Photos, videos and docs of Janet Brien, with the keywords: "texture"

Nature's Abstract Masterpiece at Harris Beach (+2 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 28 Nov 2021 18:24:47 +0000

(+2 insets) (stunning at full size!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Image" for photo info)

Hiding in Plain Sight: Life in a Tide Pool
Tidal pools are amazing. The diversity of life is astonishing but it's very easy to miss most of it without the right approach. Creatures there are highly sensitive to motion and the majority will freeze in place if they detect even the slightest movement. This is why it seems like tide pools are empty and lifeless. Patience is the trick. Find a good vantage point, stand completely still and wait. After a time--this could be 30 seconds or more than five minutes--a magic wand will tap and with a sparkling twinkle the pool will come to life!

Little crabs--and sometimes big ones!--emerge from cracks to scuttle here and there. Snails will push their muscular foot down to unseal their shell, protrude their simple eye tentacles and cruise slowly across a rock. If there's enough water, anemones will raise their finger-like tentacles and wave them around to sift for food. Even starfish move--did you know that?--and they will continue their mission to hunt down a meal. Tidal pools that never empty can sometimes even reveal baby fish--fry--that will dart about in their glassy, transparent bodies. There are so many animals that make their homes here, my description names only a few!

Shifting Focus
The day I took my macro set-up with me, I found myself constantly shifting gears. Sometimes I would focus on the wonderful plants and encrusted life forms adhered to the boulders. Other times I was stunned at the abstract artwork of sand, water, rocks, and reflections which Mother Nature created in a jaw-dropping manner.

Although I remember this very clearly, if it wasn't obvious in my mind, looking at my folder of pictures shows this blatant back-and-forth shift in concentration. I would see something that wrenched me over to the abstract, where I took pictures of patterns and shapes. Then I'd see a lovely little creature which had me leaning nose-close to study its marvelous details with rapt admiration and an accompanying set of images. Isn't that cool to have such an interesting time capsule? Moving through my stream of images brings me back to each moment with its sights, sounds and smells. It's priceless to have these memories preserved so crisply.

I was really enjoying looking at the unique and beautiful sand textures. Retreating rivulets of water left by departing waves combined with the snaking streams of water from the hillside made some really stunning sights. It's not easy to translate this through the lens of my camera but I did my best as I creeped along. Looking from high and low perspectives changed the appearance and sometimes in amazing ways. My experiences that day are some of my treasured memories from Harris Beach.

Today's Picture
I saw this lovely combination of pattern and water anchored by a huge rock and took many pictures to find just the right composition. I couldn't get over how much the sand reminded me of looking down from an airplane at the hills below. So dramatic! This image shows the amazingly cool appearance of a perfect reflection of sand shapes in the water…except it's not a reflection!

Today's Insets
While I took pictures of that arresting scene, I noticed movement from the pool of water and leaned down for a closer look. It was a tiny hermit crab! From my recollection, I have never seen one so small! Enraptured, I watched it moving along in its periwinkle shell. For something so small, that little guy could really go, and soon it was out of the water and marching across the Sahara-like sand dunes. So adventurous! Soon though, it returned to the safety of the water and I quietly retreated to leave it in peace. You'll see one picture showing it crossing the "Sahara Desert" and a collage which shows the closest images of this darling cutie pie.

Thank You For Stopping By--My Thoughts Are Reaching Out to You…
Always a humbling experience, I'm forever touched by your visits. You would be happy to know my delighted responses--smiles, snickers, outright laughter, sighs and nods of interest when you're telling me something to know. What a neat way for a community to interact, don't you think? I love it! And of course, I love the visits to all of you too, and all that I learn and become aware of. It can be difficult too, when we are grieving for dear friends in our community. In this case, Marie-Claire, my heart cries for you and your daughter. And Günter Klaus, my thoughts are with you too in your greatest challenge. Ipernity is a community with so many happy times, but there are sad times too…we pull together in good times and bad. May your week be a nice one and full of healing and strength.

Explored on 11/28/21; highest placement #1.

A Pretty Bow to Start the Week From Tugman State Park (+5 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 16:15:19 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+5 insets!)

Keep Your Eyes Open: You Never Know What You'll Find!
Steve and I spent an absolutely wonderful week at William Tugman State Park and every morning I started it with a walk on the 1.1 mile trail around the edge of Eel Lake. What a gorgeous trail--it had everything! A lovely view of the lake, a meandering, well-maintained trail that meandered through a deep forest along its edge, four cool foot bridges to cross, and so much flora and fauna along the way!

I only took my camera with me a few times but it was a good thing I warned Steve that I'd left the trailer with one because without fail I took twice as long to get back because I kept finding fabulous subjects to capture!

Today's Pictures
When I was returning from the end of the path where it terminates at a bench overlooking Eel Lake, I saw a bright red flash on a branch. Taking a closer look, I discovered a pretty hair clip adorned with a red bow. Apparently a little girl had lost it while frolicking and somebody else came along and clipped it onto a branch when they found it laying on the trail. Then I arrived and recognized the opportunity for a cool picture! Huzzah! :)

Today's Insets
I'm sharing another trail shot, a lovely wild grass head festooned with pollen, and two ripening thimbleberries in the center of their perfect star-shaped sepals; I'm also including a very cool sight: what looks like a flower is actually the opened and ripening seed pod of a Trillium. Finally, you'll see the shadow-play that I saw in my bedroom one morning before I rolled up the blind. I am often mesmerized by this show if we happen to be positioned where the shadows of a bush or tree are cast on my window shade. The shadows will often move back and forth, sometimes changing shape and paralyzing me as I enjoy the show.

