Exploration Photography Daily View - July 31, 2015

Hi and welcome to the Daily View! As we wrap up another month what better to share than one of my favorite subjects? Yep another squirrel photo. When I got home from work today I had some cleaning to do in the yard and particularly the cafe. Those birds sure can be messy! So I didn't even waste a minute because if I did I would never have gotten anything done. As I was finishing up Kim arrived home and made us a quick dinner so I went in and ate and as I was finishing that I hear our dog barking at something through our front door. It was one of our neighborhood squirrels looking for peanuts. So of course I grabbed some and also picked up my camera and headed outside to feed him and also shoot a couple photos, And now I would like to share this one with you.

And I am finishing up for now my friends. Thanks so much for stopping by and please be sure to come back soon.

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 30, 2015

Hi and welcome to another late edition of the Exploration Photography Daily View! Well things are coming along with Windows 10 on my laptop. There are a few things to work out but it's getting there. But aside from that it took some time getting today's photo ready for publication but I think it's finally there.

You may or may not be able to tell from looking but I had quite a time with this shot. First off I have been trying all Summer to capture a decent image of this guy and tonight I was lucky enough to have the opportunity. I have found cardinals very difficult to work with because they are very skittish. And secondly (without getting technical) when I captured the shot there was a very annoying red hue coming from a lot of the small branches. I worked on the final image for about an hour and I think I got most of it fixed.

And now I am getting off of here. Let me know what you think. I would love your feedback. And I'll be back real soon my friends!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 29, 2015

Hi folks and welcome to the Daily View! I am getting this out a bit later than I had intended but I guess it isn't that late yet. I have been spending the last couple of hours upgrading to Windows 10 on my laptop and while it all seems to be working well there are lots of programs updating and one of them is Photoshop. But it is finally useable and I am finally able to get this post out to you.

Yesterday I told you that I was photographing our geraniums when I saw that cool cloud formation with the moon that I just had to share. Well today I would like to share one of the geraniums.

This is on our back deck and when the old flowers die off there seems to be a ton of new ones ready to bloom.

And now I am wrapping it up for the day. I think I'll just let this thing finish whatever it needs to do and hopefully all will be back to normal soon. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 28, 2015

Hi there and welcome to The Exploration Photography Daily View. A while back I wrote about something that I tend to do when on a photo shoot that sometimes results in a better or more interesting subject than I set out to photograph. Turning around. Today as I was on our deck shooting some of our geraniums I turned and looked up and saw something I thought would be really cool to share with you. And here it is.

The Moon and Clouds! Now I must admit that the sky was much lighter when I shot this but I used a little artistic license and darkened it. I think the clouds are stunning with a black background. What do you think? Oh and the geraniums? I got some really nice shots of those too and will share them in the near future.

And hey how about another video from Peddlers Village? Well okay then! Here you go.

Here you have a cage full of pigeons, a Koi/Fish Pond and a Train. Who could ask for more?

And that's all for now folks! I thank you for stopping by and I sure hope you see you again real soon at the blog. And remember to turn around every now and again.

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 27, 2015

Hi there and welcome to the Exploration Photography Daily View. Well, it's getting late and I have had a busy day. I wanted to go through my photos and video from yesterday's trip to Peddlers Village but with working all day and a ton of yard work this afternoon I just ran out of time. So instead how about a squirrel? Well since you insist :)

And that's all for today. I'll be back really soon and I hope you will be too!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 26, 2015

Hi my friends and welcome to the Daily View. Wow! This weekend sure went fast didn't it? In fact this entire Summer seems to be flying by. But we are trying to make the most of it and do and see as much as we can. Today was no exception either. The morning started out slow and I had time to shoot quite a few shots at the cafe. And I would like to share this one with you. A hungry sparrow enjoying an early morning meal.

He was nice enough to take time and pose for me.

