Birds

As I was biking just off of the trail, I heard several bird sounds. I turned my bike around to the sound of the birds. I saw two crows chasing a hawk. They chased the hawk. When the hawk landed, the birds sat next to the hawk. When the hawk took flight, the crows would attack it then this process would repeat.

Multi Sunset

I like the other sunset pictures, but this picture has deeper colors. That is what I like the most about this picture. The deep and rich colors draw your eyes around the colorful clouds. Today I am moving to another house. I will not have the access to the trail I use to bike to far places, but I will still be able to take great pictures.

Single Ear Stud for Athena

I know I don't normally post on Sunday's, but I am going to ask you for a favor today. I participated in a Latin contest yesterday and I won fifth place with this photo. I am proud of that but I feel I can do better. Could you take a minute and add a comment about what would make this a better image? I can change almost anything about this image. One of the obvious fixes is centring the ear stud. Anything else?

Layered Sunset

I turned my camera to the left and found this layered section of the sunset. There are three layers in this picture. The bottom is the red sunset, then there is blue sky, then the semi-colored clouds. This pattern seems to repeat itself as you move from the bottom of the picture up.

Deep Red

As the sunset continued, the colors changed again. The dark red moved behind the trees. I like how the trees just grow on the picture with the sunset behind. If I could retake this picture, I would zoom in closer on the branches and have the branches divide the picture.

Red Sunset

This is the same sunset that has been in the previous days of pictures. The only difference is, I moved to a different spot. As I raced from one spot to another to photograph, the sunset changed dramatically. The once light yellow sunset turned into a deep red. It was like the sunset waited for me to arrive at the new location before showing its full effects.

Sharp Sunset

When the sunset occurs, all other objects go into silhouettes. I focussed on the once brown branch, that had now turned black. We can see every tiny detail on the branch and we can see some of the details on the trees in the background. Above the background trees is the cloudy sunset. This picture is basically split into four parts, the foucssed tree branch, the background blurred trees, the lower sunset, and the cloudy sunset.

Silhouette Tree

As the sun set, it turned this tree black. Even the once light green leaves turned black. I like how the tree is all one color, it keeps the picture simple and interesting at the same time. The simpleness is from the single color and basic shapes. The interesting part is all of the details on the branches and the bright sky in the background.

Invading the Sunset

During this sunset, it was partly cloudy. Towards the beginning of the sunset, there were several big clouds that were in the way. I hoped they didn't ruin my sunset. As the sun set, the clouds started to go over my head and out of my pictures. Then as the sunset continued, I was happy to have the clouds because they started to change colors and add to the sunset.

Reflecting Tree

While waiting for the sun to set, I looked and found some water. I positioned myself so I was able to get the full reflection of the huge oak tree. I like how even though we are reflecting the tree, we can still make out the detail on it. I can almost see the curve on the trunk and I can see the tiniest of details on the branches and twigs.

Pink Sunset

Today is the starting of my next theme, sunsets. I posted some of my pictures last week, but I have plenty more. I took pictures during two sunsets. This sunset, along with the last sunset pictures, is more pink than the next sunset. The next sunset starts very yellow then ends in a very dark red. 

Hungry Bird

A few days after I took pictures of the yellow bird eating, I saw this gray bird eating. I was able to figure out which type of bird this is, it is a Clark's Nutcracker. Clark's Nutcracker has a special pouch under its tongue to hold seeds long distances. This is why it is eating these seeds, it will probably have some now then save some more for later.

Reflection Sunset

During the same sunset as yesterday's picture, I saw this little pool of water on the side of the road. I crouched down as low as I could, trying the get the trees in the reflection and took this shot. Focusing on the tree, we are able to see the details on the tree without actully looking at it. Then you move to the outside of the pool of water and see the fuzzy edges of the water where it meets with the grass.

Golden Sunset

As the sunset on this day, it caused the clouds to change color. They were a soft white in the light blue sky that turned to a light yellow then a dark yellow as the sunset continued. Of this picture and the Volcanic Sunset picture, I like the Volcanic Sunset picture better becuause the clouds are a deeper shade of red and the mountain adds another layer to the picture. In this picture, the silhouette is the trees, which are nice but they don't make the clouds look like volcanic ash.

Snow Chips

As temperatures dropped and some precipitation was in the air, these snow chips formed. They felt like a mixture of snow and ice. It was a hard outer shell with a softer middle. The snow chips didn't fall everywhere. There was just enough to cover this part of the leaf. If you were able to scroll out of the picture, you wouldn't see any more snow chips.

Looking Around

After finishing all of the nuts that were on this branch, the bird started to look around. He looked around, trying to find a branch with more nuts on it, then flew off. I was surprised that the bird barely noticed me. I was standing below him taking these pictures for about 10 minutes before he moved onto another tree and I couldn't get a good shot of him.

Eating

This same bird started looking down and eating. I like how I was able to get a clear shot of the fur on it and the detail on the wings. The bird is in perfect focus which allows us to see the individual feathers on the body of the bird.

