Project 10: Take 2: Dark

Project 10 is a group that takes 10 photo's to depict the given topic of the month.  I was running out of time, my daughter did not want to model for me, and so I ended up taking pictures of my little black cat because she is completely dark.  However, I was not happy with the whole concept behind the topic dark. 

Last night I was going through my photo's of the past year and picking out my favorites and I came across this picture and I thought, oh boy, if this isn't dark, then I don't know what is.  However, it was not taken in this month.

This morning I brought my old cat back from the vet and as I parked my car I looked at the neighbors yard and my vision for dark was all over the driveway entrance.  When we first moved to Florida and started looking at houses, folks said to us you are crazy, you are moving way to far out of town, and you are going to take forever to get to work.  They were right in some sense, because I drive an hour to work twice a week.  However, I work in West Palm Beach so I guess that would make sense. 

I am an African.  I am used to seeing wild animals in game parks.  Not so  much in my back garden.  So when we picked our house in Florida, one of the first things we noticed, is that houses were zero lots, which means for someone who has come off half an acre of garden, the gardens here are non existent. After looking at 10 houses I made my choices, and the prayed that this would work.

And it did, we now own a home with a back garden that overlooks the Florida Everglades.  The highlight of that is that now I don't need to go to the game parks to view animals, they are literally in my back garden.

Which brings me back to the topic of "Dark".  These birds are the epitome of dark for me.   Turkey Vultures are defined as a new world vulture.  They are scavengers, feeding mainly on dead animals, or in some cases, a smell from a garbage bin.  The female vulture is typically larger. You will normally find them flying high in the sky or congregated around road kill. 

So here is my second take on dark.  Hanging out on the roofs, the basket ball hoops and the garbage....

 

Watching my every move....

The bird is large and has a wingspan of 63-72 inches, a body length of about 24-32in, and a body mass of about 1.8 to 5.1 lb. 

"Every step you take,  I will be watching you...."

 

While I think these birds are really dark, it is such a pleasure to get up close to them and to be able to photograph them right in front of my house.

“Birds of the same feathers flock together, and when they flock together they fly so high.”

~ Cecil Thounaojam
 

Project 10: Dark

Project 10 Challenge is a group of photographers who post ten photos on the theme of the month.  This month's theme was dark.  With the kids home from college and the running around, I have not had the chance to actually photograph something dark.  I did try to convince my daughter to pose for me on the theme but catching her was a lot harder than I imagined. College students are out all night, and sleep all day.  So I decided to focus one the next fixed member of my household. 

 

Moonshine (aka Missy since I do not see myself running around shouting Moonshine) is the baby of our family.  She has only lived with us for about 4 years.  She is probably 57 varieties and she is totally dark.  Midnight black.  Whenever I take pictures of her all I seem to see are these yellow eyes in the middle of the black.  So she is my model for dark this month. 

 

This is probably the first time she has seen a Christmas tree in our house, since I have not put it up for a number of years, and she watched the proceedings with great interest.

 

 

Once the presents came out she was more than interested, nosing in all the goodies and searching for her own present, I am sure.  Like all the rest of the quizzy adults in our family.  Little did they all know but I had super taped them down so that there would be no early peeking.

 

"Look mom, I've found mine, it says Moonshine on it.  I don't see Oliver's though".

"Aww, I just love Christmas - I got a catnip mouse.  I get to chase it, lick it, bite it and best of all smell it".

I love my catnip mouse.....

 Oh Oliver,  I am in kitty heaven....

After wearing herself out chasing and smelling her catnip toy, Missy soon disappeared to what appears to be her latest hang out spot, under the Christmas Tree.  Not sure what she will do after New Years Day when the tree comes down and all the decorations are put away. 

So this is my take on dark, my little black cat, who personality is the sweetest, even when she is slightly naughty.

“What greater gift than the love of a cat.”  

~ Charles Dickens

 

 

 

30-Minutes-In-the-Life: Dec 2013

 In the life of a photographer, whose art is created in tiny fractions of a second, thirty minutes is a sustained thought.  Thirty, minutes, the length of a child's ballet class, a quick sauce's simmer; a commute, is long enough to witness change and short enough to be over before you know it.  We offer you here our monthly results of thirty minutes of watching and waiting and recording, of rendering permanent those fractions of a second that slip past in the time it takes to watch a television show.  Thirty minutes in the life

~ Sara Kelly

As I prepared for my 30-Minutes-in-the-Life I was of course thinking it is December and it is Christmas season and I should blog something about the preparations for the holidays.  One small problem - I am really not prepared for Christmas.  However, we had a function this week, and oh man, were we in for a treat.

I have heard many stories about my friend Jane's music trips, Elvis ship tours and Dave and Jane's ministry to the elderly, but I have never experienced being live in an audience while they were giving their show.  I was taking random photo's at the event and Jane asked if I could take photo's of them preforming.  Join me as we spend the next 30 minutes of Dave and Jane's impersonation of various artists.

