You have been into the fortune cookies again. I thought we told you they are only for the paying customers.
Pretzel's Snack-A-Day (365 for 2014)
- Thread starter Pretzel
- Start date
sonicbuffalo_RIP
Senior Member
love the carnival pictures and the family in the backyard pictures! Quality shots!
Day 174 - Shoot what ya got...
So I was sitting there today, shoulda been working, but was instead thinking, "What the heck am I gonna shoot for the 365 today. Surely I've shot it all. There's nothing left... Nothing that someone else won't do better..." Then I read an article that got me fired back up, so I came home, glanced about, and found something that could be "contested."
So here ya go... a couple of near dead simple mums that have been adorning our dining table, still standing tall in a half-full green "Ball" jar. Slowly fading, both on the table and in still life.
No flash, no "grand idea", no huge set-up, just something that caught my eye and might actually lock in someone else's for a moment as well.
Then I took the 4 pics and did a simple collage, just because.
So I was sitting there today, shoulda been working, but was instead thinking, "What the heck am I gonna shoot for the 365 today. Surely I've shot it all. There's nothing left... Nothing that someone else won't do better..." Then I read an article that got me fired back up, so I came home, glanced about, and found something that could be "contested."
So here ya go... a couple of near dead simple mums that have been adorning our dining table, still standing tall in a half-full green "Ball" jar. Slowly fading, both on the table and in still life.
No flash, no "grand idea", no huge set-up, just something that caught my eye and might actually lock in someone else's for a moment as well. Then I took the 4 pics and did a simple collage, just because.
Day 174 - Shoot what ya got...
So I was sitting there today, shoulda been working, but was instead thinking, "What the heck am I gonna shoot for the 365 today. Surely I've shot it all. There's nothing left... Nothing that someone else won't do better..." Then I read an article that got me fired back up, so I came home, glanced about, and found something that could be "contested."
So here ya go... a couple of near dead simple mums that have been adorning our dining table, still standing tall in a half-full green "Ball" jar. Slowly fading, both on the table and in still life.
View attachment 97261 View attachment 97262 View attachment 97263 View attachment 97264
Then I took the 4 pics and did a simple collage, just because.
View attachment 97270
I really like your creativity.
Thank goodness someone else is going thru that "what am I going to shoot" phase. It's just getting soooooooo hard
Clever idea with that poor fading Daisy
Thanks to both of you for the kind words!
Contrary to popular belief, I struggle with photo inspiration quite often. In fact, I'm willing to bet every photographer does more often than most suspect. We all want that one shot that will capture a subject that nobody has ever seen before, and... well... with so many shooters in the world... it just doesn't happen all that much anymore. At least not in my world. BUT... (wherever I go, there's a big one of those) one of the reasons I took on the 365 this year was to get me, and anybody else that pays attention, to realize that there is beauty, or a sense of the artistic, in every mundane moment that we pass through. The challenge is slowing ourselves down just enough to see it, and then MY hope is to try and capture that beauty and share it so everyone else wonders how they miss such simple things.
I kind of blame the mundane patterns and electronic sensory overload we have these days. It's not hard to find some sort of drivel that allows us an effortless escape from the day to day world. And the killer is, it's endless. Over 300 channels! (195+ in HD!) 48 apps on your phone! Broadband streaming wherever you roam! Add to that the miracles of the internet in general, which allow you to interact with the world while never having to leave the comfort of your couch, whether it be forums or games or FB or... sadly, I think it's all served to create a world full of "show me" instead of "let me discover", where things like imagination and creativity seem to disappear as it's just not needed all that much any more.
Now, take a mind that settled into that for quite some time, and try to snap back out of it in your mid 40's...
Ok, maybe not every photographer... maybe it's just me. But that's my struggle.
(BTW, I typed and retyped this about a dozen times, and it still doesn't capture what I meant it to relay... think I'm gonna go out and search on the internet for someone that said it better. BRB)
I understand what you're saying, so no need to search. You were very clear.
Just remember one thing about all the electronic sensory overload devices.
They are all equipped with an "off" switch. I use it quite often.
BTW, nice shots in this thread. I thoroughly enjoy them.
Carry on, big bald guy. (from another big bald guy)
Just remember one thing about all the electronic sensory overload devices.
