Welcome To The Wednesday View

Can you believe January has come to an end already? Time really does seem to fly. It may be the end of the month but today I am sharing a beginning. As I was tending our house plants yesterday I took notice to a load of buds on one of our orchids. It has been bare for a few months but pretty soon it will have nice new flowers.

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Here is the EXIF data.

And here is Yesterday's View...

Tuesday January 30, 2018

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Welcome To The Tuesday View

Today's view is a quick snapshot I made in our backyard (aka the Cafe) when I got home from work. I thought we were done with snow for the season but I guess it's not quite ready to leave us alone and make way for warmer and dryer days.

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It looks pretty but I would love it if our yard wasn't quite so swampy from all of the rain and melting snow we've had recently.

Here is Yesterday's View...

Monday January 29, 2018

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Until next time...

Welcome To The Monday View

A few days ago I played around with low/no light photography. I guess very, very, very low but a tiny bit of light is more accurate but you know what I mean. Tonight I gave it another try. This time though instead of our Adirondack chairs by the fire pit I headed in another direction. I brought our indoor daisy outside and did a closeup. And this time I did a little more post processing than the last time. I kind if treated it like any other shot. And the results aren't too bad. There wasn't really any wind except for the lightest of breezes. I don't think it affected the daisy too much. Maybe a little. So here it is. Straight from the darkness of night and right to your screen.

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Just a tiny bit of blur at the center but better than I thought it would be. This is a 44 second exposure. Nothing near as long as the night shot a few days ago but I was only trying to capture the flower. If I had kept the shutter open for 8 or 9 minutes it would look like pure daylight.

Here is the EXIF data.

And here is Yesterday's View...

Sunday January 28, 2018

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Welcome To The Sunday View

Today's photo is a snapshot of sorts that I made while eating at the dining room table. I glanced outside and saw this guy across the street. I knew he was spying on the peanuts I tossed out into our front yard. So I quickly grabbed my camera and was lucky enough to capture this shot. And yes, he did run across to feast on the peanuts.

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Here is the EXIF data.

And here is Yesterday's View...

Saturday January 27, 2018

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Welcome To The Saturday View

With the weather being a little friendlier tonight I thought I'd set up in the back yard and play around with some long exposure photography. And for today's photo I am sharing this shot with you. It is a familiar scene with anyone who reads my blog. But it is different than previous versions. This was made in almost total darkness.

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An exposure time of just over nine minutes makes this look like it was shot during the day when in fact it was after 8PM. It was so dark I had a difficult time focusing the lens.

Here is the EXIF data.

And here is Yesterday's View...

Friday January 26, 2018

 

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Welcome To The Friday View

For today's photo I am sharing one more view of last Sunday's sunrise as seen from the Norristown Farm Park. It's similar to the other two I already posted but a bit of a closer look.

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Here is the EXIF data.

And here is Yesterday's View...

Thursday January 25, 2018

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Welcome To The "Throwback Thursday" View

Today's throwback takes us to to one of my very first posts. In fact it is my fourth post and was published on April 28, 2014. In those early days I wasn't doing a daily photo. My posts were larger but seemed to be few and far between at times. Looking back I really like them and every once in a while I think about going back to maybe once a week. But I just can't do it. I have been daily now for so long. And though it is tough some days I still love it. So I will continue with my more brief but daily offerings. However I do have some projects that I am working on. I have lots more cameras from my collection to review for one. And I have other stuff I will be sharing soon. But for now please enjoy this "vintage" post. And please Click Here to view it in it's entirety.

George Washington Slept Here...

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Here is Yesterday's View...

Wednesday January 24, 2018

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Welcome To The Wednesday View

On Sunday we had a lot of birds visit the Cafe and they all ate well. But you know that our squirrels got their fair share too. Here is one very industrious fellow grabbing a snack at one of our feeders.

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Here is the EXIF data.

And here is Yesterday's View...

Tuesday January 23, 2018

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Welcome To The Tuesday View

Today I share with you another view of Sunday's sunrise. This time the Sun has risen higher over the horizon. I am so happy I was able to catch it in the form of an orange ball. And check out the geese flying across the sky. I really like this scene.

