Daily Image - August 2019 Archive

16 Aug 19 A bit of a change up for today's macro/close-up in that Jan selected - much to my surprise - a creative version of a strand of bleeding heart. We planted a group of 5 small plants about 4 years ago. They now have grown to a group of 5 large clumpings and occupy a fair portion of the front entrance side garden over shadowed by a hardy fuchsia that we almost lost last winter but with a serious bit of pruning came roaring back. Both are very attractive and the fuchsia supplants our hummingbird feeders when we get lazy. Meanwhile the bleeding heart just keep blooming their hearts out. While the front is just the pinkish variety, we have them plus white and red in the back. They are pretty hardy and I believe grow in more than half the U.S. climate zones so if you don't have them in your garden it might be worth purchasing a couple of plants to see how they do. Other than the creative conversion this is what the camera recorded. By Georgia Nikon D500; 105 mm macro; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/60 sec @ f / 9 with fill flash.

07 Aug 19 This is another of the ocean views from a pullout on HWY-101. One of the best parts of driving along either 101 or 1, depending on where you are, is the large number of locations where you can safely get of the road and shoot. Of the three states constituting our western shore, CA does the best job, WA the poorest, with OR in-between. This is from one of those pullouts in CA. Not a lot to say about it save for its beauty. I preferred this B&W version of the shoreline to the others so thought I'd share it for today. This is a 7 frame pano which I took by standing in the center of the frame and rotating about my feet. The distance from left to right is a fair amount more than it may appear. Other than combining the 7 frames and converting to B & W, this is basically what the camera recorded. In Mono Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/1000 sec @ f / 9.

06 Aug 19 I didn't send anything for Monday as I was a fair bit under the weather; maybe a make up later in the week. About two blocks away from where we stayed in Eureka on the way south there was a building with a nice aviation mural on its side but one which was beginning to show its age some. When I went to grab the shot there was a local sleeping on the ground with all his possessions. I decided to take the shot with him in it but when he realized I was planning on shooting the mural he immediately moved apologizing for being where he was. This was one time I think I would have preferred having a human in my shot, just for the contrasts. Although I did a search for info on this airfield I was unable to learn anything about the painting but I'm guessing it dates to the forties. The last time I shared an image of a painting I got a lot of flak for using another's work but as I'm identifying what this is I should think it O.K. Besides, I've feel like I've improved it some by returning it to how I think it likely looked when freshly painted. I've cropped the original to keep just the mural and a little grassy foreground and nothing more plus removed a pole that didn't help any. Building Mural Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/250 sec @ f / 9.

02 Aug 19 Driving as we did in circles trying to find the Golden Gate Park so we could visit the botanical garden we were delighted to find a parking spot just a hundred feet from the main greenhouse. The apparently free parking at the base of the greenhouse seemed a little surprising but noticing a police cart very close by I went over and asked just to make sure. The policeman was quite put out that I was interrupting his lunch, let me know so, and then told me he wasn't park of the park. Welcome to San Francisco! The delight in finding what I supposed was a free spot however was to be short lived as the greenhouse and all its associate buildings were CLOSED. So we walked through the desert garden being oh so "tareful" as granddaughter used to say not to get our feet on any of the dirt in the garden. The many signs made it clear it was see and not touch - so glad we drove there to see it!! We also looked at the dahlia garden but at a distance as it was carefully enclosed by a metal fence. Too bad the brochures didn't tell all the story. I did get to shoot a couple of dahlias although I don't really know why I bothered as we have a yard full of them and open access to several large dahlias garden close by. But one of the shots I did take featured a nice wasp (Yellow Jacket) and that's what I'm sharing today. This is basically what the camera recorded. Petals and Stripes Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/1000 sec @ f / 9.

