For the Birds

Let's see, ISO3400, hand held, 400mm and cropped. Rough? Yes indeed they are! But I have been trying to get these yellow finches in my yard for a couple years and found out this past winter I have been feeding the wrong thing. Here it is the first nice day of the spring and the finches are here already! (Sunflower and thistle seed.) Yes, I'm excited and you should expect me to get closer and mych better at captcuring these guys on my sensor.

Oh, the swallow? I thought it was cool.....until I realize the new construction across the highway has ruined *my* favorite perch of getting shots of this bird house.

As always, click on an image to make it larger. Thanks!!

Visit Camera Critters for more critterific photography!

Visit Straight Out Of the Camera for more untouched photos!

Hearts

I have been looking at this little meme, Random Hearts, for quite a while wondering where I could find a heart. Watching for perhaps a year, nothing, and then I find one this week here where I work on a part of the campus I seldom visit, looking down from a second floor walkway!

Were the left end of the log moved over perhaps a foot it would be cupid's heart. :-)

For you honey. :-)

Visit Random Hearts for more photos of a heart where you find it!

Bottom's Up

Another from the tulip fields that are in full bloom. So again I grabbed my fisheye lens and my wireless trigger and headed for the bottom of the tulip beds. Not sure this exactly what I expected, but I sure did see a lot of people copying what I did. :-) I think it warrants a revisit for sure. Oh, Happy Easter!

Visit Mellow Yellow Monday for more yellow!

Visit Today's Flowers for more blooms!

Bug's Eye View

I thought it might be interesting to shoot up at the sky from between rows of tulips. I strategically located the camera in the shadow of a nice flower, out of direct sun. I like how it came out. :-)

Visit SkyWatch Friday for more photos of above!

Windmill

Not a real one, but it looks cool. Finally a break from the rains too!

Visit Outdoor Wednesday for more of the great outdoors!

Visit Midweek Blues for more of the blues!

Oregon State Capitol Mall

Out looking for something to do, kill time while my wife is at the spa, I happened upon the cherry blossoms and blue skies at the capitol mall. I have lived in Oregon all my life, except while in the military, and I have never seen the cherry trees in their full glory before. It was incredible, awesome and spectacular all at once. there were quite a few of us out with our cameras this day. I with my fisheye (again) but most other shooters had a longer lens. I would not have shot it any other way. :-) the next day it rained and has been pretty much every day sense. As always, click on the image to see a larger view then click on the left or right for previous or next.

Visit Watery Wednesday for more wet photos!

Visit Outdoor Wednesday for more of the great outdoors!

Visit Midweek Blues for more of the blues!

Circus Ringmaster

Last weekend at the circus, at intermission, I was walking around and peeked behind the curtain and I saw the ringmaster. I watched him for a bit, walking around, doing nothing much. He appeared to be very lonely and when he did sit he begun texting someone. Didn't interact much with others around, just texted with his head hung. Almost like a sad clown......

Visit MyWorld for more MyWorld Tuesday photos!

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more Ruby Red photos!

Blooming Flowers!

A couple recent flower images. Using the fisheye, the tulip is great against the blue sky. (It was a miracle that there was a blue sky!) William in the daffodils was just for fun. :-)

Visit Today's Flowers for more blooms!

Visit Mellow Yellow Monday for more yellow!

Visit Straight Out Of the Camera for more untouched photos!

Linking the states

I-5 bridges linking Portland, OR to Vancouver, WA, spanning the Columbia River. I had never seen the bridges from this perspective and I thought it would lend itself well to a pano. It worked and I liked the monochrome version better. Added a little nostalgia I thought. :-)

Visit Scenic Sunday for more scenic photography!

Visit Weekend Reflections for more reflective photography!

Visit The Weekend in Black & White for more monochrome photos!

Sun Over a Weed

Taken a few weeks ago. I loved the snow when we had it and I love the sun too. The weed(s) provided a great forground element using the fisheye lens, again. :-)

Visit SkyWatch Friday for more photos of above!

Just a Building

This is "just a building" on first street, downtown Albany, and fairly nondescript. But, it has color and I had to stop the other morning and snap this shot. I like it!

Visit Window Views & Doors 2 for more framed photos!

Visit Wordless Wednesday for more wordless photos!

Front Flip

We went to the Circus Gatti this past Friday and I'm sorry to say it was fairly lame. We left half way through. These kids on bikes were cool however. They did quite a few stunts, finishing with a few back flips (expected) and this front flip! Very cool. Click on the picture to see the flip! (Play the image animation.)

Visit MyWorld for more MyWorld Tuesday photos!

Daffodil

There are so many of these guys this time of year but I shot a pic and I like it any way. :-)

Visit Mellow Yellow Monday for more yellow!

Visit Today's Flowers for more blooms!

Visit Macro Monday for more close up photos!

A New Meme: Bridges Weekly

I have decided to get into the meme business with a (hopefully) unique theme: Bridges. The first round will start this next Saturday, April 9th, at 12 noon Pacific time. I may change it to Midnight GMT at a later date, but noon my time will work for now.

This will be like other memes with links, cut & paste code to link back and requests to leave comments. We all love comments, don't we? :-) So you are getting advance notice to PLEASE save up some bridge pictures and post them weekly on Bridges Weekly!

For now, here is a sneak peek at the test page and the icon I have created. Click on the icon and it will take you to the new site. Hope to see you there soon!