T & L Photos: Blog https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog en-us Timothy Price [email protected] (T & L Photos) Wed, 26 Oct 2022 22:16:00 GMT Wed, 26 Oct 2022 22:16:00 GMT https://photos.tandlphotos.com/img/s/v-12/u241939972-o976233838-50.jpg T & L Photos: Blog https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog 120 80 Last Post on Zenfolio https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/last-post-on-zenfolio Due to ongoing problems with uploading files and image processing on this site, I am moving all blog activities back to my WordPress site. All prior posts on this site will remain as they are with links from my WordPress site at www.offcenternoteven.com.

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art light lighting moving on photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/last-post-on-zenfolio Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:29:36 GMT
Walk, Run, Splash, Fly https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/walk-run-splash-fly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bosque cranes light lighting photography river sunset https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/walk-run-splash-fly Mon, 31 Dec 2018 03:44:33 GMT
A Walk in the Snow https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/a-walk-in-the-snow

Laurie

 

We got between two and three inches of snow Thursday night, with light snow flurries most of the day today. We went out for a walk in the bosque around noon. Besides the cranes yakking at us and each other, there was a calm silence as the light snowflakes swirled around us. There were no critters out in the snow besides the cranes, a few ducks in the ditch, and geese on the river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paparazzo standing in the mud along the river (photo by Laurie).

 

 

 

Spunk

 

Silver and Loki

 

Marble

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats cranes ducks geese Laurie light lighting moon Paparazzo photography rio grande Sandias snow Spunk https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/a-walk-in-the-snow Sat, 29 Dec 2018 00:08:14 GMT
We Wish You a Merry Catmas https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/we-wish-you-a-merry-catmas

Sasha pondering the paparazzo before getting involved in a swat at ornaments and tear up tinsel play session.

 

In the thirty-six and a half years that Laurie and I have been married, we have never had a traditional Christmas tree. In keeping with our tradition of non-traditional Christmas trees, I built the kitties a Catmas tree out of three large cottonwood branches that look like antlers once I bolted them together. Then I wrapped some rope between the branches and the ceiling, and loaded the Catmas tree with tinsel the kitties could tear up, and ornaments they could swat at, knock off, and then continue batting around like soccer balls after they bounced round on the floor. Sasha has found it most fun to swat the ornaments around until they fall off the tree, and tear up the tinsel. Marble also really likes playing with the ornaments and tinsel, but she also discovered her tail moves around with the ornaments, so she will try to get her tail by reaching under the platforms almost falling off the Catmas tree in the process. Loki, Silver and Spunk don't play much with the ornaments or tinsel, but the love to lie around on the platforms, especially in the wine box I screwed onto the highest platform. They wait in line for the wine box and sometimes fight over it like they do the kitty hammocks. Lola and Najar have shown little interest in the Catmas tree.

 

Spunk got worn out helping me build the Catmas tree. The branches are big and heavy, and it was a lot of work.

 

Silver, Sasha and Spunk helping decorate the Catmas tree.

 

Sasha trying out swatting an ornament while Spunk and Laurie watch.

 

Abstraction by Silver

 

Silver pondering an ornament

 

I finally got all the lights up. Sasha looks on from the chair, while Silver lounges in the wine box.

 

Marble and Loki watching Sasha swat at an ornament and tear up tinsel.

 

Marble looking under the ornaments at the silly paparazzo.

 

Sasha going for the tinsel

 

Caught the swat.

 

Sasha batting at an ornament

 

Loki pondering the meaning of Catmas.

Merry Catmas! From Spunk, Najar, Lola, Sasha, Sliver, Marble and Loki.

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art catmas catmas tree cats light lighting Loki Lola Marble Najar ornaments photography Sasha Silver Spunk tinsel wine box https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/we-wish-you-a-merry-catmas Tue, 25 Dec 2018 02:16:06 GMT
Cranes, Train & A Full Moon on Winter Solstice https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/cranes-train-a-full-moon-on-winter-solstice

Sunset on solstice at Beaver Point.

 

Crane Point at dusk a half mile north of Beaver Point.

 

A mile north of Beaver Point a lone crane stretches his wings in the afterglow reflecting off the river.

 

The full moon exposes a wolfman lurking in the clouds.

 

A train passing by flickers through the bare cottonwoods on the other side of the river.

 

The lone crane ponders the paparazzo on the bank.

 

The full moon exposes a dragon in the clouds.

 

Lights from traffic on I-25 through the bare cottonwoods on the other side of the river.

 

The full moon on solstice through the clouds.

 

Back at Beaver Point, the Sandias under muted moonlight.

 

Towers near the Balloon Park from Beaver Point.

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cottonwoods cranes full moon light lighting photography rio grande sandias traffic train winter solstice https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/cranes-train-a-full-moon-on-winter-solstice Sat, 22 Dec 2018 03:35:01 GMT
I Had A Dream https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/i-had-a-dream

Old chicken shed built around 1948. My dad and I lifted the roof on the north side in the 1970's so we could walk in the shed, and I put the corrugated fiberglass on the framework that holds the roof up to provide light.

 

Back in 2012 when we had the house I grew up in demolished (You can see the demolition here). I had the demolition team save the 17' x 13" x 8" beam that my dad had acquired from a church that burned down in the 1960's. I had a dream of putting that giant beam under the roof in the shed, and taking down 16 feet of the north wall so we could park two or three of our project cars in the shed.  I started my holiday leave this week, and decided to make the shed my first priority. Monday and Tuesday I cleaned a whole lot of junk out of the front part of the shed, took it to the dump, and then moved a lot of stuff we had on shelves along the north wall to the back of the shed. On Wednesday, I dug two 4 feet deep holes, 16 feet apart, cut telephone poles and put them in the holes for the uprights to hold the 17 feet long giant beam. Tristan and Craig came out today, we lifted the giant beam into place, secured it, and then we started to tear down the cinderblock wall to open up the 16 feet under the beam. Tristan and Craig had a lot of fun knocking down the cinderblocks with a sledge hammer. I need to get a masonry blade to make clean cuts in the cinderblocks next to the telephone poles so I can frame in the opening. Then I'll fill in the holes the telephone poles are in with concrete.

 

North wall with the two telephone poles in their holes.

 

The 17 feet long giant beam.

 

Giant beam in place, most of the north wall between the telephone poles down.

 

Inside looking out with the giant beam in place on the telephone poles, and most of the wall down between the telephone poles, exposing a few of our project cars.

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art beam cinderblocks demolition light lighting photography shed https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/i-had-a-dream Fri, 21 Dec 2018 02:19:54 GMT
Shrink Wrapped https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/shrink-wrapped

Spunk's though for the day: "Is shrink wrap as good as a tinfoil hat?"

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats light lighting photography shrink wrap Spunk https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/shrink-wrapped Tue, 18 Dec 2018 00:11:16 GMT
Fly Away https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/fly-away

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cranes fly light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/fly-away Fri, 14 Dec 2018 00:36:05 GMT
Fire & Phantasm https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/fire-phantasm

Corrales had a bonfire at the end of their Twinkle Light Parade on December 1st.

 

 

 

Walking home along Corrales Road, I liked how this wall and gate was lit up by headlights as cars drove by. I tried to time the exposure with the headlights to get maximum illumination before the car or truck came into the camera's view. I left the camera on aperture priority because I didn't want to mess with manual settings in the sub-freezing temperature. This first shot was a fail. Filename: 115B0118.CR2. Date Created: 12/1/18, 7:34:48 PM. ƒ/5.6, 0.5 sec, ISO 3200. Canon 17-40mm ƒ/4.0 lens @ 40mm.
 

In the second shot my timing was way off and the camera gave me a 1.6 second exposure. I held the camera as steady as possible as the truck drove by during the exposure. I noticed when I opened the file on the computer, I had caught a phantasm walking or floating on the other side of the road during the long exposure. Filename: 115B0119.CR2. Date Created: 12/1/18, 7:34:51 PM. ƒ/5.6, 1.6 sec, ISO 3200. Canon 17-40mm ƒ/4.0 lens @ 40mm.
 

 

I timed the third shot right and got the image I was trying for. I used ƒ/5.6 to get enough DOF for the cracks in the road to show up clearly. 115B0120.CR2. Date Created: 12/1/18, 7:35:03 PM. ƒ/5.6, 1/6 sec, ISO 3200. Canon 17-40mm ƒ/4.0 lens @ 40mm.

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bonfire corrales fire gate light lighting phantasm photography road wall https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/fire-phantasm Fri, 07 Dec 2018 22:51:07 GMT
First Snow on the 2nd https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/first-snow-on-the-2nd

A nice smile from the red VW Bug.

 

We got our first snow of the season early this morning. About an inch and a half of snow fell producing 0.16 inch of precipitation according to our rain gage. The kitties and I went out first thing this morning to play in the snow and do photos.


Black Bamboo bowing under the weight of the snow. Marble in the foreground.

 

 

The catio

 

Layers of snow covered dried grasses, black bamboo and trees at 7:02 AM.

 

Snow doesn't last long out here. Layers of dried grasses, black bamboo and trees at 9:48 AM.

 

 

 

Cornfield and Cranes

 

Cranes in the apple orchard

 

 

 

 

 

Mia's tree

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bamboo black bamboo bosque cats cranes grande light lighting Marble Mia's tree photography rio Sandhill Crranes sandias snow trees https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/12/first-snow-on-the-2nd Sun, 02 Dec 2018 23:35:22 GMT
Calf Butts Ass https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/calf-butts-ass

The Calves are back.

 

Who's that sticking his nose in our photo?

 

It's a little wise ass.

 

Get out of our photo.

 

Let me by Butthead!

 

Hey Toro Toro!

 

Toro Toro Toro!

 

¡Olé!

 

¿Qué pasa Asinus?

 

Stupid Toro!

 

Anything to eat around here?

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art ass burro calves cows donkey light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/calf-butts-ass Wed, 28 Nov 2018 01:37:18 GMT
Monochrome & Monobath https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/monochrome-monobath

 

Back in prehistoric times, I fondly remember when Kodak, Fujifilm, Ilford, etc. would announce a new film, I would discuss reviews on the soon to be released film with fellow photographers in anticipation of the film going on sale. Once the film became available, we would test it and discuss its qualities, such as, color depth, saturation, grain, contrast, details in highlights and shadows, tolerance for over and under exposure, etc. We all had our favorite films, and discussions over which film was best for a given situation could become quite animated.

Given these digital daze with all the talk about sensor sizes, megapixels and all the features packed into cameras and the ubiquitous devices that come with cameras, you might not think much of anything new is being developed on the prehistoric film front. While digital technology dealt a death blow to Kodachrome film and processing, and most photo labs around the world have long gone by the wayside, film, like vinyl records, has managed to avoid extinction. And, surprisingly enough, a few companies have taken some DNA from old film technology and produced new and exciting products. 

CineStill Film is one of those companies — you can read about CineStill Film at https://cinestillfilm.com/pages/about-cinestill-film. They first started by stabilizing high quality movie film so that it could be repackaged in 135mm film canisters and rolls of 120 film and developed with the standard C41 color negative process. They also repackage B&W movie film that can be processed with standard black and white developers. If you have ever developed B&W film, you are familiar with the multi-bath process with the solutions at 68ºF: 1) developer (6+ minutes), 2) stop bath (stinky 30 seconds), 3) rinse (optional to clear the stop batch), 4) fixer(10 minutes or so), 5) wash (15 minutes or longer) 6) hypo clearing agent (optional) and 7) hang to dry. 

CineStill Film has reduced the 5 to 7 step process for developing B&W film to 3 steps, and cut the time in half with their DF96 Monobath developer & fix single-step solution for B&W film. DF96 Monobath is an odorless solution that CineStill Film introduced in June of this year, but I didn’t get around to buying a liter until this month. 

I processed a test roll yesterday and scanned a few images from the negatives (I used a low resolution to save time so the scanned images are not super sharp). The first thing I found interesting about DF96 Monobath is that temperature controls normal development, push development (more density and grain) or pull development (less density). For example, normal development takes place between 70ºF and 80ºF. Temperatures over 82ºF will push the negatives, and temperatures under 68ºF will pull the negatives (DF96 Monobath has a ±2ºF temperature tolerance). I was also surprised that the temperatures for “normal” development are more in the range used to develop color film. Developing at 80ºF means I can develop film in the summertime when my darkroom is around 80ºF. Since I haven’t put an air-conditioner in my darkroom, I usually wait until winter to develop film when the darkroom is 68ºF.

I developed a roll of CineStill Film BwXX Double-x negative film that I shot at 200 ISO in daylight. Following the directions, I heated the DF96 Monobath to 80ºF and developed/fixed the film for 6 minutes while constantly agitating the developing tank. It only takes 3 minutes to develop and fix the film at 80ºF, but an additional 3 minutes of agitation is suggested for archival fixing. I washed the film for 5 minutes as directed, added a few drops of hypo clearing agent, and hung the strip of film to dry. The negatives came out well developed and well fixed (clean and clear of residue). More niceties about DF96 Monobath are 1) you don't have to dilute it with water — you use it straight out of the bottle. 2) You pour the solution back into the bottle each time you use it, and keep using the solution until it is exhausted. 3) A liter is supposed develop 16 or more rolls of film.