They are all equipped with an "off" switch. I use it quite often.
BTW, nice shots in this thread. I thoroughly enjoy them.
Carry on, big bald guy. (from another big bald guy)
Day 175 - Selfies...
So when I was leaving work today, I dropped my shades and headed for the door "WOW! You look like a white BLADE!" So, although it may not be the most artistic shot ever, I had to come home and set up with the shades, etc. and attempt my first selfie head shot. LOL Granted, all I did was set up the camera at the right distance, close a couple of blinds and blast myself with the lightsphere. I didn't even mess with any settings, but rather left it where it was and let the camera take over flash power, etc., so it was shot at 3200 ISO, f2.8 and 1/60. HA! After a bit of hardcore editing to remove MOST of the ugly, it wasn't bad though... right??
I dunno... I think he still has me in the "tough look" department. (this is actually a pic of a "life like representation" so as not to incur the wrath of posting a pic of Mr. Snipes himself, LOL)
ANYWAY... to make a short story longer... if you've followed my images/tales for a while, you know I've got a wee little jack lass that now thinks a FLASH equals treats for the pup! Now, I can't go just handing out treats without actually getting her in the pics, so we tried a "mean mug" shot together. Not sure if "mean" was the look we ended up with, but there ya have it.
Then, as I was trying to talk her into a REAL "mean mug", she let me know she just didn't have it in her...
She won. No more growling, she got the treats!
So when I was leaving work today, I dropped my shades and headed for the door "WOW! You look like a white BLADE!" So, although it may not be the most artistic shot ever, I had to come home and set up with the shades, etc. and attempt my first selfie head shot. LOL Granted, all I did was set up the camera at the right distance, close a couple of blinds and blast myself with the lightsphere. I didn't even mess with any settings, but rather left it where it was and let the camera take over flash power, etc., so it was shot at 3200 ISO, f2.8 and 1/60. HA! After a bit of hardcore editing to remove MOST of the ugly, it wasn't bad though... right??
I dunno... I think he still has me in the "tough look" department. (this is actually a pic of a "life like representation" so as not to incur the wrath of posting a pic of Mr. Snipes himself, LOL)
ANYWAY... to make a short story longer... if you've followed my images/tales for a while, you know I've got a wee little jack lass that now thinks a FLASH equals treats for the pup! Now, I can't go just handing out treats without actually getting her in the pics, so we tried a "mean mug" shot together. Not sure if "mean" was the look we ended up with, but there ya have it.
Then, as I was trying to talk her into a REAL "mean mug", she let me know she just didn't have it in her...
She won. No more growling, she got the treats!
Day 176 - Same old park, 3 new friends.
So I went to LaFortune Park again, thought I might catch the normal herons in amongst the full growth of Spring, but they weren't there... I did, however, discover 3 NEW friends (and one of the regular turtles). Two of 'em were still herons (egrets), but not typically the types that normally hang around this area!
1st, one of the regulars, albeit not of the feathered variety. This fellow found a nice tall bank that wasn't QUITE tall enough to warm his head up, so he had to stretch it just a bit further. Either that, or he was pretending to be a heron?
Then, heading for the walkway, this little lass let me get VERY close, although she kept a VERY watchful eye on me too. One of the new residents, a Red Turtle Dove.
Spotted this guy, the 2nd of the newcomers, on the side of the concrete overflow/spillway. Quite the hairdo!! If I guessed correctly, I identified him as a nearly mature Green Heron? Very rare to see in these parts... in fact, don't think I've ever personally seen one in Oklahoma before today.
The Green Heron showing off his mad skills... This is TALL heron...
...quickly followed up by SHORT heron. Would hate to have to pick him out of a line-up!
Then here was the 3rd and final newcomer. A Great White Heron (or Great Egret). ALMOST thought I'd catch an attempt at lunch, but whatever caught his/her eye, it disappeared.
This visitor wasn't too keen with me waltzing around with a camera, so here was the transition to a more peaceful hunting ground. I have a bit of a different edit in the Monthly Challenge area, but kind of liked this one too for the details it drew out in the wings.
So I went to LaFortune Park again, thought I might catch the normal herons in amongst the full growth of Spring, but they weren't there... I did, however, discover 3 NEW friends (and one of the regular turtles). Two of 'em were still herons (egrets), but not typically the types that normally hang around this area!
