Heading down the St. Johns River by Michelle Holland

Posted on 2025-03-14

While living on a houseboat on the St. John’s River in Putnam County, Florida, I was fascinated by the variety of floating vessels that travelled up and down the river. This particular boat was kept at the marina during summer and the owners would then travel down in winter to take her down to Bahamas. Because she was a steel-hulled boat a careful eye had to be kept on. The waters are brackish in this part of the St. Johns River, which has direct access to the Atlantic Ocean.

Alien Moon or Garden Squash? by Porter

Posted on 2024-12-04

Much of my photography involves "invisible light"--near infrared and ultraviolet that humans can't see, although some animals can. For various technical reasons, shooting in infrared is relatively easy, especially with a modified camera. Ultraviolet, however, is a spectrum of challenges, including how little ultraviolet light there is naturally, how insensitive commercial camera sensors are to UV, and the simple fact that glass blocks most UV. Special filters, specialty lenses or those that by chance happen to transmit enough UV, long exposure times, and processing challenges make shooting in ultraviolet a pain.

But the result--alien images in a chthonic palette that often show surprising detail both otherwise invisible or overlooked--make it worth it.

Hands of a master at the piano by Marian

Posted on 2024-10-20

Manabu and his students often perform at the University of Rhode Island where he is a Professor of Music. I'm fascinated by trying to capture their graceful moving hands and reflections in the backboard above the keys which seem to heighten my experience of their playing. In going through lots of photo attempts it seemed that somehow I was most successful in capturing performances by Manabu rather than of his students' and visitors, of which this is an example. Perhaps because of his remarkable precision and grace in playing, and the connection for me between his movements and what I see in the camera. I chose to show most of the original image of this double-piano performance rather than a close crop of Manabu's hands to show viewers what I experienced in hopes that his hands would grab their attention as it did mine.

Aka Blas Wind Ensemble Performance by Marian

Posted on 2024-10-07

This remarkable 50-member wind ensemble from Braunschweig, Germany, performed at a convocation at the University of Rhode Island in 2019. Although the musicians played on an auditorium stage, they produced a marvelous kind of surround sound throughout a large space. I tried to convey the wonderful feeling of all those woodwinds playing together by using the double image feature in my Fuji camera. Sometimes this works well for me and sometimes it doesn't, but it seems to have worked this time, especially for the
"performance" prompt. I decided the conversion to black and white worked better than the usual excellent Fuji color rendering, though it took some fiddling to balance shading, etc., since there wasn't time to adjust camera settings between "takes" and the camera only produced double exposures as jpgs. Still, I think a worthwhile experiment.

Pond reflections with trees and ducks by Marian

Posted on 2024-09-07

I took this photo as an "assignment" for a workshop on black and white photography a few years ago. I wonder if I would have taken it otherwise as even though I always take a camera with me on walks near where I live I don't consider myself much of a landscape or "nature" photographer except to document plants, animals, insects, etc., because I like to know what "natural" (endemic) life persists in this semi-rural area gradually being transformed intosuburbia. I was drawn to the take the picture because of the strong lines, light & shadow, and almost hidden details of the ripples and ducks. I think this was one of the more successful photos I took for that project.

Rare Visitor to My Backyard by Bud or Dell

Posted on 2024-06-23

My backyard abuts a stream-side park so I get a lot of wildlife visitors coming into my yard to feed on the flower plants. This is the most unusual visitor I have had to date. It is a Piebald white tail buck deer. The white parches are the result of a genetic mutation that results from the lack of the usual pigment producing cells in those areas. It is a rare mutation and I have only seen this deer one time. It was quite a thrill to see him even though he was wreaking havoc on my flower plants!

naturific bouquet by Daniel

Posted on 2023-11-15

Back in July, the wife and I made it to Steve's favorite trail, Naches Peak. His ashes are spread not too far from this location in a secluded spot in the trees with a view of Chinook Pass. His grandsons opted to stay with their grandma. The younger one wanted me to tell his grandpa he, Portia the dog, and grandma miss him.

The Old Grill by Jason Kravitz

Posted on 2023-07-22

I have a lot of images of random things where I liked the scene,
I envisioned a composition in my minds eye and I photographed.

Most of those photos sit doing nothing.
Taking up bits and bytes.
Like old shells of a creative moment long passed.

This used to be a literal furnace of creation.
From raw ingredients, a meal is cooked with precision.
Providing nutrition and the joy of food to some people for a time.

Now it too does nothing
but take up dust and cobwebs
a shell.

Thoughts for this week's Aminus3 Weekly Prompt : Shell

Goose Hybrid by Andy

Posted on 2023-03-17

This particular goose is usually reported as a Domestic goose sp. x Canada Goose. It wasn't until recently when I met a more experienced birder, who in turn consulted other more experienced people, decided to list this hybrid goose as a Swan Goose x Canada Goose (hybrid). As a result, I also now list it as such when I report my bird sightings on eBird.

