Rattling Call, Incredible Speed...The Belted Kingfisher!

   Belted Kingfishers are rather skittish birds.  They are shy and tend to stay away from people if at all possible.  Add their incredible speed and you can easily see why the birds are notoriously difficult to photograph.  This makes the "hunt" interesting.  Sometimes the only indication that a kingfisher is in the area is its call.  The bird is usually solitary and only meets up with another during breeding season.  

  One thing that is a bit unusual about the Belted Kingfishers is that the female is more brightly colored than the male.  If you see one with an extra "belt" of rust color across its chest, that is the female.  Males lack this and are only blue and white.  There is some question as to why the female is more colorful since this is not the norm.  Usually, male birds are brightly colored to attract females and the females are muted as to stay hidden while on the nest.  What gives with the kingfishers?  

  One explanation that seems most logical is, that since kingfishers are highly territorial, the rust-colored band gives a resident male a clue that he need not defend his territory but should welcome the visitor.  When in the midst of many battles with other (intruder) males, that bit of color is sort of like a flag.  The male can easily distinguish the female as a possible mate instead of an interloper.

  This morning, I heard the rattling call of a kingfisher near the pier.  Determined to get my photograph, I plunked myself down and waited.  I was rewarded when a female bird landed on a tall pole on my brother's pier.  Ahh!  I had to be quick!  I snapped exactly one picture before the bird dove into the water, snatched a fish and flew to a nearby pine tree.  She was gone...but I had my picture!

Difficult Task!

   The Belted Kingfisher birds are notoriously hard to photograph simply because they are so busy.  The birds can dive with lightning speed and literally dive right out of a photograph!  This makes for a delightful sense of accomplishment if even one picture turns out well.  Since the birds hang around the pier posts as they dive for small fish near the marsh, it has become a personal challenge to get that elusive inflight photograph.  I have not.  Yet.  I will keep trying.  

  The little female kingfisher did come to visit this morning and granted me several pictures as she patiently sat atop one of the tallest posts.  She obviously had her belly full as she did nothing more than watch me with my camera.  I took advantage of her patience and snapped a few photos from a good distance before trying to "worm" my way closer.  She was having no part of that!  After moving just a few feet nearer the post, she took flight to my brother's pier.  Once there, she began diving again but with the old camera not liking the humidity, nary a picture of her dives was achieved.  I had to be satisfied with the ones on the post.  Belted Kingfishers can dive at 25mph which fully explains the difficulty.  

Not Just Older...Better!

     It is no secret that I take a lot of photographs of the wildlife around the Bayou.  That is one of the whole points of this blog.  I want to be able to keep a history of what life is like here for my grandkids that rarely get to visit and for anyone else who just enjoys nature at its best.  Wildlife here abounds as this is one of the few places left to be wild (as life should be).  Most everyone that knows me has an inkling of my passion...especially Son.  Since he spends about as much time outdoors as I do, he has been witness to me climbing trees, crawling through the underbrush or simply "waiting" for the right moment for a critter to emerge from the marsh.  He has seen it all.  This led up to a series of photographs that are rather remarkable because of a single factor.

  It was midmorning when a Great Blue Heron decided to perch itself high on a dead pine tree that sits at the edge of the marsh.  With nothing between the bird and my position on the board path leading to the pier, it was the perfect photo opportunity.  Of course, that meant that at least a dozen pictures had to be taken even if it was with the old camera that I kept in the yard as I worked.  (The new camera comes out only when the weather is clear and when I am not liable to forget where I put it when working!)  Finally, the bird tired of my antics and flew off over the marsh but I was happy with my efforts.  

  Then the big discovery!  As I made my way up the hill, I noticed Son coming from near the greenhouse.  He had a big grin AND...the new camera!  It seems that he had seen the heron and knew that I would want some photographs.  The bird was being doubly photographed!  Later, when we viewed both sets of pictures, we realized that they were eerily similar!  He and I both took pictures of the bird as it changed poses but our respective cameras must have been clicking at the same time!  Now I have two sets of photographs of the same bird but slightly different angles. 