Contact sheet

 

Loki

 

Torch

 

Freeze dried rose

 

Silver

 

Black bamboo

 

DF96 Monobath replaces four tanks of solutions

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art b&w cinestill film developing film df96 monobath film light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/monochrome-monobath Sun, 25 Nov 2018 03:34:23 GMT
Thanksgiving Landscapes https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/thanksgiving-landscapes

Dawn on Thanksgiving

 

Thanksgiving Day was one of those rare days in the Albuquerque area when we had cloud cover and no sunshine all day. The clouds started clearing up as the sun went down providing some color in the western skies. The temperature stayed around 40º F throughout the day, and then quickly fell into the 30's after sunset. We took a walk in the bosque and along the river at the south end of Corrales in the late afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bosque clouds light lighting photography river sandias Thanksgiving https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/thanksgiving-landscapes Sat, 24 Nov 2018 01:51:41 GMT
Cranes Under Full Moon https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/cranes-under-full-moon

 

The "full" Full Moon doesn't happen until tomorrow, but the moon is 98.6% full tonight, which is close enough for cranes, rock & roll and my phone's battery. Tonight was the first night the cranes congregated at the area we call "The Beach" did not scatter and fly away when we emerged from the tamarisk. Instead, some of the cranes kept a close eye on us while others went about their business of poking around in the water and pecking at each other. A half mile north is what we call "Crane Point" because there are always 50 to a 100 or more cranes there by the late afternoon, and several more  fly in and land as the darkness closes in. The cranes at Crane Point have not flown away when we come scraping through the tamarisk for over a week now. We can stand on the bank in full view, talk to the cranes, and talk to each other, while I snap the shutter to capture whatever action or inaction that might be going on. I've included a sequence of three cranes coming in and landing at Crane Point in the dusk. They are extremely graceful as they fly in with their landing gear down, but a few feet above the water they put on their brakes and they go from graceful to looking more like three stooges coming in for touchdown. Some of the other cranes duck and watch, looking like they would palm their faces if they were able. After their awkward landings, the Cranes quickly regain the composure, and stand proudly in ankle deep water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bosque cranes full moon light lighting moon photography rio grande sandias https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/cranes-under-full-moon Thu, 22 Nov 2018 03:21:03 GMT
November Moon — Sliver to Half https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/november-moon-sliver-to-half

 

November moon eight evenings from the 9th through the 16th.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art light lighting moon photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/november-moon-sliver-to-half Sun, 18 Nov 2018 01:55:55 GMT
sPods https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/spods

 

Seedpods (sPods) from the trumpet vines hang down over the path to the front door. The path is rather long, and the sPods bang against my head as I walk to and fro, which is quite annoying; however, I leave the sPods hanging to bang against my head as I walk under them because now that it's cold outside they are drying up, splitting open, and the birds flit and frolic about in the tangle of vines and eat the seeds inside the pods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art birds finches light lighting photography seedpods trumpet vines https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/spods Sat, 17 Nov 2018 03:34:07 GMT
Once Upon A Wormhole https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/once-upon-a-wormhole

If you are familiar with relativity and/or paranormal phenomena, then you might know something about wormholes. Among the theories about wormholes, there has been speculation that wormholes could be used as shortcuts to cross through the time-space continuum, making short work of long journeys across the universe. Of course, attempting to slip through wormholes to make intergalactic jaunts could be fraught with danger — the wormhole might suddenly collapse, moving through high levels of radioactivity, encounters with exotic matter, colliding with aliens slipping the opposite direction through the same wormhole, wormhole insurance is not available, and there is no precedents for litigation against careless aliens speed slipping through wormholes.

While much of the speculation about wormholes has been about using them as shortcuts for space travel, I’ve long suspected that wormholes exist on a more local level, especially on our property, where I have dropped tools and eyeglasses, watched them fall and disappear before my eyes, never to be found again. I believe they fell into wormholes and slipped into another time out of my sight. Those tools and eyeglasses may very well be lying in the same space where they fell, but the time shift makes them impossible for me to find them in the present.

Since I do a lot of photography in vey low light, especially with the time change, I believe I got a photo of a wormhole while trying to photograph an owl in the the dark. And that brings up more questions — did the owl somehow initiate the wormhole? Do owls know how to travel through wormholes? 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art darkness exotic matter light lighting night paranormal photography relativity space-time continuum wormholes https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/once-upon-a-wormhole Tue, 13 Nov 2018 03:30:57 GMT
Quarter Moon on a Cloudy Night https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/quarter-moon-on-a-cloudy-night

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art clouds light lighting moon photography quarter moon https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/quarter-moon-on-a-cloudy-night Mon, 12 Nov 2018 02:59:17 GMT
Silly Silver https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/silly-silver

Silver is a silly kitty. He really gets the most out of hammocking. He also makes the best out of lying on the shelf waiting for a hammock to open up. You can see an animated gif of Silver hammocking at  https://photoofthedayetc.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/silly-silver/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats hammocking. light lighting photography silver https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/silly-silver Sat, 10 Nov 2018 23:35:59 GMT
Owl in Darkness Sliver Moon https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/owl-in-darkness-sliver-moon

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art darkness light lighting moon owl photography sliver moon https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/owl-in-darkness-sliver-moon Fri, 09 Nov 2018 02:25:57 GMT
Election Day https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/election-day

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art balloons elections light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/election-day Wed, 07 Nov 2018 00:08:21 GMT
Cranes Lindy Hop https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/cranes-lindy-hop

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cranes hop light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/cranes-lindy-hop Mon, 05 Nov 2018 01:29:00 GMT
Inside Looking Out, Outside Looking In https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/inside-looking-out-outside-looking-in  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art balloons light. lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/11/inside-looking-out-outside-looking-in Sat, 03 Nov 2018 02:03:13 GMT
Stormy https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/stormy

We had stormy weather that started last night, and we are supposed to have freezing temperatures tonight. We've had light frost most mornings for the past week, so the cottonwoods are turning from yellow to brown. If we get a hard frost tonight, most of the trees will turn brown over the next few days.

Zenfolio has been having various technical issues the past few weeks, which included an issue that made it so no one could comment for several days. It looks like the problem with comments has been solved, but issues remain which make posting problematic and irritating. 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bosque clouds cottonwoods light lighting photography rio grande sandias storms sunset https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/stormy Wed, 31 Oct 2018 23:53:51 GMT
Murals https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/murals

 

Murals along the Canal in the 19th Arrondissement, Paris, France.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) 19th Arrondissement art boat canal France light lighting murals Paris photography ship https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/murals Thu, 25 Oct 2018 23:30:58 GMT
Bells https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/bells

 

Bells in Notre Dame's southwest bell tower.

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bell tower bells light lighting Notre Dame photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/bells Thu, 25 Oct 2018 00:08:45 GMT
Lok & Lol Unplugged https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/lok-lol-unplugged Loki and Lola unplugged

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats light lighting loki lola photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/lok-lol-unplugged Wed, 24 Oct 2018 03:13:54 GMT
Flew Into A Burning Ring Of Fire https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/flew-into-a-burning-ring-of-fire

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art birds clouds cranes light lighting photography sandhill cranes sunset https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/flew-into-a-burning-ring-of-fire Tue, 23 Oct 2018 01:34:06 GMT
Bosque in Daylight https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/bosque-in-daylight

We went out for a walk in the bosque this afternoon. Today you can see the colors in daylight.

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bosque cottonwoods fall colors light lighting photography rio grande Sandias https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/bosque-in-daylight Mon, 22 Oct 2018 00:33:53 GMT
Lavender Edged https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/lavender-edged

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art flowers light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/lavender-edged Sun, 21 Oct 2018 02:35:51 GMT
Cloudy Night Cranes https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/cloudy-night-cranes ƒ/6.3, 1/30, ISO 6400

 

Low clouds blew through the sky at a fast pace last night, hugging the Sandias as they rolled over the crest. The cranes are still shy, especially in the looming darkness after sunset. They fly away as soon as I step out of the foliage onto the river.

 

ƒ/6.3, 1/30, ISO 6400
 

 

The Rio Grande is so low that a sad and lonely tumbleweed got stuck in the shallows unable to float downstream or roll with the current. 

ƒ/6.3, 1/125, ISO 1000
 

 

ƒ/4.0, 1/250, ISO 800
 

 

ƒ/4.0, 1/250, ISO 6400
 

 

ƒ/4.0, 1/250, ISO 6400
 

 

ƒ/4.0, 1/250, ISO 6400
 

 

ƒ/4.0, 1/250, ISO 6400
 

 

ƒ/4.0, 1/250, ISO 6400
 

 

ƒ/4.0, 1/250, ISO 6400
 

 

ƒ/4.0, 1/250, ISO 6400
 

 

ƒ/4.0, 1/250, ISO 6400
 

 

As darkness fell, a half moon peeked through the clouds from time to time.

ƒ/4.0, 1/320, ISO 1600
 

 

ƒ/4.0, 1/100, ISO 6400
 

 

The moon slipped out from behind the clouds and got stuck in a tree.

ƒ/4.0, 1/15, ISO 6400
 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bosque clouds cranes light lighting moon photography sandias tumbleweed https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/cloudy-night-cranes Sat, 20 Oct 2018 00:26:55 GMT
Like a Sasha out of Sheol https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/like-a-sasha-out-of-sheol

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats light lighting photography Sasha sheol https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/like-a-sasha-out-of-sheol Fri, 19 Oct 2018 01:58:38 GMT
Get Your Cranes In A Row https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/get-your-cranes-in-a-row

 

The cranes started flying over our house last week, but with the Balloon Fiesta, bad weather and getting home late, today was the first chance I had to get close to them. I got these shots shortly after sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art birds bosque cranes light lighting photography rio grande river sandhill cranes https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/get-your-cranes-in-a-row Thu, 18 Oct 2018 02:13:04 GMT
Living a Dream https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/living-a-dream

 

On Saturday, OC&NE correspondent Diana Duran got to fly in a balloon. Who is Diana? Diana is an intern architect, and architecture student working on her masters degree in architecture. Diana works for Cherry/See/Reames Architects (CSR), the architecture firm that shares space with ARC. Earlier in the year, Diana and Francelia, another intern architect at CSR, worked with me on a large security project for Albuquerque Public Schools. Diana mentioned that one of her dreams was to fly in a hot air balloon, so when I applied for media credentials for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta this year, I added her as a photographer with OC&NE. I supplied her with a camera and lens, and she did a fantastic job doing photos the various times she was at the balloon park during the fiesta. On Saturday she flew with Jeff Haliczer in his balloon named Synchronicity. Jeff also has a special shape balloon of Humpty Dumpty upside down named "Off The Wall". You can read Jeff's bio at: http://offthewallballoon.com/Jeffs%20Bio.html. Rob Kaplan was another media correspondent who flew with Diana on Saturday morning. Rob is a Video Editor at NBC Universal, and his work can be seen regularly on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.  The first 15 photos in this post are by me of Jeff and his crew setting up Synchronicity, and of Diana ready to fly and taking off.  Diana added a few words about her dream, followed by 46 of Diana's photos taken on the ground and in the air.

 

Diana in front of the flames.

 

Jeff and his co-pilot Bandit. Jeff says "Dog is my co-pilot"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taxying into position for takeoff.

 

Holding the basket while revving the burners.

 

Lift off!

 

 

 

 

Living a Dream
by Diana Duran

This weekend one of my dreams came true. It started around six years ago watching the news at my house in Colombia. I told everyone in the room that one day I was going to be there. Dad told me: Keep that dream with you in your heart, time and life will make it happen. Little did I know that I was going to be living in Albuquerque where precisely this event takes place. To me the most magical event I have seen in the world. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a work of art, engineering, and passion. 
 
This year, thanks to amazing people, I had the opportunity to enjoy a balloon ride. After many days trying to sort between weather, luck, and life between school and work, everything finally lined up on Saturday for me to have a beautiful experience.  Jeff Haliczer is the skilled pilot of his balloon named ”Synchronicity". The take-off was peaceful, and once in the air, he pointed out a couple of rules to follow inside the balloon. He proceeded to move towards the river where we did the famous "Splash-and-Dash" in the Rio Grande, and then followed the air currents for an hour and a half.  The views were surreal, however, the sky was covered in dense clouds that prevented the sun from doing its magic in the valley, but that gave us a fantastic view of the Sandias and all the other surrounding balloons. 
 
I doubt there is a comparable feeling to flying in a balloon. I will do it again and again. I will never forget this experience. 

 

Bandit supervising the set up

 

Jeff and Bandit

 

Jeff holding the flap open for me to stick my head in and do an interior shot of the balloon. Rob Kaplan is waiting his turn.

 

Diana's view from the inside of Synchronicity.

 

Final pre-flight preparation and consultation with Bandit and ground crew member.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the bosque on the east side of the Rio Grande.

 

 

Fourth Street and the railroad tracks.

 

Sandia Lakes Recreation Area on the Sandia Pueblo. The lakes are directly across from our property on the east side of the Rio Grande.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Splash and Dash in the Rio Grande.

 

This is a great aerial view of what we call "Beaver Point". Most of the photos I do of beaver in the Rio Grande are taken from this point. Most of the photos of the Sandias that I have posted over the years are taken from this point. The the photo of the super blood moon rising I did in 2015 was taken from this point. The Corrales Fire Department recently installed a 195.5 mile marker at Beaver Point. You can see it on the edge of the at the end of the trail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A great view of the Sandias.

 

Balloons starting to land in fields in Corrales.

 

 

 

Landing at the north end of Corrales.

 

 

 

 

Holding the balloon in place while it deflates.

 

 

Preparing the balloon to be put in its storage basket.

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) albuquerque international balloon fiesta art balloons Diana Duran Jeff Haliczer light lighting photography Rob Kaplan synchronicity balloon views from a balloon https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/living-a-dream Wed, 17 Oct 2018 02:41:08 GMT
Saturday at the Balloon Park was Kind of like the Forth of July https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/saturday-at-the-balloon-park-was-kind-of-like-the-forth-of-july

 

Today was the last day of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, and it got rained out; however, Saturday morning I was on the field early, and got out among the balloons while it was still dark. The glow from the burners, flames and laser light show were like the 4th of July on the ground surround by balloons. Clouds blanketing the top of the Sandias were magical just before sunrise. All the balloons launched on Saturday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art balloon fiesta balloon glow balloons laser light show light lighting photography sandias sunrise https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/saturday-at-the-balloon-park-was-kind-of-like-the-forth-of-july Mon, 15 Oct 2018 01:03:13 GMT
A Great Pumpkin Fest https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/a-great-pumpkin-fest

 

While there happens to be an extra million people in Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta, Wagner's Farms is having their annual Apple & Pumpkin Festival. There were lots of people lined up for hay rides to the orchard just north of our property to pick apples. In the field on Dixon Road, behind the farm store, they had a pumpkin patch. At the farm store they had lots and lots of pumpkins, hot dogs and hamburgers, red chile ristras, green chile roasting and a band named Severo y Grupo Fuego was playing.  Laurie and I walked up to the Festival, Laurie got a caramel apple, and then we listened to a few songs before walking back home.

