Leaves

A few days ago I was standing on my front deck and there was a quick downpour of rain followed by a sunny period. I noticed the interesting lighting on the leaves with water droplets and decided to take a few photos.

The leaves in first photo are mountain ash (dogberry) and the others are maple. Because these trees provide lots of shade, the background is nearly black. The interesting thing about these images is that the subjects are extremely common this time of the year and I stood just outside my front door to make them.

The photos over the past few days really represent the theme of my Photo of the Day. Many of you have been receiving my photos for several years and have been "seeing" the world through my eyes. You will realize that by observing the world around me, I find beauty in simple things that many people take for granted. Cinnamon buns, hands, windows and doors, leaves ... EVERYTHING'S A PICTURE.

I have received many emails from people who have told me that, because of my photos and comments, they are "seeing" their worlds differently than before joining my list. Those comments are rewarding for me because it illustrates that sharing my photos is opening others' eyes to the beauty around them.

Musical Hands

I thought that I would share 4 images that were created using the Effects Menu on Picasa 2, a free program from Google. A friend told me about this program last year and I have used it every day since installing it. It is a good photo management and manipulation program.

The original photo was taken during a music recital last May and effects added in minutes. If you download this program, make sure you practice on copies of your original photos. I have accidentally saved over a couple of original images and can't get them back. Now, I work on the original, export the changed image, then undo the changes to the original.

If you like Hands photos, I have a Musical Hands Gallery on line: http://www.lanephotography.com/hands/hands_01.htm

Thanks for the comments on yesterday's cinnamon buns photos ... I am including a few just to let you know the memories and feelings that these simple photos evoked in many of the people on this list.

• That photo made me lonesome. I am sure when we were growing up, Mom made cinnamon buns 2-3 times a week. Today the smell or sight brings me back, to our home in St. Joseph's. Thanks for the brief trip down memory lane.
  
• I don't have much of a sweet tooth but this photo sure had my mouth watering for something cinnamon as the blueberry photo the day before. Two of my favorite things.
  
• Normally I prefer black & white photos, however in this case the colour photo seems to bring out the flavor. Or maybe its because I skipped breakfast.
  
• I just love the pictures of the cinnamon buns. I like the colored one because with the sense of sight I can also just smell the aroma. The b&w doesn't affect me the same way. I LOVE CINNAMON BUNS! [:D] Thanks again for your wonderful pictures.
  
• I love your photo is this morning - I do think the colour photo does justice to these Buns ! They are delicious looking ! My compliments to the cook.
  
• How did you know that they are one of my favourites and I definitely prefer them in colour. I can almost smell them and want to reach out and pick one to eat.
  
• They look scrumptious! I like the colour version.
  
• Personally, there is no comparison between B&W and colour in this case. The coloured photo has me salivating because the buns look absolutely real and I can practically taste their warmth, sweetness and stickiness. On the other hand, the B&W photo evokes no response.
  
• I have to react to this one. The warm colours make it look much more appetizing than the b & w. I could eat those coloured ones right of the screen!!!
  
• ....that was making me hungry!!! When I think of all the cinnamon buns we used to make in the bakery....:) :)...
  
• Is it OK to vote for both! One stirs memories the other stirs emotions! Great memories of my Grandmother's baking and the great feeling of how the air will soon be crisp enough to open the windows and bake this fall!

Cinnamon Buns

A few days ago I photographed cinnamon buns just after they had come out of the oven. They were taken in the kitchen without a flash. When I saw the results, I converted the image to b & w just to see what it would look like.

In the past I have sent out surveys to see if people preferred the colour or b & w images, but the results are usually pretty even (50/50) so I am not asking for people to send me their preference. However, if you would like to let me know, feel free.

I had quite a few comments about the blueberry photos I sent out yesterday. Thanks to those who sent their favourite way to eat blueberries. A few people from Newfoundland and Labrador said that the berries were scarce in their areas and others said the berries weren't ripe yet. I guess I am lucky, because I have picked quite a few and there are lots more left. (less than 30 feet from my house)

Blueberries

About 20 people confirmed that yesterday's photos were purple loosestrife. Thanks.

This morning I am sending photos of blueberries that are growing about 30 feet from my back deck. I picked a container of berries there a couple of days ago and have been eating fresh blueberries and ice cream, blueberry sauce and toutons (fried bread dough ), and blueberry sauce on toast. They are also excellent when eaten with yogurt; in cereal, muffins, pies and pancakes; and as jams and jellies.

So far this year (as you know from my Photo of the Day) I have picked bakeapples, raspberries and blueberries. I will probably pick more blueberries because they can be frozen and eaten throughout the winter.

Purple Loosestrife

I'd like to thank the people on my list who have also identified the plant and berries I sent last night as red-osier dogwood. I can now add that plant to my list of stock photos.

