Photo of the Day - January 2021

[Apple fanboy]

First time writing 2021!

A song thrush that visits now and then.

 

[Eric]

First time writing 2021!

A song thrush that visits now and then.
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Great way to start the new year, excellent shot.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Great way to start the new year, excellent shot.

Thanks. Although technically it was taken earlier in the week.

 

[Clix Pix]

This shot was taken yesterday, the final day of 2020, as the geese dozed and drifted around the lake.....

 

[Clix Pix]

OK, a couple of bonus shots: first, my new avatar, which is the sparkly ball in Times Square as it is descending and 2020 is on its last seconds of life (shot with my iPhone, from the television screen):

Next up: ....And 2021 arrives! Shot at 12:01:02 according to the exif:

 

[Apple fanboy]

OK, a couple of bonus shots: first, my new avatar, which is the sparkly ball in Times Square as it is descending and 2020 is on its last seconds of life (shot with my iPhone, from the television screen):

View attachment 2295

Next up: ....And 2021 arrives! Shot at 12:01:02 according to the exif:

View attachment 2296

I wondered what that was.

First light of the morning.

 

[Clix Pix]

 

[DT]

I wondered what that was.

First light of the morning.

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Wow, that's pretty amazing. It's funny, I don't know that you've posted specifically where you live, but if that's close by, I didn't expect it to look like that

 

[Apple fanboy]

Wow, that's pretty amazing. It's funny, I don't know that you've posted specifically where you live, but if that's close by, I didn't expect it to look like that

Thanks. Less than a mile from my front door.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

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Makes me think of a rorschach test. I see a lion with the subliminal demon face from The Exorcist.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

One of my former mantids, Skittles.

 

[Clix Pix]

Makes me think of a rorschach test. I see a lion with the subliminal demon face from The Exorcist.

Yeah, I don't know where the heck that face came from -- it sure as heck is not MY face! LOL! This does rather look like a Rorschach test, now that you mention it....

This was one of those quick, not-planned shots. I was walking by the dining table, where earlier I'd set down this metal thingy (it's not a bowl or dish, it's not a tray, don't really know how to describe it!) that earlier I'd used for a few shots in December with pine cones.....finally got around to removing the pine cones and cleaning off the thingy. It was relaxing on the dining table until I got around to putting it away. The chandelier over the table was on and I noticed the lights were hitting and reflecting in the metal in an intriguing way.....so yeah, I grabbed the camera, grabbed a black foam core board to use as the surface/background, and started shooting.....

I love Praying Mantises (Mantids?). They are fascinating, aren't they?

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Yeah, I don't know where the heck that face came from -- it sure as heck is not MY face! LOL! This does rather look like a Rorschach test, now that you mention it....

This was one of those quick, not-planned shots. I was walking by the dining table, where earlier I'd set down this metal thingy (it's not a bowl or dish, it's not a tray, don't really know how to describe it!) that earlier I'd used for a few shots in December with pine cones.....finally got around to removing the pine cones and cleaning off the thingy. It was relaxing on the dining table until I got around to putting it away. The chandelier over the table was on and I noticed the lights were hitting and reflecting in the metal in an intriguing way.....so yeah, I grabbed the camera, grabbed a black foam core board to use as the surface/background, and started shooting.....

I love Praying Mantises (Mantids?). They are fascinating, aren't they?

I would have never figured out that, that is what that picture really is. You have a good eye for interesting photo opportunities while most people on social media regurgitate the same subject matter over and over.

I love mantids ("mantises" is good too, don't ask me why they have 2 interchangeable names). Probably been about a year since I've had one for a pet but they are currently out of season. The one in the picture is an African mantis, a little generic in name, but that's what they are commonly known as.

 

[Clix Pix]

Thanks! I tend to keep my eyes and my mind open for potential photo possibilities.....whether they are something occurring at the moment with animals or people in or near my surroundings and within camera range, or something, perhaps an object, that I spot either at home or somewhere else and think, "I wonder what would happen..." and pick up the camera to find out. I tend not to be a person who sets out on shoots with a specific plan in mind, or someone who takes a methodical approach to seeking out my subjects -- more often than not they happen spontaneously while I'm out with the camera or at home with the camera.... That said, once I've found a subject, I can easily spend an hour or more shooting it from various angles and perspectives or with different lenses..... With wildlife, I will stand patiently watching Alfred or the cormorants or the geese or the Hooded Mergansers for sometimes an hour or more.....capturing shots as I watch, in the hopes of capturing that one special shot, that one which is different and unique.....

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Thanks! I tend to keep my eyes and my mind open for potential photo possibilities.....whether they are something occurring at the moment with animals or people in or near my surroundings and within camera range, or something, perhaps an object, that I spot either at home or somewhere else and think, "I wonder what would happen..." and pick up the camera to find out. I tend not to be a person who sets out on shoots with a specific plan in mind, or someone who takes a methodical approach to seeking out my subjects -- more often than not they happen spontaneously while I'm out with the camera or at home with the camera.... That said, once I've found a subject, I can easily spend an hour or more shooting it from various angles and perspectives or with different lenses..... With wildlife, I will stand patiently watching Alfred or the cormorants or the geese or the Hooded Mergansers for sometimes an hour or more.....capturing shots as I watch, in the hopes of capturing that one special shot, that one which is different and unique.....

I'm kind of miffed at a lot of people ignoring simple yet unique photo opportunities around them but as soon as they get an appetizing looking plate in front of them they're all "Don't eat it yet! I need to get a picture."

For that reason a couple years ago when I traveled I would take photos and videos so I could share videos of my trip like this. This has no artistic merit or personal merit, but it's my trip.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Same tree as above but taken a bit earlier. Also edited a little differently.

 

[Clix Pix]

 

[Apple fanboy]

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Grass or carpet? I think grass.

 

[Clix Pix]

Neither.....actually, it's an extreme closeup of a feather! One of the resident sparrows dropped off a feather on my doorstep during the holiday season and I looked at it, gently picked it up and brought it into the house for some fun with this special gift...... I used my 50mm macro lens with a stack of three closeup filters on it to enable me to get in really, really close..... In the editing phase, I did it first in color, but then realized that this image would benefit from conversion to B&W so went into Silver Efex Pro and did the deed, with this result!

 

[Apple fanboy]

Neither.....actually, it's an extreme closeup of a feather! One of the resident sparrows dropped off a feather on my doorstep during the holiday season and I looked at it, gently picked it up and brought it into the house for some fun with this special gift...... I used my 50mm macro lens with a stack of three closeup filters on it to enable me to get in really, really close..... In the editing phase, I did it first in color, but then realized that this image would benefit from conversion to B&W so went into Silver Efex Pro and did the deed, with this result!

A thank you gift for all those seeds earlier in the year! Anyway had me fooled!