September 6, 2020: Still Life in Late Afternoon Sun

I know, I know…not doing so well on my daily photo posts…part of it is I feel overwhelmed in today’s political climate, part of it is I’m in an existential crisis in who I am at this point in my life, and most important, I’m working on improving my marriage and my relationship with both my wife and my son.

Still life in Late Afternoon Sun

Today’s photo is a collection of objects representing both time and place over the years we’ve lived here. They are both ordinary as well as extraordinary.

The jar to the left is a watering pitcher that once filled with water, you place your thumb over the opening to prevent the water from leaking from the bottom until you’re ready to water a plant, then you release your thumb and the water flows out…a combination of function and aesthetics.

The spider picture in the background was taken years and years ago while hanging outside my wife’s “Honey” house in the back yard where she made candles from beeswax. While the spider looks huge, it’s really not as the sign itself was not much more than about an inch and a half wide or so. The spider had just emerged from its shell (hanging on the tiny rope knot above) and was resting on the sign itself until ready to find a place to spin its web.

The grey rock with the 10 penny nail sticking out was discovered recently when my wife and son were digging a trench for the electrical cable from the “big house” to his “still in construction” building that should be finished this fall.

The lamp to the right has been with us for years and over time has rusted from being out in the weather.

The “green stripped” rock (really black with white stripes) was recently brought home by our son from a trail ride on his bicycle in the Pack forest not too far from us. He found it in a dry creek bed while on his ride with a friend and carried it back home. It appears green as just to the left of the still life is a translucent piece of plastic shaped like an anchor which casts a green tint when the sun hits it just at the right time in the late afternoon.

The “pregnant” rock to the the right is an ancient composite of the outer stone cracked in half revealing a round stone in its center. The three rocks are tens of thousands years old yet seem to meld with the the far more current man made objects…a reminder they will be here long after we, and our man made objects, are long vanished.

This still life composite of man made and natural objects evokes a sense of humility within me as I realize we are naught but the guardians of the environment on this world of ours, that it is possible for humanity to coexist within nature, that nature has its own timeline and if you look carefully, objects from the past are intermixed all around us. Nature’s “art” patiently waits to be discovered and cherished.

Yet, at the same time, it is up to us to protect this world we live on, this blue planet that through the eons has nourished life until one day, it can no longer do so if mankind continues to damage and destroy the environment, the oceans, the very air we breath.

We are the stewards of this world we reside on. If we fail in our responsibilities to protect the world for all those generations to come, then at some point the planet will right itself without regard to the consequences to humanity.

This is our world, it is up to us, individually and collectively, to nurse our planet back to a healthy state.

Be Safe!

August 28, 2020: A Pool of Light

Pools of Light that focus the mind

One of these nights sleep is difficult. An herbal cup of tea to accompany my reading for a while.

As I sat in the office, I glanced over at the Singing Bowl and immediately saw the image in my mind. It’s been there for quite some time and I’ve looked at it everyday I’m in our office. Yet in the wee hours of the morning I saw the essence of the image as I was drifting off to sleep.

Yes, took the image around 4:00 am and now I’m heading back to bed.

Enjoy and be safe!!!

August 25, 2020: Wolfman the Nebelung Cat

Wolfman sleeping in late afternoon sun

Wolfman is one of our two year old “kittens” and since his birth, he is now an enormous cat (and still growing) with strong Nubelung characteristics. Both the cats are very gentle and very attached to all members of the family. Wolfman in particular has very much bonded to my wife when very young and loves to lay on her lap while watching TV in the evening.

I took this photo while he was sleeping on a footstool in the late afternoon southern light. What drew me to take this particular photo was the way the sun highlighted the ridges in his hair as they reminded of the way tall grass ripples into patterns when the wind rises.

August 24, 2020: What the Costal Pacific NW Must Have Looked Like

A different view of Multnomah Falls

A few years ago my wife and I went to Multnomah Falls, Oregon  – one of our favorite places to visit.  This time, however, instead of driving directly to the fall’s parking lot, we stopped at a parking lot some distance away that would allow us to walk the trails from where we parked to the falls itself.  It was a wet, blustery, rainy day and as we walked the trail, the scenery on either side was simply beautiful, a reminder of what it must have looked like before civilization stepped in to tame the landscape.

A view of the falls where it begins on it’s way the basin blow

“Wilderness” not far from the highway to the left of us as we walked the trail.

This image gave me a perspective of what it must have been was like for the Lewis and Clark expedition as they made their way to the Pacific coast through the dim light of old growth NW forests, always wet  and chilled from the rain and constant moisture for weeks on end.

 

 

August 23, 2020: Posting Again – The Coffee Bar

Yes, a while since I’ve last posted.   It’s been a difficult time between the political climate and the covid-19 pandemic to say the least.

