Virginia Meadow Beauty

Pine Barrens, NJ

This time of the year is beautiful. A walk in the Pine Barrens in New Jersey can show some of the most beautiful flowers in the state. While walking one of the many trails we came across this beautiful meadow beauty.

The Final Resting Place

Haddonfield Baptist Cemetery

Haddonfield, NJ

Every year around Memorial Day, Haddonfield's American Legion Post 38 would place American Flags on the graves of the war veterans. My Dad was a member. Today he is buried there along with my great grandfather. Dad was a veteran of World War II, my great grandfather a veteran of the Civil War. Bill took this photo many years before Dad died. He captured a woman placing flowers on the grave of a loved one. Today is May 30th. Years earlier it was considered the true Memorial Day. I can remember standing here at this very cemetery listening to speeches and gun salutes to honor those who could no longer be with us.

Don Quixote's Adventure Begins

Pine Hill, NJ

I began working on this image of tree and bark and as I did I saw a man. A Spaniard. My first thought was of Don Quixote. I had been reading a murder mystery, "Birds of Prey" by J. A. Jance. In the story his name is brought up. Then I thought about the Inquisitions. So I was going to call it "The Inquisitor". Back to Don Quixote. I imagine a man ready to enter into a new world and new adventure. "Don Quixote's Adventure Begins" is another of my bark abstract series.

Our Thanks

Vietnam War Memorial

Philadelphia, PA

Flags

Vietnam War Memorial

Philadelphia, PA

Tomorrow we honor those who served in our Armed Forces. Throughout the country big and small towns will hold solemn ceremonies, shake hands or slap comrades on the back. They will reminisce about their time in the service. There will be a gathering at Philadelphia's Vietnam War Memorial. It will be nice for those who attend.

The Lost Warriors

Vietnam War Memorial

Philadelphia, PA

Remembrance

Vietnam War Memorial

Philadelphia, PA

Welcome Home. We are glad you are back.

Vietnam War Memorial

Philadelphia, PA

Over the next 5 days I will be putting images taken while visiting the memorial every Memorial Day. This Monday Bill and I will make the visit again. As a Vietnam Veteran Bill feels that this is important.

Gosling

Gloucester Township, NJ

Several weeks ago I put a picture of a Canada goose and her gosling. Today I cropped the image to see what it would look like and this is it. I think this is a much nicer image. I call it "Gosling".

Royal Tapestry

Pine Hill, NJ

I have been working on a lot of abstracts and I decided that this is the one I want to put on our blog. I call it "Royal Tapestry" because the tecture reminds me of woven wall hanging. In the center is a young prince waiting to take over the thrown. But what make's him so sad?

Red Knots

Reed's Beach, NJ

The shorebirds should be arriving. I read that their numbers are still dangerously low. The above image was taken in 1994 and we had stopped at Reed's Beach on the way home from a weekend in Cape May. The beach was swarming with tiny shorebirds and gulls gobbling up the horseshoe crab eggs. I hope our grandchildren will someday see this same sight of thousands and thousands of birds coating the Delaware Bay shorelines.

Log

Pine Hill, NJ

I took a walk around the yard looking at the trees and photographing the bark to make abstract images. Our rear yard backs up to the school parking lot with a large crop of trees separating the two properties. At our side of the trees I found an old tree branch that had been cut and left to lay there. I photographed it and made copied the slide onto the computer. My original version was dark and filled with tecture but, I felt that I had lost the log. Today I started over and came away with this version. It still shows tecture and a little bit more.

City Patterns

Philadelphia, PA

Footsin' in the city walking right, then left stopping at the traffic light. Do we go straight or turn? Pick a way and follow your foot steps to who knows where. Bill saw the patterns in the highrise against the blue sky. If we hadn't been walking he might never have seen the picture.

Narcissus

Pine Hill, NJ

Last week I got back my role of film where I photographed several flowers from our garden. Bill liked this version of "Narcissus".

Pond and Fence

Leaming's Run Gardens

Cape May County, NJ

A trip to Cape May must include a trip to Leaming's Run Gardens. It is one of the most beautiful places. Bill captured this picture of a pond and white picket fence. In the foreground is a azalea bush. They have all types of gardens and birds and butterflies. It is a wonderful and peaceful experience.

Saving the Wounded

Pine Hill, NJ

As I was making this abstract it reminded me of one of those war posters of the 40's. I began seeing an airman or soldier and it appeared that there were several other soldiers attached, being carried by one man and his arm is raised as in "follow me". I named it "Saving the Wounded".

Walking Along the Surf

Cape May, NJ

It was spring down in Cape May and a little chilling in the early morning. Bill went out on the balconey of our hotel room and saw this woman walking the beach. He liked the patterns in the sand and the surf crashing and the woman enjoying her walk. He decided to over expose the image in the computer making it more simple and he likes the color overall.

Man and Tree

Berlin, NJ

Earlier I took a photo of the tree in this image standing alone and worked it with the computer until I found the image I wanted to share on this blog. In this version Bill is walking the path and is about to pass the tree on his right. It was spring and everything was coming out that fresh green of spring. Using the Ulead I decided I wanted a more yellow green look. After comparing several version I settled on this one. It is my second favorite time of the year with fall number one.

Golden Club and Log

Pine Barrens, NJ

Bill and I can see an a scene and each shoot that scene differently. Earlier in our blog there is another image of a golden club. That was my photograph and I shot it looking straight down on top. I had liked the way the flowers were laid out on the ground. Bill saw this one, "Golden Club and Log".