1st, one of the regulars, albeit not of the feathered variety. This fellow found a nice tall bank that wasn't QUITE tall enough to warm his head up, so he had to stretch it just a bit further. Either that, or he was pretending to be a heron?
Then, heading for the walkway, this little lass let me get VERY close, although she kept a VERY watchful eye on me too. One of the new residents, a Red Turtle Dove.
Spotted this guy, the 2nd of the newcomers, on the side of the concrete overflow/spillway. Quite the hairdo!! If I guessed correctly, I identified him as a nearly mature Green Heron? Very rare to see in these parts... in fact, don't think I've ever personally seen one in Oklahoma before today.
The Green Heron showing off his mad skills... This is TALL heron...
...quickly followed up by SHORT heron. Would hate to have to pick him out of a line-up!
Then here was the 3rd and final newcomer. A Great White Heron (or Great Egret). ALMOST thought I'd catch an attempt at lunch, but whatever caught his/her eye, it disappeared.
This visitor wasn't too keen with me waltzing around with a camera, so here was the transition to a more peaceful hunting ground. I have a bit of a different edit in the Monthly Challenge area, but kind of liked this one too for the details it drew out in the wings.
Nice photos, Pretzel! The short heron does remind me of a gangster!
So the first shot is actually a turtle. When the page loaded, it loaded slowly, and its head was at the bottom of my screen without its shell being visible. Initially I thought it was a snake. Wish we'd get more of these exotic birds here--only saw some cormorants and a heron once although I've heard there is an osprey around somewhere. And supposedly an eagle built a nest near here, but I haven't seen that one either.
The short heron does remind me of a gangster! So the first shot is actually a turtle. When the page loaded, it loaded slowly, and its head was at the bottom of my screen without its shell being visible. Initially I thought it was a snake.
Wish we'd get more of these exotic birds here--only saw some cormorants and a heron once although I've heard there is an osprey around somewhere. And supposedly an eagle built a nest near here, but I haven't seen that one either. 
Hrrrrmmmm... that's what I thought at first, too, as I run across them from time to time around here. All of the bitterns I've ever come across have more distinct striping on the breast, though, and keep the brown through the head and back feathers. Usually when they flare their feathers, too, it's more of a circular neck flare instead of a crest flare. This pic (actually the first I took of the very same bird) with the flared crest and dark green cap feathers, along with the longer (by proportion) tail feathers with the same greenish cast, made me do a double take. Haven't seen a bittern with that darker non-brown coloring before, so did a pic search, then honed down to just images of the juvenile green herons, and that's what sold me. Both very similar...
Have you ever run across a bittern down in Fla. with this darker coloring?
No, I haven't seen anything like this photo. Did you get a frontal shot?
The Least Bittern is often confused with the Green Heron. Is that the one you're thinking of?
Least Bittern, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Think he was bigger than the Least Bittern, which I've never seen in Oklahoma, but have spotted in Texas a couple of times. No frontals, as he was a very shy fellow, and would actually chatter at me if I got too close, like a kind of hoarse sea gull, LOL. Here's another pic I got, not quite as sharp, that shows off his green cap (plus an extreme zoom in on his head, from the same pic) Neck at full stretch, I'd estimate him just shy of... 2 feet tall? Tucked, of course, much shorter.
I ended up going by the pics I found on this page at birdfellow.com... the juvenile's look eerily similar.
Green Heron - BirdFellow Social Field Guide
Either way, it was a new bird for sure! May have to send pics in to the Oklahoma Wildlife Commission and have 'em ID it for me!
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Day 177 - Back Yard Flowers
Not sure what this one is, as it was invading from the neighbor's yard. Nice little yellow blooms though!
CERTAIN of what this one is... once you have Four O'Clocks, you will never NOT have Four O'Clocks! Caught this one posing up next to the privacy fence.
...and just because I love B&W's...
Not sure what this one is, as it was invading from the neighbor's yard. Nice little yellow blooms though!
CERTAIN of what this one is... once you have Four O'Clocks, you will never NOT have Four O'Clocks! Caught this one posing up next to the privacy fence.
...and just because I love B&W's...