Piperbarb's 2013 Project 365

[piperbarb]

6-23-13:

Not a whole lot of photography today, and no pileated woodpecker photos ... yet..., but I did finish another holiday gift scarf, so you get a photo of my knitting. I did have to play around a bit with the color balance because it came out bluish grey in the origininal raw photo. That's the first time that happened, but I usually have better luck taking knitting project photos inside and using flash. Oh, well...

Blue Garter Rib Lace Scarf

 

[Marilynne]

6-23-13:

Not a whole lot of photography today, and no plileated woodpecker photos ... yet..., but I did finish another holiday gift scarf, so you get a photo of my knitting. I did have to play around a bit with the color balance because it came out bluish grey in the origininal raw photo. That's the first time that happened, but I usually have better luck taking knitting project photos inside and using flash. Oh, well...

Blue Garter Rib Lace Scarf
View attachment 41732

Looks good, I like that color.

 

[piperbarb]

Looks good, I like that color.

Thanks. It looks even better in person. The photo does not do it justice.

 

[piperbarb]

6-24-13:

With vacation comes some odd ideas of things to photograph. I decided to see what we had in the way of photogenic garden snails when I took the dog out this morning. Next time, I leave the dog home. It seems she has a penchant for garden snails. BLECH! Anyway, here's a batch of photogenic snails. There will be more in the future.





​

 

[Just-Clayton]

I can't seem to get a shot of them. I see them on my route. But, no luck. I had the same problem when I see a mocking bird. They don't let you too close.

6-21-13: Fauna: Birds!!!!

I have been trying to get a photo of one of the pileated woodpeckers that live around here. We have 3 or 4 nesting pairs of them this year. I'll hear them in the woods behind our house or in the woods across the road. I will even get a quick glimpse of one of them flying across our lawn from one stand of trees to another. They are really hard to photograph in flight because they are fast and don't fly in a straight line like crows and many other birds do.



Anyway, one flew across our lawn and across the road. I couldn't even get him/her in my viewfinder before he/she was gone. After a few minutes, I heard the woodpecker making its classic "wuk" sound over and over again. I followed the sound until I saw it in a tree Just across the road. After may photos, some absolutely blurry, I ended up with about 8 really good ones. The two best are shown below. I thought that was a good way to start vacation. Now, if I can only get a decent, in-focus shot of one in flight, I will feel I have accomplished a lot.

Someone's Knocking?
View attachment 41422

Knock, Knock
View attachment 41423

 

[Marilynne]

I can't seem to get a shot of them. I see them on my route. But, no luck. I had the same problem when I see a mocking bird. They don't let you too close.

I thought you were talking about the snails!! Glad I read further down.

 

[piperbarb]

I thought you were talking about the snails!! Glad I read further down.

HaHa! That would really be a feat! Snails are so shy, and fast.

 

[Just-Clayton]

the snails are way too fast for me. joking around on here I posted a slug as my action shot challenge.

 

[piperbarb]

the snails are way too fast for me. joking around on here I posted a slug as my action shot challenge.

That would be a challenge, to show a slug in action.

 

[Roy1961]

Barbara, what was your shutter speed for the snails, I think you have nailed them, I usually just kick them,

 

[Rick M]

That would be a challenge, to show a slug in action.

​I see them at work all the time

 

[piperbarb]

Barbara, what was your shutter speed for the snails, I think you have nailed them, I usually just kick them,

f
I cheated and used the on-camera flash, 1/60th, ISO 200, and f/10, with my AF 105mm micro Nikkor. I love that lens.

 

[piperbarb]

6-25-13:

Today was a catch as catch can type of photo day. Here are three photos that fall into 3 different categories, that's for sure.

I realize this stuff is a weed but I still think the flowers are pretty, especially since they are my favorite color.

The Color Purple



Yes, a woodpecker hole. No, I haven't seen the woodpecker since Saturday. This is one of the many scores of woodpecker holes we have around here. They have been very busy.

Knock, Knock. Anybody Home?



As I was walking back to the house and approached the bird feeder, this dark-eyed junco saw me, flitted off the feeder and onto the roof. From the way he was squawking, I knew I had disturbed him during dinner.

Human... Go Away!

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

The weed is very pretty. I like to cultivate weeds.

 

[Deezey]

For the pileated woodpeckers......purchase a small blind and leave it up in the area for 3 days or so. Hide in blind and shoot away.

Calling them in works too.

They have been one of the hardest birds I have tried to photograph. Spot and stalk tactics almost always fail. They are just way to wary. Mine are at least. And I have been photographing the same pair (banded) for over a year now and they still don't like me.

Sent from my SCH-I405 using Tapatalk 2

 

[piperbarb]

6-26-13:

Today makes up for the past couple of days. Unlike most of my photos, today's lot are urban, sort of. Binghamton is a small city of about 46,500 people. In it's heyday, Binghamton's population peaked in 1950 at 85,000. Obviously, as the population decreased, so has the viability of Binghamton's downtown.

My husband had an appointment in downtown Binghamton this morning, so I wandered the streets for almost an hour. It was rather overcast and hazy, if that makes any difference.

All photos were taken with my D3000, 18-55mm VR zoom lens (I'm getting to like it more and more), ISO 400, f/10 for most photos.

The first photo, one I have wanted to get for a while, is one of those fading, painted ads on the side of a brick building. Binghamton used to have more of these, but many of them are gone as the buildings have been torn down.

Fading from History



This house, long abandoned, is just a few doors down from the building in the photo above. It was probably a beautiful house at one time, but it has been empty for at least 10 years.

Gentrification? Not Here, That's for Sure!



Just so you don't think that all of downtown Binghamton looks like a post-apocalyptal movie set, there is a lot going on to revitalize it, plus some parts have been kept in pristine condition. Here are a few examples.

This next one, says a lot. It's a new place called the Mad Moose Inn. Hmmmm.... considering Rod Serling of Twilight Zone fame is from Binghamton, this could get scary.




This next photo is the steeple side of Christ Episcopal Church. This is a beautiful church, inside and out, very well kept up, and on the National Historic Registry. I have played my bagpipe at this church several times for weddings and funerals. The acoustics are amazing.

Christ Episcopal Church



This fire escape is part of a building that has been fixed up within the past couple of years. I just like the angles of it.

Angular View



Of course, what set of urban images would be complete without at least one train tracks photo. Here's one. We don't have passenger service but we do have a lot of freight trains. Passenger train service ended in 1969, and every so often there is talk about it being restarted. I wish it would. I like trains.

Side Rail

 

[piperbarb]

6-26-13: Addendum

I forgot to upload this next one. We had breakfast at this restaurant this morning. It is called Piccolo's. The food, service and prices are fantastic. The owner was having the outside on one side being painted. I loved it.

Jungle Friends

 

[Moab Man]

Just so you don't think that all of downtown Binghamton looks like a post-apocalyptal movie set,

​That sadly would be a large part of Detroit.

 

[piperbarb]

​That sadly would be a large part of Detroit.

I know. That is very sad. What is bringing downtown Binghamton back is that Binghamton University (used to be called SUNY Binghamton, same school, different name ) has started a second campus downtown. It has academic buildings, dorms and student apartments, plus the typical student housing run by slumlords. If that is what helps to revitalize downtown, I am happy with that.

 

[Roy1961]

Barbara, post no 596, that would have made a great blog never mind a post, good stuff, like the old house, you can only imagine what it would have looked like in its day.