Shot Of The Year

 

How can you lose by picking a shot like this? Peregrine gave me a great grin. The lighting was perfect and it was a fun shot to take. None of my travel shots or bird shots really did anything for me this year. There were plenty of great shots but no standouts. So, I kept coming back to this shot. Just don't tell the other grandkids or they will be jealous....oh yea, they are not on social media yet, so I am safe. The shot of Peregrine is perfect as the shot of the year for 2020, a year when travel was shut down. Enjoy the final day of the year and let's all hope that 2021 gives us something better. 

Moon Over Smokies

 

This shot was part of my day-to-night series with a moon shot taken several months prior. It was a tricky composition to do in Photoshop but I like the way it turned out. Still up for Shot of the Year, but not likely to make it. 

Favorite Bird - Shot of the Year?

Prior to the pandemic, I would rarely see a cardinal around the yard but with the bird feeders, they became  frequent visitors. I had lots of favorites but the cardinal was my first favorite as it is a very common bird, much more common than I thought originally. At times, maybe 4 pairs were hanging around and you have to like that the male is the flashy one. We are always trying to be the flashy ones even when we don't think that is what we are doing. The animal kingdom shows us who we really are!!!!

Shots of the Year--Fall Colors in Oak Ridge

 

This shot (with a little blending filter thrown in) caught a random hillside in Oak Ridge, Tennessee at peak fall color from what I can tell. Lots of greens, yellows and reds. We stopped in Oak Ridge on the way down to the Smokies to check out the area that developed the atomic bomb. My buddy Bill's dad, when he was a young man, helped design the town that grew from nothing to thousands in a very short period of time. Nice to see a bit of the past that his dad helped create. The shot has a chance to make it as Shot of the Year with all of its colors. 

The Gkids make the Blog

 

Ahhh, the grandkids. Wonderful kids. Never seen four more wonderful kids. The internet should be jealous. 

Cooper's Hawk in the mix

 

This Cooper's Hawk with his dramatic coloration made several stops to the Davern food fest and got at least one, probably two Mourning Dove's over the summer. I happened to see this kill out of the corner of my eye. You don't want to mess with this hawk if you are bird sized. They tell you to keep the feeders near trees to give birds cover but then the squirrels can make the leap from tree branch to bird feeder. I found a compromise but not close enough to give this bird cover. Anyway, got to see nature in beak and claw. I was lucky that Cheryl wasn't around. She would have made me scare the hawk away after the kill and that would have just put another bird in his/her sights. Anyway, got a decent shot. I really like the dramatic coloring in the bird's plum, especially in his pajama bottoms. Good enough for Shot of the Year? Probably not, but a good shot nevertheless. 

Chicago Sky (or not) at night

 

Another entry into the shot of the year competition is this daytime shot of the Chicago Skyline. Yes, it is a daytime shot, but edited with a drop in fake night sky. I hate and love how photography has changed. However, whenever I see a fantastic landscape with an amazing sky, I always wonder if it is a fake sky or was that the way it was when the photographer was there? But, I use fake skies too. However, I tend to feel guilty and call them out. However, this version turned out real nice. I don't think I will pick a fake shot for Shot of the Year, but you never know. Really like how this turned out. Original shot was taken at 8 am back in June 2008. How about that for keeping my catalog up to date? 

Smokies in Color

 

Found the falls colors we were looking for right where they were supposed to be--in the Smoky Mountains National Park. Had a great second trip there and enjoyed hiking up some strenuous hills in mostly beautiful fall weather. Because of all the evergreens you are going to get a strong mix of greens in your yellow and red trees but loved getting up high and looking over the colors in the distance. This is definitely a candidate for Shot of the Year. 

Comet Neowise

 

One of the rare super positive surprises to come out of 2020 was Comet Neowise, which lived up to its billing as something that shouldn't be missed. Had a great time shooting this comet several times over the weeks when it was visible during the fall. This shot was taken after a short trip to a local park district that I knew had a hill with a clear sky to the west. The comet was already heading to the horizon but got a nice shot in a clear, dark sky. Always a treat to see a relatively rare astronomical event. 

