TAKE SEVENTY SEVEN a

Wings on Wednesday -

YAM's take on the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright hilarious in respect to photographing birds.

“He was not bone and feather but a perfect idea of freedom and flight, limited by nothing at all” 
― Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingston Seagull

In India I had many wonderful times watching and photographing the Black Kites.  In Dunoon, through my windows it is mostly gulls.  Magpies and gulls.  Prepare yourselves.

This was taken on sports mode and full optical zoom.  The bird was at full tilt on a strong wind, so am reasonably happy at this attempt.  As always, room for improvement!!!

If you have birds posted and would like to linky, then please do.  They don't have to be high standard (did you look at that one up there properly???), the idea is to try, try and keep on trying.  Every now and then there's gonna be something special.  &*<>

TAKE SEVENTY SIX a

The Tuesday Tease

Who am I?  What am I?  Where am I?.... want the answer?  Back next week!

Taken with the 'Nik' on macro mode.

TAKE SEVENTY FIVE a

Monday's Critters

One of the scanned prints... and clearly I did not take it, though it was my camera.  The Minolta film point and shoot to be exact.  The last film I ever put through.  This was in Cairns, Far North Queensland, at the bird sanctuary.  This is a female Eclectus parrot and a true delight she was too.

I have avoided after-scan processing, as the aim is to have a true representation of what would otherwise be kept in albums. Thus, not brilliant photography, but doing what the art does best...  Recording.

TAKE SEVENTY FOUR a

MOONdays

Another month has sped by.  I mark the final Sundays with an honouring of the moon.

Despite a great deal of cloud and haze, I managed to get the April Moon Rising!

Taken with the 'Nik' on night landscape mode and stopped down the exposure a notch because boy was it bright!  Also took the lens up to full 26x optical and 4x digital and braced against the window frame. 

It's okay...

TAKE SEVENTY THREE a

Saturday Symmetry

One of the scanned photoprints ... nothing like the symmetry of love.  Mother, daughter and grand-dog on daughter's birthday, 26th April 1997.  Lazy, hazy autumn day in Sydney. Dad just grabbed my camera and took this from the house without our knowledge!  Glad he did.

TAKE SEVENTY TWO a

"Sunlight is painting."
(Nathanial Hawthorne)

Taken with the 'Nik' on macro mode (and stopped down a couple of notches on the exposure as I was nearly snow-blinded!!!)

TAKE SEVENTY ONE a

The Thursday Challenge this week has the prompt EXPENSIVE.... (somehow it felt like I needed to go large there, ahem...)

No expense spared at New Delhi airport. These cast bronze sculptures are life-size and I found them breathtakingly beautiful.

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto.






It is also YAM's "Last Thursday - the day when things can go haywire, or are just plain peculiar!"
Let's hot up the Gothic...

TAKE SEVENTY a

Wings on Wednesday -

YAM's take on the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright hilarious in respect to photographing birds.

The Sun may have got late coming to the party, but these doves were a-cooing and a-wooing in the early April showers, regardless!

Taken with the 'Nik' on manual mode, 200ISO, standard shutter (perhaps 400 would have been the better choice) and lens zoomed up to 8x optical.

Do you have birdie shots?  Share them with this linky!!

TAKE SIXTY NINE a

The Tuesday Tease

"They can't see me, they can't see me, they can't see me......"

Taken with the 'Nik' on macro mode.

TAKE SIXTY EIGHT a

Monday's Critters

You saw a young Jade last week, so only fair to share with you a young Jasper.  He liked getting stuck up that tree and teasing Jade, but his most favourite thing was lounging in the sun.  Preferably on freshly washed clothes or rugs...!

Taken with the Minolta digicam.

TAKE SIXTY SEVEN a

SUNdays


Ye Heavens, how sang they in your courts, How sang the angelic choir that day, When from his tomb the imprisoned God, Like the strong sunrise, broke away? (Rev. F. W. Faber)

A sunrise for a change - taken from dad's south-facing kitchen window in Edinburgh. 
Taken with the 'Nik' on auto at 8am in early January.  That was all we saw of the sun that day...

TAKE SIXTY SIX a

Saturday Symmetry

It was a grey and stormy day... But the Victorian pier at Dunoon still strikes a stunning sight in symmetrical elegance.  It is, sadly, unused and I have yet to delve into its history, but expect to see a bit more of this aging beauty.

TAKE SIXTY FIVE a

"The snowdrop and primrose our woodlands adorn,
and violets bathe in the wet o' morn."
(Robert Burns)

Taken with the 'Nik' on macro mode in my father's garden, Edinburgh.

