TAKE ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT a

Saturday Symmetry

Looking right and left at the Castle House gardens, Dunoon - part of the boundaries series.
Taken with the 'Nik' on standard auto.

TAKE ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN a

"...and the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
(Anais Nin)

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto exposure and the lens extended to 8x zoom (...they were up high!)

TAKE ONE HUNDRED AND SIX a

This week we have been invited by the Thursday Challenge meme to demonstrate something IMPORTANT, to ourselves, or perhaps otherwise...

This sent me into a bit of a spin because, as I live in a spiritual framework, everything is important - and nothing.  I choose to share this week, then, a collage of influences which have marked my journey and could be considered as 'markers' and by association, are thus important.

PLACE



Australia


India


Scotland

PEOPLE

The Care Team at Whiddon Group Rest Home

The other three Macs

PURPOSE

My home mandir/puja space.








Now folks, it is also ....

Last Thursday - the day when things can go haywire, or are just plain peculiar!

I invite all my fellow Thursday Challengers to take a photo with which they are less than pleased out of the lens and do something creative with it.  This is a linky/blog hop exclusively for those who have posted to Thursday Challenge and should be from amateur photographers only please. (I will remove links with commercial interest or who have not posted to TC.) It can be attached to the final Thursday's offering each month, or can be a seperate page if you wish, but it must be seen that you have linked on the same date as an entry over at Spunwithtears... 

All the usual courtesies apply.  Thanks folks - let's have fun!

This wintry tree scene was very ordinary indeed, limp and uninteresting. A bit of light and magic in the PhoXo box, though, and it takes on a certain mystique.

TAKE ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE a

Wings on Wednesday -

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

...NOT black and white... this is just the play of light.  Taken with the 'Nik' on sports mode and auto exposure with lens extended 5x optical.

Got an ornithological offering?  Link your post here!

TAKE ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR a

The Tuesday Tease

"Make like stone, they said.  Hold that pose, they said.  Forgot to mention sunblock, they did..."

This seal was part of a group so far away from me the camera lens was stretched to its limit, so a bit of shake.  This group were basking and gamboling at Scalpsie, Isle of Bute.

TAKE ONE HUNDRED AND THREE a

Monday's Critters

Too cute for words.  Hence the photo. Taken with the 'Nik' on auto and zoomed 3x optical.

TAKE ONE HUNDRED AND TWO a

SUNdays

Couldn't resist this rosy dawn chorus shot - not directly sun I admit, but the clouds caught the rising glow...

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto everything.

TAKE ONE HUNDRED AND ONE a

Saturday Symmetry

A little series for you today - St John's is now under the Presbyterian Church of Scotland and sits on a brae above the main street.  If you would like to see the building in context, then click here.

As you see, it was originally the 'wee free kirk' built in 1843, then rebuilt in 1876. Read a little bit more about it on this site.

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto with lens at varying extensions.

TAKE ONE HUNDRED a

"This world of ours...must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect."
(Dwight D Eisenhower)

Taken with the 'Nik' on standard auto mode.

TAKE NINETY NINE a

It's Thursday Challenge time again and the prompt for this week is MANY... it also gives the intriguing sub-prompt "lots of anything".  Hmmmmm.........

Have decided to take bit of a detour with this one.  First the original;

A pair of Scots Fir cones on gravel.

'So what?' you ask.

Well then I got busy in a new bit of freeware downloaded recently; something to allow me a bit more artistic flexibility than WLPG alone does.

So what happens when YAM is let loose in the toolbox? From two to four...

and then.... lets make seven!

I normally reserve this post-processing stuff for my LAST THURSDAY slot, but this gave me an opportunity to show off!!  

Remember... all those who are taking part in the Thursday Challenge meme I am now inviting to join me on a link up on Last Thursdays of each month additional to TC; just add in a photo you have 'tweaked' to abstraction for fun and learning on the final Thursday post on your blog and link up.  Only those who have posted to the Thursday Challenge are to join this blog-hop. Backlinks on your post and leaving comments here are not compulsory, but that would be polite! So prepare yourselves, get creative and see you here next week!!!

TAKE NINETY EIGHT a

Wings on Wednesday -

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

Taken a month ago, just as the buds were looking to burst.  There has been an invasion of magpies in Scotland since my original residence here.  This of course means less of other birds. Here is an older, but informative article you may enjoy on this handsome gangster.

