Cubs Game 2023 | Batter Up Christopher Morel takes the plate with 15 seconds on the clock.
Each image from Cubs Game 2023 | a 7 Image Story will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Cubs Game 2023 Note: I post an image most days at hankconrad.com.
Cubs Game 2023 | a 7 Image Story A Cubs game on a beautiful afternoon makes for nice day especially when the Cubs win.
Batter Up Christopher Morel takes the plate with 15 seconds on the clock. Swing & a Miss Yup, a giant swing and a miss with no time remaining on the clock! Ready in Right Field He’s intent; let’s hope a fly ball comes his way. Ready on 1st Base First baseman was really ready! Let’s hope a ball comes his way soon. And the Pitch Look at the intent in his face; he is focused! Before the Strike Out He’s going to swing for the fences! Cubs Win! Cubs win; time to celebrate!
Each image from Cubs Game 2023 | a 7 Image Story will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Cubs Game 2023 Note: I post an image most days at hankconrad.com.
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Peck Butterfly House II | a 7 Image Story The Peck Butterfly House always seems to delight with new butterflies every few weeks.
Black Swallowtail Busy Although butterflies are less efficient than bees at moving pollen between plants, this Swallowtail appears to be very busy trying. Black Swallowtail Color This Black Swallowtail rests while showing off its dazzling colors. Clipper Butterfly Head On Clipper Butterflies stay in one place long enough to get a head shot. Blue Moon Butterfly Even with a couple of hundred butterflies in the house, capturing one while not flying can be challenging. Great Mormon Butterfly Sometimes, nature’s symmetry is just amazing! Blue Morpho Butterfly Where’s the blue? It’s on the top go the wings. Unfortunately, this butterfly does not stop long enough with its wings open to get a photo of those beautiful wings. Clipper Butterfly Colors Spread your wings on a nice flower. How much better could it get for a beautiful butterfly!
Each image from Peck Butterfly House II | a 7 Image Story will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Peck Butterfly House II. Note: I post an image most days at hankconrad.com.
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Prairie Burn Goes Green | a 7 Image Story This set of images shows the story of a field from a planned burn to tall green vegetation in less than four months.
Burned Trail Walk This field on our daily walk was burned on March 30th. Only the trees and the trail grass did not burn. Hopefully, over the next few years, the field will be turned into a nice prairie. The Pugs are looking forward to tall grass and wild prairie. Cut Grass Survives The cut grass did not burn because it was green when the controlled burn happened. Brown brush and weeds filled the remaining space. The black ash reminds me of volcanic ash. Four Months Later What a difference four months makes! The prairie now rises to shoulder height and abounds with beautiful wild flowers giving home to several bee species.
Prairie Wildflower Wildflowers abound in the new prairie. It’s amazing that beautiful flowers three feet tall appear in less than four months after the burn. Save the Bees Wildflowers in the new prairie need bees for pollination. Bees are in the decline in our country. Prairie flowers help the bees recover. Shades of Yellow Wildflowers Yellow seems to dominate the wildflowers in the new prairie. Yellow Daisy Yellow Daisy to light up your day!. Never enough flowers!
Each image from Prairie Burn Goes Green | a 7 Image Story will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Prairie Burn Goes Green. Note: I post an image most days at hankconrad.com.
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2020 Good Riddance | a 7 Image Story Finally, 2020 remains sadly in our rear view mirror. It was a very bad year. Bad really does not give justice to 2020. Perhaps, the word should be terrible or awful; something way worse than bad. Certainly, it was one of the worst years in my life and probably one of the worst in many people’s lives. Hopefully, 2021 will be much better. These images were selected more by mood than by quality. They were all captured close to my home. Looking forward to a longer travel path next year!
