• Cactus,  Plants/Nature,  quotes

    Morning Sun

    September 1, 2012
    Backlit Cactus

    At our best and most fortunate we make pictures because of what stands before our camera, to honor what is greater and more interesting than we are. We never accomplish this perfectly, though in return we are given something perfect–a sense of inclusion. Our subject thus redefines us, and is part of the biography by which we want to be known.

    Robert Adams

    Early one morning my dad and I waited to see if the covey of quail would make an appearance and scamper across his back yard. Well, they did not show up but I did get a photo of the cactus back lit by the morning sun. This is one of my favorite times of the day.

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  • Cactus,  landscape,  Plants/Nature,  sunrises

    A Bit of Pink

    August 26, 2012
    Just Before Sunrise

    This mornings sunrise was completely different than the day before. Clouds filled the sky and the stars were not to be seen. I arrived at a new location and was greeted with the same quiet as the previous morning. The quiet is amazing to experience, especially for us city dwellers. But before I knew it the desert awoke with the songs of cactus wrens breaking that silence. I would not see the sun rise over the horizon on this morning. Yet, nature gave me a small bit of pink to enjoy.

    I should be picking up Paul Lester today and taking him up to Mount Evans, 14,000 feet. This way he can look to the east and see all of Nebraska he just drove through. We hope to meet up with John Strong for a bite to eat sometime in the afternoon or evening.

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  • Cactus,  landscape,  Plants/Nature,  sunrises

    Breaking the Horizon

    August 25, 2012
    Just Breaking the Horizon

    It was still pretty dark when I arrived along Peralta Trail and stars sparkling in the clear skies. After turning off the engine I was surrounded by an eerie quiet. All my senses were perked. Shortly before sunrise I was greeted with the yelping of coyotes and the songs of the cactus wren. The desert was awakening. I looked compositions that would show the rugged terrain along with the plant life of this desert region. Seems like my eyes were constantly roaming. I was not sure exactly where the sun would rise but had a good guess. I felt lucky to be where I was with the ocotillo and the saguaro as the sun began breaking the horizon. This was the reason I woke up early.

    When I arrived at my parents house I noticed my tripod head had come apart and some of it was missing. So when this image was taken I was clamping my camera to the head with a c-clamp and watching it like a hawk. We found the missing part the next day as it had fallen off when I get out the car in my dads garage. All is better now. 🙂

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  • flowers,  Plants/Nature

    An Afternoon at Riverbend Ponds

    August 4, 2012
    Reservoir Ridge Natural Area

    Another one of the nature areas in Fort Collins is Riverbend Ponds. It is straight east of me about 4 miles along Prospect Road. I have not been out there for the past 5 years so I stopped by for a walk and look see. The skies were dark and overcast with a few sprinkles here and there and a lot of wind. So much had changed. They have a wooden path leading through a marshy area so I took that path. The cattails were above my head, making it feel like I was in a forest rather than a wetlands area. Everything was green and lush. There are several more of these nature areas for me to explore so I’ll probably be posting a few more images and boring you with stories.

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  • bees,  Canon Powershot G12,  flowers,  insects,  Plants/Nature

    Flowers and a Bee

    August 1, 2012
    Sunday Observer

    I plopped down on the ground and braced my elbows on my knees to get images of these flowers. The bees were all over the place so I impatiently waited for one of them to come into the viewfinder then shot’em. No harm was done to the flower or the bee. Got the seat of my pants wet but us photogs don’t care. We walk back to our car with dirty britches. 🙂

    Hope everyone has a good August!

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  • Plants/Nature

    The Corn is Getting Tall

    July 31, 2012
    The Corn Field

    A drive out east on County Road 15 showed lots of corn fields with some very tall corn stalks. Everything is green out there from all the irrigation with a coolness not found in the city limits. Kinda nice place to be. I’m off on a 3-day trip today, see when I get back.

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  • leaves,  Plants/Nature

    It was the light …

    July 10, 2012
    After the Rain

    … that drew my eye to this image. We have had rain for the past few days with overcast skies allowing for soft light most of the day. While taking a walk I notice the leaves. The diffused light just brought out the green for me on this one and since I happened to have my camera, I lifted the camera to my eye and pressed the shutter.

     

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  • flowers,  Plants/Nature

    Another from the garden

    July 8, 2012
    Love Yellow

    If I had to pick a single word to describe what my pictures are all about, I would say ‘secrets.’
    As a child I always had a secret world and my favorite book was “A Secret Garden.”

    Joyce Tenneson

    Here is another image taken at the CSU trail garden I wandered through on the morning of the 4th. I sure did enjoy my time. It is amazing how many flowers and plants I do not know. I guess if I really was interested enough, I’d study about them. Anyway here is another from the garden.

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  • flowers,  Plants/Nature

    It was a quiet day

    July 5, 2012

    I had a pretty quiet 4th of July but a busy one. An early bike ride to the coffee shop for a bit of reading and writing. I worked on some shots I took the night before. Did some shopping and bought a second pair of shorts as my older ones have shrunk. I spent a couple of hours at the CSU Trial Garden for some flower photos.

    The garden was also quiet when I arrived but that soon changed after people finished their morning coffees and head over there. I was hoping for a butterfly image but the bees and wasps were happily coming into my viewfinder.

    For a late lunch I made it over to a mom and pop shop called Taqueria Los Comales and devoured the carnitas plate (see image above). The only thing left on the plate when I finished was the skid mark from my nose when I licked the plate. Man, was it good! Gladly people are observing the fireworks ban so there have been very few fireworks going off. It was a quiet day.

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  • HDR,  landscape,  Plants/Nature,  trees

    Happy 4th of July

    July 4, 2012
    Yesterday’s evening in the lowlands

    Sorry for posting another image of trees and another fence post but they seem to be everywhere I look. I did make a drive north of town last night and found some interesting areas I will need to search out. Seems like lots of potential for images. I do hope everyone enjoys their 4th of July!

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