  This all did bring one thing to light, however.  Like I said, I was using the old camera and he was using the new.  My old one is from 2007....the new one is from 2020.  You would think with all of the "upgrades" with modern technology, the new camera would produce far better photographs.  Personally, I think the old does.  Son is far steadier than I am and has much more knowledge of the buttons and gadgets on the camera.  His photographs should have been far clearer.  The old camera stayed on one setting, I was using a driftwood post as a tripod and I was actually farther away from the bird.   When we were examining the photographs, Son finally could see what I have been saying about the new camera's pictures being "grainy" when they were enlarged.  He had a technical explanation for it but did agree that I should use the old camera as long as it is still working. Just to be certain, we swapped cameras and experimented and had the same results. The old camera had clearer pictures regardless of who was using it.  IT IS BETTER!  Maybe being old is not so bad after all.  (In each set of photos above, the first ones were taken with the old camera.)

Tree Fish!

   I have a friend who is one of the most amazing photographers.  His eye for beauty and his ability to capture the moment is uncanny.  We have never met in person but share an interest in preserving nature and recording what is there before it is gone forever.  I stand in awe of his ability.  He is also highly interested in "seeing" things in his photographs.  He introduced me to the word..."pareidolia" which is a fancy word for seeing faces (or other objects) where there are none.  While David taught me the word, my granddad had long before taught me how to see the things hidden in plain sight.  I really had no idea there was even a name given to this.

  Yesterday morning, I found the perfect spot to photograph the eastern horizon.  From where I stood, the skyline was perfectly framed by trees.  The contrast between the pitch black area under the trees to the softly illuminated opposite shore was nothing less than enchanting.  All sorts of things flew around in the brain.  There were stories to be told about the Bayou simply from this point of view! 

  It was not until I viewed the photographs a bit later that my eye caught the "fish" in the trees!  The leaves of the hickory tree were quite eaten by caterpillars but it was the placement of the holes that was intriguing.  A lot of the leaves resembled fish!  I had a whole school of little fishies in the treetops!  Yep, this pareidolia is contagious!

  Just a little background here.  Years and years ago, seeing faces (or other objects) where there were none was actually thought to be a symptom of psychosis.  In other words, if you went around seeing things that were not there, people thought you had lost touch with reality.  Then, it was found that it was a pretty normal thing and became widely accepted as just human nature.  Since I am one who sees a lot of things that others do not, I am glad to hear that it is pretty normal.  (It may be the only normal thing about me!)  Anyway, I am glad to know that I am not the only one that does this and I am glad to know it has a name.  I am also glad the caterpillars ate the hickory tree and not my cabbage plants!

Happy Timing!

   I do not claim to be an expert photographer.  In fact, I claim just the opposite.  I am not a "photographer".  I just like to take pictures of things that interest me. If one of those pictures turns out well, then I am happy.  If not, then that is ok, too.  I tried.

  This morning, like every other morning, I was on the pier bright and early.  To be honest, I started not to venture down as the weather had taken a turn to the cooler side and, being old, I feel the cold.  But, I went.  Bat, the cat, followed.  He has become my new hiking partner and I welcome the company.  The eastern horizon was a myriad of colors and the clouds had formed giant stripes across the sky.  Wow!  That was lovely and made coping with the cold a lot easier.  Bat and I slowly walked down the pier.  He stopped to eye the lovely, little rail as she was hunting bull minnows but I kept easing down the pier with hopes of catching the perfect shot of the sunrise.

Sunrise on the Bayou!

  With the first snap of the camera, my photo session could have stopped.  I had inadvertently captured what I considered my "best shot" of the day.  The sunrise was gorgeous, the water mirrored the horizon and, best of all, a heron had just taken flight from the marsh edge!  Yep!  This made me entirely happy!  Mr. Bat and I had a lovely morning!  

Tree Talons

   While out photographing the wildlife around the Bayou, it sometimes takes a good imagination to see the "perfect picture".  Most folks look at what is in the photo without letting the imagination fly free.  When seeing what is NOT there, you can actually see more of what is there.  Make sense?  No?  Then you just need to let the kid in you loose for a bit.  That is one good thing about being isolated here.  There is no one to see you acting a bit goofy at times.

  A pileated woodpecker came to visit during the early morning.  I just happened to be taking a few minutes break from gardening when I heard his laughing call.  Ok, bird.  Where are you?  He laughed again giving me the head's up...literally.  The bird was right above me in a tall oak tree.  As I photographed the woodpecker, I noticed what appeared to be large talons stretching down to grab the bird.  Nope, there was not a larger bird looming above but a weird branch that arched over its head and splayed out like a huge hand or foot with long talons.  Cool!  Now, I had my imagination-worthy shot!  Like I said...there is no one else here to see me as I drift off into a make-believe world called photography.  

