Welcome To The Friday View

How's the weather in your part of the world? Around here it's been very cold and very windy. On top of that we got about 6 inches or so of snow yesterday. I am so thankful for the snowblower Kim bought me for Christmas. It sure made cleaning up the driveway and sidewalks a lot easier than shoveling by hand.

We were let out of work during the height of the storm and driving was rather slow. I even saw a handful of cars stuck on the side of the road. But I made it okay. In fact as soon as I got home I had to go right back out for some groceries. At this point the roads were pretty much empty as was the supermarket.

For today's photo I am sharing a quick snapshot I made during my drive home from work. This is near Elmwood Park Zoo.

Click For Full Size Image

And now for Yesterday's View...

Thursday January 4, 2018

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

Until next time...

Welcome to The Sunday View

Happy New Year Eve my friends! Can you believe another year is about to draw to a close? It seems that the older I get the faster time flies by.

It sure is cold here today. Right now at just after 7 PM it is 10° F (-12° C). And I can only imagine it will get even colder. I suppose we are paying for the last two years when we had Spring like weather most of the Winter.

Last night Kim and I made our way out to Longwood Gardens to see "A Longwood Christmas". And even though it was quite bitter out I really enjoyed seeing it with snow on the ground. It really made it feel like Christmas. Of course I shot lots of photos. All of them snapshots. And today I would like to share a handful of them with you.

Click For Full Size Image

Click For Full Size Image

Click For Full Size Image

Click For Full Size Image

Click For Full Size Image

Click For Full Size Image

You can learn more about Longwood Gardens and "A Longwood Christmas" by Clicking Here.

Now, here is Yesterday's View...

Saturday December 30, 2017

And here is another video from the Cafe. It's the same view as yesterday's but with less snow and a much better view of our local wildlife (AKA Cafe guests). This is part 1. I will be sharing more with each post for the next few days.

And that will do it for today. And this year for that matter. I thank you all for your support and viewership. Each day I see more and more people visiting my blog and I truly appreciate it.

Thanks for stopping by and see you in the new year.

Until next time...

Welcome To The Saturday View

We got a little snow today my friends. Not too much but enough to do some light shoveling. Or in my case clearing the walkway with a leaf blower. It was very powdery and easy to move. But if I waited until tomorrow I think it would freeze and be a tad more difficult.

For today's photo I am sharing a snapshot I made this morning while we were heading out for breakfast. Actually I have two snapshots for you.

Click For full Size Image

Click For Full Size Image

And I have a cool video too. I shot this in the Cafe with my GoPro Hero 5. It starts with a female cardinal but if you skip forward a couple minutes another guest shows up. As always this is best viewed at Full Screen and in 1080p.

Here is Yesterday's View...

Friday December 29, 2017

And now I must go. But I'll be back real soon. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Welcome To Te Daily View

Hi folks. It's been a long work week and Kim and I are still settling into our new house. We got a lot done tonight but now it's getting late so this is going to be a quick one.

For today's photo I dug back into the archives and found this snapshot from Valley Forge after one of the few snow showers we have had so far this Winter.

Click For Full Size Image

This was shot with my phone and has had no editing. Therefore there is no real technical info to share. And of course no "Before" image.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Thursday January 19, 2017

And that will do it. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - December 21, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

In light of this being the first day of Winter I would like to share this somewhat (very somewhat) snowy view from Valley Forge last weekend.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Tuesday December 20, 2016

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - November 21, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

Yesterday I shared a photo that I thought may remind us of warmer times. Today I would like to share something a little different. And maybe it will remind us of the cold weather that is on the way. And very rapidly may I add?!

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Sunday November 20, 2016

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - February 15, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

Well it's a bit warmer today but ironically we are now getting some snow, sleet and freezing rain.  But it's another day closer to Spring right?!

