Pixture of the Week 2015.47

The big camera came out today.... to take a pixture in Lydia's lilies.

Handheld in the poor late afternoon light.... of a north facing window.

With enough DOF (f11).... to get the detail I needed for a close-up.

Gotta love that auto-ISO and the ability to get to 6400.

Lots of editing in Lightroom to get the "pop" I like in my photos.

Some noticeable noise in the darkest areas.

But overall a pixture I like.

Pixture of the Week 2015.46

Snow in Denver this week.

Quite a bit really.... a small blizzard perhaps.

Lydia and were on a walk during.... when we spotted this Christmas masterpiece.

A few nights later, we walked back to show Jaedyn.

She says.... amazing and that she likes it alot.

Pixture of the Week 2015.45

One that I took some time ago.

On a sunset walk w/ Lydia at Scripps Pier.... La Jolla Shores in San Diego.

Put I recently made it the background for my Gmail page.

Pixture of the Week 2015.44

My girl.... running her business.

With a smile!

Pixture of the Week 2015.43

This is what 6, almost 7, really closer to 17.... looks like in 2015.

Dressed up, made up.... and ready for a party day.

Pixture of the Week 2015.42

On my tour thru California this week I was in Orange County.

So, there was no way that I was not going to fly out of John Wayne airport.

With a little help from the guy at Hertz.... I got to say hi to The Duke.

The Hertz guy told me I would see "a 50ft statue".

It was big..... but it was not 50ft.

He must be a fan too.

He always looks bigger to those who worship him.

Pixture of the Week 2015.41

From our walk this morning.

In Colorado people talk about the changing of the colors.... but they are really mostly talking about the Aspens.

So a change from green to yellow.

This scene caught my attention because it had the reds and oranges that we don't often see.

But it got shot.... because Lydia saw it as heart shaped.

Pixture of the Week 2015.40

You just can't beat a sunset pixture.... La Jolla Shores.

Pixture of the Week 2015.39

It was a perfect fall day.... for a long drive.

So we did.

Up to Grand Lake via Hwy 40.

Where we stopped for lunch and a walk near the lake.

Then home thru Estes Park on Trail Ridge Rd.

Something that Lydia always wanted to do.

Even though she fights her vertigo.... on those mountain roads with the steep drops.

Pixture of the Week 2015.38

My selfie at Ocean Beach.... for talk like a pirate day.

Pixture of the Week 2015.37

You might think that this is a happy Bronco's fan.

But she is really just a happy Peyton fan.

And, if the truth be told.... a big fan of any time the defense scores.

Aka Da 85 Bears!

Pixture of the Week 2015.36

Some times you get one.... exactly right.

In the camera.... no crop required.

Underneath Scipps Pier.... on a pretty day in July.

Pixture of the Week 2015.35

It happens with some regularity.

What many would call an ordinary scene catches my attention.

And in this case, keeps it.... as I walk by this pixture every morning.

I believe it is the light that is catching my eye and fascinating me.

And that is a little more dramatic if you click on the pixture to enlarge.... and a lot more dramatic, if you had been there.

Pixture of the Week 2015.34

Lydia loves the bike races.... and this week the Pro Cycling Tour is in Colorado.

So today we went to Golden.... so see the start of Stage 7.

The bonus was getting there in time to see Stage 3 of the women's race.

A little bit different format, a circuit race.... gave us a chance to see them on a number of passes.

Here is the legendary Kristin Armstrong, in yellow and the green jersey.... riding near the front late in the race.

Kristin didn't win this stage.... but she did win the race overall.

Pixture of the Week 2015.33

Now that's a good looking group of Grandkids.

Taken during our Family Reunion 2015.

There were multiple photographers, all of whom need multiple shots.

That makes it kind of hard to hold great smiles across the group.

Pixture of the Week 2015.32

I am not at all a fan of anything that falls from the sky.

I come by that honestly.... being born and raised in the Pacific Northwest.

So, a visit to the family.... always comes with a need for some weather tolerance.

Even though they now live on what is called the Sunshine Coast.

Here is a pixture from the ferry on our way to that sunshiny coast.

But I do have to admit that there is a certain mystic about a scene like this.

So I guess it's not all bad.

