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Posts for Tag: KY

Butterflies At Tom Sawyer Park

Two of the butterflies I saw this past weekend in Tom Sawyer Park

This first one, which is one of the varieties of Black Swallowtail, had huge wings. They were larger than any of the other Black Swallowtails I had previously seen. 


This Monarch butterfly was nice enough to stay in a dark area where the light could still shine through its wings. 


Bird on a cattail

At Lake Nevin, in Bernheim Forest, lots of birds like to alight on the cattails.

Orange Accents

A milkweed bug checks out his new living arrangements.

Louisville's Secret Outdoor Art Gallery...

In a world of moving pictures, I have always been more fascinated by still images. They seem to work on the brain in a different manner than moving images. If you read a lot of photography blogs, you will soon figure out that there are two photographic subjects that are despised by “serious” photographers. They are train tracks and cemeteries. “Too cliche,” the serious photo bloggers will tell you. Well, that may be, but what if you just want to capture beauty in whatever form you happen to find it? I’m sure I would enjoy photographing, not only trains (and their tracks) but planes and automobiles as well, but I just don’t have access to a large variety of different subjects in those genres.

Serious photographers will also say that you are wasting your time if you head out to make photos in the middle of the day, when the sun is harsh and contrasty. “Go out only during the ‘golden hours’ at dawn and dusk,” they will tell you. Well, there certainly is good light during those golden hours, but what if you only have access to a particular location or subject outside of the golden hours? What if your schedule doesn’t allow you to be choosy? Perhaps you could learn to deal with contrasty light and other impediments to satisfying photographs? It's worth a try.

I say photograph what you want, when you want, or when you can. Each press of the shutter button will teach you something about your camera, light, perspective, etc. and you will see things, both in your subjects and yourself, that you may not get the chance to see if you wait for the perfect time or place to start taking pictures and enjoying photography. I also like to think of myself as a conduit of images to people who, for whatever reason, can’t get out themselves, to see what I see. Whether it be deer in the local state park, or a particular work of art at the local outdoor art gallery known as Cave Hill Cemetery.

And, as much as I enjoy gathering photographs, I really enjoy getting a good look at them on the computer and editing them in a way that I find pleasing or even surprising. You’d be amazed at how much color one can find in what first appears to be a gray slab of granite! When you look intently at something, you will see more.

Back in the day there used to be a show called “CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt”. Each episode would end with some usually eclectic story of a location, person, phenomenon, etc. to leave you with something to think about after the news portion of the show. The video would start rolling with some calm footage accompanied by a voiceover by Charles Kuralt describing what you were about to see. It was usually something you wouldn't see anywhere else

In the spirit of that show long ago, some photos from Louisville’s secret outdoor art gallery, all gathered in the last week or so.. Happy Sunday morning!

I Know That Look...

I'm not sure what Bucky McDeerface is thinking here, but I don't think I like it!

I See You...

That moment when you realize that your quarry is onto you...

Rare Turtle

The extremely rare, almost mythical, Pumpkin Spice Turtle (testudo graeca cucurbita spice). They are rarely seen in the wild but a lucky few may get to see one in mid to late October when they are migrating to their winter homes...

The poor guy's arms are too short to knock that ant off of his nose!

Let There Be Light...

I always try to photograph the "Let There Be Light" statue whenever I visit Bernheim. Today there was definitely light...


The inscription that goes with the statue.

Nature Walk

You know, I swore, swore, swore that I would stick to still photography and not venture into videography. My reasons were many: too time consuming, can't use popular music due to licensing issues, don't want a second camera, editing software is too expensive and you need a master's degree in knob-twiddling to use it, files are too big, the process is slow and grueling, etc., etc., etc... Then along comes a $20 app for the iPad (and iPhone) that squashes every reason I had to stay away from videography except for the availability of popular music. Well, it turns out that nature videos don't really need popular music so, now I've gone and done it.. Dipped my toe in video.

Still very amateurish, but kinda has a Cinéma Vérité feel to it. I also have much to learn about the iPad app but, wow! talk about bang for the buck. LumaFusion, check it out on the iOS app store.

If you are not fortunate to live close to an area with forest creatures, I made this video for you...


Unusual Butterfly

One I have not run into before. A Gulf Fritillary with the sun shining through its wings. This is about as far north as they go.

The Passion Flower

The Passion Flower is one of the most exotic looking plants you will find in the woods, and along roadsides, in the south. “La Flor de las cinco Llagas" or the ‘The Flower With The Five Wounds,’ as it was known by seventeenth century Spanish missionaries in South America, was used by them to teach the story of the crucifixion (or Passion) of Christ to the South American indigenous peoples.

This one, like so many others, was along the path I took through Tom Sawyer Park yesterday and was being visited by an unknown bug while I was being mesmerized by it…

Butterfly

Classic butterfly at Bernheim Forest.