This goose is a semi resident to the area who disappears for a time and then returns. He has quite the personally - look at the slight head tilt in the photo - and will let you know (by a hiss) that you are to close to him.

In the geese hierarchy, he is the boss bird and also noticeably bigger the the other geese.

Stoney Beach by Harry

Posted on 2023-02-07

A landscape from my Maine excursion last June. Besides the bright (infrared) grasses and the large rocks, I like how you can see the rocks through the shallow water, yet see the reflected trees near the far shore.

Wave Rolling In by Andy

Posted on 2023-01-27

Almost got soaked with this wave.

I got low to photograph, the wave rolled in, it was deceiving as to its height and speed, at the last moment I got up and escaped with millimeters to spare. If the wave had caught me, let's say it would have ruined my day. ;)

Caracara by Fran

Posted on 2022-12-03

A Crested Caracara perched on a fence post by a farm in rural Okeechobee County, Florida. The Caracara is in the falcon family and largely feeds on carrion, birds, reptiles and amphibians. You often see them around Vultures. Vin and I just read a fascinating book about Caracara. It is "A Most Remarkable Creature" by Jonathan Meiburg.

Thames Street Stroll by Andy

Posted on 2022-10-17

Thames street in Newport, Rhode Island, on a rainy misty day, a man and his buddy go for a stroll.

Trinity Church by Andy

Posted on 2022-08-18

I went back to Trinity Church, on Queen Anne Square in Newport, Rhode Island a few hours after sunrise.
As the sun was positioned right in the bell tower, I also noticed the light shining through the lampposts, as if they were still aglow from the night.
It is interesting that within a few minutes, lighting changes and this instance is gone.

Felix O's Stove Top (Empty Frying Pans and Pots) by Marian

Posted on 2025-01-14

Photo taken during a visit to Felix Ortega's pottery workshop during a Santa Fe Photo Workshop which took place in "Northern New Mexico", organized and guided by photographer Tony Bonnano. Felix made pottery using traditional techniques with local mica-infused clay which he dug and processed himself. A Native American and historian/philosopher, Felix was also a mesmerizing story teller. He graciously invited us into his studio and home where he demonstrated his technique and regaled us with stories of his personal background and people. It was an extraordinary experience to have met him and have a chance to make a personal record of the spirit infused in his work and his "world", so different from mine.

Dappled White, Earth and Sky by Porter

Posted on 2024-12-02

My husband and I went up to Sky Meadows, one of the rare dark sky areas near our home, in the hope of seeing the aurora. We got there a bit before sunset, and I wandered around playing with my full spectrum camera. I had a plastic Holga lens stuck in my bag with an EF mount--some fiddling with step-rings allowed me to mount the infrared filter in front of the Holga. The result was images that combined the dream-like effects of both the Holga and infrared. I became fascinated with this tree and its shape, and in particular, the play of light in its leaves. It took some positioning to get an angle I liked that didn't include buildings, people, or cattle in the shot.

The aurora was a no show, but the photographs taken as sun went down make the trip worth it.

Fishing Vessel Scaffolding by Marian

Posted on 2024-10-13

My brother - who once served in the Coast Guard and now lives in New Mexico - visited me in Rhode Island last year with a yen to spend some time near the sea. So we went to New Bedford, Massachusetts, a major New England fishing port. I was transfixed by the tangle of the ships' gear and scaffolding, in contrast to the much smaller scale of what I've seen near where I live in Rhode Island.

Fisherman's Memorial by Marian

Posted on 2024-09-24

I wish I knew. Its placement in view of the Pt. Judith light house seemed like a special feature to include in a photo.

Seattle Fountain with Holga light leaks by Marian

Posted on 2024-09-13

I was just starting to use this plastic camera while on a sabbatical leave in Seattle, WA. For those unfamiliar with Holgas, Diana cameras, and the like, they're among the most anti-tech portable pieces of "gear" for taking pictures (except maybe a pinhole?), simple in construction with minimal controls for focus (3 - labeled with icons for 1 person, 2 people, mountain), aperture (2, around f8 and f11) and shutter speed (N and N, maybe 1/100). Which I thought would focus (ahem) my attention on what I was taking, and possibly produce some serendipitous "mistakes" to improve the pictures. What I didn't know at first was the simple construction makes it prone to light leaks. So my early rolls had plenty, which eventually I defeated by covering its seams with gaffer's tape. But not on this shot. Which I always thought enhanced the impression of action just a little along with the characteristic & unintended vignetting. So this scan of 120 film is pretty much straight from the camera.

Photo from Econlockhatchee River, Florida United S by Andrea Willer

Posted on 2024-08-27

A quiet flat water kayak among American alligators, numerous birds finding food in the waters and surrounding woods, and sunning turtles recharging their souls. Just northeast of Orlando, the river is a nice escape from the city hustle.

