The photos area both lovely, Mac, but, the one at the top is amazingly awesome. You did a wonderful job with that one. It looks almost like a Disney poster.
FYI for all GROUP MEMBERS: In general, copyright registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created, but make sure, if you share your work in any way, shape or form, you indicate that you are the copyrights holder. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work.
Pretty. I love roses. I broke down and bought some this year. One is the Peace rose. Suppose to be an heirloom rose. The other was a cheaper one that I think was grafted. Called Mint Julip.
There were four rose bushes when we bought the house. Completely overgrown and not producing many blooms. This is the first year I had roses that actually look like roses are supposed to.
I planted a couple of new rose bushes myself this year. Up by the garden. The double knock out kind. They're still small, but they've bloomed already. They're putting on new growth and new buds at the moment.
We have 3 red bushes & 1 pink bush. I like the red, they seem more vibrant, but the pink blooms were just so perfect. I am hoping for another burst of blooms soon.
I so wish I was not allergic to roses, I'd like to have a couple of bushes along the front by my porch. But, they have planted a beautiful peach colored hibiscus on one side of my porch, and a bright yellow one on the other side. They add so much happy color to the yard.
The Bald Eagle by the tip of the warrior's spear is symbolic.
"When an eagle appears, you are on notice to be courageous and stretch your limits. Do not accept the status quo, but rather reach higher and become more than you believe you are capable of. Look at things from a new, higher perspective. Be patient with the present; know that the future holds possibilities that you may not yet be able to see. You are about to take flight.
Love the iconography and how you have incorporated it as the warrior's attribute!
Thank you very much, Mac. And you have described it perfectly. The Eagle is indeed a symbol of bravery and courage. It will always stand its ground, and is also a Warriors battle Totem.
Both are very beautiful, G. You have come a long way in such a short period of time. I would say that, not only have you learned a great deal, but, you have also awakened your inner artistic talents, and are working with your imagination in your creativity. My compliments to the artist.
As for the top photo, I'm enjoying seeing the results of your editing skills, and the next photo really illustrates how colourful Asian people make their lives.
Between you and me, the colors in the photo of the temple tower are greatly enhanced by effects tools. The actual tower has some color, but minimal, and nothing like my final piece. Don't tell anyone!
An interesting fact about the tower architecture is that the bottom level is Chinese style, the middle area is Thai style, and the top section is Burmese style.
Kek Lok Si is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia with many structures, sculptures and gardens throughout the 30 acre hillside complex. It even has a double lane inclined elevator that takes you to the upper level. It was a very interesting and very beautiful place.
Really beautiful, EG. I love fireworks. Unfortunately, here in So Cal in the heat of summer we are either limited on the kinds of fireworks we can use, the areas we can use them, or not at all due to the endless threat of dangerous brush fires. Certain places shoot them off under controlled conditions in select areas.
If the wildfires keep getting out of control, we will have no more forests and a great less wildlife.
Just liike last week's display, you do a very professional job of photographing and displaying fireworks. On TV yesterday I watched the most magnificent fireworks display I had ever seen, celebrating the CCP's 100th anniversary, but then what less could one expect from where fireworks were first invented.
I read that they're one of the few birds that are considered tool users, and will fish with bait. I found a video on YouTube where someone threw a piece of bread to one, which it grabbed and dropped in the water and then caught a fish that came up for it.
Nice work! I tried my hand at this a while ago, but realized it just wasn't my thing. Thanks for adding this creativity to the GROUP; it makes us stand out all the more.
Thanks. I'm putting together another one of some birds and furry little critters visiting the bird feeders. It's some really clear and close-up video that I shot a few weeks ago with the camera out there all by itself on a tripod, while I was about 30 feet away using a tablet as a w-fi remote. I had the mic set to zoom with the camera, so I got some great recordings of a couple of birds singing. I'll post it as soon as I finish the editing.
great videos. I live in colorado and many years back I was visiting a friend that was cleaning out his goldfish pond to enlarge it. along comes mr. blue heron and he lands within a few feet of us. he was huge. after we got over our utter amazement of this action, we gave him the goldfish that we had caught and were destined to become fertilizer during the pond rebuild. apparently he wasn't impressed with our efforts, because after we wandered off to the kitchen for lunch, mr. heron moved into the pond and finished up collecting more goldfish while we watched thru the window.