Looking for Food

This bird climbed up high to search for food. Using my 300mm lens, I was able to shoot through the trees and focus on the bird. This was one of my farther shots. The posts that are coming soon, will be much closer and the bird will have much more detail on it. The next shots will also be clearer because I moved around under the bird and took different shots from different spots.

Standing Tall

The thing I like most about this picture is how much detail you can see on the bird. Since the bird is standing on the edge of the tree, you can see all the detail on the wings, some of the legs, and the head. The picture is overexposed but overwise a very good clear picture.

Bug Hunter

This woodpecker uses its sharp beak to drill holes in trees like this one. They drill like a jack-hammer to try and find the bugs inside. They also use the tree as a home. They find holes in the tree or make holes in the tree for their home.

Icy Snow

After cracking the ice, smaller chips flew out. Some flew away others went onto the other ice. The key when photographing ice, is not to let the sun ruin the picture. The sun can travel through the ice and directly into the lens of the camera. This ruins the picture because the bright spots distract the viewer's eye and make it hard to concentrate on what you were trying to photograph.

Ice Snail

After a deep freeze in Dallas, all standing water froze. I went to the side of a road and broke some of the ice, some accidentally, mostly on purpose. I positioned the ice and I found a snail on one. I focussed on it then shot this picture. You can see the bubbles on the ice and the details on the snail.

Bird Silhouette

This bird was surprisingly in a silhouette. You can see all of the feathers on the bird. The beak and head feathers are really showcased in this picture. They are clear and easy to recognize. The bird looks like a red bird but I don't know exactly what type of bird it is. The chest is red which is why I think it's a red bird but a lot of birds have red chests so I might be wrong.

City Life

Over the years, birds and other animals have adapted to the ways of the city. The birds have learned to get food from bird feeders and rest on power lines. This red bird was resting on the power line before he jumped and flew away. If you look closely, you can see that the bird is bending its knees before jumping. It bent its knees and leaned forward.

Moon Tree

Through the tree comes the moon. I have learned that using my DSLR camera, you can't take pictures of the moon at night. The moon turns out to be completely white and you can't even tell it's a moon, it just looks like a white dot. By waiting until the sun rises, you can take pictures of the moon without worrying about the quality of the picture. You get all of the cracks and holes in the moon with a nice bright blue background.

Bleeding Yellows

This is another type of bleeding flower. Unlike and like yesterdays flower, this flower also bleeds but it is not purple. The center of this flower is brown, unlike yesterdays flower. It also doesn't bleed at all, there is no brown mixing into the yellow. The edges of the brown in this flower are not as sharp but they still give the flower sharp points.

Bleeding Flowers

These flowers are bleeding. It is not a bad thing, it's just what these flowers do to show their colors. The lower flower has edges of color but it doesn't bleed. The top flower is much bigger and is bleeding. The purple is spread out in the white part and gets brighter as you move toward the center. The top flower is also the only flower that has a purple center while the other purple flowers just have a black center.

Pokey Nature

Yesterday's nature had soft but rigid edges, today's nature has sharp pokey edges. This is the pokey ball that was out of focus yesterday. I like this picture because of the colorful background that it has. The leaves give the background different colors that show off the pokey ball. The brown stands out off of the colorful background, making the ball the star focus.

Simple Nature

Nature can be as simple as this or as sophisticated as wildlife. This is just a focussed dry leaf and a blurred pokey ball that falls from this sweet gum tree. You can see the tiny details on the leaf including the specs in it and the jagged edges. You can also see the shape of the pokey ball. It's sharp edges hurt the skin but don't break it.

3-Pointer

This is a shot for three points, commonly called a 3-pointer. Ranging 22 feet in the corners up to 23.75 feet in the top, the three-point line surrounds the hoop. I say it's nearly impossible for myself to make a 3-pointer from the NBA length but I have never tried. I think I'm good if I can make a 3-pointer at a college-length 3-point line.

Drive

After you take the ball down the court to the other team's side, you try to shoot a 3-pointer or drive into the basket for 2 points. This Memphis player decided to drive to the basket and go for 2. As he drives, the Phoenix defenders try and stop him. But if you look at how tense his arms and neck are, I don't think they have a chance at stopping him from scoring.

Tip-Off

As the game starts, two players jump and try to hit the ball, onto their side. Behind them is a teammate who will get the ball and take it to the opposing team's side to try and score. From this picture, it looks like Memphis is going to get the first possession and Phoenix will get the ball to start the second half.

Fun

Sometimes as you warm up before a game you just want to have some fun. This basketballer for Phoenix chose to have some fun be practicing his one hand, no jump shots. He will probably never do this in a game, but it seems like he is having fun even as he warms up.

Focus

Next we go to the Phoenix Suns Talking Stick Resort Areana. The Phoenix Suns played the Memphis Grizzles. It was a very close game, the final score was 97-95 Phoenix. In the picture, we see how much focus that the shooter is using to shoot this shot. Even when he puts the ball directly in front of his, face he still keeps his eye on the basket.

