At The Water Hole

"We return to old water holes for more than water, we return because friends and dreams are there to meet us."  An old African saying

Isn't it true that we return to places where friends and family members are there to greet us and to nourish our souls?   We need those connections in our lives, those ties that bind us to the past and give us strength to face the future. 

Now for a photo tip.  I used a Topaz plug-in to get the painterly look in this photo.  If you've never tried these plug-ins, they're a lot of fun and fairly inexpensive.  Just go to topaz.com and try the plug-ins free for 30 days.  If you like them, you can buy them after that.  If not, at least you'll have fun playing with them for awhile.

Reflections

Reflections can make very interesting subjects for pictures, but you have to make sure that the subject itself is interesting.  Sometimes something as simple as these rocks will work to bring the viewer into the picture.  There was too much distracting information in the background here, so I eliminated it to focus on the rocks and a few of the weeds.  I hope you enjoy it.

Great Blue"

"I asked the earth, I asked the seas and the deeps, among the living animals, the things that creep.  I asked the winds that blow,  I asked the heavens, the sun, the moon, the stars and all things that stand at the doors of my flesh . . .
My question was the gaze I turned to them.
Their answer was their beauty."
St. Augustine of Hippo  (354-430), North Africa

This is another version of the heron shot I posted a couple of days ago.  I almost deleted the original picture, because the heron was so far away.  Instead, I decided to keep it and see what I could come up with by using some filters, plug-ins, etc.  This is one of the results.  You may like it and you may not, but I'm glad I kept it. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful week-end and a Happy Easter with friends and family.

Swans in the Fog

3

2

1

You can do all kinds of things with the help of PhotoShop or other editting software programs.   This picture was taken on a very foggy morning.  There was so much fog, in fact, that you could barely see the trees.  I love foggy pictures, so I just started shooting, knowing that I could make the necessary adjustments when I got home.

Picture #1 is a copy of the original file, with some minor adjustments done in Camera Raw, such as bringing up the brightness, fill light, clarity and adjusting the blacks just a little. 

Picture #2 was altered in PhotoShop using curves & levels to brighten the overall scene and to bring out the whiteness of the swans.

Picture #3  is Picture #2 with the NIK graduated fog filter applied to it.  I softened the effect to the point where I liked it and then saved the photo.

My oldest grandson likes picture #3 best, because he likes the soft, graduated effect of the fog.  I think I agree with him.  Which do you like best?

Glacier Reflections

I recently licensed this photo from a RM site that I submit to.  Wish I knew what publication it was going to be in, but I guess that's the life of a stock photographer.  LOL!  By the way, if you see this picture somewhere, please let me know.  I'd love to know wherre it's going to be used.  In the meantime, though, I'll just enjoy the check.  LOL!

Happiness

"Mans many desires are like the small metal coins he carries about in his pocket. The more he has, the more they weight him down. " Satya Sai Baba

People often think that more possessions, such as a new iPad, a bigger house or a fancier car would make them happier. The way to happiness, however, is not in the possessions we have, but in how we lead our lives and how we make a difference in the lives of those we meet.

Faith

Sometimes when we can't see where we're going, we can see the clearest of all. Relying on faith can show us the way when our eyes can't.

Love Isn't Easy

Love isn't always easy but, even with the occasional scrapping and squawking, it's worth it. So, cherish the relationship you have, and work to make it better. After all, anything of significant value usually requires effort and continued dedication to retain its' splendor. So, give your loved one a kiss and tell him or her how important they are to you. For those special words can never be said too often and they're always appreciated.

Photo tip: As you probably already know, in order to get the type of wildlife pictures you want, you have to be patient. Unfortunately, animals don't pose for us according to an appointment schedule.

Simplicity. Beauty. Serenity.

These are the words I thought of when I viewed this scene. What words come to your mind when you see the picture?

Take a close look and you'll see some morning visitors. These are just a few of the creatures that inhabit this planet with us. Let's protect them and the beauty they live in. Enjoy!

Nature & Man

Nature and man (human-kind), can they continue to co-exist? What's your opinion?