Those are really lovely rose bushes. They make for a good ground cover while adding additional beauty to the area. They work well with the dwarf palmettos to add a nice floral display.
Just a small collection of the Chinese artworks that I have photographed over the years in many places. I am the copyright holder of my photographs, but I make no claim on the subject matters themselves.
1. A wall of carved jade figures at Shaolin Temple, birthplace of Zen Kung Fu. Note the ceiling as well.
.
2. A mural covering a whole wall inside a building in Liuzhou, Guanxi Region.
.
3 The opposite inside wall of that building.
.
4. A large 3-dimensional artwork in the Bell Tower of the ancient city of Xi'an (formerly known as Chang'an)
.
5. An outdoor sculpted wall in Millenium Park, Kaifung, Henan Province.
.
6. Painting in a very old temple in an ancient Kaifeng park.
.
7. I don't recall where I took this photo - it might have been in the palace at Milleniium Park in Kaifeng.
.
8. An outdoor frieze at an ancient Temple in Henan Province.
.
9. An ancient painting inside one of the buildings of that ancient temple.
We went to the beach last weekend and, as usual, on the way home we stopped at a couple random antique stores in small towns. I’m out of wall space for artwork so sometimes I’ll just discretely take a quick photo with my phone when I see something that intrigues me. This is a print from famed French artist Louis-Léopold Boilly. It’s fun to see if I can take a two second snapshot and turn it into something a little more presentable. It can be tricky when the art is under glass and the glass is throwing off reflections of a bunch of adjacent antiques and overhead lights.
Thanks Buzz. Just an honoring of this Warriors bravery and his various Spirit Guides throughout his life. His many merits in battle have also benefited his Tribe and family.
OK, I finally got this done. All of the video is from June 4, but I didn't really start sorting and editing it until a couple of nights ago. I think this is some of the best bird video I've shot so far. I used a remote camera setup for the first time, and it is definitely the way to go for this kind of thing. Hope you guys like it. Make sure your sound is on, there's some nice bird song in there.
NT always seems to use a random shot for the cover when it processes video uploads. I don't know how to change that. Oh, well.
This is inspiring … it makes me want to try video again … I don't remember how I did the captioning and music … but I may just go with the video. Whether or not I do, again, Dig, your contribution to the GROUP adds significantly!
I did everything but the fade at the end with nothing more than the video editor that comes with Windows 10. I had to use Shotcut to add the fade (couldn't figure out how to make the Windows program do it).
Chipmunks can almost always make me laugh. But yeah, that squirrel was being a bit aggressive. He wasn't even sharing with other squirrels. Might be the dominant male in the area.
Chubby Cheeks is my favorite critter in the video...
Same for me. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the point where the Chippy looked into the camera as though he realized he was being watched, with his well packed cheeks bulging on each side, and a look on his face as if to say, "Some body watching me?" Then he scampered away.
Yes! That's my favorite part of the video. The look on the Chippy's face is fantastic. It could not be better if it had been trained to do that at that exact place in the video.
Thank you, Buzz. That was one of my first attempts at blending and I was so surprised that it worked out so well. That wood burl is one of my favorites too.
I need to post my vid that I posted once before. It is of me, family and friends setting off a fireworks display. I had it on my laptop and that thing crashed. I do have it on my phone I think. Need to figure out how to transfer it.
Ordinarily, the flag etiquette applies, but technically, the flag is not the American Flag but a derivative, the Geronimo American flag of the state of Arizona.
We're back
cool. a long weekend of creative exhibits. looking forward to it.
Wonderful photos. I especially like the beautiful deer.
Yes I like the beautiful but we talked about this. Don't call me dear in public.
Oops, my mistake! I thought I just wasn't supposed to call you late for dinner...
The photos area both lovely, Mac, but, the one at the top is amazingly awesome. You did a wonderful job with that one. It looks almost like a Disney poster.
