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A Study in Colour (Part 2)
By Silver Blue | 1 comment
1Not much to say this evening. I’m in a rather introspective mood, but I wanted to share some more photos from the trip to Busch Gardens:
The colour, the water droplets, even the mulch come together to act as one.
A wheelbarrow of spring. Overflowing in its greenery, simplistic in its colouration.
Un petit oiseau, jaune.
Tis the season for tulips and pansies.
As well as tulips and dusty miller.
[audio:https://www.eyesofsilverblue.com/tf-epce.mp3]Silver Blue, who wonders how different the world would be if people took time to not only stop and experience the world around them, but if they were for accepting of those who are different. What if… everything were possible?
A Study in Colour (Part 1)
By Silver Blue | 1 comment
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A trip to Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, has put me on a study of colour, from the garish tones in the above photo, which to me still work as the flowers and greenery spill forth from this window box planter to the simplistic….
…single red tulip blooming in a field of purple pansies. I call this “Never be afraid to stand out in a crowd.”
Learning to use depth of field (known in the photographic world as “Bokeh”) to throw the background out of focus so that you don’t have sensory overload from EVERYTHING being sharp and your brain going “what do I focus on? This? That? This?” is something I’m really beginning to have fun with.
Of course, I realize that most of the flowers at BGW have been “forced” into bloom in greenhouses, the weather has been so peculiar this year that it really wouldn’t surprise me to see petunias, pansies and snapdragons all in perfect harmony. (In fact, this morning while cutting the manor grounds here at the Shenandoah Forester, I noted that the wild violets are already in bloom — something that normally doesn’t happen until late April/early May.)
One of the things I appreciate most about the groundskeepers at BGW is that they aren’t afraid to juxtapose opposites on the colour wheel for dramatic effect.
[audio:https://www.eyesofsilverblue.com/aob-liaf.mp3]Silver Blue, who loves this time of year, even though I suffer from bad seasonal allergies.
Night I left the city…I dreamt of a wolf…
By Silver Blue
Went to Passport Preview day at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg today. Weather was perfect and it was worth putting up with the pollen.
I’ve never heard the grey wolves howl in the park…. until today.
In fact, over in Germany, at the Curse of Dar Kastle ride, a large wolf statue says…. CHEESE!
The thing that I really appreciate about BGW however, is how well they tend to their grounds (a veritable wheelbarrow of Spring):
Plus, the fact they act as caretakers this year to four Bald Eagles who have been injured in the wild and cannot fly or hunt, so are protected and fed here:
and…
This one, if I recall correctly, injured his wing by flying into a power line and almost lost the wing to injury and infection (hence the reason it wasn’t able to be “re-set” so he can fly).
All in all a great day… even if time passed too quickly.
Silver Blue, who is thankful Mother Nature held off on her rain and storms and let me have MY day, making the most of the shots…
(*title from “Cry Wolf” by a-ha)
Where the HDR fascination started…
By Silver Blue
I was in Ghent, Norfolk, VA, and had shot a good number of photos of the Naro Theater and … back in those days, the only option I knew of was the somewhat primitive Photoshop option.
A different look (not necessarily better, but different) is now available by clicking three buttons.
The lower is garish, while the top appears lost in a fog. The difference is that the top photo took (when I rendered it, back in 2007) about 15 minutes of heavy computing power. The lower one took about 8 seconds.
Sometimes, however, just a proper exposure for neon can make all the difference. This one has no HDR effects applied at all, and it’s the one I prefer most:
Silver Blue…. who tries to capture what lights up his world.
A visit from Cat Man Deux
By Silver Blue
Cat Man Deux sits watching over Meditation Corner at the Shenandoah Forester. I encountered him in New Orleans in 2003, adopted him, and brought him home.
He was the closest that I could find to a Silver and Blue Harlequin.
Here he is in front of the “Living Proof Farewell Tour” programme:
He makes sure that nothing bothers me when I am deep in meditation. 🙂
Silver Blue, who sees lightning out the window and wants to get this posted before we possibly lose power and/or internet….
Come taste life….
By Silver Blue | 1 comment
1Still life, that is. From an event on campus this evening, the ruins of the pan of bacon wrapped scallops.