Today I would like to share a rather frosty view of our rhododendron with you.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - February 11, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

Brrrr. It is COLD out there! Mother Nature sure is showing us it's still Winter. As I type this the temperature is about 21° F. But even with the frigid temperatures and the nasty wind the cafe was at full capacity today. We had tons of birds and even one lone squirrel that made his way out of his warm nest to grab a bite. So for today's photo I would like to share this with you.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - February 9, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

Well here we go. More snow! How much will we get? Your guess is as good as mine. But I am certain it won't be anywhere near the mess that was dumped on us a couple weeks ago. Compared to that 6 or 8 inches is nothing. Anyhow, for today's photo I would like to share this with you.

This is our rhododendron. The snow looks nice on it's leaves but I hope that's the extent of it. I know we've had a warm Winter but I still prefer the warmer days of Spring and Summer.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - February 8, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

I was going over some old photos today and came across some scans from some prints I made back in the '90s. If I were to try to pick an exact year I'd say they were made around 1998 give or take a year. I know this because they were shot with my Nikon Pronea S APS SLR film camera. This camera was produced between 1998 and 2000 and I bought one very early in production. It was a cool camera for the day and a good attempt at making the loading and unloading of film a bit easier for casual snap shooters but overall it just didn't catch on. Besides, digital was really taking off by this period in time and I suppose the rest is history. But enough history. How about today's photo?

This is Washington's Headquarters at Valley Forge. One of my favorite subjects. Not my best work but I like the composition. And I love the shadows. Oh and yes, I still own this camera :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - February 5, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

Once again I am getting this done late. I normally do my Weekly Roundup on Friday but it will probably be tomorrow instead. What I would like to share with you is a photo I shot in the Cafe this morning.

When I woke up and looked out the window it was raining. By the time I showered and dressed for work I looked out again and it was snowing. I think we got maybe a half an inch and it was no problem at all. In fact you wouldn't even know it snowed if you went outside now. But early today this is what the Cafe looked like.

And the customers were not deterred at all. When I got home this afternoon this was empty. Rain, snow or shine you gotta eat. Tomorrow I will fill it again and I'm sue they'll empty it again :) And that's fine by me.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - February 2, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

It's February second and that means it's Groundhog Day! And Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow so it means an early Spring for us. You know because this is science we're dealing with :) Okay maybe it's not science but it is a fun tradition. But how accurate is Phil? Well according to this article about 39% of the time. But I will gladly accept his prediction for an early Spring this year. Though we haven't had a bad Winter overall.

Today I am sharing another shot from my Valley Forge trip on Sunday. It's another scene that I have done many times but I really like how this came out. I think the snow is what makes it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - February 1, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

And welcome to February! Winter is just rolling along isn't it? Before you know it all of that snow will be a distant memory as we sit on the beach and hide under umbrellas to cool off. So I guess it's a good thing I shot a lot of frames while I was at Valley Forge yesterday huh? Let me share another with you today.

 

What photo shoot at Valley Forge would be complete without my favorite tree? It's a great subject for any season.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View And Weekly Roundup - January 29, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View and Weekly Roundup!

While filling the feeders in the freshly cleaned cafe this morning I saw one of our squirrels up in his tree enjoying a breakfast peanut and thought I'd share him with you today. In fact I think it's the same one from last night. Check him out.

Not the best shot I have ever made but I had to act fast. In fact by the time I shot this he already finished his peanut.

And now for the Weekly Roundup. Click any link below to take a second look at last weeks posts or maybe a first look if you missed a day.

 Saturday January 23, 2016

Sunday January 24, 2016

 Monday January 25, 2016

Tuesday January 26, 2016

Wednesday January 27, 2016

Thursday January 28, 2016

Before I go I would like to share a video I shot this morning. As always this is best viewed full screen at 1080P.

And that wraps up another week my friends. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - January 17, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

Yes Virginia that is snow!

Today for the second time this Winter we got a bit of snow. A very little bit and I am just fine with it. We basically have a light dusting with nothing sticking to the sidewalks or roads. So it's ornamental I guess? Of course you can probably guess the subject of today's photo. Snow!