TAKE SIXTY FOUR a

For this week's Thursday Challenge, the prompt is TRANQUIL.  It is not enough to know that I felt tranquil whilst standing where a photo was taken.  It should convey that tranquility to you, the viewer. Does this succeed?

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto standard mode.  The pond was one of two to be found on Sandeepany Sadhanalaya ashram, Powai Mumbai.

TAKE SIXTY THREE a

Wings on Wednesday -

YAM's take on the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright hilarious in respect to photographing birds.

"I hope you love birds too.  It is economical.  Saves going to Heaven..." 

(Emily Dickinson)

Black Kite in a bright Mumbai sky.  Taken with the 'Nik' on sports mode and zoomed 20x optical.

Do you have a post with birds to share?

TAKE SIXTY TWO a

The Tuesday Tease

...The street may be small, but stuff happens here.  One day of spring sunshine and The King goes Soft!  Five degrees centigrade and he's royally optimistic...

Taken with the 'Nik' on 'peek through the window' mode.

TAKE SIXTY ONE a

Monday's Critters

Have finally got round to scanning in old print photographs.  They are not necessarily brilliant...aging of the paper-stock means some poor quality.  But there are memories locked in them and at least this much preservation is deserved.

It does meant that for quite a few 'critters' offerings now you are going to see the J's. You can live with that - can't you?

Spot Jade under her favourite tree.  Taken with the old Minolta SLR - she was only 18 months old in this one.  The SLR didn't last much longer - this was the last roll of film it took.  I had by this time bought the Minolta handycam - clinging to the idea of film and resisting digital.  

Ahh, memories.

TAKE SIXTY a

SUNdays

A cloudless winter sunset turns a vapour trail into a feature.  Taken with the 'Nik' on sports mode and lens extended some 20x optical.

TAKE FIFTY NINE a

Saturday Symmetry

Another of the 'through the window drive-by shootings' series.  From the Train approaching Newcastle station. Can you see the six bridges?

Taken with the 'Nik' on "quick shoot it now - I said NOW..."

TAKE FIFTY EIGHT a

"Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower."
(John Harrigan)

Taken with the 'Nik' on macro mode.

TAKE FIFTY SEVEN a

Another week slips by and we are at the Thursday Challenge yet again.  This week's prompt is TRAVEL (pictures taken away from home...)  HAH!  Regulars will know this leaves the scope so wide open for YAM as to be dizzying.  It is just about everything I have.  I am going to limit myself to one thing though.  

It's a bit like pin the tail on the donkey but have settled on this one of the busy intersection outside the Cchatrapati Shivaji Rail Station in Mumbai. 

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto.

TAKE FIFTY SIX a

Wings on Wednesday -

YAM's take on the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright hilarious in respect to photographing birds.

A rather handsome cockerel.  Wish I knew more about chicken varieties.  Taken with the 'Nik' on standard auto.

If you have ornithological offerings please link your post here!

TAKE FIFTY FIVE a

The Tuesday Tease

An intrigue in the street below...Royal Mail post van driver is approached by the courier van driver and a conversation ensued, involving much waving of arms and puzzled expressions.  Address unknown???  The postie signed the electronic list and took a box from the courier to place in his own van.

I hope it got where it was meant to!  Taken with the 'Nik' on stealth mode...heheheh

TAKE FIFTY FOUR a

Monday's Critters

Am still delving into the archives, folks.  This freshwater croc is a resident of the Australian Reptile Park on NSW Central Coast.  It was 'snapped' with the Uniden, but on low pixels, so not all that crisp.

TAKE FIFTY THREE a

SUNdays

The sun falls early over Edinburgh mid-winter.  Taken with the 'Nik' on auto everything.

TAKE FIFTY TWO a

Saturday Symmetry

Somehow the tracery of towers and wires against a grey winter landscape holds an ethereal beauty. I grew up around these things - my father was an Electrical Engineer, ensuring electrification reached all points of the compass!

Taken with the 'Nik' on B&W mode.... another of the 'drive by shootings'.

TAKE FIFTY ONE a

"Beauties in vain their pretty eyes may roll; charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul."
(Alexander Pope)

This early spring Fuscia taken with the 'Nik' on macro mode.

TAKE FIFTY a

Here we are at Thursday Challenge time again.  This week we are to share LANDSCAPE... got plenty of those oh dear which to choose??? (Remember you can click in each to get a larger view.)  The Indian and UK photos were taken with the 'Nik' and the OZ ones were from the Uniden.

Rice paddies of Himachal Pradesh?

Or its Mountains?

How about some Aussie grasslands instead?

...or perhaps water views?

Perhaps the UK is more your taste?