• Art/Design,  landscape,  Metro Parks

    What's you favorite flavor?

    October 20, 2009
    Fall Colors

    Ever notice when fall arrives, our woods take on a new palette of colors? On a walk in Blendon Woods I remembered a story about a young girl, who when asked what her favorite flavor was, answered, “red.” As a grade schooler I think blue would have been my answer.

    The fall colors of the hardwood forests are still new to me. I’m accustomed to the golds and yellows of my native Colorado aspens. These fall colors of the Ohio Valley almost overwhelm me. I”m not sure I could select a favorite color. The reds pop out at me but only because of the green and yellow and brown and orange colors. So, I ask this simple question, “Do we even need to have a favorite color?” Can’t I just claim them all as my favorite flavor?

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  • bees,  insects

    Natures Surprises

    July 15, 2009
    Bumble Bee and Dotted Blazing Star

    Nature is always changing and presenting us with surprises. This bumble bee is an example of such a surprise. I was in Blendon Woods park playing around with my white balance preset, you know the adage, practice makes perfect, when this bee decided to get in the image. As a photographer, I had no problems with that. 

    Life is also constantly changing. Big and little surprises enter our lives on a daily basis. How do we handle the surprises in life? do we accept them or fight against them? Do we run away from them? I kinda like surprises, myself!

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  • flowers,  insects

    Energized Bee

    July 13, 2009
    Busy Bee

    Did you ever notice how bumble bees are a lot like the Energizer Rabbit, they just keep on going? They have a mission in life to pollinate and then go after it. Wish my body could keep up that pace but alas the age thing is taking its toll. I’m posting this image because it was taken with the new Nikon 35mm f1.8 lens. I got as close as I could get with the lens then I’ve done a major crop in Lightroom 2, tweaked levels and a bit of saturation. That’s it. I think the lens performs well, especially for a $200 price tag. It’s a keeper and the lens stays on the camera most of the time. It’s a lot lighter to carry around, another one of those age things. 🙂

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  • Metro Parks,  People/Portraits

    Nature Walk

    July 12, 2009
    Taking a Walk

    They say walking is good exercise. I believe them. We can keep weight off, build up our cardiovascular and just feel good about ourselves. Finding the discipline to walk on a regular basis has been lacking in my life for the past few years. Now that I have this nature area behind my apartments I do get out more often and that’s good. I headed out to the park with my camera and tripod, thinking I could get a self-portrait image along with a walk. 

    On the way back to the car, this silly question came to mind. I bought myself a nice carbon fiber tripod a few years ago and have been really pleased with it. It’s rugged and solid. Paid a lot of money for it. But even with the three legs I still have to carry the darn thing. Anyone else have to carry theirs, also?

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  • landscape,  Metro Parks

    My back yard

    July 9, 2009
    Blendon Woods

    I have a wonderful backyard. It’s called Blendon Woods Metro park. I think this image captures what I mean by this. While on an afternoon walk I stopped by the waterfowl overlooks at Thoreau Lake and was treated with both a small deer and a blue heron. Of course I did not have a telephoto lens so they are quite small. The heron is on the right side and the deer is along the edge of the lake. Birds are singing their songs of happiness and the sounds of the city cannot be heard. This parks boundary is right behind my apartments. I do have to drive or walk around to the park entrance.

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  • Plants/Nature

    Stand Out in the Crowd

    July 3, 2009
    Coneflower

    I arrived home from a 3-day trip around midnight and have been sluggish most of the day. After a short night of rest I awoke to overcast skies, cool temperatures and early morning showers. My head was fuzzy, clouded with a dull ache. I had very little energy. I knew I needed to get up and move, so off to Blendon Woods Park I went. It was vital to get way from the noise of civilization and take in all that nature has to reenergize the soul. Going for a walk in a natural area without my camera would feel like I was naked, so with camera in hand I walked the trails. As I came around a small curve I noticed this scene pictured above.

    This coneflower was standing out in the crowd. This scene is an enjoyable piece of art where nature has placed this solitary cone flower among a group of Black-eyed Susan’s. Evening is now upon me and I do feel better. I recommend such a treatment for those who experience the doldrums: take a 1-3 mile walk, smell the flowers, listen to the birds, take your camera. Add a good nights sleep and you’ll feel like a new person, and stand out in the crowd.

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  • Plants/Nature

    I Like Daises

    June 20, 2009
    Daisies

    My grandmother’s name was Daisy but that’s not the reason I like daisies. Some people consider them weeds and some consider them flowers. We find them growing in peoples gardens and in an open prairie. They stand tall on their stems and sway with the wind. In fact do you remember making daisies chains with their stems when you were little? They are also used for medicinal purposes. A little known fact is that in ancient Rome, the surgeons who accompanied Roman legions into battle would order their slaves to pick sacks full of daisies in order to extract their juice. Bandages were then soaked in this juice and then would be used to bind sword and spear cuts. But what draws me to them is their beauty. In this image you will notice I was not the only one attracted to the daisies. Hope you have a great day!

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  • Metro Parks

    Free Concert

    June 19, 2009
    Concert Seating

    Rain started beating against my window around 1:00 am in the morning and continued raining until mid morning. Just after noon the blue skies started to appear and the heat/humidity started to rise. As your clothes begin to stick to your damp body you realized that you’re living in the Ohio Valley and not back in Colorado.

    In spite of the weather I decided to give myself an assignment. I walked through Blendon Woods park with only my 85mm f1.8 portrait lens.  Every so often along the trails are these benches where people can rest or you can sit while enjoying the free concert orchestrated by the birds. And what a concert it is. Hope you had a good day!

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