I think our rhododendron looks good in white :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - December 26, 2015

Hi and welcome to the Daily View

Most of the photos I share here on my blog are shot using my Canon DSLR. It gives me a lot of choices in how I capture an image including changeable lenses, decent sized image sensor and a myriad of settings to make each frame my own. But sometimes it is not feasible to carry it and I must rely on something a bit more compact. In years past that would mean a point and shoot pocket camera. I still have a few (several) actually. But more and more I find myself replying on my phone. Until recently I was using a Motorola Droid Turbo. On paper and in fact even in practical use this was a pretty good option. But there was also a lot of bugs and just some downright annoying issues. So very recently I was able to move over to what is thought of by some to be the best phone/camera on the market in 2015. The Samsung Galaxy S6. And wow what a breath of fresh air! It's exactly what I have been looking for. Fast convenient quality. In fact some of my recent blog photos were shot using the GS6. I will be doing a full review in an upcoming post but for today let me share this with you.

My favorite tree with my new favorite addition to my photography arsenal.

Now to be fair this is not "straight out of the camera". As usual I did some mild post processing. Nothing major just the regular stuff that helps me convey the image in my head to your eyes. I will go into this a little more in my upcoming review but I would like to touch on one thing for now. 

I hear over and over from "professionals" that they set up the image in the camera and skip "Photoshopping" it. My answer to that is most Photographers do at least some post processing before sharing an image. There is nothing wrong with using Photoshop. After all I am trying to share it as I see it. So if you wonder if I use Photoshop, yes. Yes I do. And I do so unashamedly.

With that being said I would like to say that I truly appreciate you stopping by to check out some of my work. I hope you enjoy it and come back often.

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - November 21, 2015

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

Well it was inevitable but the weather has turned a bit colder and Mother Nature is reminding us that Winter is indeed on the way. So seeing as I didn't get out to shoot today I am sharing a photo that was taken when this past Summer was approaching. How's that sound?

This is from June 6th in Wildwood Crest when Kim and I were on a dolphin watching tour. See it as symbolic of the sunset of Summer/Autumn. But rest assured there will be a new beginning in just a few months. Okay maybe a bit longer but before you know it it'll be here :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

March 7, 2015 - Photo Of The Day

It's been a busy day here folks so this is going to be a quick one. I didn't really get a chance to shoot today so I am sharing one last snow picture from what I hope is the last storm of the season.

This was shot through my car window so there are a few noticeable spots. Kind of tough to keep it clean this time of year.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to move your clocks forward tonight. We may be losing an hour but it is a sign that Spring is on it's way and the days are getting longer.

Until next time...

March 5, 2015 - Photo of The Day

Snow! Boy did we get snow today. About nine inches here. That's about four or five inches above the predicted amount we were supposed to get. I just hope this is it for the season but who knows? So naturally you know what I am sharing with you today. Pictures of snow. So take a look and enjoy. At least as much as you can if you have been affected by the horrid white stuff.

Snow covered bud on our pear tree

Bird prints on our front steps

The drive to work

More of the drive to work

I also have a short video that I shot while at work today. It features of course...snow! Check it out below.

Snow! <<< Click Here


And there you have it. At least it's nice to look at. Thanks for stopping by folks and enjoy the rest of your day. And of course please stay safe if you have to go out in this.

Until next time...

February 28, 2015 - Photo Of The Day

Wow! February sure has gone by fast. March is almost upon us and we are just 19 days away from Spring. Kim and I did our usual shopping today and everywhere we went had displays of Summer goods. I love this time of year. Though it is still cold outside it's not as cold. And warmer weather really is finally on the way. We are expecting some freezing rain tomorrow but I don't think it will last too long. It's clear as can be right now and the Moon is shining bright. And that is what I am sharing with you today.

I have to say that I am very pleased with this shot. I am surprised too. You see the Moon was so high up in the sky that I had a hard time setting the camera up. It had to point almost straight up on the tripod. This made it difficult for me to look through the viewfinder and get a good focus. Then the remote shutter release gave me problems and I had to use the self timer instead. If everything is not perfectly steady the photo will be blurry. But somehow it all came out good and I got a pretty decent shot with good detail. Hey, if it too was easy it wouldn't be fun. Right?

As always I thank you for stopping by to read my little blog. I hope you come back often to see what I have to share. And if you like what you see please share it. The more the merrier!

Until next time...