12 Aug 19 One of the specific places I wanted to visit on that CA trip was the Point Reyes National Seashore, a long strip of land jutting up against the Pacific Ocean. Over the years I had heard and read much about it so I was really hyped to go see it in person. As it turned out our day of visit was that first day out of Berkeley when virtually everything we tried to do fizzled, and the National Seashore was in that group. First we couldn't find it and probably wouldn't have if an off-duty park ranger hadn't noticed us driving back and forth and who pulled in front of us to provide help. She told us how to get where we wanted to go but when we got there it was pretty much a BIG disappointment. Other than a few flowered sand dunes, we saw no birds, about 5 scrawny deer, and at a GREAT distance, too small to see with the naked eye, perhaps 3 elephant seal cows a couple miles distant from our viewing location. That was it! A LOT of driving for nothing. The shot for today is about the most we saw in that two hour venture. I'm sure there must be more, but we certainly didn't get to see it and we were there in the late afternoon / early evening time frame when things should have been happening. Another place we shan't be visiting again. This is straight from the camera save for the cloning out of two sets of footprints in the sand at the bottom of the frame. Painted Dunes of Reyes Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/800 sec @ f /11.

08 Aug 19 Being Theatrical Thursday I thought I'd go with something rather common but with a different twist. Our long day of travel that started out in Berkeley ending up in Bodega Bay concluded with a spectacular sunset that was lacking only the birds, although they were the background mural at the registration desk at the motel. Jan elected to just crash and enjoy the view from the room but I went out to see what I could discover. The sunset proved to be my find. It started to develop as we settling into our room and steadily progressed for the better part of 30 minutes before fading to just plain dark, the stars being occluded by the thick cloud layers. The color was just as you see it in the image but I've darkened the ground and water and removed a group of telephone wires and pole that were most distracting. Sunsets I know are a dime a dozen, but the several different types of clouds that had been with us all day made this one somewhat special. Other than the alterations I've mentioned above, this is straight from the camera. In Orange Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/125 sec @ f / 9.

26 Aug 19 The day we left Berkeley was a long day of driving and I've shared some of it with you already. Most of it was a huge disappointment and frustration, but by evening tide we had made our way to Marshal on the highway 1 coastline where we stopped at Nick's Cove for a much needed meal. It was a very nice restaurant and while checking in we asked about accommodations. Another couple waiting to be seated said they were staying at Bodega Bay about 30 minutes north and that it was a very nice location. The name Bodega Bay sounded like it might be a good choice for the night but I didn't put it together until we got there and checked in. Our first choice for the night said vacancy but when I tried to get a room was told that the last room had been filled about 10 minutes prior. The owner called around for us and found us a room at another establishment saying "you'll like it, the desk clerk is a former student of mine". So we went back to get our room and it was then, when I entered the lobby, that I realized why the name Bodega Bay was familiar. The mural on the wall behind the check in desk was a large grouping of black birds in flight! Of course!! I chatted with the clerk and owner for several minutes who told me where to go to see the various sights and we made plans to do so come morning. Finishing breakfast we headed into the town of Bodega Bay but it took us a couple of attempts to find it. When we did we went looking for the life size replica of Mr Hitchcock but couldn't find it but we did find the school house and the church which was kinda nice. We were to eventually learn that the individual who kept the replica of Mr Hitchcock had sold her establishment and the new owner didn't like him so she got rid of all the Hitchcock paraphernalia. It was sorta weird but the entire time we were in the city limits of Bodega Bay we had this very eerie feeling. It wasn't until we got back home and I was scrolling through my photos that we understood why. The original was given some straightening and a bit of cropping. That Uneasy Feeling Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/800 sec @ f / 9.

13 Aug 19 Over the weekend I began submitting images to Adobe Stock. I've sent them close to 80 and throughout today I've been getting messages from them saying image "X" was either accepted or rejected. The rejections comments are interesting as some are clearly out in left field; the accepted images simply say accepted for sale and nothing else. So far all of the coastal images I've shared with you and Adobe have been accepted, so I guess I'll keep working up more of them. This is a shot taken from a small pull out on Hwy-1 just a few miles north of the motel in which we stayed in Bodega Bay. As we drove along this portion of the road we found ourselves frequently stopping to shoot one cove after another. It made for a significantly delayed trip north but was well worth it. The evening prior at the motel in Bodega Bay, this next day drive north, and the drive to and visit at Crater Lake would prove to be the best time of the entire trip. With the exception of cropping off some of the sky, and a little dodging and burning, this is what the camera recorded. Rock Overview Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 100; 1/400 sec @ f /11.

