Thank you.

Tink, my lovely bride, thanks you, too.

Here's another from the same trip.

HDR part one of two
 

A pair of pairs from the back yard in Hawaii. These were hand held hand bracketed and hand aligned.

pic 01 -- dark

pic 02 -- light

HDR part two of two
 

pic 01 -- overlaid

pic 01 -- cropped and amped. It really was a more beautiful sunrise than the pictures communicate.

I really like the final product Bigv. Nice work :D

V you blow me away as always. Loved the Hopperesque Starbucks too.

Flint I loved that vista.
It reminds me, as do Merc's pictures, that America is very much a foreign country. You live in a totally different way to us, and I must remember that before trying to apply my values to discussions.

Thanks Sunday, I love to visit your country. It is quite beautiful in it's own right.

Thanks. I wish I lived like that. That's my dad's cabin, out on our land. We used to lease it to hunter's but now it's his temporary staging area for eventually retiring and moving back down there. I'd love to live out there, but wages are lower and utilities are much higher (since de-regulation).

I recently did a photo shoot with a meet-up group. We started at the Union Station in Kansas City and walked to various areas near it. I had several shots that Elspode particularly liked and wanted to me to post them. So here are a few.

Okay no photos attached for some reason will try again

and again

A few more picked by Elspode

Cool, thank you. :thumb:

I love women with red hair.

Great pics by the way.

Two Thumbs Up. :D

a series worked on by the two of us

yer view and Splodes View ??

more fun

Us "fucking with the picture" until we both liked how it looked lol.

Curious Cub
 

On a recent visit to our home in the Smoky Mountains, there was a momma bear with three cubs under our deck. The deck is about 40 feet off of the ground. This cub climbed one of the log polls holding the deck up, and wanted to pay us a visit. Momma down below didn't see to be too upset that her baby was withing arms reach of us. She was content to stay on the ground keeping a close eye on her curious cub.

Whoa! That is really cool! Was it raining hard enough to soak that cub? An arm's length away? Wow, just wow.

More Tink!

pic 01 -- Before

pic 02 -- After

More fish and more flowers...

please tell me you have a program that does that. that is really cool, but i can't imagine sitting there and doing that manually.

hahahahahha!!!! You merely suffer from a lack of imagination.

Yes, I do have a program that does this. If you have an internet connection, you could have it too. AndreaMosaic.

I'm still learning with the program, as I am learning with all my photographical hobby doodads. I'm happy to share this one with you all. For example, I can see my finished products are not the same size. Rookie mistake. I'll fix it as I learn more about it.

Do you like them? I thought they were very cool.

i meant to put "good work" in there earlier but the stupids got me.

Caught a double rainbow about an hour ago. It's just a snapshot, and doesn't do the rainbow justice, but there you go.

I missed this before. I love it.

jinx took it, i shopped it

#147 is beautiful.

Is that lumberjim?

Thanks Merc. It's my nephew. Here's his partner is crime...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3033/...86853846_b.jpg

That is so cute! man you could put some funny captions with that pic.

"Well isn't that special."

Went hiking at Bull Run Mountain with my daughter yesterday. Saw my first wild box turtle. He had retreated into his shell before I spotted him. I was tempted to pick him up and check him out, but decided not to bug him beyond taking a picture or two.

Looks lie a tie-dyed WWII German helmet!

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing that one.

Thanks! PM me if you want a hi res version.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL162.../328490843.jpg


http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL162.../328489106.jpg

This bandstand is located in Eldorado Springs, Missouri. It is in the town square, and the park in which it is located surrounds the eponymous springs. The gazebo is made up of native stone and also some clearly non-native rocks and crystals. It is a fascinating thing to look at up close.

Here's a couple of closeups showing a very small number of interesting inclusions.

great shots Jinx! I knew you took pictures but didn't know how good you were. You are either perfecting your craft or have kept it hidden :)

...and a couple more. One shows a very iron rich stone of some sort, the other one of many examples of petrified wood that are included in the structure. These in particular did *not* come from around here.

The bandstand was built in the early 30's, I believe.

A great use of some very awesome rock formations.

It would be interesting to find out the story behind those inclusions. Stuff the masons had collected over the years? Contributions from the community? Planned acquisitions? :confused:

There's a couple of historical markers in that park, one dealing with the founders of the town (and the men who gave the land for the park), and one honoring the surveyors who have surveyed this country over the years, an inordinate number of whom came from Eldorado Springs for some reason.

Nary a word on the history of the bandstand, which, to my thinking, would have been far more interesting.

Built in the early 30s? Then there is a few left that might remember the story behind it, but you'd have to find them fast.

I actually found a history of the town online, but they just go on about the town band, which has been in continuous existence for over 100 years, now. They mention the bandstand being built, and that it was the third of its kind, and built in 1938...but nary a word about how unique it is.

From my camping/skiing trip to Dale Hollow in Tennessee.

Some of the skiing part ...the boys did all the skiing.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...hreeAmigos.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s.../Passersby.jpg

And they did a lot of this too...at least the scenery was really nice.
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...Scenically.jpg

I actually woke up early enough one morning to take sunrise pictures.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...er/Sunrise.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...eflections.jpg

Horses at my gf's mom's place near Butler, PA

Proud enough to display it wherever I go.
I've had it up for a few months now, and I've had quite a few people on the highway give me dirty looks, like they're wondering why I have that up instead of the US flag. And a few in parking lots asking me if I'm actually English. I usually smile and say 'close enough'....:D

Next time berate them on not knowing the difference between the Union Jack and the Cross of St George - that'll larn 'em.

Hehe! You know, I wanted to get that flag initally, but I couldn't find one around here. Well, find one without paying an arm and a leg, anyways. :neutral:

I've been quite busy taking pictures this summer. Wish I could find a way to make a living at it. Here are some shots from Canada, Mexico and a butterfly festival here in MO. The cute little one is my niece who went with me to the falls.

two more

Two at Powell Gardens

Nice. Making money from your photography would be cool, but just be happy you have the chance to travel. :thumb:

Tree Fae - great pics! Are you using a colour-enhance function on your camera? That butterfly (and the flowers near it) are soooo vivid! Is that natural?