in my 13 year of taking photos every day and I still need on practicing various techniques so my photos are of my liking. I am my own worst critic.
I did go on a great hike tonight. This is my normal Monday night hike on Wachusett Mountain. The trails were in great shape from all the people that have been hiking after the last snowstorm. Microspikes are needed. Some people say no to microspikes since there is no exposed ice on the trails. If I am leading a hike, I am requiring the use of microspikes, or other traction devices, since there is ice under the snow and the spikes give you better traction. I am cautions in a group situation.
Microspikes are great for hiking or in thick ice, nanospikes are good for walking the in areas where traction is needed, but they are not as aggressive as microspikes. I would not recommend the use of nonspikes while hiking since they do not have the grip you need on the snow or ice, or the inclines and declined on a hiking trail. A more aggressive means for traction is the use of crampons. I use my crampons in the higher elevations of the White Mountains, or on a very icy trail. When I hike in the winter, I carry two sets of microspikes: my inexpensive “rock” microspikes and my “good” microspikes and have my crampons with me. Occasionally I will also attach my snowshoes to my pack if there has been newly fallen snow and I know that trail that I will be hiking is an underutilized trail. The difference between my inexpensive “rock” microspikes and my “good” microspikes is the length of the spikes and the quality of the product.
Tuesday, 01/25/2022: Posted photo — Snow White.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 800, f/36, 1/50 s, 93 mm.
Light dusting of snow received last night. This makes for a wonderful winter scene. When I was walking around yesterday, I was thinking of the challenge for the 52 frames project https://52frames.com/photographer/20931. The challenge is for this week is to take a minimalistic photo. This is my first minimalistic photo of the week. Look for a different photo later in the week.
Wednesday, 01/26/2022: Posted photo — Colors.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/160 s, 115 mm.
Last week at this time, I posted a sunrise photo. Today I did the same.
I would like to talk about the colors in a sunrise/sunset. When the sun is low on the horizon during sunrises and sunsets, the sunlight travels through more of the atmosphere. Shorter wavelength colors (blues and violets) get scattered out. This leaves more of the longer wavelength colors like yellow, orange, and red. Therefore, sunrises often take on such colors. Some of the colors of a sunrise or sunset are #95382c, #141b24, #4f3c54, #223444, and #9c4a44 for the more technical people that read my post. Sunrises and sunsets are also in the 1000–2000 K range. Other base settings for sunrise and sunset photos are f/6–f/16 and a shutter speed of 1/500 s. I also like to take my photos one step underexposed to bring out the colors. Shoot RAW so values can be adjusted post process if required.
As always, practice sunrise and sunset photos to find out the best settings for your camera.
Thursday, 01/27/2022: Posted photo — Sky.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/640 s, 24 mm.
Here is another minimalistic photo for the week. I like this one better than the snow photo so this is the one that I may post for the 52 frames project.
Some of the elements of minimalistic photography are simplicity, negative space, powerful composition, isolation, color, and lines and shapes. Minimalist photography shows the power of a simple solo object. In this case, it is the contrail against the blue sky.
Looking at the simplicity of this photo, my watermark may be taking away some of its impact. Need to think about that next time. There is a debate whether to watermark photos. It does take away from the aesthetic quality of some photos. I watermark the photos that I post and not the ones that I display in gallery showings or the ones that I sell.
Friday, 01/28/2022: Post photo — Hook.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/5, 1/15 s, 62 mm.
I see a hook, a needlenose shark, or a stitch puller. What do you see? This is another pareidolia photo.
Today I am not writing much about this photo since I need to prepare our house for the snow storm that will happen tomorrow.
Saturday, 01/29/2022: Post photo — Looking Down the Street.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/80 s, 29 mm.
We received about 10 inches of snow out of today’s storm. It is much less than originally predicted. The storm moved out to sea, and we were on the outer edge of the storm.
I did go out every two hours today to shovel the snow. The first few times out there were a few inches of show to shovel. As the day went on, the shoveling was easier and quicker. Winter storm Kenan was another let down for us. Only 10 inches of snow. We are still waiting for the first big storm of the year.
Kenan was a bomb cyclone. A bomb cyclone is a storm that undergoes bombogenesis. Bombogenesis is a rapid intensification of a low-pressure system in which we measure in millibars. The lower the pressure is, the stronger the storm.