Nice young buck, and an amazing Disney castle scene.
FYI for all GROUP MEMBERS: In general, copyright registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created, but make sure, if you share your work in any way, shape or form, you indicate that you are the copyrights holder. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work.
Important information. Thanks for posting it.
Nice deer.
Another rose bush for me this week.
Pretty. I love roses. I broke down and bought some this year. One is the Peace rose. Suppose to be an heirloom rose. The other was a cheaper one that I think was grafted. Called Mint Julip.
There were four rose bushes when we bought the house. Completely overgrown and not producing many blooms. This is the first year I had roses that actually look like roses are supposed to.
I planted a couple of new rose bushes myself this year. Up by the garden. The double knock out kind. They're still small, but they've bloomed already. They're putting on new growth and new buds at the moment.
That's a beauty, Veronica. Those bright red roses are really awesome. They sort of remind me of the roses in the Alice in Wonderland movie.
Those were painted...
We have 3 red bushes & 1 pink bush. I like the red, they seem more vibrant, but the pink blooms were just so perfect. I am hoping for another burst of blooms soon.
Yes they were.
Yep...the Painting the Roses Red episode. Thanks Veronica.
We aim to please.
I so wish I was not allergic to roses, I'd like to have a couple of bushes along the front by my porch. But, they have planted a beautiful peach colored hibiscus on one side of my porch, and a bright yellow one on the other side. They add so much happy color to the yard.
That has to be gorgeous. Love the bright colors. I have some Tiger Lilies that just pop.
Mine is not in bloom at the moment but I looked on my phone a did take a pic when it was.
How pretty. So delicate looking.
This is off the net but what my other one is suppose to look like.
There is one more I want to get called the Tropicana.
That is so pretty - makes me want to get more.
That's a gorgeous yellow, Ender. I hopes your will turn out to look as beautiful as the picture.
Nice. I like the mix of pink and white - very bridal.
"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."
Abraham Lincoln
A rose is a very special flower. So beautiful and tempting that it requires barbs to protect it.
Another Stone Creek sunset from a few days ago.
Looks so peaceful. Wish I were there.
They are all so beautiful, Kavika. The rippled clouds in this one gives it a gorgeous effect.
You always have these beautiful sunsets. Weirdly though they always look to me like somewhere out on the plains.
Well Florida is pretty flat, so in that way, it resembles the plains.
That's an outstanding sunset. I'm sure you must have really enjoyed it, and glad you captured it to show us.
We're off to a good start!
My Friday artwork for this weekend....I hope you enjoy it.
You always create such powerful, and beautiful, images.
Thank you for your very kind compliment, G.
The Bald Eagle by the tip of the warrior's spear is symbolic.
"When an eagle appears, you are on notice to be courageous and stretch your limits. Do not accept the status quo, but rather reach higher and become more than you believe you are capable of. Look at things from a new, higher perspective. Be patient with the present; know that the future holds possibilities that you may not yet be able to see. You are about to take flight.
Love the iconography and how you have incorporated it as the warrior's attribute!
Thank you very much, Mac. And you have described it perfectly. The Eagle is indeed a symbol of bravery and courage. It will always stand its ground, and is also a Warriors battle Totem.
When I first looked at that image, the word that ran through my mind was "exciting".
oh hell yeah...
Since roses seems to be a theme today...
© G. Gam 2021
From our travels. Kek Lok Si Temple, Pulau Penang (Penang Island), Malaysia
© G. Gam 2021
These are very cool. I love the coloring look of the second one!
Thank you!
I love the photos, G.
Well done
Thanks, Kavika
Top image gets a WOW!
Awesome. Thank you so much.
Both are very beautiful, G. You have come a long way in such a short period of time. I would say that, not only have you learned a great deal, but, you have also awakened your inner artistic talents, and are working with your imagination in your creativity. My compliments to the artist.
Also, your gradients are coming along very well, as in the bottom one. Excellent!
Thank you very much, Raven Wing!
As for the top photo, I'm enjoying seeing the results of your editing skills, and the next photo really illustrates how colourful Asian people make their lives.
