No theme this week. Just a few images that I liked. Enjoy!

Enjoy!

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved for all images.

Yesterday, I decided to visit Kraft Azalea Garden here in Winter Park, FL. I hadn't been there in a while and I wanted to try some water shots using the tripod. I lugged the tripod out to the lake shore and realized that I had forgotten to put my remote shutter release in the camera case. So I soon gave up on the tripod shooting and lugged the thing back to the car. That's when I noticed a Great Egret perched in a tree over the hood of the car. I took a few shots of the bird, looked around and realized that the two large trees by the parking pad were literally filled with egrets. Holy cow! I counted at least ten individuals (though I think there may have been more than that), paired up and tending to separate nests. It was a small breeding colony!

Having visited my sister in the Orlando area several times, I already had a good idea of the variety of places to be found in central Florida when I moved here a couple of years ago.  Contrary to what some may think, the landscape is not dominated by theme parks; nor do throngs of gray-haired retirees clog the streets.  There is history here.  One of my favorite things to do is to explore some of the smaller communities that surround Orlando.  Sanford is one of those communities.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, everyone!

Here are a few of my favorites from this week.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved for all images.

I was in the mood to do some nature photography yesterday morning.  So I got in the car and drove over to Mead Gardens.  I knew I'd be able to get some lovely water shots there and I was hoping to be able to photograph a bird or two.  When I got there, I found a crowd!  Two Wood Storks, a trio of White Ibis, a Great Egret and River Otters.  I was almost literally beside myself trying to decide where to point the camera. 

I had some photos from earlier this week that I intended to post today but I went out this morning and got some more good shots. So here here is an assortment of images, mostly from this morning. Enjoy!

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved for all images.

On Thursday, my sister and I spent some time at the Albin Polasek Sculpture Garden here in Winter Park, FL. It is an interesting place to photograph some different subject matter. The sculptures shown here are all situated in a beautiful outdoor garden.

For more information about the museum and garden, see the article I published in February. That article also provides a more standard photographic tour.

All images taken at the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden, Winter Park, FL.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved for all images.

I hadn't been to the Harry P. Leu gardens here in Orlando in quite a while so I spent a pleasant morning there on Tuesday.  Here are some of the various blooms and plants I saw while I was there.  And yes, I did have a little fun and play around with these in Photoshop.  Enjoy!

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved for all images.

This has been one of those weeks where the camera and my eye have not been in total harmony. I ended up with some shots that I kind of liked. So I decided to play around with some of those and here they are.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved for all images.

  Just two trips ago on George's Bank (about 5 days ago) I was taking a few pictures of the dolphins and shot a short video of them swimming in front of the boat. They were jumping and playing around the boat and there was an amazing amount of photo-ops for a person who is fast with the camera. I am not that fast but I am learning to be. I hope you enjoy these images of Bottle Nosed Dolphins in the Northwest Atlantic. All images are copyrighted all rights reserved.

Restoration of my Foto-Friday article which somehow got deleted as I was working on the September Photo Challenge article. Sorry for the duplication if you saw and commented on the original article!

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Here are some images from my photo outings this week.  The Anhinga is the star this week.  I came upon this individual drying its wings at Mead Gardens and what an interesting bird it is.  I spotted the Cuban Tree Frog in my backyard.  After doing some research to identify the little creature, I discovered that Cuban Tree Frogs are an invasive species.  They are apparently supposed to be euthanized if caught.  I'm rather thankful that I only caught it with my camera as I don't think I could have brought myself to harm it.  The remaining images are ones that I liked for one reason or another.  Enjoy!

More information on Anhingas can be found here.   

More information on Cuban Tree Frogs can be found here.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

It's threatening to rain most of the day here.  I took advantage of a break in the rain to shoot some pictures in my backyard.  These were all taken from the same vantage point, sitting in a chair by the back door.  Enjoy!

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Sometimes I don't have to go very far to find photo opportunities.  These were all taken at our local park yesterday.  I got the owl shot early in the morning.  The rest were taken around six in the evening.  Enjoy!

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

I haven't gotten many good bird shots this week but this morning I was lucky enough to run across a few beauties. And here they are.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Here are a few shots from this past week.  I hope you enjoy them!

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Miscellaneous images from several walks this week.  I was very pleased to see the two young Wood Ducks at Ward Park; they've grown enough now to be safe from the park's avian predators.  And the little Snowy Egret is a new visitor.  The dragonflies are everywhere now, hopefuly eating up all those pesky mosquitoes.  And, as always here in Florida, something is blooming.  I hope you enjoy these.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

I'm getting ready to head up to Chicago tomorrow for a week long trip so this morning was one of my last opportunities to take pictures at the park until I get back. Someone wanted me to have a good photo subject today. We got to the pond and there they were. Baby Wood Ducks! Because the early morning light was so dim, I had a heck of a time getting any pictures with the flash off; without a tripod, the exposure times were a little too lengthy for me to be able to hold the lens steady. Plus mama duck kept swimming around; I think she really wanted me to move on. The first three pictures in this series were taken with the flash on. The last two were taken without it.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Breakfast in the park.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

We've had lots of rain lately. This morning the rain has stopped for the moment but it is overcast. So I drove back out to Mead Gardens (because it is close) and shot a few pictures. Lots of water there. Some of the paths were flooded and the ponds were overflowing into the surrounding grass. But it was a relaxing walk despite the clouds and the flooded paths.

