Daily Image - May '23 Archive

29 May 23 Over the last several years I have written much about Decoration Day; I don't think I can add anything more, so this time around I'll just let the image speak to you as it may. Other than adding the text, this is straight from the camera. In Remembrance D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 640; 1 / 400 sec @ f /16 with the D300s.

05 May 23 We'll leave the critters in the park for a peek at some California poppies for this Friday's macro / close-up. Right about now I'd love to be in central CA to photograph the flower explosion I'm certain many of you have seen in the papers. Having lived in CA for 8 years I longed to experience one of these fantastic blooms but that never happened. No doubt we'll be seeing lots of pictures from this year's explosion soon. The image for today was taken when we lived in Ballard. Not far from our home, maybe 4 blocks, was an area where an abundance of CA poppies bloomed and they were in a perfect setting for shooting them in the late afternoon sun. The only real challenge was the wind and there were many days when that made good photography a real challenge. But on the days when the breezes were mostly absent the shooting was easy and fun. Today's offering is an example of such but I have converted the original to mimic something from Vincent. After getting the original to look how I wanted, I made 16 variations. This van Gogh attempt is Jan's favorite of the bunch. Something bright and cheery. Other than the conversion using the Topaz plug-in Impression 2, this is what the camera captured. By Vinny Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/1,250 sec @ f / 7.1.

12 May 23 It being macro/close-up Friday, I thought I'd go with a tulip close-up as they are now at the end of the season and it is unlikely we'll see many more of them. We have two loners left in the garden and they are now past prime. Apparently the LaConner showing was pretty good this year if you can believe the press. One of the local papers had a nice spread last week and from what I could tell it looked like it would have made for a nice visit if I had been feeling up to it, which I wasn't. Have to give it a go again next year. This shot was taken in a farmers market and not in the field. I picked it for two reasons: 1) I thought you would enjoy it and 2) it's a test to see what the blog viewers do with it. It seems that bright images get lots of viewings while the more subdued ones, like that I shared yesterday, do not. In the past couple of months it seems that the very bright images get roughly 3x the viewings. I am at a loss as to how this happens because you would have to look at the image to know what it is and that look is automatically counted. This is a test of that. This group of flowers were actually in a bucket along with several other bunches. I got down low, basically at eye level with the flowers, and shot from that angle. To my eye it makes them appear to be growing in the field or if not that, at least not picked. Perhaps you will see things differently. This is what the camera captured. At Their Best Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/100 sec @ f /8.

01 May 23 Looking pretty solid that the spring visit to the condo won't happen so let's see if I can dredge up a sufficient group of images from the previous 10 years to make up for it. About midway across the panhandle of Idaho on interstate 90 there is a section of land that looks more like a big bog than anything else and the road basically goes through it. The northern portion is substantially larger than the southern portion which frequently is more dry land than water but it varies from year to year. The northern portion isn't as beautiful as the southern piece but it does on occasion sport a moose or two. I've never been fortunate enough to see one but others have reported seeing them. The offering for today is of that smaller southern section. It frequently is full of water fowl but on this day they were elsewhere. From what I can tell, I've never been on the water, it looks to be no more than a few feet deep at most and as I've never seen anybody fishing either on it or along the shoreline I rather suspect there aren't any fish in it either. Still, it is a lovely sight and plenty of shoulder to pull over and enjoy as you drive along I-90. Other than a wee bit of contrast enhancement this is what the camera recorded. Spring in the Rockies Nikon D500; 18 - 200; ISO 200; Aperture Priority;1/320 sec @ f /11.

04 May 23 We'll go with another bison shot for today but this time one of a group of them, three to be exact. Every so often a small number of them will stand around together and just watch you almost as if they were there to welcome you into the park. They are almost always cows and often the younger members of the herd based on their size. They look ominous but in general they are merely curious. The only time I've ever been given the evil eye has been by young 2- 3 year old bulls and then only around the condo. They have never done anything threatening but I have found that they can sometimes like to think they are the big guys in town. Solution to being around them is to just give them a little more space. The gals in today's offering stood where they were for several minutes just watching me with the camera. After maybe five minutes they all did a right face, got in line, and ambled off. It was fun to watch them as they had originally been walking along the side of the road single file until I stopped to shoot. Then they stopped, turned to face me, and just watched. Great fun to be with these large critters and a treat I never tire of experiencing. I just hope they appreciate all the good press I give them. 😂 This is straight from the camera save for some significant cropping. Welcoming Committee Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1 / 200 sec @ f / 8 with the D300s.