Thank You!
I really can't tell you exactly how nice it feels that you have all been enjoying my pictures so much. It makes me feel so giddy! It's my wish to make you smile, feel surprised, make you think, present you with something new or transport you away from troublesome thoughts. If I can do that, I feel that I've been successful, and when you let me know…I just can't help but beam from ear to ear! Thanks so much. And the visits to your streams take me on amazing trips around the world and into your hearts, expressed by your photography. It's a pretty cool relationship we have, isn't it?! You're all terrific. :) Have a great day and please stay safe and healthy!!

Explored on 2/22/21; highest placement #3.

Darling Jumping Spider to Welcome Me Home!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 16:54:22 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Being Home is Kind of Strange!
I have to admit that it's odd to be back home in our "bricks and sticks" house instead of on the road. It's a good thing to be back before the rainy season turns any flat area into sticky, slippery mud, but since the downpours haven't started yet, both of us wish we could be out and about. However, we were out a month later than we expected and we do have lots of things to upgrade and work on--both in our trailer and in our house--so it's for the best that we're home! :)

Trip Stories
I'm going to post a series of pictures that show a picture of each place we went during our trip, along with a quick summary, but I haven't gotten everything organized yet. In the meantime, I'll post some pictures from home!

Today's Picture
Just a couple of days after we got home, I found a little black something crawling on the wall in the bathroom. Of course I knew instantly what it was--a curious little jumping spider! Are you not in love?! JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE!! THE FANCY HAIR! Hearts and flowers everywhere! :D

These are my favorite spiders because they are so cute, clever and interested in everything around them. Of their eight eyes, one of the two pairs that face forward is very large with excellent vision. These awesome hunters are not dangerous and are great fun to hold on the tip of a finger! :) I do love them so!

Jumping spiders, members of the Salticidae family, are the most successful group of arachnids. There are over 600 genera and more than 6000 species found worldwide with the exception of the north and south poles--why, they have even been spotted at the base of Mount Everest!

Thank you all for your visits, comments and favorites! I'm doing my best to catch up and hope you will be patient with me! :D It really is so nice to be visiting once again--you're all so talented with amazing photography to enjoy! :)

Explored on 10/21/20; highest placement #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 150: Macro Monday: Bark Bark Bark!!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 23:23:57 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+13 insets!) *sheepish grin* Sorry, I got a little carried away but I think you'll like them! :D (please view large for all the neato details!)

It rained and it rained and it rained, rained, rained! On and off all day yesterday and then into the evening. And as I fell asleep last night, I was lulled into dreams by the pattering of droplets on the windows. Before opening my eyes this morning I was gently guided into wakefulness with the tap of rain on the panes of glass. Will it ever end?

Walking down to the gate this morning to open the gate for Steve's drive in a little while, I surveyed the damage to our road repairs. Enough rain has come down that our work to fix the road has been reversed in some places. I fixed the worst spot and was pleased to see the water flowing off the road again. There were many other places that needed attention though. Hmm. Steve will need to do some touch-ups at some point. The next week promises to continue the ongoing series of spring storms and waiting on ruts in the road is never a good thing.

Steve left early to take the RV trailer into a professional shop today! He rescheduled once due to the rain but decided to go ahead today, rain and mud be damned! We hooked up the truck yesterday and today he drove carefully and confidently down our driveway and on to Medford. I got a cheerful call from him to let me know that everything had gone great and they'd have the trailer's maintenance completed by mid-week. Hooray! This is a crucial step before we go on our first camping trip. We need to know that the undercarriage is ship-shape. They will be repacking the bearings and doing a variety of other work which we'd like seasoned eyes to carry out. Steve's extremely handy but all of this is new to him and we both agreed that it should be looked at by a pro who knows what they are doing. (As it turned out, all of the brake pads were worn almost down to the plates--it was a good thing we had everything checked!)

Did you happen to notice that it's Macro Monday?! YES!! This week's theme is "bark" and bark is what you'll get! When I was up on the top of our ridgeline yesterday at one point I noticed the time and told Steve I'd be right down, "10 minutes max!" Silly wabbit, I had a camera in my hand! I need to remember that if I have my camera I need to add more time to my estimation! Heh. As I headed back along the ridge to the trail down to the house, I took lots of pictures of different bark that I saw. Is it my fault there were so many interesting bark pictures to take?! Ponderosa pine and oak bark on healthy trees, charred bark on dead trees, burned bark on the ground, and the insides of bark too! I even found some bark that has termite trails on it and a woodpecker hole! It was twenty minutes before I scurried in the door with a bashful expression on my face...heh. :D

Along with my main picture--which shows charred oak bark and a bit of bare trunk--I'm sharing an embarrassing number of insets! I hope you enjoy the show!

Pam, I thought it would be fun to look in your photo stream for "bark" and I found one that would work for Macro Monday! Your ice-covered Redbud bark is wonderful and so interesting to look at with its fine, glossy coat! Many kinds of lichen are visible too, so pretty in all their many colors! I hope your day is going well and your house isn't floating away in the rain! :D *BIG HUGS*

Explored on 4/9/19, highest placement, #2.