 

On our way to Wagner's, we stopped to get a photo of Laurie with our cattle ramp. Not everyone owns their own heirloom cattle ramp.

 

People on there way to the orchard to pick apples.

 

 

 

The pumpkin patch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Chile Ristras

 

Roasting green chiles

 

 

 

Severo y Grupo Fuego

 

SEVERO MARTINEZ (lead vocals), ADRIAN MEDINA (keyboard) LENNY ROMERO (drums), CAMERON BOURG (bass) and ALBERT (ALBIE) TAFOYA (guitar)

 

SEVERO MARTINEZ

 

LENNY ROMERO

 

CAMERON BOURG

 

 

ALBERT (ALBIE) TAFOYA

 

Severo Grupo Fuego has a good sound. They played "La Cumbia Del Sapito" an old favorite of ours. Above is a video clip of them playing "La Cumbia Del Sapito".

 

"Un paso pa delante"

 

"y otro paraatras"

 

Bad parking starts with infancy.

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) apples art cattle ramp festival green chile hay rides light lighting photography pumpkins red chile ristras severo y grupo fuego tractors wagner's farm https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/a-great-pumpkin-fest Sun, 14 Oct 2018 01:04:49 GMT
Christ Rises Again https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/christ-rises-again The morning began with the earth shaking. Then...

 

Christ rose from the crowd.

 

 

 

 

 

While most of the regular balloons lifted off to compete in the day's ring toss and bean bag drop competition, many of the special shape balloons inflated but did not take off.

 

 

The cow balloon inflated.

 

Then they took it down and inflated a normal shaped cow balloon for the competition, I assume.

 

Rolling up the cow while the cow prepares for lift off.

 

 

This gangly green thing that spilled out into the road turned out to be a frog.

 

 

 

 

Doughboy, Frog, Pirate and Tom and Jerry.

 

 

A monumental Big Red Dog.

 

 

 

 

 

"Arizona, take off your rainbow shades" Mark Lindsay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The competition was to fly to the field or navigate back to the field and either toss a ring over a pole or drop a bean bag on an X.

 

The Albuquerque Police Department's horses were very popular.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) APD art balloons Christ Balloon cow balloon frog balloon horses light lighting photography ring toss special shapes balloons https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/christ-rises-again Sat, 13 Oct 2018 01:13:29 GMT
Balloons in TechColor & TunnelVision https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/balloons-in-techcolor-tunnelvision

 

Wednesday morning I borrowed an 8mm-15mm fisheye to super-wide-angle zoom lens from the Canon Tent. The weather was iffy, so when the green flag finally went up, giving the sign the balloonists could fly, it was after 8:00 am. The wind on the ground was brisk, so the balloons inflated by themselves or in small groups, then they took off as soon as the balloons were inflated, instead of inflating in large groups and lifting off in waves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

¡Adios muchachos, muchachas!

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta art balloons canon canon imaging fisheye lens light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/balloons-in-techcolor-tunnelvision Fri, 12 Oct 2018 00:49:41 GMT
MAID in the SHADE by Rosy the Riveter https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/maid-in-the-shade-by-rosy-the-riveter Maid in the Shade B-25J Bomber that was on display at the Double Eagle Airport on Albuquerque's Westside.

 

MAID in the SHADE is a B-25J is a twin engine medium bomber that was based out of Serraggia Airbase, Corsica from Nov 1 – Dec 31, 1944. She flew 13 bombing missions in Italy and 2 over Yugoslavia. B-25J Bombers where fast and used for low altitude strafe and skip bombing. It took 28 years to restore MAID in the SHADE, and all the people who worked on the original restoration have since died. One person involved with the bomber said they were particularly effective for sinking ships. The nose of the plane would be fitted with four 50 caliber machine guns. The bomber would fly just above the water under the target ship's fire, then the pilot would open fire with the four machine guns as he flew over the deck of the ship, and they would drop several small bombs with parachutes attached to slow the bombs hitting the ship to allow the bomber to get out of the way before the bombs exploded. He said they were 100% effective in sinking ships. You can read more about MAID in the SHADE and how she got her name at: https://www.azcaf.org/b-25j-maid-shade-got-name/.

The doors on the bomb bay are signed by various people who served in WWII. One signature is by Betty Hayes as "Rosy the Riveter". She worked in the plant in Kansas City, KS in 1942 according to an article about her and Maid in the Shade by Carole Ann McKelvey in the Montrose Daily Press News in 2016. You can read about Betty at: https://www.montrosepress.com/news/forget-about-rosie-montrose-has-it-s-own-betty-the/article_a3a03f68-74b2-11e6-afb9-030d9344559f.html.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The model for the nose art was selected from a contest. There is the right side of the plane.

 

Rosy the Riveter (1994 is when she signed the bomb bay door)

 

This is the left side of the plane, which is slightly different. Can you see the difference?

 

The left bomb bay door with all the signatures including Rosy's.

 

 

Right and left side nose art.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art B-25J bomber light lighting photography Rosy the Riveter https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/maid-in-the-shade-by-rosy-the-riveter Mon, 08 Oct 2018 00:40:40 GMT
Vincent https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/vincent

 

The wind was to strong for the balloons to fly today, so they just all inflated on the field. That allowed me to get the different faces of Vincent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All burners on for the National Anthem.

 

 

The owl balloon is from Great Britain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yoda and Señor Vader.

 

 

 

Canon is the official sponsor.

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art balloons burners light lighting owl balloon photography POW MIA Vincent Van Gogh Balloon https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/vincent Mon, 08 Oct 2018 00:28:08 GMT
Reflections from the 1st Day of the 47th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/reflections-from-the-1st-day-of-the-47th-albuquerque-international-balloon-fiesta The Rio Grande is very low, and reflective.

 

The 47th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta kicked off today with major traffic snarl starting in the wee hours of the morning. Our intention was get to the field by 5:30 am so we could get on the list for a balloon ride. However, it seemed all of Albuquerque wanted to get on the field this morning and the cars were backed up for two or three miles in every direction. I determined we were not going to get on the field before 6:00 am, let alone 7:00 am, before the balloons would launch. I managed to get out of the traffic jam, and took the long way around to get back home. We walked out on to the river, watched and photographed the balloons in the sky with a few touching down on the water and mudflats, while kayakers, canoers, and paddle boarders floated down the Rio Grande, often getting stuck in the shallow places along the way.

 

This is the first time I'd seen an owl balloon. I was hoping it would land in the river, but it flew over us to the west and disappeared behind the trees — typical owl behavior.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other people on the river told me I was occupied photographing other balloons when Van Gogh was facing us, so I only ended up getting him in profile.

 

 

 

 

Kitty balloon across from the paddlers.

 

The lead flotilla of the "Spanish Armada" of kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards that followed.

 

The armada heading our way.

 

 

 

They overtake the kitty balloon.

 

The kitty balloon buzzes the paddlers.

 

The last paddle boarder fell off his board and got swamped. He was still chasing after the board when he rounded a bend in the river and disappeared. We visited with other people on the river for a few more minutes and then walked home. 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) 47th albuquerque international balloon fiesta art balloons canoes kayaks light lighting paddle boards photography rio grande sandias https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/10/reflections-from-the-1st-day-of-the-47th-albuquerque-international-balloon-fiesta Sun, 07 Oct 2018 00:55:54 GMT
Jeremiah https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/jeremiah

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bullfrog light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/jeremiah Thu, 27 Sep 2018 23:35:19 GMT
Hanging Out https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/hanging-out

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art light lighting photography spider https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/hanging-out Wed, 26 Sep 2018 22:50:36 GMT
Full On Rise https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/full-on-rise 98% full moon rising Sunday evening. It was too dark to get detail in the moon and detail in the landscape.

 

Full moon looking like a bright star over the Sandias and Rio Grande on Monday night.

 

Full moon through the screen and kitty wire on the east facing bedroom window.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art full moon kitty wire leaves light lighting moon photography rio grande sandias screen vine https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/full-on-rise Tue, 25 Sep 2018 23:58:42 GMT
A Talk With Mr. pT https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/a-talk-with-mr-pt Pesky Paparazzo: "Hey Mr. pT? What's going on?"

 

Mr. pT: "I'm standing on one foot. What does it look like I'm doing?" Pesky Paparazzo: "I'm surprised you didn't fly away. I'm standing only 15 feet below you!"

 

Mr. pT: "What's that you said? I couldn't hear you with all the crunching of leaves under your feet." Pesky Paparazzo: "I'M STANDING RIGHT UNDER YOU!"

 

Mr. pT: "Oh my! You are awfully close. You seem pretty harmless, I guess." 

 

Mr. pT: "It's been a long hard day flying about, standing in water up to my knees, fishing in murky waters. Now I'm comfy in my tree, and the sun is setting. I'm too tired to fly away."
 

 

Mr. pT: "Look over there. It's my friend the Flicker. Hi Flick!"

 

Flick: "Hey Mr. pT. Who's the dude in black with the long white beak?"

 

Mr. pT: "That's our neighborhood pesky paparazzo. He's out in the woods every night, but he doesn't come down this way very often." 
 

 

Mr. pT: "Doesn't look much like rain does it paparazzo?" Pesky Paparazzo: "Clear blue skies as far as I can see. Do you roost in this tree often?"

 

Mr. pT: "Hold on a minute I have an itch I need to scratch." Pesky Paparazzo: "You sure are easily distracted easily..."

 

Mr. pT: "Oh I know I am. I'm so sorry and ashamed that I'm so easily distracted."  Pesky Paparazzo: "There's nothing to be ashamed of. Don't worry..."

 

Mr pT: " You're right. I'm neither sorry or ashamed. I was just pulling your leg." Pesky Paparazzo: "Drama Queen!"

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cottonwood flicker great blue heron light lighting photography pterodactyl https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/a-talk-with-mr-pt Tue, 25 Sep 2018 00:45:13 GMT
Looking https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/looking What do you see, Silver?

 

Is it a bird?

 

Is it a plane?

 

 

AAAaaah! It's Sasha!

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats light lighting photography Sasha Silver https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/looking Sun, 23 Sep 2018 22:58:00 GMT
Bosque Butterflies https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/bosque-butterflies Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)

 

I went for a walk in the bosque around noon. There were lots and lots of Clouded Sulphur butterflies feeding on the purple wildflowers. A few Checkered Whites where also feeding among the Clouded Sulphurs. I saw one tiny Western Pygmy-Blue that liked tumbleweeds and grass for some reason. The Western Pygmy-Blue was so small that the auto focus through my 70-200mm lens could not see it. I had to switch to manual focus.

 

Checkered White (Pontia protodice)
 

Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exile)
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bosque butterflies light lighting photography wildflowers https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/bosque-butterflies Sat, 22 Sep 2018 23:21:23 GMT
Tangled Heart Tree https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/tangled-heart-tree Little Owl perched on a tangled heart tree, watching the stars, chirping at jet lights as they clawed the sky.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cottonwood great horned owl light lighting little owl owl photography tangled heart tree https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/tangled-heart-tree Fri, 21 Sep 2018 23:38:56 GMT
Osprey https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/osprey Western Osprey (Pandion Falco [Rock Me Amadeus] haliaetus)
 

I was not the only one out surveying the damage done to the beaver dams yesterday.

 

Military Osprey (Bell Boeing [That's Why We're Here] V-22)

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bell bird boeng helicopter light lighting osprey photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/osprey Thu, 20 Sep 2018 23:54:10 GMT
They Done Done in the Dam https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/they-done-done-in-the-dam The beaver dam when it was first built in November 2017.

 

The Conservancy couldn't take it any longer, and after 11 months of leaving the beaver dam under the bridge we use to get to the bosque, they tore it out.  The Angry Beavers asked me to repost their video "Bite 'Em on the Old Shin Bone" as a reminder of the mean and heartless the Conservancy is. Their video and the lyrics are at the end of this post.

 

Beaver swimming for cover.

 

Bridge without a beaver dam under it, September 2018.

 

Bite 'Em On The Old Shin Bone

Bite ‘Em On The Old Shin Bone
The Angry Beavers and The Average White Boys
Music: Shel Silverstein
Lyrics: Timothy Price

Ha ha ha, I don't believe it
Hah! Don't touch it
Hey you going to tell them who we are?

Well We’re bucktoothed builders
We got golden slappers
We love to lay sticks in a row… (Sounds like beavers)
We build real beauty, dams to tell the truth
We cut ten thousand willows you know… (Yah! Right!)
Fish have all kinds of gills, and it’s kind of surreal
Then there’s the man we’ve never known
He’s shrill, yelling, bitchin’, when he blows up our kitchen 
Wanna bite him on the old shinbone

(Old Shinbone) Wanna bite him right through his cover
(Bone…) Gonna bite five chomps for my mother
(Bone…) Wanna chew off his smiling face
Bite him on the old shinbone (That’s a very good idea you know)

We watch two legged ladies on the ditch bank daily
They walkin in tight jeans
We got a poor old gray haired biologist
Who thinks we’re really keen
Now the conservancy men wanna blowup our homes
And our homes get really blown
Like the blow when they bitchin and blowin up our kitchens
Wanna bite them on the old shinbones

(Old Shinbone) Wanna bite him right through his cover
(Bone…) Gonna bite five chomps for my mother
(Bone…) Wanna chew off his smiling face
Bite him on the old shinbone

[Talking]
Hey, I know how
Beaver roll...

[Instrumental]

Oh that's really beautiful man!