Pixture of the Week 2015.31

It's not quite "under the boardwalk".... like the song says.

But it is California close.

This is under the Scripps Pier.... on the beach at La Jolla Shores.

One of my favorite spots for a beach walk.

It was a clear and gentle day on this day.... but the surf was up.

The lingering effects of a hurricane.... that had died far to the south.

So today's pixture came with some surf.... as the waves broke under the pier.

Pixture of the Week 2015.30

In San Diego for IIU.

On my walk today I noticed some cool like flowers on the hedge I was passing.

Stopped for a pixture.... and then noticed that the bees were already here and working.

Pixture of the Week 2015.29

A day at the beach.... on vacation in Canada.

Pixture of the Week 2015.28

There is just something about a boy and a stick.

Even if it's a big stick.

Even if it's a day at the beach.

A boy will always find a way to be a lumberjack.

Pixture of the Week 2015.27

Made, what has become an all to infrequent visit to the Zoo this week.

Lot's of people out to enjoy the heat and sunshine.

Which means that the animals were, for the most part, taking the opposite tact.

Staying indoors and in the shade.

So what I got was one Snow Leopard paw.

The focus could have been a little sharper too.

I'm thinking partly the cage bars.... but mostly the DOF.

Pixture of the Week 2015.26

If you make a Grammy a mask.... she will want to model it.

Pixture of the Week 2015.25

When a lady bug goes out for a walk.... they go here.

When Lydia and I go out for a walk.... she spots this.

Pixture of the Week 2015.24

This pixture is a milestone.

I have added "camera apps" to my iPhone 6+.... with great success.

In fact, I am be able to get pixtures of a creative quality.... equal to what I get with my DSLR.

And in many shooting situations.... might even be getting comparable technical quality.

And for sure.... I am taking more pixtures in places that I would not have before.

I do edit in post-production.... not a lot but what I do is done to pretty much every shot. 

And that was not going well at all.... so I added Lightroom to my iPhone too.

And this is the first pixture that I took and edited with that new set up.

Pixture of the Week 2015.23

I think I might have said this before.

I you've got a tree and water.... I bet you have all you need to make a pixture.

Worth keeping.... probably more than one.

Pixture of the Week 2015.22

The pine trees all around our neighborhood have these small clusters.

Many, many of these small clusters.

On our walk today, when I stopped to take a pixture.... Linda touched one.

And a fine mist of pollen shot out.

That goes along way to explain the allergy like symptoms.... that come with this time of year.

Pixture of the Week 2015.21

Even the common can be.... extra-ordinary or even beautiful.

If photographed well.

It's mostly about the light.... but maybe a little bit about the composition too.

Pixture of the Week 2015.20

I think I might have confessed to this before.

I very much like to post a pixture a week.

I always start out with the idea that it will be a pixture I took that week.

But occasionally life gets in the way.... and I don't have one I took this week.

That was the case this week.... but luckily I had been in Hawaii earlier this year.

And, if you have water and the setting sun.... you will always come home with a bunch of keepers.

This one I took from the steps that lead from the hotel's pool.... to the beach.

Pixture of the Week 2015.19

As one of the 9 guys in Colorado.... that doesn't ski.

I can tell you that a scene like this on the 10th of May.

Yes you read that right.

Is not the least bit amusing.

Pixture of the Week 2015.18

This will start your Saturday right.... every time.

Pixture of the Week 2015.17

A smile that we have not seen enough of lately.... Korri

Pixture of the Week 2015.16

It's a West Coast kind of day.... not every day but too many days.

Pixture of the Week 2015.15

A short walk from Casa de Tweedy.

Looks a little bleak today.... but Wendy tells me

 It will be "swimming good".... by our visit in July.

Pixture of the Week 2015.14

Just hanging out.... because he can.

Pixture of the Week 2015.13

A pair of my favorite beauties.

On the day that one of them turned 6yrs old.

Pixture of the Week 2015.12

In this pixture....  his tongue is blue.

But in others that I have taken.... it was without question purple.

If I had a tongue either of those colors.... or better yet one that changed color.

I would want it in the pixture too.

Pixture of the Week 2015.11

If you see one of these.... you know it's a California beach.

In this case Mission Bay.

