Week 21 - 365 Day Challenge 2013

Day 141

My pets do not often make the 365 day post because I feel their significance is primarily for me. And the one above broke one of the rules of animal photography. Her eyes are not in focus. Her eyes are not in the picture. In fact they are intently staring at the ducks which are out of the frame causing the ripples. True to her training she is not chasing. Just intently watching.

Day 142 - Fading into the past

Jessica Duke and I took a photographic trip down to Ojo Caliente. No soaking in the famous hot springs because of thunder and lightning in the area. Instead we took pictures and ate lunch. Lunch was great and so were the pictures. Several of the pictures posted this week were from that trip. We had hoped to see the big horn sheep again but they did not keep their appointment.

Day 143 - An Unkindness of Ravens

I stayed in the car while Jessica ran in to mail a package. Not Ojo but Taos behind the Burger King. Obviously this is a favored hangout for ravens and they were fighting over something rather large and brown they kept tossing in the air. I was using my camera as binoculars to see if it was a rat or something and then noticed the wonderful poses of the squabbling birds. Since I frequently put ravens in my paintings I took a few reference photos. Normally such pictures would never get past a quick printing to draw from but the combination of architectural elements, ravens and clouds was too good to pass up.

One of the rules on taking pictures of buildings is at least one edge has to be aligned with one edge of the photo. However, I liked the tension of the angles of the building and the sign post that looks like a cross. I even liked the telephone wires. Never did figure out what they were fighting over.

Day 144. - 1946 Chevrolet

There is a whole album on the blue pickup truck at Ojo on my Facebook Fanpage (link in right column). I played it straight in that presentation but old cars are just so fun to post process. And this is one of my favorite effects.

Day 145 - The Crossing

This charming bridge is within the boundaries of the new Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. There are residences on the other side of the Rio Grande and on the side where I stood are camp grounds and picnic areas and many a patch made by anglers on their way to the water. The water was like glass that morning which was a great photo opportunity but an indication of how very low water levels are due to drought.

Day 146 

I do not want to confess as to how long I stood with camera ready to wait for these two geese to get into the perfect position. Some photography is pure luck like the ravens fighting and some is extended patience.

Day 147 - Crown of thorns

My Crown of thorns blooms constantly and is in reality a wonderful vivid red with pinks. The wall on the right is gold. But it was not the colors that drew me but the shadows. The color just seemed to get in the way.

This was one of those weeks in which I posted lots of pictures in albums on my Facebook pages. It is not all about the one photo for the one day in the 365 challenge but that undertaking the challenge often gives you almost endless pictures.