We got a lot of little teeny blue scaled guppies
Don’t do anything all day
And there’s a genuine government guru
Who says dynamite's a better way
Build nice dams but the government guy
Doesn’t think we need a home
We keep building stronger, but their dynamite gets longer
And we bite em on old shinbones

(Old Shinbone) Wanna bite him right through his cover
(Bone…) Gonna bite five chomps for my mother
(Bone…) Wanna chew off his smiling face
Bite him on the old shinbone
Bite him on the old shinbone

Wanna bite him right through his cover
(Bone…) Gonna bite five chomps for my mother
(Bone…) Wanna chew off his smiling face
Bite him on the old shinbone
 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art beavers dam light lighting music parody photography video https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/they-done-done-in-the-dam Thu, 20 Sep 2018 01:18:09 GMT
Owl Goes Abstract https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/owl-goes-abstract

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) abstract art light lighting owl photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/owl-goes-abstract Wed, 19 Sep 2018 00:37:35 GMT
How to Photograph Your Dragon https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/how-to-photograph-your-dragon Najar looks sweet, innocent and playful but it's just a ruse to draw you in closer before she attacks. 

 

Najar is one of our smallest kitties, but she is super quick, and attacks from any position with a quick flurry of paws, claws and fangs, and then is back in position ready for another attach before her victims know what got them. We call her the Night Furry after Toothless in "How to Tame Your Dragon."

 

You probably missed the attack between photos. She faster than a camera's shutter.

 

Another slight position change between attacks.

 

A direct challenge.

 

Feigning distraction.

 

After that last round of attacks, Najar gets in a cat nap in her dragon lair. AKA makeup box lid.

 

Protecting her lair from the other kitties who want to steal it.

 

Feigning "feeling kind of sleepy now!"

 

"Getting a little close there Paparazzo!"

 

"Enemy cat starboard. Cut the clicks Paparazzo."

 

"Cats on the left. More cats on the right. Stupid Paprazzo straight ahead, and a mess of makeup stuff behind. If I go into a furry, you all will be sorry!"

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art box cats dragon lid light lighting makeup Najar photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/how-to-photograph-your-dragon Tue, 18 Sep 2018 00:22:49 GMT
Four Planets and a Moon https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/four-planets-and-a-moon

I've been trying to get a panorama of Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus in an arc across the night sky for several nights now. It seems to be when the moon is half full I get the right combination of darkness in the sky and illumination from the moon to get some detail in the trees and horizon so Camera Raw can match edges and stitch the panoramas together. The moon looks more like a star than the moon, but the moon is too bright to get a correct exposure of it and still see the planets and surroundings.  I've included two slightly different views from the levee (the second panorama is about 500 feet south of the first) with a duplicate of each image identifying the planets and the moon (I didn't really need to label the moon, but the images didn't look right without the moon labeled). Laurie is somewhere far ahead of me on the levee, as she kept walking while I stopped to take the photos. I also included a composite photo of the moon's phases from 9/11 to 9/15. For whatever reason, that I don't remember, I did not get a photo of the moon on 9/12.

 

 

Moon on 9/11, 9/13, 9/14 and 9/15.

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art Jupiter Laurie levee light lighting Mars moon moon phases photography planets Saturn Venus https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/four-planets-and-a-moon Sun, 16 Sep 2018 23:23:18 GMT
www.chatchaifican.net https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/www-chatchaifican-net

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art light lighting photography spider spider web web https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/www-chatchaifican-net Sun, 16 Sep 2018 00:38:22 GMT
Crocs in the Clear Ditch https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/crocs-in-the-clear-ditch

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) algae art clear ditch crocs light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/crocs-in-the-clear-ditch Fri, 14 Sep 2018 22:12:15 GMT
Thread-Waisted Wasp https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/thread-waisted-wasp

 

A Thread-Waisted Wasp was foraging on the garlic chives in the late afternoon. These wasps are considered to be extremely strong despite their fragile looking frames. The females dig burrows where they lay their eggs, and then they find a caterpillar, preferably a big fat tomato worm more than double her size, grabs it with her powerful jaws, stings it to paralyze it, then drags it to the burrow where she laid her eggs, stuffs the caterpillar in the burrow, and covers the opening with dirt and rocks to hide her stash. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the caterpillar until they pupate and dig out of the burrow as full grown wasps. Thread-waisted Wasps are not aggressive toward humans, unless the humans in question happen to look like giant caterpillars or, even better, great big plump tomato worms. Thread-Waisted Wasps will sting in self defense — if stepped on or handled roughly, for example.

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art garlic chives light lighting photography thread-wasted wasp wasp https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/thread-waisted-wasp Thu, 13 Sep 2018 23:44:20 GMT
Under a Sliver Moon https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/under-a-sliver-moon

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art clouds light lighting moon photography sliver moon https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/under-a-sliver-moon Thu, 13 Sep 2018 00:04:22 GMT
In Coming Out Going https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/in-coming-out-going

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art clouds geese light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/in-coming-out-going Tue, 11 Sep 2018 23:57:29 GMT
Backlit https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/backlit

 

In case anyone has been wondering about the owls, Little Owl says hi! We see owls almost ever night, and I often photograph them, usually in very low light. Last night Little Owl and Big Owl were in a tree on our property, flew over to the bosque, and then they both showed up by Beaver Point when I was out calling to the beavers. The sun had set, but Little Owl landed on a branch facing the afterglow from sunset.

 

Iceberg

 

Beaver swimming across the river at golden hour.

 

After the beaver made it to the other side of the river he tread water by a gnawed branch trying his best to blend in.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art beaver great horned owl iceberg light lighting little owl owl photography rio grande river rose sunflowers https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/backlit Tue, 11 Sep 2018 00:31:29 GMT
Rorschach Pterodactyls https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/rorschach-pterodactyls

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art heron light lighting photography pterodactyl Rorschach https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/rorschach-pterodactyls Mon, 10 Sep 2018 00:00:24 GMT
Buzzing the Sun https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/buzzing-the-sun

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art birds buzzards light lighting photography sun vultures https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/buzzing-the-sun Sun, 09 Sep 2018 02:26:50 GMT
Bleach Blonde https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/bleach-blonde What's your problem Paparazzo? Haven't you seen a bleach blonde porcupine before?

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bleach blonde blonde light lighting photography porcupine https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/bleach-blonde Sat, 08 Sep 2018 02:27:46 GMT
I'm Blue https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/im-blue

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art blue butterfly light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/im-blue Fri, 07 Sep 2018 00:14:51 GMT
The Commute https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/the-commute

 

I usually go home by a different route, but with Labor Day officially closing the summer holidays, the public schools and universities back in session and everyone back to work, the streets are mess with traffic jams from crashes, road construction, and railroad crossings. 

 

Wait a minute, that looks like the last train car, but it's going the wrong direction.

 

Everything starts to fade.

 

Might as well put your feet up and take a nap.

 

For those who feel like they can't take it anymore, Esther Davis and Domino's have teamed up to offer pizza and psychiatric care.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cars commute dominos drive feet ford light lighting photography psychiatry railroad crossing train https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/the-commute Thu, 06 Sep 2018 00:33:36 GMT
Lok & Lol https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/lok-lol Lok

 

Loki (lok) and Lola (Lol) are kind of like a Rock & Roll pair of kitties. When I'm in bed, if one is on my legs, the other is on my chest and visa versa. 

 

Lol

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats light lighting Lok Lok & Lol Loki Lol Lola photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/lok-lol Wed, 05 Sep 2018 02:50:39 GMT
Bottom Dwellers & Redneck Ways https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/bottom-dwellers-redneck-ways Raccoon prints in the mud.

 

Or new refrigerator that we purchased 16 years ago on June 2, 2002 passed away sometime after we went to bed last night. Coincidently, the irrigation ditch ran dry last night leaving the bottom dwellers scrambling to find puddles in hopes they don't dry up before water runs again. 

This morning I fired up our old 1982 Ford F100 pickup truck, threw a dolly in the back, and took off to procure us a new refrigerator.  My plan was to buy a new refrigerator on a Labor Day sale, load it into the truck, bring it home, take the expired refrigerator out to the shed and repurpose it into a well insulated storage cabinet. Then I would have rolled the new refrigerator into the old one's place, and simply been done with it.

But life is not so simple anymore. Much to my surprise, while I could purchase any number of refrigerators on sale for prices ranging from $470 to $4,700, I could not simply buy one, have it loaded onto my 1982 Ford F100 pickup truck and take it home. Refrigerators in the stores are for looking at, deciding which model you want, and then you purchase one, and the store delivers the new refrigerator at some later date, and then the delivery staff take the expired refrigerator away to be recycled after the new one is delivered. 

So here we have Labor Day and I can't even labor by bringing home a new refrigerator and taking the old one out to the shed and repurposing it. Sad as it is, these modern days have thwarted my redneck ways much to Laurie's delight. 

 

Crawdad or Crayfish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baby Bullfrog.

 


Cottonwood leaf.

 

 

Baby Bullfrog.

 

Baby Blue Tailed lizard.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bottom dwellers bullfrog crawdad crayfish ditch light lighting lizard photography redneck refrigerators tracks https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/bottom-dwellers-redneck-ways Mon, 03 Sep 2018 23:34:50 GMT
Najar https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/najar

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats light lighting Najar photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/najar Mon, 03 Sep 2018 00:47:05 GMT
Storming on a Friday Night https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/storming-on-a-friday-night

With my raincoat in one hand and my camera in the other, I walked out under cloudy skies and caught the stormy action that unfolded around me.

 

Mia's tree stood stark and defiant against the threatening clouds.

 

Walls of rain blew in from the west.

 

Lighting and thunder shook the world below.

 

Lighting revealed a spout of rain.

 

Hairline fracture in the sky.

 

Another strike showed the spout looking more like a funnel cloud.

 

 

Lightning cut through cloudbursts like illuminated tornados.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art clouds light lighting lightning photography river sandias storm tree https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/9/storming-on-a-friday-night Sat, 01 Sep 2018 23:35:59 GMT
The Landing https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/the-landing

Duck landing on the Rio Grande at sunset.

 

Reminded me of a few airplanes I've been on.

 

Snowy Egret skimming the water.

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art birds duck landing light lighting photography rio grande river snow egret https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/the-landing Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:28:52 GMT
Shrink Wrapped https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/shrink-wrapped

Loki

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats light lighting Loki photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/shrink-wrapped Thu, 30 Aug 2018 23:32:10 GMT
Hay https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/hay

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art hay hay bales light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/hay Wed, 29 Aug 2018 23:26:23 GMT
Misty Morning Spotlights At Sunrise https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/misty-morning-spotlights-at-sunrise

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art clouds cottonwoods dawn garden light lighting mist photography spotlights sunrise https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/misty-morning-spotlights-at-sunrise Tue, 28 Aug 2018 23:17:31 GMT
Road Repairs with a Roadrunner https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/road-repairs-with-a-roadrunner I was repairing my lonely road.

 

When a roadrunner came walking by alone.

 

"Whatcha doing?" he asked.

 

Filling up a sink hole in my lonely road.

 

"But you're all alone. There's no one to work beside you?"

 

"No one to run your wheel barrow for you?"

 

"No one to help lift those concrete slabs?"

 

No. There's no one who will help me on this lonely road.

 

It's my lonely road and I repair in on my own.

 

I fill the hole so you and others won't fall in it.

 

I fill the hole so wheels don't get stuck in it.

 

"Sorry I can't help you. I'm just a roadrunner out walking all alone."

 

"This concrete is hard and heavy, my break can't break it."

 

"I must be on my way."

 

Bye roadrunner. Watch your speed. Now I'm back to working alone.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) alone art dead end light lighting photography price lane road roadrunner work https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/road-repairs-with-a-roadrunner Tue, 28 Aug 2018 00:31:59 GMT
Through the Grapevine https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/through-the-grapevine

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats grapes grapevine ladder light lighting photography Spunk https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/through-the-grapevine Mon, 27 Aug 2018 02:23:34 GMT
Day in the Garden https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/day-in-the-garden Spunk

 

Here's a series of photos from the garden today. The sunset and moonrise were taken from the levee last night. The sun hasn't set yet, plus we are having a major thunderstorm that's dumped 2/10 of an inch of rain in the past 30 minutes.

 

Misty dawn

 

Cosmos

 

Marble

 

Pearl Crecsent

 

Cosmos

 

Native bee

 

Another native bee

 

Silver

 

Garlic Chives

 

Cosmos

 

Cosmos

 

"I thought I saw a hummingbird?"

 

Hummingbird

 

"Oh! I did. I did see a hummingbird."

 

"Stupid cat!"

 

Sasha

 

Hummingbird flapping at me.

 

Backlit Gladiola.

 

Honey Perfume

 

Gladiola

 

Orb Spider

 

Veteran's Honor

 

Orb Spider

 

Last night's sunset

 

Moonrise last night

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bee cats clouds cosmos flowers light lighting Marble moonrise photography roses Sasha Silver spider Spunk sunrise sunset https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/day-in-the-garden Sat, 25 Aug 2018 23:57:00 GMT
Slaughterhouse to Arts and Science https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/slaughterhouse-to-arts-and-science Mairie Du XIX Town Hall
 

Continuing our tour of the 19th Arrondissement in northeast Paris, on the 19th of July 2018, this set of photos is from outside the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont up to the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie, which was the old slaughterhouse and textile district.

 

The blue area defines the route the photos cover.

 

NASA car. I don't know if it's electric, gas, peddled or some combination thereof.

 

Jean Macé was an educator, journalist and politician best known for establishing the Ligue de l'enseignement (League of Education) in 1866.

 

Buildings along the way.

 

Small cemetery where we saw the graveyard cats — https://photoofthedayetc.wordpress.com/2018/07/19/graveyard-cats/
 

 

 

 

Concrete building outside the cemetery gates.

 

Restaurants along the way.

 

The Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris is covered in netting because the glued panels are coming loose and falling off. The panels are being replaced.

 

La Grande Halle De La Villette is an old slaughterhouse turned into a cultural center. The Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris is on the left and the Cité de la Musique and Concert Hall are on the right.

 

 

Fountain in front of La Grande Halle.

 

Cité de la Musique Stone and Glass Concert Hall Complex (Philharmonie 2) behind the cafe, and the Concert Hall (Philharmonie 1) is to the left.

 

Top of the Galerie de la Villette.

 

La folie numérique event venue.

 

One of the many red structures around La Villette urban park with cultural institutions.

 

Raised walk above Galerie de l'Ourcq.

 

Looking southwest down the canal.

 

Play structure in Jardin du dragon.

