Low light photography

I don't spend a lot of time talking about lighting but I snap a lot of low light photos with my Nikon 700, soon to be dinosaur, but being retired, I will be hanging on to all 3 of my Nikons and assorted lenses unless I win the lottery. I will then move up to the Leica - the $25,000 body and spend another $100,000 on assorted Leica lenses. I doubt it will feel as good in my hands and did the1950's Leica that I held some 20 years ago. I have had an on-going love affair with the Leica, ever since.

So, this photo was shot in extremely low light: 2.8 at 6400. Not bad for the 700. My cats make wonderful subjects and are used to having cameras shoved in their faces. Shown in this photo is Czarina, who was once a starving stray, nick-names, Peanut, Czary, or Baby Girl (She comes to all 4 names). One of our other cats, Skipper,  has learned so much about photo-taking he has his own selfie-blog. Of course, he uses an iphone. Visit him by clicking on sidebar link. He is such a ham.

So you think wind energy is a good thing?

"The wind industry has achieved remarkable growth largely due to the claim that it will provide major reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. There's just one problem: It's not true. A slew of recent studies show that wind-generated electricity likely won't result in any reduction in carbon emissions—or that they'll be so small as to be almost meaningless." ~ Robert Bryce

It may be better than the evil fracking but it has its evils. These turbines stretch as far as the eye can see. Coming soon to your backyard - one or the other.

Found summer photo

Oops. This one almost got away. A good one for the cold December rain. Some things do last forever, if only in photos.

You are my sunshine

"The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity." ~ Ulysses S. Grant

Rumi Quotes

“I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think.”

Did I forget to say Happy Thanksgiving?

I will let this fellow do it for me...

Happy Thanksliving!

No turkey or goose died for our Thanksgiving meal. We had tofurkey.

Youth and Age

"As the days waned, men chopped wood and women pressed the last of fall's bounty into jars that would be sealed and whisked off to dark cellars. The children romped in the sun getting so hot they removed their tiny sweaters and left them on the stump of a tree, rightly forgotten until the sun began to sink low behind the freshly cut wheat fields. Between games of hide-and-seek and ring-around-the- rosey the girls rested at the feet of the old lady who seemed much like Alice's caterpillar."

Available Light

"Straight from the camera. Some things are better left alone."

Welding light show

"The light-shows of life are all around us. We should take more time to be in awe."

Why do people hunt quote

"Why do people hunt? I dunno, but a few words come to mind: brainwashing, stupidity, low self-esteem, meanness. To counter that the hunting industry has an entire encyclopedia of self-promoting reasons, none of which can be accepted by any moral person."

By the hearth

"Is there anything more peaceful than a content cat? Ahhhh, the lessons they teach those who listen to the silence of their wisdom."

Snow?

"With the coming of fall comes the thoughts of falling snow. Soon it will sit outside my window, soft and sweet."

Out of the camera photo

Thank you, Gang of 124...

Sorry for my "public" absence.  I closed off my blog to all except 124 invited and vetted guests. We called ourselves the Gang of 125. For the past several months we have been gathering comments and discussions as well as info from public documents that will be put into a book in the near future, along with a new collection of mostly "ghost-town type photos. I want to thank my administrators who did a wonderful job, especially those who helped verify and clear up some misconceptions that many had. I may be living in Georgia but I am still in the loop when it comes to Maryland. Even those who live in other states were helpful in many ways, whether they were past residents or visitors.

Naturally, I have removed the comments from the past several months. You can't sell a book when the info can be had for free. But profit was not my reason for deciding to gather records and people's thoughts and concerns about small-town living. Moving to a new city, especially a small one needs careful thought and research. The book will inclucde some useful tips from people with experience.

End of the "ramp" for this old boat.

Filtered photo

Border towns

I learned a lot about life in little out-of-the-way border towns. People should travel more, and not to touristy hotspots. The average man can teach you more than any professional, at least about life, if you only know how to listen. Glitter brushes off. The humble man, he is the gold that will enrich your life.

Ghost of the Past...

"You must learn some of my philosophy. Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure." ~ Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

I ran across this photo today. Since we are in the dead of winter, I thought this would be a good post. For those who have never seen this house, it was one of my favorite subjects to photograph in Crisfield. It was torn down last year. In fact, it went so fast, no one knew about it until it was on the ground. Of all things that should be torn down in Crisfield, this should have been the last to go. Artists and photographers loved it, and thanks to them, this house lives on in both paintings and photographs.

FYI: the house was situated on the bay and had a spectacular view of the water. The sunsets were breathtaking.

From the horses mouth...

Torre Argentina cat sanctuary

Largo di Torre Argentina: The square is where Julius Caesar met his untimely end. For over 20 years it has been a safe haven for cats whose population number around 200. The well-cared-for cats prowl the ruins as excavation continues around them, pose for the many tourists who come to see and photograph them, and in general, are less harmful to the ruins than the men who move the earth around them. If you visit Rome, be sure and visit the cats and their lovely surroundings. Want to help the cats without going to Rome? Click here. You can even adopt or sponsor a cat. Yes, I know, we have many homeless cats in the U.S., but the Torre Argentina sanctuary is one of those places that need your help. Suffering knows no boundaries. Trust me, these caretakers do a wonderful service. They should be rewarded.

I hope to photograph the cats once again in the near future.