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Saturday, July 10, 2010

More This and That from the U.P.

Someone once left a comment on my blog which was one of the best compliments
I ever got.

(S)he said:
"I like your blog because you take ordinary pictures of anything and everything
and
make them extraordinary".

Wow. I was thrilled. The comment blew me away.

Because since retiring and getting into this new, confusing hobby
of photography, it has opened me up
to loving nature again.

Ten times more than I loved it before.

Because, by capturing photos, (especially macro photos)
you begin to look at the ordinary things
in a very different way.

The details.

The colors.

The patterns.

The beauty leaps out at you, hits you on the head and says:
"See? Why didn't you appreciate me BEFORE?"
"I have ALWAYS been here, waiting for you".

So, today,
I am sharing some of the things whispering to YOU...
"Please notice me....I am here, waiting for you to see the miracle that is ME."
 
(Do you hear them?)




Does anyone know the name of these pretty pink wildflowers? We saw them along a wet ditch in the woods:






I think this is a catbird?:








An old bridge:






The road beyond the bridge. Shall we follow it?:









Like maybe our ancestors did?:









A beaver pond at dusk... the setting sun lighting up the lily pads and water flowers:








The promise of yellow water lilies blooming soon:







A tiny hummingbird at my feeder:







A dragonfly, waiting to land on you to give you good luck and fortune:


I hope you
get an opportunity
to
see the beauty around you today.

19 comments:

Unknown said...

You do have a gift with that camera lens!

rainfield61 said...

And you have been blown away, somehow landed at Cerok Tokun.

I thought you are a big bird.

faye said...

Your macros are divine....
love that hummingbird.....

Brian Miller said...

ooo...the sepia of the bridge is really cool...and hte pond looks like a great place for and afternoon of exploration...and that comment...so true. smiles.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Beautiful 'this and that' pictures, Joan... Your first picture looks like a Mountain Laurel bloom...It may not be--but it looks like one.

Love the hummingbird.. We finally are getting a few at our home---after a long spring and summer (so far) without them.

Love the old bridge... And I didn't know that dragonflies can bring us good luck. I guess I need to look for one --or two---or three... ha

Hugs,
Betsy

J.J. in L.A. said...

That commenter was right!

Ann said...

Loved the pics as usual. You amaze me.

Writing Without Periods! said...

What a great compliment. I'd love to learn how to take photos like you do. Any suggestions about classes?
Mary

Bernie said...

Oh Joan I do so hate it when blogger doesn't let me open your blog. These pictures are beautiful especially the bridge (sepia) I love any picture that has been made to look this way or even the real deal.
Hope you are doing well sweetie and enjoying summer...big hugs..:-)

The Retired One said...

Eva: Ahhh, thanks, Sweetie!

Rainfield: Oh, I am a big bird, alright.hhaaaa

Faye: Thanks! I love me some macros. ha

Brian: I love playing with the photos, especially in Sepia and black and white!

Betsy: I don't have a clue on the name of that flower..so I will look up Mountain Laurel and see if they grow up here in the U.P. Thanks for the hint!

JJ: What a sweet thing to say!

Ann: Thanks, Ann! It is nature that amazes and inspires every single photo I take of it.

Writing: I have not taken any classes except one that I am reading over the web, so far. They are supposed to be forming a local photographers' club, but so far it hasn't gotten going except for the first meeting. The best advice I can give you is to buy a really good camera and just go out there and experiment. I often do my shoots from three or four angles and play with the same shot in shadows or in sunlight...macros are fun, because on flowers, you can spray them with a spritz of water and instantly add interest with the drops...although I usually just go out after we have had a rain and get them naturally with drops...go outside in the worst weather and you get great shots of frost, fog, etc. Just be there with your camera, ALWAYS. I hardly EVER go anywhere without my camera within reach...because you never know when you will see something to inspire you. Then just snap away..you will be amazed at what cool shots you can find.