01 Aug 19 Perhaps 30 minutes north of Bodega Bay the road begins to really hug the shoreline and provides some really spectacular views. This was to be the beginning of a winning combination of water, rocks, skies, and vegetation which lasted for several hours of driving, albeit not always going the speed limit because one of us wanted to take photos. I'm just guessing but I think we were visiting in the middle of the vegetation bloom as we encountered the flowers in various stages from just starting to full display to past perfect. The combination however was truly nice and perhaps the best display I can recall having experienced during our three tours in CA. On top of the flora show the clouds were to put on a grand display and even Jan couldn't stop pointing them out to me throughout the day's drive. What you see in this shot was just the beginning of a performance that lasted until dusk. Other than a small amount of straightening and contrast enhancement, this is what the camera saw. Roadside Delight Nikon D500; 18 - 200; aperture priority; ISO 100; 1/320 sec @ f /11.

27 Aug 19 I'm seriously considering sharing another triptych for this week's images so I'm starting with a B&W which I guess is an appropriate start for B & W Tuesday. When you first enter the Crater Lake park area you of course have to stop and pay the ogre unless you have the annual or old folks pass which we, as you may surmise, have. From there it is a short drive to the first parking lot where you find the very large visitors center where the idea is to separate you from your wallet, and the Ranger Station. Then it is perhaps another 450 foot elevation drive to the crater loop road and the park headquarters. As far as I can ascertain there are only two entrances to the loop road, north and west; we came in the west as the north was closed. There is a very limited viewing area just in front of the headquarters area before you start driving around the loop road. While we were there the loop road was open only from roughly 7 o'clock to 10 o'clock (not times), the rest still covered by snow and this was the last week in June but as you are at approximately 8K feet altitude this may not be surprising. The shot for today was taken at the first location along the loop road (real name is West Rim Drive - the only portion open) where you can clearly see the lake although only part of it. It is also the location where the cover photo for the park brochure was taken although I wasn't aware of such when I took the shot. With the obvious exception of the clouds, all the white in the shot is snow. I'm standing back about two feet from the edge - about as close as my body (nerves) would let me - when I pressed the shutter. Others were standing closer but I couldn't do it so there may be a few more trees in the shot than some would prefer; others may disagree. This is basically straight from the camera except for my brightening the snow at the LLH edge. A Bit Ansel-like Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f /11.

28 Aug 19 As I mentioned yesterday I have decided to go with multiple versions of the same image for a couple of reasons two of which are this image really lends itself to so doing and the other is that my work schedule for the week is an exhausting one and it leaves me a bit more tired than I'd like to be for working up images. This is how the lake looked to us on the day of our visit immediately upon our arrival, but it was not to remain like this for the couple of hours we were visiting. The blue is just how we saw it. Interestingly, the park brochure claims that the lake is blue because "other colors of the spectrum are absorbed. Blue wavelengths are scattered and seen by the human eye." That is only part of the reason and not all that good an answer to boot but it is partially true. Plenty of info available on the web or in any library about color vision so I don't need to parrot it here, but one simple part of the explanation is that the water is reflecting the blue of the sky and during our two hour visit the blues on the lake were constantly changing. In this shot you can again easily see the sheeting of the water and if you zoom in some of the boating activity. Same material as provided yesterday except that in this color version the snow is much more readily recognizable and the colors of the crater edge are clearly apparent. This is basically straight from the camera except for my brightening the snow at the LLH corner. Putting on the Ritz Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f /11.

29 Aug 19 We'll wrap the triptych set with two rather than just one more image. Both are creative so fitting for Theatrical Thursday. I already said just about all there is to say about this shot so we'll let it go at that. With a total of four images you can create four different sets of three or, if you count moving them into different positions as being different, 24 different sets. All the same technical info applies. Sketched a While Back Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f /11.