Pictures for Pam, Day 105: HFF: Frosty Fencing Wrapped Around Post

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 00:30:47 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+ 2 insets)

The forecast promised a very cold morning and I crossed my fingers for frost before I went to sleep last night. Just because it's cold enough for frost does not mean it will be frosty! However, I had a good feeling that it would be fabulous this morning and I was right! Peeking outside after hopping out of bed, I was rewarded by a sparking shimmer on everything! Pumpkin and I were both very impressed and talked about it at length while I took my shower. Ok well, maybe Pumpkin only laughed at me and whistled with the water sounds but I'd like to think she was suitably moved by the frosty world outside! :)

I spent about 45 minutes taking pictures and I was so happy I'd prepared my camera beforehand. All I needed to do was dive into my warm clothes and bounce outside and right into a glimmering wonderland!

Some of the subjects that I captured were metal screws, nails, wire, barbs, hinges, springs...the mail box, frozen droplets on the mail box, leaves, wasp galls, ice at the edge of the pond, frosty weeds poking out of the pond...the list goes on and on! Let's just say I came back to the house with over 400 pictures so you get the general idea! My feeling is that we won't have a lot more frosty days so if I want pictures, today's going to be one of my last chances!

I was so excited to look over my pictures and boy did I get a BUNCH of winners! I also got a LOT of garbage shots. Ugh. I may need to take a monopod with me because I was got so many blurry pictures. A flash can definitely help capture an image without blur but it's not a miracle-worker. The smaller the subject, the harder it is to get a crisp picture by hand-holding your camera. MEH! It's a good thing that I took multiples along with aperture sets of each subject. Sometimes I'd get 9 garbage pictures and only one good one! And unfortunately, I failed completely on some very nice subjects. Better luck next time, right? And I can't cry too hard...I got several dozen nice pictures that I'll need to process!

This is my day to post my Happy Fence Friday picture so I looked through this morning's photo shoot I and found one that would work just fine! It's barbed fencing wire that's wrapped around a post. The frost isn't very prominent but I really liked the colors and interesting visual. It was on the outside of our property next to our gate and the red color caught my eye. I've also included an inset of the entire width of the wire wrapped around the post...plus a guest I didn't notice until I saw it on the computer! Finally, I have another picture of frosty barbed wire that I took a few weeks ago. :)

Pam, I did a look-see for "frost" on your photo stream and found a series of frosty artwork that you'd created. I especially like your Frost Flowers Circle Scope which is marvelous eye candy! (Steve loved it too!) By the way, it was fun to read about what you'd done for jobs. I have many times wondered if it would be fun to work as a dental hygienist but a technician would be more interesting I'm sure. Not at all surprised that you designed jewelry and done graphic design as well--you have a wonderful eye! And of course, I can see gardening being a big draw, it's great fun! *BIG HUGS* MY DEAR!!!

Explored on 2/22/19, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 91: Frosty Spider Web on Frosty Fence

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 01:19:34 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+4 insets!) (view large!) :)

Holy Toledo it's cold out there today, YIKES!! A mere 27.6°F/-2.4°C--that's the coldest it's been all winter! Maybe that's not Polar Vortex Cold, but my fingers and toes have a prominent opinion about it: One Lap is the Limit! Heh…I managed to get up to the top of our hill for a lovely sunrise picture with my phone and down to the front gate to grab our garbage can (pick-up was this morning at 0'dark hundred). There I saw a pool of water that froze in several stages. The appearance reminded me of white malachite and out came my phone for another picture! Then it was up the drive with the garbage can, the handle burning cold through my gloves into my complaining hands and then I flung myself into the house and became one with the heater to warm my hands up. (You can see an inset of the pool of water along with another frozen pool I photographed a while back with a neat formation)

What the heck's the deal with extremely low temperatures?! It's just crazy how fast cold can affect you if the temperature is low enough. This begs the intellectual question: how much more does the temperature affect us when things become extreme? What I mean to say is, there's basically no difference to us when the change is in our comfort range, say 60-70°F/15.5-21°C. Big deal, who cares…we can tell there's a change but it doesn't really matter. But as we get further away from our comfort zone, how much more does this mean? For instance, does the difference between 30 degrees and 29 degrees affect us 1%, 5%, 10%, etc. Do lower numbers make this difference more extreme? Does 10 degrees and 9 degrees affect us 5%, 10%, 20%? I should look this up. I bet there is a difference because 27 degrees is FIERCELY COLD and 30 degrees is not NEARLY as cold to me.

I found a partial answer! It depends a lot on how much fat you have stored on your body and how well-adjusted you are to that temperature. So, someone who has more padding is going to be much more comfortable in the cold than a lean, athletic person. I didn't find the exact answer I was looking for but I did find a very interesting article that talks about what it feels like to be in -50 degrees vs. -20 degrees. My opinion: I would like to NOT be in those temperatures, thank you very much! :D

I was kind of surprised the frogs weren't singing since they seem to enjoy these ridiculously cold temperatures. However, all was quiet down at the pond this morning. In amusement, I pictured froggy popsicles, each with a "ribbit" ready to go but their vocal sacks were frozen so no noise came out. Give them time…it should warm up to 32 degrees down there soon enough and they'll be able to squeak something out! LOL. Tenacious little buddies. :)

Since it's so cold AND because it's the day to post my Happy Fence Friday pictures, I'm sharing an image of a very frosty fence, featuring a gossamer necklace touched by Jack Frost. This I found on our deer fencing a month or so back when we had a lovely day of heavy frost. I'm also sharing another frosty barbed-wire picture from my photo shoot last week. :)

Pam, can you remember the coldest weather you've walked around in? One year it got down to 8 degrees I think, and venturing outside was a very shocking experience. We wanted to know what it felt like…and then we didn't! Out…and yep, that's REALLY COLD…and inside again! :D What about you? For me, it's a struggle because I know the photography opportunities are amazing the colder it gets but there really is a potential danger of frostbite. I hope you've never been in a situation where frostbite was a real issue for you. I've been lucky in that regard but I've also never been stuck in a place that's too cold and I can't get out of it. Sending a nice, warm *HUGGGGGG* your way on this very cold day! :D

Explored on 2/8/19, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 86: Burned Wood on Well House

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 03 Feb 2019 00:16:28 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+2 insets!)