Mead Botanical Garden is in Winter Park, FL.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Weekend Exposure is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

A few miscellaneous bird friends for Good News Wednesday.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

For the last week, we finally have had some consistent and steady rainfall every day. Oh, what a difference some rain makes! Here are a few images from my morning walk through the park after the rain. One of the things I particularly love are all the different fungi that have popped up all over the place. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little walk in the park!

If you are interested in seeing some images of the drought conditions before the rain, I posted some of those here.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

Here are a few additional shots from my visit to Mead Gardens on Friday.  One of the things I love about the gradens is the reflective quality of the water there.  I don't know why but I always get some lovely water images when I go there.  Anyway, hope you enjoy these.

More information about the gardens can be found in my previous post here.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Weekend Exposure is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

I was at Mead Gardens this morning when I spied a Great Blue Heron on the other side of the pond. As I was getting some shots, it suddenly took flight, skimming across the pond in my direction. I was fortunate enough to get some wonderful images of the bird in flight. And here they are. Enjoy!

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

On Monday, my sister and I decided to take a drive up to Mt. Dora.  Mt. Dora is a small community about 45 minutes north of Orlando.  It is a touristy kind of place with a resort hotel on the lake, lots of little shops and tons of restaurants.  We were in the mood to browse and eat so it was good destination.  After having lunch and wandering around the shopping district, we decided to walk down to the park by the shore of Lake Dora.  The day was very hot.  We found a nice bench in the shade where we could cool off for a few minutes.  Before we knew it, we were surrounded by a very active group of birds.  These turned out to be a thriving population of Boat-tailed Grackles.  They were clearly used to people.  The males were a bit more standoffish, swooping in now and then to see what was going on.  The females, on the other hand, were a loud, gregarious, brazen group of hussies.  After sitting there for a while taking pictures, my sister and I looked at each other and said in unison, "The Birds!"  Hitchcock would have loved this place!

 ©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Throughout my time with Newsvine Photographers, I've posted a few random images here and there of some of the places that I visited when I was living in South Korea and China. However, I've gotten a few requests to do full albums of some locations and I always aim to please, so the first one up is Sichuan Province, China.

In 2007, shortly before moving back to the States, I visited Sichuan. I flew into Chengdu and the next day took a bus to Jiuzhaigou (Valley of the Nine Villages) in northern Sichuan, near the border with Tibet and Qinghai. This is actually one of the areas that would be hit hard by the 2008 earthquake. After spending three years living at sea level, with 95 degree temperatures and 80% humidity (and pollution), getting into the cool, crisp, dry air of northern Sichuan was refreshing. After two days at Jiuzhaigou, we would travel to Huanglong. We would finish by heading to the other end of Sichuan to see Mt. Emei and the Leshan Buddha.

Unfortunately, all I had at the time was a point-and-shoot Ricoh Caplio R6, so my ability to take quality pictures was somewhat limited.

I hadn't been back to Leu Gardens since I was there in March for the annual plant sale. My sister and I headed over there on Monday to take advantage of free admission day. Apparently it was also storytelling day and the gardens were packed with parents and small children. Usually it is very quiet during the week. But it was a beautiful day and things were blooming everywhere. Here are a few of the photos I took. Enjoy!

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

I wasn't going to post a Foto Friday article today because I didn't have images that I liked enough for a series. But this morning, I was finally able to capture a behavior that I have been observing for a couple of weeks now. There are multiple Starling nests in this lamp post. But I have periodically seen a Wood Duck fly up to one of the nests as well. What I don't know is whether the Wood Duck is messing with one of the Starling nests or if she actually has a nest there as well. From what I've read, baby Wood Ducks can fall out of nests that are 200 feet up or so and come to no harm. And if the Wood Ducks are using these lamp posts as nesting sites, it would explain why they have all been hanging out on the lamp posts in the park lately. Anyway, today I was quick enough to get a few shots of the duck engaging in this behavior. So you bird experts out there, is the Wood Duck nesting here or is this Starling harassment?

More information on Wood Ducks can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_Duck

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/wood_duck/lifehistory#at_nesting

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

This article is part of Foto-Friday, a feature of the Newsvine Photographers.

I spotted this wasp dragging something through the grass. That seemed a bit unusual. I ran inside, got the camera and managed to get a few shots. It was finally able to take flight with its prize. I have no idea what it had acquired but it was fascinating to watch.

A few shots from around the neighborhood. And that's what I have for this Foto Friday. Enjoy!

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

This morning turned out to be the day for me to see birds nesting in holes.  First there were the two sets of birds nesting in a lamp post at the park.  Then there were the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers nesting in a tree about two blocks from my house.  I have been watching the woodpecker nest for about a week now, hoping to get a few shots of the parents entering and leaving the nest.  This morning I was finally able to do that.  Along with the nesting birds, I added a few other shots from this morning's walk.  Enjoy!

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

These are growing by the drainage ditch in my local park. They look like some type of orchid to me but I really have no clue. I wondered if anyone might know what they are.

Weekend Exposure is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

The Barred Owls were out and about in the park this morning. We took a new route home, following the drainage ditches through the back side of the park and along the Cady Way bike path. A beautiful morning with some new and some familiar things to see.