A little later in the day I was able to get a little cleaning done and even had time to do a bit of pruning in our back yard. And then it was off to New Hope, Pennsylvania to a restaurant called The Cock N' Bull with family and friends to celebrate my Sister Elaine's birthday. It was our first time there but I sure hope it isn't the last. It was quite a nice meal and the service was excellent. After eating we strolled through Peddler's Village to enjoy the scenery. There is a really cool water wheel and I was able to shoot a quick video. Take a look.

And there was a lot more but I'll save that for another day. I'm going to finish this up for now but I'll be back real soon. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 25, 2015

Hi there folks and welcome to the Exploration Photography Daily View! The weather was perfect today and Kim and I headed to the shore. We had tentative plans as to where we were going to go and based that decision on traffic. Well according to Google Maps it would be at least a two hour drive to the Southern New Jersey beaches such as Ocean City or Wildwood Crest. But the Central beaches in the direction of Asbury Park would be about an hour and a half. So we headed in that direction with our sites on a beach called Avon By The Sea. We got there okay but it was so crowded that there was literally no place to park. So we decided to travel south along the shore and go from town to town until we found a place to park. And we finally did in a town called  Spring Lake. It was very clean and very nice I must say. And the people were very friendly. A lot of families with their children. Now if you are familiar with the Jersey beaches you know that most of them charge a fee. The only one's that I know of that do not are The Wildwoods and Atlantic City. And the average fee I have come across in recent years is $7.00. Spring Lake was $10.00. But they do not charge for parking so it isn't that bad I guess. And it is a lot closer to New York and it seems that everything in that direction is more expensive. So anyway you can pretty much guess that today's photo is going to be beach related. Check it out.

This is the boardwalk. As you can see it there are no shops or amusements like the boardwalks further down south. But it was actually kind of nice. It truly was a boardwalk created for the sole purpose of walking and enjoying the sites. I still prefer the others but this was a nice change. There was however two places at either end with restrooms and a place to grab a snack and a drink. So we saw someplace new and had a nice trip.

I also shot a quick video while at the waters edge and would like to share it with you. You can check it out below.

As usual this is best viewed at 1080P HD and at full screen.

And I must go now my friends. I thank you for stopping by and hope to see you again soon!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 24, 2015

Hi my friends and welcome to the Friday edition of the Daily View! It's basically the same as the Daily View on other days except it is Friday. And I like Fridays!

Today I would like to share one last photo from Longwood Gardens last week and it is another from the Water Lily Garden.

I had a little difficulty toning down the light but I thought the spider web was cool so I am sharing this shot anyway.

Fast forward to this morning and the Cafe and a lot of hungry birds. And of course a video! Check it out below.

And that will do it for today folks. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 23, 2015

Hi folks and welcome to the Daily View. Today I would like to continue with my Longwood theme and share another shot from the Water Lily Garden. This time we have a wider view with some nice reflections.

This like my photo yesterday was made with my phone's camera. A Motorola Droid Turbo. 

I also have another short video to share. I shot this walking so it's a little bouncy. I'll have to work on my walking and recording skills. Check it out below.

And I am calling it a day now. But I'll be back real soon with plenty to share. I hope to see you again here at the blog!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 22, 2015

Hi there! When Kim and I visited Longwood Gardens this past weekend for the Nightscape exhibit we arrived early and I was able to shoot some photos of the scenery. Today I would like to share this one with you.

This is from the Water Lily exhibit and was made with my phone's camera. I hate to say that in our rushing around that day I forgot my DSLR. But I think I got some good stuff anyway.

Now I was going to share another video but I haven't gone through all of them yet. So what I would like to do is share my YouTube Channel instead. I have lot's of content there. Some older and some newer. You can check it out at the link below if you like.


My YouTube Channel


And that's it for today folks. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 21, 2015

Hi and welcome to the Exploration Photography Daily View! Anyone who knows me knows that I love to photograph squirrels. I always have and there are tons of old 35mm shots to prove it. And seeing as it's been over a week since I last shared one with you I figured today would be a great day to do so. This was shot this afternoon when I got home from work.

One of our resident critters. And he sure isn't shy. He comes right to the door and waits for peanuts.

