If Frost was King

Greetings! This past Weekend was phenomenal. It saw me celebrate a Birthdate and return near Aitkin, MN. Providing me a spectacular means of ringing in this milestone. Though a majority of the color was gone. Their still was plenty to see and photograph. Much like my first visit, I made the most of my time back. Spending most of my time outdoors, camera in tow.

Saturday morning revealed a great chance to photograph the rising Sun. But not without noticing the fine layer of frost covering all of the fallen leaves. It was at this point, that I began to zero in on the many different leaves encrusted with ice. In seconds my eyes were captivated by one leaf, standing up on it’s edge. The edge facing upwards, was covered in a tiny fine row of spike ice. Made even more spectacular as the rising Sun gleamed off the minute shards.

This opportunity was to much to pass up. And I became determined to capture this magical moment. Hopefully you’ll feel the same way as well.

Everyday Living Moments Photography

Let’s Meet Kermit

Hi. So this post finds me returning back to the many images I have from my time up North. I can’t even describe what exactly my time up there meant on so many different levels. Photographically it was a dream come true. Endless possibilities laid before me. Everything from animals, flowers, lake shots and Sunsets presented a mosaic of captivating subjects. It was nothing short of amazing.

One of those opportunities presented itself in the form of a Leopard Frog. I discovered that one area of the Cabin I was staying at was prime frog habitat. All I needed to do was gently walk over the countless of fallen leaves, and I was bound to see one leap into the open. Locating one was fairly easy. The challenging part was getting close enough with the camera, without it constantly ducking for cover. Using the dense layer of fallen leaves as a way of escaping detection. Which at times to my great surprise, worked quite well. After a lot of trail and error. I finally was able to get very close to one of these amphibians.

The attached image was the fruit of all of my work. And I’m happy to introduce you to Kermit……

Language is no barrier

Very true!

Starting Next Week: Blogging 201

The WordPress.com Blog

Blogging 201: Branding and Growth starts Monday, October 20. If you’re a recent alum of Blogging 101 looking to build on the skills you’ve developed so far, or a blogger looking for new ways to grow your site and its audience, this is the course for you.

What will Blogging 201 cover? We’ll introduce tools to increase your traffic within WordPress.com as well as through other platforms, discuss ways to develop a coherent, effective brand for your blog, and show how to use your archives and your site’s stats to build your readership.

During this two-week course we’ll give you a daily task and provide you with all the necessary resources and information to complete it (there will be no new tasks on weekends, to give you time to explore more on your own, or just publish a post or two). You’ll also have access to The Commons, a private, staff-moderated space where you can chat with other participants, ask questions, and give feedback.

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The Art of Following a Blog

Might have to share this across all of the different platforms I’m on. Great suggestions!

The Daily Post

Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, your blog: pitch a tent anywhere on the web, and the expectation is that people will quickly line up to give you a (virtual) high five in the form of a “follow.” I see it often enough in our own Community Pool posts here at The Daily Post: “Follow me and I’ll follow you back!”

It’s pretty clear what the followed blogger’s supposed to do: keep posting stuff that others enjoy reading. Be a gracious host. Ensure posts are readable. But what about the follower? Is there a job description for what happens after you click on a blog’s “Follow” button (or Follow Blog Widget)? Here’s some food for thought.

Don’t expect instant reciprocity

You shouldn’t take the plunge if you don’t want to read new content from the person whose blog you just followed.

When you follow a blog you’re making a light…

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From Miles on high to the Depths of the Sea

Today we trade in our wings, and head in the opposite direction. From way on top of the World, we are going to brave the depths of the Ocean blue. And though it’s only a glimpse we’ll take a peak at one of the most colorful structures under the Sea. Which in my opinion would have to be anything pertaining to a coral reef. It’s here that your eyes are literally blasted with a vibrant mosaic of color. Granted I have to settle for viewing such breathtaking scenes while visiting the Minnesota Zoo. Nevertheless I’m always at awe at the wondrous scenes that unfold in the large coral reef they have there. It’s nothing short of incredible. Everything from the creatures that swim in it, to the vibrant corals they have placed throughout that enclosure!

I hate to admit it, but it’s been quite sometime since I’ve visited the Zoo. But I won’t lie it’s a great place in my opinion to take photos. I’ve raved about why I enjoy it in previous posts. And this one is no exception to that!

Pirates of the Air

Lately I’ve been talking a lot about pouring more energy into this blog. I’ve talked about my journey taking care of my Wife. About having the wondrous opportunity to spend sometime up North. I’ve also shared that I’m branching out and taking more photos with my iPhone. Though coincidentally on that note, it’s been a good Month since I’ve utilized that camera. Being absent from here sure doesn’t help. As I’ve also had the chances of photographing an Airshow and this past years Back to 50’s show.

