Mexican Clover

There is a patch of Mexican clover in the shade of the cypress trees at the Alligator Lake Park behind the Department of Transportation headquarters. I have gone here the last few days at varying times, weather conditions, attempting to photograph these little pink flowers with the large clover leafs. The challenge is to expose the background cypress trees at the edge of the lake, and keep the small flowers in the shade exposed properly and in focus. This calls for flash on a low setting, a small f-stop and a low angle. I have yet to get all the elements as I want. In some, the background looks good. In most, the flowers are not in good focus, or the flash too strong. Then, when the elements both seemed to work, I notice in the background, on one of the cypress trees, a sign.
I will continue to photograph these Mexican clovers until I feel I have gotten it right. That is what usually keeps me coming to an area over and over, never tiring of the location. There is always plenty of subject matter, lighting conditions and improving upon past efforts to keep one going for a long time.
This particular photograph is not representative of what I am trying to attempt. This was taken with little of the trees in the background, allowing for an easier exposure. The white spot in the left corner is the result of this, and what happens when you attempt to meter the close up clovers or the cypress.

Gadarene

Must I place the posts as close as those at the zoo,
in order to keep my Gadarene in,
or do I place a single post for you to run a cabled circle?
What color shock collar should I choose for you?
And the muzzled bite bit?
And where shall I find the raw hindquarters you prefer?
Or do I simply have mercy and take you back to the tombs?
It was not a good time to take on possessed things
But still we scheme
And try to convince the neighbors we must have
balanced natures
That too many cats and dogs roam
That too many predators leer upon our little ones
That too many Witnesses, politicians and
Latter-Some day Saints knock continually
Swine herds procreate on our lawns
That we need peace
Quiet
Help natural selection along
It was a noble thought
A Gadarene in every neighborhood.

Falling Log

On the recent visit to Falling Creek, a large log has lodged itself next to the falls. I walked to the edge and tried to move it, but it was too inbedded in the creek bottom. It will take a rope and several strong pulls from the bank below, or a strong waterflow to possibly dislodge it. It does not lend to the composition. I was there to experiment further with taking HDR, High Dynamic Range photographs, three photo's on a tripod with one under, one on, one over exposed. You then combine the three in the computer for a photo with highlights and shadows. This was one of the middle photographs of three.

The Old Man and the Manoa

This one I like. It has a good expression on Nathaniels mug and I am in my usual stern stare. I like the single flash and the high contrast.
Will try this more often.

Say Holy Maloey!

Letting Nathaniel go through the camera bag. He grabbed the flash and held it up like he sees me doing so often. Teaching him young.

Verdi interesting

When we saw this episode 13 recently, Melanie asked, who is the portrait of behind Andy in the Mayor's office? I figured it to be one of the Presidents, then possibly one of Andy's relatives, Robert E Lee or Jefferson Davis. I went online to the Andy Griffith Rerun Watchers Club, of which I have been a member(Stokes County Chapter) for a long time and asked the question in the forum. I then went to good ole wickapedia and found the answer. It is a portrait of Guiseppe Verdi, the opera composer, and one of my favorites.
I suppose he was hanging in the Mayors office, for in this episode, Hollywood comes to Mayberry, Mayor Pike's daughter, known for her singing(badly), serenades the Hollywood producer come to Mayberry to film.

Nathaniel turns One

My first(only)grandchild Nathaniel Manoa Stokes, born to my first son Landon and Amber, was born January 5th, 2011. We had his birthday party this past Saturday at Alligator Park. This was a single flash photo, with the flash to our side and resting on the couch.
He was looking at me holding the Nikon D5000 up with one hand. Melanie and I had our 24th anniversary the 8th, her birthday is the 13th, Jordon's the 25th, mine the 30th. A month of many candles.

While you prayed

by john clare

While you prayed I numbered your hairs
Spread some seed for your sparrows
Covered the shivering lilies beside you lying,
Poured some water for you from the wine.

Is that not what the lover should do?
Answer your prayers for you?
When I stilled your sea and opened your eyes
Did you not first see my stars dancing in the skies?

I heard your every plea to let you see
But know I had to love you secretly
For had you but glimpsed the one who counts hairs
The bride would have stopped her continual prayers

And into this Kingdom you would never have come
So sleep peacefully my love, your lilies shall blossom.

Threshold of Tirzah

Threshold of Tirzah
I Kings 14:17
by john clare

The forgotten footfalls from a life of passing
Patiently brushing down to a smoothed bow
Broom straw strands scattered once fastened
Echoes of patters across the threshold of Tirzah.

Long has gone even the memory of little crossings
The lift of lightened limbs weighed in joy
Loveliness resting in the radiant dust clinging lost
Stirred by winds who knew the only boy.

To the threshold Tirzah comes to peer
Down the overgrown path of Camilla bloom
Who can know the joy of sorrow stooping here
The little one that ascended all too soon.

Forever on the bowed threshold Tirzah remains
The weeping winds forever whispering his name.

The First Full Moon over Suwannee

I was sitting home late this afternoon, mulling the day, the keeping of Nathaniel, our 24th anniversary yesterday, knowing tonight was thefirst full moon of 2012. I decided sort of on the spur of the moment after listening to the Moody Blues Voices in the Sky on Pandora
to head up to White Springs. I checked the map to see where the moon possibly would rise and when. It was to rise at 6:38 so by 5:15 I was loaded and headed for the Suwannee River at the 41 Bridge. Arriving, the construction crew working on the railroad bridge were packing up, so I waited a moment until they departed and crossed the tracks, walking upstream a way.
I alternated with the Nikon D5000 in HDR three exposure mode and the Canon S95 on a Jobo tripod. The Nikon soon ran out of memory and as usual, I was without a spare. I headed back to the bridge to wait the moon. It grew dark and cloudy, but finally the moon came over the pines, further to the East than I had anticipated, not over the river as I had hoped.
I took several fifteen second exposures and worked on trying to get the moon underexposed, the rest of the scene exposed. I did not succeed in the effort. I also found when I downloaded, that the shadow of the bridges cast a distinct straight shadow which confused the composition, making it look double exposed. Next time out, I will go for a location without the bridge casting such a shadow.
I am going to try next outing to construct a little dodger, to place in front of the lens where the moon is, holding it over that spot until just one or less seconds. The moon is bright as daylight, at about 125 sec or faster. Over-all, just a nice time out on the river all alone.

Prayer Abounding

Today around 1:30 I had just completed posting on Facebook a prayer request for Melanie. I said, If you would like to have a part in helping someone escape an asylum, please pray for Melanie today as she has a phone interview very important to her. And many did respond. And as she came home this evening at six, she had a severe migraine headache. More oppression upon her. She went to bed with a hot pack to wait for the seven o'clock call. At seven, the call came and lasted for about forty-five minutes. The interviewer said for someone without this type experience, they had never seen someone so accurate in their answers. They hired her without the need for further interviews. Her next step is to hopefully go to Las Vegas for the week training in February, even though her schedule to go is March. We hope a scratch occurs and she can go sooner, as she really needs out of her commute and hardship issues where she currently works.
"As she stood beyond the dead line, the razored loop of steel, the Angel said, Why look ye to yonder asylum? Prayers have been lifted and now child, run, RUN!" john clare
And about that time I walked over to the front door of the house and looked up and took this photograph of the gathering Angels.

Three from January 6th