Fall Colors in Gruene, Texas

These images were taken earlier this

month -- on Nov 18th --

on a day when I had some time

to explore a bit with my camera.

The day was overcast, with gray clouds

completely covering the blue sky.

And since it was overcast, I thought it was a

great day to show off the colors of

the leaves that remained on the trees.

I took a short walk down to the water's edge

and from here, you can see how low the

river is compared to the past water lines

that line the roots of the trees.

All the while, this long-legged feathered fowl

was keeping a watch on me...

Even though I kept my distance,

he decided to take a

short flight to the other

end of the sidewalk.

Clouds

Let me start by saying, I love clouds!

They can add a bit of drama to landscape photos

or help with diffusing the light on overcast days.

Clouds are ever-changing as they float on by...

puffy bits of fluff on clear days, 

towering and intimidating in stormy weather

and casually stretched out as feathery

wisps on windy days.

They also help in adding color to the sky...

often pale pinks & soft yellows in the mornings

or a sheer orange against a violet

blue sky as the sun sets in the evening,

to different shades of gray on moody, rainy days.

Sometimes, I think the world is moving

at such a quick pace, that we forget to take in

the simple things available, like...

watching the clouds pass by,

looking for recognizable shapes,

or as the sun settles in for the night,

seeing the colors fade into darkness.

How often do you get the chance to stop

and watch the clouds as they cross the sky?

County Fair

The local county fair was just about a month ago,

and these photos remind me of when

I was a kid and brave enough to get

on all the 'BIG' rides....



Ooh, the ferris wheel...sorta,
each of the carriages are enclosed,

with the passengers facing each other.

Haang on!!!
Guess I'm still that brave lil' kid...
but now armed with a camera!

This is what the view was
like from one of the rides!

The Kamikaze is best when you're sitting up front...

the ground rushes up towards you and then, just when it
looks like you might turn into a pancake,
you make a loop all the way around again!

Then... you get to go backwards! Wheee!





This is one ride that I didn't think I could stomach...

so this time, I just watched from the sidelines

and remembered the good 'ol days

of climbing in and making the carriage

flip over and over, as fast as it go,

while the ride spun you 'round and 'round.

So, tell me...what's your favorite ride at the fair?

Hummingbird Silhouette

A few weeks ago, I noticed some hummingbirds

flitting about the neighbor's yard among the flowers.

I've always enjoyed other people's photos

of these tiny feathered creatures and

wondered if I'd ever have the opportunity to

capture them in my own photographs.

So, I bought a feeder for them to visit our yard and

it didn't take long for hummingbirds

to begin hovering around it.

Even though it's shaded, it's still

no fun sitting outside in the heat of summer

waiting patiently for them to appear.

Thankfully, they typically appear in the latter part of the day.

So one day after work, I just camped outside,

sitting in the adirondack chairs, camera in hand, waiting.

I got bit by mosquitoes and even an ant

just as they appeared. 

I quickly snapped a few shots

and then waited again while one

hovered around the feeder.

After downloading the photos to

Picasa and making a few edits,

you see the photo above.

To me, it was worth the wait (and the bites)

No Trespassing



White Metal Fence ©Corina Murray

 

I feel that there's a haunting quality about this image

that I'm not able to pinpoint...

Where was this taken?
A cemetery? No...perhaps it could have been, though.

Could it be the Fleur de Lis design, the bit of cobweb

seen atop the closest part of the fence,
the repetition of the design and lines,
or maybe the dark, blurred background?

With all the above elements, this image could convey

something dark and ominous

OR 

something that's actually a bit peaceful,

left to decay one lil rust spot at a time.

There are so many other ways

that you can set the tone for your

photos to be perceived - with filters, lighting,

even post-processing....

but no matter how hard you try,

don't expect the same interpretation

from everyone who views your photos.

Your photos will mean different things

to different people.

It doesn't mean that one view is right or wrong,

or that the photo is good or bad -

everyone has a different vision.

Accept it. And, learn to see differently, too.

Lizard Looking In

Walking out the front door,
I noticed a peeping-tom...of sorts.

At first, I just laughed... then I grabbed the

camera once I noticed that he WAS

looking indoors!

What a CREEP...

I mean, what a creepy-crawly!

Once he figured out there would be

no show to see, he moved on.

Lil Ladybug

On the same day that I was taking

photos of bluebonnets,

I began watching this lil ladybug.



It was crawling back and forth on the same leaf.

Once it got to the leaf's point (again),

it took off... a little tiny dot in the sky.

After a second or so, I couldn't see it anymore.

Getting a photo of insects and animals in nature

is hard to do, since you can't direct them,

or tell them to hold still for just one more shot....

So, sometimes, you just gotta click

otherwise the moment (or the bug) is gone.

Spring Bluebonnets

Since it hasn't rained much, I wasn't expecting

to see many wildflowers, but to my surprise,

the bluebonnets did appear...

Not many, but at least we were able to spot a few.

Those blue petals stand out in the sea of green.

Capturing them in a photo is my way of

"picking" them so that others can still enjoy them, too.

And, by taking a photo of them, they'll last longer

than if I dug them up and re-planted them....

so go ahead -

Take a picture, it'll last longer.

Shattered

Shattered window

My parents have an old broken down bob-cat

sitting in their back yard. It worked at one point,

and then it started breaking down a few years back.

It hasn't moved since then....

