Aww…some Monday

Well, I gave the little camera a bit of a work-out the other day and I must say, I was impressed with the results. I shoot a little nature photography. That is, I have bird feeders set out in the winter and I will photographs the birds as they come to feed. Last year we planted a butterfly bush on one corner of the house. It didn’t get all that large, so there were few opportunities to capture images of moths and butterflies. This year has been a different story. I have posted images of several types of butterflies and the one and only hummingbird moth.

The other day my wife came into the office and said that there were several Monarch butterflies on the butterfly bush. Needless to say, I grabbed the little Canon camera and headed outside. I managed to capture fifty or sixty images and cull down to three or four really good captures. There is very little editing done to these images beyond some minor cropping and a touch of color correction.

I was surprised at how close I could actually position the camera to the subject. Honestly, I don’t believe there was any crop of this image.

Forrtunately, one of the Monarchs was more than cooperative in spreading it’s wings for the camera.

Again, I am more than a little impressed with the level of detail the Canon M50 can deliver. I can’t wait for the first real road trip.

Have a blessed week

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week is a free choice week at 4M. As some may be aware I have purchased a pre-owned turntable at a local flea market and begun building a new collection of old and new vinyls. One of my recent purchases has inspired this post. I was a huge fan of the Moody Blues back in the day. I thought they had some of the most complex arrangements, best musicians, and pleasing harmonies of any group of the era. If there was such a thing, the Moody Blues were sophisticated psychedelic. Here are a few of their songs for your enjoyment.

An active city square. Great place for a little street photography.

Aww…some Monday, a New Camera

The camera on the right, or one similar, has been responsibile for over 75% of the photos posted on this site over the last 10 years. The current model is a Nikon D500 and my favorite walking around lens is the Tamron 24-70mm making the combo weigh in at 4lbs., 2 oz. When I photograph high school football or soccer, I place a Tamron 70-200 mm lens on the body and the weight balloons to 5 or 6 pounds. This combo has been to Alaska, Hawaii, Texas Hill Country, South Carolina, and Georgia, just to name a few places.

The little camera on the left is a new acquisition. I bought if from a local resident on Facebook Market place. It is a Canon M50 mirrorless camera and with it’s 15-45mm lens, it weighs in at 1lb, 3oz. For future travel I have decided to lighten my load and shrink my camera bag. Although the Canon is much smaller, it is still has interchangable lenses, electronic viewfinder, flash attachment and all the things you will find on a full size DSLR camera. I still have a couple of lenses that I need to acquire, but I am certainly looking forward to the smaller package when we travel. Both cameras will shoot video. In fact the little Canon may be the most popular camera in the world for YouTube creators, but I plan to stick with traditional photography. Here is what this little jewel is capable of capturing with the standard kit lens.

Not to worry. I have no intention of abandoning my bigger camera and lenses. Sports, portraits, family photo shoots, Christmas stuff will still call for the big camera to do it’s thing, but when I want to travel light, the little Canon will get the call.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

The theme this week at 4M is anything and everything about birds. Let’s face it, one could build a whole playlist by the Eagles, the Byrds, or the Black Crows. Songs about birds are pretty easy to come by, so let’s see what we can find.

First up is a song that I am pretty sure will be new to you. It’s not a new song, I just don’t recall it ever making the country charts. Here is Dwight Yoakam with V’s of Birds.

Everybody wants to Fly like an Eagle!

Well, if you can’t fly like an eagle, maybe you were cut out to be a Rockin’ Robin!

Have a blessed week!

Christmas lights going up on the town square. Ho, ho, ho!

Aww…some Mondays

It’s Football Friday night!!! Covid kept me from going to any games last year, so it’s been two years since I have photographed a game. Our local team played their first conference game so my wife and I decided to go to our second game of the season. It was Homecoming for our opponent, so the stands were full. I love the high school atmosphere.

We are the visitors in the white uniforms and we spoiled the homecoming by a score of 41-21.

It was our running game that proved to be the difference maker Friday night.

The running game is won in the trenches and we have a very good and big offensive line.

TOUCHDOWN!

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week the theme at 4M is to honor National Scarf Day – Songs that express your fashion style or songs about being wrapped up in something physically or emotionally. Hmm… what to do, what to do. While this may not be my fashion style, music taste, nor dance , it worked for MC Hammer. U Can’t Touch This.

I have been wrapped up in something physically and emotionally for 47 years…My Girl! In May 2022 we will celebrate our 48th anniversary.

I’ve been wrapped up in another relationship for over 60 years with my best friend. What a friend We Have in Jesus. Have a blessed week.

Somebody’s already dressed for Halloween. A spider going as a skull. How cool is that?

Aww Mondays

This lovely creature was on our back fence the other day. There was another one with a white body and almost burgundy accents in the wings. I never did capture an image of it, but I will be on the lookout for it the next couple of weeks.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

The theme this week at 4W is work. Actually it is to acknowledge National Boss/Employee Exchange Day. The concept is for a boss and employee exchange positions for a day to appreciate the workload of both positions. I know that Walmart used to send staff from the home office into the stores once a year to get a better idea of all the things that can go right or wrong in a store on any given day.

It will come as no surprise that most working songs are going to come from Country music. Yes, rock/pop music has their share of working tunes but country music is where the story is told. I loved my professions and always worked with great people but I know that some folks get stuck in a position that just makes them miserable. They can’t wait till the day they can tell their employer to “Take This Job and Shove It”.

Hard to believe it’s been seven years since we cruised Alaska. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.