Just a little abstract expressing my mindset these days…
February Feelings
Breaking Through
The sun broke through the fog at Whitewater Draw presenting us with an unforgettable scene. Behind us though, the cranes were still almost invisible in the early morning fog. Time for photographers to head to breakfast!
Foggy Morning at the Draw
Our second day of shooting started well before sunrise- in fact Lonnie and I did the half hour drive from Bisbee through the farmlands in complete darkness and then dense fog as we got closer. We were the first to arrive and sat in the car waiting for light and our fellow photographers to arrive. The cranes began to vocalize as the first rays of light appeared and soon were headed out to feed on the nearby farms. The dense fog made the cranes almost invisible, but this image is actually one of my favorites.
BIF
I have just returned from photographing sandhill cranes at Whitewater Draw in southern Arizona. Lonnie and I went with a group of people from my camera club- and this was my very first time seeing the cranes, as well as photographing birds in flight. It was an amazing, bucket list type adventure- such a wonderful escape from stress! I highly recommend taking a break from the news, soaking yourself in nature and just watching the birds. What does BIF mean? Birds in Flight of course!
Waiting. . .
After trying unsuccessfully to capture ducks in flight the other day, I went to my comfort zone- intentional camera movement. My patient husband took custody of my tripod and long lens while I waved my camera around and took photos.
It’s All a Blur
We returned yesterday from 10 days in Scottsdale where we brought in the New Year with our children and grandchildren. Almost all the time was spent in the pool and hot tub, and besides being a precious time to reconnect with our grandsons, it was a delightful break from the to-do’s of everyday life. All the images today were made with intentional camera movement and a slow shutter to reflect the relaxed days by the pool. Above are the lounges by the pool, and below are Papa and the boys watching football on the outside TV and grandson Miles playing ping pong. Ahhh the lazy, hazy days of January. . .
In Winter
Looking back to last winter- I hope to see some more of this white stuff in the coming weeks.
At the Square
It was soooo cold (with no snow), but that did not stop people from walking around Courthouse Square looking at the decorations. The trees and gazebo were all lit up creating a magical atmosphere for walking on this December night.
Blue Agave
I love blue, and after taking this multiple exposure of an agave, I was happy to see the blues come out as I played with it in Photoshop.
Home is where the heart is
Waterfront Impressions
Just a little memory of our April visit to Benicia. We lived in Benicia longer than anywhere else (26 years), and when you add in the 12 years of living in Sonoma County, that makes the San Francisco Bay Area our home for about 38 years! The older I get, the harder the math is getting: We have lived in Arizona 11 years. We lived in Sacramento for 6 years too (not quite the Bay Area, but not far away). Chico was home for 23 years (including my college years at Davis). Don’t add it all up- it makes a really big number! I wish my math was off…
the day after
I thought of calling this The Twilight of America, but I decided that was too pessimistic. Can I see this differently? The American people have spoken. I hope that the future is not as bleak as I see it right now, but right now I see the things I value- inclusion, educating our children to think, women’s rights over their bodies, respecting differences, taking care of the less fortunate, valuing science- being rejected.
About the image- It started with seeing the moon last night at sunset- and noticing red, white, and blue appearing in the image as I looked at it on my phone. A good omen, I wondered? This morning I overlaid a doorframe and the stars and a texture. And it expresses my mood. You can interpret it as you wish- negatively as in my first paragraph, or the moon as a symbol of what is constant in the universe, despite politics and politicians.
Happy Halloween!
Oh the things that you see while walking down Mount Vernon Street on Halloween!
Halloween Nightmare
BOO! These are just some of the characters populating our town right now!
Spooky Walk
One of my absolute favorite things about Prescott is Mt. Vernon Street decorated for Halloween! We walked along last night to view the spooky decor, which seemed to be much more elaborate this year. Above is one of my favorite houses and below is a somewhat spookier view of the same house.
Being a dog lover, I couldn’t resist this porch decor on one of the houses!
Visitor
We had a dusting of snow this morning- along with a busy flock of yellow-rumped warblers! The snow was melting away as I went outside with my camera, but the warblers still swarmed the feeders as I snapped photos. This little guy waited in the willow tree (along with a few friends) for awhile, then back to the feeder.
melinda anderson photography 