Humming birds/moths/Infrared tour

The Clearwing Hummingbird Moths have finally showed up to feast on the Bee Balm. Of course they generally show up on the hottest days of July, but if you wish to see them, you have to sit patiently and watch for them.

I was fairly far from the flowers... on the back step to the house which was in the shade. 

 Remember the crooked and ancient looking outhouse in March? It looked SO pitiful! 

Well, it looks like an aged old beauty right now. Maybe that is why I've kept from demolishing it.

I enjoy trying to 'catch' the hummingbirds doing their thing with the Bee Balm also.

This is 3 shots combined into one. 

Thankfully, the camera has an exceptional image stabilizer and ON1 allows for layers to be aligned when loaded!

I like to do these kinds of shots, they just seem so fun to look at. I think I'm going to do a bird calendar next year for all of my favorite birds shots from this year.

I can't wait to capture some action with some butterflies. I would hope to see some Swallowtails and Monarchs just because they are so incredibly beautiful.

Sunday morning I had to run an errand in town to pick up some milk and other 'stuff' you know, the stuff you forget the last time you shopped.

Since I went very early [hubby's early morning nap time], I took a little more time driving to town and back. I took my Infrared Camera with me. The fog here was dense and it had been such a l-o-n-g time since I'd been able to get out and admire the morning light and take some shots.

Along a ridge road --> a not shortcut road to town. The fog was so dense there was no sky but I thought the telephone/power poles made a neat shot with the road curving off into the distance.

The fog started to lift as I came through this ridge towards the county road that leads to the highway....that leads to town!

I just love the undulation of the different strips of crops and lines that the eyes wouldn't see in regular color.

Here the morning sun comes out on another cut across gravel road I took. 

A bit further down the road the sun came out peeked between clouds. I was following buggy tracks. The buildings on the left side of the road belong to a few Amish families. 

More photos taken on the way home from town on another gravel road between the highway and the county road. One of my favorite ways to go home.

This shot was taken on our road as I headed home with a cooler of ice cream and all sorts of good veggies to make cold meals of fruits and veggies. 

I had hoped to get some nice steaks. I looked at some steaks that I've purchased a month ago for $25 to $30 bucks. That would feed us 2 suppers and one lunch.

The sticker shock of $45.00 stopped me in my tracks. I won't be able to afford to eat beef! I picked up pork chops and chicken. 
Hubby is going to have to forgo eating steaks [which is what he is so into right now].

It makes me sad to think I let my little beefers go a few years ago. I am also thankful that our friend Steve has supplied us with some amazing fish and venison.

The sky and ridge as I turned onto one of our gravel roads.

And then....

down this lane and into the woods to our place....

All these shots were done with a camera that was modified to take Infrared photos with different 
filters of different wave lengths. I use the 665nm filter for all shots. 
I normally take this camera out a lot when driving to and from places when

there is an interesting sky. 

Today is supposed to be blistering hot so I did all the chores before 7am and even did my last bit of mowing with my little mower. Boy that mower hated the wet tall grass, but I got it done, cleaned the mower, and put it away.

Quiet Riot at the Bee Balm Patch...

The last shot is something that used to be impossible without modern cameras.

Getting several shots in quick succession while keeping things in focus used to be nearly impossible in the film days.

Now there are cameras that 'track and focus' on whatever you choose to follow. It is quite amazing. I love 'shooting' butterflies and hummingbirds as they move from flower to flower.

I miss a lot of shots even with the fantastic modes in my camera. It may take me a few days worth of trying to get anything decent, but it is always worth the extra effort.

The Swallowtail shot consists of 3 shots blended together later in a program I use called ON1. It is so much simpler [and cheaper] than Photoshop.

Anyway. 

Enjoy my Quiet Riot at the Bee Balm Patch.

 PS~ I did get a visit from one of the Tree & Brush Folks! Yeeehawww!

Ah...mazing!

     Thank you to everyone that responded to helping me out! The most popular photo was of the Fall Path down through the woods. Fun fact, that was taken with my pocket camera on a day I trucked 8 miles. When going through my photos on the trail challenge folder, I saw that one and fell in love with it again.

I am pretty shy about photo contests. Yesterday I visited our County Fair and looked at the photo displays and the flower displays. So much beauty! 

Anyhoo, I did enjoy my night hike. I got there just as the sun was setting. I walked over to one of the ponds to photo the sunset.

Imagine my shock of seeing the result of the drought on the pond that was full this spring! This is the view from the blind. Aurora would know how the pond usually looks....

Wow...

The sunset was rather pretty. And even if it was a bit boring, I liked it because the skies were clear!

Slowly but surely the Milky Way started to become apparent in the SW skies. The glow at the bottom of the photo is from LaFarge Wisconsin.

Then I tried one with me in it...

It turned out just with my legs showing, but that is okay.

I turned to the North to watch the Big Dipper.

In 15 minutes, it made some star trails that were pretty amazing...

I guess it is disappointing to see all the trails of the satellites and airplanes that show up in the night sky. But it is what it is! Still, it was beautiful.

