Throwback Thursday View - 25 October 2018 Edition

Welcome To The Exploration Photography Daily View

Today's throwback takes us back to October 25, 2014 along the Betzwood Trail in Valley Forge National Park. This is one of my favorite places to walk and shoot being that it is usually very quiet and is quite scenic. Please be sure to Click Here to see my original post.

Click For full Size Image

Here is Yesterday's View.

Wednesday October 24, 2018

That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Monday View - 6 August 2018 Edition

Welcome To The Exploration Photography Daily View

Today I am staying with the bug/insect theme except this time we take another look at the Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve. Like I said before we really didn't stay too long because we didn't have bug repellent, but I did make the best of the time we were there. When I was shooting what would become today's photo I was only trying to capture the flower. Then this guy decided to stop by. I'm glad I wasn't too close because he doesn't look like he's too fond of human interaction.

Click For Full Size Image

Here is the EXIF data.

And here is Yesterday's View.

Sunday August 5, 2018

And I have one more thing to share with you today.

When leaving for work this morning I saw something weird going on. I took a closer look and saw this. It seems that a slug is giving birth to another slug. The video I am sharing stops before the event was over but you will certainly get the idea.

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

Until next time...

Welcome To The Daily View

For today's photo I am sharing another trail shot from last Saturday morning at the Norristown Farm Park. This was just before sunrise.

Click For Full Size Image

Technical Info

- Canon 80D
- Sigma DC 18-250mm Lens at 18mm
- Manual Control
- Aperture F13
- Shutter Speed 1/13 Second
- ISO (Film Speed) 400
- Center Weighted Average Metering

Post processing was done in Photoshop with the help of Google's NIK Collection of filters.

Here is the "Before" image.

Click For Full Size Image

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Wednesday February 1, 2017

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

Until next time...

Welcome To The Daily View

Today I am sharing another shot from my journey through the Norristown Farm Park yesterday morning. This time instead of a sunrise though we have a section of trail.

Click For Full Size Image

Just a bit of creepiness due to the low light from the early time of day. In reality though it's not creepy at all. In fact it is very pleasant with the sounds of nature all around.

Technical Info

- Canon 80D
- Sigma DC 18-250mm Lens at 18mm
- Manual Control
- Aperture F14
- Shutter Speed 1/10 Second
- Center Weighted Average Metering

Post processing was completed in Photoshop with a little bit of tweaking with Google's NIK Collection of filters.

Here is the "Before" image.

Click For Full Size Image

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Saturday January 28, 2017

And that wraps up another quick weekend my friends. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - October 15, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

How about this weather? Is it Autumn or is it Spring? Whichever I am not complaining. I got to spend some quality time out and about today with my camera. Kim and I of course had our regular errands to run but I did squeeze in about an hour to take a walk through Pawling's Farm at Valley Forge. I was hoping to capture some of the changing leaves but for the most part they are still green. I really think nature is just as confused as we are with the weather. But I did get some nice shots and today I would like to share this one with you.

I was on my way to visit the "Witness Tree" that I have shared in some previous posts and I saw these shadows and just had to shoot them. I am so glad that I did. Sometimes the journey is as good as the destination.

On another note I would like to let you know about an issue I have had in the Cafe. Three times in the last six weeks or so I have had a finch get stuck in one of my bird feeders. What happened is when the feeder emptied a bird would try to get that last seed and their head got stuck under the wall. I am happy to say though that all three times we were able to free the bird. Seemingly unharmed. For that I am very thankful. But as the saying goes, three strikes and you're out! The feeder that is. As soon as the last stuck bird was freed today I threw that thing right into the trash. Here is a picture of the offending feeder.

I very quickly replaced it and will be sharing the new one with you tomorrow. It is much safer for the birds and they should not get stuck. And as a positive side effect for the squirrels it is much easier for them to access. 

I hope the lesson I learned from all of this can serve to warn any of you birders out there to make sure the very feeder you put out to help our feathered friends doesn't backfire and harm them. I know I will be very careful going forward.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Friday October 14, 2016

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - May 21, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

We had yet another rainy day here but in our journeys today I did mange to stop off at Betzwood Park near Valley Forge and snap off some frames. When we got there there was a lot of geese in the parking lot and the the surrounding area. I did my best to photograph some of them but they seemed rather annoyed by me and my camera. In fact they downright took off on foot right into the river. Here is a shot of a couple of them.

And here is a video of me following them as they went for a swim.

I bet if I had food for them it would have been a different story. Next time I guess. What do geese at anyway?