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Here is the EXIF data.

And here is Yesterday's View...

Monday January 22, 2018

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Welcome to The Monday View

Where did the weekend go? It seems like it only lasted a few hours. But I'm sure father time will make up for it by making the work week drag along. Truly though I can't complain. I have a decent job and I have the weekends off. And I used this past weekend to do some shooting. Well Sunday at least. It started yesterday morning with a beautiful sunrise in the park and led to setting up in the Cafe and photographing our guests. We had lots of guests too. And for today's photo I share this picture of some of our feathered friends having a bite at one of our feeders. If you look closely you will see a bright red cardinal hidden behind some branches as a couple house finches sit on the feeder.

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See that? Birds feeders aren't just for feeding squirrels😉
 
Here is the EXIF data.

 And here is Yesterday's View...

Sunday January 21, 2018

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Welcome To The Sunday View

What a beautiful weekend he have had. It was warm (still is) and there is no trace of the snow we had last week. Except for a lot of mud and wet grass.

I was up early today as usual and decided to head over to the park across the way and try to catch the sunrise. I am pleased to say that the sky was clear and I had a great view. Here is one of many photos I shot.

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Almost like being at the shore isn't it? Instead of ocean water though there is a huge field. And some trees. But otherwise...

Here is the EXIF data.

And here is Yesterday's View...

Saturday January 20, 2018

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Welcome To The Saturday View

The weather was very kind to us today and it seems everyone was out and about. And the Cafe was no exception. We had the regular crowd of bluejays, cardinals and squirrels. But we also had another visitor. There is a cat that comes around every now and then. And he was around today. I looked out our kitchen window and saw him stalking from a distance. I opened our back door and as soon as I did he took off and we didn't see him for the rest of the day. So it seems all of our diners are safe.

Most of our birds and squirrels were not to be seen while the cat was around. But one squirrel stayed behind and made a chattering sound that I believe was to warn of the intruder. For today's photo I am sharing a shot I made from our deck while he was safely sitting at the top of our weeping willow tree.

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Here is the EXIF data.

And here is a short video of our sentry squirrel.

And here is Yesterday's View...

Friday January 19, 2018

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Welcome To The Friday View

For today's photo I am sharing one more snapshot from the early morning snow we received a few days ago. This was shot well before sunrise so it was pretty dark. But the snow and what light there was illuminated things a bit. And I did use my camera phone's flash.

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This scene should look familiar from my recent camera reviews. In just a short time we will be sitting out there enjoying a nice campfire. Right now though it's a little too cold for my taste.

Here's Yesterday's View...

Thursday January 18, 2018

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Welcome To The "Throwback Thursday" View

For today's throwback I am only taking a short trip to January 18th of last year. We moved into our house just over a year ago and the backyard scenery has been spectacular. In fact the yard is a very big part of why I wanted to buy this house. So on that note I am sharing with you this cool action shot made right in our own backyard.

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I remember when I first set out to form the new "Cafe" and how amazed I was (and still am) at the number of birds and squirrels that also call this home. I truly feel blessed.

Be sure to Click Here for the complete post.

Here is Yesterday's View...

Wednesday January 17, 2018

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Welcome to The Wednesday View

We got a little snow today. Not like the last storm and certainly nothing that will hang around. But it was enough to make driving a little slick this morning. By the weekend though it will be all gone. That's the kind of winter we are having. It sure could be worse.

This morning as I was checking the Cafe feeders before work I snapped a few shots with my phone. And for today's photo I am sharing this one wit you.

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Here is Yesterday's View...

Tuesday January 16, 2018

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Welcome To The Tuesday View

For today's photo I am sharing another snapshot from Saturday's trip to the zoo. This time we see a barn owl. In a barn. Well okay not a proper barn but he doesn't seem to mind.

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As vocal as he was that day I was not able to get any good video. Every time I tried he would stop "talking". I think he knew what he was doing.

Here is Yesterday's View...