 

The Cité des sciences et de l'industrie on the left and La Géode, which is an iMax type cinema inside a mirrored ball.

 

La Géode
 

Cité des sciences et de l'industrie.
 

Water feature in front of the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie.

 

Reflections in La Géode.
 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) 19th arrondissement art Cité de la Musique Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris france Grande Halle De La Villette Jean Macé La Géode light lighting Ligue de l'enseignement Mairie Du XIX paris photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/slaughterhouse-to-arts-and-science Sat, 25 Aug 2018 00:13:49 GMT
A Whole Lotta Grooming Going On https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/a-whole-lotta-grooming-going-on Swim

 

Get ready. Get set...

 

Groom

 

Lick

 

Gnaw

 

Hug

 

Groom

 

Wash

 

Preen

 

Clean

 

Finished

 

!Hasta la vista!

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art beaver grooming light lighting photography rio grande https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/a-whole-lotta-grooming-going-on Thu, 23 Aug 2018 22:48:40 GMT
Burning Ball of Fire https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/burning-ball-of-fire I gazed into a burning ball of fire...

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art light lighting photography smoke sun sunset https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/burning-ball-of-fire Thu, 23 Aug 2018 00:17:44 GMT
Gargoyles Then & Now https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/gargoyles-then-now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats france gargoyles light lighting notre dame paris photography Silver Spunk https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/gargoyles-then-now Wed, 22 Aug 2018 00:14:02 GMT
More Smoke From Another Distant Fire https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/more-smoke-from-another-distant-fire Smokey skies from distant fires turned the sun into a large spot above the trees near the horizon last night.

 

The pink on the Sandias at sunset was covered by the smoke.

 

The sun was like a big ball over Sayre's barn.

 

The moon had a peachy color through the smoke.

 

Mars on the left under a twig. Saturn barely visible between the branches at left-center. The moon as a starburst in the center. Jupiter all alone on the center-right. Venus hanging on the edge on the far right.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art barn bosque field jupiter light lighting mars moon night. photography rio grande sandias saturn smoke sundown trees venus https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/more-smoke-from-another-distant-fire Tue, 21 Aug 2018 00:55:42 GMT
The 19th on The 19th https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/the-19th-on-the-19th One of many locks on the canals in northeast Paris.

 

On July 19, 2018, we met Anne, who I know from blogging, at République, and she took us on a long walking tour of the 10th and 19th Arrondissements. This first series of photos goes up to the highest point at Temple de la Sybille in the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont (under the "A" in "ARR." on the map below). I include a wide-ange view and various telescopic views from the Temple.

 

 

Door on the way to République.

 

République
 

Footbridge over the canal by a lock.

 

Hôtel du Nord used in a 1938 film of the same name.

 

History of Hôtel du Nord

 

Communist Party Headquarters

 

The courtyard of a hospital where Anne had been a patient.

 

Various buildings were in disrepair and had netting to keep pieces of the buildings from falling off.

 

Neighborhood along the way.

 

Living buildings with plants growing from roofs and balconies.

 

The Temple de la Sybille from another hill in the park.

 

Temple de la Sybille

 

Wide-ange view of Paris from north-northwest on the left to north-northeast on the right. The park was once a rock quarry.

 

View looking northwest.

 

Looking southeast.

 

Looking north.

 

Sacré-Cœur looking to the northwest.
 

Looking north.

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) 19th arrondissement art flowers france hôtel du nord lighting parc des buttes-chaumont paris park photography république sacré-cÅ“ur temple de la sybille https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/the-19th-on-the-19th Mon, 20 Aug 2018 01:07:58 GMT
Birds, Bees, Flowers, Butterflies, Cats https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/birds-bees-flowers-butterflies-cats

 

 

 

 

Spunk

 

 

 

 

 

Loki

 

 

 

 

 

Spunk eyes

 

 

 

 

 

Sasha

 

 

 

 

Marble

 

 

 

 

Lola

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sasha

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bees birds butterflies cats flowers light lighting Loki Lola Marble photography roses Sasha Spunk https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/birds-bees-flowers-butterflies-cats Sat, 18 Aug 2018 23:03:41 GMT
Along the Way https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/along-the-way Saint-Étienne-du-Mont Catholic Church
 

Along the way to the New Sorbonne, 5th arrondissement, Paris, France.

 

Altar area. Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet Catholic Church
 

 

Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet Catholic Church
 

 

Pipe organ. Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet Catholic Church
 

Escalier Végétalisé Rue Rollin. View from Rue Monge.
 

Corner of Rue des Bernardins and Rue des Écoles

 

The corner of Rue Lagrange and Rue Galande

 

 

 

 

Corner of Rue Lagrange and Rue de l'Hôtel Colbert
 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) and architecture art Bernardins buildings churchCorner des Écoles france light lighting of paris photography Rue https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/along-the-way Fri, 17 Aug 2018 23:57:43 GMT
Bagworm Ballet https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/bagworm-ballet

Bagworms are a real problem. We made a major assault on them last year by picking them off of everything we could reach, tying them in plastic bags and throwing them into the trash. We have fewer bagworms this year, but we still get a few hanging around. This bagworm was very active in its leaf bag dangling from a cottonwood. I photographed its ballet-like performance before I mercilessly disposed of it.

 

Élevé

 

Cambré

 

Épaulement

 

Cambré à gauche

 

Cambré à droite
 

Tours chaînés déboulés (with help from the breeze)


 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bagworms ballet ballet terms light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/bagworm-ballet Fri, 17 Aug 2018 00:38:50 GMT
Walking in the Rain https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/walking-in-the-rain

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art light lighting photography rain https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/walking-in-the-rain Thu, 16 Aug 2018 01:41:20 GMT
Ode de Toilette https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/ode-de-toilette

The above style toilette is fairly common on the streets in Paris. But when you are out on the street they are not always as plentiful as we would have liked. More than once when we finally found one, really needing to use it, the darn thing would be out of order. Then we would find a bar, buy coffee and fizzy water, and they would let us use their restrooms.

 

There are several articles on the Internet right now about the "Uritrottoir", eco-freindly public street urinals that have apparently popped up in Paris recently. If they were on the streets a month ago, we missed them, but I got photos of a few other toilets around Paris. This article from EWN Eyewitness News has a good lead photo that illustrates why the Uritrottoirs are not sitting or standing well with Parisians: https://ewn.co.za/2018/08/14/paris-residents-peeved-at-very-public-eco-friendly-urinals.
 

We walked up and down both sides of the Seine in the red zone I marked out in the above map. If I had come across a Uritrottoir I would have photographed it. We walked all over NE, east and SE Paris this trip. According to my Fitbit, I logged 208,180 steps for a total of 98.45 miles during the eight days we were in Paris. 
 

I did see these public urinals in several areas in Paris. However, I never saw anyone using them.

 

This is a fine example of a toilette in a men's room in the New Sorbonne. Note there is no lid to worry about putting up or down, convenient yellow floor, and grab bars that double as toilet paper holders.

 

This is the abstract version outside the National Conservatory.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art france light lighting paris photography seine toilets urinals Uritrottoir https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/ode-de-toilette Wed, 15 Aug 2018 01:16:25 GMT
Bitten by a Tse-tse Fly https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/bitten-by-a-tse-tse-fly

I was lying on the deck, and...

 

Thinking about things to come, and...

 

I was minding my own business mind you. And...

 

I felt something in the air, and...

 

Something touched my hair, and...

 

Touching down on my neck, and...

 

My energy is draining. I'm feeling kind of sleepy now. I was bitten by a Tse-tse fly.

 

Oh! come on Spunk. That was a mosquito not a tse-tse fly, and it didn't bite you. I think you've been listening to too much Wall of Voodoo.

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats deck light lighting mosquito photography Spunk tse-tse fly wall of voodoo https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/bitten-by-a-tse-tse-fly Tue, 14 Aug 2018 01:10:22 GMT
Peachy Keen https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/peachy-keen

I didn't have time to prune the fruit trees back in February. As it turned out, 2018 is the first year in the past 12 years that we did not get late killer frosts. So guess what? Correct! Our fruit trees have fruit. Lots and lots of fruit. Our 5 in 1 plum tree we planted in 2000 gave us plums for the first time this year, and the peach tree is prolific — between bending branches and all the wind falls it seems like we have peaches everywhere. I spent most of the day peeling peaches, layering them with sugar in containers and freezing them. 

 

 

Sliced layer of peaches ready for sugar.

 

Egg cartons work well for holding fruit.

 

The production area.

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art fruit light lighting peaches photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/peachy-keen Mon, 13 Aug 2018 00:00:55 GMT
Inside the Castle https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/inside-the-castle

A lot of photos of the interior with views from the interior of Vincennes Castle on the eastern edge of Paris, France.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art doors fire places france hallways light lighting paris photography stairs vaulted ceilings vincennes castle https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/inside-the-castle Sat, 11 Aug 2018 23:34:08 GMT
Selfie https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/selfie

The Natural History Museum in Paris had a special exhibit with a skeleton of Tyrannosaurus Rex that they were making a big deal about. The complete skeleton was assembled in a running posture in a dark, narrow room, with a "selfie" skull projected on the floor where people were supposed to stand or kneel to take selfies with T-Rex.

 

View in front of the "selfie" spot.

 

 

 

The room was so narrow that it was difficult to get a side view of T-Rex even doing a panorama with a 17mm super-wide angle lens.

 

 

The room was was joined by two corridors on the tail end of T-Rex. This shot shows how narrow the room is.

 

On the way out from T-Rex, they had games the kids were playing. In this one, dinosaurs imitated whatever motion a person in the circle did. 

 

In this display, the kid on the bike is chasing T-Rex on the screen in front of the bike, while being chased by T-Rex on the screen behind the bike.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art flowers france games kids lighting museum natural history paris photography selfie t-rex tyrannosaurus rex https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/selfie Sat, 11 Aug 2018 00:16:05 GMT
Sunset 'n Cats https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/sunset-n-cats

Spunk: "Oh brother! Not another series of the stupid sunset photos! Don't you have , you know, like cute cat photos?"

 

 

How about you looking pathetic, begging to be let in?

 

 

            Or Loki doing his bat imitation?

 

 

Silver in the middle of rolling around in a box?

 

 

How about Sasha looking silly on the file cabinet?

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats clouds light lighting Loki photography Sandias Sasha Silver Spunk sunset https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/sunset-n-cats Fri, 10 Aug 2018 00:41:23 GMT
Them Bones https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/them-bones

Lots of bones in the Natural History Museum in Paris.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love this guy.

 

 

 

Views from the second story balcony.

 

 

 

 

 

Pteranodon

 

I believe this is a brontosaurus, but it could be a brachiosaurus.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bones dinosaurs france light lighting natural history paris photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/them-bones Thu, 09 Aug 2018 01:30:15 GMT
Whoo's There? https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/whoos-there "Who who whoo goes there?"

 

"Hey New Owl it's me!"     "Whoo are you? I don't believe I know you."

 

"Oh New Owl. Don't you remember me?"        "Hmmph! I can't say I've seen you before!"

 

"Oh come on! You know. The pesky paparazzo."        "Did you say paparazzo? The pesky guy with the long white beak who clicks a lot?"

 

"That's Meee!"     "Oh! Pesky Paparazzo. Is that really you? Where have you been?"

 

"I've been to Paris to visit the Louvre..."       "It's about time you came back. It's been pretty boring around the bosque."

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art great horned owl light lighting new owl owls photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/whoos-there Wed, 08 Aug 2018 00:44:08 GMT
Fire in the Sky https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/fire-in-the-sky

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art clouds light lighting photography sunset thunderstorm https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/fire-in-the-sky Tue, 07 Aug 2018 01:34:19 GMT
A Different Sunset https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/a-different-sunset

 

The first time in almost a week that we were able to go out for a walk at sunset without thunderstorms threatening to drench us with heavy rain and pommel us with hail, we got to see a very different sunset.

 

 

A night heron streaked by at light speed.

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art clouds cottonwoods light lighting night heron photography sunset https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/a-different-sunset Sun, 05 Aug 2018 22:22:18 GMT
Humming https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/humming

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art birds butterfly bush hummingbird hummingbird moth light lighting moths photography trumpet flower https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/humming Sat, 04 Aug 2018 22:51:45 GMT
Inside The Holy Chapel https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/inside-the-holy-chapel

 

The write up on The Holy Chapel in the brochure about the Vincennes Castle reads "Founded by Charles V in 1379, the chapel is modeled on the Sainte-Chapelle* of the Palais de la Cité in Paris, though it has only one floor, with oratories reserved for the queen on the right and the king on the left, and to the north east a building containing a sacristy and treasure room.

The work initiated during the reign of Charles V was continued under Charles VI and completed long afterwards under Henry II (1547-1559)."

*"Sainte-Chapelle: royal chapel built by Saint Louis to house the the relics of Christ's Passion (the Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the Holy Cross, the sponge and the spear)." 

You can see my photos of Sainte-Chapelle from when we were in Paris in 2013 at: https://photoofthedayetc.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/france-day-24-marie-antoinette/

 

 

 

 

 

Tomb of Louis Antoine Henri de Bourbon Condé, Duke of Enghien.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art chapel Charles V Charles VI church Henri II light lighting Louis Antoine Henri de Bourbon Condé Duke of Enghien. photography Sainte-Chapelle Vincennes Castle https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/inside-the-holy-chapel Fri, 03 Aug 2018 23:42:33 GMT
Drive-by https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/drive-by Paris, July 2018

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art car france hands legs light lighting paris phone phone photo photography skirt women https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/drive-by Fri, 03 Aug 2018 02:16:34 GMT
Wild Wild Skies https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/wild-wild-skies

 

When I started my walk yesterday afternoon, before I ran into the Mr. pT on the ditch bank, there were thunderheads over the Sandias. Before I went back to the house after following Mr pT around for an hour or so, I stopped by Beaver Point and the large thunderheads had dissipated into a series of smaller thunder heads under a thin layer of clouds. About 7:50 pm, when we would normally go out to the river to watch the sunset, billowing cotton ball clouds were rolling in, followed by dark clouds, followed by lightning and thunder, followed by heavy rain. The thunderstorm became very intense about 8:45 pm, and after a series of lighting strikes all arounds us our lights flickered off and on and finally went out. We used flashlights to finish our nightly routines, read a little bit, and then got ready for bed. Power was restored an hour and a half later at 10:20 pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bosque clouds light lighting lightning photography power failure rio grande sandias thunder thunderheads https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/8/wild-wild-skies Thu, 02 Aug 2018 00:56:17 GMT
Pterodactyl Tuesday https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/pterodactyl-tuesday I went for a walk in the bosque around 4:30 pm to avoid the evening thunderstorms that have been dumping heavy rain and hail on us every evening this week. I walked north about 3/4 mile through the bosque and then up over the levee to see what was happening in the clearwater ditch, and came face to beak with the pterodactyl. 