Bernie: I hope you don't have trouble opening it much, and that others aren't having problems either...I cannot load my pictures anymore directly on Blogger (they want me to PAY more money for space) so I have to load them onto a URL and then onto Blogger, so that may be giving you problems loading them, I don't know. When I click on my blog from another person's computer, they do load fine though, so I don't know why you are having problems? Hope your summer is going fantastic too...gosh, can you believe it is over half gone already???? (Shhhhhh, don't let Mother Nature know) ha.

The Retired One said...

Eva: Ahhh, thanks, Sweetie!

Rainfield: Oh, I am a big bird, alright.hhaaaa

Faye: Thanks! I love me some macros. ha

Brian: I love playing with the photos, especially in Sepia and black and white!

Betsy: I don't have a clue on the name of that flower..so I will look up Mountain Laurel and see if they grow up here in the U.P. Thanks for the hint!

JJ: What a sweet thing to say!

Ann: Thanks, Ann! It is nature that amazes and inspires every single photo I take of it.

Writing: I have not taken any classes except one that I am reading over the web, so far. They are supposed to be forming a local photographers' club, but so far it hasn't gotten going except for the first meeting. The best advice I can give you is to buy a really good camera and just go out there and experiment. I often do my shoots from three or four angles and play with the same shot in shadows or in sunlight...macros are fun, because on flowers, you can spray them with a spritz of water and instantly add interest with the drops...although I usually just go out after we have had a rain and get them naturally with drops...go outside in the worst weather and you get great shots of frost, fog, etc. Just be there with your camera, ALWAYS. I hardly EVER go anywhere without my camera within reach...because you never know when you will see something to inspire you. Then just snap away..you will be amazed at what cool shots you can find.

Bernie: I hope you don't have trouble opening it much, and that others aren't having problems either...I cannot load my pictures anymore directly on Blogger (they want me to PAY more money for space) so I have to load them onto a URL and then onto Blogger, so that may be giving you problems loading them, I don't know. When I click on my blog from another person's computer, they do load fine though, so I don't know why you are having problems? Hope your summer is going fantastic too...gosh, can you believe it is over half gone already???? (Shhhhhh, don't let Mother Nature know) ha.

SquirrelQueen said...

You are very deserving of such complements Joan, your photos are beautiful. My feeling is great photos come from the eye and the camera is just a tool. A great photographer can capture extraordinary photos with a cheap point and shoot. Someone with the best camera available my be taking pictures rather than photos. You have an excellent eye for photography Joan.

Your little flower is definitely a mountain laurel, the leaves are the clue.

Shelley said...

You definitely have the eye for beauty! Love what you did with those bridge photos!!

Wanda..... said...

Your photos are always so lovely with detail, Joan. Blogging has increased my interest in taking nature photos too.

The unfolding ferns in your previous post reminds me of a child slowly stretching awake!

Linda Reeder said...

I also think the flower is a mountain laurel. I love that old bridge. Wonderful pics!

The Retired One said...

SquirrelQueen: Thanks so much...I love all of your photography too....you are right, some people just have the artistic eye of what to shoot and the camera is just a tool.

Shelley: Thanks...that bridge just was screaming out for Sepia. ha


Wanda: I agree, the ferns are like a child stretcning..they are really neat in their birth.

Linda: Thanks! I had never seen a Mt. Laurel before here....so I will look up more info about it.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Your little pink flower is Swamp Laurel or Kalmia polifolia it is found in bogs and swamps..it is a native plant in Minnesota, a beautiful plant! It is in the Heath family..think English Countryside:)

Bossy Betty said...

Totally get it! I love your photography!

The Retired One said...

Far Side: You are correct! I finally looked it up. We have never seen them before here and that is the ONLY spot we saw them at! They are really pretty flowers!!

Bossy: Thanks so much!

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I retired in June 2008 and started my blog in November 2008. I worked at several jobs as a Registered Nurse prior to retirement. I LOVE being retired! Blogging has offered me a whole new venue to start writing again and to share new hobbies such as gardening, birdwatching and sharing my nature photography. If you like my blog, PLEASE click on "follow this blog". Having a lot of followers reading my blog gives me incentive to continue to do photography and to continue to write. I also LOVE comments, so I encourage you to leave me a comment after you read my posts. Thanks everyone, for taking the time to read me!!

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