Path Less Traveled This bike and walking path looks like many folks may feel this year. It looks forward to warmer weather and sunny days. Lonely Coyote A lonely coyote looks back at the tough life behind him. Unfortunately, his immediate future does not look any easier. Landscape Unclear Uncertainty blurred most days and weeks in 2020. It was a year of many surprises and many reactions, which were very hard to see coming. Our new normal was not much like our old normal. Slim Pickings Where did the worms go in 2020? It’s been slim pickings for a poor starving Robin. And, no I don’t eat seeds! Split Time Split time between 2020 and 2021! Luckily 2020’s waning light reflects from our rear view mirror. Through the windshield, 2021 comes into focus. Need Wings We’ll all need wings in 2021 to catch up. It’ll be a slow start. Crystal Ball Here’s hoping your crystal ball reflects a better 2021. It’s a good bet. Shouldn’t be too hard to be better than 2020.
Each image from 2020 Good Riddance | a 7 Image Story will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category 2020 Good Riddance.
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A Bit of Winter | a 7 Image Story Winter finally arrived late December. A little snow and ice adds so much texture and background to winter images. Even macro images embrace the structures in ice. Birds and critters look so brilliant against the snow and ice.
Pug Loves Snow Pugs love snow until their feet get too cold. Sometimes they like to eat the snow. Ice Designs Thin ice, a couple inches of snow, and a touch of water make for cool designs. Snowy Dark-eyed Junco Juncos are so cool. They fly around with little tuxedos. And, they stick around all year around. Driftwood Ice Old driftwood and new ice combine to make a classic macro image using an extension tube and a classic portrait lens. Squirrel on Ice This little fox squirrel must be really hungry to chance the icy tree limbs for a few nibbles of food. Icy Macro Everything looks much different when viewed up close, even a bit of ice against a wheel. Blue Jay Winter would not be the same without the Blue Jays brightening the day. Driftwood Ice Old driftwood and new ice combine to make a classic macro image using an extension tube and a classic portrait lens.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category A Bit of Winter.
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Around the House Macro | a 7 Image Story Why macro photography around the house? After a challenging year staying at home, it seems all together fitting and proper to capture a few images around home. Using macro might make some of the images a bit more exciting. Hopefully, next year will find will be a better year. Very few wildlife images are found inside the house. Without airshow and fly-ins, aircraft images become very difficult to capture. Local walkabouts provide the only opportunities for wildlife and landscape photographs.
These seven images were just chosen randomly on a recent stroll around the house. Cherish Teddy Elf Unless you get really close it’s hard to notice how the rough texture of a Cherish Teddy’s face contrasts against its fine features. Window Shade Ever notice what your shades look like really close up? Shades have been drawn over our world now for many months. Hopefully, they can be slowly raised over the next few months. Airplane Ornament Tonight’s flight plan takes us around the Christmas tree. The weather report says light winds with a chance of snow around then tree top. It’ll all VFR flying to enjoy the tree’s natural beauty. Mini Blind Looks like I need to dust the blinds before Christmas. Actually, it does not take much dust to show up on a macro photo. Math Book The sum of i from i = 4 to infinity. Math majors can be a little weird. Still, math books can look stately.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Around the House Macro.
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B&W Shapes | a 7 Image Story In black and white photographs, shapes and contrasts make all the difference. It’s all about the lines, the curves, and the contours along with how they contrast and/or blend. A strong photograph without color will generally also be strong photograph with color. B&W wildlife images rarely work for me. This bull elk bugling during the rut shows such an iconic elk shape, it needs no color.
Long Exposure A long exposure not only flattens and smooths the water, it also can create interesting shapes. In this case, the trees made nice curved shapes on the water. A Little Ice Pugs love the snow; ice, not so much. It’s slipping and sliding, even on the icy grass, put a new meaning to “do your duty.” Milkweed Sometimes, even weeds with sharp angles and smooth end points look good in black & white. Western Texture The old west had some pretty rough buildings. Still, horses liked this small open barn instead of the snow outside. Icy Leaves Texture, symmetry, and depth of field draw the eye into the image. Early winter must be upon us.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category B&W Shapes.
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