Leading the pack by Daniel

Posted on 2024-02-03

Soccer restarted last week with Steve’s elder grandson playing in a friendly game for his Surf Academy team. He is quite pleased with himself as he scored his first header of his soccer career. After the match, he self-assessed himself as the best player on his team. One thing is for sure, the boy does not lack confidence.

Saguaro by Carol Black

Posted on 2023-10-24

The Saguaro is the largest cactus in the United States and it is only found in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. It is a protected species of plant. It is a very slow growing plant and it takes 50 years for a saguaro to begin to grow an arm and the cactus can grow up to 60 feet tall (18 1/4 metres). After the saguaro dies its woody ribs can be used to build roofs, fences, and parts of furniture. The holes that birds nested in or "saguaro boots" can be found among the dead saguaros. Native Americans used these as water containers long before the canteen was available. With the right growing conditions, it is estimated that saguaros can live to be as much as 150-200 years old. And yes, the spines are quite sharp so do not touch!

Ready to go by Harry

Posted on 2023-05-02

This old briefcase was lying here in front of the mirror. The mirror is reflecting much of the abandoned empty store. I picked up the hat off the floor and placed it, thinking I was creating some kind of traveling salesman scenario.

Keebler Village by Andy

Posted on 2023-02-16

While walking the trails in a nature preserve I noticed these little wooden structures at the base of the tree. Closer inspection revealed they were little wooden homes and a ship.
Someone constructed these and left them by the tree I suspect for the elves.
each time I walked by the area, I looked for the small homes and maybe get a glance of the elves. The village was intact or a few months until they eventually disappeared. Perhaps, someone took them, or the property Stewarts took them, or the Keebler Elves moved on, since their village was discovered!
I never did see the elves.

Bodie, California - ghost town by Visualaccent

Posted on 2023-01-27

In 1876, gold and silver were discovered in this place.They started to mine it, and over time, it become a mining town with population of 10000 people.

Behind the funeral home by Harry

Posted on 2023-01-10

Behind the funeral home... The front of this building had an entrance and signage for a funeral home, It was closed when we passed, but there was no indication that it was out of business. Out back, these three vehicles implied a long closed establishment. The peeled paint is not an "overnight" development, and the flat tire also indicated disuse. I darkened and desaturated this a bit to make for a more somber mood.

Bluebird Sipping Drops of Water from Melted Snow by Donna M Hughes

Posted on 2022-11-24

Yesterday morning, I watched a Bluebird standing on the edge of the house roof. It kept dipping down with its beak under the edge.

I watched for a while and then I realized it was sipping water from the melted snow that was trickling down the roof.

Marengo Road, Half Moon Township

Memorial Hike by Daniel

Posted on 2022-09-08

We finally got around to spreading Baba's (https://steveinjapan.aminus3.com/image/2021-11-12.html) ashes along the Naches Peak Trail near Mount Rainier National Park. It was one of his favorite hikes due to the abundant wildflowers and spectacular mountain views. Mama thought she couldn't make the 3.5 miles or so loop, but as this photo proves, she made it with her smile intact!

So if you happen to trek that trail, take some photos for him!

Eye of the Cannon by Porter

Posted on 2024-12-09

This is one of two Rodman cannons still in place at Fort Foote outside Washington D.C.
They weigh almost 25 tons each unmounted and required 50 lbs of black powder to fire cannon balls 25 inches across and weighing 600 lbs. To get this picture, I had to hold the camera over my head, as the mounted cannon is significantly taller than I am.

Other than the granite cannon mounts, not much else of this Civil War earthen fort survives. The Potomac River, over which the Rodmans once stood watch, is no longer visible from their post, as forest has grown up along the ridge. The Fort is so eroded and overgrown that the Rodmans seem to stand, almost pristine, in the middle of a forest, with nothing but the empty mounts for their missing siblings to indicate that they were not simply dropped from the sky into the Maryland woods.

Shot with a full spectrum modified Canon R6ii using a dual bandpass blue/infrared filter and a vintage Asahi Takumar 17mm f/4 fisheye.

Much used scalloping nets by Marian

Posted on 2024-10-17

I visited New Bedford Harbor last year and was amazed at how much bigger an enterprise it is than I've seen in my home state, Rhode Island. The decks and cabins on many of the ships were rusty and the gear (mechanicals as per this week's prompt) looked heavily used. What appealed to me about this one and other similar ones was how colorful it is, along with its extraordinary hand-made look, and that it seemed to be constructed of relatively simple and possibly old-fashioned parts, unlike so many mechanical objects one might expect to see photographed for this prompt. Yet I've read that scalloping is a major industry for this major fishing port.