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto exposure and the lens extended to 8x optical.

Have you got posts with ornithological focus?  Please link up here (non-compliant links will be removed - fair warning!)

TAKE NINETY SEVEN a

The Tuesday Tease

...remember last Tuesday's 'bugs'?

Well they were in fact cardboard cut outs on a string. They had been spread about the silver birches down by Loch Eck as decoration for a wedding ceremony which took place down by the water.

The next question is, will they be there by the time of my next visit?  It could be some while away...




Taken with the 'Nik' on auto and lens out to 5x optical.

TAKE NINETY SIX a

Monday's Critters

Pretty much everyone in the world is familiar with the red-coated Highland Cattle.  There are lots of black coats too, though. In my family, all my sibs are the red-nuts.  I was the black haired one of the herd. Now my furs more resemble yonder hazy brae!!!

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto exposure and lens extended 10x optical...it was high on the hill!

Don't forget to visit some of my 'furriends' around Blogville.  You'll find them over on the side bar below.

TAKE NINETY FIVE a

SUNdays

"Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water"
(Christopher Morley)

...and here in Dunoon there are many heavy clouds doing a lot of letting... but that's our orbish friend peeking through the murk!

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto.

TAKE NINETY FOUR a

Saturday Symmetry

Glaring winter light made this a little hard to balance, exposure-ways.

Regulars will by now know I have a bit of a thing for gates and fences. The eagle-eyed one will perhaps have noted that I have added a new 'label'... The Boundary Series will appear mostly within Sat Symm but may appear elsewhere also. There are so many wonderful gates, fences, walls in UK, I just will not be able to stop myself!!!

Taken with the 'Nik' on manual, 400ISO, stopped down two notches...it's all an experiment!

TAKE NINETY THREE a

"Think where man's glory begins and ends
and say my glory was I had such friends."
(W B Yeats)

Taken with the 'Nik' on macro mode.

TAKE NINETY TWO a

The theme word over at Thursday Challenge this week is ABANDONED.  I decided to revisit my Sandeepany files.  Here are some studies taken at the lower end of the ashram. Previously these buildings homed resident brahmacharins.  There was talk of them being demolished and a new, multilevel building going up.  

All taken with the 'Nik' on B&W manual mode 200ISO.

(Remember you can click on them to enlarge!)

TAKE NINETY ONE a

Wings on Wednesday -

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

On the cold and windswept shores of Loch Lomond many a bird was found.  Let's begin with these... No introductions required I am sure!

Taken with the 'Nik' on manual mode set at 400ISO.

TAKE NINETY a

The Tuesday Tease

...............????????????? Loch Eck monster midgies????????  Part two next week!

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto.

TAKE EIGHTY NINE a

Monday's Critters

One day of sunshine a month means YAMarazzi makes photoplay when the big yellow ball shines.  This is the first of a few critter shots I got on our Spring ration last week... It was so warm the sea loch was steaming!  Yonder peak is on the Isle of Arran.  The  curling stones place.

Taken with the 'Nik' on manual mode set at 200ISO.

TAKE EIGHTY EIGHT a

SUNdays

Scottish skies may be inclined to excess cloud activity, but it can result in some interesting views...

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto.

TAKE EIGHTY SEVEN a

Saturday Symmetry

Dry-stone walling is a major feature of Scottish landscape.  This one is just by the ferry pier at Rhubodach, Isle of Bute.

Taken with the 'Nik' on auto mode.

TAKE EIGHTY SIX a

"Give light and the darkness will disappear of itself."
(Desiderius Erasmus)

Taken with the 'Nik' on macro mode.

TAKE EIGHTY FIVE a

The Thursday Challenge prompt this week is MUSICAL.

Lucky I spotted this last week then...there are a great many memorial seats around Dunoon and Bute.  Generous and practical gifts with a purpose. Taken with the 'Nik' on auto.

...but I also have this...

That is my niece, Amy, who was born with many physical challenges but has prodigious musical talent.  The clarsach is only one of her instruments.  I took this with the Uniden digicam on long focus in low light without flash.

TAKE EIGHTY FOUR a

Wings on Wednesday -

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

Spring thermals bring out the aerobats!!  Taken with the 'Nik' on Sports mode and the lens extended to 15x optical zoom.

Do you have a post with birds you'd like to share?  Link up here - stick to meme please!