A couple of days ago I went out with my camera and got some frosty pictures down by our front gate. On the way back I decided to take a quick detour to check out our old well house shed. Roughly a 5-foot cube, it lay on its side in a ruined heap. This was one of the many casualties of the terrible wildfire that erupted on our property a few years ago. The fire engulfed our whole shop and half of our hillside but our home was saved and nobody was hurt.

Lately I've been glancing over at that well house as I walk up and down our road in the morning. I've avoided taking pictures of anything related to the fire but my overwhelming feeling of remorse is slowly lifting and I wondered if there were pictures to be found there.

Walking over to the shed, I realized that it was a treasure trove of macro pictures! Charred wood, exposed and rusty screws, nails, hinges...oh my, but the dozens of cool subjects I saw got me so excited I could hardly stand it! Unfortunately I couldn't stay more than a minute or two because of the cold. I was on a 15-minute timer and needed to get back inside before my toes and fingers were in serious pain. I did take a couple of pictures though, and I thought this image of charred wood would be fun to share today. I'll be doing a proper photo shoot in the next week I hope! (I'm also sharing a panorama of our burned hillside in silhouette during a gorgeous sunrise and another Table Rocks sunrise)

Pam, have you guys ever had wildfires around your place or close enough to become quite concerned? It's no fun, let me tell you. This wildfire happened one afternoon when a ground squirrel climbed up the power pole and somehow got electrocuted, fell into the grass and started the fire. Steve found out as he was driving home and called me at work as I was leaving for the day. We were so afraid for our animals...but when we got home, we learned that our house was save and our animals were all ok. Thank goodness for our awesome fire department! I hope you are doing ok today! Sending *HUGGGGGS*!!!

Explored on 2/3/19, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 84: HFF: Frosty Barbed Wire Fencing

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 00:20:21 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+2 insets!)

Oh my, it’s really cooling down around here! I stepped out to a thermometer which read 29 degrees—wow! But paired with the freezing weather, the world was gleaming with brilliant sunshine this morning. My poor toes did NOT appreciate me crunching up and down our road today, but that’s what heaters are for afterwards! :)

On my first trip down to the gate I couldn’t help checking in on the sporophyte villages that live at the tops of each of the brick posts which hold our gate. Clumps of moss are scattered here and there on the tops and sides of the bricks and most clumps have many cool sporophytes to see. In fact, some of my finest sporophyte images come from the villagers who live here so I love peeking at them from time to time to say hello and see how they are doing.

Staring nose-close, I found a marvelous frost formation next to a pair of aged sporophytes and pulled back, my internal arguments flaring. “It’s too cold!” “That’s a special sight, it needs to be photographed!” “My fingers will freeze!” *rumblings from my toes below* “Hey, what about us? We’re already frozen!” “When will I see a frost formation like that again?” Silence in my mind and then, “Yeah, it’s true. We need to take a picture of that.”

At the top of the hill I saw that the fog cloaking the Table Rocks was especially beautiful, with a sheen of gold lighting up the fog and warming the valley’s sides. I couldn’t resist marching to the top of the hill for a few phone snaps before getting my camera and making my way back down to the gate.

After many photos of the “frost bush” next to the sporophytes, I glanced down into the weeds next to the gate. There was a coil of old, rusty barbed wire fencing that had been sitting abandoned, since long before we moved here. I’d been meaning to try for some frost pictures and as I was right there, I took the opportunity to photograph that too.

Not long after, the painful bite from the merciless cold forced me to stop and I trudged back to the house to return my camera and continue for a few more laps of exercise.

I was really happy to discover that I got a nice picture of the “frost bush” and also some really neat barbed wire pictures too. This being the day that I put up a picture for Happy Fence Friday, it was excellent timing for posting an image that I took today! (You can see insets of the frost “bush” and also an atmospheric picture of our fence and mail box I got a couple of days ago.)

Pam, do you guys hate barbed wire as much as we do? When we got here there was barbed wire strung up everywhere. It’s taken me a long time but I’ve got it all removed. Every once in a while, though, I’ll find stray strands here and there or an abandoned coil. It’s awful. The only thing I like about barbed wire is the cool pictures it can produce. Meh! I hope you are having a nice day! *HUGZZZZ!*

Explored on 2/1/19, highest placement, #1.

Foggy Morning at Gate

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 00:19:54 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Pictures for Pam, Day 64: Fern Tips

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 01:44:32 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+4 insets!)

Steve and I have had the chance to stay at Nathalie and Brian's home in San Anselmo on several occasions but this visit was the first time I'd brought my camera. I was really excited because I knew what was in store for me. It seems like anywhere inside or out, there are super cool things to take pictures of.

One of the first places I attacked was Nathalie's amazing patio. She's got all sorts of potted plants and bushes and on the walls are moss and lichen. It's a bit dizzying to decide where to start but I made a beeline for her tree fern, what I call a "dinosaur fern", and these plants are among my very favorite.

