First Hike of 2011-Cheesequake State Park

So the weather's getting warmer, and the season of outdoor shooting is upon us. Yesterday two awesome chicks and I went on a great hike at Cheesequake state park. Nice landscape, good moderate trail, and a lovely 57 degrees or so. Besides the gusting wind from time to time, it was a good day to get out and hike. I shot a lot of black and white, and even converted several color shots to black and white in post processing. I guess i was inspired by this months Ansel Adams issue of Outdoor Photographer. Enjoy!

Three fawn ran by while we sat to have a snack! They were bookin' it, and it took me off guard so this was all i got.

Mary, Mary quite contrary...

How DOES your garden grow? I know mine is growing like gang busters! There are new things to see every day. All of it rendering me delicious veggies for my belly! Take this beautiful bloom that is our zucchini, we hadn't even noticed it right away. So pretty, so yummy!




We love zucchini so i'm very excited to harvest our first batch. We have about three of various sizes as of right now.
This little guy will one day be a tomato, can't wait to photograph those bad boys! I've seen bees around, but i'm not sure any honey bees yet, getting tomatoes rest in their hands, so to speak, lol



And PEAS! Wow it seems like we have a bunch, and they are fattening up fast, this was last week....








There were some pea pods, but not many, here's a few, all still last week....





This week though, they are looking like some peas, oh yeah! The hubs doesn't like peas so much, but i'm super excited. i hope to bring some along on our camping trip in two weeks. :)




Can you believe this little dude will one day be a winter squash?! Hims got a long way to go yet!



And radishes we pulled a week or so back...so bright and red, yummy!






So many pictures tonight! You lucky blog readers you! here's a few more from a little stroll the hubs and i took on a nature trail close to our place. Not much to speak of, but it was a nice get out of the house walkabout as the hubs called it. ;P




I think this flower looks like something outta Dr.Suess's world!





Well thats all for the night, see ya next time! Keep an eye out for pics of our camping trip coming soon!

By Pops-ular Demand

I'm finally getting around to finally posting some new stuff. I meant to start it earlier, but i've been stalking some new species o' bird comin' round the porch today. He is alluding me though it seems. So i gave up for now, otherwise it'll be ten at night before i realize i spent the whole day stalking birds! LOL I did finally get that rotten Bluejay to stay still long enough to get off some shots.





This bird just knows to show up only when the light sucks. But so longs he keeps coming back, i'll keep at him. Snapped off some possible good ones today of him(or some other Bluejay, not sure really).They are still unprocessed as the card is sitting in the camera, which is sitting on the tripod, waiting for a little mole to come get some bait i put out for him. Another little guy who is very very shy. There is some really nice soft over cast light today. I may be going out for more flower shots today, should i feel like getting up off my butt later. :) Last weekend......THAT ROTTEN BLUEJAY JUST CAME AND TOOK THE CHEESE! Just now, i heard him, i got up to look and he was swiping my bait for my little mole! Anyway, as i was saying, last weekend i stepped out and shot some pretty flowers!









Since getting my Optio W90, i've found i've been noticing bugs more. now, i hate bugs, but boy they cool under the macro! Here's a few moths!






Don't be surprised to see another blog possibly this week. I still have much i've shot lately to go through and today seems like a shooting day, i keep jumping up to attempt to catch this little mole....until then....

It's been a while...

...but thats because i've been distracted by my new camera, my pentax optio W90. Nice little point and shoot, some cute features, some really cool features, and a really nice macro feature! It was my birthday gift from the friends and family. It doesn't do well in low light conditions without the flash, but that is my only complaint, and really, since i wanted it more for camping and hiking, and it does great in an outdoor setting, i'm more than happy. Even more so after getting all these fun close up shots of teeny leaves and flowers!


Well anything really teeny actually! :D This flower was no bigger than a quarter!

I really can't wait to go camping and hiking in the upcoming warm weather and enjoy this fun little camera some more, i haven't even started using the underwater camera feature yet!





And here is a couple from a lovely little trip to see Sarah in Bordentown, NJ. It's actually a pretty little town,and the architecture is fantastic! I hope to shoot more in that area, a camera of some sort with be with me anytime i go for a visit i think. Anyway, we went and had lunch at a park on a nice spring day several weeks ago, we'd had some rain recently and the gazebo area was flooded. It looked like a floating island in the middle of the lake. Clearly a moment for black and white if ever...i think anyway...