Weekend Exposure is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

This morning I decided to take my hike in the Little Big Econ State Forest. Little Big Econ is near the town of Oviedo, FL. It is a 5,000 acre preserve taking its name from the Little Econlockhatchee River and the larger Econlockhatchee River. There are multiple trails through the area and more than one trailhead providing access.

This is a fairly heavily wooded area and I spent most of my hike this morning following a trail through the woods along the river's edge. As with some of the other areas I have hiked, the trails here can be rather narrow and even a bit treacherous in places. You want to wear a good pair of shoes. The scenery here is beautiful. I could hear things scurrying around through the brush and many birds vocalizing from the trees. I did spot a Pileated Woodpecker at one point but it had disappeared by the time I switched lenses on the camera. I had resigned myself to coming home with no bird shots when I finally spotted a baby bird clinging to a branch in a tree near the trail. I wasn't sure what it was at first but I soon spotted Mom and Dad Cardinals hovering in nearby trees. All in all, a lovely hike with a baby Cardinal to round out the morning!

More information about the Little Big Econ State Forest can be found here:

http://www.fl-dof.com/state_forests/little_big_econ.html

http://www.floridahikes.com/ftecon

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

I didn't get out to hike a new area this week but I did take a quick trip back out to Mead Gardens here in Winter Park, FL. This time I got the morning light. And my how things have grown and blossomed since I was last there in February. It was absolutely beautiful. I hope these images give you a little sense of how lovely it was this morning.

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

© 2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

A new lizard has taken up residence in my potted plants this year. I expect he and I will be seeing a lot of each other thoughout the spring and summer months. I adore these little creatures. So here's my little lizard friend for a pleasant Sunday morning.

Weekend Exposure is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

©2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Some chess players are poor sports...

April fools, I didn't really get killed by my clone!

Some fun science fiction and horror posted for this fine first day of April.

This has been a bad week for going out hiking. We've had rain, rain and more rain. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. After an extended period of drought conditions here in central Florida, the rain has been most welcome. But it has put a crimp in my plans. On the plus side though, I've had ample opportunity to photograph clouds this week. I also took the opportunity to play with Photoshop a bit. Here are a few of those images for your enjoyment.

And I must give a nod to Vlad's Dog whose article also inspired me to point my camera towards the sky: Weekend Exposure, A poem to the great expanse. She is waiting for you.

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

© 2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Many of my Newsvine buddies have mentioned they have visited Kailua Kona at one time or another so I thought it might be fun to show a few photos of the town. The tsunami took out a lot of the business area and must be rebuilt. The building where Bubba Gumps once stood is demolished, as are many others. Kona Village is a disaster. There will be many changes but this will always be K-town to us.

When I observe the joy squeals and enthusiasm of the children at the beach my spirits soar. They seem to be on their best behaviors and play with wild abandon. We should all grab hold of the child within ourselves and never let go.

Here is some information and a few images from another new area that I hiked through this morning. The Geneva Wilderness Area is a 180 acre preserve located in Seminole County, north of Orlando. This area contains pine flatwoods, ponds, sand pine scrub and swamp. There is a loop trail that runs through the preserve as well as additional trails that connect through to the Little Big Econ State Forest.

Unlike some of the more heavily wooded areas that I have hiked, the Geneva Wilderness Area is a relatively open landscape. You will see primarily low scrub and fan palms spread out under tall, slender longleaf pines. The soil is basically sand and walking the trail feels very much like walking on a sandy beach. I wasn't sure what to expect but it turned out to be a wonderful place for spotting birds. I could hear them everywhere. The highlight of my morning was when two Sandhill Cranes swooped in for a landing while I was photographing a Killdeer. I nearly jumped out of my skin when they started vocalizing. They are loud. My field guide describes their call as a shrill, repetitive garooo-a-a-a. I don't think that quite does it "justice" though shrill is appropriate.

All in all, it was an interesting place to hike with lots to see. More information on the Geneva Wilderness Area can be found here:

http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/parksrec/naturallands/geneva.aspx

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

© 2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

I was shooting through a chain link fence, trying to steady the camera while holding on to the dog and was lucky enough to get this Red-shouldered Hawk in flight. So I have dubbed today Lucky Thursday!

The Harry P. Leu Gardens here in Orlando hosts an annual plant sale each March. On the weekend of the sale, admission to the gardens is free, plant vendors are abundant and you can even find a food court. My sister and I and a couple of friends headed out to the sale early this morning. Though I did buy much of anything, the multitude of plants for sale provided ample photographic opportunities. Plus it gave me a chance to try out the circular polarizing lens I finally acquired for my camera. Orchids are the star of the show here but there are some other beautiful blooms as well. And I did come home with a tiny little venus flytrap. How cool is that!

If you are interested in more information on the Harry P. Leu gardens, you can find it in my previously published article here.

Weekend Exposure is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

© 2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

I've been taking a lot of pictures at my local park this week. The morning light has been beautiful. And this morning I had the pleasure of seeing two more Barred Owls. So here are a few of those images.

More information on Barred Owls can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barred_owl

http://pelotes.jea.com/Barrowls.htm

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

© 2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Well, as often happens in life, the best laid plans go awry. My plan for yesterday morning was to hike a new location so I could put together a Foto Friday series this morning. It rained. So then I thought I would go hiking early this morning. It's chilly. By the time I got back from walking the dog, my hands were freezing. So with the hike now deferred to tomorrow, I decided to share a few of my "accidental" images for photo Friday. These are images that I played around with as I was trying to get a feel for this month's challenge. They didn't quite fit the challenge but I kept them because there was something that I liked about each of them. Anyway, here they are for Foto Friday.