I also have one more video to share from Nightscape at Longwood Gardens. Well it's probably the last video. At least of Nightscape but I do have some more to go through. Anyhow this is the Legacy Tree. I was only able to record about a minute because it was very crowded but you will get the idea.

Remember that my videos look best in 1080P HD and of course at Full Screen.

And that's all for now. Thanks as always for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 20, 2015

Happy Monday everyone! It was another scorcher today but it looks like relief is around the corner. But hot or not I needed to tend the plants and bushes and of course the cafe after work today. As I was watering one of our bushes I noticed some spider webs and thought the water really looked cool on them. I shot several photos and today I would like to share this one with you.

A lot of people don't like or are afraid of spiders but I for one find then beneficial. They really do seem to cut down on flying insects. For that matter so do the birds and you know I a few of them around here.

Moving on from my webbed bushes I would like to share another video from Longwood Garden's Nightscape exhibit. This one was recorded at the Topiary Garden and again is just incredible. The lighting was a bit difficult to work with but I think it came out pretty good. Check it out below and remember it is best viewed in 1080P HD and of course at Full Screen.

And that's all for today my friends. But I'll be back with more real soon!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 19, 2015

Hi my friends and welcome to the Exploration Photography Daily View! What a busy weekend it has been. And very warm too. But I am not complaining. I may have said it before but after the cold Winter we had here this is a welcome change.

Last night Kim and I took a drive down to Kennett Square, Pennsylvania and visited one of our favorite places. Longwood Gardens. From now through part of October they are presenting Nightscape. Nightscape is a light and sound show that starts after dark and is just amazing. In standard Longwood style they go all out to create a show that should really be seen live to properly appreciate it. But fear not. I recorded a few videos that give at least a little glimpse. And I will be sharing them over the next few days in the Daily View. And speaking of the Daily View here is today's.

Longwood by night is a completely different place than it is during daylight hours. Nature tends to be more active. As we were walking from one presentation to another we could here frogs calling back and forth to each other in the marsh. It was pitch black and kind of cool and eerie at the same time. And when we reached the end of the marsh I saw someone photographing something on the ground. Of course I had to check it out and when I did I found this frog. Now remember that it was pitch dark. This was shot with my phone's camera and I had use the flash. I am just glad I didn't spook the poor guy.

And now how about one of those videos? This was shot in the Palm Room located in the Conservatory at the beginning of the presentation. It's about a minute long but should give you a good idea of what Nightscape is like.

And that does it for today folks. I am glad you stopped by and hope to see you again real soon!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 18, 2015

Hi and welcome to another early Saturday Daily View. Kim and I are going to be in and out all day so I don't know when else I am going to get a chance to post. Though I may try to do a bonus second Daily View. Maybe. But for now please check this out. Again it's not the most crisp photo I have shared but it's pretty cool.

This bee was pollinating leaves laying in our driveway. And there was more than one bee. Strange huh?

And I'm going for now but keep an eye out. I may have more for you later.

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 17, 2015

Welcome to Friday my friends! And welcome to the Exploration Photography Daily View. 

So I am in our kitchen this afternoon looking out at the cafe and I see this.

This is one of our local groundhogs enjoying his dinner. I have seen him and many others eating at the cafe but have never been able to get a good shot because they are very skittish and can actually move quickly if they have to. So to grab this shoot I had to shoot through door glass. I try never to do this because the image is never as crisp and clear as I would like but sometimes it is just the only way. And I don't think it turned out too bad.

And that's it for today folks. But I'll be back real soon. I hope to see you here again at the blog.

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 16, 2015

Hi there everyone! How's the weather where you are? Mother nature has smiled on us today with cooler but warm weather and no rain. It was a perfect day top get some yard work done. So when I got home this afternoon I headed right outside and did just that. There was a lot to do but it looks so much better now. And afterward I grabbed my camera and snapped some nice photos of some birds at the cafe. Here is one that I would like to share with you.

This is one of the many sparrows that frequent the cafe. Here he is sitting atop one of our arborvitae waiting for his turn at the food. Yes, sometimes there is quite a queue!