29 Aug 19 We'll wrap the triptych set with two rather than just one more image. Both are creative so fitting for Theatrical Thursday. I already said just about all there is to say about this shot so we'll let it go at that. With a total of four images you can create four different sets of three or, if you count moving them into different positions as being different, 24 different sets. All the same technical info applies. Turner_Viewpoint Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f /11.

52 Anniv Ed Monday will be our 52nd anniversary and over 56 years of being together. Time does fly. We celebrated by introducing a '56 T-Bird to our garage; robin's egg blue, both soft and hard tops, and in pristine condition. Never thought I'd own a T-Bird, more of a Corvair Monza Spyder convertible guy but that never happened. So with a blue bird we also have a blue lake. This is the shot I promised earlier showing the sheeting of the water on the surface of the lake due to the wind action. While I've seen water sheet before, and shared an image of same of Snoqualmie Falls several years back, this was the first time I'd ever seen the degree of sheeting we saw on the lake the day of our visit. Of interest is the degree of surface disruption that can be seen just about anywhere you look; either the water was actually sheeting or preparing to do so. IF you do visit Crater Lake I recommend trying for a day with some "weather" to make it much more interesting and with lots of clouds even more beautiful than it is on a perfectly clear day. This is basically straight from the camera save for a bit of straightening and a tiny bit of contrast enhancement to make the sheeting more easily recognized. Sheeting Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/640 sec @ f /11.

14 Aug 19 Our last destination on the trip was to visit Crater Lake. Jan had never been there prior and I don't recall if I had ever been there as a child, but if so I don't remember it. This will be the first shot I share of it and it is a pano taken from what may be a location close to nine o'clock on the loop road circumnavigating the entire rim. We had access to roughly 1/4 of the road as the rest was still under snow. Not sure how much was remaining but we heard one of the rangers saying that the average snowfall was roughly 44 feet and they had received a little more this past year. I'll write more as I share additional shots. This is a 9 pane pano which I've not altered at all save obviously for the combining of the images. Pano Overlook Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/640 sec @ f /11.

21 Aug 19 Since we've made but the one visit to Crater Lake what I write today is mostly conjecture. You are looking at Wizard Island and directly in front at 6 o'clock is Fumarole Bay and at 3 o'clock is Governors Bay. The island is located near the western edge of the crater. While we were there we watched a couple of power boats and a single sail boat cruising around the lake. You can see one boat dock/float in Governors Bay and from a different angle you can see what looks to be a boat shelter there also but on the island itself. There is also a small craft heading into Governors Bay. At one point there was a small power craft in Fumorale Bay and folks walking on what looks to be a small island in front of the green water from which I thinking the bay got its name. At the north end of the crater there is a tour boat service and likely a boat launch but I can't tell from the little brochure you get when you enter the park. The white you see at the bottom is snow and I had to walk over a large section to get to the rocky area where I took the shot. One could get a bit closer but the nerves wouldn't let me so the result is the rocky soil and snow in the foreground. Need to go back and really check out this beautiful national park. Other than some straightening and a bit of contrast enhancement this is what the camera saw. Fumarole Bay Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/400 sec @ f /11.

