Archive for the ‘Nature’ Category
Fall Silhouettes Leave a comment
Judge Mantis Leave a comment
This Chinese Mantis kept distracting me during a recent night tennis match. Here it looks like a line judge calling my shot ‘in.’ 🙂
Here it is playing the net judge:
And here it has assumed the position of umpire:
Summer sunset Leave a comment
First evening at our local beach this summer, and we we were treated to a spectacular sunset.
Frozen waterfalls Leave a comment
Spotted on a recent hike at Chatfield Hollow State Park:
Fall in Connecticut Leave a comment
Enjoying the intense colors of New England foliage.
Someone once told me: “It’s like being on mushrooms, but without being on mushrooms.”
I agree — the intensity of the colors does something to my brain that makes me ooh and aah, and smile uncontrollably.
Umbrellas in the Forest 1 comment
Get down and close enough and these mushrooms look like umbrella-toting pedestrians on a busy street in New York.
Before and after the storm Leave a comment
The Birds! 1 comment
That’s what it feels like when the barn swallows make their annual stopover behind our house in Connecticut during their migration from Canada to Argentina.
Beach Umbrellas Leave a comment
Captured at Madison town beach:
Not an optical illusion Leave a comment
I don’t know why this tree was trimmed like this:
3 Views of Aspens 1 comment
Captured while skiing in Beaver Creek.
Winter has arrived in VA Leave a comment
View out our window this morning:
What is photography, really? Leave a comment
A few years ago I experimented with photographing flowers in the style of Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989). I wanted to capture something like this (Calla Lily, 1984).
I spent hours finding the right flower and setting up the lighting to get a black&white image I was happy with. Then I’d spend more time in Adobe Lightroom to adjust the image and bring out more detail and create a dramatic image. The best I could do was this:
Yesterday I tried to replicate that process using Midjourney and playing with various prompts. What took me hours previously now took about 10 minutes. Here are some of the images I created:
To me these are indistinguishable from Mapplethorpe’s pictures, and better than what I tried to create manually. I could probably show these to people and get a ‘wow, those are great pictures’ reaction. So if it’s indistinguishable from ‘manual photography’, is it still photography?
I’m sure a similar question was asked when photography first started: “If it didn’t take hours of painting with a brush to create an image, is it still art?” Photography has now been considered an art form for a long time and nobody disputes that just because it speeds up the creation of images. Is AI-powered image generation at the same stage now? Will it also turn into an accepted form of art that commands high prices at auctions? I’m curious to see where this is going.
Monster at Sunrise Leave a comment
This tree, like a many-tendriled creature, seemed to be screaming for help as the sun rose behind it.
Captured in Rattlesnake Canyon, Colorado.
Ancient Tree 2 comments
Captured in Rattlesnake Canyon, CO:
Arches Leave a comment
Did you know that Rattlesnake Canyon in Colorado has the most natural arches in the world after Arches National Park in Utah? here are the 3 biggest ones:
Colorado Summer Leave a comment
Nothing beats it. Weather was perfect last weekend when I visited my son and did some hiking near Grand Junction.
Summer Thundercloud Leave a comment
Captured over Loudon United stadium in Leesburg, VA.
Stormy Shenandoahs Leave a comment
Captured near Shenandoah National Park:
Night Tree Leave a comment
Captured in our front yard:
Fourth of July Mushrooms Leave a comment
I found tiny fireworks in my yard….
Pines of Sedona Leave a comment
Wasp Nest Leave a comment
Bold fox Leave a comment
This fox has been all over our neighborhood, and doesn’t seem fazed by nearby humans:
Shrooms! Leave a comment
Look behind trees while walking through the forest and you’ll find remarkable colonies of mushrooms:
Morning commute 2 comments
My commute nowadays is a short walk through the woods behind our house. The light is hopeful and other creatures have created more beautiful structures than I ever could. 10 minutes of serenity and I’m ready for whatever the day holds in store for me.
Vermont Woods 1 comment
I looked for bears in vain. The forest was beautiful nevertheless. All you could hear was the summer heat making all creatures lazy, while pine needles cushioned my feet and a caterpillar crossed my path.
Out the window Leave a comment
Not many photo opportunities when you’re quarantined, except the view out the window. But what a nice view it is:
Springtime in Virginia Leave a comment
The last leaf… Leave a comment
…of fall is hanging on for dear life:
iPhone, edited with Hipstamatic
Fall Forest Find Leave a comment
Fall is here Leave a comment
Well, at least on my blog. The woods around our house have looked like this for a while now:
Morning in Guanella Canyon Leave a comment
Captured these while driving toward Guanella Pass in Colorado. I was most excited about the moose sighting. 🙂
Morning over the Flatirons Leave a comment
Here’s another shot – this one more panoramic.
Flatiron view 3 comments
Enjoying the view on a beautiful morning in Boulder, CO.
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Backyard beauties Leave a comment
Shot on iPhone,
Edited with Snapseed
21 Cormorans Leave a comment
Captured with iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Sunrise on Mars Leave a comment
Just kidding – it’s just a beach scene.
Still life with leaves Leave a comment
Beach impressions, part II Leave a comment
Beach abstraction Leave a comment
Shot with iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Beach approach 6 comments
On Hilton Head:
Winter Wonderland 2 comments
Last night it snowed lightly and I captured these images before the snow melted.
iPhone, Hipstamatic app
Winter reflection 2 comments
iPhone, Hipstamatic app
End of Fall Leave a comment
Fall is almost gone, just a few leaves remain (for me to take).
iPhone, unedited
First fall colors 3 comments
Captured on Halloween, behind our house. No retouching necessary. 🙂
Morning Meadow Leave a comment
Captured during a morning walk across a meadow.
Verdant Vermont Leave a comment
Enjoying the last of Vermont’s summer color before returning to work. 
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Break time Leave a comment
Taking a break with Mario during a morning walk through the Vermont woods:
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Spiderwebs 3 comments
Captured these webs on today’s morning walk in Vermont.
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Snapshots For Sore Eyes 