Featherfest

There is a “festival” in Galveston to celebrate the spring bird migration.  A friend of Debbie’s from Wisconsin is into birds, and she and her husband came to Galveston for the weekend to attend the festival. On Saturday, we drove all over the island looking for birds.  We went to one spot, and didn’t really find much, but I saw this rather cool cats that was in the process of setting buds of a blossom.

Cactus Buds

We did find birds in the place where I go to look for Sandhill Cranes.  One of the things I have always wanted was a good picture of a bird flying.  I finally got one.  This is a white Ibis that had just taken off.

White Ibis

Birding

While in Galveston for Mardi Gras, I took a morning out to look for Sandhill Cranes. I drove out West of town to my usual spots and got this pic of one.

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I also got a Nice pic of this Yellow Crowned Hight Heron.

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Cameron Park Zoo

I had a little spare time on Friday.  So, I ran over to the zoo.  I knew I did not have enough time to do the entire zoo, so I went to the Asia and Africa areas. The female orangutan gave birth not too long ago, and she and her baby were out.

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In the Africa exhibit, the flamingoes were all next to the water, and that made a nice reflection shot.

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Finally, right next tot he Flamingoes, there was a flock of Black Vultures in a tree.

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Vision

I just came back upon Don Giannatti’s “Project 52” web site.  I had seen the site several months ago, but it slipped from my memory.  I have been a member of the flickr group for a long time, but, I can’t remember the last time I actually visited the group page.  On this site, there is a weekly photography assignment. The assignments for this year start on February 1.  So, I looked at the 2012 assignments.

The first assignment is to create a Vision Statement.  This is basically a statement describing why it is that I take pictures.  As described on the web site, “Tell us with a single paragraph what you want to be able to do with your images. Tell us what you do without telling us you are a photographer. Accompany that message with a single image taken around your home.”

To me, the reason I enjoy photography is it differs from other modes of expression, and there is something that is transcendently stimulating when I see a really great image I have taken. In 2012, my Aperture Library has over 7700 images.  Every once in a while, as the image would come up on the screen, there was a moment of awe.  Kind of, “Oh boy.  That is good!”

It is becoming easier to take technically perfect images – those with proper exposure, composition, lighting, whatever.  I can look at those and think, “That’s a good image.”  But there is the added, intangible element that is included in an image that is really great.  I take photographs because I enjoy that feeling of producing a picture that is really great.

Now, what kind of image around the house can I make that illustrates that?

Serendipity

I frequently see Road Runners running along the street, and I have always wanted to get a good picture of one.  This afternoon, I went through the Carleen Bright Arboretum because I wanted to see if it was decorated for Christmas.  As I drove through the parking lot, a road runner ran in front of me.  Normally, it would keep running into the woods, but this one stopped.  I looked at it, knowing that as soon as I could get my camera, it would run away.  I reached for my camera and it was still there.  I lowered the passenger window, knowing that would frighten it off.  It stayed in place.  So, I took a couple pictures of it.

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