Collections...Photographs and Seeds

   One of the perks of wandering about the marshline at the break of day is that I get to see all sorts of wondrous things that most other folks miss.  This brings to mind that old adage "You snooze, you lose!"  While it probably does not amount to a hill of beans to others, it is highly important on my "to do" list.  In about the upper third of that list is "Find, view and photograph everything about the swamps, marshes and waters."  If nothing else, my kids and grandkids will have a photographic assemblage to pilfer through after I am dead and gone.  Not that any of the pictures will be worth a dime but, at least, they will be able to see the wonders of the place through my eyes and before it is fully ruined by "progress".

  This morning's bit of loveliness was a Saltmarsh Morning Glory.  This, like all other morning glories, blooms at dawn then usually withers before noon.  This, unlike most other morning glories, is salt water tolerant which gives it the name.   Here, it flourishes.  The vines trail upwards of ten feet, has arrowhead shaped leaves and five inch blooms.  It does best when allowed to climb wherever it wishes without curtailment.   The blooms are pinkish purple with a deeper color throat.  Bees adore the nectar bearing blooms.

  Finding the Saltmarsh Morning Glories in bloom brought a smile to my face as this is one of the flowers that Pop always used to point out when we would fish along the shores.  Several times, he said he wished he could get a few seeds to plant along the old fish pond in the side yard but we never dared to traipse in the marshes to retrieve any.  Now, I find myself doing just that.  The marsh, albeit full of cottonmouths and gators, is not near so scary as when I was a kid.  My handful of seeds might be a sweet addition to the small gardens.  (Yes, I did go there.)

The Right Place To Be

   Photography is a lot like life, in general.  You pretty much have to be in the right spot at the right time to make anything work.  Lighting also helps...in both cases.  I figure I must be in the right spot, here on the Bayou.  Things are working out well and I am at peace here so it has to be "right".

  This morning, the photography skills got a workout.  As soon as I stepped out the door, I heard a pileated woodpecker pounding on the oak tree just to my right.  Getting a good shot without scaring the huge bird took some doing!  I managed to ease my way into position but, since the sun was not cooperating, the lighting was all wrong.  Well, let me just ease a bit more.  I did. I got the shot.  All was well. 

  Then, the garden blooms caught my eye. Wow!  That rising sun was putting a spotlight right on the Althea bush!  The bird was soon forgotten and I turned to photograph the flowers.  Just imagine, I was not even ten feet from my front door and already had taken over 30 photographs.  It was a picturesque sort of day!  

  The Althea bush is one that my granddad gave to me over 40 years ago.  It has been scorched by a house fire (our first home), ravaged by horrific winds of Hurricane Katrina and, also, completely submerged in Katrina's floods.  After that storm, I potted the little scrap of tattered bush and left it.  Each year, it blooms profusely.  Today, I decided that I really need to take cuttings of the bush and start rooting more.  It brings such happy memories along with those purple blooms! I really must be in the right place...at the right time.  

Framed!

   Early this morning, Mark and I headed to the pier.  He wanted to see if the tide was high enough to get the small skiff out for a bit of fishing.  I have had a hankering for a nice redfish for a few weeks now and was in hopes he would be able to ease out into the Bay to catch a few.  Alas, that did not happen and does not look as if it is to happen for the next few days.  The range between high tides and low tides is practically nil for the next few days.  Then, stormy weather is to set in again.  Fishing from the pier may have to suffice.

  What turned out to be a low point for us worked out well for the pelicans.  Several brown pelicans were resting on the (still) unfinished pier.  (The recent storms have made completing the repairs caused by Hurricane Zeta nigh on impossible.)  The pelicans were happy campers with the lower tides as they were able to corral plenty of mullet.  Their bellies were full! 

  While most of the birds flew when we approached, one fine fellow stayed put and I was able to perfectly "frame" him with the odd structure of the remaining pier boards.  "Old Gus" was very polite when it came to posing for the camera.  (Either that or he was just too full to budge!)  The brown pelicans are year-round residents here and are always a source of great entertainment.  They have some of the quirkiest personalities of any birds.  You never really know just how they will react to your presence.  

  After a good ten minutes or so of photographing the bird, we decided to head back up the hill.  It was high time for me to crank that lawnmower.  Goodbye, Gus!  See you in the morning!  I've got work to do!

Cougar at the Frog Pond!

   It is often quite amusing to check the photographs that I take during the course of a day.  Most of the time, there are a few that I deem "keep-worthy" and many that are discards.  When taking the picture, you are never quite sure if the lighting is correct, if you may be wobbling a bit or if what you think is a great photo-op is really just a dismal failure.  Then there are the times when something unintended jumps out at you.  More oft than not, I see faces in my photos.  These can be human-type faces or critter-type faces or even make believe-type faces but they are faces, all the same.  Believe it or not, there is a name for this phenomenon.  It is called pareidolia.  I sort of think of it as an "art" in itself.  In fact, Granddad taught me to look for faces in most everything.  We actually would go "face-hunting" when I was a wee tot.  To give Mom a break from having to deal with yet another lively youngster (I have 4 older siblings), my grandparents were often given "kid duty".  Granddad had to think of fun things to do, so face-hunting was introduced.  We hunted faces...in flowers, wood-grain, clouds, mudflats...anything and everything.

  Back to the photography of nowadays.  My attempts at recording oddities of the Bayou often do not turn out as expected.  What I may think is a fantastic subject may be a big no-go. Then, again, no-gos take on a new light when looked at with a skewed sense of reality.  What should be deemed as a flop, sometimes reveals a FACE!  Recently, I threw a photograph of a rock that was near the little Frog Pond on social media and the consensus was that a face was, indeed, to be seen.  This time the face was a critter...a cougar to be exact. (Use that thing called an imagination.  You do have one, you know.)  How exciting for me to have others see the same thing that I found when I first examined the photograph.  As for a picture of a rock, the photo was not extraordinary but as a bit of pareidolia it was wonderful!

  Folks, pareidolia can help you look at things a whole lot differently and can, most assuredly, improve your photography skills.  When you go about "face-hunting", you actually slow down enough to thoroughly examine items.  You will pay closer attention to what you are seeing and therefore may just find more subjects to photograph.  It all goes back to what I have been saying for years.  Folks, slow down your pace and really "see" things for what they are.  Life is better that way.  Happy face-hunting!

The Wily Hunter

  Early this afternoon, Mark and I were enjoying the warm sunshine when he suddenly pointed out a hawk that had landed in the yon oak tree.  He was in the wicker chair and I was on the front step.  My view of the bird was blocked by the arbor and the side of the house.  I eased off the step and searched the trees for the bird.  Mark kept telling me to look in the oak tree.  Well, there are dozens and dozens of oak trees in the yard.  Which one??  Which oak tree??  Mark knew if he moved too much the hawk would take flight so he described things around the tree.  I found it!  Right at that moment, the bird took flight down the hill to the dead pine.  Well, that just meant that I needed to hike a bit.

  I slipped around to the side of the garden and down behind the grape arbor.  Ok, bird.  Sit still!  Don't you go gliding down over the Bayou.  Wait for me!  The hawk only scanned the marsh.  The head swiveled back and forth as it searched for any movement.  Since the hawk was facing away from me, I was able to get relatively near before it was aware that I was approaching.  It seemed unperturbed that I was edging nearer and nearer.  Suddenly, the bird perked up and stared at the marsh.  It stretched its head forward and stared.  Then, those broad wings stretched and down went the bird!  The attempt was futile, however, as it came up with empty talons.  Whatever it had found lived for another day and perhaps learned a lesson in survival....Watch for hawks!  

  This particular hawk does not seem to fear us as it comes to the yard often.  A few days ago, Mark was shucking oysters down near the marsh edge when the bird decided to visit him.  It perched itself on the top of yet another broken pine and settled in to watch the man at work.  Later, I am sure the bird returned in hopes that mice, rats or some other small rodent would be lured to the empty (yet, smelly) shells. 

 

   This bird is a wily hunter!  It is welcome to stay around the place even though it means I have to feed the songbirds on the ground BENEATH the flower bench.  The hawk is doing its part in keeping the place free of rodents.  Besides, I need a new friend!  (And this one is great at that social distancing thing that is required.)

My Favorite!