Through a window, San Francisco China Town by Marian

Posted on 2024-10-01

I took the photo on film a long time ago, and scanned it fairly recently as I had remembered it as a highlight of the trip. Not a double exposure; merely a shot through a window of a friend waiting outside a Chinese restaurant for his wife to join us, as I recall. It popped up in my mind as a kind of a breakthrough non-literal image for me at the time and even now. It seems good for this week's prompt as I think of as representing different kinds of blending - /inside and outside/ - /real and unreal/ - /real and reflected/ - /real and fantastic/ - /Caucasian and Asian/. Great to have a chance to show it.

Hyde Park, Chicago, 1968 by Marian

Posted on 2024-09-09

I went to Chicago during the 1968 Democratic Convention for a break from graduate school because a friend in journalism at Columbia found me a job there with UPI pictures. Not as a journalist taking photos but as a staff member accepting, registering, and handing film from photographers on the street to be developed and distributed by wire to news sources. Having a few days to explore the city before the convention started I went to check out Hyde Park and found kids there cooling off by running through spray from a fire hydrant they had opened up. When I saw a line of neighborhood women lined up on the street near where the kids were playing I was nervous about photographing them but couldn't resist and finally went as close as I dared. From the photos it's obvious everyone just ignored me. Different times?

"Be like a peacock . . . by Steven

Posted on 2024-02-15

While visiting the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois earlier this month, I noticed quite a few peacocks that were strolling around the grounds of the zoo, free to roam where they wanted. They didn't extend their feathers upright, but rather just let them drag behind them. I caught this shot of the peacock's plumage from a low point of view as it laid on the ground, and I was intrigued by how metallic it looked in the sunlight.

Saddleback Caterpillar by lmmylo

Posted on 2023-09-16

I found this one morning in the yard and Immediately ran for my camera. It is a Saddleback Caterpillar, native to Eastern North America. I researched and read it is covered in spines (easy to see) attached to poison glands. When touched, the tip of the spine breaks off allowing poison to enter causing a painful sting. Fortunately for me I didn't attempt to touch it. This one just molted.

"St. Elmo's ~ Bisbee, AZ" by Duck Island Guy ~ Bill Laing Photography

Posted on 2023-09-05

A rather notorious watering hole in a rather notorious mining town (in the past) with a rather notorious history. Bisbee re-invented itself as a haven for artists of all types, many who went there as hippies in the '80's because, since it was almost a ghost town, it was a cheap place to live. It's a tourist mecca now.

Treasured by Ted

Posted on 2023-03-09

Treasured is such an evocative word.
Memory.
That's the word association that 'treasured' has triggered.
Searching through back catalogues that are littered with holiday photo's, it would be easy to just pick a holiday photo, but among those treasures what sets them apart and what most captures that 'treasured memory?'

In 2016, to mark a 'retirement' we visited USA & Canada. A visit to Washington DC and to Quebec & Montreal to watch Grand Prix cycling. The experiences on such a trip were classy and life long lasting. After a lot of work, generous, support and luck, we were privileged to secure a visit to the US Senate and to the White House during the Presidency of Barrack Obama.

It was a bucket list experience and a *treasured* memory.

So, the image is of a corridor. Not just any corridor but an early approach into the White House and as ordinary as this may look, the image evokes momentous and treasured memories.

The Demise of an Old Friend by Don Smith

Posted on 2023-01-13

The relentless pounding surf along the Big Sur Coast caused the demise of a much beloved Garrapata Sea Arch.

Empty Benches by Andy

Posted on 2022-12-13

First real snow of the season which was just enough to cover the ground and trees. As a result, we drove to one of the private parks for some landscape and bird photos. This happens to be one of our favorite areas.
There were only three sets of footprints in the snow. One set on the road and we were the other set of footprints. In other areas our foot prints were accompanied by deer and turkey prints. We seen only two deer which promptly ran away. They were very skittish this day.
Although, it was a dark cloudy morning, the storm clouds gave way to sunshine in the afternoon. I wonder if anyone sat on the benches when the sun came out?

Sunrise from Mt. Fremont by Daniel

Posted on 2022-11-05

After visiting the First Borough for sunrise a few years ago, Dad (https://steveinjapan.aminus3.com) and I planned to visit Mt. Fremont as the trail to the lookout intersects the route we were on, and it looked promising. Unfortunately, he never made it to Mt. Fremont as far as I know, although he might've been up to the lookout in his younger days. The trail features stunning vistas and a fire lookout. When I was there, a ranger was at the lookout. While no longer active, the lookout is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Anyway, I think he would have enjoyed the view of Mount Rainier from there.

Los Osos Fog at Sunset, Central California by Don Smith

Posted on 2022-08-28

I went out yesterday evening to position myself along the edge of the incoming fog bank near sunset. As if on cue, this large hawk hovered above the landscape just long enough for me to grab one frame! A little divine help from above one could say :-)