Category Archives: Photography & Art
Nature vs Aperture
Meep Meep!
I’ve been taking my camera with me to work lately to avoid that ‘Arg! I wish I had my camera!’ moment at all times.
I’m STILL kicking myself about the vultures I missed shooting with a decent lens months and months ago.
It paid off.
We have a few roadrunners that visit our office daily. It started out innocently – and let me say, trying to get a good/non-blurry shot of an antsy bird is not the easiest thing to do. I share now some unedited shots of one of our visitors.
The Murder
As you can see, we gave it (and a roadrunner friend who I didn’t capture) offerings of cheese. Which, they ate – but I guess one was still hungry.
I heard a thump a while later, and turned to see a small bird hitting the glass door while one of our visitors deftly snatched it out of the air.
I jumped up and grabbed my camera and prayed for a National Geographic moment.
I’ll warn you now – if you’re tender-hearted when it comes to creatures, (which I am, but was fascinated for some reason behind the camera watching nature at work) then don’t keep scrolling.
It all happened so fast – there wasn’t much of a struggle, and after reviewing the shot I got of its talons above, you can see why that might be.
I went out later to see what was left – nothing. Nothing but a few feathers. That gave me some measure of comfort … that none of the prey was wasted.
Sunday snapping Butters
Butters – my canine manatee and I had a quiet day inside. Too hot to be out, chores done. Both still – on our opposing couches.
I took the first photo of her on my ipad – her face mirroring my own boredom.
When I decided to get my ‘real’ camera out – she took off immediately, as she usually does, not wanting anything to do with it.
Then she came back – and was uncharacteristically cooperative. Toward the end of the ‘photo session’ she seemed to be posing for me – allowing me to lay on the ground, zooming in on her, clicking away as she stayed still.
I give you some of our moments.
Musings from the Laundromat – my week in photos
Quail in vacant lot across from my home
Road Runner right outside my office
A winged ant – the last of a long and disturbing three days
A happy dog – now her toy basket is on the ground
Between the Musing – Laundromat Gold
I fell in love with this man and his posture. Even sitting, his shapes and angles were so mesmerizing – I found myself staring at him and then snapping shots on my ipad.
I loved him even more when he retrieved his items from the dryer and they were button down shirts. I watched as after placing them on hangers, he smoothed them with his balletic hands.
I thought – ‘I’ve found laundromat gold’ (which, ironically, occurred in the dryer too – a small gold pencil that did not come from any of my items.)
Anyway – each photo may appear similar, but the minute differences in some are just so elegant I could not leave any out. Only editing was switching from color to black and white.
A song came to mind by 10,000 maniacs – one of my favorites.
“The man in 119 takes his tea all alone
Mornings we all rise to wireless Verdi cries
I’m hearing opera through the door
The souls of men and women, impassioned all
Their voices climb and fall, battle trumpets call
I fill the bath and climb inside, singing
He will not touch their pastry
But every day they bring him more
Gold from the breakfast tray, I steal them all away
And then go, eat them on the shore…”
Please enjoy my graceful hypnotic ‘man in 119’.
Musings from the Laundromat – Super Moon Sunday
There is one advantage to being roused from sleep at various times during the night/early morning – and that is the night sky.
Thanks to Butters, my sleepless manatee, I witnessed this on Friday the 8th. (Well, considering the ungodly hour, I guess it was technically Saturday the 9th)
I’m surprised at how well they came out considering I was half asleep, and capturing the moon looking like anything more than a blurry dust mote on the lens without a tripod is near impossible for me even when wide awake.
I did absolutely no editing at all. It seemed strange to me that the moon was setting so early (3:30 am? It felt like 3:30 am …) But there it is – quickly going from the sky to behind a tree and finally sinking behind the mountain.
Tonight should make for more amazing photos as it is Super Moon Sunday.
What’s so super about it? Well, it will be closer to the earth than it’s been in over 20 years.
Throw into the mix the fact that it will appear 30% brighter and 14% bigger too!
Not going to lie, there is a part of me that hopes I miss it due to uninterrupted sleep. But if I am up, I’ll snap some shots.
Debauchery Soup 