winter – Dutch goes the Photo!

Sweeping Clouds

Velocity in the upper clouds

Some Winter mornings present us with beautiful, sweeping views that allow us to take a moment out of our busy days and breathe in the wonder that is Nature. Whenever we get one of these opportunities, we should simply stop whatever we are doing and allow the moment to embrace us.

On one such December morning in 2014, I was allowed to capture the following moment in the universe…

The higher velocity winds in the upper layers of the clouds create a magnificent vista, giving us the sense of motion blur. Our beloved Yoga Tree is very much stripped down for the season, conserving her energies for that change into Spring.

Shot with an iPhone 5S and cleaned up a bit in Luminar AI and Photoshop.

A Clear Winter’s Day

A glorious winter day!

Complaining about Winter in New England is as common as going to Dunkin for your morning cup of coffee; of course, griping about the weather is part of our human condition! Sure, I’ve had Winter’s days that I’d rather not see, especially when having to clear the driveway for the second time to rid it of that heavy slush that passes for wintry mix.

Then there are those glorious days…

For me it doesn’t get any better than a sunny, cold day in Winter, when there’s a soft blanket of snow on the ground and the sky radiates with blue! This February day in 2015 was such a day and it frame Yoga Tree in all her glory!

iPhone Friday

Too snowy for golf?

Last I checked, I have taken at least 15,000 photos with my various iPhone versions over the years. While there are a lot of gratuitous snaps and recording of serial numbers among them, there’s a subset of images that I still like.

Here’s another one…

This shot was taken at the Wachusett Country Club in West Boylston on the last day of 2015. As I drive by it frequently, I stopped to take a look at the reflections of the Sun in the snow and its interplay with the glistening trees.

This shot was taken with an iPhone 5s and I toned the highlights down a bit and added a bit of sharpening and vignette to get a more pleasing image.

Taciturn Thursday – Ep. 1

A quiet moment with a statue

Last night, my wife and I visited Tower Hill Botanic Garden’s Winter Lights; each winter holiday season, they do an amazing job creating a wondrous display of lights, which presents some interesting photo opportunities.

Their lighting creates moments, such as this cherub, simply to be enjoyed and taken in.

Snowy Day for Yoga Tree

The quiet of Winter surrounds us

Another little bit of inspiration from our intrepid tree, as she stands firm amidst the elements and whatever the New England climate can bring to bear…

This capture from nearly 9 years ago during a lovely snow fall intends to share a bit of the peace and tranquility that exists during these weather events. I love watching the soft, fluffy snow flakes fall toward the ground, while taking in the near-perfect quiet that comes from having a sound-absorbing blanket of snow.

What do you like about Winter? Or is it the one season that you simply hope to see finish as soon as possible?

Friday Mystery Location – 2019 #026

Round and round they skate…

Here comes the twenty-sixth mystery location post of this year….

Last week’s offering was correctly identified as the Amsterdam’s Singelgracht! Nice job by a number of you! This week is easily identiable…

There’s plenty of water here!

Yes, there’s water, but in a non-fluid state. Where does this knight keep watch over the skaters?

Khürt’s New Challenge Series

A lovely way to start the day!

One of the frequent contributors to my weekly Tuesday Photo Challenge is Khürt Williams. Khürt’s photography and writing is always amazing, and a lot of fun too! He also writes about beer, which might interest many… You should definitely check out his blog at Island in the Net.

This week, Khürt has started a new challenge series, the 52 Week Smartphone Challenge, which is described in the link. The concept is fairly straightforward and inspired by the great quality cameras that are in smartphones these days: shoot something that goes with the them and pingback/tag it to have it show up under the challenge.

This week’s theme is ‘Self-Portrait’: “Take a picture that tells us who you are, without actually showing your face.”

Here’s my contribution to the first week, which tells you that snow has really become part of my very being… In New England, we get an adequate supply, and I’m one of those weird people that actually likes the white stuff, as it makes the entire world look gorgeous (for a while).