Mr. pT few off making all kinds of interesting shapes with his wings.

 

 

 

 

He landed about a 1/4 mile north in the ditch, so I continued north following him, and got within about 300 yards of him standing in the water.

 

 

Then he flew again in my direction.

 

He flew right by where I was standing.

 

Over the tops of the cottonwoods, heading for the river.

 

I knew exactly where he was headed, so I backtracked and followed a trail that goes out to the river a few hundred yards north of where Mr. pT and I first ran into each other.

 

As I suspected, when I slipped out of the brush, down the bank onto a slip of a mudflat along the river, there was Mr. pT looking surprised to see me. He stood still staring at me like "What The Feather is it with this crazy paparazzo who keeps following me around? Doesn't he ever give up?" I stood in place, slowly sinking in the mud watching and photographing Mr. pT. After about 15 minutes of staring at each other, Mr. pT decided I was not much of a threat after all and he started posing and fishing for minnows in the shallows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When he got tired of fishing around, he flew across the river and landed on the mud flats on the opposite bank.

 

I headed back south and before going back home, I went out to Beaver Point to see if there was any action in the Rio.

 

While I was standing the bank, looking at the river, bosque and mountains, Mr pT. flew by heading south.

 

 

 

 

Who's following who, Mr. pT?

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art birds bosque clearwater ditch cottonwoods great blue heron light lighting mr pt photography pterodactyl rio grande river sandias https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/pterodactyl-tuesday Wed, 01 Aug 2018 02:41:18 GMT
Article Dyslexia https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/article-dyslexia

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bridge cid eiffel tower El Cid france light lighting paris photography seine ships https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/article-dyslexia Tue, 31 Jul 2018 00:09:12 GMT
The Call https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/the-call

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art call france light lighting paris phone photography seine steps woman https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/the-call Sun, 29 Jul 2018 23:42:33 GMT
Captive https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/captive

Apparitions once thoughts
Whipped by winds
Cling to rain drops
Caught by web
One by one
Millions of dreams 
Held captive

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art dreams grass light lighting photography rain web https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/captive Sun, 29 Jul 2018 00:28:42 GMT
Les Oiseaux https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/les-oiseaux gull

 

These are most of the various birds I photographed in Paris.

 

 

Carrion Crow

 

Pigeons

 

Black Headed Gull

 

Common Starlings

 

Eurasian Jay

 

Eurasian Magpie

 

Eurasian Kestrel

 

Ducks

Mallard

 

Mallard Hens

 

Ducklings

 

Mama duck watching her ducklings. I was not able to identify what type of duck she is.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art birds ducks gulls jay kestrel light lighting magpie photography starlings https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/les-oiseaux Sat, 28 Jul 2018 00:24:52 GMT
No Longer In Seine https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/no-longer-in-seine

 

After going through Notre Dame's towers, we walked to the Eiffel Tower along the Seine. On the way we came across several public access bicycles that had been pulled from the river so they were no longer in Seine.

 

 

 

 

And a shopping cart.

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bicycles eiffel tower gobbee bike light lighting photography seine shopping cart https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/no-longer-in-seine Fri, 27 Jul 2018 02:02:31 GMT
Labyrinth https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/labyrinth The labyrinth garden you encounter when you walk into the courtyard foreshadows what you will experience in the building.

 

While our trip home from Paris was rather uneventful, the trip to Paris was not so easy going. Our flight from Albuquerque to Chicago was an hour and half late arriving to Albuquerque, then it was almost another hour before we were in the air on our way to Chicago. There was a two and a half hour layover in Chicago, which had been pretty much eaten up with delays by the time we were airborne. Not long after we took off, the pilot announced that he had figured out a shortcut to Chicago, which might get us there in time to catch the flight to Paris. Our plane arrived at the gate at the time the flight to Paris was scheduled to take off, but since several passengers on our flight were going to Paris, they held the plane, and a group of us had to make the long run under the runway to the next terminal to board the plane to Paris. Our flight to Paris finally got off only 45 minutes late.

We arrived in Paris pretty close to the scheduled arrival time about 9:45 am. We got through immigration, collected our bags and started trying to figure out where to find our prepaid shuttle. As soon as I got off the plane, my phone buzzed with a message that I was on the Orange network and under the T-Mobile agreement I had unlimited data and texting and 20¢ a minute for voice. I expected Laurie's phone to get the same message, but we never got her phone to connect to a carrier so she had no service unless she was connected to WIFI. Once I got both phones connected to WIFI I found an email with instructions for the shuttle, which were not very clear. It said to be on the sidewalk with our luggage outside door 45. We were standing in front of door 45, but it was locked and we saw no way to get outside. Then I got some more instruction that said to be by door 32. We were directed to go downstairs and outside to get to door 32. Once we were outside at door 32, another person said no you have to be inside by door 45. We tried to get back inside but the doors would not open. A group of pilots were standing outside one door, and I asked them how to get inside. They said the airport was locked down for a security check. While we had been running around trying to figure things out, there had been several announcements asking the owner of a black suitcase to pick it up. They apparently locked down the airport because of that abandoned suitcase.

They finally reopened the airport, and the shuttle driver found us. We were the second of three couples he was picking up. After we got in the van, he headed over to another terminal to pick up the last two passengers. On the way, one of the gates would not open, blocking his access to the terminal. He drove off through the exit lane for cars not allowed to pass through the gates, made another lap, got up to the gates and they still would not open. Several taxi drivers behind us were honking and yelling, and finally four other drivers came up and they were all yelling into the microphone in the control box for someone to open the gate. Finally a tech came out, opened the control box and the gate opened and our driver and the taxis were able to get through.

We were dropped off at the hospital that our hotel is in about 1:30 pm. We went inside and the hospital's security guard gave us vague instructions about how to find the hotel (thinking about it later, he probably only had a vague idea about where the hotel is in that giant building). We started looking for the hotel. The signs for the hotel were very small and not easy to see. We soon discovered that the stairs in each wing did not go the all the floors. When we found the wing with the elevator that would take us up to the hotel, the elevator was out of service. There were vague instructions to go to the last wing and use the elevator on the right, go to the 5th floor and walk back through the hospital wing to the hotel. We did that and got to several dead ends. We went back to the 3rd wing and I carried my bags up the stairs and got to a level that stopped with doors that lead to the balcony outside, two areas that we clearly marked hospital wards, and another set of doors to a hallway that had another staircase in it. I walked up the staircase two more floors to the top of the stairs, through another door and found the hotel. The young man at the desk said we had to go to the 6th floor in the elevator in the last wing and walk back through the hospital. I ran back down the stairs, to where Laurie was waiting, we went up to the 6th floor on the elvator in the last wing, and back through the hospital wing to the hotel. Other than being very difficult to find when their elevator doesn't work, the hotel is wonderful.

 

The hospital was rebuilt in 1380 and then remodeled in 1801 to remove the church-like façade. The building takes up around 4 normal-sized city blocks. The skylight by the chimney on end of the third wing on the right side of the photo is the room we stayed in. I took this photo from the tower at Notre Dame.

 

How the building appeared to us as we walked around jet-lagged trying to find the hotel.

 

Another view of the labyrinth garden.

 

The corridor that leads to each of the wings.

 

Looking through the hand blown, imperfect glass and the west side of the building.

 

Looking back at the doors where we entered the corridor.

 

In the entrance to the wing with the stairs and elevators.

 

Each wing had a set of stairs like these, but the stairs went to different floors in each wing.

 

Looking up.

 

Out on the balcony looking south.

 

A jet-lagged view of the west side of the building.

 

On the balcony looking north.

 

Normal view of the west side of the building.

 

Looking down the stairs.

 

The top of the stairs at the fourth floor landing.

 

Laurie in front of a third floor window.

 

The next set of stairs that were through a set of doors on the fourth floor.

 

Had to go up another two floors to get to the hotel.

 

View down from the sixth to the fourth floor.

 

The room was small, but it has air-conditioning, a real luxury in Paris, and a small, modern bathroom in the room. It was very reasonably priced as well.

 

If you come in after 8:00 pm, a given in Paris in July, the hospital guard has to buzz you in through another set of doors east of the hospital's main entrance. Once you are in the building, you have to find your way through dimly light corridors and dark stairwells to get up to the hotel. Several times when we came in after 10:00 pm, a group of heavily armed solders suddenly appeared and came in right behind us. We never figured out if they just happened to be making their rounds when we came in or that they thought we looked suspicious and they were making sure we were not up to no good.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) architecture art corridors elevators france garden hospital hotel labryinth light lighting paris photography stairs travel https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/labyrinth Thu, 26 Jul 2018 00:43:36 GMT
Contraband from Notre Dame https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/contraband-from-notre-dame The rather explosive words on the votive candle from Notre Dame roughly translate to "Here I am Lord before you."

 

We got up at 4:30 am Paris time on Monday morning to get ready before the shuttle picked us up at 5:20 to take us to the airport for our 9:00 am flight to San Francisco. When we went through security at the airport, they pulled Laurie's carry-on aside because they x-ray showed something suspicious. The French TSA officer went through her suitcase and found the votive candle she had from Notre Dame, held it up and told the officer at the x-ray "this is it", as they recognized it was a votive candle from Notre Dame. Eleven hours later, TSA in San Francisco pulled off Laurie's carry-on for further inspection, but the officer was very suspicious of what seemed to be contraband from Notre Dame. She looked very puzzled. Not only did it have some type of foreign writing and symbols on it, the thing also had what looked like a fuse. She asked Laurie if it was hand-made. Laurie told her it was a votive candle from Notre Dame, and the officer looked more puzzled, but finally decided it wasn't an explosive, even if it did have a fuse. I told Laurie the officer probably didn't know what Notre Dame is, and now that I think about it, she might not have known what a candle is either. Other than TSA's confusion over the candle, we had no other issues and the flights were on time. We walked in the door to find our kitties waiting for us at 9:30 pm Corrales time, exactly 25 hours after we got up that morning.

 

Blasted thing has a fuse.

 

It does somewhat resemble a plus-size stick of dynamite.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) airports art candle dame flight light lighting luggage notra photography security travel tsa votive candle https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/contraband-from-notre-dame Wed, 25 Jul 2018 05:10:49 GMT
Gone With The Gargoyles https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/gone-with-the-gargoyles The famous gargoyle

 

We are leaving to the airport in a few hours, so we my be gone with the gargoyles when you see this post. We got up early Sunday morning and went out to Notre Dame when it opened. No lines, but a steady stream of people came in for mass. After walking around inside for a while after mass, we went out and I attempted to make a reservation to go up in the towers. We've been having a lot of trouble with phones, computers and applications this trip and making a reservation for the towers at Notre Dame was no exception. The mobile app kept giving me errors, so I had to use the reservation kiosk on the sidewalk, and after two attempts I got a confirmation on the screen, but I never received the confirmation text on my phone, which has been pretty standard all week with various apps for museums.

 

I had made a reservation for 11:40, so we went over to the entrance for the towers at 11:20 and told one of the attendants that I had made reservations, but never got a text. He directed us to another attendant who was staging people, and we explained to him the best we could that I had registered for 11:40, but never received a text, and asked what we should do. He put us in line and told us to wait. When he got all the 11:40 people together, he had us go into the staging area, and we continued on from there.

 

There was another couple there who apparently were having similar problems with reservations. A man came up and asked me if I spoke English, and if I had a confirmation that looked like what he had on his phone. I told him I had not received a text message. Although, I noticed whatever he had on his phone did not look like what other people had on their phones. He walked up to the attendant who had put us in line, showed him his phone, and appeared to be demanding that the attendant do something. The attendant shooed him out onto the edge of the sidewalk, told him to go away, and then went back to staging people. The man and his wife walked off grumbling. 

 

Another famous gargoyle.

 

Did you know there is an elephant gargoyle?

 

There's even a gargoyle to deal with cranky tourists.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art france gargoyles light lighting notre dame paris photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/gone-with-the-gargoyles Sun, 22 Jul 2018 22:33:14 GMT
Fashion Wheels https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/fashion-wheels

 

A family waiting at a crosswalk on their wheels. They rolled across the street with the pedestrians and turned into the garden at the Medieval Museum. Having a set of wheels for each family member is a really good solution to getting the family around Paris without driving and parking a car.

 

 

Tonight's sunset.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art electric wheels fashion light lighting photography sunset https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/fashion-wheels Sat, 21 Jul 2018 21:06:11 GMT
A Long Walk Into The Past https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/a-long-walk-into-the-past The Holy Chapel

 

We walked fives miles east to Château of Vincennes, which is outside of Paris proper. With all the photo distractions along the way, walking all the way around the site on the outside of the walls, and exploring the chapel and castle, our Fitbits recorded 33,000 steps, 15 miles, and 37 floors. We left the hotel around 12:30 pm and got back at 9:00 pm. 

 

Château of Vincennes is built on the site of a 12th century hunting lodge that was in the Vincennes forest. At the beginning of the 100 years war, John II started Château of Vincennes in 1350 and worked on it until the end of his reign in 1364. Charles V completed it around 1370. Château of Vincennes has played a major role in French history. Monarchs took refuge in it during the 16th and 17th centuries and there was construction on it until 1682 when Louis XIV moved to Versailles. After that Château of Vincennes was no longer a royal residence, however, beginning with the revolution it was used as an arsenal. On March 16, 1808, Napoleon consolidated his military, and, by decree, leveled the wall towers to adapt the site for modern artillery.