Pixture of the Week 2015.10

A beautiful and sunny day today in San Diego.

We had just finished a nice walk along the boardwalk at Mission Bay.

And were returning to our hotel.

When the fog rolled in off the bay .... through the palm trees and then across the inner bay.

And just like that .... it was a spooky pirate kind of day.

Pixture of the Week 2015.9

It's another weekend w/ snow here in Colorado.

We did walk to the restaurant for lunch .... but mostly it's an inside day.

And that means lots of .... zoned out in front of the TV.

I am really liking the photo program (Camera+) .... that I bought for my phone.

This is one of the many good pixtures I am getting with it.

A hotspot on his nose .... that I could probably have fixed in manual mode.

Then into Lightroom, where I took out all the Contrast .... to get this look.

Pixture of the Week 2015.8

The big blizzard forecast for this weekend.

Was still pretty ordinary as of Saturday morning.

Pretty,  in fact,if you looked in just the right places.

Pixture of the Week 2015.7

Every other Saturday at our house .... Grandkid day.

The breakfast of choice on those days is .... chocolate chip pancakes.

Valentine's Day is a big favorite .... with the smallest of that crowd.

So when all of that comes together .... there is only thing that makes sense.

Heart shaped ..... chocolate chip pancakes. 

Using the Aldrich Guest House recipe .... which has been the favorite around here, for longer than some of them have been alive.

 

Pixture of the Week 2015.6

I'm going to cheat a little bit with this week's pixture .... because it's not one I took this week.

But instead one of the shots from our Maui vacation .... a couple of weeks ago.

Not too far from our hotel was a small local park.

We had decided to do a picnic dinner there one evening .... to watch the sunset.

The picnic table we chose had a great view .... through this tree and out to the sea.

Not too long before the sunset action heated up .... this gentleman arrived.

He obviously had "his spot" .... and set up to wait for the good stuff.

I have to tell you I was just a little irritated as this unfolded. 

As I had imagined a people in the picture .... and certainly not one I didn't know.

But in the end it made a great pixture .... don't you think?

Pixture of the Week 2015.5

JJ, a born beachcomber .... Carlsbad Beach CA

Pixture of the Week 2015.4

This is what you see every morning ..... if you are standing at the top of Haleakala.

A volcano on Maui ....as the sun comes up.

In the old days, the Kahanas ..... would climb the volcano every morning.

 To offer prayers to the their gods .... at this powerful time of the day.

Nowadays it's the tourists, including us that come .... and we make the trip by bus.

That trip, a climb of 10,000 ft, over 36 miles .... took us 90 minutes by bus. 

Those Kahanas did it on foot .... they were very dedicated guys.

The Kahanas had to walk down too .... we did it on a bicycle.

Pixture of the Week 2015.3

We're in Maui and on vacation.

Making for a much different weather scenario that I had for last week's pixture.

Went to Lahiana for lunch today and that brought us to the banyan tree in the middle of town.

The one that is almost a full city block .... and stands in front of the old courthouse.

Pixture of the Week 2015.2

There was a lot more winter to be had this week too.

Snow on the ground .... as pulled away from the gate on my way to St. Louis.

Single digit temperatures .... in St. Louis

Freezing rain to greet me .... on my return to Denver.

Pixture of the Week 2015.1

And so it begins .... and new project to keep photography fresh and fun.

I will make one pixture each week for the 52 weeks of this year .... using either my Nikon or my iPhone.

Shots can be accumulated throughout the week .... but only one can be saved.

The rest must be deleted .... and the new week started afresh.

We have had a lot of this around here of late .... both Christmas and Snow.

Mike's Other Pixtures #103

When you are in the Elephant Village at the Denver Zoo.

Look for the turn on your left that takes you off the main path .... back behind most of the buildings.

You will find yourself looking out over a pond.

And don't be surprised if you find a Elephant taking a walk .... or a Rhino basking in the sun.

Mike's Other Pixtures #102

It's an ok pixture .... which might be the best I can expect, given the habitat.

I don't find the bird habitats at the Denver Zoo to be very conducive to pixtures.

And the residents seem to be happiest .... in the worst possible spot w/in the habitat.

But hey .... he is the symbol of America.

So, if you get this close .... you should publish it.