The Final Three
While I did take more, these are the last three cow pictures I’ll be showing for the time being. The first one is out of focus, but I had to include it for Steve’s sake, since he loves close ups and I thought he’d get a kick out of this one. (Ha ha ha!)
An unforgettable, heart-stopping blur
Here are the first photographs in a series I took during a spontaneous visit with some cows. A few details about the experience: (1) The sky was very overcast; (2) I had to hurry, hurry, hurry to take these shots; and ( 3) My heart was utterly swollen with love for these precious, wide-eyed creatures. It was an incredibly moving experience for me.
This first set aims to convey some of the rush of the moment. I was overcome by blurry streaks and patches of light and dark, and suddenly found myself peering into the most gentle, curious eyes I’ve ever seen.
Getting off the train
I am honored today to be nominated by two wonderful bloggers for awards. Pablo Buitrago has nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award (that’s my second), and George Weaver, my new most favorite blogger on WordPress, has nominated me for the Liebster Award.
Given the nature of these awards, as they are circulating around the blogosphere, I am going to take the liberty of changing the rules—or, rather, breaking the chain. I am simply going to thank my dear blogging friends for the recognition. I am genuinely touched that they would recognize me in this way.
The Versatile Blogger Award
I have expressed before how much I enjoy Pablo’s blog (http://pablobuitrago365.wordpress.com) and how much I have gained from our interaction. I have noted, through his comments not only on my own blog but on countless others, the great care he brings to the observations he makes about other people’s photography. He is an outstanding photographer whose daily posts display not only his photographic skills, but also the intellectual curiosity he brings to his subjects. I always look forward to his posts, and I’m sure you will, too. Pablo, thank you so much for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award. I admire the enthusiasm and the wonderful spirit of inquiry you continue to exhibit with each passing day.
The Liebster Award
I was surprised, and I must say, incredibly flattered to be included among the nominees of George for the Liebster Award. It was only just recently that I came upon her blog, and from the moment I read that first post, I knew I had stumbled upon something, or rather someone very special. Her photographs will draw you in before you even read the first word. Then, when you start reading, you’ll discover a voice like none other. The authenticity and originality of her voice seem to permeate her photographs. (How does she do that?!) She tells it like it is, and then some…. From what I’ve seen in the short time I’ve read her, this is a quick-witted, intellectually fearless, utterly charming woman who gets it. There is no one else like her on WordPress. Check her out: http://gweaverii.me/
And now for a few final photographs from my railway adventure. There is nothing special about the photographs, in fact the photos themselves have all kinds of problems (exposure, composition, etc.) but you can’t explore an abandoned railcar without running into some graffiti. What I like about these is imagining the scene on the railcar where these were painted: the railcar is located quite near the women’s college where I teach… These will be the last in my series from this week. I’m getting off the train now. 🙂
Stepping points
I’m not sure what to call these exactly. They’re a sort of grate, I guess (I clearly need to beef up on my railway terminology). I found several of them at various points around the abandoned railcar I visited (yes, I’m still my big rusty adventure: it’s almost over, I promise!). They serve as stepping points between the sections on the outside of the car. I was interested in their shapes, which ended up causing a focal point problem for the photographs because there is no place to “land” really when looking at the images, but I shot them nonetheless…
Railcar Springs (The Rusty Adventure Continues)
What can I say…. They’re springs. Fabulous, rusty, giant springs.
New Treasures
These images are the first in a series I’ll be posting this week of what for me was a grand adventure to a semi-abandoned (if not totally abandoned) railway. I felt like a kid again (well, I almost always feel like a kid when I’m out exploring) as I was running all over the tracks, practically shouting with glee upon discovery of all its rusty treasures. I took tons of photographs. I’ll try not to post them ALL here, but I’ll post some of my favorites. Today: bolts and screws!
Horses
These are my first photographs of horses. I have a lot to learn, and a lot of different ways I’d like to photograph horses, now that I spent some time looking at them. Here are a few from the first round. Hopefully, I’ll improve with practice. They are such beautiful, fascinating creatures.
Invasion
This creeper, which has completely taken over a fence I pass by on my walks everyday, looks like some sort of insatiable alien creature, when stripped of its ivy leaves.
Solar Revelation
This is not at all what I expected to post today, but there was something so fascinating and otherworldly to me about the panels inside the small solar garden lights I came across on my walk. At first I was disappointed with my results, and I thought I’d toss and try again. The glare from the glass on top of this particular light (whose surface is about 3-inches by 4-inches) was problematic. But then I thought I’d go ahead and share the results. I cropped and did some post-processing in Lightroom to try get to past the glare and, as you can see, play around a bit. Now that I see the potential for the solar lights, I’m eager to go back and get some better shots.
Slashed
Okay, I didn’t actually dumpster dive, but I did hang around “near” someone’s trash in an alley when I eyed these fabulous chunked up, scarred slabs of wood.
Lemony Shots 