02 May 23 Those folks like us who visit the park in early May are generally there to take in the bison boom, the first several weeks when the babies, called red dogs, make their arrival. When we arrived last year I didn't see a single baby that first day, but the next there were a couple, then several more, and then they were seemingly everywhere. Of course you can't have too many red dogs roaming around and playing as they can create quite a traffic jam. One wonders why. Today's twins were shot in 2014 so they are 9 years old this month and probably great grandmothers by now. Mom likely just a few years older. About mid way in on the West Entrance road you frequently find large numbers of the bison with their newborn calves. If you park in the allowed areas when they are present and just sorta hang out the moms will pay you little attention and amble by with the kiddies. It's quite fun and you can get some very nice portraits. The biggest problem is the folks who don't quite get the idea and "chase" after them. That gets both the animals and folks in green upset and can quickly ruin an otherwise very enjoyable time. If you've never visited the park in the spring this is a delightful way to idle away some hours. Lots of them. This is straight from the camera save for a little contrast enhancement. Twins Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/200 sec @ f / 9.

03 May 23 Picking up on a point I was making yesterday, that of being patient and allowing the wildlife to come to you. The critters in Yellowstone are not unaccustomed to people, but that said, they are also not receptive of stupid behaviors. Every time you hear of an animal doing some form of damage to a human it behooves you to wait for all the information associated with that incident. Without fail, it will be the human who provoked the attack and I can attest to how patient the animals really are until they are finally pushed beyond their tolerance(s). Given the chance they will always let you know when you are too close; follow their guidelines and all is well. Of course it helps if you take the time to understand the signs they give you. Go visit them, give them lots of space, and see what they have in mind. As often as not they will reward you with some delightful and frequent up close experiences. Today's offering is a good example of what I speak. This mom came within 20 feet of me and just stopped and posed. I chatted with her asking for permission to take her portrait and she just casually stood there letting me shoot. I thanked her and she moved on. I shared a shot of a half curl Big Horn Sheep back in 2017 that came up to where I was standing and not only posed for me but showed me his hurt hoof. I took several photos always moving closer and he just remained calm and watchful. I stopped at what I thought was a respectful distance and shot some more without him giving any signs of wanting to leave. That is, not until the folks I was with saw what I was doing and ran towards us. He was gone in an instant limping on the injured leg. It could have turned out otherwise. Point is that the animals really aren't dangerous on their own; they need provoking. Far better all around to just go pick out a spot where they are, sit down or lean against a tree or rock, and just wait. You'll be glad you did. More than likely you get lots of shots like this one. This is straight from the camera save for a bit of gardening. Up Close Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/160 sec @ f / 9 with the D300s.

08 May 23 Traveling north along hwy -191, once past Big Sky, you enter what I like to think of as Big Horn Sheep territory. From Big Sky all the way to the bottom of the pass to where you reach the valley in Boseman you can find the critters. You never know when or where they'll appear, but often they are right down on the road or just up the hillside a rocks throw. This group had crossed over the road and were heading up the hillside opposite from having gone down to the Gallatin River for a cool drink. Hanging out peacefully this time of year, come fall and they'll be testing out those horns to see who will be top Ram for the rut. Saw them practicing at a great distance once in Glacier Nat Pk but not since. Maybe this fall we'll have such an opportunity. For now we'll just have to appreciate the council meeting. Hopefully they'll arrive at some good decisions. This is what the camera captured. Council Meeting Nikon D300S; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/1,000 sec @ f / 9.

10 May 23 Jan's two favorite places in the park have to do with mud, the bubbling kind. One requires a bit of climbing to view and is frequently not open during our spring visits. The other is located in the lower geyser basin and is always accessible when the park is open. Both are changing in structure with the former having completely moved from what was apparently the original location to a site about 6 feet away and the latter just drying up at the moment but moving I'm certain to a location nearby soon. It is really fascinating to actually observe these thermal areas moving. An even better example and far more drastic in its movement is Mammoth Hot Springs at the north entrance. Today's offering was taken by Jan several years ago of the mud pot in the lower geyser basin. It no longer displays these large explosive bursts, now being primarily just little burps. But it will change and when it does I hope she will be there to get some more images. Other than some cropping and a tiny bit of contrast enhancement to emphasize the water, this is what the camera recorded. Dancing Bubbles Nikon D70S; 130mm; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f /11.

11 May 23 Unless you are an avid camper you will likely miss many of the small campgrounds found along Hwy-191 as you approach the park as well as those inside the park, in particular those along the Madison River. None are very large but each one has its own appeal depending on the view you prefer. This is a shot from one of them, the Madison Arm campground, which takes its name from one side (arm) of Hebgon Lake where it divides in two near the park's west entrance. This is the time of the spring melt when the water is the highest and running the fastest as you might imagine. The hardwoods are yet to fill out but the evergreens are starting to brighten up. Although there is only one in the shot, it is also the time of year when the birds return. Some stay all year, such as the White Pelicans, but many are migratory and come each spring to raise their families. Time too for the red dogs to make their arrival and the elk fawns and bear cubs as well. For that matter, all the baby mammals make their presence known so, with a bit of patience and a little study, it is a great time to visit. Pick one of these campgrounds and you are likely to see a bit more than those that just hustle through the park either looking for whatever turns up or a parking jam to point it out to them. This is what the camera captures save for a little contrast enhancement. Spring Break Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f /11.