Birds of the South

This bird looks like a hummingbird and according to a bird identification website, this is a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. We can't see it, but the bird is supposed to have a red spot under its mouth and white going down its front side. What was in the identification that we can see is the dark green tail and green back. You can't see it in the picture, but it hovered quite often and had rapid wing movements. Also, like the website described it.

Volcanic Sunset

One of the sunset shots that I took was this one. The mountain is called Pinnacle Peak, it was another one of the mountains that I hiked. The red and dark colored clouds seem to flow out of the 'volcano.' On the bottom left side is where yesterdays photo was taken from. The red colors from the sunset brought out mountains.

Mountain Sunset

While reading after our hike, the pages of my book turned red. I looked up to a red sky with hints of white mixed in. I ran inside and grabbed my camera. I had my big lens on, but it was too big. I wasn't able to get the full sunset. I switched lens but when I walked back outside there was a tree in the way. Not wanting to miss the sunset, I ran barefoot over gravel and concrete to find a new angle. After taking several shots, I walked back happy with the pictures that I took.

Teddy Bear Cactus

These types of cacti are named after their soft looks. From here it looks like the cacti is a soft object but stand next to it and look at all of the needles waiting to poke you. Another interesting thought about the cactus is why is it multicolored? It starts black on the bottom, turns brown, then yellow on top.

Hillside

Facing away from Scottsdale were clear blue skies. Facing toward Scottsdale were hazy/ smoky skies. The hillside cuts into the blue sky and attacks it with cacti. The sharp rocks and needles on the cacti are no match for the clear blue sky.

Arizona's Mountains

These mountains are different than the ones that I have seen in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. These mountains were much rockier, had cacti on them and didn't have any trees on them. The other mountains that I have seen have big tall pine trees, don't have cacti and have some rocks but not nearly as many as these do.

Dead Tree City

As we hiked away from the city, I turned around for one look and saw this dead tree. I believe that this is one of my best pictures from the trip. The dead branches just break off into different directions almost like a firework. Then you look behind the tree and there is the city of Scottsdale. Then behind the city are the mountains that surround Scottsdale.

Birds of the South

Still, on our hike, I saw this white and gray bird. After looking at several bird identifier websites, I still can't figure out what type of bird this is. I found several close looking types but they all say a small detail that this bird doesn't have. It could be an out of state bird that was just flying by, who knows.

Red Rocks

While walking on a trail, I saw this rock that had an interesting color. On the sides and bottom, the rock looks normal but on top is this red mark. The rocks does look very smooth making it a possibility that it could have been cut open and this is the center. This is a very cool but mysterious rock.

Desert Lands

Outside the house, where we stayed, were hundreds of acres of open land. In that land, I saw several types of birds, two types of rabbits, and I heard but did not see coyotes. I also learned that there are snakes but they are dormant. In the picture are several different types of plants. There is the brown grass, cacti, shrubs and several other types of plants that I don't know the name to.

Mountain Sunrise

As the sun rose, it caused the mountains to become black. The mountains made sure that the picture was not too bright and overpowering. Your eye is drawn on the mountains border with the sky before being taken all around the top of the picture. After your eye follows the darker clouds it starts to focus on the bright yellow and orange clouds before returning back to the dark mountains. 

Birds of the South

This sparrow is the next bird in Bird of the South. After taking this picture the sparrow flew away. I walked toward the bush to see if there were any more birds, which there were not, but I did see spikes on the bush. How could this sparrow sit on a spike? This is the last Bird of the South picture since the night is falling and the next day we were on another drive, this time to Scottsdale.

Birds of the South 

On this trip I took several pictures of different types of birds, these pictures are going to be called the Birds of the South. This bird, which I believe is a woodpecker, is atop one of the old, native New Mexican homes. This picture the almost like a silhouette. The bird is black and house is mostly black or a very dark color. This is contrasted by the bright sky.

Rolling Clouds

I would have liked to capture this picture with the clouds parting over my head but instead the clouds broke a few miles to the Northeast. This is what the rain came from. While it might not look very big and dark, it was a very rare and impressive rain for Las Cruces. Also notice the old, native style homes. With Stucco walls and red trimming around the windows, this is what the old New Mexican houses looked like.

Cactus Animals

I was sitting outside during the end of the rain storm and I looked down. I saw this cactus and noticed something on it. I can't tell if they are spiders who made a home in the cactus or are pieces of an object the look like spiders. If it is a spider then its head would be really small but if it was an object, then what would the object be?

Flying High

After the rain storm, this hawk flew out looking for a meal. I had seen several other birds flying about in the sky but I couldn't quite take a good picture of the bird. This hawk started in the right side of my eyesight before circling above me the swooping down in front of me. I chose this picture because you can see the detail on the bird all the way to the point on the beak.