Because of the low light I was using my macro flash and as I clicked away, I became aware that Nathalie and Steve were talking in the kitchen just a few feet from me inside. Nathalie was wondering what the odd flash of light was, and then Steve noticed. I couldn't help grinning to myself as Steve realized it was my flash and explained to Nathalie. "Ohhhh!!!" I heard her say, as Steve went on to tell her how versatile our flash is. (By the way, if you are looking for a similar flash at a fraction of the price, I'd recommend this one!) She stepped out to see what I was doing and found me literally crawling around under the fronds of her fern. I giggled and told her that I am often splayed on the ground in very strange positions when I'm taking pictures, and have been asked on a number of occasions if I was ok and not, perhaps, dead! :D

The biggest problem that I had with this fern was that the unfurling balls of leaves that I love to photograph are quite dark and indistinct and so they aren't as dramatic as others I've photographed in the past. However I think I managed to get some nice pictures and I've included four insets in addition to my main image. I played with some textures on a couple of them because I thought the bland background could use a bit of dressing up. I will definitely try some different ideas the next time I get the chance to take more pictures of Nathalie's awesome tree fern!

Pam, I was surprised that you have no fern pictures in your photo stream! I'm going to guess that they don't grow on your property? I thought we didn’t have any on our property but one day I just about fell over when I discovered one by a seasonal stream. Another time I found one on our hillside. They aren't big but they are still super cool! I hope you have had a nice day…you are always in my thoughts!

Explored on 1/11/19, highest placement, #5.

Pictures for Pam, Day 62: Can You Guess?

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 00:27:54 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+5 insets) (please view large) :)

Time for another picture from our trip to Nathalie and Brian's place down in San Anselmo!

First of all, can you tell what this is? I just love an abstract picture and part of the fun is trying to guess what it is. I think it's probably pretty obvious but maybe that's because I'm familiar with it! Read on to discover what this subject is!

Nathalie's patio is located at the base of a steep hill (where I photographed the deer from yesterday's insets). Half-way up the hill are a pair of Strawberry Trees and between them hangs a very dead hammock. I don't know when it was last used, but I am positive that any attempt to sit in this hammock would result in you landing on the ground after crashing through the rotted rope strands. It has sat for too many seasons of rain and sun and has turned into a macro photographer's delight!

The moment I got close to it, I saw that the rope strands had been covered with lichen and moss. One of the wooden spreader bars had been broken and as I looked up at the jagged end, I saw my picture. Lots of angles, lots of dofs, and I also got some tight shots of lichen growing on the rope strands. It was such fun to play with my creativity here and hopefully you like the results too!

I am also posting a pair of sunrise pictures from yesterday that just blew me away! We often have staggeringly beautiful sunrises but I can't post them as main images because you'd all die of boredom! However, adding them as insets is perfect because I can share them without disrupting my photo stream with a million similar pictures. Yay for happy solutions!

Pam, do you have hammocks at your home? There is nothing so wonderful as swinging gently back and forth and being lulled to sleep on a warm summer day. I hope this day is full of good things for you and lots of happy doggy kisses. I'm thinking of you all the time and feeling hopeful as the days approach for a few more answers to your stroke solution.

Explored on 1/9/19, highest placement, #6.

Pictures for Pam, Day 61: Strawberry Tree Berries

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 00:40:03 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+3 insets!)

I'm back to posting pictures from my trip down to San Anselmo, and today I ran into a problem. Let me explain…

On our first day at Brian and Nathalie's house, I looked out the kitchen window and could hardly believe what I saw! A six-point Mule deer buck was calmly nibbling the grass on their hillside, a mere thirty feet away! Naturally I didn't have my camera with me, and by the time I got back with it, he'd wandered away. Shucks.

Fast forward a couple of hours. I'm wandering around their patio taking pictures and I look up…there at the same spot was a younger buck with four points! AHHHHHH!!!! I went over to the path up the hillside and slowly moved closer. The deer here are extremely used to people so I wasn't surprised when I was able to get much closer. He stared at me as I creeped towards him and only turned to walk off when I was about ten feet away.

I'd been focusing on him so intently that I didn't realize he wasn't alone. I noticed movement and was surprised to find yet another four-point buck AND the six-point beauty from earlier! All three of them were eyeing me but weren't especially afraid. I stood and took pictures as they moved around the grassy knoll, watching for any aggression on their part. All of us were calm and quiet so they ate grass and food from the trees and I got lots of pictures. Finally they walked away and I returned to the house, overjoyed at the encounter I had.

I ended up getting lots and lots of useable pictures but none of them were very spectacular. Also, they were close enough to trees and bushes so it was going to be some work to get reasonable separation in post-production. I really wanted to use a picture of the six-point buck but the only one that would work was going to be a tough image to fix up. I spent a long time working on the photo but my first attempt was just bad. I ended up working on a picture of one of the four-point bucks and it came out ok but he's walking up the hill and I don't know…it's just nothing special in my opinion.

Today I decided to give the six-point buck picture another try. The result was much better but I finally had to admit that it's just "OK". Not a picture I really want to feature as my Picture of the Day.

Ugh. So now what? I considered trying another deer picture but abandoned the idea because all of the images were either too similar to what I had or just not interesting enough. MEH!! I gave up on my deer idea. However, I am posting both pictures as insets so you can see! The six-point is a knock-out! But meh on the post-production.

I took a look at the pictures I've processed and decided on my Strawberry Tree Berries! These trees are popularly grown in urban areas and feature countless colorful berries that are prickly in appearance. The berries require a whole year to mature and finally ripen in about November in most places. The berries are edible and used in jam and liquor, though rarely eaten off the tree because of their fairly granular texture. The tree on Nathalie's hillside was positively bursting with berries in all colors from yellow to bright red. Such awesome photo subjects. I have included one more as an inset for you to see, and it has pretty white blossoms that are in bokeh.