And now...

Yesterday's View...

 Friday May 20,2016 

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View And Weekly Roundup - December 12, 2015

Hi and welcome to the Daily View and Weekly Roundup!

Yesterday's post was kind of rushed and I also did not get the Weekly Roundup out due to time constraints. After I got home from work I had to rush and get changed to drive into the city for dinner and a show that Kim booked for the two of us. We saw a live stage production called "Baskerville" at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on South Broad Street in the Philadelphia theater district. It is comedic take of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mystery "The Hound of the Baskervilles". While I cannot go into any depth of the show in this post I will say that it was very well done and the comedy side is not over the top and well executed. I can recommend this show to Sherlock Holmes fans of any age.

So while in the city we experienced one of the unfortunate side effects of driving in Philadelphia. Traffic! But I tried to make the best of it and shot a photo or two including the one I am sharing with you today. This is City Hall while driving North on Broad Street.

This was shot with my phone so it's not the highest of quality but I like how it came out.

And now for the Weekly Roundup (a day late). Click on the links below in case you missed a day or just want an easy way to take a second look or perhaps share with someone who may be interested.

Saturday December 5, 2015

Sunday December 6, 2015

Monday December 7, 2015

 Tuesday December 8, 2015

Wednesday December 9, 2015

Thursday December 10, 2015

Friday December 11, 2015

And that will do it for another week my friends. As always I would like to thank you for stopping by and checking out my photos. I hope to see you again real soon!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - December 9, 2015

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

Continuing with photos of Sunday morning on the river trail I would like to share this view with you.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - September 4, 2015

Hi and welcome to the Friday edition of the Daily View!

In wrapping up last weeks adventures I would like to share one more shot from the Schuylkill River Trail in Valley Forge. This is one of the pedestrian bridges as seen from the river.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - June 21, 2015

Welcome to the Exploration Photography Daily View and welcome to Summer! And boy it sure does feel like Summer around here. It is now 7:40 PM as I write this and it is currently 88° F outside. It was even hotter a couple hours ago when Kim and I were in our little backyard pool. And speaking of the pool look who joined us today.

We bought our dog Schnitzel a little inflatable pool and are getting him used to floating in our pool with us. He didn't know what to make of it at first but over time he did a lot better. And naturally we were very close by in case he jumped out.

Aside from taking an afternoon dip it was a very busy day. I was up and out early to do some photographing at Valley Forge and later Kim and I visited our local zoo. Hey, Summer only lasts so long and I try to make the most of it. No sleeping in here! During my early morning journey I made a few videos. Today I would like to share one. Now this one is a little different. At least for me. When  I make a video I am always silent. Usually because I am trying to share what I am experiencing. But there is also a bit of stage freight I suppose. Well for better or worse you get to here a little narrative as I show you the Valley Forge "Witness tree".


Valley Forge Witness Tree <<< Click Here


I hope that wasn't too bad :) Oh, and if you would like to learn more about the Witness Tree check out my post from last year at this link.

Thanks for stopping by my friends!

Until next time...

December 10, 2014 - Photo of The Day

Hi again. Its December 10th and we are now into double digits. We are also only 15 days away from Christmas. Where did the year go? And how about this weather? If you are in the northeast you know what I'm talking about. Blustery wind and dipping temperatures prove that Old Man Winter is here to stay. At least for a little while.

Speaking of cold windy days, the other day I took a drive over the Valley Forge to shoot some photos and I sure underestimated how cold it was. I was out of my car for about five minutes when I realized I could barley feel my hands and my face was freezing from the wind. But that didn't stop me from sticking with it for a bit and today I would like to share this with you.

 

Not a leaf left. At least not on the trees. I must say though that I love to photograph trees in the Fall and Winter. I get to see the limbs and branches that are hidden all Summer. Some of them are really cool looking. Though I still prefer the warm Spring and Summer months.

What is your favorite time of year? Do you like extremes like Winter and Summer or do you prefer the more moderate Spring and Fall months?

Thanks for reading. And if you would like more please check out the Facebook Group here. Of course you are always welcome to leave a message. I would love to hear from you.

Until next time...

December 6, 2014 - Photo of The Day

Yesterday I was off from work and I took the opportunity to run some errands and get some stuff done that I would normally do on the weekend. While out and about I stopped by our local township building which also houses the town library. Also on the same grounds is a really nice man made lake and a great walking trail. Today I would like to share a panorama I shot of the lake.