Thanks, Buzz.
Between you and me, the colors in the photo of the temple tower are greatly enhanced by effects tools. The actual tower has some color, but minimal, and nothing like my final piece. Don't tell anyone!
An interesting fact about the tower architecture is that the bottom level is Chinese style, the middle area is Thai style, and the top section is Burmese style.
Kek Lok Si is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia with many structures, sculptures and gardens throughout the 30 acre hillside complex. It even has a double lane inclined elevator that takes you to the upper level. It was a very interesting and very beautiful place.
I promise I won't tell anyone. LOL
Nice. It's almost like turning a photo into a painting.
I like those effects tools a lot. Fun.
wow, still triggering flashbacks after 50 years...
I posted that with you in mind...
So bright and full of color. Brings joy to my heart to see.
That is really wonderful. Quite a compliment!
Sometimes all we need to see is something beautiful to make our day. And you and everyone else here made my day.
That is great to hear. The Creative Arts Three-Day Weekend is something I look forward to every week.
me too, it really is the crown jewels of NT.
It truly is.
More fireworks from 2018. I don't know if I'll be able to get out for this weekend's festivities...
Really beautiful, EG. I love fireworks. Unfortunately, here in So Cal in the heat of summer we are either limited on the kinds of fireworks we can use, the areas we can use them, or not at all due to the endless threat of dangerous brush fires. Certain places shoot them off under controlled conditions in select areas.
If the wildfires keep getting out of control, we will have no more forests and a great less wildlife.
Just liike last week's display, you do a very professional job of photographing and displaying fireworks. On TV yesterday I watched the most magnificent fireworks display I had ever seen, celebrating the CCP's 100th anniversary, but then what less could one expect from where fireworks were first invented.
More fireworks for ya....
Nice, Greg … good to see you!
Tropical Angelfish
© A. Mac/A.G.
That's a beauty, Mac. Love the coloring.
Did a bell ring when it got its wings?
Did a bell ring when it got its wings?
Why harp on that?
For heaven's sake, I just told a tail.
It seemed you were fishing for an explanation.
For a fin I'd tell you a whale of a story, but it's all a matter of scale.
somebody needs to stop this, so I will. nice composition amac.
Not gonna' bite.
Sometimes a referee has to take charge.
Get reel, you either sinker swim here.
Stop trolling me.
Is trawling OK?
That's quite a line from a person who removed barbs.
I only do it in a pinch.
It could have a net-net benefit.
Don’t mesh with me.
Scotch that comment.
As long as you stop baiting me on the fly.
Beautiful fish.
A green heron visited my little frog pond yesterday.
...
On the prowl.
Having caught a frog.
Looking around for more.
Here's a short video.
That Heron be a good frog gigger.
I think it ate 5 just while I was watching. I was starting to wonder how it had room for them all.
A birds metabolism is very active, that is why they can feed all day and still be hungry.
I can never get enough sushi either...
Great images and video. I think I've seen one of these at the harbor near me.
I read that they're one of the few birds that are considered tool users, and will fish with bait. I found a video on YouTube where someone threw a piece of bread to one, which it grabbed and dropped in the water and then caught a fish that came up for it.
Really cool stuff. Here's the YouTube video:
Nice work! I tried my hand at this a while ago, but realized it just wasn't my thing. Thanks for adding this creativity to the GROUP; it makes us stand out all the more.
Fishing with bread in your mouth ?
Just kidding, I couldn't resist. (smile)
Thanks. I'm putting together another one of some birds and furry little critters visiting the bird feeders. It's some really clear and close-up video that I shot a few weeks ago with the camera out there all by itself on a tripod, while I was about 30 feet away using a tablet as a w-fi remote. I had the mic set to zoom with the camera, so I got some great recordings of a couple of birds singing. I'll post it as soon as I finish the editing.
That is an AMAZING video. I thought herons only went to larger bodies of water.