Pam, I hope that you are doing well today after all the excitement of yesterday's scheduled appointment. Crossing my fingers for you…I hope that there will be some treatment which will resolve your issues! Worried but optimistic too…and wishing I could give you a hug!

Explored on 1/8/19, highest placement, #2.

Pictures for Pam, Day 48: Oak Leaf Stuck on Ponderosa Pine Bark

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 26 Dec 2018 23:55:06 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(please view large!) (+8 insets!)

What is your favorite kind of picture to take? Are you drawn to landscapes or street photography? Do you enjoy nature photography of all types or do you prefer city-based themes? Are you a "Jack of all trades" because any type of photography is interesting to you?

For me It's always been macro. Ever since I was a little kid in San Francisco, I've loved discovering tiny things. I used to love walking up our neighborhood street and turning over bricks to see what was underneath. Salamanders, ants, spiders, bugs, slugs and snails, and sometimes even centipedes. Lots of mushrooms, weird fungus and molds, it was all interesting to me. I loved finding the smallest flowers in the cracks of the sidewalk and I would collect a miniature bouquet to present to my mother with an ecstatic, "Mom, I brought you a mouse bouquet!" She loved them and put her tiny flowers into a shot glass and placed it on the kitchen table for all to see. Climbing around Mt. Davidson, which was our backyard, I spent hours exploring the different areas and learning about the countless things that grew there.

Three of the things I love are tiny details, textures and abstracts. As a kid, I would hold a leaf up to my nose and just stare. The wonderful details, textures and abstracts I saw were so beautiful and fascinating to me, but it's hard to tell someone about these things. You have to show them. And still, people could rarely see what I did...that was pretty frustrating.

Discovering macro photography changed everything. For the first time I could finally show everyone exactly what I was looking at! I could zero in on tiny creatures or flowers or I could show the textures of a subject. Abstracts were finally something I could photograph and allow the viewer to ponder and question. And by learning how to use a specialized macro lens, the magic of bokeh can be added into the mix for a magical touch I'd never considered as a child. A new way to explore the world...how cool is that? What adventure! What freedom! Macro photography opens the door to a universe of endless possibilities on a very small scale. That is why it's my favorite kind of photography.

Today's picture is another "caught" leaf, but I think it's pretty special because it requires looking closer. It's also both a texture picture and an abstract because at first it's hard to see what it is.

A few weeks ago, I was wandering around in our lower forest. At one point I looked up and noticed an Oak leaf stuck on the trunk of a Ponderosa pine tree. Did you know that pine trees can have different looking bark? That never occurred to me until I took a good look at our pine trees. Ponderosa pine bark looks like jigsaw puzzle pieces! I know you don't believe me, so please take a look at the insets so I can show you! The leaf in today's picture got stuck on one of the "puzzle pieces"!

Pam, I hope that all is well with you today and that you are happy and comfortable. Give your dogs some pats from me and tell them that they're doing a great job being a good friend to you. I hope they give you lots of good energy and put a smile on your face! I am thinking of you all the time! :)

Explored on 12/27/18, highest placement, #6.

Pictures for Pam, Day 32: Macro Monday 2.0: Nature's Chrismon (+3 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 23:34:01 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+3 insets) (View large for the best impact!)

I kept waking up last night thinking about this week's Macro Monday theme: Advent. That's kind of a tough subject for me because although I am very spiritual, I am not religious. I felt pretty moody about the issue because it seemed kind of blatantly Christian. But instead of getting ruffled, I decided to focus on one of the suggestions: candles.

Yesterday I rummaged around and found a few candles, put some Christmas lights up and played around for half an hour. I was pretty happy with the results except that I should have been back further to get better dof on the candle itself. In any event, I picked out three images that I liked and got them ready to post today. (See the insets)

Except that...well, last week the topic was "Light Bulb" and I sort of did the very same thing except I used a light bulb instead of a candle. Where was my originality? I was annoyed—I hadn't produced the quality I would have preferred and I hadn't pushed myself to think outside the box or grow in any way.

Finally giving up on sleep, I opened my laptop and began reading about Advent symbology. Candles, wreaths, Christmas trees, etc., but then I stopped on a word I didn't know: Chrismon. What that heck was a Chrismon? It's the joining of the word "Christ" and "monogram" and is an ornament that's usually white, but not always. These ornaments can be free-standing decorations or placed on a special Christmas tree that only has Chrismon ornaments—it's called a Chrismon tree.

Ornaments can be made from many things that have specific meaning. For instance, evergreen trees represent eternal life. The traditional number of four candles represent the four weeks before Christmas. Each has its own meaning: hope, joy, faith and peace. Even colors have meaning. I thought it was all very interesting. I had no idea that Advent and Christmas were brimming with so many symbols to convey such deep meaning.

To bring this together with my picture, a couple of days ago I took a walk along our ridge line. Although I was hunting for mushrooms, I couldn't stop myself from finding other things along the way. At one point I looked down and discovered a Black Oak acorn cap sitting on an enormous Ponderosa Pine cone. I was amazed and shook my head, considering the odds of that happening. I loved the way this pair looked so I took a set of pictures. I'd looked at the pictures on the computer and loved the dramatic look of the image.

While learning about Advent symbology, I discovered that pine cones are often used because they signify death and resurrection, and acorns signify good luck and rebirth. My specific input is also that the acorn springs forth from the acorn cap.