 

Castle

 

The stormy weather helped create a medieval atmosphere at the château.

 

Courtyard on the left. Moat on the right.

 

castle entrance.

 

Inside the castle walls.

 

The first clock tower.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art castle cathedral Château of Vincennes clouds france light lighting paris photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/a-long-walk-into-the-past Fri, 20 Jul 2018 22:00:22 GMT
Gargoyle in a Bubble https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/gargoyle-in-a-bubble

 

 

After the conference let out yesterday afternoon, we stopped by a boulangerie patisserie and got a bocadillo, quiche and chocolate cake to go, and took our dinner to the park behind Notre Dame. While we ate our dinner, we watched rats run between our feet to get to the garden, and got buzzed by large wood pigeons trying to decide which trees they wanted to roost in for the night. Laurie was trying to go over her paper she presented today, but then we got ran out of the park at 9:15 pm by the security guard closing the park. On the way to the west side of Notre Dame, I got a photo of the sunset with Notre Dame before we walked up to the front of the Cathedral where Laurie finished going over her paper, and I photographed the various happenings.

 

The rats are fast, so I couldn't get a shot of them running to the garden. This one paused for a moment, which allowed me to get a photo before it scurried off under the cover of garden plants.

 

Wood Pigeons goose stepping

 

 

Love hurts. Love locks.

 

Dinner on the Seine.

 

Oblivious

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art boat boulangerie patisserie bubble dinner gargoyle light lighting notre dame photography rats sunset wood pigeon https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/gargoyle-in-a-bubble Wed, 18 Jul 2018 14:58:04 GMT
The Twelve https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/the-twelve

Apostles on the SW corner.

 

There is an effort going on the clean up and restore the exterior of Norte Dame. The twelve Apostles look nice and clean.

 

There most of the people in the photo are waiting in a very long line to get into Notre Dame. The line has three bends in it across the plaza.

 

Apostles on the SE corner.

 

Notre Dame at golden hour.

 

Apostles on the NE corner.

 

View from the south bank on the Seine.

 

Apostles on the NW corner. I did not have a photo of these Apostles because it's impossible to get a shot of them from the street. Since there was no one in the room across from our room in the hotel, the porter let me in the room so I could get this shot through the skylight.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) apostles art france light lighting notre dame paris photography statues https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/the-twelve Tue, 17 Jul 2018 16:14:47 GMT
World Cup Madness https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/world-cup-madness

Watching the game at one of many bars.

 

If, by chance, you don't know the outcome of the World Cup Soccer final, France beat Croatia 4-2. The streets of Paris close to Notre Dame were filled with fans celebrating the win until the early hours this morning.


 

Fans overflowed into the streets to watch the game from outside bars.

 

 

Fans celebrating in the street after France scores the first point of the game.

 

Goal!

 

Fans poured into the streets yelling, screaming and singing at the end of the game.

 

 

Fans dance, scream, splash and sing in a fountain.

 

The lion looks like it's cheering with the fans.

 

 

 

Fireworks filled the air with colored smoke. Red and blue smoke covered up the white smoke.

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) celebration fans france notre dam paris soccer art light lighting photography world cup' https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/world-cup-madness Mon, 16 Jul 2018 14:50:13 GMT
Fly, Fly Away https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/fly-fly-away

 

We are flying off to Paris tomorrow. I most likely will not post a blog tomorrow, and it depends on what's going on Sunday after we get to Paris whether I post a blog or not. Sunday is the World Cup final with France playing Croatia for the World Cup Title.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bastille day birds france light lighting paris photography plane world cup https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/fly-fly-away Sat, 14 Jul 2018 01:55:07 GMT
View From The Parking Lot https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/view-from-the-parking-lot

Monsoon season is underway. I had to stop by the pharmacy on the way home. The afternoon thunderheads were building up over the Sandias.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art clouds light lighting photography sandias thunderheads https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/view-from-the-parking-lot Fri, 13 Jul 2018 02:17:40 GMT
Cat Trap https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/cat-trap

 

We are off to Paris, France on Saturday, and the cats are going to be shut in with the catio being their only connection to the outside world for 10 days while we are gone. They will go crazy being shut inside now that they have been able to go outside and come back inside as they please during the day for the past several months. Therefore, I'm sure they will rush the front door and try to slip outside when Laurie's parents come over to feed them.

Since Loki, Silver and Marble are afraid of everyone but us, and they freak out, run and hide whenever other people come in the house, if they got out while we are gone, Laurie's parents would have a really difficult time getting them back in. If we left the kitty door to the outside open while we are gone, we would come home to a house full of bunnies, lizards and birds, since we have been taking away two or three lizards a day from the kitties that they bring into the house, a couple of birds a week, and Silver has brought three baby bunnies and a gopher into the house over the past six weeks.

While thinking about how to minimize the risk of the kitties getting out while we are gone, I got the bright idea to wire-in the porch at the front door, so it's like a vestibule or "cat trap". That way if the kitties rush the door and slip out, they will be trapped in the wired-in porch, making it easier to get them back inside.

Using scrap wood, an old door, and wire from the infinite shed of doom, I got most of the cat trap built last night, so this morning Spunk and Silver were checking out my work from the outside looking in. Since it's new, they were quite excited about it, and Laurie said they made a big deal out of coming in and going out through the door on the cat trap all day. I finished the cat trap tonight, and let silver slip out the front door to test it. He started to make a break for the great outdoors, but he was stopped the the cat trap's closed door. He then walked the perimeter of the cat trap, look up and saw wire covered the top, decided there was no way out, and came back inside. Success!

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cat track cats light lighting photography Silver Spunk https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/cat-trap Thu, 12 Jul 2018 04:28:53 GMT
Big & Small https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/big-small

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art flowers insects light lighting photography wasp https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/big-small Wed, 11 Jul 2018 03:20:00 GMT
Najar @ 6400 https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/najar-6400

 

Close ups of Najar illuminated by the lights over the counter — 200mm, ƒ/5.6, 1/80, ISO 6400.

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats light lighting Najar photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/najar-6400 Tue, 10 Jul 2018 03:53:06 GMT
Western Tiger Swallowtail & Sunbeams https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/western-tiger-swallowtail-sunbeams

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art butterfly light lighting photography sunbeams western tiger swallowtail https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/western-tiger-swallowtail-sunbeams Mon, 09 Jul 2018 00:53:40 GMT
A Portrait of the Hummer as a Young Bird https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/a-portrait-of-the-hummer-as-a-young-bird

 

Once upon a time, and a very good time it was, there was a hummer sitting on a branch outside the window and this hummer that was outside the window looked with a sideways glance at the lens named Canon spying on it from the other side of the window through the foliage of the sweet trumpet vine that mostly covered the window. And so it sat there looking lovely.

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art hummingbird light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/a-portrait-of-the-hummer-as-a-young-bird Sun, 08 Jul 2018 01:24:08 GMT
Summertime Blues https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/summertime-blues

 


 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art blues cats heat light lighting photography Spunk https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/summertime-blues Sat, 07 Jul 2018 01:20:18 GMT
Towhee Talking https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/towhee-talking

"Ciao Paparazzo!"

 

This young spotted towhee had a lot say when we walked past him the other night.

 

"Blah blah BLAH blah blah Blah BLAH."

 

"Blah BLAH blah BLAH BLAH BLAH blah."

 

"Nuff said!"

 

"¡Hasta la vista! "

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art birds light lighting photography spotted towhee towhee https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/towhee-talking Fri, 06 Jul 2018 01:14:24 GMT
4th of July https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/4th-of-july

 

Annual Corrales 4th of July Parade.

 

Hooray!

 

Unicorns

 

Unicycles

 

 

 

 

We've been like waiting forever!

 

 

Hang ten.

 

 

 

 

The sirens were not so sweetly singing.

 

Alpacas

 

 

 

I wonder if they ride unicycles on you as part of the massage.

 

Lots of candy and stuff was thrown out for the kids all along the parade route — mostly by political campaigns.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) 4th alpacas art cars dogs goats horses July kids light lighting photography skeletons unicycle women https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/4th-of-july Thu, 05 Jul 2018 00:43:18 GMT
Night Hawks https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/night-hawks

 

Night Hawks are fast and erratic flyers, much like bats and hummingbirds, as they catch insects on the wing at sunset.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunset intermission

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art birds clouds light lighting night hawks photography sunset https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/night-hawks Wed, 04 Jul 2018 01:14:18 GMT
Five B's https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/five-bs

 

Beetle, Butterfly, Boa, Bovine, and Birds are the Five B's

 

 

Snake eyes

 

I waited for Blue to stick out her tongue, but she would do it. I guess the cats had her tongue.

 

 A ravenous feral bovine that broke into the neighbor's hay and then walked along the ditch bank munching on weeds and grass like it hadn't eaten in a week. It didn't have a brand or an ear tag, so we don't know who it belongs too, but it wasn't afraid of people, so it seemed to be a local cow.

 

Beaker hanging out behind his windshield.

 

Søren

 

Søren's namesake wrote:

“If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never. And what wine is so sparkling, what so fragrant, what so intoxicating, as possibility!”†

 

All Søren had to say was "More Cowbell! Stupid cat!"

 

†Except from Søren Kierkegaard’s Either/Or: A Fragment of Life

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art beaker birds boa bovine bugs butterfly cow eyes light lighting photography snake søren https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/five-bs Tue, 03 Jul 2018 01:45:42 GMT
Purple Haze https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/purple-haze

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bugs butterflies damselfly flowers haze insects light lighting photography purple https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/7/purple-haze Mon, 02 Jul 2018 00:43:48 GMT
Blue Grosbeak at 3200 https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/blue-grosbeak-at-3200

 

Images of Blue Grosbeaks after sunset. The raw files are cropped, but not processed, leaving the grain. The photos are shot at various distances at 200mm, 1/160 to 1/200 of a second at ƒ/4, ISO 3200, and cropped 200% to 300%.

 

 

We night herons glow in the dark.

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art birds black crowned night heron blue grosbeak ISO 3200 light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/blue-grosbeak-at-3200 Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:17:47 GMT
Life Was A Highway https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/life-was-a-highway

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art frame glasses highway light lighting photography stripe yellow https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/life-was-a-highway Sat, 30 Jun 2018 01:19:47 GMT
Waiting for the Moon https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/waiting-for-the-moon

Subtle pinks and purples covered the Sandias while I waited on the beach for the full moon to rise.

 

Moonrise

 

A phalanx of Phalacrocorax brasilianus flew by.

 

 

 

 

A grasshopper blended in with the grains of sand.

 

 

Tiny toad among cottonwood sprouts.

 

 

Fish stirred the waters as they swam in the shallows against the current.

 

 

Tiny heart-shaped blossoms reflected the moonlight.

 

The last photograph of the moonrise before I headed north to see the owls.

 

As we walked through the bosque on our way to see the owls, New Mama Owl flew out of a cottonwood, preched on branch near us, and surveyed her surroundings while we talked to her. She flew off when a couple with a dog walked by.

 

Heading on north to see the owlets, a coyote ran across our path and disappeared into the foliage.

 

With the moon making a halo around his head, New Owl gave me his ever familiar "Make my day!" look as we stared at each other in the darkness.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art birds coyote flower full moon grasshopper light lighting moon moonrise owls photography rio grande sandias toad https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/waiting-for-the-moon Fri, 29 Jun 2018 00:58:11 GMT
We're Cool https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/were-cool

Besides occasional smoke banks rolling in and a few thunderheads building up for a short time in the late afternoon, we have had clear skies, little wind and triple digit temperatures. The air has been so dry that our swamp cooler is keeping the house 30 degrees lower than the temperatures outdoors. So we're cool!

 

 

Smoke from a distant fire.

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art blue skies cool dry heat hot light lighting photography rio grande sandias temperature https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/were-cool Thu, 28 Jun 2018 01:18:04 GMT
Bullfrog Reflecting https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/bullfrog-reflecting

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bullfrog light lighting photography reflecting reflections https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/bullfrog-reflecting Wed, 27 Jun 2018 00:04:48 GMT
A Persistence of Hummingbirds https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/a-persistence-of-hummingbirds

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art hummingbirds light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/a-persistence-of-hummingbirds Tue, 26 Jun 2018 01:20:34 GMT
Dreaming https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/dreaming

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art light lighting photography rio grande toad https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/dreaming Mon, 25 Jun 2018 04:12:17 GMT
Beauty & The Barf https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/beauty-the-barf

 

 

 

Spunk in grass by the Beta Rose. Photo by Laurie.

 

"¡Hola pesky Paparazzo! ¿Qué pasa?"

 

"Excusez-moi, je dois aller faire une pelote de régurgitation."

 

"That looks like a good place to puke down there."

 

"Anyone besides that pesky paparazzo looking?"

 

"Working it up..."

 

"Ack ack ack ack ack... AAaack!"

 

"Wow! That was a bony one."

 

Owl pellet (barf) with lots of bones.

 

By the size of some of the bones, rabbits and skunks were most likely part of the meals.

 


 

Bones, hair and whatever else the owls can't digest.

 

Special for you today — A variety pack of four owl pellets.

 

"Hmmm! What should I have for dinner?"

 

"Whoa! That's a really beautiful moon peeking through the clouds. Did you get of photo of it pesky paparazzo?"

 

 

"Looks like dinner foraging in the leaves ahead."

 

"¡Hasta la vista! Au revoir! Pesky paparazzo."

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art barf cats clouds flowers french great horned owl light lighting moon owl pellets owls paparazzo photography roses spanish spunk weeds https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/beauty-the-barf Sun, 24 Jun 2018 01:32:31 GMT
Peekaboo Green & Blue https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/peekaboo-green-blue

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art blue green leaf light lighting photography wasp https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/peekaboo-green-blue Sat, 23 Jun 2018 00:12:18 GMT
Like Snow in June https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/like-snow-in-june

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cotton fence light lighting photography snow-like https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/like-snow-in-june Fri, 22 Jun 2018 01:32:21 GMT
The Blue Wasp https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/the-blue-wasp

Blue Wasp: "Here's a promising hole."