Clouds over the Smokies

 

This is one of my favorite shots of the Smokies as it shows the cloud cover over the valley out in the distance. The Smokies are known for this feature as the warmed air from the vegetation hits the colder air from up above, creating a low level of cloud cover. Got to visit the Smokies twice this past year. This is from the fall trip back in October. 

Marblehead

 

The original shot was just a throwaway. A lone tree and bench on an overcast morning that I saw while on a jog before work. Nothing much to recommend it. I liked the solitary nature of the shot, but the lighting was flat and it was just an ok shot, taken back in 2014. However, during our pandemic 2020, I starting playing with filter and I think the filter overlay improved the shot enough to bring it to one of my favorites. I learned earlier this year from my friend and co-worker that the tree had been taken out by a storm. So sad to hear. Anyway, like the shot a lot so it is in the competition for Shot of the Year. 

Standing Room Only at the Feeder

 

As I have mentioned before, the surprise of my COVID year was the number of birds in the neighborhood. They certainly weren't shy about visiting my yard once we set up the two different feeders. The American Goldfinch was an early favorite and they came in waves over the spring and summer. In the fall and into the early part of the winter, it was interesting to see them change colors to drop the bright yellow as flowers in the nearby prairies also changed to more muted colors. Took awhile to get all the rungs filled but with a little help from Photoshop, got a nice selection of visitors to the feeder. Looking forward to seeing the bright colors again this spring, although a few look like they are going to hang around all winter. 

Shots of the Year---Create your own sunset

 

Who says you have to wait until until sunset to get a sunset shot? You just need something really tall to block the sun. Some sharp hills in one of the Valley of Fire's canyon's did the trick on this day back in February. The light as we got deeper into the canyon was bouncing all around off of the rocks and turned soft and beautiful. This shot shows the light harsh and sharp but with the darkening of the rocks, really brings out the red in them. So, a nice entry into the Shot of the Year competition.  

Shots of the Year--New Ruling

 

I requested and received a ruling (from myself as judge, jury and executioner), that pictures taken in previous years but edited and reworked in 2020, count as 2020 shots for eligibility for Shots of the Year. Since I didn't get to travel much but got to play around with filters and Photoshop tricks, I decided that these shots count for this year. So, I can post an original shot taken in 2012 of this pelican feeding off of Naples Beach, as a 2020 shot. I like this shot as I used some background and then painted with Photoshop brushes in the foreground. So, this is a unique Davern original. On sale and available if you order quickly for Christmas. 

Vegas Lights--5 Star 2020 Shots

 

In the just-barely, pre-pandemic February, I did a vacation trip to Las Vegas for a photography convention and joined a group going out and about taking long exposure night photography. Lot of fun in those days go long past when we could go out and about. So, this shot with its lights and colors turns into one of my favorites for the year. All you need is a tripod and some rear lights of cars as they go by. Being elevated on a bridge helps too!!!

Valley of Fire--2020 5 Star

 

Usually around this time of the year I sit down and go through my photo catalog and look for my favorite shots of the year. This year, it is going to be difficult as I have some nice shots but they are all of birds and from the few trips I took this year, two of them to the Great Smokies. I am going to have a lot of similar shots. It is what it is. Each year, it should be more difficult to find to find what I call "5 Star" shots--the one's that I like best from the year and that are worthy to put up as my standard of work. Standards should get higher as your photography improves. It is supposed to get harder and harder to top previous year's shots. Minor inconveniences in a world that is upside down. I like this shot from the Valley Of Fire that I visited in February. Such blues and reds and washed out greens. I bounced this shot between a 4 and a 5 Star as I am not sure I like the deep shadow running through the foreground. Yet, this is in the middle of the morning and shadows were already getting quite harsh. I can't imagine how hot this area would be in mid-July, as I visited the area in pre-Covid February. Anyway, love the colors and I am keeping it (for now) in the 5 star category.   