   Hurricane Zeta did a number on all of my plants.  The vegetable garden fared the best as the cabbages were still tiny but all of the flowering plants took a beating.  I started to move many into the greenhouse but, since the storm ravaged it, the plants still would not have been safe.  Two plants that were smashed were the Christmas Cacti.  I fretted over the fact that they were ruined but, with the work ahead of us, I immediately forgot about them.  Now, I find that the smashed plants are blooming!  I was amazed!  The pale pink one was sitting in the entryway window when I first noticed it.  The sun was pouring through the window and illuminating the blooms!  What a sight!  So, of course I had to photograph the plant.

  The pictures turned out far better than I had hoped.  Since the room is painted a very, very dark color (almost black), the blooms almost appear to be glowing.  This is probably my favorite photography "trick"...dark background and brilliant natural light spilling onto the subject.  The effect creates a striking photograph.  Of course, this is one of those "right place at the right time" moments and I do not get them often.  When I do, I have a tendency to take far too many pictures.  I will stay until the light fades which is usually only a couple of minutes.  In those few minutes, however, I will take forty or more shots of my subject. 

  The Christmas Cactus did its part to bring a smile so I hope the photograph will as well.  This was my favorite of the bunch.  Enjoy!

All For The Sake Of Photography!

 (In case anyone is noticing missing posts and odd timing, our internet is spotty, at best.  Hurricane Zeta dropped a tree on the cable line and electrical lines.  It still has not been repaired despite the power pole being broken.  We have power but whenever rains come, the Internet does not wish to work.  Bear with me.)

  Pop always told me "If you go around looking for problems, you will find them. Instead, you should look for solutions."  Granddad added to this that "Instead of looking for a single solution, look for all solutions as there are usually many."  Granted, for a while, I was confused.  Being a kid, a lot of teachings went above my head.  I did not understand the point.  The ideas, however, stuck.  All of these teachings were tucked far back into the dark corners of my brain.  There, among the cobwebs, they were, not only stored, but mulled over and instilled to be used at a later date.  Now that I am older (old), I understand.  What those two men tried to teach me was more important than learning verbs, or dates or algebra.  Find every solution possible so if one is not feasible at that time, another is fully within reach.  Smart men.

  Early this morning, the sky was incredible.  I stood awestruck at what almost looked like a painting.  No, the brilliant hues were not present as the sun refused to show from behind the heavy clouds.  There was enough light, however, to have the "layers" of clouds sharply illuminated.  Without the pier being usable due to repairs being made, I had to ponder another way to get my photographs.  That "single solution" (the pier) being out, I had to look at all possibilities.  Other options were available.  I could traipse out into the marsh but the water was too deep and I would sink waist-deep into mud.  I could hike to the neighbor's pier as it did not get damaged by the hurricane but...that would be trespassing and, well, they may not approve.  Or...I could climb the oak tree and take the photo from the long branch that sits over the marsh.  Yes, I could.  Yes, I did.  Yes, I got my photo (and a few bruises).  Obviously, old ladies should not be climbing trees.

  I had to giggle when I clambered back down the tree.  Pop and Granddad probably did not have such intentions when they told me to examine all angles as there are many solutions.  At least, I did not look at this as a problem and find it troublesome. I looked for the solution and found many.  I opted for the one I deemed the best and I am pleased with the results.  Just so you will know, I did find that my tree climbing skills greatly lack at this age and vowed to avoid doing it again, if all possible.

Feeling Lucky!

   Sometimes you just get lucky.  In wildlife photography, it is all about being in the right spot at the right time with right lighting.  There are a lot of "ifs" and a lot of missed shots but occasionally, life gives you the perfect instances and the photographs turn out well.  Granted, most professional photographers have far better (meaning more expensive) cameras than I do so their pictures are incredible.  I am not taking away from that at all and do not pretend to be to anyone else's standards.  I just enjoy being in the midst of the critters so photographing them has become quite the hobby.  I do it for me. 

  Kingfishers are notoriously hard to photograph because the critters just cannot sit still for long.  By the time the camera is focused, the bird is long gone and you are left with a picture of a tree limb or pier post.  When I heard the call of a kingfisher, something told me it was going to be "my day" to catch a photo.  While these are long-distance shots, I am still pleased that I managed to get a couple.  This was enough to help me identify that this was indeed a female Belted Kingfisher.  The band or belt across the chest says "Belted Kingfisher" while the second, rusty colored band is the identifying trait of a female.  Good enough for me.

Don't Worry! It Is Just A Cloud! Maybe?