There’s just something about this photo that I really enjoy. Heaven knows it wasn’t the food! Still, at least the limes were cut decoratively and had their peels also decorated.
Silver Blue, who knows that being able to mass produce food does not a real “Chef” make. (I wonder if the scallops were bought pre-prepared….)
Have a Coke and a smile.
By Silver Blue
Continuing from this post, I thought it best to show you a new found treasure, the current state of the building, and what fate befell the original Coca-Cola plant.
The original set of photos had been taken in 2007; I’d not been back to the neighbourhood in 5 years. What changes would meet me?
The abandoned plant is still in relatively good shape:
The end two Coke bottles still have their coverings over them which were put in place (actually, over all four Coke bottles, the Coca-Cola Logo panels, and the center “Newport News Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Inc”) when the plant was shuttered. I’m surprised that Coke, proper, hasn’t attempted to salvage one of the stone bottles, or some of the stonework. This is history! Then again, to today’s society… history isn’t what it used to be.
The old plant, sadly, met with a disappointing fate. The building was donated to be rehabilitated and repurposed into apartments. The city inspector came, declared the building structurally unsound and condemned it. By the end of December, 2011, it was demolished. This is all that remains of the “curved” building… just a grassy field:
Comparison time:
Still, there was a bit of magic to behold.
Across the street from the remaining Coke Plant is St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church (elegant architecture that will be featured in a future blog post). Behind the Church, however, are the remnants of a painted store advertisement:
I don’t know what Perry’s was, or what this building used to be (or why it was modified), but I found it somehow comforting to see the familiar Coca-Cola bottles on it, still. In fact, if you look closely, you can see that there was a sign painted UNDER the current sign.
Taking another angle, and processing it through attempting to bring out as much detail as I could:
The word “CUSTOMER” was in a much larger font behind the current “customer”. The work “PARKING” is visible (the P A before the “Parking” and the G after Only”), and you can make out Perry’S (why the lower case for the “e” is beyond me unless it was there logo). There may have been “while shopping at” behind the current words as there appears to be a ghosted “W” beside the current “While”. I like looking at history this way.
[audio:https://www.eyesofsilverblue.com/ns-itrt.mp3]Silver Blue…who knows that everything fades away… but some memories are meant to be captured and held on to.
King Neptune!
By Silver Blue
Last day of Staycation found me back at the beach, this time, photographing King Neptune in Virginia Beach, at 31st street.
The photos speak for themselves.
Silver Blue, who imagines how I’m really going to miss having the time off with my camera. I’ll have to schedule some time again soon.
The National Aviation Monument, VA Beach
By Silver Blue | 1 comment
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“This is a monument to the proud heritage of Naval Aviation that has had many of its beginnings in Hampton Roads. It is here in Hampton Roads that the very first take-off from a ship was made by Eugene Ely in 1910. It is here in Hampton Roads that The Nation prepared for WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East and other conflicts throughout the world, sending men and women who manned aircraft carriers, planes, ships, and submarines into harm’s way.
So it is here in Virginia Beach that we erect this Monument to Naval Aviation, honoring the proud aviators who wear the Wings of Gold, the Navy, Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard, who help defend our great country and protect all Free Nations.”
The Homecoming.
Where It Began.
“Pilots Man Your Planes””
“Naval Warfare” (I think it says 1956-2006)
http://www.virginiabeach.com/attractions/museums/naval-aviation-monument
Silver Blue, who wants you to know that even though you can’t see it, I was surrounded by snow flurries when taking these photos, March 9, 2012.
The Norwegian Lady of Virginia Beach
By Silver Blue
The story of the Norwegian Lady Statues may be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Lady
I ventured down to the oceanfront today, in the cold. So cold that I actually saw flurries at the beginning of my photo journey. I didn’t get pictures of King Neptune this time, but that, too, will change.
The Norwegian Lady:
and her memorial plaque:
The full frontal shot is:
The topmost plaque under the Lady is cast with a sailing ship and the inscription:
“I am the Norwegian Lady. I stand here, as my sister before me, to wish all men of the sea safe return home.”
The brass plaque (with the green patina) is the “In Memoriam” of the sailors aboard the barque “Dictator” who perished March 27, 1891.
Silver Blue, who always remembers the beauty and the fury of the ocean…
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