TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO

The Tuesday Tease

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

"Buster, I said right at the signal!!!"

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto everything and lens extended to 3x optical.

Have a safe evening everyone...

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE

Monday's Critters

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

This Herring Gull was resting in the Isle of Bute sunshine!




















Taken with the 'Nik' on auto and lens extended to about 10x, then I also trimmed the picture by half in WLPG.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY

MOONdays

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

Moonrise as seen from the Isle of Bute.






















Taken with the 'Nik' on  dusk mode.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN

Saturday Symmetry

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

Glasgow Central Railway Station looking pretty spiffy for Chrissy...




















Taken with the 'Nik'on auto everything.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN

"No water, no life.  No blue, no green..." (Sylvia Earle)

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

Taken with the 'Nik' on macro mode.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN

Well, the final Thursday Challenge of 2013 is BRIGHT. Having already done one a couple of weeks ago (confusion at YAM's end - but what's new?) I now need to find another...  

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

How about vibrant colours over bright waters?  As the last Thursday of the month is also YAM's 'crazy' day, I have fiddled around with the exposure and contrast on this one... not that much in the end because it was really vibrant anyway.  

In fact, if I hadn't said anything, I might have gotten away with this...  &*>

Taken with the 'Nik' on beach mode (because the sun was really glaring that day!!)

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN

Wings on Wednesday - YAM's take on the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright hilarious process of photographing birds.

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

M E R R Y   C H R I S T M A S

May you all have a peaceful and joyful time over this season!

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN

The Tuesday Tease

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

Whilst in India, I had the opportunity to put together a Christmas service.  It had to be different, given the ashram was focused entirely on Advaita Vedanta.  The artistic muse hit in and with a simple mouse plus the Paint program a complete nativity story was created. I included shadow play and carols and all in all it was a great success. Perhaps I'll share the whole thing with you one day (well probably next year now!!).

Meanwhile, what is Lovey-dove thinking, as he stands astride the church roof???

Original computer generated image.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN

Monday's Critters

The Monday before Christmas, so why not some donkeys and a sheep??!

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto at Dharamshala, North India.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN

SUNdays

The second last Sunday of 2013 and I offer you a sequence taken when up at Sidhabari, North India. 

An amazing sunset in which the rim started to turn pink instead of red...(there are four more of this amazing spectacle but you'll have to wait a year - well into the next year!)

Taken with the 'Nik' on dawn/dusk mode and lens at varying lengths.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND TWELVE

Saturday Symmetry

This brightens up things for the festive week!!  Buddhist prayer flags, hung out like so many handkerchiefs...

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto everything.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN

The three wise men brought exotic gifts, these beautiful fruits I offered at His feet. As we head into the Christmas week, let us think on simple things.

Taken with the 'Nik' on party mode...(I kid you not!)

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND TEN

Something happened in my absence last week; one was that the arrangements made for linking up my previous Thursday Challenge post fell through.  The other was that, apparently, the theme got shifted back a couple of weeks and a two-week theme of BEST OF 2013 was put up instead... so the first prevented my embarrassment of jumping the queue!!

Crikey.  What to pick?..........  you know what?  Why not start at the beginning?!  It was virtually the first photo of the year and only TAKE FIFTEEN on the new blog.  I was astounded at the reach of the 'Nik' on which I was still very much a novice...it as only two weeks in my possession at this time.




...but why stop there?  TAKE FIVE was pretty impressive given it was taken from a rattling bus through a grimy window on a digicam...  TAKE TWO demonstrated a lot of who YAM is... or TAKE FIFTY FIVE, TAKE ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX,  TAKE TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY, TAKE TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY ONE...

Yes.  It has been a good year.  Thanks for the chance to go back through them!!

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND NINE

Wings on Wednesday - YAM's take on the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright hilarious process of photographing birds.

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

Seagulls play at being ducks in the Rothesay Castle moat, Isle of Bute.

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto everything.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHT

The Tuesday Tease

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

Okay, this will test your eyesight...  (no kidding!)

This old signage was uncovered during renovations to the Ipswich building which is now a bistro and retail outlet.  Thankfully, it was considered worth preserving and now makes a lovely, stop and stare article for interested passers by.

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto everything.

Post Script - 'Aitch' has found this article telling it's tale!!  

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND SEVEN

Monday's Critters

An unknown bug on the white hibiscus at Sidhabari.  Nice livery.

Taken with the 'Nik' on macro mode.