   It is strange how we sometimes look at things and see beauty then can see something entirely different when we try to look back at the same object.  Just yesterday, the clouds in late afternoon sky appeared to frame the hidden sun in a perfect manner.  I spent several minutes photographing the clouds as I was enthralled by what was set before me.  The magnificent view was enough to leave me spellbound for a good ten minutes until the wind shifted and sent my lovely vision askew.  Nothing could prepare me for the photographs that I viewed today.  What popped out at me was not what I saw yesterday....not at all.

  In the photographs, I found a face with deep set, hollow eyes and a rather horrified looking grimace of a mouth.  What?  This was not what I saw at all!  Thinking perhaps it was just a quirky incident, I looked at the other photographs...yep, just the same.  That face was still staring at me as if it was trying to tell me of some terrifying incident that was to come.  Do the clouds know something?  Are they harbingers of what is to come with the pending storms potentially heading our way? Should I be worried?  

  Life has a way of making some of us ponder things far too deeply.  I can live for the moment in most circumstances but, occasionally, I get a gut feeling that usually bears truth.  These clouds, however, are just that...clouds.  

Oops! I Goofed!

  I am probably one of the few diehard folks who still use an actual camera.   Other than professional photographers and those "self-proclaimed" wannabe photographers, most folks use the camera feature on their phones to record everything from what they ate for breakfast to what pair of shoes they are wearing for the day.  I have yet to learn how to use the phone camera so I stick with my 13 year old, heavy as lead camera.  It suits me fine. 

  Occasionally, however, I find photographs on the camera reel that are not familiar.  Whether I accidentally snapped a picture or whether the subject of interest merely flitted, swam or bounced out of the frame remains a mystery.  Sometimes, the picture is of a wall.  Just a wall...nothing fancy.  I figure those are accidents.  Surely, I had no great intentions of photographing a bare wall.  Then there are pretty cool looking photographs of some tree, limb or marsh grass, etc.  Those are the ones that probably had some sort of critter that meandered out of the range when I took the shot.

  Today, I found such a find photograph.  It is of a dead branch.  Admittedly, it is a nice dead branch but still a dead branch.  I was a bit confused as to why I took the picture but, after a bit, I recognized the spot.  Recently, a gardenia bush took a notion to die.  The bush has been removed but its memory lives on in the form of this photograph!  The bush's legacy will always be with us!  (It will remain until I delete the photo.)  This one can probably be chalked up to the pair of cardinals skipping out of the photograph. The limb was one of their favorite spots before I cut the shrub.  At least, that mystery is solved...maybe.

Pink Blurs and Happy Giggles

  As long as I can remember, there have been tales told about the Bayou and its denizens....and I am not talking critters here.  There were tales of lynchings, plane crashes and weird fire balls floating through the air.  Whether any of these were true, remains to be seen (except for the fire balls...they ARE real) but sometimes I have to wonder if some paranormal things occur.  Occasionally, something will strike a chord and make me think.  If you remember from posts past, I have discussed weird faces appearing on a wall, pictures literally flying off the shelf and even strange noises in the Little Bayou House.  (As a note here, the first Bayou House, which inexplicably burned to the ground, had its share of odd happenings, too.)  While these strange occurrences send some folks in a fit of nervousness or even fear, I have yet to be afraid.  Yes, I do feel that "something" odd is happening and perhaps there are unexplained "visitors" here but not once have I been frightened. 

  A few days back, I randomly took some photos of an old oak tree that stands right on the marsh edge.  The tree, in itself, is pretty innocuous but as I was photographing the tree, I could hear laughter.  I brushed it off as giggles from the children across the Bayou and nothing more.  My photography session lasted a few more moments but I could not shake the feeling that someone was nearby.  I had the strange feeling that this old oak tree had been the "play house" of children long before my own were climbing the limbs.  

  After viewing the eight pictures that I took of the tree, one stood out as a bit unusual.  All photos were taken from the same spot in the yard and all were taken within a minute, yet, one was far different.  In fact, one photograph even "felt" different.  I have always heard that orbs and blurs in a photograph were paranormal beings.  These were not blemishes but visitors.  Perhaps?  Maybe for folks who believe that we occasionally have encounters the oddities bring a hint of solace.  The oak tree in the one picture had a strange blur which could either be explained away as the sun glinting on the lens or be taken as something more.  When you throw in the giggles at the same time, one has to wonder.  Then again..a pink orb or blur is explained as being a happy entity full of fun and love so I figure the giggles fit right in with my blur.  Maybe?  It is all good.