Thanks. I see them in farm ponds all the time, even the big blue herons. I guess they'll go anywhere they can find food.
great videos. I live in colorado and many years back I was visiting a friend that was cleaning out his goldfish pond to enlarge it. along comes mr. blue heron and he lands within a few feet of us. he was huge. after we got over our utter amazement of this action, we gave him the goldfish that we had caught and were destined to become fertilizer during the pond rebuild. apparently he wasn't impressed with our efforts, because after we wandered off to the kitchen for lunch, mr. heron moved into the pond and finished up collecting more goldfish while we watched thru the window.
Sounds like he was almost tame, landing so close and taking fish from you. Cool story.
Those photos are really great, Dig, and the video is very nice. The music complements the video beautifully.
Thanks, G.
Since we had some Rose photos earlier, these are photos of ''drift roses'' they don't get tall they grown sideway more as ground cover.
Those are really lovely rose bushes. They make for a good ground cover while adding additional beauty to the area. They work well with the dwarf palmettos to add a nice floral display.
Groundcover, perhaps, but a rose is still a rose is a rose is a rose.
Nice landscaping, Kavika. That is a beautiful garden section. I really like the stones, too.
Thanks, G.
Next comes Saturday....
Removing the colour does not remove the beauty.
Thank, Buzz.
It's quite striking in black and white.
Thanks, Kavika. The slightly tinted B/W is a much more powerful image than in color. I'm very glad you like it.
That is very nice.
Thanks G.
All the pictures are very nice
Thanks, charger. It is always a pleasure to share them with our NT Family.
One more before Saturday.
© A. Mac/A.G.
Is this the one you used if you had layered your picture at the top of the page?
Completely separate images, neither one having layering.
Wow! That's awesome.
Just a small collection of the Chinese artworks that I have photographed over the years in many places. I am the copyright holder of my photographs, but I make no claim on the subject matters themselves.
1. A wall of carved jade figures at Shaolin Temple, birthplace of Zen Kung Fu. Note the ceiling as well.
.
2. A mural covering a whole wall inside a building in Liuzhou, Guanxi Region.
.
3 The opposite inside wall of that building.
.
4. A large 3-dimensional artwork in the Bell Tower of the ancient city of Xi'an (formerly known as Chang'an)
.
5. An outdoor sculpted wall in Millenium Park, Kaifung, Henan Province.
.
6. Painting in a very old temple in an ancient Kaifeng park.
.
7. I don't recall where I took this photo - it might have been in the palace at Milleniium Park in Kaifeng.
.
8. An outdoor frieze at an ancient Temple in Henan Province.
.
9. An ancient painting inside one of the buildings of that ancient temple.
.
I love the photos, Buzz.
I always loved the artwork in public view when I would be in China.
Beautiful stuff. Chinese art is amazing.
Those are real beauties, Buzz. Their Temple artworks are truly awesome.
We went to the beach last weekend and, as usual, on the way home we stopped at a couple random antique stores in small towns. I’m out of wall space for artwork so sometimes I’ll just discretely take a quick photo with my phone when I see something that intrigues me. This is a print from famed French artist Louis-Léopold Boilly. It’s fun to see if I can take a two second snapshot and turn it into something a little more presentable. It can be tricky when the art is under glass and the glass is throwing off reflections of a bunch of adjacent antiques and overhead lights.
Great editing, Hal. The clarity is much more viable, and the B/W helps to add more definition.
Very well done!
You have no choice. Either you need a bigger house or you're just going to have to build an addition.
Outstanding edit. You did a fantastic job with that snapshot.
Very well done!
Here is one for Saturday...
Lovely colours. Description?
Thanks Buzz. Just an honoring of this Warriors bravery and his various Spirit Guides throughout his life. His many merits in battle have also benefited his Tribe and family.
OK, I finally got this done. All of the video is from June 4, but I didn't really start sorting and editing it until a couple of nights ago. I think this is some of the best bird video I've shot so far. I used a remote camera setup for the first time, and it is definitely the way to go for this kind of thing. Hope you guys like it. Make sure your sound is on, there's some nice bird song in there.
NT always seems to use a random shot for the cover when it processes video uploads. I don't know how to change that. Oh, well.
That was really great video ! My cat was walking around my computer trying to find the birds, lol.