This shot is from this morning, after we got another dusting (1-2 inches); as it was on the warm side, the snow was heavy, but gorgeous! I took this shot with my iPhone 11Pro Max using the NeuralCam app. This app has become one of my favorite photography tools!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 184

No coasting on the coast!

Welcome to the 184th round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

You certainly didn’t coast through this week’s challenge! The variety and beauty that you achieved in your coastal photography was certainly amazing and much appreciated. It was a pleasure to read through all of your posts and experience the create effort that you put into them. Thank you all for these wonderful posts!

Here is another coastal moment…

One of the coastal features are the storms that might rage there; the interface between land and water is a playground for the elements that can always be enjoyed (just be careful). On this January day the remnants of the storm caused plenty of action as the ocean bashes these boulders.

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

Sarah start of this week’s list of contributions with a great view of Nambucca Heads (NSW) in By Sarah; looks like an amazing location!
Irene takes us to the coast in in her view of Lake Michigan with a wonderful photo in her post in Heaven’s Sunshine.
Nicole shares a magnificent coast line view in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme; the formations are simply gorgeous!
Shelley’s cat demonstrates that coasting along is just fine in a truly lovely post in Quaint Revival; I do think that Shelley helped her cat with the writing of the post!
The awesome post in Land of Images focuses on the movement and shaping of the coast by wind and water.
Bren’s photo of the Pacific Coastline in Bren & Ashley Ryan Photography provides a magnificent mood!
Jez underscores one of the things that I really enjoy about the coast in his post in Jez Braithwaite: the moods that you find there can vary dramatically!
Maria’s post in her blog Sagittarius Viking is stunning, not only in the photography, but also her narrative of her experience at the Lost Coast really brings one into the place!
In a magnificent post in Don’t Hold Your Breath, we visit the shifting sands of Dhanushkodi on the Gulf of Mannar. What a wonderful location!
The wonderful photos featured in My TravelCSP provide two different moods: many are the tranquil, reflective nature of the coast, while some show its power!
The rugged Pacific coast north of Sydney in theOnlyD800intheHameau really shows its beauty in the image; the highway that follows the coast had to be an amazing project to build.
Na’ama reflects on the calmness of the coast in her post in Na’ama Yehuda; gently lapping waves come to shore to comfort those sitting there…
Diane gives us a taste of home in her post in pensivity101, as the Lincolnshire coast is part of that landscape; gorgeous area!
Tatiana clearly got to enjoy the Cote d’Azur, as we can see from the wonderful photos in her blog Travelways; the area looks like a must-visit!
Elizabatz takes us along the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland in a wonderful post in Albatz Travel Adventures; the area is stunning and this post gives a great view of it. The journey continues in a second post in Albatz Travel Adventures, where we visit Slieve League in County Sligo.