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

© 2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Okay, here are some of my second attempts. Still not sure about the high key images. These have all been edited in Photoshop. Cropped and then with lighting adjustments using Shadows/Highlights and Brightness/Contrast. I also played with both black and white and color images.

Very warily. The squirrels use the fence by the side of my house as a roadway to the roof. This one saw me sitting out there but was determined to make the crossing anyway. I don't think it took its focus off me for more than about a fraction of a second. I imagine it was relieved to get across without harm. I know some people think squirrels are pesty but they always make me smile. So here's a smile for Good News Wednesday.

Earlier this week, I was encouraged to post some pictures of Egypt (thanks, Dowser and Michael).

It seemed timely, given the images we've been seeing over the last 17 days. In contrast to the protests and violence, I wanted to show a different kind of Egypt - the one I came to know by actually visiting the country many times, and making so many friends.

I hoped to write about my wonderful experiences with these friendly and fascinating people. I wanted to show how they work and live.

Above all, I wanted to share the magic of this place. I didn't intend to post my best pictures, or the incredible treasures of this country. Instead, I wanted to show faces and special memories - faces of friends and faces of stangers, but all faces of Egypt.

The events of today leave me disheartened. I don't have the words.

These pictures will have to speak for themselves.

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

Update: The original title of this piece was 'An Homage to the People...' As of 10:30 this morning, it deserves a new title.

Decided to go to Kakaako Beach Park, also known as Point Panic Beach Park to the Surfers, to see if the sun would put on a show. Got a picture of a Fishing Boat coming in from a successful Marlin fishing trip, and caught a Rainbow and a sailboat in the Sun. Then the Sunset came on and it was a beauty. I took several photos of it as it was going down for your enjoyment. Trying to get this posted before midnight so it will still be the weekend. Still using the Small Sony pocket camera as the Canon is still in being cleaned.

Edit: I had originally posted that the Sunshots were done at -2 exposure but I was wrong it's -1, correction made.

All rights reserved. Do not use without permission.
This article was produced for Weekend-Exposure, a feature of Newsvine Photographers.

Round Top Drive is a Scenic drive that goes thru the Honolulu Watershed. It’s just a few miles in length but it has some amazing views of the city. If you are ever in Honolulu this is a great spot to get some photos. Since there are a few photos the rest will be posted for the Weekend Exposure.

All rights reserved. Do not use without permission.
This article was produced for Foto Friday, a feature of Newsvine Photographers.

Was a stormy night on Tuesday and Lightning is not common here, though in the past few years we are seeing it more often.

All rights reserved. Do not use without permission.
This article was produced for Foto Friday, a feature of Newsvine Photographers.

Jan 2010. Went here for a week would have liked it to have been warmer but family obligations dictated we go at this time. Figured while I was here I would try to get a few shots in of Sea Otters. I seen 3, 1 in the ocean and 2 in a picture on the wall of the hotel. The weather was raining just about everyday but I had 1 really good day and got as many photos in as I could, one of these days I have to get my camera a raincoat.

All rights reserved. Do not use without permission.
This article was produced for Foto Friday, a feature of Newsvine Photographers.

I recently purchased a book that provides information on 50 hikes in central Florida. This morning I tackled the first of those hikes: Spring Hammock Preserve and Big Tree Park. Both areas are located within and surrounded by the developed areas of Winter Springs, FL and Longwood, FL.

Spring Hammock Preserve is a 1,500 acre area adjacent to Lake Jessup that includes cypress swamp, hydric hammock, pine flatwoods and scrub environments. There are tons of trails crisscrossing the preserve and I confess to getting turned around a few times. Most of the trails are narrow and unpaved though there is also a wooden boardwalk that traverses a portion of the preserve. It is heavily wooded and quite beautiful.

Big Tree Park is older than Spring Hammock Preserve though it has now been incorporated into the preserve. The park contains two ancient cypress trees known as The Senator and Lady Liberty. From Wikipedia:

As of 1993, The Senator is estimated to be 3,400-3,500 years old, the 5th oldest tree in the world.^[2] The tree's volume had previously been estimated at 4,300 cubic feet (120 m³), but a 2006 survey by Will Blozan of the Native Tree Society has measured the volume at well over 5,100 cubic feet (140 m³), making The Senator not only the largest Bald Cypress in the United States, but also the largest tree of any species east of the Mississippi River.^[3]

Located 40 feet (12 m) from The Senator is another old cypress in the same Big Tree Park named Lady Liberty. It is 89 feet (27 m) high 10 feet (3.0 m) in diameter, and is estimated to be 2000 years old and another of the oldest trees in the world

The complete Wikipedia article can be found here.

Additional information on the Spring Hammock Preserve and Big Tree Park:

http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/leisure/museum/pdf/bigtree.pdf

http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/natland/hammock.asp

And a Wikipedia article on Cinnamon Ferns as well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon_fern

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

© 2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

The Robin

by Thomas Hardy

When up aloft
I fly and fly,
I see in pools
The shining sky,
And a happy bird
Am I, am I!

When I descend
Towards their brink
I stand, and look,
And stoop, and drink,
And bathe my wings,
And chink and prink.