I tried to get some reflections of the stars in one of the ponds. The ponds are pretty scummy and dry but heck. I got what I got!

It took me a few hours and a LOT of experimenting to get these shots. I've had some acquaintances ask to go with me on these night hikes. I do love the company, but I'm not sure they would tolerate all the fiddling I do to try and get 'that' shot that is decent.

Is photography a solo 'sport'??? 

I took a lot of shots and they didn't all turn out the way that I wanted of course.

I had some fun while walking back to the car. I thought I'd frame myself in the opening of a covered bridge.

Then I added the moon as if I were doing Wall Balls in CrossFit. I had a good laugh over that.

And this last shot. It has the moon added too. It would be impossible to see the Milky Way with a full moon...but I thought it was neat.

Enjoy the night skies if you can get to a 'dark skies' area. 

I smiled all the way home on the drive.

Night skies are amazing if you can see them.

Strange trends in photography

Do you want to believe your eyes?

Here is an original. A bit dullish, yet beautiful as any overcast dull fall day can be.

Photo editing programs are now coming out with sky swaps. Yes, for real. 

This next shot is sky swapped ... I made it pretty obvious. And I hit one single AI button that told the program to Use a Fall preset which automatically increased the oranges and yellows. 

Obviously, I was not out in a storm with lightening strikes as the sky image suggests. 

I could have added a tornado, a sunset, or beautiful clear skies. What really jerks my chain is I could add the MilkyWay or an Aurora Borealis. 

Now. I might do these things IF I were doing perhaps a fantasy photo. But never ever a photo of things I would be taking of a normal scene.

The best part of photography is searching for good light and interesting conditions. Saturday morning we had some incredibly thick fog. So Charlie and I took a stroll through the woods to 'find' interesting light and fog.

Of course, it never turns out exactly like I 'see' it in my mind. But if I am going to really make a large edit, I will own up to it.

I am all for art. I like well done composits that invoke a scene of fantasy. I can appreciate art for art.

But I cannot condone photographers adding another sky just because they can pick a prettier one.

What is the incentive then to actually go out during a sunrise or sunset to be awe inspired by nature and photograph it, if you can 'just make it'.

But in order to be noticed as a Pro photographer today, it seems more and more that a person has to add the wow factor. 

Here is a pretty wild edit I did quite a while ago. 

Yes, I like to mess around, but I will never pass off an artificial sky. I took this sky and added cloud brushes, a moon brush, and star brushes. I changed Siera to be pure black with the fence and grasses behind her. It was just a fun thing I did one night when I couldn't sleep. 

Trending in photography

 👄😱😲

Not sure why this is bothering me but it sort of is. There are programs out there that advertise that they can 'help' you change the sky ... in your photo, easy peasy!

I don't know, but that sort of seems to take some of the fun out of things. I mean the other morning I would have wished for a more 'exciting' sky to accent my morning fog shots, but the sky was sort of dull photographically speaking. 

What if I wanted to make things more exciting?

You can really tell this is fake because I left all the extra details in. Even the crooked horizon.

This C 130 came right over 
pasture a week ago.

Most photographers do state it when they are doing a composite. 
I like doing composites sometimes, they are a fun challenge. I absolutely love those talented people who can make fantasy scenes.

Most of any composites I've ever done were pretty obvious.

Composite of different brushes, textures

 and free drawings to make a 'statement'.

Composite of interval shooting

because I was bored.

But I've seen some wonderful photos that looked astonishing and when I read the fine print, a sky was replaced, a building was moved, a storm was inserted... Cool, neat but then it makes me wonder if I can believe what I see sometimes?

The shot below is a composite that worked out very well.
The bear had the right light on it to drop it into a photo that I enhanced.
I put a sun glow-starry thing into it.
I added some rays too.
I would call it a bit of
a fantasy composite.

I'm impressed with the technology that we have today for photography. I am not a purest like I thought I was. I love messing around with photos and trying to eek out a little more umph to some things. It pleases me and interests me.

I do love trying things and therefore I cannot be a purest.

There has always been editing abilities to photos, it was done in the dark room.

My abilities have been in 3D type programs and fun things that are obviously not just the natural world. 

After I read the email from Luminar that said I could use AI technology and make my photos much more exciting I had to go down this little blogging blurb hole.

And we all know this photo below is fake! 

Right now the program I use is DxO PhotoLab. It doesn't do layers like photoshop, but it is a nice program. I have an old ON1 program which did allow me to overlay the moon on the Milky Way for giggles.

Over the years I dabbled in 3D art and in Bryce, but right now I tend to enjoy more of what is around me. If the sky is grey, let it be grey. Overcast days are great for macro photography. 

Uffdah. You know, none of this should bother me a bit because after all, I dabble in Infrared Photography where colors can be of anything I want, wish, or desire. So who am I to question anything? 

Okay. 

The weather is cold and dreary. Tonight we are to get frost advisories. Next week I'll dig up some garden and plant my corn, beans, and cukes. 