This morning I am sending another species I photographed for the first time while visiting Central Newfoundland. I think it is purple loosestrife, an invasive plant that is spreading all across North America. I didn't think we had that plant here in Newfoundland and Labrador, but when I saw it on the river banks in Badger, it was my first guess. I am including 3 photos that show a wide shot, medium shot of the flower and a view looking down on the plant that lets you see the leaves.

A few people responded to my Photo of the Day yesterday and thanked me for giving hints on photographing flowers. Since I have never done a biology course, I have relied on plant identification books to identify the species I have photographed. Most books have only one or two photos, and often identification is very difficult. As a result, I take photos from a variety of angles and make sure that I get the flowers (or fruit), leaves and habitat.

Again today, I'd like someone on this list to verify that I have identified the plant correctly. My identification books are packed away and it will probably be a month before all our stuff is unpacked.

A few years ago, students at MQP created a plant identification site using my photos. Maybe it's time to update that site. Feel free to check it out at: http://www.mqp.k12.nf.ca/plants/plants_home.htm

Red-Osier Dogwood

Earlier today I was photographing the dam in Millertown when I noticed a small shrub (around 1 metre high) with bunches of white berries. I don't remember seeing these berries before, so when I returned home, I looked it up in my Shrubs of Newfoundland book. I have identified it as red-osier dogwood. If anyone on this list can confirm that this plant is red-osier dogwood, I would like to know. I did a search on line and some people have identified similar white berries as common snowberries.

I have included two images of the berries and one of the habitat in which it was growing. When photographing plants, I try to capture close-up images of the berries and leaves. I also photograph the plant in its natural surroundings. It really helps when trying to identify plants.

Bonavista Lighthouse

Sorry about not sending my Photo of the Day yesterday. I am going out of town for a few days and won't be sending my Photo of the Day until Monday or Tuesday.

This morning I am sending photos of the Bonavista Lighthouse. I have photographed this lighthouse on several occasions, but August 7, was the best day I have ever spent on the Cape. There are two things that I don't like about this particular lighthouse because they ruin the view (my opinion only). There is a new electronic light behind the lighthouse and it stands out like a sore thumb. As well, someone built a chimney that covers the "light" (noticeable in the second photo). Despite these things, I have always enjoyed my trips there, regardless of the weather.

I have galleries of 4 other lighthouses on line. Feel free to check them out. http://www.lanephotography.com/culture.htm

Little Catalina

I have visited Little Catalina, Trinity Bay on several occasions and am sharing three images of fishing stages made on my most recent visit.

I walked down the stairs to the grey fishing stage on the left and photographed the red "store" from there. The third photo was taken some distance away on the opposite shore. In fact when I zoom in on each original photo I can see the other stages in the distance on opposite sides of the harbour.

As I stated in a recent Photo of the Day, in years gone by there would have been many stages in this small fishing community. These days there are hardly any, and a few of those that are left are in bad shape. Without a fishery, there is little need for fishing stages in most communities all around Newfoundland and Labrador.

I suggest that people on this list who live in, or visit, our province, take photos of boats, stages and flakes in as many communities as possible. Feel free to send them to mqpphotos@gmail.com and I can have students can add them to the photo gallery at school.
(www.mqp.k12.nf.ca/photoalbum) By participating in the MQP Photo Album Project, you are helping students find free images that they may use in their school projects.

Window and Door

I haven't sent recent photos of doors and windows so I thought I'd share a few taken in Little Catalina on August 7.

The photos were taken of an old "store" and the first one shows both the door and window. I zoomed in on the keyhole because I have seen and photographed this type of lock on old sheds before. I liked the shapes, colours and textures in this composition. I zoomed in on the window to show the reflections as well as a few items that are stored near the window.

I have been making photographs of Windows and Doors for 25 years and have quite a collection. I must have a look at them again to see what it is that attracts my attention enough to make me want to continue to photograph them.

I have a gallery of 6 more Windows and Doors photos on line at: http://www.lanephotography.com/windows_doors/windows.htm

People

Yesterday's photos showed that by using your zoom lens, you can create different images of the same scene. This morning I am sharing two photos that were taken in the same area, but have people in the photos.

I usually photograph people in scenic photos to show two things: relative sizes and that the places are accessible to people. By including people in the photos, viewers automatically assume that if they came to this area, they would be able to walk along the cliffs. The main road is less than a minute's walk from the sea cliffs.

When I take photos of people I usually pass out a business card and tell them to email me and I would send them a copy of the photo. Not too many people follow up by contacting me.

Seascapes

Dungeon Provincial Park, located near the Bonavista Lighthouse, offers opportunities to photograph the sea stacks and steep cliffs on the Trinity Bay side of the tip of the Bonavista Peninsula.

The three photos today illustrate how I used the zoom lens on my camera to create different images of the same scene. I always encourage people to take more than one photo of the same scene.

