Some Pictures From Afternoon Walk

Find myself taking a lot more pictures these days. Went out today to see if I could get another shot of the Baltimore Orioles that I snapped last week...got a few I liked, and thought I would share that and a few other pictures that I snapped today on my afternoon walk.  Most of these still need cropped and played with, but was a good day to be out in the woods.

Not sure why, but have always loved birch trees, tend to always take a picture or two of them when they come into sight.  There are several clumps along the path I walked today, there along the edge of what some call a lake, but I see it more as a medium sized pond myself.  It's a great area to do a little bit of bird watching, though I seem to be better spotting them with my naked eye than capturing them through my lens.  Saw a beautiful male hummingbird (Ruby Throat-ed) in this birch, but alas he was far quicker than I, and was unable to get a picture, though would have loved too.

 

I enjoy this picture of cattails, the layers of leaves, the contrasting colors of water, last years long dead leaves, and the lush green as again the plant lifts itself up out of the wetlands, a cattail following sometime in late June or early July.  I know, pretty standard fare, the same kinds of picture a lot of us who enjoy being out in nature take, but this, much like the birch above is a great way to get started with my day, let the camera once again settle into my hand as I try to find my eye.

This next shot I really like...its simple singular statement speaks to me, the one stalk all alone, its curled top so graceful that you cannot help but notice it, which I obvious did.  Like the way the tree line blurred out of focus, the almost surreal feel of the water.  I would frame and mount this one, perhaps put it in my bathroom, or somewhere in the hall on a small wall.  Needs to be cropped though.

The red winged blackbird shot just reminds me of how much I really need a far more powerful lens than the one I have.  Wish I could find a serious lens for my Canon used, or perhaps at an auction where it would perhaps be in my price range...the detail is almost, but not quite there, and that at times frustrates me.  OK, I admit it...it frustrates me MOST OF THE TIME.

I got some shots I really like today of this bird...this is just one of them.  There is another one I am fond of as well, and will see if I can find it and share it as well.  I like the one flying as I RARELY get one like that...I know, suffering from a very bad case of LENS ENVY, but one of these days, shall have a chance to go out shooting with a far more powerful lens that is more appropriate for taking bird photographs, a lens that would give me the kinds of shots I see when looking through my binoculars.

Just a couple more for the day...enjoy!  Click on any picture to view the entire set in slide show mode.