 

If you are old enough, you might remember "The Green Hornet" TV series from the late 1960's — Bruce Lee played Kato. We have the Blue Wasp, who was out on the levee the other night looking in holes for spiders she could turn into zombies and lay her eggs on. After the eggs hatch, the larvae eat the spider while they mature.

 

Blue Wasp: "Hey! Any spiders down there?"  Spiders: "There are no spiders around these parts!"

 

I think the spiders were lying Ms. Blue Wasp.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art blue wasp light lighting photography wasp https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/the-blue-wasp Thu, 21 Jun 2018 04:58:46 GMT
Super Sliver Moon https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/super-sliver-moon

Super sliver moon balanced above the power line.

 

I got these photos last week, but owls, cats and insects got in the way. I almost forgot about them.

 

Super sliver moon with bats fluttering around.

 

Super sliver moon slipping into the clouds between the trees.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bats clouds light lighting moon photography power line sliver moon sunset trees https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/super-sliver-moon Wed, 20 Jun 2018 01:21:52 GMT
The Irresistible Cuteness of Owls https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/the-irresistible-cuteness-of-owls

Sister Owl and New 3rd Owlet who we had not seen before.

 

We walked north to where the New Owl Family hangs out at 7:30 pm yesterday, about an forty-five minutes earlier than usual, with Susan and Tristan to see if the owls were out. New Owl, Sister Owl, New Mama Owl, and another juvenile we had not seen with the New Owl family were all out, and being irresistibly cute. After New Owl and Sister Owl flew further into the bosque, Tristan I walked down to where they had been perched and found "owl pellets" (owl barf of regurgitated bones, fur, skin and such they can't digest) on the ground and collected three or four pellets to analyze (owl barf will be a later post). The three owls sat up in the cottonwood watching us examine their pellets and looked at us like we were crazy. After that I was photographing them in the tree, and they kept turning their heads around, looking different directions. Tristan and Susan thought it was funny to hear me telling the owls to turn around and look at me so I could see their faces.

 

Sister Owl looking cool on the end of her perch.

 

New Owl giving me a back sided "Go ahead. Make my day!" look.

 

"What are those two doing down there? Is that our barf they are playing with? Ew that's really gross!"

 

Sister Owl, New 3rd Owlet and New Owl perched above.

 

New Owl watching Sister Owl walk up the trunk of the tree to where New 3rd Owlet is before he flew up to the branch above them.

 

New 3rd Owlet

 

New Mama Owl

 

New Mama Owl loves to model.

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) 3rd art cottonwood great horned owls owlets light lighting mama owl new new owl owlet" owls pellets photography sister owl https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/the-irresistible-cuteness-of-owls Tue, 19 Jun 2018 01:56:58 GMT
Spunk https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/spunk

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats light lighting photography spunk https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/spunk Mon, 18 Jun 2018 04:42:27 GMT
What to Do on a Rainy Day https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/what-to-do-on-a-rainy-day

Silver checking to see if it's raining on the west slide of the house.

 

Anyone who follows this blog knows we get very little rain in the high deserts of north-central New Mexico. We have gone for months without measurable precipitation, drought conditions are severe, and the Forest Service closed the Sandias on Thursday because risk of fire is really high. We had a bit of rain that lasted around 30 minutes last Sunday. Starting very early this morning, rain moved in, and, as rarely happens around here, we had a steady rain that lasted most of the day. Silver was very unhappy about the rain on Sunday, and today he was beside himself. He would go out on the deck where he could lie on the deck furniture under the canopy, but if he tried to venture out to his favorite places in the yard, he got wet. He kept coming inside and having me open the front door to see if it was still raining on the west side of the house, which is not as silly as it sounds, because we have had rain on one side of the house and dry on the other many times. That's just life with rain the southwest, where we can have full sun and a downpour, overcast and rain on one side of a building and sunny and dry on the other all at the same time.

Eventually, we all sat out on the deck under the canopy, and watched and listened to the rain while the kitties groomed themselves and each other. The kitties' licking gave me an idea for a parody music video, which turned out to be a fun thing to do on a raining day. You can see "Whole Lotta' Lickin' Goin' On", along with the lyrics after the last photo of Silver checking to see whether the weather is permitting.

 

Silver thinking about going out on the deck.

 

Silver deciding whether he can go out in the weather.

 

Whole Lotta' Lickin' Goin' On

 

Whole Lotta’ lickin' Goin’ On
Music: Jerry Lee Lewis
Lyrics: Timothy Price
(Originally “Whole Lotta’ Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Big Maybelle)

 

Come along kitties, whole lotta’ lickin' goin' on
Yes, I said come along kitties, kitty you can't go wrong
We ain't chicken, there’s a whole lotta’ lickin' goin' on

Well, I said come along kitties, we got rainin’ in the yard
Woo-huh, come along kitties, it’s really comin’ down hard
We ain't chicken, there’s a whole lotta’ lickin' goin' on

Well, I said lick, kitty, lick
I said lick, kitty, lick
I said lick yeah, kitty, lick yeah
And then lick, kitty, lick
Come on over, whole lotta’ lickin' goin' on
Oh, let's go!

Alright

Well, I said come along kitties, we got rainin’ in the yard
Whose yard? What yard? My yard
Come along kitties, it’s really comin’ down hard
Yeah! We ain't chicken, there’s a whole lotta’ lickin' goin' on

Easy now
lick it
Ah, lick it, kitty
Yeah
You can lick each other one more time
Ye-ah-ha-ah, I said come on over, kitties
Whole lotta’ lickin' goin' on
Now, kitties get down and lick one paw now
lick, kitty, lick
All you gotta do, kitty, is kinda lie in one spot
Wiggle around just a little lick, that's when you got it, yeah
Come on kitty, whole lotta’ lickin' goin' on
Now let's go one time

lick kitties, lick, lick kitties, lick
Woo, lick kitties, come on kitties, lick, kitties, lick
Come on over, whole lotta’ lickin' goin' on

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) cats jerry lee lewis licking light lighting music parody photography rain silver spunk video https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/what-to-do-on-a-rainy-day Sun, 17 Jun 2018 01:33:31 GMT
Have Macro Will Bug https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/have-macro-will-bug

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bees beetle flies flowers insects light lighting photography spider https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/have-macro-will-bug Sat, 16 Jun 2018 01:04:59 GMT
Beaver in Jetties on Bank https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/beaver-in-jetties-on-bank

Smokey air under stormy skies

 

You can see an animated GIF of the beaver on the bank at https://photoofthedayetc.wordpress.com/2018/06/14/beaver-in-jetties-on-bank/.

 

Beaver in the jetties.

 

Beaver cutting willows.

 

Taking willows down the bank.

 

 

 

 

 

Swimming off with willows.

 

Under cover of jetties,

 

Smokey sunset under stormy skies.

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art beaver jetties light lighting photography sandias smoke sunset https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/beaver-in-jetties-on-bank Thu, 14 Jun 2018 23:18:34 GMT
Sasha & Silver on ICE https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/sasha-silver-on-ice

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art boxes cats ice light lighting photography sasha silver https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/sasha-silver-on-ice Thu, 14 Jun 2018 00:58:30 GMT
Rest for the Weary https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/rest-for-the-weary

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) alley art couch downtown homeless light lighting photography street https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/rest-for-the-weary Tue, 12 Jun 2018 23:15:43 GMT
R-9 After 9:09 Lost in Open Space https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/r-9-after-9-09-lost-in-open-space

Lost in Open Space

 

8:18:32 PM: We began our usual evening walk by checking out the sunset colors on the Sandias.

 

8:27:28 PM: We walked out on the beach to see how the tadpoles were doing. There was lots of talk, yelling back and forth, and laughing from what sounded like a group of young people to the north, who I assumed were having a good time rafting on the river.

 

8:33:32 PM: After we started walking north on the trail in the bosque to the point where the new owl family live, New Mama Owl flew by, landed on a nearby cottonwood, and looked like she wanted more photos taken.

 

8:43:00 PM: I walked around the cottonwood and she poked her head up.

 

8:34:04 PM: I walked closer to New Mama Owl and she made a nice looking off in the distance pose.

Leaving New Mama Owl behind, we got back on the trail and continued north. We ran into our neighbor Sarah and her friend Susan coming back from checking out New Owl and Sister Owl. We chatted for a few seconds about what the owls were doing, and then we continued on our way. We could hear the group on the river yelling back and forth to each other, but none of us thought anything of it because people are often out rafting on the river, making all kinds of noise. 

 

8:40:30 PM: We got up on the top of the bank to find New Owl and Sister Owl bobbing their heads and looking around. Soon they both flew over to the edge of the bank and pounced on some kind of prey they saw moving around in the weeds. I watched them pounce from one place or another for a couple of minutes.

 

8:42:52 PM: Sister Owl and New Owl on the top of the bank discussing their short hunting activities.

 

8:45:33 PM: Sister Owl watching New Owl flying into the tree. After that we continued on our walk working on steps, active minutes and stairs that our Fitbits record. While we are walking Rescue 9 and two Corrales Police cars crossed the bridge at Dixon Road, about 3/4 of a mile south of where we were and start driving toward us. They stopped and started again a couple of times until the got about 100 feet from where we were and a group of firefighters and two police officers got out of their vehicles and walked toward us. I asked them what they are looking for, and they said people lost in the bosque. I told them that must be the group we heard on the river directly east of us.

 

9:09:21 PM: R-9 after 9:09.

 

 

When we got back to the bridge the Fire Marshal was in his truck at the bridge. He said the young people got lost in some of the dense foliage and he thought they might have lost their boat. He asked if we had seen the mile markers he and an Eagle Scout had put up along the river for the rafters. We hadn't, but the lost group had called in the mile marker they were at, which helped the rescuers locate them. By the time we reached his truck, he told us the firefighters and police officers had located all the people in the group. We often see rafters on the Rio Grande, and they usually ask us how far it is to Alameda bridge, or where Dixon Road is. The mile markers are a great idea. The Eagle Scout made the mile markers out of angle iron from old jetties, which is a great use of old jetties.

Of course, all of us who are in the bosque almost everyday can't image how anyone could get lost, especially if they have a phone to call for help. A quick look on Google Maps shows that the levee is at maximum only 100 yards or so from the edge of the river, west through the bosque. The sky was completely clear last night, and the sun was on display for everyone to see all the way to sunset.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bosque cottonwoods fire chief firefighters jetties light lighting lost owls photography police r-9 rafting rescue rescue 9 river https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/r-9-after-9-09-lost-in-open-space Tue, 12 Jun 2018 01:59:50 GMT
Owliance Famille https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/owliance-famille

Little Owl earlier in the week giving me mad dogs.

 

Fat Owl snoozing on a branch in a cottonwood across the ditch from where Little Owl was mad-dogging me.

 

Big Owl practicing his ballet standing in third position, on a branch below Fat Owl in the tree across the ditch from where Little Owl was mad-dogging me.

 

Mama Owl keeping an eye on Little Owl yesterday. Little Owl was on the next tree over from Mama Owl. Big Owl and Fat Owl were nowhere to be seen.

 

Little Owl checking out something close to where I'm standing.

 

 

A mile north of BO, LO and FO, live the New Owl Family.

New Mama Owl

 

Close up of New Mama Owl.

 

Walking a few hundred feet north of where New Mama Owl was perched in the above photos a few days ago, I saw what looked like two owls on the edge of the levee about 400 feet ahead of me. The light is really low so it was hard to make them out even looking through the telephoto lens. We discussed whether there were two owls or just one owl and a weed as we walking toward them.

Tim: There is definitely one owl, I think the other is a weed.

Laurie: It looks like the weed is turning it's head around.

Tim: I don't know it still looks like a weed.

Laurie: Now the weed is bobbing its head up and down.

Tim: You're right. The weed is an owl.

 

As we got close enough we could see New Owl looking at us, and his sister hanging out behind a weed.

 

New Owl flew into the bosque, leaving Sister Owl alone on the bank with the approaching paparazzo and bella donna.

 

Sister Owl takes a final look at the pair approaching before flying into the bosque with New Owl.

 

New Owl is surprised I can see him in the darkness (Don't tell New Owl, but I could barely see him).

 

Typical "Go ahead! Make my day!" look by New Owl.

 

Sister Owl looking cool before she flew off into the darkness.

 

Last night I spied New Owl on the top of the bank and Sister Owl near the bottom of the bank.

 

After New Owl flew onto a cottonwood in the bosque, Sister Owl let me get very close to her before she flew into a tree.

 

New Owl right before he flew off deeper into the bosque.

 

Sister Owl.

 

To give you an idea of how dark it can be when I'm photographing the owls, this is a jpeg from the un-processed, un-cropped raw file of Sister Owl.

When I walked by the same location on my way back home, all three owls were on the ditch bank again. I could barely see them as black blobs against the lighter bank. They all flew into the bosque and disappeared into the darkness when I got too close.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art bank bosque cottonwood great horned owls levee light lighting owls photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/owliance-famille Mon, 11 Jun 2018 00:37:47 GMT
Seven Rose Saturday https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/seven-rose-saturday

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art light lighting photography roses https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/seven-rose-saturday Sun, 10 Jun 2018 00:30:38 GMT
The Bearable Lightness of Butterfly https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/the-bearable-lightness-of-butterfly

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art butterfly light lighting photography https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/the-bearable-lightness-of-butterfly Sat, 09 Jun 2018 04:22:00 GMT
Spunk Goes A-Viking https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/spunk-goes-a-viking

Vikings eh! They are tough ones, you say?

 

We'll just see how tough those Icelandic Vikings are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whoa! Those vikings are tougher than I thought.

 

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[email protected] (T & L Photos) art cats jesse byock light lighting photography spunk viking age iceland vikings https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/spunk-goes-a-viking Fri, 08 Jun 2018 01:08:05 GMT
New Owl https://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/6/new-owl

 

After checking on Big Owl, Little Owl, and Fat Owl, who were all in different spots, in different trees from the tree they were born in, I ran into New Owl, another juvenile owl, about a mile north of BO, LO and FO. Even though it was getting dark, I got some decent shots of New Owl sitting in a tree and flying across the ditch.