Shot #2

So some of this will be about the second Moderna Shot for hubby. He recieved it yesterday at the Madcity VA. It was a nice day and we picnicked in the car on the way home.

So we ate out and had what we referred to as a 'late lunch date'. 

Today started out with thunderstorms and downpours which really reduced the snow cover and caused a small quick run off of water. Fog moved across the landscape and it really looked eerie.
Rich said he felt okay but just tired when he got up. Tired. After he did his morning routine, he complained about feeling tired. I told him that was normal for some folks and just to go lay down while I finished doing laundry and other things.

Then it was 'quiet' time for most of the rest of the day. The third time he laid down, Charlie decided he needed to be there too. He did his grunting thing that means he wants something...and I put him on the bed next to Rich. He immediately slid under the big blanket and lay with his back against Rich's. 

The outdoor temperature got up to 62 degrees. But my job was to sit and keep an eye on hubby.

I decided to work on my photo project. Whew, I sure did.
I have a lot more but better stop here? 

If nothing else it will be fun for others to look at this when I am gone.
Hmmm. Or not. 
I must do things that cause me joy.

I decided to watch a video on composites. 

I wanted to try one then. Something simple and not to difficult. I guess it started because I saw some 'overlays' and Photoshop Actions advertised that *will make your photos stand out!*
Um.
I realized that something I've done for years with 'creating' a sun flare or creating Bokeh and overlays... is now a thing that people sell in combo packs to drop on your photos...TO make them better! 100% guar---um---teed!

Excuse me while I cough. A photo is good if you take a good photo. 

And I will be the first to admit, I love editing and having fun.

Well I had time to literally twiddle my thumbs after making cookies for Rich. [I know he doesn't feel wonderful because he didn't scarf them down.]

Challenge.
Make a composite. 

Photo one:

Photo Two:
The Bear cut out...

Photo three:
The Composite.

I was surprised by the results and rather pleased.

Well, back to keeping and eye on Hubby.
He says he kinda feels like crap. Body aches and fatigue, no fever but a bit chilled.

His comment as he drags his butt off to bed again?

Better than a ventilator I think....

Stay well.

While it is icky outside

It's been a while since I did random art.

I guess I was in the mood again....

Created with JWildfire, layers, png's that I picked up of the unicorn, grass, flames, water, and stormy stuff.
I tossed it all together into a composite form and ended up with a 'Unicorn's Nightmare'.

More fun with fractals and some brushes.
Nothing is as it Seems.

Let Sleeping Dragons ...Lie

After my husband's eye appointment we ate lunch and headed home before the fog totally socked us in.

And sock us in did! Whew!

Time Off

Well there it is, the Great Two Day Get Away has arrived this morning.

In a few hours I'll 'saddle' up the Subaru and drive 2 1/2 hours to meet up with a cousin. Well, a cousin in law? She is married to one of my cousins. She and I are both Caregivers. She has done this many more years than I have and I thought a little break for the both of us would be nice.

We've been planning this since last October. I don't know Jeanette very well, but we've talked on the phone and emailed quite a bit over the past couple of years. I feel completely comfortable and slightly excited to be able to spend some time with her.

We will be exploring Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The last time I even drove through Eau Claire has to have been years ago. Okay, nearly 30 years ago!

I had to make new arrangements for 'Rich Care' but I got that worked out. I must say, it is wonderful to have good friends. I won't have to worry about Charlie, and the chores either!

Charlie is the ultimate 'porch' dog. He is content to sit on his little rug on the porch and watch the world go by. He watches birds, and listens for the neighbor kids. He can still see them through the leafless trees and underbrush when they are down in the pasture playing. He watches the mules.
In short, Charlie is in charge of his little domain. He needs his rug, a chew bone, and water.

If it is a nice day, he prefers to spend his time on the porch and not watching me do things. I agree with him. The porch is a perfect place to be.

Allison came to visit me yesterday after she got home from the Waldorf clothing swap. She got me a rabbit fur neck wrap and a funky 1930's style mink band with a bow and netting on it for a hat. She is a delightful young lady and we went searching for bugs and bird nests.
Then she showed me the butterfly wings she found at the swap.

And I could not resist making a composite.

So off I go.
I feel pretty good about this. The first time since May 2017 that I have left my husband in the care of others for a short time...
It feels weird.

 Virginia Bluebells emerging!

Delicate yellow crocus

Time to put on my adventure hat.

Stuck inside

Being stuck inside is always a bit of a bummer.

But then sometimes I get out somethings and do some painting, or some still life...
Or
Toys and do some photography.

It can be nice and serious stuff.

It can be whimsical...

Or completely made up stuff that I've messed around with adding layers...

Or some fractal edits and creations...

Or, I can edit through a program called DeepDreamGenerator...DDG and get some more odd and interesting 'art'.

Strange...

Frightening...

Angelic...

Or go back to using things around the house such as discarded toys and old tea cups...

Whimsical...

Cute...

And...things on hand.

I hope not to be stuck inside too long today. Charlie has a yearning to go for a walk.
At the moment, he is content to lay on the porch and watch the world go by.