Please take time to visit BOZO and Goose or any of the other animalogues on my list!!

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND SIX

SUNdays

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

Peeking through the tree fern frond is an Aussie Sun...

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto everything.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND FIVE

Saturday Symmetry

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

Picnic platform at Hawkesbury River.

Taken with the 'Nik' on B&W manual mode, 80ISO and stopped down two points for contrast.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND FOUR

"Acceptance, tolerance and forgiveness; those are life-altering lessons."
(Jessica Lange)

At Norbulingka Institute.
Taken with the 'Nik' on auto and zoomed to 5x optical.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND THREE

Nothing can beat the BRIGHT COLOURS of nature... the theme for this week's Thursday Challenge.

All of these were taken with the old Minolta and Uniden digicams on macro mode (except the rainbow of course!)  

Please note that all images are copyright to Yamini Ali MacLean

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND TWO

Wings on Wednesday - YAM's take on the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright hilarious in regard to photographing birds.

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

The Australian Sulphur-crested cockatoo; one of the most recognizable birds in the world as they are also popular as pets, can be toilet-trained and socialised and are known to develop speaking skills.  In the wild, they are prone to forming gangs and can be rather destructive.

Taken with the 'Nik' on manual 100ISO and lens extended to 5x optical.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND ONE

The Tuesday Tease

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

"Wilbur, I think your webs are integer-ed if you truly think there are megapixies down there..."

A fine pair of ducks at City Farm.  Taken with the 'Nik' on manual 100ISO and lens extended to 5x optical.

TAKE THREE HUNDRED

Monday's Critters

Take 300 just had to be a doggy, didn't it??  Of course it did!  This Golden Labrador-INDog mix was door guardian at the Norbulingka Institute.

Taken with the 'Nik' on manual 200ISO and lens extended to 15x optical as I was NOT going to climb all those steps...

TAKE TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE

SUNdays

The last of the Mumbai sunset landing series (for now....&*>)  Just before we sank below the cloud line, the overhead layer parted and the light changed completely.  This is one of my own favourites from all the shots.

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto - and for once the porthole glass has minimal effect on the result!  However, the slight graininess you see in the lower parts are due to having had to resize quite radically as the megapixels were way too heavy for posting online... a strong, superfast internet connection is on my wish list...

TAKE TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHT

Saturday Symmetry

New Delhi Airport was very impressive.  This wall of copper dishes and metalised giant hands forming dance mudras (shapes/positions) was really rather beautiful, echoing the overall symmetry of the ultra modern building.  What I had not fully realised at the time, was the advertisement at the end, also of a hand!

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto everything.

NB: YAM is travelling (again) for the next week so may not be able to respond to comments, but as always your input is welcomed.  

TAKE TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY SEVEN

"Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday..." (Don Marquis)

Pure white hibiscus flower - don't recall ever seeing one before this visit to Sidhabari.

Taken with the 'Nik' on macro mode.

TAKE TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY SIX

For the Thursday Challenge this week the theme is PEACEFUL.  That's manageable!

It doesn't get much more peaceful than a Himalayan stream...

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto and drive by!!

TAKE TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE

Wings on Wednesday - YAM's take on the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright hilarious in regard to photographing birds.

This adorable spotted dove was coo-coo-cooing whilst woo-woo-wooing!!  It was spring in the mountains after all.  It's mate kept flying off so couldn't get a decent one of the pair. This was up at Sidhabari.

Taken with the 'Nik' on manual, 400ISO and the lens extended to full 26x optical zoom. This plus the downsizing for posting gives less than clear results - also did not have the monopod with me and I really notice the difference without it!!

TAKE TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR

The Tuesday Tease

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

"I know I left that needle in here somewhere..."



The cockatoo was running up and down these banyan roots definitely in a state of busy-ness!!

Taken with the Minolta digicam.

TAKE TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY THREE

Monday's Critters

Here's a handsome pair.  These Brahmin bullocks are cart pullers at Sidhabari village. They were enjoying a leisurely brekky of hay and oats.  Good looking beasts and well-cared for. 

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto everything.

TAKE TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY TWO

SUNdays.... but did anyone notice I missed the last Sunday of month which is MOONday at YAM's place?!!  So am cheating a bit ('coz I decided to make November "31st"), and slipping a shot in here &*>

copyright Yamini Ali MacLean

Taken on my second night back in OZ in October with the 'Nik' on sunset mode and zoomed about 8x optical.