The second I put those two nuggets together, the joyful smile on my face warmed the whole room. Nature had provided me with the perfect picture, one that represented who I am and my kind of spirituality! Hooray!

Pam, my idea of Advent when I think of you is the coming of your return to good health. Let us hope that each week that comes to pass, representing hope, joy, faith and peace combine together and bring that gift to you. Many *hugs*!!

Explored on 12/11/18, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 30: Mushroom Pair

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 09 Dec 2018 04:34:37 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(1 inset picture)

The morning fog made its way through our valley and then gradually dissipated, leaving a bright and beautiful day ahead of me. Walking up and down our road for my daily exercise, I kept looking up at our steep hillside, thinking about the ridge line trail. I wouldn't go up there for a couple of reasons. Partly because, by the time I got up to the top of the hill, I was miserably depressed over the sight of the countless dead trees. The other part was because I used to go up there with our Basset and Boxer, Moosie and Zoey. But a year ago we lost our dear Moosie, and our darling Zoey passed away in August. Our hearts have been broken by this horrible loss and walking along the ridge line was just too much.

Since discovering that the hillside is covered with new saplings and young plants of all sorts, I feel like I can deal with the memories of Moosie and Zoey if I go up there for a stroll. The happy realization had me wiggling with excitement because I haven't been up there for over a year. It was time for a macro photo safari!!

After lunch I popped into my boots and knee pads, packed my macro flash in my backpack, grabbed my camera and off I went! Up to the top I climbed and stood by my favorite tree, the Madrone which was now ringed with vibrant new growth. I turned to look down at our house and the valley below and realized that Moosie and Zoey wouldn't want me to feel sad. They'd want me to have a great time up here, just like they did when we came up here together.

Such silly dogs! They'd chase each other all over and I'd have to keep telling Moosie to come along because he was such a slave to that nose of his. Seeing him trotting jauntily along the trail, his ears flopping back and forth, never failed to make me laugh. With her energetic puppy personality, Zoey was always joyfully running around investigating everything but made sure to stay close to Moosie or me. It was always a good time when we went and all of us would sleep well that night! :) (I have included an inset picture which I took of Moosie and Zoe playing on the ridge line trail.)

I strolled along the path and had a great time. The Oak, Madrone and pine forest was so pretty—rarely visited by people, it's a wonderfully wild place. It was also perfect mushroom weather—humid and cool with moist soil—and I soon spotted a tiny little guy just waiting for the lime light! I spent the next hour or two discovering and photographing lots of tiny mushrooms before the sun grew heavy on the horizon and prompted me to go home. It had been a super experience and after I got home and told Steve about my trip, he asked me to take him up there so he could take pictures too! Moosie and Zoey would be so proud! :)

Today's picture was actually taken a few days ago when I went up on the hillside the first time. On my way up I found this darling pair of mushrooms, and ever since I've been thinking about the mushrooms along the ridge line trail. Although I got plenty of nice pictures on my walk today, I figured it would be perfect to share this pair as my first mushroom picture since getting my creative mojo back!

Pam, you would love the ridge line trail. It's hard to get up to the top of the hill, but I know you would enjoy meandering along the fire trail which is brimming with lovely woods all around. I imagine you oohing and ahhing over the endless beauty there. I thought about you a lot, and how thankful I am to you for bringing back my creative spirit and the courage to face things that hurt me...now I can visit our hill and the ridge line trail too! *huggggs*

Explored on 12/9/18, highest placement, #5.

Pictures for Pam, Day 28: Resin Tear

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 03:20:18 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(2 inset images)

A few years ago a horrible tragedy happened on our property. A squirrel climbed up one of our power poles, chewed into a power line and got electrocuted. It fell into the dried grass and started a wildfire. The fire roared through the meadow, totally destroyed our huge shop and then raced up our hillside where it was finally stopped. We were so thankful the fire department was able to save our house. Nobody was hurt and few things of true sentimental value were lost.

Except...the trees. More than half of our hillside had burned, and almost every tree had perished. To me, trees are another kind of person. So it totally wrecked me when all of those trees were killed. I'd spent countless hours up there with my camera, navigating the deer trails and exploring its nooks and crannies. Now, every time I looked up there it just hurt.

I've been up there only a few times since the fire because I can't bear the pain. But the past few days I've been looking up there, wondering how things are doing. Forest fires are part of the cycle of life and very important to the ecosystem, revitalizing the soil and allowing the forest to "reset". As much as I knew it would hurt me, I decided on this beautiful, sunny day, to get my camera, put on my boots and knee pads, and take a walk.

As I carefully made my way up the hillside I was hit once again by deep sorrow when I saw all of the burned trees. Charred trunks were everywhere and I watched my footing so I didn't trip on any of the downed trees. But then I saw something I didn't expect. There was a small Manzanita plant growing in front of me! But it wasn't just one. As my eyes scanned the hillside in front of me, I saw a CARPET of young Manzanitas! It was incredible! Then, as I reached the top of the hill and walked along the ridge line, I suddenly stopped in my tracks.

The most heartbreaking loss of the fire was a magnificent 80-100 foot tall Madrone tree which I'd come to love over the years. It stood sentry at the top of the hillside trail, its massive branches spreading out in all directions. I had photographed its leaves, its lovely flowers, and the mushrooms that grew on moss which lived on its trunk. When I saw that it had burned, the sight made me cry and cry. In fact, it was the death of that tree which was the main reason I couldn't stand going up there anymore.