And in this blog, I would like to divert some of my attention to the Airshow I went to. During the Summer Months, Flying Cloud in Eden Prairie puts on a AirShow. I have nothing to compare it to. But like to think it’s a neat event. Having quite an array of planes ranging from performance and historical crafts. One of the things that I greatly enjoy is that you can get quite close and personal with the Airplanes. The only thing that I could complain about was the lack of Sunlight on the day I attended. It was rather cloudy, which I’ve been told is more ideal for taking photos. As you can probably guess from that last remark, I’m not sure if I’m sold on the idea.

One of the planes I had a chance to take some images of was the World War II Corsair. Which has a pretty fascinating history to it. Along with that history it has a pretty sweet profile. And at least with the craft I saw, a killer skull and bones image on the side of the engine. This happens to be one of my favorite shots of that plane.

Up North visiting Hoppers

Hi. Well if you’re not following me than you may have missed that recently I had a chance to go up North. And for me that would be the Aitkin, Minnesota area. Which is about three hours away from my neck of the woods- Savage, Minnesota. Also the opportunity to visit this area of the State, was a result of my Wife and I being gifted this incredible opportunity. Basically a family opened up their cabin to us, after reading about my Wife’s journey with Cancer.
The visit up their gave me plenty to photograph. And in a way has fueled my efforts into sharing my images in earnest. Which at the moment consists of; WP, Facebook, Twitter and a photo contest- Capture Minnesota. My time one day spent with some Coneflowers yielded some interesting pictures. One of which is the one attached to this post. While photographing the Coneflowers, I happen to stumble across this grasshopper. I remember that in my youth, these insects didn’t stand still for long periods of time. Though interestingly enough they were fairly easy to pick up. This particular hopper almost had the opposite problem. That being it wasn’t camera shy at all. Never once did it make an attempt to jump, leap or fly away. It did slowly make it’s way over and across the Coneflower. But regardless of how close the lens approached, just stayed relatively in one spot. I was intrigued and of course took several shots of it.

Care for a Dip?

Okay, quick recap. I’ve been absent for about half a year. Have been busy moving, caring for my Wife and enjoying sometime up North. That trip up North has given me a renewed sense of pouring energy into my photography. Though two Months ago I did try to have some photos picked for the Minnesota Zoo photo contest. Unfortunately none of my images made the final cut. Roughly at the same time the Statewide contest known as Capture Minnesota began. And I’ve been participating in that. The goal with that endeavor is to have a photo chosen for publication. And to be honest I have mixed feelings about how things are going with that.
I did going back slightly further have a flurry of activity on my photos in early Summer. The amount of likes on my facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/EverydayLivingMomentsPhotography?ref=br_rs took off. Largely in part for the Back to 50’s images I posted on my page on a daily basis. Since than however, and as I described up above, things have slowed down considerably.
One thing I can always rely on is the Minnesota Zoo. Which offers a great venue for taking some fabulous images. Though it’s hard telling what you might see on any given day. A stunning image can be the next enclosure away. With beautiful exhibits it’s only a matter of being patient, and ready at a seconds notice.
Otherwise you could miss, having a chance to take a dip with some of the residents. 

Expanding into iPhonetography

During the past four Months or so, I have attempted to utilize the camera on my iPhone more. It hasn’t been the easiest of decisions. This shift has been mostly prompted by those moments, when the only thing I have in arms reach is my iPhone.

Their was a time four Months ago that while on a walk, I spotted a tree frog. With no camera on hand, I had to dig into my pocket and photograph the small little creature with my iPhone. In a pinch, I was quite pleased with the end result. But as I mentioned up above it’s been difficult seeing this as an added compliment to my pro camera. Let alone finding myself struggling in capturing the same detail that I’m able to with the pro equipment. And to be truthful it’s something that I still am struggling with.

Another time I saw an amazing thunder head slowly drift right in front of my townhome. I was paralyzed with that awful decision of running inside, grabbing my nicer camera, or staying outdoors with the iPhone. Ultimately I decided to capture this stunning image with my phone. A photo that I hope I remember to share with all of you sometime soon. Again, I believe that in a pinch the phone’s camera managed to pull a fair depiction of what I was witnessing at the time.

On my way to work I drive pass a scenic pond. It’s quite the sight as it sits on a bend in the road. And one of my favorite parts of my commute. It’s always hard not to turn my head as I make it around the curve, to witness the simple beauty. The lilies that adorn this pond are quite fantastic. Thankfully during one of my rides home, I had the opportunity to see a breathtaking Sunset. Of course all I was equipped with was my iPhone. That moment is attached here.