With a gorgeous photo in Chateaux des Fleurs, we get a magnificent view of a gentle coast line!
Jase shares a day at the beach with us in a great post in Proscenium; it looks like a lot of fun to play in those waves!
Maria had to walk close to the coast to get the magnificent photo in her post in Kamerapromenader; it makes me want to visit the Faroe Islands that much more!
A detour while visiting Split in Croatia allowed Smruti to capture the magnificent view of Kasjuni Beach, which we can see in their post in F2.8_iso100; well worth the detour!
The coastal areas of New Jersey are wonderful, as we can see in the post in A Day in the Life; looks like a great place for a walk along the beach!
In a wonderful post in My Camera and I…, we get treated to some stunning coastal views; the Gap is simply stunning!
In another gorgeous post in Travel with Intent, Debbie takes us all the way to the Shetland Islands; the views are out of this world!
Indira takes us to some lovely coast lines in another great post in Sharing Thoughts; they look like great places to visit!
Xenia shows us that Eivor and Pearl are not coasting, as they enjoy the coast in whippetwisdom; wonderful dogs and post!
Ken is going for a double exposure in his post in Pictures without Film, as he captures the Cornwall coast from a cottage named Coast!
Sandy reminds us that Winter is coming in her post in Out of my Write Mind; the coast may be clear, so Winter I never fear!
Viveka takes us to some amazing coastal locations in myguiltypleasures, where we get to enjoy the views!
David takes us to coasts in Skye, North Wales and Canada in his post in David M’s Photoblog: these are some amazing photos!
Ed’s coastal views are some beautiful locations in his post in In My Mind’s Eye. I think I recognize one coast; how many can you pinpoint?
Kammie portrays some fantastic moods in her photos in Nut House Central; they make me want to relax and enjoy those coast lines!
Alice has another great beach scene in her post in the 59 Club; those cottages look to belong on another coast!
Aletta contributes another great photo in her post in Now at Home with a beach that is just asking us to relax, lay back and enjoy the day!
Nandini reflects on some of her favorite coasts in queennandini and shows us several beautiful views!
Ann-Christine brings us an incredible variety of coastal formations in her post in To See a World in a Grain of Sand…; stunning photos!
Chris features one of the best beaches in the Netherlands in his post in What’s (in) the Picture? Katwijk is a great town!
Deb shares another gorgeous photo and view in her post in Twenty-Four; that coastline is rugged!
Susan is once again in Hawaii with a view of Kaanapali beach in her post in Musin’ with Susan: there’s also quite a splash! Also, please check out Susan’s week in review in Musin’ with Susan; there’s some rather cool variety there!
The Maine coast is full of stunning vistas; in this week’s contribution in One Letter Up – Diary 2.0 we get to see the Cape Elizabeth area.
Cee brings us several gorgeous coastal images in Cee’s Photo Challenges, which is a fantastic blog!
Teressa has some fabulous shots of the Oregon coast in her post in Another LQQK; the coast line certainly is very rugged!
This week’s entry in sgeoil is truly interesting, as the photos are taken at Tow Hill on Haida Gwaii and tell the tale of an ogre and his pet whale…
In her post in A Pause for Nature, Sanah tells a wonderful coast story that you should enjoy!

