I have been working on cataloging some more images and came across a few shorebird pictures that I liked but had not posted them yet on my site. . It got me thinking about some of the challenges in photographing these little guys. In particular, I remember getting some sand in the focusing ring of my lens and cursing a lot. . Of course you always have to be on the lookout for the rogue wave if you are also near the waterline. . I was trying to create some compositions using the waterline as a leading graphical element through the image. . It took quite a bit of waiting for the bird and shadow to come into the same frame like I wanted.
It also brought to mind one of the biggest mysteries. Why is it in some places shorebirds will walk within a foot of your toes when you don’t have a camera, but as soon as you go to photograph them, they won’t come near you?. . Patience helps. . I think if they know you are willing to wait, soon enough they come a bit closer.
Also related to shorebirds.. the recent issue of National Wildlife Magazine has an interesting article on bar-tailed godwits. . Known to be the bird with the longest non-stop flight, 7,300 km from Alaska across the Pacific to New Zealand!. Amazing. It also points to how development in Asia might be affecting these shorebirds and many others. The article is online without the pictures and graphics here.
I know I will probably be accused of being mean again with all this beach talk. . I should be writing and posting images of freezing gusts of snow and frostbitten fingers. But think about the journey these small birds endure – and the weather doesn’t seem so bad. 
More shorebird photos in my gallery.
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When I start working on particular print orders, I take the image ID numbers from the order and search by them in Lightroom to create a special collection for that particular order. . Well, every once in awhile I come across images not related to the order, but simply because I am browsing through the archives looking for them.
Given that old man winter started rather early here this year (since mid-Nov!), this tropical emerald pool and waterfall from Dominica certainly caught my eye. . Warm and tropical — sounds pretty good right now. Even though I had already processed this image before, I decided I wanted to redo it with some luminosity masks to see if I could make it any more ‘alluring.’ I know, in winter, it doesn’t take much! Yes, that water is as cool and refreshing as it looks!
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OK, processing done – dreaming done, back to work..thanks Dominica for the momentary visual escape But let this be a warning – tropical waterfalls are very counterproductive to getting things done!
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If you have viewed any of the comments to the posts here, you will see I made a small tweak so people’s “gravatars” show up. “Gravatar” = global avatar. Yeah, OK, not a big deal – your choice if you want to use them or not. Some people like to place a face behind the comments . or not.
How do you get one to show up? This site gravatar.com allows you to upload an image and create one if you don’t want the nice default one I created for you. (Beware, it is subject to my whims!) I think this site hosts them for all blogs, so you can just change your pic in one spot.
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Pantone.® has recently announced their color of the year for 2009: Mimosa (Pantone 14-0848 TCX) I wrote about the 2008 color Blue Iris last December (link), and have sort of started a tradition in following it now. . And you are thinking – what influence does color of the year have?. . It seems to have quite a bit – from fashion designers to interior decorators – they are always looking for what’s “in”. . . Here is a link to an article about Blue Iris in the New York Times On the ColourLovers website, Blue Iris ended up being ranked #3,894 out of 1,605,487 at the time of this post. . This is a site where many interior designers experiment with color palettes – sharing and ranking them.
So now we move on to Mimosa for 2009, a yellow with a tinge of orange. For those interested, the technical RGB values are : R 238, G 192, B 80. . The color opposite of Mimosa is actually a blue very simiar to Blue Iris..hmmmm. – coincidence?. . . Given everything that has gone on in 2008 as far as the economy and the world, perhaps heading in the opposite direction isn’t such a bad idea. . A few quotes from Pantone’s executive director:
The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance, explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.®. Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation. – source Marketwatch
“I think it’s just the most wonderful symbolic color of the future,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “It’s invariably connected to warmth, sunshine and cheer ” all the good things we’re in dire need of right now.” – source Yahoo News
I am also starting another new tradition in creating a special gallery dedicated to the color of the year. . I also played with a few new images in blending this color with them. . These leaf images in this post are the result.
As the year looks forward to hope, enlightenment, and inspiration – perhaps we just need reminders that these colors are already there and around us in nature – and sometimes it helps just to get lost in them for a little bit. . So I hope you enjoy this little gallery of about 44 images, perhaps view it while drinking a Mimosa. (orange juice and champagne). . . Goodbye Blue Iris – you are sooooo 2008!
p.s. Here is a cool link to explore on colors for your next stop..colorstrology!
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I have finally got back into my growing rock collection and actually revisited an older piece of Arizona Petrified Wood I have. This small slice has some of the most incredible micro landscapes within it as you can see above. . These two images are of the front and back of the slice, and I think they are quite complimentary of each other.
The concept of “Stone Windows” came to mind to me – looking into this small piece of stone and seeing not only something of your imagination, but it is also a window into the past. . Imagine what was going on in the world when this piece of wood was being solidifed!!. . It is actually quite hard to believe this was once wood actually!
I did something with these images I don’t normally do – I used the Auto-Tone Develop preset in Lightroom. . . Of course, normally I like to adjust myself, but once in awhile I will hover over this preset just to see if it is close to what I want. . Raw files are typically a bit flat. . Auto-Tone really did well with these particular images and just made them sing. . I didn’t adjust anything else, except for to decrease the luminance of the red a small bit, it was just too red.
Just to give you an idea of what this small piece of petrified wood looks like..
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