I actually took over 250 photos while in this area because it was a beautiful day with fantastic scenery. I have visited this area on several occasions, but I have never seen a better day on the "Cape".

Boats - Maberly

The photos of fish flakes I have sent over the past two days were taken in the town of Maberly, Trinity Bay near the location where I took today's photos that show images of the same boat taken from different angles. This small town is next to Elliston, where I took the photos of root cellars and seascapes that I sent out last week.

Again today, you will see that moving around a photographic subject changes the view, often dramatically, as it is in today's images of the boat.

If you like photos of boats, I have several on line at: http://www.lanephotography.com/boats/boatpics/boatpics_intro.htm

Fish Flakes 2

Several people wanted more information about fish flakes after receiving my Photo of the Day yesterday.

Last September 3, I sent a series of photos showing how people dry fish these days. The flakes of days gone by were much larger, similar to the ones in the photo today. You can check these photos by going to the link below and scrolling to September 3. http://kbrucelane.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

If you checked the link above, you will have seen a small flake made from wood and chicken wire. The larger wooded structures shown in today's photos were common in outport communities when I was growing up in the 50s and 60s. People used to lay split codfish on these flakes to dry them in the sun. When they were dry (cured), the fish could be stored in root cellars throughout the winter.

Wikipedia has a more lengthy description of Fish Flakes if you want to find out more. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_flake

Fish Flakes

In days gone by, fish flakes were a common sight in many communities dotting the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. Codfish were split and, because there were no refrigerators and few storage areas, were dried in the sun. Fish were put out each day and taken in at night until totally dried.

These days, however, there are few fish flakes in Newfoundland and Labrador, unless (like the one I photographed in Maberly, Trinity Bay) they have been built as tourist attractions. I am sharing three similar images taken looking towards the ocean with an island in the background.

To capture the first two images, I laid the camera on the wooden sticks and simply changed the composition. I shot the third photo from a higher angle and you should be able to observe the difference. I am sharing these photos to illustrate that you should try taking photos from different positions to see which composition you prefer. I hardly ever take one photo of a subject but try different compositions by standing, kneeling or moving around the subject.

Fungus?

A couple of days ago, I noticed a strange looking growth on a small patch of caribou moss growing on a bog in the woods behind my house. At first, I thought it was just a different colour, but on closer examination, I noticed that it is a growth of some sort. I assume it is a fungus similar to witches butter.

The first photo shows the caribou moss (whitish) with the orange fungus growing in a small area. (3 - 4 inches). The second photo shows that the fungus is growing on the green leaves as well. The third photo shows the texture and how it is overtaking the leaves as well as the moss.

In all my walks this summer, I have only seen this one small patch. If anyone on this list is familiar with this organism, I'd like to know more.

Partridgeberries

Two days ago I photographed partridgeberries on the top of one of the hills behind my house. They won't be ripe for another few weeks, but it looks like there will be many berries this year. I used my macro settings to get close views of the small fruit.

So far this year I have picked bakeapples and raspberries and have a few blueberry patches picked out for early September.

I have created a Partridgeberry Gallery - feel free to check it out: http://www.lanephotography.com/plants/partridgeberries/partridgeberries_01.htm

White Admiral Butterfly

Most of you may have realized that recently I have been taking many photos in the woods behind my house. A couple of days ago, a butterfly attracted my attention as it flitted from flower to flower on the trail in front of me.

The first photo shows the butterfly resting on a flower with the sunlight illuminating it from behind. I identified the butterfly as a white admiral. This particular butterfly was in bad shape - wings torn and ragged. I assume it had been attacked by a predator, but was lucky enough to get away.

Pitcher Plant

The fly in today's photos was flying and walking dangerously close to the mouth of a carnivorous pitcher plant. It used to peer over the edge of the entrance to the water-filled "pitcher" where the plant captures insects and absorbs nutrients from the decaying bodies.

I photographed this fly for quite a while wanting to see if it actually was captured by the liquid inside the "pitcher". This was the closest this particular fly came to going inside the cup.

The third photo shows a small insect floating in the liquid inside the sticky liquid. I looked in quite a few pitcher plants and nearly every one had at least one insect.

The photos today illustrate the theme for my Photo of the Day. Flies and plants are "common" but, when photographed in nature, illustrate the drama that goes on day after day without human observation.

Puffins

In Elliston, you can walk to the end of a short trail to watch puffins on an island about 100 feet away. There were quite a few puffins standing on the cliffs and poking their heads out of their burrows. Next to the Bonavista Lighthouse there is another island with many puffins. I had never seen puffins at either location until my most recent trip.

I was lucky to photograph a couple of puffins flying in with capelin (tiny fish) in their mouths. Imagine how hard it is to focus on a bird flying by so quickly and shoot fast enough to capture a photo!