Please let all of these great bloggers know your thoughts about their posts!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 182

Storm clouds gather

Welcome to the 182nd round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

The content of your back catalog of images and memories is truly stunning! It was an absolute pleasure to read all of your posts and I very much appreciate the effort that you put into them. I hope that the memories were a fun experience for you as well!

Here is another one from my back catalog…

Storm clouds gather over Ball Hill. — Storm clouds over Ball Hill

This is a photo from one of my early posts in this blog (back in 2011); Ball Hill used to be part of my daily commute and produced a great number of amazing views over the years (including the Yoga Tree). On this day the clouds were rolling in and looked to be carrying the threat of more snow…

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

Nicole takes us deep in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme, both in going back to a trip to Romania and the events at that location…
Shelley takes us into a magical fantasy in Quaint Revival, as we go skydiving… on dandelion fluff!
Kammie’s post in her blog, Nut House Central, shares some gorgeous photos; I really love that flower!
Diane shares an amazing collection of flowers in her post in pensivity101: spectacular roses!
In a lovely post in For the Love of…, Anita shares a story of Nature’s impact and asks us why things are left the way they are…
It clearly is good to go back into our catalogs, as the photo in Land of Images is absolutely fantastic!
Another fine example of our photographic skills improving with age is demonstrated in the theOnlyD800intheHameau; great new treatment of this photo!
In a great post in Don’t Hold Your Breath, we get to see a beautiful panorama of Shanghai; that rain at home has its benefits!
Irene takes us into the Dunes in her post in Heaven’s Sunshine; the snow makes for a wonderful landscape!
I’m definitely partial to the mode of transportation that we get to see in Jaspa’s Jo u rneys; it looks like a lot of fun to fly into that cloud…
Na’ama’s posts often have great depth to them, as we can see in her contribution to the theme in Na’ama Yehuda; it is crucial to remember what has happened in the past, so as not to repeat those events…
Viveka goes into her back catalog in myguiltypleasures, and takes us to Biarritz, which is simply stunning! The beach and lighthouse are amazing!
Jackie’s tour from Sydney into the Blue Mountains may have been disappointing, but, as we can see in her post in Junk Boat Travels, there was a redeeming quality!
Maria provides us with a glimpse into what got her started in macro photography in her stunning post in Kamerapromenader; such an exquisite close-up!
Tatiana shares an absolutely gorgeous shot of Mount Rainier in her blog Travelways; it’s being an active volcano is important to remember…
A rather cool approach to the theme is demonstrated in Stine Writing, as the back catalog comes into view!
Jase keeps us on track with a great post in Proscenium, as we’re waiting for that slow train to arrive…
Xenia takes us back to a sunny morning in June in her wonderful post in whippetwisdom; looks like Eivor and Pearl enjoyed it! In a second post in Tranature, we get some gorgeous photos that you need to see!
David brings us a gorgeous bird, the Common Kingfisher, to the spotlight in hist post in David M’s Photoblog; the photo is simply stunning!
Susan takes us back to a memorable event in her post in Musin’ with Susan: a stunning photo of the recent solar eclipse! Also, please check out Susan’s week in review in Musin’ with Susan; the photos are fantastic!
Eric shares that it takes climbing 533 steps to get to the view in his post in Up North; I have to say that the view from the top of the Dom in Cologne is worth it!
Jez shows us that it can be very worthwhile to get up early, even on holiday, as the sunrise in Arbroath is stunning in Jez Braithwaite!
Nandini takes us back to the beginning of last year in her post in queennandini, where she was controlling the crowds!
Woolly takes the opportunity to share some of his photo processing technique in a great post in Woolly Muses; I am very impressed by the removal of ‘modern’ elements!!
Amy shares a great deal about the process she used to turn a good shot of Mount Snowdon into an even better image in her post in Photography Journal Blog; check out her post!
Deb shares that she always liked the photo she features in this week’s entry in Twenty-Four; I would agree, as that endless jetty is stunning!
Maria is a newcomer to our challenge and starts off with a great photo in her blog Sagittarius Viking; that is a fantastic shot!
Ken features some unusual (for me, at least) viking grave markers in a magnificent post in Pictures without Film; I would love to see that site!
We get to do a bit of trainspotting in a wonderful post in A Day in the Life; fabulous photos!
I truly enjoyed the images in another great post in My TravelCSP! The train crossing the bridge might be my favorite among them.
Ann-Christine brings us a gorgeous scene of apples in the snow in her post in To See a World in a Grain of Sand…; beautiful images!
Robert shares a couple of magnificent photos in Photo Roberts Blog, as we explore Nature in Hamburg!
Elizabatz puts together a wonderful post in Elizabatz Gallery that highlights a number of photo apps and how they look on great locations in Ireland.
You’ll want to check out the fantastic shot of the first snowflake in a post in F2.8_iso100!
It’s really interesting to go back through the years, and follow that one forsythia in One Letter Up – Diary 2.0! A great way to see changes over time!
This week’s post in sgeoil gives us multiple views of a road much travelled; love the way the curvature works in these images!
TiongHan gives us a phenomenal view in his post in TiongHan’s Blog; go check this blog out!
Khürt must have a truly amazing set of images in his catalog, and the ones that he shares in his post in Island in the Net clearly demonstrate that!
In Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery we get views of the same location 11 years apart; interesting to see how some places can change very little!
Brian went to a classic back catalog in his post in bushboys world; great approach, as that album looks amazing!

Please let all of these great bloggers know your thoughts about their posts!

Friday Mystery Slide – 2019 #08

On a cold day…

Here comes the eighth mystery slide post of this year….

This week is another relatively easy location to find, although it may be harder to google it! There’s no single sign in this image that will give it away, but this harbor is fairly well-known. The snow might also give a good hint.

Which of these boats would you take out to sea?