They're Open

When I saw the flowers had opened up this morning, I grabbed my camera. They are so huge and so amazing. If anyone knows what they are, please leave a comment and let me know. It would be bizarre if they are just weeds, and it wouldn't matter. They are beautiful!

Returning Again This Year

 

Last year, these huge blooms appeared in the pasture, and they were like nothing I'd ever seen before. I've been watching for them this year, and they've begun to make their appearance. The top photo shows one beginning to pop out of its bud. The second photo shows one starting to unfold. The length of this bud is a bit longer than my hand from the wrist to the end of the middle finger. I can't wait until they open.

Family Portrait

Meet my current family. They're a happy bunch, and rarely still, let alone close enough together to capture in one frame. From front to back is Saki and his brother Hiro. Next is Odin, my pride and joy and his constant pest, the German Shepherd Chloe who is behind him. Last but not least is Jake, the Aussie Cattle dog.

Best View in the House

Believe it or not, this photo was taken with my iPhone! This is actually facing south, and the sky was lit up by the setting sun in such a cool way that I was afraid to run inside for my Canon and took the shot with what I had on me before it faded away, which it did pretty quickly. It really looked like the four birds flew up there to watch too.

Ain't She Purty?

Just about running out the door after the day's work was done, right there, in the middle of the mostly empty parking lot, sat this Ferrari red, 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. A man who comes into the office regularly decided he'd just bring it on over to show me his car. Instead of going all googly, ga ga over it, I grabbed my camera and shot away. I was limited by other parked cars and the angle of the sun, but oo boy, that car sure did shine!

After a Rain

On my lunch break, it was so easy to sit and look at and through the intense greenery in front of me. Looking through the lens of the camera, it became easy to envision a sort of dreamscape, all of nothing but green leaves and flowers. It was a restful break.

Into the Storm

I've been told that a sunset photo depends on something in the foreground to use the sunset as a nice backdrop for the subject. Well, ok. I guess that would work best for most people, but I particularly love the sunset sky. But, I had to try to conform a bit. These two photos were taken about 20 minutes apart, facing the same general direction. The heavy clouds were rolling in fast, threatening to cut my friend's ride short. Before too long, with the sun set behind me, the full moon broke through the clouds and relit the sky in an intense, eerie way. It never did rain.

Watch Where You Sit

To be honest, the first photo is a mistake. The action happened fast, and the horse came at me before I could retract the zoom. Looking through the lens, I had no idea just how close to me the horse was, and the girl had to crank the horse's head around to avoid running over me. The camera caught the action of the photograph quite well because yes, it is all in the hands.

The second photo is a bit of a tongue-in-cheek thing. The warning sign over the busted out chair couldn't be more appropriate.

Riding it Out

The burst mode on the camera gave me the rare opportunity to capture in still motion the chain of events of a bucking horse. The "art" of this series of photos is more the technical aspect than the aesthetics: That girl can ride!