bodacious adj. (Southern) Outright; unmistakable
banter v.t. To address with light, playful, good-natured remarks
Welcome to my blog! I pray the images and ideas will be pleasing to God, and a blessing to you.
In joy,
king
clover all over
Thanks to Robin for volunteering Elizabeth, who graciously donated two of her kids in response to my need for props in a field of blooming clover.
Red clover, red clover…why so many pictures?
They bee fun!
in joy,
king
seven* sweet signs spring is surely sprung:
bees busier buzzing – so much pollen…so little time
blue bird box bulging – mom’s doin’ take-out
blue jay babies – mom’s sittin’ on ‘em
buds be blooming – flower power via The Higher Power
cheerful cherries – Mr. Ellerbee always has a good garden, but i don’t know if he can take credit for the lovely tree
hummer homecoming – happy to have them here
Dateline April 7, this year: The first two hummer scouts have been spotted inspecting my (at that time, empty) feeder. They appear slightly displeased. Must. Fill. Nectar. Now.
possessions plastered with pollen – got me covered
*some say six signs, since perhaps pollen is perceived un-pleasant…(but from whence would we bee without it?)
in joy,
king
a wanderer
The ball of ice and dust known as Comet PanSTARRS, as seen from Thomaston, Georgia the evening of March 12, 2013.
in joy,
king
...and (despite popular request), the photoshopped version:
THE MILLER GAMES
Having exhausted good options for March, the local Shutterbug Club has invited me to present the program for this month. This led to a need for some material to go with my topic. So to shoot a few bits of video, i called on some friends who were thrilled willing to whack each other on a sunny, but cold afternoon.
Some folks just seem to get more static than others:
On an unrelated note, for the 6,999,999,997 of you who won’t be attending my presentation, comet Pan-STARRS may be visible above the western horizon near the crescent moon the evening of March 12 and/or 13. (“Check your local listings.”) A good pair of binoculars will likely be helpful. Those interested can read about it here, or if you’re waiting for the movie, check out NASA’s flick here.
in joy,
king
night moves
The cross atop the 200 year old chapel seemed a fitting target through which to shoot the north star—the point from Earth’s northern hemisphere around which all the heavens seem to revolve. If in the game of timelapse close counts, then this half night counted, despite the stars’ hide-and-seek play with the clouds. It had been a wonderful winter’s day: myriads of marvelous camellia blooms at Massee Lane Gardens, a delightful drive through unexplored places, and a fabulously fun concert by Allen Levi and friends at St. Nicholas Episcopal Church. This opportunity to shoot the chapel had been long hoped for, and was an excellent end to a glorious day. [A dark environment should enhance viewing of the video.]
For those whose curiosity causes a conclusion that not all coincidences are merely that, i would point out Polaris wasn’t always our “pole star.” Because of the “wobble” of Earth’s axis, Thuban in the constellation Draco, (the dragon), was the pole star at about the time of the fall (Genesis 3). But during the last several centuries, that role has been played by the end of the handle of the little dipper—described in ancient folklore as The Lesser Sheepfold, a reference to Abraham and his descendents. It seems fitting that in roughly 12 thousand years, the first-magnitude star Vega will be the pole star. It is the principal component in the constellation Lyra, the harp (an instrument of praise : )
It’s a rather cool progression, and perhaps another validation David’s assertion in Psalm 19 is not only fascinating, but literal. If the heavens are telling…i pray we’re listening.
May we all be good listeners...and have a blessed St. Valentine’s day,
king
blooming good stuff
The folks at Massee Lane Gardens offered me an opportunity to return and yak some more about flower photography as part of their annual Festival of Camellias. So for any who are in the neighborhood (of Fort Valley) Saturday afternoon, February 9th, consider this your invite to come heckle yours truly.
The presentation is primarily for beginning and intermediate photographers, but any warm body willing to behave is welcome. (Contrary to report, there is no registration deadline, and the instructor will keep puns to a minimum.)
The gardens open at 10am. My gig starts at 1pm, and should go about two hours. That should allow a good hour and a half following class to “apply learning” in the gardens. The only fee involved is admission to the gardens, which is $5.00 for adults (or $4.00 if you’re as old as me), and kids under 12 are free. (Okay…we know kids aren’t free—but you don’t have to pay for them to get in at Massee Lane, headquarters of the American Camellia Society.)
So in recognition of Ground Hog Day, or because i’m gathering visual aides, here’s a peek at some of my homework.
in joy,
king
creation to be enjoyed / tools to be used
An afternoon absent of an annoying phone arrived early in the year. With it, blue sky and mild temperature, and a total lack of any good excuse to further delay trying out the motion-control slider purchased months earlier. (Like much else on the planet, it arrived with a learning curve : )
Still a long way from attaining the holy grail of timelapse shooting, (that being smooth transitions from light to dark—and vice versa), I set up shop at the church’s front porch to follow the afternoon’s progress. My reasons for that location included 1) proximity to home, B) good view of the southwestern sky, and iii) a sentimentality for subject matter of times past. Regarding the last item, here is a digitized reproduction of one of the few prints I still have from my teenage photography years in the ‘60’s. (Nine-teen sixties.) Note the use of sepia-tone (before it became "new" again : )
So the first time out with this new gizmo proved a fabulous avoidance of complete failure, though the afore-mentioned transitioning still challenges me. The location required using the 16-35 at the short end of its range, which made for fairly funky perspective, but at least the camera moved in the correct direction, and at about the right speed. The next big challenge will be doing this at night with no light around. [reader advised to not hold one’s breath]
As a bonus, (which is kind of like saying, “We can slash your tires
Thanks to bro Herb for his taking joy in my taking joy in God’s taking joy in His creation. I’m looking forward to our hike : ) See some stupendous sunset scenes stashed here.