I created this photo with five exposures that were merged in Photoshop. I had a tough time straightening it out and making the perspective correct but I think it came out okay.

I rarely get over there to the township grounds to enjoy this wonderful space that is right in my backyard. But I think there will more trips there.

Thanks as always for stopping by and please come back soon.

Until next time...

September 22, 2014 - Photo of The Day

When I go out on a photo shoot I usually have a specific subject in mind. In fact just a few weeks ago I went to Valley Forge and spent an hour or more photographing one tree. But that doesn't mean I stay completely on topic. How boring would that be? Sometimes the trip is just as scenic as the main subject.

Yesterday as many of you know I went to Pawling's Farm in Valley Forge Park to get some shots of "The Witness Tree". On my walk along the trail to get to it I shot this.

So quiet. So peaceful. So serene. And that about sums it up :)

Until next time...

September 21, 2014 - Photo Of The Day

Early this morning I drove out to Pawlings Farm, part of Valley Forge National Park, to visit the "Witness Tree" that I have previously written about. i wanted to photograph it in better light than I did last time. My first time there was on a Saturday at about 11 in the morning. It was a very bright sunny day. There is nothing wrong with that unless of course you want to shoot photos outdoors. But early in the morning and cloudy like it was today is a great time. I did get many shots and I will share them in a future post but for today I would like to show you this.

Seems like a great place to hang out if you happen to be a bird. I'm not really sure what this building used to be. It seems way too big to be a barn. Maybe some kind of a mill or factory? Anyhow I am a sucker for birds and give me birds on a 150+ year old abandoned building and I will pull out the camera!

Since I am not sharing any of the tree photos today let me share this with you. A short video I made walking on a back trail to see it.

Thanks for stopping by. If you haven't had the chance please check out a larger post I made earlier. You can find it here. I also have a couple of things I am working on to compliment this blog that I think some of you will like. Please be sure to check back soon :)

Until next time...

September 20, 2014 - Photo Of The Day

The weather today was picture perfect! Autumn is definitely taking hold but the temperatures are still warm enough for shorts. What a great time for all those outdoor activities that may have been put off because it has been too hot.

Today Kim and I made another trip down to Kennett Square to visit Longwood Gardens. I know it seems like we go there a lot and it is because we do. I just love it there. Not just for the photographic opportunities but because it is so peaceful and serene. Very, very relaxing. 

On this trip we concentrated n the Meadow Garden. We visited there early in the season when it first opened and it was beautiful but wow! What a difference! The meadow is now full of wildflowers and tall grass. The paths are very well defined and maintained and it is just a nice pleasant atmosphere. A lot of walking but being mostly grass trails it is easy on the feet at the same time.

At the entrance there is a large pond. it is very mossy and is loaded with turtles, frogs and all kinds of small fish and tadpoles. They are not always easy to see however because of their camouflage. Today I was lucky enough to have one of the garden employees point out a couple of frogs. For today's photo I would like to show one to you.

I would also like to give you an idea of the environment these frogs live in.

On another note I would like to point out a couple additions to my blog. On the sidebar I added a "Contact Me" section that you can use to send me a message if you like. I also added a couple of links to the photo sharing sites I use. There you will find a lot more images than you see here on the blog. Please check them out.

Thanks as always for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon!

Until next time...

A Summer Morning At Jenkins Arboretum

Hey there! It's been a few weeks or so since my last post so let's get right into it. Sound good? Okay then let's go! 

The weather has been cool here for a few days. Very unusual for August. I'm not complaining but I sure hope this isn't a sign of another cold Winter.

Anyhow, taking advantage of the cooler air and low humidity I got up and took a drive over to Jenkin's Arboretum. It made for a nice comfortable walk around the grounds. And to make things even better I was the only one there. Not another person in sight. Nice! This all added up to a great opportunity to photograph. Today I would like to share some of my work with you.

For today's trip I tried to concentrate on the small stuff. Instead of shooting everything from landscape to flowers to birds I just walked through the trails looking at the things I may have passed by any other day. I Don't know how well that went but here are the results. I hope you enjoy some of these.

Jenkin's Arboretum is one of my favorite local places to relax and photograph. It's beautiful and very peaceful. It's also free! They do however have optional memberships and I plan on joining to do my part in supporting such a wonderful place. If you are in the area I highly recommend you check it out. You won't be sorry. Click here for the website.

And since you are checking out other websites please take a look at my Flickr page and my 500px page. Here you will see the photos you see here plus many more. I hope you enjoy them.

Until next time...