Eastern Bluebird

New Brooklyn Park

Winslow Township, NJ

Over the years I have taken a lot of bird photographs. I had hoped to become a bird photographer. But that is a tough business and you have to be really good to break in. This photo is one of my best. Bill and I have different approaches to bird photography. He likes action and tries to catch birds in flight. In the archive there is a photo Bill took of the great blue heron flying. I've been more of a portraitist. That's why this image is so special for me.

I set myself up with my Canon F1 and Canon 600mm plus 1.4x teleconverter about 30 feet from the nest box a couple springs ago. We had found which nestbox they were using and sat and watched. I was using Fuji's Sensia 200 and had the sun to my back. I had taken an earlier shot a 1/1000 of a second. I dropped it down to 1/500 at f5.6 and each time one of the bluebirds flew to the box I tried catching the bird flying into the hole. I was sure I had gotten at least one decent shot. This is the result. Since then I have other bluebird shots but none as nice.

I'm not sure we will make it this year. Circumstances have my bird photography taking a back seat. I know there will always be next year. I did get to stop and yes the bluebirds are nesting again.

A Tree Blossoms

Cape May, NJ

The dogwood tree blossoms against the cedar tree as sunlight filters through.

Clam Shell

Atlantic City, NJ

I've decided that I have become a photographic illustrator. No that's not right either. So what do I call this, computerized or digital photography? By taking my photos and playing with the color or contrast or even the brightness, I feel like I am creating a different art form then photography. I like to see and feel the tecture that I've brought out in these pictures. I've even begun anticipating a change in the original image. I crop, put more warmth into the image, crop again until I see something that I had not imagined when I took the original image. I look forward to it and enjoy it. That's what I did with "Clam Shell".

Patterns

Penn's Landing

Philadelphia, PA

Bill loves to see patterns when he shoots his photographs. He will see what I miss. Here the circular steps that lead down to the walkway that has a brick pattern on Penn's Landing.

Blues Man Singing

Pine Hill, NJ

From the dead oak tree. I will let it stand on its on, no explanation.

The Tired Warrior

Pine Hill, NJ

This image is from another oak tree on our property. I took it and pushed the brightness and contrast until I had what I liked then removed all the color from it rendering it a black and white sketch. It is a picture of an ancient warrior looking up with this sad and tired expression on his face. His body seems to sag and legs are splayed under the weight. I enjoy this new found photographic expression. It is freeing me from having to continually find new pictures of the same old places. I feel like I'm having fun again.

Buttercups

Gloucester Township, NJ

This beautiful horse was on a farm not far from our old apartment complex. We'd take walks looking for photos to take. One day Bill saw all the buttercups surrounding the horse as it calmly ate the grasses in between.

Mother and Gosling

Gloucester Township, NJ

In 1997 we began following the life of a banded goose at Dramesi Park in Gloucester Township. His band is or was 848-41593 and we discovered he had been banded near Philadelphia, PA. We have followed him and his family since then. He had one female goose who must have died and then he picked another female with distinctive markings. The above image is of the second mate and one of their young goslings. She graciously let me photograph them together. It was 2002 and I spent the entire morning taking their pictures. The banded male has disappeared. The above female has found a new mate and, I feel I lost a good friend.

Horseshoe Crab

Cook's Beach, NJ

New Jersey is suppose to have a moratorium on harvesting horseshoe crabs. Their numbers have dwindled since the mid 1990's when this photo was taken. All along the Delaware Bay on both sides (Delaware and New Jersey) these crabs would beach themselves, the female would lay her eggs and the male would fertilize them. From South America migragating shorebirds, red knots, dunlins and ruddy turnstones, fly non-stop until reaching our bay. Once here they gorge themselves on the eggs gaining weight and protein for the next and last leg of their flight, the arctic.

Environmentalists have noticed a huge drop in the number of birds and there is a direct correlation between the lack of horseshoe crab eggs and the dwindling of the shorebirds. The year this photo was taken, 1993, I was amazed at how many birds there were at both Cook's and Reed's Beaches. It was also the time when horseshoe crabs were beginning to be heavily "harvested" by fisherman. The more these ancient creatures are harvested the less food for the shorebirds. The less food, the less chance of survival and the less chance the birds will breed. This area of southern New Jersey has been known for years for its wonderful birding and our economy depends on people coming from around the world to see this phenomenal sight.

Question

Pine Hill, NJ

We should always be willing to question. But, are we willing to hear the answer? This image began popping out as I began working on one of the slides of the old dead oak tree outback of our house. At first I didn't see the question mark above the boy's head. He appears to be contemplating something, maybe a question someone asked. Then I saw the mark and realized exactly what I wanted to call this picture. After playing with it and studying it I see a horse racing with the boy on top thinking. Is he racing to find the answer?

Rose Pogonia
Pine Barrens, NJ

Bill and I were walking along the Batona Trail when we paralleled a swamp near the Batsto River. I'd never seen a swamp and we took a quick look at it. Bill spotted this orchid like flower and shot it using a hand-held camera. When we got the film back we began to try and identify it. Using Howard Boyd's "A Field Guide to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey", we were able to identify this as a rose pogonia. Most of our guides say that rose pogonias are pink or rose colored. Boyd states that they are also known to be white. The one we photographed is a very pale pink.