Jane shared with us that they very rarely have the opportunity to change clothes but in order to take on the persona of the characters they portray, they use props like hats, jackets or sunglasses. 

Dave, typically a very shy guy, showed a new side of his personality, a comfort in the role that he had taken on as a performer.  While I may be dating myself here, the music was familiar and I was able to settle in behind the camera and just enjoy myself.

They started off with an all time favorite of mine "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole. With the piano music starting out, almost big band in the background, with the smoothness of his voice and the pure joy on their faces.

  

  

Unforgettable - that's what you are.  What a treat.  Memories flow, I think of my parent's, in whose generation this song was so popular.

  

A switch of hats and we are moving on to "Fly me to the Moon" by Old Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra.  Oh man, I think of the days I pulled out my mothers vinal  long playing albums and enjoyed this type of music.  My grandmother had a rule each year.  We would go to the Follies at the local theater.  I remember the beautiful dancers in their feathers and glitter dancing to this beautiful music. I felt myself being transported back to those days.

"You'll never find"  by Lou Ralls has Dave 's voice dropping to a crooning and you are drawn in.  A jazzy style of music with a bit of an upbeat background.

  

Throw in a little bit of Stevie Wonder with the song " You are the sunshine of my life" and your feet are tapping and the head is nodding, and the audience's faces have lightened up and smiles are beginning to show.  Looking at Dave and Jane, you can surely feel that this is really what Dave is feeling.  Jane is in fact, a bundle of sunshine, who will light up a room as she walks in. 

A change of hats and a new song.  "My Guy" by Mary Wells, brought a bit of fun and laughter and a sweet interplay between Jane and Dave. 

"Lady Love" by Lou Ralls saw Jane in a big floppy purple hat intermingling through the audience, while Dave crooned his words out to her.  She was glowing and laughing and really enjoying herself. 

The highlight of the day was when Jane picked up the saxophone and treated us to an amazing rendition of "Moonglow".  WOW!!!  Big Band and sax what can I say. What a pleasure to listen to.  Gets your feet a tapping and your hips a swinging. 

The balance of my blog is beyond my 30 minutes but I am sharing them as I promised Jane she could use my link to share what they do when they go out and share their talent with the community and friends.

One of my all time favorites was an Elvis Presley song, which I was really familiar with, when sung by UB40 - "I can't help falling in love with you". With the deep voice of Elvis, add the sunglasses and the sparkly jacket and I am there rocking side to side and just loving hearing this beautiful song.  And then I am reminded that my version that I grew up with had a slightly reggae feel to it. 

Take my hand, my whole life to

because I can't help falling in love with you

(Elvis Presley & UB40)

What an amazing coup

Young and old, we all were entranced. 

They ended off the performance with "Silent Night", the children were gathered around, the adults were smiling and we joined in the singing as we closed up a time of celebration of another year of work. 

“Music is to the soul what words are to the mind.”  

~ Modest Mouse, Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News.

Remember to follow the link and see what Colleen Putman Photography/NYC Traveling Portrait Photographer has to offer this month.  Remember to click on all the links and see what the rest of the group has for you.

If you want to know more about the WinnWinn Situation click here and then click on the button that says the WinnWinn Situation.  

 

 

Blounts Botanical Garden Part 3

Walking around Blount's Botanical Garden was a treat for all my senses, except taste, and that came later when we went for a light dinner.  The visual aspect is just spectacular.  My hearing was blessed by the sounds of the birds and the insects.  The smell of the flowers was like sweet nectar, and the roughness of the bark on the trees filled my sense of touch.

 

This peaceful setting of rocks and succulent plants was so soothing, that I found Suzette had slipped off and made herself comfortable on the bench, relaxing until I had finished taking the shots I wanted.

While this little guy is blurry, I really love the motion in this photo, the sense of urgency to head off to another plant. 

Finally we are back where we started, near the herb and butterfly garden. 

 

 

And then Suzette spots a archway in the bamboo through which we meander and find this little tropical setting that was so interesting to walk through.

Typically when I think of my mother, I picture her reading a book, or baking in the kitchen.  But my mom loved Anthiriums, and so these reminded me of her as I walked through this tropical hideaway.  It's little moments like this that I find myself sharing the oddest stories of my parents.  In this case, while my father had his orchids growing in his hothouse, my mother insisted that at the base of his racks of orchids that he plant Anthiriums.  He did, and when they flowered he would pick them and take them inside to her.   

Last but not least, we headed through the rose garden.  The smells from these gorgeous roses linger in the air.

Finally one last photo of a butterfly before we leave the garden.

 

“Butterflies are not insects,' Captain John Sterling said soberly.

 'They are self-propelled flowers.”

 

~ Robert A, Heinlein, The Cat Who Walks Through Walls

 

Thank you for joining us on our walk through Blount's Botanical Garden.  If you are not able to visit this one, take a walk through your local Botanical Gardens and enjoy the beauty that these gardens typically offer.