Monday January 15, 2018

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Welcome To The Monday View

Yesterday I shared another one of my thrift store cameras with you and in the samples I mentioned that I shot off a few frames while at the zoo. I also mentioned that they didn't come out so good. Today I would like to share a much better photo from our trip. And though it is a snapshot made with my camera phone it shows how far technology has improved in a relatively short amount of time.

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Straight out of my camera is everyone's favorite 300 lb rodent. A capybara. These guys were smart enough to stay inside on what was a rather chilly day.

Here is Yesterday's View...

Sunday January 14, 2018

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Welcome To The Sunday View

Today I would like to share another camera (non)review. And this time we are stepping back into somewhere around 2003. I say around because I am so far unable to find an exact year. And that's probably because of the camera make. Have you ever heard of a "Sealife' branded camera? Yeah, me neither. But it was another one of my thrift store finds and cost me about $2.00 so what the hey. I bought it a little over a year ago and this is the first time I took it for a test drive. So let's go.

I present the Sealife ReefMaster DC250 digital camera. This odd ball packs a whopping 2.1 Megapixels and to date is the oldest digital I have tested.

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From the little research I was able to do I discovered this to be an underwater camera. Hence the name Sealife ReefMaster. But it is also intended to be used as a regular camera. It would seem though that when I purchased it the water proof housing was long gone. Here is a clip about the camera from the manufacturer I was able to find.

The new SeaLife ReefMaster DC250 Digital Camera is the world's first dedicated underwater digital camera. It's rated to 200 feet and can be set to three different exposure programs: Land, Sea & Sea w/ external flash mode. The ‘one-button' operation makes it easy to use underwater, just aim and shoot. With virtually no shutter lag, the ReefMaster Digital allows users to capture even the most illusive marine life instantly.
The large 1.8 inch LCD makes aiming easy, the rubber armored Easy-Dive System fits just right in your hands. The instant review and delete function practically guarantees great pictures on the spot. With 8MB on board memory, three resolution levels, TTL exposure control, the ReefMaster Digital makes the same clear, crisp images on land as it does at sea.
Get long two-hour battery life when using SeaLife 2100 mAh rechargeable NiMH batteries. The DC250 can also be expanded with all SeaLife accessories; macro kit, external flash and wide angle lens. The perfect gift for the warm-water tropical vacationer in your family!
SeaLife has customized the camera's firmware to compensate for the difficult light conditions that naturally occur as divers plunge deep below the water's surface.
Sea Mode: In the "Sea" mode, the shutter speed and aperture adjustments also help compensate for the low lighting conditions common in underwater photography. Setting the camera to the "Sea" mode will allow divers and snorkelers to produce exceptional digital images of the fish, coral and shipwreck artifacts they discover during their underwater forays.
External Flash Mode: The on-camera flash helps illuminate objects well below the surface, but for photographers who wish to produce more professional results, the ReefMaster Digital is compatible with SeaLife's External Flash unit. No sync cord necessary, because the External Flash is a slave unit activated via the on-cameras flash. To prevent early activation, users set the camera to the "External Flash" mode, which de-activates the digital pre-flash.
Land Mode: For underwater photographers who also enjoy making digital photography of on-land subjects, the ReefMaster Digital offers a separate operation mode for just that purpose. Simply remove the camera from the Easy-Dive System and set it to "Land" mode. This setting allows the ReefMaster Digital to function as a traditional digital camera.
Accessories included with the ReefMaster Digital DC250 Camera are:

• CD with MGI Photo Suite III and PhotoVista Software
• USB cable
• Video cable
• Care Kit with anti-fog desiccant cartridges
• Full color Quick Guide
• Soft case for inner camera  

Here are some of the images I made today with the DC250.

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The first four images are pretty much the same as those in my previous reviews. The last one is from a quick trip we made to the zoo today. I shot more at the zoo but this is the only "decent" one I came up with.

My take on the DC250? Let me put it this way. There is a saying that the best camera is the one you have with you. Well let's hope this isn't the one. To be fair I suppose it was pretty good in it's day. But today you will get better results with literally any modern camera you can buy. The sample pictures say it all. But it's better than nothing.

And now, here is Yesterday's View...

Saturday January 13, 2018

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

Until next time...