When winter frost
Makes earth as steel
I search and search
But find no meal,
And most unhappy
Then I feel.

But when it lasts,
And snows still fall,
I get to feel
No grief at all,
For I turn to a cold stiff
Feathery ball!

Weekend Exposure is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

OK, I was talking to someone else about the joys of the area of Page, Arizona (about a 19 hour drive from my place).

The area is chock full of some of the most stunning areas of North America, and all are easy short hikes, or for that matter, bus rides. (Ignore my sidebar of a broken bone).

So, I thought I'd go with the whole "picture is worth a thousand words" thing and smash you with lots of images. I ran out of fingers to count the words, but, well, these photos must be worth a lot of words.

The first time I was at Page, AZ, nature helped out with several thunderstorms. Being a madman photographer, I of course rushed out of my hotel room at 3:00 am and set up my camera. You can actually spend several hundred dollars and buy a device to trigger your camera when lighting flashes. The other (cheaper) option, is to drop your camera on a tripod (at night) and set the exposure for 30 seconds, and hope lighting strikes. That is what I did, as thunderstorms are few and far between where I live in the Pacific Northwest, so I couldn't really justify shelling out

There are Several stunning areas withing a short drive of Page, Arizona. Of course that is also the place where I first got my wife's mini-cooper up past 120mph, so take that "short drive" with a grain of salt. The Wave and Antelope Canyon and Horse Shoe Bend are some of the most photogenic areas of the Colorado Plateau.

The Grand staircase (Escalante National Monument) is also quite close to Page. I saw lots of intriguing canyon entrances on my way to the Wave from Page. One of the areas looked like where I'd sacrifice someone (if I was into human sacrifice) so I got my wife to shoot an image of my bloated body.

You take a bus to Antelope Canyon and marvel at its awesomeness. The tour guides are very helpful. If you've seen other (better) versions of it, here are a few amusing "behind the scenes" tidbits. And let me reiterate, the tour guides are very photographer knowledgeable, and are just all around great helpful people. I hope some of them see this and accept my thanks.

Antelope Canyon is a deep beautiful slot canyon. For a few minutes a day (depending on time of year) a shaft of sunlight can reach all the way to the ground.

Often the tour guide will hide behind the corner, and toss sand into the air, to make the sunbeam more stunning while keeping other people out of your photo! If you've seen photos of a sunbeam in Antelope Canyon, that is what probably happened. Not that it is almost holy (this coming from an atheist) even without the assist.

Horse shoe bend is a surrealistic bend of the Colorado River, where the river makes a (I dunno) 325 degree turn. It is about five minute drive from Page, and is a twenty minute walk from the carpark. Not for people who fear heights, perhaps. I actually borrowed a lens from the guy standing on the edge, as my wide angle lens could not take it all in. On another occasion in one of my more ambitious projects, I actually took six HDR images, and stitched them together, and had a four foot wide print made.

For the uninitiated, I took five photos at various exposures of six images, merged them together, and then merged the resultant images together. So I took 30 photos with a Canon D20, and made one really large image out of it (thank you Photoshop).

The wave is truly stunning. I first saw an image of it in an art gallery in Salt Lake City, and I knew I had to go there some day. The unfortunate part, is the park service lets in about 20 people a day. Ten entries are available on-line, and ten from showing up at the ranger station and entering a lottery. My first attempt was a drop in. The way they do it, is you get one entry the first day, you are there, two the second day, and so on. I tried for three days, and lost every time.

My friend and I used our big brains (If I am badchess, he is goodchess), and entered online, and figured December 26th would give us the best odds for winning (as normal people are doing Christmas stuff during the Christmas season). It worked, and we won. We woke at 4:30 am on December 26th to find about an inch of snow on our car! Turned out fine though, as the white snow/red rock worked well (or so I thought, until I slipped and broke my ass). It was about a 90 minute drive from Page (with rear bumper damage to my Prius on the unimproved road driving across a dry wash) and a two or three hour hike. About 20 degrees.

There are a number of cool non wave things in that area, including a fine arch, and dinosaur feet print. But, since we hiked it December 26th, we chose not to find those particular sights. Funny and painful story, turns out "slick-rock" really is slick (who knew?), especially if it is coated with an ice/snow mix. Ohhh, my broken tailbone. Let me tell you, spending 8 hours on a snowmobile in Yellowstone with a broken coccyx is not a pleasurable experience, but that is a story for another Friday).

And of course I felt compelled to close with a photo of my long suffering wife, who carries my tripod (here at Antelope Canyon), and is always willing to help me swap out lenses. Thank you Geralyn, for being my "lens Sherpa".

In close, sorry for the plethora of images, and if you are ever going to be at the Arizona/Utah border and want some first hand info of the area, let me know.

I hope you enjoy the photos, and my ramblings. Following are some links:

Shooting thunderstorms:

http://www.lightningphotography.com/tips.html

The Grand Staircase:

http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/grand_staircase-escalante.html

Antelope Canyon

http://www.navajonationparks.org/htm/antelopecanyon.htm

Horseshoe Bend

http://www.travelsw.com/southwest-trips/southwest-trips-arizona/horseshoe.htm

The Wave

http://www.besthike.com/northamerica/usasouthwest/wave.html

Merritt Island sits off the eastern coast of Florida near Cape Canaveral. It contains the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Canaveral National Seashore. Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of visiting the wildlife refuge for the first time and all I can say is, "Wow!" This is an incredibly beautiful place housing an amazing diversity of flora and fauna. But most of all, if you love birds, this is a birder's paradise. According to their literature, 357 species of birds have been identified on the refuge. These include Bald Eagles, Roseate Spoonbills and Florida Scrub Jays among many others. During the winter months, concentrations of waterfowl can exceed 100,000.