As we have been self-isolated for the past few months, it’s been a time of reflection of what is important vis-a-vis life as “normal” and I’m sure we ‘re not the only family with these thoughts in this turbulent environment.  And, as I’m concerned, family is what’s important.

Still, it’s no excuse not to post, if not daily, at least once in a while.

As we mostly stay at home, photo safaris have been put on hold until less stressful times and are now mostly confined to the yard with an occasional foray to unpopulated locations that over the years have always offered photographic opportunities throughout most of the year . While summer is not my favorite time of the year, I have found many interesting shots around the yard in early morning and late evening – two of my favorite times of the day no matter the season.  Additionally, there are those photo opportunities within the house so to say that I am limited in my (photo) opportunities is not really true.

My wife has challenged me to 60 days of daily photos with a time limit of 30 minutes for the photo and subsequent post processing…the daily photos are to stretch my imagination and the short post processing time is to get me out of my “everything has to absolutely picture perfect” (no pun intended) as I tend to get overly obsessed with the most minor details.

It’s an interesting challenge and one that I’m looking forward to.

The Coffee Collection and Gifts of Hand Blown Glass

Today’s photo is our “coffee bar” showcasing the various glass coffee and tea posts accumulated over time, to include gifts of hand-blown glass from some of our friends.the

The goal of this challenge is not to talk about technical details but more of why the image caught my attention for a photograph.

What drew me to this image is the collection of glass backlit from a “hand made” light fixture made from beautiful bits and pieces of a broken glass bowl that were carefully placed into a metal frame of  a glass candle holder we had for many years .  The backlight  brings out the beautiful colors and patterns of the hand blown glass within the clear glass coffee pots on both sides.

Stay safe!

Tommy

 

 

April 2, 2020: Photography is Art- A Mt. Rainier Sunrise, a Photo of the Day, and a Sunrise of Long Ago

Early January Sunrise

In early January some years ago, I took a  shot of a Mt. Rainier predawn sunrise exploding in color before the sun broke free of the horizon.

There was a light dusting of snow on the 40 acres before me with a small pond in the foreground.  The temperature was in the low 20’s when I left the house about 45 minutes before sunrise.  As I stood in the tall, wet grass in my Birkenstock sandals with wool socks on (yes, I’m seriously into Birks, even in winter weather), set up my tripod, mounted the camera,  made sure everything was level and waited for a spectacular sunrise to begin.

How did I know it would be a spectacular sunrise when the sun hadn’t yet risen?  No, I’m not an oracle who foresaw the beauty of that sunrise that morning; just a photographer knowing when the sun would rise, armed with a bit of a posterior a posteriori knowledge of past early Januaries from this particular vantage point; waking early to be in position when the rays of the sun would begin painting the distant horizon as it slowly rose that morning.  My patience paid off, my wool socks kept my feet warm, and I was not disappointed as the unfolding sunrise painted the horizon in vivid orange and red hues, Mt. Rainier silhouetted as I saw it in my mind before the shoot.  And, an unexpected surprise from that morning shoot…a “double” sunrise, one on the horizon, the other reflected in the smallish pond.

Of all the sunrises I’ve taken over the years, this is my absolute favorite and hangs on our family room wall.  Recently, I gave a framed copy to a friend who was moving to Oregon and wanted a bit of Washington to hang on his wall as a reminder of his time on the western side of the Cascades.

Early Morning Sunrise in the Kontum highlands, Vietnam

The earliest photograph of a sunset I have in my  archives dates back to my time in the Kontum highlands in South Vietnam in November or December, 1966 …I was at the airfield one morning and saw a small group of GIs waiting for a Huey to take them on their mission.

As I stood waiting for my own aircraft, the sunrise had already begun and was now backlighting the heavy ground fog, a blanket on the surrounding hills and valleys, the distant sky a yellowish hue..  It was a stunning scene…a juxtaposition of beauty vis-a-vis the grim realities of readying for a mission with unknown outcomes.    I was 19 at the time and that sunrise is still in my mind…I’ve often wondered how the team waiting for the Huey fared.

Black Cats Outline in Rime Frost

Finally, my Photo of The Day…another early morning photo of our  “yard art” black cats outlined in rime frost as the sun touched our neighbor’s driveway with just a glimmer of a ray of sun.

Please forgive my lapse in posting…it was unintentional.

Take care, be safe, and may each sunrise illuminate your journey.

 

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March 29, 2020: Photography is Art – Heceta Beach at Low Tide, Storm Tide, and a Crow Eye Level at 800′

Today’s Photography is Art images are from two separate trips to the Oregon Coast, the first in October 2015, the second in March 2016.

Every once in a while we take a “mini” vacation at Yachats, Oregon and while there, we’d visit Heceta Beach some miles south of Yachats.

The first two images were taken on the same day, the first in the early afternoon, the second during the late afternoon after the weather turned from heavy overcast to foggy. even grayer lighting, and extremely windy.  Both images were taken from a hill that leads up to the lighthouse at about 800 feet.  And, yes…as we stood on the hill a solitary crow was fighting the wind as he flew past us at 800 feet during our second trip.