Thanks for stopping by and please be sure to come back soon.

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 15, 2015

Hi and welcome to the Daily View! If you have been watching the news lately you undoubtedly have seen many photos of the successful flyby of Pluto by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft. This accomplishment once again sets the United States at the forefront of space exploration and gives us something to be proud of again. To honor this great achievement I would like share an image that commemorates another American first. The first humans to step foot on the Moon. Shot at the Smithsonian Institute National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC here is one of the Apollo Lunar Module's. This is not the actual module that touched down on the Moon but it was integral in Earthbound testing of the Apollo 11 Module. 

So where will we go next? Who knows? But I am sure that we as not just Americans but as a humankind will keep pushing the envelope. It is what we do! And I for one am very anxious to see the many photos of Pluto and it's moons that will be released over the next weeks.

Thanks for stopping by my friends!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 14, 2015

Hi and welcome to the latest edition of the Exploration Photography Daily View. Today I am sharing another shot I made while in Washington DC this past weekend. This time we get a view of the National Mall with the Washington Monument in the distance.

Thanks for stopping by my friends!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 13, 2015

Hi folks! Well Monday is in the bag and I have to say I am still kind of beat from our busy weekend. But that's okay because we had a great time.

Today I would like to share a photo I made while in front of The National  Museum of American History - Smithsonian Institute. This is an old time ice cream truck that I thought looked good with the Washington Monument in the background. And I love the clouds too.

And that's all for now. I thank you for stopping by and hope to see you again real soon.

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 12, 2015

Hi and welcome to the Daily View! We had a very busy weekend and just got back a little while ago so this is going to be quick. We spent the last couple of days in Washington DC and on the way back to our car this afternoon I came across this guy.

He was great! Not afraid of me at all and in fact he even ate some bread from my hand. Check out this video and you'll see what I mean.


DC Squirrel <<< Click Here


And I'll be back real soon!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 11, 2015

Well folks it's gonna be another busy day so I would like to share today's Daily View early. Check out the flowers that are growing on the tree that holds the nest I shared yesterday.

I'm not sure what kind of tree this is so if anyone does please let me know.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 10, 2015

Hi all! Welcome to Friday and welcome to another Exploration Photography Daily View. I'm not sure if I shared this with you before but even if I have I'd like to share it again.

There is a tree growing next to our pool that gets bigger and bigger every year. But this year it has a new edition. A bird, probably a robin, has been building a nest in it. We first saw it a few weeks ago but now it like the tree is also getting bigger.

I did take a quick shot inside the nest with my phone's camera but it appears to be empty. But I do often see a robin coming and going. I am not sure when robins lay eggs so maybe it just hasn't been used yet? I'll just have to wait and see. I will of course be very careful not to disturb it or any possible future contents.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 9, 2015

Today's Daily view is a quick shot I made with my phone's camera on my way out the door for work this morning. Check it out.

This is our hydrangea. Last year it didn't flower at all and this year it only produced one flower. And you are looking at it. There is still time for more but I think this is it. We'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 8, 2015

Hi and welcome to the Exploration Photography Daily View. Yesterday I shared a cool squirrel photo that I shot when I was working on this photo which I originally intended to show you. Boy, that was a mouth full!

These are buds growing out of our hosta. Pretty soon it will be at full bloom. Hopefully I'll get some shots of that to share too.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 7, 2015

Anyone who frequents my Daily View knows that I tend to post a lot of squirrel photos. And today I am continuing that tradition with this.

I was outside shooting some frames with the intent of using one of the completed shots for today's photo when this guy came along. He (or she?) is one of our regulars. He is the one that comes to our door and waits for me to give him peanuts. Well I had some peanuts leftover and put them on that railing he is sitting on and as you can see he helped himself. He is not a shy or proud squirrel. But that's okay. He is welcome here any time.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 6, 2015

Hi folks and welcome to today's Daily View! 

Yesterday I mentioned that I had driven over to Jenkin's Arboretum in Wayne, Pennsylvania to shoot some photos. Today I would like to share one with you. This is a small panorama made with my phone's camera. I adjusted it in Photoshop as usual. I still have mixed feelings as to the final result but overall I think I like it.