Today as I stood gawking, a feeling of elation washed over me because my wonderful Madrone tree was completely encircled by a huge mass of growth at its trunk! Many of the branches were taller than me and covered with lush green leaves. I was overjoyed as I neared my dear old friend, admiring the new growth and realizing that my favorite tree hadn't died after all!!

Looking around, I could see that ALL of the burned Madrones were ringed by new growth and I had to watch my step so I didn't step on the young Manzanitas. I even saw a couple of Oak and Ponderosa saplings here and there. As I made my way back down the trail to the house, I noticed the dead flowers from Mule Ears, and wild iris plants were there to see as well. I felt so much better. It would take many years for our hillside to recover completely, but it was going to be just fine. My smile was warmer than the sun.

Today's picture is a resin droplet that I photographed today. It was found on one of the burned Ponderosa pine trees and symbolizes both a tear of sorrow for the loss of our hillside forest, but also a tear of joy because the trees are going to recover, and the other plants are going to be just fine too.

Pam, this resin droplet also represents a tear of joy that you are ok and slowly recovering. It is also a tear of joy because I have found my passion again, and I have you to thank. Let there be many more happy tears in our future!

Explored on 12/7/18, highest placement, #4.

Pictures for Pam, Day 24: Black Dahlia

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 03:54:44 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(Looks best large on black, there is also 1 inset)

Waking up this morning I couldn't help but think about how dark it was. This time of the year is so odd because if you get up at about 7am like I do, it's almost completely dark! (Medford, Oregon is at latitude: 42.3265° N, 122.8756° W) I suppose I shouldn't complain...our sunrise is at 7:23 right now whereas if you lived in London, it's 7:46! The horror!) In any event, not turning on lights isn't an option unless I'd like to risk a stubbed toe!

I had to laugh as I got ready to go out today. Last night I checked the weather: "The forecast for tomorrow will be a low of 24°F with a high chance of snow." Looking out over our meadow and appreciating the Upper Table Rock which peeked out above a blanket of fog, I could see only a few clouds in the lightening sky. It promised to be a beautiful day. Snow...HAH! (Funny how the forecast was changed to a sunny day the next time I looked!)

During my walk today I thought about all the fun I'd been having with my pictures. I've been processing images in my archives with a focus on the magnificent collection of dahlia pictures I took at the Conservatory of Flowers in 2016. The bummer is that most of the pictures have issues which require painstaking processing. If the blossoms aren't covered in flecks of dirt, the backgrounds are a disaster. Plant labels, stakes, watering hoses, crowding flowers...ugh! I'd only processed a few before giving up in dismay...so much work!

But the truth is, these flowers are worth the effort. Their beauty is totally outrageous. I got very good focus on most subjects (though I got plenty of garbage shots too). It would be horrible to not take the time to work on these pictures, and finally I'm in the right state of mind to tackle at least a chunk of them.

I didn't even SEE this one until I was moving through my images and this flower popped up on the screen. HOLY COW!!! I forgot about the black dahlia!!! I remember the moment I saw it at the Conservatory, so excited I could hardly contain myself. Except...it was so far away!!! The few flowers sat far back from the fencing and I stalked back and forth hoping that somehow I could get closer. There was no way. If I wanted a picture, it was going to be at a distance. Well, at least I'd have pictures, and perhaps they would come out ok, but I didn't think so.

The good news is that I had crisp focus and I'd be able to fill my standard canvas size of (short side = 1024 pixels) x (whatever size). The flower didn't need too much dirt removal either, yay! The bad news was … omg...the background. I'm including an inset to show the original picture I took so you can see what I had to work with.

The only way I could present this flower would be to replace the background completely. This would mean a bunch of blended texture files to showcase the blossom without being overpowering. This process takes a lot of time. I usually have to stop after a while because I get frustrated with creating the effect that works for me, but eventually I land on something that looks right. When I was done, I sat back and smiled because this rare gem was ready to share with the world. I hope that you like it!

Pam, I hope that you had a nice and restful weekend. I hope the weather there isn't too stormy, but I bet it's very cold, just like here. Let's hope that you'll find improvement and more progress in your recovery this coming week. *big hugs* from our chilly home to yours!

Explored on 12/3/18, highest placement, #3.

276/366: Adorable Baby Crab Spider

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 03:55:22 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Once I got over my fear of spiders, I began to appreciate them and even to think they are adorable and totally cute. Finding this itty bitty baby crab spider trying to be invisible on a stem of dried grass brought out a chorus of coos from me. I was especially happy because the sun was at just the right angle to make its translucent body glow. Finally, I added a texture to the background to give it a bit more interest.

251/366: Red Button and Black Current Lichen on White and Green Fungus

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 03:54:22 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

If you stare closely at Oak trees and many other types as well, you will find all kinds of lichen and sometimes fungus encrusted on the bark. This tiny plantlife is often so small that it will appear to be different-colored dots, a fuzzy haze, or an odd mold. It's only when you have a macro lens or magnifying glass, that you can see how cool they look! I'm not sure what these species are called, but the lichen (I think that's lichen) looks like tiny red buttons and black currents, so there you go! I have seen the red buttons in black, white, green, yellow, and sometimes a color with white edging. Super cool and such fun to photograph! (Please correct me if the red buttons are a kind of fungus!)

226/366: Artistic Aster

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 03:21:29 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

What fun to have the excuse to play with textures! This pretty little flower was wonderful in every way...except that it was growing right in front of a white garage door. No worries...just change the background to a texture and suddenly the pretty little flower against a boring dirty white door turns into something artistic and fun!

Explored on August 18, 2016. Highest placement, #59.