09 May 23 Today's offering is probably the most iconic sight in the park. In the 15 years we've been visiting we've probably watched it maybe 3 times. I think this is either the first or second shot I've shared of it; you can find as many as you want on line, probably nicer than this one. While it is a very nice geyser it is also so over photographed and so heavily visited that it isn't much of an enticement to either visit or shoot. Too many people and too many shots of it. This year I hope to make the walk on the back side of it that I started last spring only to be snowed out. The thinking is that maybe some photos of it from behind might make for a different feel. I shared several shots of that walk but we only traversed perhaps a third of it. Hopefully this year I'll get to enjoy it all. Considering how I feel about it, why bother to even share a shot? I picked this one for two reasons: 1) I like how the mist melds almost seamlessly with the clouds and 2) it does a good job of showing how the water sheets on itself as it is thrust up into the air. Most of the photos I've seen or taken of Old Faithful display neither of these aspects. Perhaps you may also see this as being different from the typical presentation. Other than some cropping for composition and a wee bit of contrast enhancement, this is what the camera captured. Right on Schedule Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/1,600 sec @ f /10.

22 May 23 Well, back from Yellowstone about 3 days too soon; the smoke from the Alberta fires having driven us out on Friday. As famously written in another era, "it was the best of times; it was the worst of times". Best because I had the whole family with me, sunshine every day, simply fantastic lighting, a plethora of animals, and the stunning photographic talent of granddaughter Selby, part of whose graduation present was the trip; worst due to the smoke itself, the shortness of the trip due to the smoke, and some awful traffic issues once we returned to the Puget Sound area. We shall leave, for the mot part, the negatives and dwell on the good stuff for the next several weeks. For the last several years we have taken the Bainbridge Island ferry crossing over the more convenient Kingston crossing because it averts the I-5 parking lot approach to I-90 which can easily add an hour or more in travel time. An additional advantage of the B I ferry is that you get an opportunity to photograph the Seattle skyline and the associated port areas plus the chance of getting Mt Rainier to play as well. Over the last several years I've had Seattle shrouded in rain, fog, smoke, and once in darkness. This trip had the area drenched in sunshine, a lovely blue sky with white clouds, lots of colorful boat traffic, and Mt Rainier truly showing off. You can't get a much better send off and it was truly a delightful way to begin the trip. To top it all off we got another ferry to cross between us and the mountain so for today's offering you get two of the areas four defining icons (no space needle or Boeing aircraft) in a single shot. Other than some serious contrast adjustment for the sky, this is what the camera saw. Two Puget Sound Icons Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 250; 1/2,000 sec @ f / 9.

25 May 23 The good ol' days when we could drive from Grand Terrace straight through to Puget Sound non-layover have long since past and now it is 90-100 minute rest stops and maybe 450 miles a day. Of course those non layover trips meant nothing but driving while these old folk's drives allow for lots of photography. Our typical drive to the condo has as its first stop the ferry across Puget Sound, then a stop in Issaquah at Maggie's favorite restaurant, followed by stop at Indian John Hill, and then on to Vantage and that's not even 1/3 the way to the nightly stay in Haugen. The Indian John Hill rest area is a nice location with a lovely view of part of the Cascade mountain range, a section known as the Stuarts. The Cascades are interesting name wise as every so many miles the peaks are said to be included in a different group. As to how all these names came about I am clueless, but it is fun to be able to look at them and state their names, something I've yet to master. None-the-less it is helpful to know roughly what part of the range folks are discussing simply due to the naming. The shot for today was taken from a grassy area just a few feet from the facilities at the rest stop. It is actually a composite (panorama) of 6 frames and I've cut off the bottom of them as the lower half is the truck parking area with lots of colorful 18 wheelers. They were adding some pizazz to the view but detracting significantly from the mountains so I chopped them off. The mountains are visible in both directions on I-90 but only photographically when traveling east. Unless of course you want to stand up on the seat of your vehicle and shoot while supporting yourself through the sunroof. Probably doable if you still have perfect balance but those days are another thing that have long since departed. Other than making the panorama from the 6 frames, I've removed a few distracting elements; otherwise this is what the camera captured. The Stuart Range Nikon D500; 18 - 200. Aperture Priority; ISO 250; 1/2,500 sec @ f / 9.

23 May 23 Our normal 3rd stop on the drive east is at Vantage, on this side of the Columbia River. Here you can go dinosaur hunting, visit what I think might be an interesting museum ( it isn't open when we visit), explore some petrified tree remnants, see a number of very interesting petroglyphs that form a wall, observe living Ginkgo trees, and enjoy some beautiful views of the Columbia river basin depending on the weather. Growing up we were told by the experts (following the science and all that) that the Ginkgo tree had become extinct which I believed until my 12th grade biology teacher showed me one growing in his yard. The park in Vantage - Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park - has many of the trees growing around the Visitors Center. It also has lots of petrified logs of the same tree positioned around the building. But the green growing ones are not petrified. One of the nice aspects of the park is its location such that it provides for a very nice view of the river and the canyon through which it is flowing. On a clear day such as the one we enjoyed the morning of our visit it can be truly beautiful. Occasionally the river appears as flat as glass and it was just that way while we were there. Today's offering is of that view while standing to the side of the wall of petroglyphs. This is what the camera captured save for a little work on the sky. Smooth as Silk Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/1,600 sec @ f / 9.

24 May 23 The south side - I believe it is the south side - of the Visitor's Center at the Gingko Petrified State Park is home to a number of petroglyphs. These were originally located along the river about a mile north of the park and have been removed from their original site to prevent their loss with the creation of the Wanapum Reservoir. There are maybe 70 of these petroglyphs of varying sizes that make up a portion of the wall and are held together by mortar such as you would find in a typical stone wall. Their age is unknown to me and so far no one has been able to decipher what they mean; as far as I have been able to ascertain they are considered to be some kind of a language - one that is totally lost. It is of interest to me that several of the "figures" on the stone repeat and while not in this shot there are what appear to be family groups. What is evident in this shot are groups of what would appear to be hunters. Many other symbols are present, none of which I would even take a chance on as to deciphering their meaning. You may find it fun to look at what is drawn and come to your own conclusions as to what these 30 or so carvings are saying. If you can figure it out perhaps there is a Professorship waiting for you somewhere. This is what the camera captured. Lost Language Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f / 9.

30 May 23 The Nevada City setting along MT Hwy-287 is a recreation of how the city supposedly looked in the 1880s when it was one of the two major centers of commerce in what was known as one of the "Richest Gold Strikes in the Rocky Mountain West", sharing this role with its sister city Virginia City. Since the late 1990s, Nevada City has become a tourist attraction for its collection of 19th century buildings within or surrounding the Nevada City Museum & Music Hall. It is only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day should you care to visit. On the opposite side of the "city" there is an old train yard plus the train station. There is a train that actually runs during the time the city is open to the public that goes from Nevada City to Virginia City, a staggering distance of one mile. Between the two cities there is another attraction where you can pan for gold. Should you care to stay overnight in one of the cottages in Nevada City, the fee is $199/night which includes access to the city buildings, unlimited train rides, and an opportunity to pan for gold. The attraction is never open when I visit so I like to roam around on the railroad grounds. Lots to see and fun to shoot. Today's offering is taken from that side of the road and for fun I've positioned myself to make two trees, one on each side of the road, appear as though they are touching one another and making an arch. They aren't, it's just an illusion. A few more shots from the area upcoming for the rest of the week, maybe longer. This is straight from the camera. Faux Welcoming Arch Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/1,600 sec @ f / 9.

31 May 23 The train yard on the opposite side of the road from Nevada City is where I like to roam around. Much of it is fenced off at one end but is open at the other end so it is easy to walk around inside where the old cars are resting on sections of track. Many of them appear as if they are about to tip over but in the several years that we have been visiting none have so either it is an illusion or they are in a stable position. Today's offering is of a group of four red cars that have for sure seen better days. One wonders what stories they could tell if only they could talk. These four would probably request a new coat of paint before they shared anything. I used a polarizer to make for more dramatic colors but I think it over did some of the clouds. Walking around the yard there is plenty to take in including some switching mechanics that I assume were of the type used when these cars were new. If you have even the slightest interest in trains this is a must visit to put on your bucket list. More tomorrow. This is what the camera captured. Ol' Red Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f / 9.

26 May 23 Once on the eastern side of the Cascades and having passed Indian John Hill you begin to encounter a beautiful yellow flower that seems to grow larger the farther east you go until it reaches it maximum size in the Rockies, or so it seemed to us. The particular yellow flower, Arrowleaf Balsomroot was featured on the front of a Montana state map a few years back. It is truly lovely and when at its peak it almost seems like it brightens the roadside/hillsides on which it is blooming. This past trip it was out in full display in both directions and made for a nice addition to everything else we saw. I wish it grew in lower altitudes, especially in the one where we reside, because it would be a significant addition to our landscape. For those of you who may be traversing I-90 for the next few days it may still be in bloom and provide for a pleasant roadside attraction as you make your way to your destination. Other than for some cropping for composition, this is what the camera saw. At Peak Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/1,000 sec @ f /11.