And I also have a short video from my walk on one of the trails. You can check it out at the link below.


Sunday At Jenkin's Arboretum <<< Click Here


And that's all for now. Thanks as always for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 5, 2015

I was up and out early this morning and headed on over to Jenkin's Arboretum in Wayne, Pennsylvania. I shot a lot of good stuff but that is not what I am sharing for today's Daily View. When I got home and pulled into our driveway I was greeted by this guy.

Yeah I know it's another squirrel photo but it's a good one. I love this pose he was making just before he hopped across our lawn. Oh he wasn't running away. He was waiting for a peanut. And of course I gave him one.

And I'm calling it a night my friends. Thanks for stopping by.

Until next time...

A Walk In The Park...Valley Forge Park

Hi There! It's been a while since I last shared a "full" post hasn't it? I just seem to run out of time or energy or both. But I am coming off of a three day weekend and finally have one for you.

Saturday was of course Independence Day here in America. So what better to share with you than my recent trip to Valley Forge National Park. But these aren't your normal tourist photos. No, I wanted to do something a little different. You see, when I was at the park on Friday it was jam packed with people looking at things like the Memorial Arch and wooden cabins and of course the various statues scattered throughout. What did I do? I headed for the woods. Here is some of what I saw.

I grabbed this first shot before heading for the wooded trails and it is of course "My favorite Tree".

And here are the rest. Don't forget that you can click on any image for a larger view.

Steps leading to the wooded trails.

Just a log.

I love the way the sunlight lit these up.

Here's something I never saw before. It looks like a giant slab of quartz. There are actually a few of them.

In this next photo I was trying to shoot from a different perspective. I sat the camera on a rail and used the self timer to trip the trigger. I kind of like it.

This scene makes a perfect frame for Saint Gabriel's Hall in the distance.

A second naked tree?

This last shot is comprised of five separate frames thanks to the magic of Photoshop.

And there you have it folks. My Friday trip to Valley Forge. I hope you enjoyed it. I know I did! I have to go for now but I'll be back real soon. In fact I should be back in a little bit with the Daily View. And I think it's a good one.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 4, 2015

Hi and Happy Independence Day Daily View readers! This afternoon I was outside checking on the cafe and I got some great shots. I'd like to share this one with you.

This is one of our many sparrows. He was perched on this branch for a while and I was able to grab this shot.

I wanted to have some photos of Valley Forge ready for today but just did not have time to get them done. But they are coming soon.

Thanks for stopping by.

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 3, 2015

Hi and welcome to the latest edition of the Exploration Photography Daily View. I was fortunate enough to be off from work today for the Independence Day holiday and tried to make some good use  of it. So that of course means lot's of photos!

So I took a drive over to Valley Forge and shot a few hundred frames. But instead of simply shooting the regular buildings and monuments I chose to focus on the small things. And you can see one of them below.

How many times have I walked through the woods and passed right by is or something similar? Many I am sure. We are always told to look at the big picture but sometimes you need to appreciate the small stuff too.

Thanks for stopping by my friends!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 2, 2015

Hi and welcome to the Exploration Photography Daily View! Today I would like to share another shot from our trip to Citizens Bank Park last night.

The Phillies may not be having a great year but I can't think of a more beautiful place to lose a ballgame. Check lout the view of center city straight ahead.

Yesterday I mentioned that we saw an excellent fireworks show after the game. Well here it is. All 15 minutes. It's not the best quality video. It's slightly unstable. but I was hand holding my phone. Check it out at the link below.


Phillies Fireworks - July 1, 2015


Thanks for stopping by.

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - July 1, 2015

Hi all and welcome to a mobile edition of the Daily View. I'm at tonight's Philadelphia Phillies game with Kim and my Father In Law and as usual the Phils are getting a whooping. Oh well, at least it's fireworks night and that should be fun. So I hope you enjoy this beautiful view of the setting sun.

 

  

I'll be back real soon.

Until next time...