Though there are a few foot trails in the refuge, the main observation route is by car along the Blackpoint Wildlife Drive. There are twelve marked stops along the drive that encompass a diversity of habitats -- flooded marshes, mud flats, grasslands, salt marsh, palm hammocks and pine flatwoods. We were there in the afternoon and were able to observe quite a number of different birds. Though I admit to a small amount of disappointment because we did not see any Bald Eagles or Roseate Spoonbills. But still, it was a very enjoyable excursion. And here are some images for your enjoyment.

More information on the refuge can be found here:

http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/

http://www.nbbd.com/godo/minwr/BlackPoint/index.html

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

© 2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

The weeds are coming back.

They stand defiant in the grass with blooms

like tiny pastel flags.

They push their way through

mulch and fence, unfurling glossy leaves

as if to taunt.

They wind and grasp and climb their way

to light and life.

The weeds are coming back.

Tomorrow perhaps

I will search out where it was

I may have left those garden gloves,

perhaps pull up a few and pile their weedy selves

in little heaps around the yard,

making refuge for the bugs and suchlike things

to find.

Today I’ll settle back, soak up the sinking sun,

tip my glass a time or two

and celebrate the loss

of control.

After living in Florida for more than a year now, I finally had the opportunity to photograph some alligators today. And here they are. These were all taken at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. More photos and information on the refuge coming for next Foto Friday.

Weekend Exposure is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

© 2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

I've been a bit lax this week in terms of putting together a Foto Friday series. Well, okay, my sister and I had tentatively planned an outing on Thursday that has now been moved to Sunday; I didn't come home yesterday with a camera full of photos. So this morning I decided to make the short drive over to Baldwin Lake and spend some time walking along the path that surrounds it.

Having now spent some time there, I probably won't put this walk on my favorites list. Not because it isn't pretty but because it's a very busy place. The concrete path around the lake is shared by joggers, roller skaters, dog walkers and today even a couple of seniors on motorized scooters. The roads that surround the lake are busy and traffic noise is constant. And then there is Baldwin Park, a fairly new development that looks like it was picked up from somewhere in the northeast or the midwest and transplanted by the lake. I tend to prefer the older ranch homes that more typify Orlando as it was before all the growth. Too much stuff going on for me. But there is beauty by the lake and I did bring home a few photos to share.

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

© 2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

These are a few of the sights from my first trip to the Pacific North West. Flew into SeaTac and rented a car for the wife and I to go visit our Daughter and her Hubby in Hope, B.C. This was our first trip to that part of the Country and that part of Canada and to say I was blown away would be a sever understatement. I hope you all enjoy as much as I did. Wow was an appellation frequently uttered during the trip.

In Florida, the fading of the Camellia blooms is a harbinger of spring and a signal that many other things will be blooming soon. But these fading blooms also have their own special beauty. Since it is Good News Wednesday and a fine excuse for fun, I decided to play with these images a bit. All of them have been cropped and had some kind of an artistic effect applied in Photoshop Elements. These are all images taken from one lone Camellia bush in my backyard.

When I set out to create the series for this week's Foto Friday, I had two goals in mind. The first was to introduce some images from another of my city's small nature areas and the second was to more consciously play with the composition of those images.

For the first goal, welcome to Mead Botanical Garden in Winter Park, FL. This garden is 47.5 acres of upland, wetland and creek donated by several families. The land was given to the city in 1954 with the proviso that it be maintained as a botanical garden. Mead Garden is an interesting place due primarily to its diversity. One section of the garden is a well-landscaped area containing many tall trees and picnic tables. This section also contains a small wetland area where I was able to observe a number of ducks, wading birds and turtles. Another section of the garden contains restored wetland. You can walk a path and boardwalk through the restored wetland that is maintained in a natural state with no landscaping. The wetland restoration is an ongoing project for the garden. Mead Garden is also a bird haven within Winter Park. They support counting to help with national species counts and have a birding checklist available on their website. I was there in mid-afternoon which is not the best time for birdwatching so I guess I'll have to make an early morning visit one of these days. More information on the garden can be found here:

http://www.meadgarden.org/

With respect to my second goal, well, I'll let you be the judge. Enjoy!

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

© 2011 HollyKL. All rights reserved.

Do you like big kitties too? ;) Have a good weekend.

This is part 2 of 2, from a trip to Sedona AZ. Part 1 can be found at this location if you have not seen them yet. These photo's are from the Northern end down to the Town, and a side view of cathedral rock, trying to get a front view just gave me washed out images with the sun position.

This article is an activity of Newsvine Photographers.

Most of the flowers pictured here are various cultivars of Camellia currently in bloom at the Harry P. Leu Gardens. According to their literature, Leu Gardens has the largest collection of Camellias in the United States, outside of California.

Some Camellia folklore from the website Living Arts Originals:

The symmetrical beauty and long-lasting quality of the flower have long been appreciated by young lovers as the token for expressing devotion to each other. In the eyes of the Chinese, the petals reflect the spirit of a lady, and the holder of the petals (the calyx) represents the young man entrusted by the lady as her protector.