15 Aug 19 Eight days into our 2 week coastal trip Jan decided she had had enough driving and wanted to call the rest of the trip off and get back home. So day 9 was a full court press north stopping in several places along the way among them being Glass Beach where she spent a couple hours collecting glass on the beach. From there we made it to Eureka for a quick late dinner and then pushed on to Crescent City for the night before making the long drive home the next day. But in the early dawn of morning I hung a carrot in front of her called Crater Lake and the plans changed to delay the return one more day in order to visit Crater Lake. It was a good call as the drive from Crescent City to Crater Lake is just 188 miles and takes roughly 4 hours assuming you don't stop for anything and we didn't save for some fuel. The weather was beginning to change and some nice clouds were teasing us along the entire drive. Unlike a lot of the National Parks, the approach to Crater Lake is almost as nice as the Lake itself so the drive to and from was a bonus I had not anticipated. Upon our arrival the weather was getting stormy and produced some interesting surface action on the Lake which I'll show in another mailing. Off and on we enjoyed some blustery winds, a bit of rain and even some hail for a few minutes. The weather made for some very nice compositions and I'm thinking the next time we visit I'll look for something other than clear calm skies. Today's shot, another pano, was taken with the lake at our backs looking out across the approach to the top of the crater. As I mentioned yesterday, we could only drive 1/4 of the way around the crater road and just to the right side of the image is where you had to turn around and retrace your steps as the snow was still covering the road. The photo looks like it is curved but it isn't as I was standing at the bottom of a road that went uphill in both directions, like the one you had to walk uphill both ways to and from school as a child. This is an 11 frame pano. It is straight from the camera. Endpoint Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/1000 sec @ f /11.

09 Aug 19 Little by little we are growing a poppy section in the front garden. This year was the first in which we've had growth resultant from the plants self propagating and we are quite hopeful on seeing a lot more next year in that we have perhaps 20 stalks with seed heads on them each of which holds hundreds of seeds. In addition to that we keep adding new varieties so perhaps in another 5 or 6 years we'll have a nice section devoted to these beautiful flowers. I've been shooting them for years always trying to get that perfect shot although I don't really know what that is as my ideas keep changing. That said, here is a shot from the garden I took a few weeks back that comes mighty close to being the perfect shot for now. Next year I have a feeling it will be something slightly different. This is straight from the camera. Perfection Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/250 sec @ f / 16.

30 Aug 19 Among our favorite flowers, and "our" includes Jan, me, and our eldest granddaughter, are calla lilies. You've likely seen them in white, yellow, and purple, and we have all three in the garden, but this year one sprung up in vibrant orange. We have no idea from where it came, but it has been blooming - a single flower - for over two months. Over that time the color has changed from a very bright orange to a deeper orange, but it has remained orange throughout. This shot really shows off the color but unfortunately is missing an insect or arachnid. You are welcome to practice your image manipulations by adding same. We will be departing on the 16th for Yellowstone returning on the 30th so there will be no mailings the last two weeks in September. I'll remind you again next week and on the 13th. This is straight from the camera. Atypically Colored Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture priority; ISO 200; 1/1250 sec @ f / 9.

23 Aug 19 No mailing for yesterday; overdid it apparently on Tuesday and the bug came back to say gotcha. Today was sorta play it by ear but things seem to be returning to quasi-normal. Perhaps a weekend make-up. As you are all aware I'm always looking to capture that perfect bee photo and I've yet to accomplish such, but the shot for today is the closest I've come to date at getting a good in-flight capture. In the front garden flower section is a row of Cosmos and while I was shooting some dahlias I noticed a bit of insect activity with the Cosmos so I turned my attention to them both, Cosmos and bees. In this particular capture I was following a single honey bee from blossom to blossom and managed to snap one frame as it was thinking about landing. It didn't, and so this was the best shot of the group, but it does capture the bee almost sharp, its motion across the flower, and its shadow on two of the petals. So getting closer but not quite there yet. This is straight from the camera save for some cropping of unnecessary green plant on the left. Touchdown Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/2000 sec @ f / 9.

20 Aug 19 While I had zero intent of sharing this, the number of requests for it made me decide to do so, but we'll be back to real photos tomorrow. Very good friends, and almost members of our little congregation who live on the healthy side of the Cascades, were the proud owners of two 50's T-Birds, one red and the other blue, both rag and hard tops, and one with a continental kit. The red one was sold years ago but they kept the blue one until Sunday. One son had completely restored it and another son had it garaged here locally. We had seen it a number of times and Jan had commented on how neat it was. So when it was made known that our friends wanted to sell it we offered to let it become ours; and so we did. It is mostly an investment piece but we will likely drive it now and then if only to vintage car shows. This is straight from the camera. Fifty-Two and Counting Nikon D-500; 18 - 20; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f / 7.1.