Haha. Really? That's funny!
Glad you (and your cat) liked it.
your kitty was starving for great art, pat.
This is inspiring … it makes me want to try video again … I don't remember how I did the captioning and music … but I may just go with the video. Whether or not I do, again, Dig, your contribution to the GROUP adds significantly!
Thanks, Mac.
I did everything but the fade at the end with nothing more than the video editor that comes with Windows 10. I had to use Shotcut to add the fade (couldn't figure out how to make the Windows program do it).
Fantastic, Dig.
Thanks, Kav.
Wow. That's my fill of wildlife for the day. It was comedic to watch the chipper keep coming back but allowing the squirrel to finish.
Chipmunks can almost always make me laugh. But yeah, that squirrel was being a bit aggressive. He wasn't even sharing with other squirrels. Might be the dominant male in the area.
Chubby Cheeks is my favorite critter in the video...
Made me smile as well.....
Same for me. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the point where the Chippy looked into the camera as though he realized he was being watched, with his well packed cheeks bulging on each side, and a look on his face as if to say, "Some body watching me?" Then he scampered away.
Sooo cute!
Does anyone remember that 'dramatic hamster' thing that was all over the internet back in 2005 or so?
Well, I found the open source audio file for it online and made my own version starring Chubby Cheeks...
LMAO, that is just too funny, Dig.
Haha. Dun, dun, dun!
Yes! That's my favorite part of the video. The look on the Chippy's face is fantastic. It could not be better if it had been trained to do that at that exact place in the video.
LOL. I don't know what made him do that, but it sure is funny.
Terrific job, Dig. The bird songs are beautiful.
Thanks. The soundtrack of summer.
WOW Dig, that's a Gold Star video! Those are truly amazing shots of the various birds. And that Chipper really knows how to pack a cheek!
Very well done!
Thanks, RW.
I guess I should also post a few photos where I had something to do with the finished product.
.
.
.
Very nicely done, Buzz. The color variations are well done.
Love the colours of the last one Buzz.
Moving on to Sunday....
Previously lovely, and still so. I recall remarking on how beautifully your blending worked on that image.
Thank you, Buzz. That was one of my first attempts at blending and I was so surprised that it worked out so well. That wood burl is one of my favorites too.
Live from my data base, IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT! Fireworks anyone?
© A. Mac/A.G.
I need to post my vid that I posted once before. It is of me, family and friends setting off a fireworks display. I had it on my laptop and that thing crashed. I do have it on my phone I think. Need to figure out how to transfer it.
Ps. My dogs hate fireworks...
So does my kitty. When she hears the fireworks go off she crawls on her belly to her secure hidy place.
If you uploaded it here before, then it should still be on your video list in the 'embed local media' thing on the posting menu.
You only have to upload videos once. The site stores them for you.
I didn't even think about that. I looked and it was there. Thanks.
Cool!
For me it srarts and stops throughout, but when I play it through a second time it plays smooth right through. Tha laughter is a good inclusion. LOL
Sunday's here once again. And a happy 4th of July to all!
I really don't know what to say about that one.
© A. Mac/A.G.
Very nicely done, Mac. Very powerful. Thank you.
I thought there was a law that when flying more than one flag from a pole, the Stars and Stripes had to be the top one.
Ordinarily, the flag etiquette applies, but technically, the flag is not the American Flag but a derivative, the Geronimo American flag of the state of Arizona.
I didn’t intend to make it appear personal; my bad. I am going to restate it. My apology.
Well, you know how it is, A.Mac. One man's fish is another man's poisson.
As Sunday begins to fade into the beautiful show of celebration fireworks.....I leave you with a celebration of colors.
"Take me on a trip upon your magic swirling ship." He looks like a MARVEL movie hero.
Thanks Buzz. He is actually a Fancy Dancer caught up in the imaginative whirls of the varied colors of his regalia.
Great energy!
Thank you, Mac.
Nice one. I really like the swirling effects.
Thanks Dig. I'm very glad you like it.
Since today is the actual celebration of Independence Day, I will keep the article open until this evening.
Thanks for an outstanding article.