Mine is NOT skill!

  Have you ever seen a photograph of a bird that seems a whole lot larger than it should be?  The same thing goes for pictures of giant snakes, huge moons, tiny architectural landmarks and gigantic people?  These are all usually photographs that use the technique called "forced perspective".  It is not a hard thing to accomplish.  It merely is the angle of the photographer against the subjects in the photograph.  In fact, the results can be quite impressive.  The photographers practice their skills and become adept at this "sleight of hand" parlor trick.  Their works are viewed and passed around as "true" phenomenons.  Most are not trying to be dishonest but are merely taking that incredible picture.  It basically has become an art form in itself.

  Then, there are those of us who do this without thinking.  Sometimes, I get so involved in getting the "great shot" that I accidentally do a bit of forced perspective.  Trust me.  It is unintentional as the subjects of my picture-taking are impressive enough without me trying fancy them up with my skills.  My photography is greatly lacking in so many ways but the subjects around the Bayou are beyond ideal.  

  Case in point is the osprey that was diving for mullet in the middle of the Bay.  I had no intention of this bird looking like it was some huge prehistoric dinosaur trying to snag breakfast.  It just happened.  Am I proud of the effect of a big bird and small building?  No.  In fact, I was highly disappointed that I did not get a clear shot of the osprey.  I so was in hopes to get the "perfect shot" of an osprey catching a mullet.  It did not happen.  The building in the background looks pretty good, however.

Something Different

  Most of my photographs are strictly of the flora and fauna of the Bayou.  Mother Nature provides the settings and I just point the camera.  Until recently, nothing has been staged.  If my photograph had a grasshopper sitting atop a frog, it truly happened.  (Yes, there is that actual photo on the blog and if you wish to see it, go to this link.  https://msbayoulady.blogspot.com/2016/09/in-real-world-frogs-eat-insects.html )  But like I said, recently, I have "staged" a few experimental photographs.  

  This morning as I was meandering through the gardens, I noticed a handful of stones in the birdbath.  It is my habit to place pretty stones there as I find them.  The water washes them clean and causes the stones to sparkle.  The birds do not seem to mind the extra perches in the bath so all is good.  It was those stones, the rising sun and an old piece of driftwood that gave me a bright idea.  I placed the driftwood on the ledge of the arbor and balanced one of the stones on top.  Shoving the wood over to where a tiny sunbeam came through a small nail hole in the arbor wall, I, then, positioned myself behind the stone.  Wow!!  The pink stone was gorgeous! The sunbeam flowed through the nail hole and lit up the stone!  I tried another.  Yep, same results.  Absolutely stunning!  

  Who knew a couple of dirty rocks, an old piece of wood and a bit of light could create something like this?  Not me.  (Keep in mind that these are no special stones but are just finds in the gravel of our pathway.)  I have always taken the "lazy" approach to photography and let things just fall into place as they may but, now, ideas are flowing!   Then again, maybe this is a "sign of the times" that I am getting too old to be traipsing about in the marshes and mires of the Bayou in search of things willing to be photographed.

Well, It Is That Time Of Year!

  Photography like everything else in this world can be a bit tricky, to say the least.  Just when you think you have the perfect photo, something goes awry and leaves you befuddled.  The thing in the picture looks nothing like the thing you saw.  Maybe it is not the camera lens that is off, perhaps it is that image that is perceived between the eye and brain.   

  Late this afternoon, the curtain in the living room was pulled aside a bit allowing the setting sun to shoot a beam of light into the house.  The walls in this room are painted a dark, burnt umber (almost black) so the beam was amazingly bright!  It almost looked like a portion of the wall was on fire.  Not one to miss an opportunity to play with the old camera, I started snapping photos.  It was not long before the sun set behind the pines and my fiery light was gone.  But I had photos!!

  When the pictures were checked, that beam of light looked more like some material item hung on the wall instead of a ray of light.  There was no translucent quality, no background texture...nothing.  I might as well have hung a white pillow case up there and took photos!  The image did not even have the brightness that I had hoped to capture.  Something went terribly amiss!  

  I now possess a crazy photo that will have to have an invented tale to go along with it.  Perhaps, due to the time of year, this could be a photograph of a visiting ghost!  Yes, lets blame the poor quality on the fact that this was an apparition floating about the Little Bayou House!  Sounds good to me!