The calyx of the camellia falls with the petals when the flower has finished blooming. This is unlike most other flowers, where the calyx seems to hang around the tree even after the petals have dropped. This phenomena symbolizes an everlasting union between lovers. In many parts of China, the camellia is considered as the flower for young sons and daughters.

Leu Gardens also publishes a selection of other horticultural guides covering different types of plants. Those can be found on this page for anyone who has an interest.

More information on and images from the Harry P. Leu Gardens can be found in these previously published articles:

Foto-Friday: A Few More from Leu Gardens

Foto-Friday: Leu Gardens

Weekend Exposure is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

A few more that I didn't have room for in yesterday's article. I had to share more of the swans because they are so lovely. And I threw in a couple more of the tower as well as some miscellaneous shots. Enjoy!

More information on the Bok Tower Gardens and additional photos can be found here.

Weekend Exposure is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

Bok Tower Gardens is a spectacular place. It contains three main attractions: the gardens which are situated on approximately 50 acres and which contain a large variety of plants, the Bok Carillon Tower which is designated as a National Historic Landmark, and the Pinewood Estate which is a beautiful example of Mediterranean-style architecture.

Edward Bok was editor of the Ladies Home Journal. In the 1920s, he and his wife, Mary Louise, decided to establish a garden and bird sanctuary in the Lake Wales region of Florida. They commissioned Frederick Law Olmstead Jr. to design the gardens. The gardens were established as a gift to the American people in 1929. Today they contain acres of trees and flowers including a large number of camellias, magnolias and azaleas. The best time to catch the azaleas in full bloom is from mid-February through March; we were there a bit too early to see the blooms.

The Bok Carillon Tower is an amazing structure. It is 205 feet high and stands on one of the highest elevation points in the state, Iron Mountain. The tower was designed by architect Milton B. Medary and is constructed of marble and coquina. The exterior is embellished with beautiful mosaics, carvings and iron work. Also known as the Singing Tower, carillon music is still played there on a daily basis. The moat around the tower is a lovely koi pond.

The Pinewood Estate was built by Charles Austin Buck in the 1930s. Buck was a vice president of Bethelem Steel and this estate was his winter retreat. The gardens on the estate were designed by William Lyman Phillips. The house itself contains wonderful examples of tile work. Much of the original furniture has been reacquired and placed in the home as it was when Buck lived there. The Pinewood Estate was purchased by the Bok Tower Gardens in 1970 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The day we were there I took somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 photos. What I've tried to show you today is a sample of images from the various areas included in the gardens. It is really a wonderful place. Admission to the gardens is $10 for adults and an extra $6 for a tour through the Pinewood mansion. If you are visiting the gardens for the first time, I highly recommend spending the extra amount for the tour of the house.

Enjoy the photos! Additional information on the gardens can be found here:

http://boktowergardens.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bok_Tower_Gardens

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carillon

Foto Friday is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

© 2011 HollyKL

I believe it may be a Double-Crested Cormorant but am not sure. The hooked bill and the diving behavior indicate cormorant to me. Anyone agree? Disagree? All opinions are welcome.

As sometimes happens when company comes to town, I've been dusting off my list of "sometime I need to go there" places. One of those places is the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens here in Winter Park, FL. I pass the museum entrance every time I go to the library or the farmer's market or run some errand downtown and have been curious about it since I moved here. So I finally took time for a visit this past week while my mother was in town. I wasn't sure what to expect but I'm happy to say that it was worth the time spent there.

Albin Polasek was a sculptor who emigrated from Moravia to the United States in 1901 at the age of 22. He trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. He won multiple awards for his work and became head of the Sculpture Department of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1916, a post he held for many years. He retired to Winter Park, FL in 1950.

Shortly after retirement, Polasek suffered a stroke. He was 71. Soon after that, he married for the first time. His bride was his companion and former student, Ruth Sherwood. She died not long after their marriage and Polasek then wed Emily Kubat. Emily was apparently very active in support of his work and it was she who convinced him to leave the house in Winter Park as a museum.

Though Polasek was a devout Roman Catholic and many of his works are religious in nature, he displayed a wide range of subject matter throughout the years. I found his sculptures of figures from Slavic mythology to be particularly interesting. He also worked with a variety of media including bronze, cement, wood, terra cotta and fiberglass. He was a prolific and active artist until his death in 1965.

All in all, the museum and sculpture garden are well worth a visit. The modest entry fee ($5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for students) gives you access to the sculpture gardens behind the house and includes a guided tour through the house. There is also a gallery that contains changing exhibits of photography and art by various artists. The setting is beautiful. The art pieces are interesting. It is a wonderful little place.

More information on Albin Polasek and the museum can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albin_Polasek

http://polasek.org/

This is part III of a three part series of photos taken during the Bosnian war.

Part I (War and Destruction) can be found here.

Part II (On the Move) can be found here.

When I visited the Kraft Azalea Garden here in Winter Park yesterday, I did so with the intention of photographing Anhingas. I was successful in that pursuit but along the way I ran across a few other inhabitants. So here are some of those critters for your enjoyment. The Anhinga photos can be found here.

I also have to thank the kind man who pointed the woodpecker out to me. He was visiting the park with his son and saw me taking pictures of the Anhingas. He took the time to call my attention to the woodpecker and point out exactly which tree it was in. I didn't get his name so I'll just say, "Thank you, sir!"

