Hello Friends! Today I have a cute photo to share with you that I took last week during one our walks in the park.
I don’t know why this caught my attention. Perhaps it was the way the cat stared at me while I clicked a few photos. Possibly because it looked as though he was guarding some treasure, he had hidden in the water drain. Whatever the reason, I thought it made for an interesting photo.
Taken with my Samsung Galaxy Note 20, I brought the original image into Photoshop, did a little haze removal, made a few color corrections with the “LOMO” and “Vignette” auto functions and voila! I really like how the colors show the texture of the environment around him. What do you think?
They say when cardinals appear a loved one who has passed has come to visit. Cardinals are frequent visitors to our yard so it’s hard to say whether or not they’re family members coming for a visit, or just simply coincidental visitors.
Last Sunday as I was in the kitchen meal prepping for the week out of the corner of my eye, I could see this little fellow hanging out on a bare tree limb. He was a perfectly bright red color with a beautiful black mask surrounding his beak. I desperately wanted to snap a few pictures of him, but I knew he would fly away before I could get the camera ready. To my surprise he just kept sitting there, looking around from side to side, puffing up his chest with no sign of budging.
Finally, I pulled out my camera, attached the 200m to 400m lens (the big lens as Michael calls it), raised the blinds and……..ugh! The windows have screens on them! Obviously, auto focus wouldn’t work, so I switched to manual focus. That was a little better, but not perfect. Trying to hold the camera (the big lens is heavy) and adjust the manual focus made it difficult to get a sharp image. Oh well, he was such a pretty bird I decided to make the best of it and kept on shooting.
This guy stayed on the limb for at least 10 – 15 minutes. Was it a family member? Who really knows for sure, but for me personally, just having him hang out for a while brought some comfort and a smile to my face.
Donna, from Windkiss has brought us back down to earth (so to speak) with a challenge that gives a nod to Earth Day and all things “rocks.” You can read her full challenge here.
So, let’s get started. No matter where you turn rocks play an important role on this planet.
They lead us through tunnels to find the light at the end.
Located in Galax, VA is the New River Trail which is a 57-mile linear park that follows an abandoned railroad tracks (part of the “rails to trails” system). The park parallels the scenic and historic New River for 39 miles and passes through four counties and the city of Galax. The photo below is one of two tunnels located on the trail.
New River Tunnel – Galax, VA
They can be a fortress offering protection from society.
This is as close as I have ever come to Alcatraz. Having seen movies and documentaries about “The Rock” it looks like a great place for photo ops. Perhaps one day I’ll make it back out there.
Alcatraz Prison – San Fransico, CA
They can be great tourist attractions.
If you look just beyond the tallest skyscraper, you’ll see a HUGE mountain (also called “The Rock”). It’s actually granite and is documented to have been formed 300 million (yes million) years ago. Stone Mountain, as it (and the surrounding town) is named, is located just east of Atlanta. You can climb to the top of the, take a train ride around the base of it and so much more. Interestingly, I took this photo when we lived in a condo where we had panoramic views of Atlanta.
Stone Mountain, Georgia at Sunset
They provide firm foundations for those wonderful lighthouses providing a watch-light for boaters on dark and stormy nights.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse is located in Pescadero, CA. I’ve shared before that many years ago Michael and I drove the Pacific Coast Highway from San Diego to San Francisco (Christmas Day – New Year’s Day). We had no map, no plans and no place to be. Literally, we made no hotel reservations. I share a little bit about that trip in an earlier post Lens-Artist Challenge #215 . A fun adventure indeed, with some good and not so good hotel choices.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse – Pescadero, CA
They offer a resting place for mother nature.
Downtown Greenville, SC has gone through a revitalization over the years and one of the many great qualities is how they have incorporated Reedy Creek into the landscape, meandering along the sidewalks and spectacular walking trails.
Reedy Creek – Greenville, SC
They can cause the rise and fall of tides here on earth.
Ok, so while not of planet earth, per se, we can’t forget about that big rock up in the sky that affects our lives in so many ways down here! I guess you could say it’s the “ying” to earth’s “yang.”😉
Thank you, Donna, for making us stop and appreciate our planet earth! It was a fun to stop and think about all this big round ball has to offer to us.
For those of you who are interested in knowing more about the Lens-Artists challenge click here. Next week it’s Ritva’s turn to lead us through another fun filled challenge. Be sure to see what she has in store for us at noon EST this Saturday.
In an effort to get in some “photo-therapy” I decided to pull out my macro lens and wander around our backyard for inspiration. It’s Fall here in Atlanta so there’s not too much blooming. But, nonetheless, there is ALWAYS something to photograph in a backyard.
Take for instance, the faded blooms off a hydrangea bush. They are truly beautiful in their own way.
And you certainly can’t deny the beauty of this pink rose. This is the only rose bush that has performed well for us this year.
And Mother Nature gave me a bonus while shooting the pink rose. This little fella decided to get into the picture, too!
I enjoyed getting back out with the Macro lens and also working with the images in Photoshop Elements to enhance their colors and bring out their features.
The fall colors are beautiful and are falling rapidly. So, who knows, I may just have to get back out there for a little more “photo-therapy.” Stay tuned!
The area of Atlanta, GA we live in is surrounded by several county, state and federal parks and it’s not unusual to see a Blue Heron or two (2) circling above the river or fishing in a feeder stream. Last week on our Sunday walk, this fella flew over us and landed on the stream below the bridge we were standing on. He was so still but looked as though he was getting ready to take flight. Fortunately, I was able to snap a quick photo with my cell phone.
What I like about this image is how the water, rocks, leaves and branches all seem to perfectly frame him. Since I used my Android phone, I did have to make a few adjustments in Photoshop Elements to bring out the colors and details of the Fall leaves. Still, it turned out to be a decent image (just don’t zoom in too closely 😉).
The Fall colors really peaked in Atlanta last weekend. They were spectacular! All the reds, yellows and oranges were all aglow. With it also being the perfect Fall weather (albeit a little overcast), I decided to go on a little photography excursion and get a good walk in at the same time. So, I laced up my walking shoes, grabbed my camera bag and headed over to the Chattahoochee National Park.
I’ve shared photos of previous Fall walks at this park before, so I tried to capture a few different perspectives along with doing a little magic in Photoshop to add some pop to a couple of images.
The Canadian Geese have arrived and settled in on the river. Well, to be honest they never really left, it just seems like a few more have joined the pack this year.
The path in the park is very wide and is approximately 3.2 miles all the way around. On the weekends runners, walkers and bikers come from near and far to enjoy the scenery. But when I was there it wasn’t very crowded and at times it was like having the entire park to myself.
As I rounded the back side of the path, I was surprised to see this little guy still gathering nectar off these tiny daisies.
There are several trails that branch off the main path. Some connect to other parks; others just make a big circle back to the main path. I’m not sure how long this particular trail (below) is and what it connects to, but I just loved how it draws your eye through the canopy of trees. I also had a little fun in photoshop with this one applying an “Orton Effect.” If you’re unfamiliar with this effect, it’s designed to give your photos a little “dreamy” feel. What do you think?
Here is another image that I added the “Orton Effect.” This tree really caught my eye!
Back home this Maple made its debut, but it was short lived after an evening rain/wind managed to blow most of the leaves off.
But, hey I can’t complain about the colorful “carpet” of leaves it left behind.
“Autumn embraces change, even as she is falling to pieces.”
Donna Robinson Photography 