White-Breasted Nuthatch

 

I can't remember if I uploaded this picture previously but I was going through my shots of 2020 today and I really like this one. This is one of my favorite birds in the backyard and one of the discoveries of my COVID year. There are so many birds in our neighborhood that I was just not aware. I can't recall ever seeing this bird, a White-Breasted Nuthatch in my lifetime and now I see one multiple times a day. There were several birds like that this year but this one ends up being one of my favorites. This guy hits a tree and lines up his (or her) shot, flies to the feeder for a quick second, takes a seed and flies away to eat it. Pretty cool. 

Something to make you smile

 

How can you not smile with a face like that looking back at you. This is the generally very happy (excepting the occasional teething break), Peregrine Jove. 

Neighborhood Sunset

 

Dust in the sky from the summer fires helped fire up this fall sunset last August. From the "Nothing is Real at Night" series. 

Smokies at Night....or not....

Spooky Smokies at night. Well, at least the way I imagined it with a full moon. Had fun inventing a moon halo and getting the clouds in front of the moon. Trickier than it looks. Part of my "nothing is real" series. 

Nothing Is Real...at Night

I am against sky replacement as I think it ruins photography. But I like to play around. So, nothing is real here. Just keep moving on. Fun shots from way back. The city shot was taken at sunrise back in 2008. The sky picture was also shot in 2008 out in Valentine, Nebraska. That was a great place to visit. I hope to go back there, maybe in 2021. You could see the sky from horizon to horizon. Anyway, just having some photographic fun, turning day into night and adding a sky. Ahhh, the things you can do easily in Photoshop nowadays. Don't trust anything you see in photography these days. Nothing is real, except emotion. (Ok, sorry to say that is not true either. I can change a frown into a smile and even add teeth to a smile. It is just amazing what you can do nowadays. I think I am going to do a few days on a "nothing is real theme". Just for fun.   

Here are the two shot. Amazing what you can do:

Flying Santa before Thanksgiving? NO!

 

The flying car doesn't bother me. But a Santa in the backseat before Thanksgiving? No way!!!

We are all Americans

 

We are all Americans. We all want the same things. Safe families. Growth. A good environment in the broadest sense. We can disagree on the various ways to get there. Some things emphasized more in one party. Some in the other. But the goals are the same and there is no reason to hate if the other side wants to push goals differently or in a different order. Fight for what you want but with respect. I am more in favor of a general Republican approach (less government, less taxation) where possible. But I don't hate other approaches and always like to see if these other approaches can complete these goals in other ways. A divided government means you don't get much of one side or the other anyway. It is tempered. Which is the brilliant set up of our democracy. For Republicans, nothing to fear. We can still fight for our values and goals but just as with Trump, I want a successful presidency as it usually means success for all. So, here is for hope for the future and less divisiveness. Plus, I get to post more flag pictures!!!

Trying Times

These are trying times. It is hard to keep remembering that we are all Americans. Lots of stress going on. Black Lives Matter. Blue Lives Matter. All Lives Matter. Blue Wave. Right Wing. Whatever. We are all Americans. Plus, I have a lot of flag pictures I wanted to post. So, this is my chance. Tomorrow, the election might be over, except for the lawsuits and challenges. That's ok. The process is really playing out as it should. I hope the loser is graceful in accepting his loss and works to find unity with the victor. You never know. And I hope the victor will work to support all Americans. Black, white, blue, green, whatever color or race or creed. Anyway, it is always a hope. 

Hunting Elk

 

We didn't encounter any bears in the Great Smokies but some Elk did show up for the tourists in a field on the North Carolina side of the park. Hundreds of tourists got this shot with cars lined up for a quarter mile but I thought I would play with some filters as the shot kinda gave me an old time feel. So, I went with that instinct and added a bit of a color leak to it. Anyway, another Great Smoky Mountain shot. 