More information on some of the birds pictured here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pileated_woodpecker

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_duck

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_blue_heron

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pied-billed_grebe

Weekend Exposure is a regular feature of Newsvine Photographers.

My mother has been in town visiting for most of the past week and we have been traipsing about to different places. Today we took a walk through the Kraft Azalea Garden here in Winter Park, FL. Kraft Azalea Garden is a small park managed and maintained by the city. If you want to see Anhingas, it is a great place to go. You can almost always see several around the cypress trees along the shore of Lake Maitland.

As I mentioned in a previous article, Anhingas are cormorant sized birds averaging 34" to 36" in height. According to my Audubon Society field guide, Anhingas are also known as the "Snakebird". Wikipedia states that the name Anhinga is from the Brazilian Tupi language, meaning devil bird or snake bird. They lack oil glands with which to preen and need to perch with their wings open to dry them out. They frequent freshwater ponds and swamps with large trees. They use their long bills to stab fish, flip them into the air and swallow them headfirst.

More information on Anhingas can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anhinga

Here are a few of my favorite shots from this afternoon.

Weekend Exposure is a feature of Newsvine Photographers. © 2011 HollyKL

This is part II of a three part series of photos taken during the Bosnian war.

Part I (War and Destruction) can be found here.

Part III (End Results) can be found here.

This article is Part I of a three part series of photos, taken from 1993 - 1995, when I was working in Bosnia, providing humanitarian assistance to refugees from the war.

The wading birds have moved on from my local park but the wood ducks have moved in. So this week I have a few ducks, white ibis and my semi-successful attempt to photograph the bees that have shown up to visit the camellias in my back yard.

Wood Ducks are one of my favorite ducks. The males are quite striking though the females have their own charm. Wood ducks can be found throughout the eastern part of the country. They favor wooded rivers, ponds and swamps. White Ibis can be recognized by their long, curved bills. They tend to favor marshes and swamps. Around my neighborhood, there is a large group that wanders around from lawn to lawn. This morning they were busy grubbing in the soccer field next to the park. I was lucky to come home with a few halfway decent photos; juggling the camera, the dog's leash and an umbrella made things a wee bit challenging.

The bees? Well, what can I say. The little buggers don't hold still for more than a fraction of a second. I'm going to keep working on the bee photography. Lots of opportunities for photos still to come, I'm sure.

This article is part of a series entitled "8 Places in Virginia." It seemed appropriate to begin with Jamestown.

-------------------

Jamestown is recognized as the first permanent English settlement in America. The travel and supplies for the trip were funded by the Virginia Company of London, which received a charter from King James I, to establish settlements on the east coast of North America.

Some days are gloriously lucky! Today is certainly starting out that way for me. When I walked out the front door this morning, there were six or seven turkey vultures perched on the remnant of an old oak tree. Turkey vultures are year round residents here in central Florida and can be found throughout the eastern part of the country. They average 26" to 32" in height and can have a 6' wingspan. They normally are seen in the air but occasionally you can get a closer look when you run across one or two feasting on carrion by the side of the road. This is the first time I have been fortunate enough to see a group roosting together like this.

Then as Oz and I headed out to the park, there it was: my first sighting of a pileated woodpecker! I was quite a distance away when I took these photos so it may be hard to gauge their size. They are large woodpeckers, averaging around 17" or so in height. Like the turkey vultures, pileated woodpeckers can be found throughout the eastern part of the country; they are, however, more elusive than the smaller downy woodpecker and can be harder to spot.

Anyway, I was so excited by my unexpected photo opportunities this morning that I had to share!

Going through some old photo's today I found a few from Kaua‘i that I thought were suitable for viewing. These are from 2008 when I first got my Canon 40D and didn't know much about digital shooting, (still don't lol). The pictures start out in Waimea Canyon and you can see in the background as the clouds get thicker as I go up the canyon till finally all you can see is a faint outline of the landscape. The State Park headquarter at the top I had to get a picture of since its an official "Trout" checking station. I thought that was really funny for reasons that I won't mention. After the long drive up to get shots of the Grand Canyon of the Pacific and being disappointed by the cloudy conditions, we returned to Princeville and along the way took a few more shots. You'll note that some of the Canyon shots are the same scene at different focal lengths.

It's too cold and windy to play outside today, so I decided to post a few memories of summertime fun.

This article is part of Foto-Friday, a feature of the Newsvine Photographers.

Once again, the bulk of the winter snows passed us by, so I decided to post a few pictures from the Blizzard of 2010, to remind myself, that I should be careful with my wishes.

This article is part of Foto-Friday, a feature of the Newsvine Photographers.

This week has come and gone! Snow, ice, more snow, more freezing and melting, there you have it. The PICS tell the story!

The Harry P. Leu Gardens is one of my favorite places here in Orlando. According to Wikipedia, the Leus purchased Leu house and 40 acres of land in 1936. They populated the gardens with many exotic plants over the years, including an extensive collection of camellias. The house and land were deeded to the city of Orlando in 1961. Today the gardens house an amazing variety of plants as well as a wetland area on about 50 acres. More information about the gardens can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leu_Gardens

http://www.leugardens.org/

These photographs are a part of Foto-Friday, a feature of Newsvine Photographers. © 2010 HollyKL