Those Flocking Birds!

Just as the sky began to gain a little color from the slate-blue hues of pre-dawn, my attention was diverted from my search for a river otter to a sound that was fast approaching.  Suddenly, a flock of European Starlings put on an amazing display right before my eyes! 

If you've never heard the "WHOOSH!" of a flock of birds, I encourage you to Google it.

With each lift-off from the branches they momentarily perched on or a swoop down to the river or across the field, the sound whipped through the air as fast as they, themselves, maneuvered around me.

I didn't know where to look!!  I was surrounded by them! Large groups within the flock did their own thing, and I snapped away, knowing I might have just moments before they swarmed off. 

I never did see an otter that day, but I walked away in awe nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Icy Waters

'Tho parts of it were frozen, the river was flowing rapidly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Pearls - Frozen Bubbles

With the polar vortex upon us during the first week of the new year, and the start of my "Winter Pearls" photography project of the night before, I was excited for the clear, sunny day to continue my frozen bubble experiments.  I was not prepared for blustery winds and tried all sorts of things to help with that issue.  Even the failed attempts were learning experiences and I was able, nonetheless, to watch ice crystals forming inside the bubbles.  The following day, however, the wind subsided while the temperature remained in the negative numbers far below zero.  Perfect! 

The sun created sparkles all around my subject, adding another layer of beauty to the bubble that did not pop (yet!)  Almost immediately, ice crystals resembling tiny ferns or feathers, began forming inside.

I noticed the bubble beginning to fill with swirls of gas, signaling to me that it will soon pop.

As the bubble began to pop, sometimes fragments would slough off into the air; other times the bubble would sink inside itself.

Once the bubble sank inside itself, it created a sort of "bowl" almost looking as if it were made of glass!  Inside the bowl, the ice crystals were more plainly visible.  And oh-so-beautiful!!

Winter Pearls - Frozen Nighttime Bubbles

The year 2014 began with the deep freeze of a polar vortex.  I heard about people doing all kinds of water "experiments" like tossing cups of hot water into the air and blowing bubbles during freezing temperatures to see what happens during the process. 

Blowing bubbles in the winter!  This is something that caught my attention and is right up  my alley:  cold temperatures, ice crystals, and blowing bubbles!   I simply HAD to try this myself!  And I had great success.

My first experiment was around 10:00 at night on the first Friday of January.  I couldn't wait until morning, so I bundled up and went outside on our front deck with homemade bubble solution and my camera. 

It was hard to get any bubbles that didn't pop upon contact with anything, but one tiny one landed on the deck railing.  In the darkness, it looked like a little pearl!  It broke after a few moments.  The next one was bigger, and I was able to watch crystals form inside the bubble right before my eyes. 

I ran into a few technical snags, but learned from them as my experiments were underway.  I was ready to pack it up for the night when I noticed several bubbles landed on the deck floor and did not pop!  I quickly went to work and got some shots--now these were truly "Winter Pearl" --the working title of the project that became the official title once I saw these gems:

Needless to say, I became so excited over this project, I could hardly sleep that night!  I couldn't wait for the next day which was supposed to be continued freezing and sunny.  I had all night to think about the issues I ran into and how I can improve on the outcome.  Morning was a long time to come!

A Visit From Jack Frost

The year 2014 began with freezing cold temperatures.  A surprise awaited me when I opened the front door to our home for the first time each day.  The intricate, beautiful handiwork of Jack Frost graced the glass, backlit by the rising sun or a still-gray sky.  I knew I had to work quickly to snap a picture--within seconds, the warmth from our home would soften and melt the ice crystals that formed during the night.  I was ready on January 4th to try and photograph some of those crystals.

Yearlong Favorites 2013 - Four Seasons Thru My Eyes

When compiling my 13 From '13 favorite images from last year (please see my previous post), my initial list contained about 90 "favorites" that I whittled away from until I got my final 13. 

I'm giving 75 of those 90 their fair share of justice in this post.  Seventy-five "honorable mentions"! 

I hope you enjoy viewing the year as you scroll through the four seasons in the order of their occurrence during the year 2013.

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(Image color is not an accurate depiction, upon transferring the file below. 
Don't know why!  It should be as deep as the previous moon image!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there it is--a look at the year 2013 from my perspective.  I hope you enjoyed seeing the beauty of the four seasons, as I did.  Thank you for viewing them!









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