Fall Colors Marching On

 

The way the light is coming across the scene it looks like the trees are marching up over the hilltop. There is a feel of movement in a very static scene. Sort of weird. 

A Very Little House on the Prairie

 

This is a very little house on the prairie, except it is not a house, probably the corn shed, it is not on a prairie, it is in a clearing at the foothills of the Great Smokies on the North Carolina side and it is probably a recreation of an original homesteaders creation before it was turned into a tourist attraction, oh, and the colors have been popped a bit with the yellows, greens and reds all enhanced. Otherwise, it is perfectly authentic. Really. 

Silky Tuesday

 

Just a little time exposure, which makes for a silky river shot. Enjoy. 

Fall Colors in the Smokies

 

The title of this shot says it all. We caught a pretty good week for fall colors. Not as many reds as I expected (maybe not as many maples high up) or perhaps we were a week short of full color but a nice mix of color nevertheless. 

How the Smokies Got Their Name

 

Here are four shots (two from this fall and the two below from back in the summer) to help explain how the Smokies got their name. You would think it was from all the trees and condensation that forms their own cloud cover. The "smoke" and "blue mist" comes from plants, which not only give off oxygen in exchange for carbon dioxide but also chemicals, which we can smell when we walk through an area heavily dominated with plants. Those chemicals combine with the oxygen to give a blue colored mist that you see in the distance when you look through the forest, especially from above. 

Anyway, whatever the science, it makes for great views!!!

Smokies in the summer:

Just short of peak colors but a peak experience

 

We were probably just short of peak fall colors this week in the Great Smoky Mountains but nature gave us a wonderful display, nevertheless. Lots of greens still around with yellows and reds blending in--depending on what elevation you were at.  Lots of greens and yellows down low, with more and more red blended in near the top. Elevations in the park range from 876 to 6,643 feet and my legs felt every foot of that rise from sea level. Michael Jr had us on hikes all the way out to 8 miles. It is not the distance but the elevation changes that kill your legs. Still, lots of fun hiking, camping and seeing the park in the fall. Highly recommended. 

Nature, Red in Tooth and Claw

 

Turns out we are feeding more than Sparrows, Nuthatches, Finches and Morning Doves. This Cooper's Hawk caught a Morning Dove right off the feeder. Those Morning Doves much be pretty easy to catch, as they seem quite slow to take off. They spill a ton of seeds with their take-offs every time they leave the feeder. Luckily, Cheryl wasn't around when the hawk made his kill because she would have gone nuts. I figured, no sense chasing the hawk off as he will just have to go to get another meal somewhere else. He (she?) is quite striking. It looks like he is wearing pjs to me for some reason. Very striking.  

It's not all for the birds around here

It's not all about the birds in this Shot of the Day pandemic shut down. I occasionally get out of the backyard and look for other animals. Caught this squirrel out of the corner of my eye enjoying a nut in the crook of a tree. Although the shot is messy, I thought the squirrel made an interesting composition. Not wall-art but an ok shot. Now, as to an up date on my personal enemy, the bane of my life, Mr. Backyard Squirrel, I had to move the feeder for the 5th time to try to defeat his antics. He is Super Squirrel since he can leap from great distances to make it on top of the feeder. Watching him trying to figure out how to beat my feeder is both fun and frustrating. He will keep trying but I will defeat him in the end!!! I think this move makes his leap an impossible distance, but I have said that before and he found a way to make the leap. For example, he learned that if he does a speed run from the center of an evergreen way above the feeder, the branch bends as he hits it and then he can launch at an angle that gets him to the pole and slide down on to the plate for a nut filled treat. It is like you basically throw yourself off of an unsteady ledge and you hit a pole where hopefully, you can slide down and catch yourself before you hit the ground. If there are any birds there, so be it. They might stop your fall. Anyway, this guy here is enjoying his treat without having to work all that hard to get it....