So, while I was there for a visit (ok, and some BBQ)

I noticed that that window of the bob-cat was broken

but most of it was still intact.

We're not sure how or when

the window was broken.

I decided to take the opportunity to

photograph it, since it's not often

that I would come across something like this.

I do like how the shattered lines resemble

an old spiderweb.

What does it make you think of?

Photo of a Damselfly

Springtime in Texas...
Not much different than
the winter, well, in some parts of the state.

Now, there are colorful flowers, birds,
butterflies and other insects flitting around.

Above, is a damselfly that waited patiently
for me to change the lens over to the 50mm
and then take a few snaps.

And, at first, I kept calling it a dragonfly,
but I read that those have 2 sets of wings.
(Thank you, Google)

Squirrel Photos

A few weeks ago, I was able to

photograph our backyard squirrel,

much to the chagrin of our dog,

who was kept inside during this time...

She wasn't too scared when I opened the door

to get a clearer shot...

It seems that she even posed after getting used
to me being in the doorway.

She stood statue-still for about 5 minutes,
while I made camera adjustments.
The darker edge on the left is part of
the door, since it was opened just a bit.

After awhile, I closed the door so that

she could get back to being a squirrel.

On and on....

It was the second day

of the new year and we

took a short road trip to

nowhere in particular,

watching the sun set

as we traveled on and on...

Time Flies

Long time, no read -

It's not like I put my camera away and

stopped taking photos.

I've been reading other blogs,

getting ideas and practicing different shots.

Like the shot above -

Those are lights from the Christmas tree.

The shutter was open for a bit longer

and I moved the camera up

while it was open.

I like the feeling of fast motion

you get from looking at it,

much like time flying by.

October Lights

Driving around one night in October,

I began taking some photos.

I love the out-of-focus lights...

some are street lights,

others belong to the

vehicles ahead of us.

When I see photos of colorful lights with the bokeh effect,

it reminds me of the holidays...

Lots of lights, different colors!



Cookie-Cutter Sky

Waiting for a table at a restaurant,

I noticed the sky thru the

circular grate on the patio.

The Mantis

 

Praying Mantis or Preying Mantis?

Up close & personal, I'd say the latter.

The praying mantis was on my parent's mailbox,

apparently waiting for a photo-op. 

I captured a few photos before

it decided that the paparrazi life

was too glamorous & demanding.

Montecito, CA

So... I've been a bit distracted lately.

Still taking photos, but haven't had the energy to post them.

I'll start with my most recent photos, since the memories of 

those are still fresh in my mind....

Took a quick trip to California.

Upon arriving, I noticed the overcast sky and the light drizzle...

It didn't last very long and the next day was bright and sunny.

Too sunny.  Headache sunny. At least the cool breeze made it bearable.

Took a quick tour through Lotusland... a botanical wonderland.

Check out the website, or visit this place if you can....

there's quite the history behind this beautiful place.

 Budding Roses...love the bokeh effect here.

 

There were many other sculptures to see,

but I really like the fun shapes of these

with the mouse in the foreground.

 

I like the contrast of the lighter cacti

against the darker, dense vegetation in

the background.

September 11, 2001 - We Remember

Locally, a memorial walk was held this evening to mark
the ninth anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks.

We Remember.

Stuff at Grandma's House

 During lunch, I stopped in at my

Grandma's house for a quick visit.

She always has something good to eat,

and a bit of news from other family members.

As she was giving me an update,

I took a few photos to share with

those family members who

aren't able to see her as often as I can.

I like this metal dress frame...

Grandma sews many things, 

and this item just fits her style so well.

The pink cap was already on there,

and I liked how it went

with the 'dress'.

This princess or queen frog sits happily

facing the kitchen - just one of the many

toys that can be found there.

Grandma's seem to always have a collection of

mis-matched spoons, spatulas and knives

that are ready to whip up a meal when you show up.

And, it never matters which one gets used or

how many are needed to make a meal.

Over good conversation, it never matters.

This is one of the angels that is

watching over the house and

the people inside it.

Being at Grandma's house

seems to transport you back to

feeling like a ten year old kid...

listening to stories, making and sharing

a meal and just hanging out without

having to rush off to the next thing.

Just as a side note:

The 50mm lens was used on all

the above photos.

I ♥ NY

Earlier this month, I was able to visit New York for a few days.

Even though the daytime hours were reserved for work,
I was able to take a few quick shots walking
around the area either prior to or after the event.

 This one was taken in the morning, before it began to rain lightly. I walked right by it and then

just out of the corner of my eye... I "saw" it.
A photo waiting to be taken.

I only wish that I had taken a step or two back,
so that the full archway could have been included. 

I spotted LOVE across the street and I had to take it.

Since there were many couples that stopped to take a photo

with LOVE, waited a bit for it to be alone.

While waiting, I saw camera-phones, point and shoots

and DSLRS being used at this one spot.

After waiting about 10 minutes, I was able to
quickly take this photo, while others decided who
was going to be next to have their picture taken.
It wasn't until later that I noticed

that there was a man laying between the V and the E.

New York is full of skyscrapers and signs.

Even though I was originally looking at

the birds perched atop the signs when I took this photo,

it wasn't until I began this post that I noticed them again.

I'm going to say it... I love this photo.

It shows the fast pace of New York,

with skyscrapers lit up in the background,

the blurred bus zipping by and the people

walking along a busy street.

There's so much more to ♥ about NY

and hope to visit again with time

to explore more of it.