Weekend Reflections

Taken in the lobby at work, I was struck by how bright the reflection was in the darker hallway.


James at Newtown Daily Photo runs a theme called Weekend Reflections. Around a hundred photo bloggers post a photo containing a reflection; beautiful work. Click the link and go see!

Skywatch Friday

It's been another rainy week here in Schenectady, and so this is a fair representation of our sky.


A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

F Number	14.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	16.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 32.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/1300
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	800
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Pileated woodpecker

I heard this bird while I was walking through the parking lot at work, and He flew through the trees, so I was able to see him as well.  I was very surprised how big he seemed - I'd say about the same size as a crow.  I wasn't sure, but my wife immediately identified this fellow as a Pileated Woodpecker.  It was very hard to get close to him, and in the end, I had to crop and enlarge the original to make him large enough to see!

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/60
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	400
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Apple blossom

When we visited the greenhouse last week, their apple tree was just beginning to blossom.  They smell so sweet!

F Number	6.3
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	34.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 68.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/200
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Reclaiming space

This is part of my wife's flower garden.  It's become a bit disorganised ever since she got excited about the community garden plot.  I decided to clear a bit of space and put in some tomato plants.  These are cherry tomatoes. Also making an appearance: violets, a walking onion, strawberries and mint.  A word to the wise: mint spreads!  Thankfully, we like mint tea!

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	18.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 36.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/160
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Time to mow

This is what a week of rain does for grass.  This isn't my lawn; this is the community garden.  I try to mow every week, but it was impossible last week due to the rain.  Just behind the mower is a field of dandelions.  I hated to mow them over, but having them go to seed would be disastrous for the gardeners!

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/250
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

No one in the area needs to be reminded what these are!  It's been constant rain for almost a week.  Nature's way of evening up the averages for the previous week of sun.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

F Number	9.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/640
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

White bleeding hearts

We have two bleeding heart plants.  The white ones seem to grow about 3 days slower than the pink ones.  They are quite interesting to look at.

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/8
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

A boy and his tree

This tree is downtown, on the lawn of City Hall.  ts branches are low enough that even a little guy can get up there.  Old maple trees are wonderfully shady places!

F Number	7.1
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/400
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	400
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Flight of the bumblebee

This is one of those pictures that speaks for itself.

F Number	9.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/640
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Field of wild violets

Vale Cemetery.  The wild violets are in full bloom, and you can see just how many there are.  It's such a beautiful place in the spring.  It's a glorious complement to the purpose of this place.

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	28.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 56.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/2000
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	400
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Bleeding hearts

These plants are stunning.  Two weeks ago they were still completely in the ground, not even a green wisp sticking out.  In that time, this plant grew over 3 feet tall (1M) and bloomed as well!  We love these unique flowers and so do the bees.  This is growing on the north side of the house; morning sun and that's it.  We've never done anything except watch it grow, and it comes back every year just like this - now that's an easy to care for flower!

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	33.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 66.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/1000
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	400
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Red Trillium

This is a native wildflower which blooms in the spring.  It's hard to see the flower because it 'nods' or faces down, which is why this is photographed from underneath.

It's a trillium because there are three of everything; leaves, petals, sepals and who knows what else.  Once you know what you're looking for, it's not hard to spot them in the woods from those three leaves.

It has another name, which describes how it smells: Stinking Benjamin.  I don't know who Benjamin was though!

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/125
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	400
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Gravid fiddler crab

We have a pair of fiddler crabs.  The female moulted several weeks ago and yesterday we discovered she is great with child!  Well, not exactly.  She's great with eggs.  She's carrying hundreds of these things between her tummy and tail.  All of a sudden, she had an irresistible urge to climb out of her tank.  So we gave her her own tank with plenty of 'beach' for her to stay out of the water as long as she likes.  The internet tells me that she';; carry them for about 2 weeks before releasing them into the water, where they float about for another two weeks before hatching and joining the other organisms that make up the plankton.

The pink bits are from the gravel.

Camera	Nikon CoolPix E950
F Number	3.9
Focal Length	19.0 mm
Exposure Time	1/30
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	80
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Fired

Tulips

The front yard gets sun, and the tulips there have bloomed!  We planted dozens of tulips but the squirrels ate most of them.  So the few the squirrels didn't eat are a pleasant surprise to see.

The National Weather Service tells me that the average date of the last frost is May 20th.  We're expecting frost tomorrow night.  I hope these are hardy enough to brave the chill!

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	40.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 80.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/400
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	400
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Wild violets

These are wild violets.  At least I think they are wild - we never planted them!  They bloom early in the year and the flowers go away as soon as it gets hot.  There are so many of them but I can't bring myself to pull them up to make room for 'real' flowers.  I'm such a baby about plants.

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	41.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 82.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/1300
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	400
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Babysitting

We had a guest with us for a weekend - Jackson.  Here, he is sitting in the window on the front porch, surrounded by toys.  These expand into tunnels large enough for a dog to crawl through.  Or a child.  Or a kooky Dad!

F Number	3.5
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/160
Exposure Program	Portrait
ISO	125
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Monthly theme day - Mailbox

Each month, the City Daily Photo blog community suggests a theme that everyone can think about to post on for the first of the month.  This month's theme is Mailbox.


Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

I don't have a mailbox!  I have an enclosed front porch, and the outer door has a slot cut in it.  The postman delivers the mail through this mail slot.

We used to have mail boxes on street corners; places the public could drop off mail for pickup.  But those boxes are all gone too.  Well, almost - there are some still outside the Post Offices, of all places!

I was at a loss until I thought about what Theme Days are for, and I thought about mail boxes.  The postman brings us news and goodies from all over the world - the mailbox is like a window on the world.  After that, it was suddenly easy to take the photo of the mailbox's view of the world.

Do make a point of visiting all the bloggers who posted their interpretation of this month's theme!

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/1000
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	400
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire