28 March 2016
Lens:
I. Taken in Camera+ and Post Processed in Polamatic
1. Sunset at the Reservoir; Copyright © 2016 Sally W. Donatello All Rights Reserved
Taken in Camera+ and Post Processed in iColorama
2. Sunset at the Reservoir; Copyright © 2016 Sally W. Donatello All Rights Reserved
Let me know which you prefer. Click on image to enlarge, which takes you to another page. If you decide to leave a comment, please return to this page.
Pens:
Because spring appeared weeks early, nature is trying to adjust. And human nature is enthusiastic with this unexpected arrival. It’s a moment of effervescence. Maybe Mother Nature heard our cry for renewal and rejuvenation.
Last night one of the early signs of spring appeared with its intriguing ritual: the vocal cadence of a red fox in the depth of nighttime. I know that barking sound is specific to that fox, just like my voice is unique to me. For over ten years my slumber has been disturbed by his vocal presence moving across my property, and it is an EVENT. Well, maybe it’s him or one of his offsprings journeying through my cultivated and wild habitats. This barking, rasping lasts for weeks into the season.
The first year astounded, and subsequently has not diminished my response. That sound, that unequivocal seduction makes me smile. I wonder where his winter hide out is located. There are options: a tiny city park (uncultivated and wild), which is across the street and mirrors my property, can serve as a perfect den for foxes. Not a mile away is the White Clay Creek that is lusciously full of woods, and habitats galore.
During these early lyrics of spring that fox is marking his territory in search of a mate to fulfill his legacy. I considered the past, and realized that last night’s oration was decidedly different. The length of that raspy barking lasted at least 15-20 minutes, compared to maybe 3-5 in previous years. And this fox is so close to me, moving with assurance and determination directly outside my bedroom windows.
Even with the disturbance of my deep sleep, I was amused and elated. Even with the length of those recognizable sounds, my smile pushed itself forward with every vocalization. Dreams returned. In the morning the memory was strongly present, a sort of bubbly feeling that the landscape was about to be a kaleidoscope of invention. Maybe even the teeny tiny imprints of “my” fox’s pups.
I will never see them, because they appear well after sunset. Still, the knowledge of their presence satisfies inwardly.
Spring offers a myriad of opportunities. The change in the sun’s angle brings some splendrous sunsets–sunsets that defy one’s imagination.
My town has a perfect location to watch sunrises and sunsets: a reservoir situated above the panorama of the cityscape where a walking path allows for serene contemplation and quietude. Photographers can be found marching up the hill a half hour or so before sunset to capture a day’s unexpected spectacle, whatever its effects.
In the Lens section is an image that I took this past week as the sun easily entertained all that were present. It is shown in two post-processing apps: Polamatic and iColorama. Each with my gentle editing to give more feeling of the drama realized in real time.
After a profoundly grey winter the sunlight of spring distracts from the world order and disorder. It pushes the heart and mind to be on alert for what is to come. It pushes our soul to re-imagine what can be, because nature’s unfolding is occurring daily in our visual gaze. But also many, many changes are unheard, unnoticed, unseen.
Tip of the Week:
While the arrival of spring-like temps and its legacies is enough to pump our adrenaline, there are many other aspects to this season that remain remote and undetected by human observation. To inspire you further, I recommend to those who are experiencing spring and those who live where other seasons are occurring, to peruse the article from The New York Times, “Recognizing Spring Scientifically,” by Nicholas St. Fleur (Really, that’s his name, and he’s writing about spring flowers peeking outward and upward.) from 25 March 2016. Days ago I knew the theme of my Pens section for this post, this article is an apt addition. It also can give credence to the kinds of visuals and words that provide inspiration for our own images.
The article is organized by various signs of the season such as: The Season’s Bluest Color, The Changing View From Space (If you do nothing else, watch the way the planet turns green in the Northern Hemisphere.), and Playtime for Fox Pups (Yes, coincidentally, the article has a section about the appearance of fox pups.). For the other signs, go to the website, here. Enjoy.
Fox in Spring, Google
View other entries to this week’s challenge:
http://ohmsweetohm.me/2016/03/28/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-challengers-choice-3/
https://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/2016/03/27/choose-a-place/
https://photographyplusblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/autumn-begins/
https://christinejrandall.wordpress.com/2016/04/01/sally-ds-mobile-photo-challenge-travel/
Note:
As always I welcome comments about this post or any part of my blog. My photographs for the mobile photography challenge are taken with an iPhone 6.
If you’d like to join this Mobile Photography Challenge, please click here for details and history of the challenge. If you have any questions, please contact me. Below is a reminder of the monthly schedule with themes for upcoming challenges:
1st Monday: Nature.
2nd Monday: Macro.
3rd Monday: Black and White.
4th Monday Challenger’s Choice (Pick One: Abstraction, Animals, Architecture, Food Photography, Night Photography, Objects, Panorama, Portraiture, Still Life, Street Photography, and Travel).
5th Monday: Editing and Processing with Various Apps Using Themes from the Fourth Week.
Lens and Pens by Sally 
I like them both very much,Sally. They are reminders of our teeny presence in this grand beautiful universe.
Elisa, thank you so much.
The first image is what sticks with me-I like how the light encircles the figures acting almost as a protective bubble or guide as they cross an uncertain landscape-and how wonderful to have the presence of so much wildlife-I miss hearing the foxes-they were a part of my growing up in a neighborhood which had woods and fields-
I’m in a small college town that has many protected areas. Even in suburbia I am surrounded by a wild and scenic preserve, which extends through two states. In my neighborhood, we have the usual wildlife, including scores of birds. I’m an avid bird lover. Thanks so much for your comment.
I also prefer the first one, which is more vivid and full of light. Great shot!
Michelle, I appreciate your comment and visit. Thanks so much.
I love your blog! I find a lot of inspiration related to colors and textures in your beautiful images!
Michelle, I’m humbled.
As someone who most often favors clarity and contrast, I join the majority of commenters in preferring the first version.
Steve, thanks.
You have captured a gorgeous moment. For me the first version is the one that stands out, I just like the contrast and how the highlight are brightly defined.
Otto, I’m humbled. Thanks so much.
Beautiful Sally! I especially love the first photo! Stunning
Nicole, I appreciate your comment.
Wow, magical pictures!
I appreciate your comment and visit.
I like them both, each has a beauty of their own
Maria, thanks so much.
Thanks, Sally, for the link to the article about Spring. It makes fascinating reading. I love your two photos this week and am amazed at the surreal quality of the second when I open it up. 🙂
Lovely to hear from you. Thanks so much.
I love the drama of the first shot. It looks like a movie still. The ruminations on the fox suit the image.
Suzanne, thanks for your thoughtful comment.
Sally, your first photo captures the best motion, and that’s why I like it. “Movement” is the path the viewer’s eye takes through the image, often to a focal area. It can be directed along lines, edges, shapes and color.
I always love your writing and info you give your viewers.
Connie
Connie, you’ve brought a smile across my afternoon. Thank you so much.
Hi Sally. Beautiful pic. I liked the first one.
Indira, thank you so much. Enjoy your week.
The process is nicely done. I like the lights of the original photo. My Half-Light: Choose a place… was taken with my iPhone and edited in Lightroom. https://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/2016/03/27/choose-a-place/
Amy, I appreciate your comment. Thanks.
Love the first one best, Sally. I really like the bright contrasts. Have a great week! Looks like spring is sprung! 🙂
Linda, you’re going to adore surprise after surprise that spring unveils. Enjoy each one. Thanks so much for your comment.
Sally, I like the first one because it’s lively.
Have a great day.
Helen,, thanks for your interpretation.
photo 1 very luminous!
Lovely to hear from you. Thanks so much.
Excellent shot Sally. I prefer the detail in the sky in the first image.
Edith, it was a dramatic sunset, which seems to happen a lot in spring. Thanks.
I like the mood created by the first photo. I find it hopeful; very spring like.
That’s lovely. Thanks.
Hi, Sally. I like your first photo the most. For my taste, it is a bit brighter and has more depth than the second one. Low-light silhouettes are a very challenging subject for this week’s post.
Ω
Allan, light-light silhouettes are a tough one, indeed. Enjoy the warm temps. Thanks so much for your comment.
I prefer the vibrancy of #1. I have never seen a fox in the wild, but my childhood stories were full of foxes. For me, they are almost a mythical creature.
Luanne, yes, maybe it’s Aesop’s Fables that starts that symbolism. Foxes do have a magical quality. Thank you so much for your comment and visit.
I agree about Aesop’s. And then I feel sorry for the little guys because of fox hunts so that mixes in, too.
Oh, that’s a ritual that needs to be eliminated. Enjoy your week.
I like the first one because I like bright. 🙂
Iris, I appreciate your comment and visit.
Sally, what a joy it must be to hear that sound! In “my” park, the birds have come out in force and the singing is amazing. Today I love your first photo for the dramatic sky. I hope you have a wonderful spring week filled with this type of joy.
janet
Janet, that’s lovely. Thanks so much.