The third image, High Tide at Full Moon, was taken in March from the same hill.  We scheduled our trip to Yachats as we wanted to see what the ocean off the Oregon coast  looked like during a full moon at hight tide.  We were fully aware that planning a trip to Yachats months in advance that there was no guarantee the weather would be “favorable”.  As our trip to Yachats grew closer, we realized we would arrive during stormy weather conditions.  It didn’t matter as in many ways, arriving during stormy weather would allow us to see what the coastal area in these “raw” (metaphorically speaking) weather conditions would be like.

As we drove toYachats the weather was worsening the closer to Yachats we got.  We could see huge, powerful waves rolling, pounding the beaches whenever there was a break in the vegetation or the small towns we drove through that allowed a view of the ocean from the highway.  Once checked in to our motel, we drove to Heceta Beach a short while later,  By the time we arrived at the beach, the storm was raging in full form, waves rushing up almost to the bridge foundations, water cresting over the parking lot walls (not visible in the picture), a strong wind continuously blowing  inland from the ocean, the rain incessant and cold, and the beach completely engulfed by storm waves.

The weather was so stormy we opted not to park in the flooding parking lot, instead driving to the top of the hill to get a better view of the ocean in full storm.  We found a parking spot near an opening in the brush that allowed a decent view of the bay.  As soon as we got out of the car, the wind and rain immediately hit us,  blowing very cold rain in our faces.  From our (very brief) vantage point, we saw storm waves rolling up to the bridge and the sandy beach we had explored during our previous trip was covered in roiling storm waters from waves that never ended as they rolled in, one after another after another.  It was shocking to see such a drastic change.

It was a sobering realization of how powerful the Pacific ocean can be, how dangerous it must have been for ships trying to avoid grounding on the rocky shoals that dot the Oregon coastline.

The trip to Heceta was cold, wet, and illuminating of how fast the “Peaceful” Pacific ocean can turn from calm waters to storm waves that would instantly sweep someone out out to sea if they dared venture on a beach clearly marked “Dangerous During Storm Conditions”.

October 2015…Heceta Beach at Low Tide

October 2015, Heceta Beach at Low Tide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 2015,Crow Flying By in Storm at Eye Level @ 800 feet

Crow Flying By in Storm at Eye Level @ 800 feet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 2016, Heceta Beach at Full Moon, Storm at High Tide:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be safe and stay home during the coronavirus pandemic.

March 27, 2020: Photography is Art – Five Snow Geese Flying

Out walking one day as five Snow Geese flew over….it was an overcast day with a flat sky, yet even then, Beauty on wings overhead.

I’ve always loved this image and it speaks to me on many different levels each time I see it!

Five Snow Geese Flying

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay safe!

March 25, 2020: Photography is Art – Mt. Rainier with Two Eagles Flying

Mt. Rainier with Two Eagles Flyhing

While driving home one late fall afternoon last year, I stopped to take a roadside “grab” shot of the lenticular clouds approaching Mt. Rainier to the left.  I took three shots and went home.

As I processed the images in the evening I noticed two shapes in the third photo…I zoomed in and realized they were eagles, one just over the top of Mt. Rainier to the right, the second on the edge of the approaching lenticular cloud formation on the left.  It seemed unbelievable that an eagle can fly over 14,000 ft so I looked it up…and, yes, Bald Eagles can fly as high as 15,000 feet.

When I took the shot, I know I didn’t see the two eagles through the viewfinder, yet only on the third image did I see them.  I couldn’t have asked for more of a senendipitious shot then this.

Oh, the reference to lenticular clouds…Mt. Rainier dominates the landscape in the area where I live, including the formation of lenticular clouds they begin stacking up against the mountain’s mass.

Over the years I have photographed lenticular clouds as they approach Mt. Rainier: sometimes they sail in formations like an armada approaching a harbor, one after another with the foremost cloud being the largest, the rest trailing behind in a row, smaller and smaller; other times they settle on top of mountain like a cap draping over both sides of the summit.  The most magnificent lenticular formations are at sunset when the setting sun paints them in glorious colors that are mesmerizing to watch in those final moments as the sun approaches the edge of the horizon.

Be safe!

March 24, 2020: Photography is Art: August Full Moon Rising

August Full Moon Rising Over Mt Rainier

A favorite subject…a Full Moon rising over Mt. Rainier.  This particular shot was taken in June, 2014.

It’s a difficult shot  as I strive to capture that   moment when the full moon just begins to crest above the faint outline of Mt. Rainier’s summit at 14,600 feet.

And, as always, just as this magic moment passes and the moon continues its rise, the mountain becomes invisible as the sky darkens and slowly, slowly, slowly the moon begins to change from its yellowish hue to that familiar bright white moon we’re all familiar with.

Enjoy and Be safe!