Shadow Shots: Into the Dark

I've been saving this macabre little subject for my Halloween Shadow Shots offering.

There is a deer skeleton, or most of one, in the south woods. A scattering of ribs, vertebrae, long bones and this wonderful skull.





The bones have obviously been there for some time, developing  an amazing texture and delicacy. I've gone in a few times to photograph them in place, but the fallen leaves have now covered most of it up.

So, yes - I picked up the skull and brought it home.

Wouldn't you?

 

These were taken in the last few minutes of light, which seemed appropriate. And I couldn't resist sharing my own loooong silhouette.

Posted for Shadow Shot Sunday 2

Over the Rainbow ... Another Rainbow

The day was grey, and we had just tucked in to our evening supper. It was still raining when the sun came out, and The Hubby announced, "There's gotta be a rainbow."

We hustled out to see and were rewarded with not just a rainbow, but a double rainbow, a full half circle over the eastern woods.

With no wide-angle lens, and having to shoot from the shelter of the garage, I could only get part of it in the shot. I  wish you could have seen the whole thing. It really was spectacular - well worth letting dinner get cold.

Posted for Shadow Shot Sunday 2 and Skywatch Friday

Sunlight and Shadow

Friday was one of those spectacular, gold-and-blue autumn days that makes life worth living. AND it was my day off. AND I had a new monopod (my first ever) that was just begging to come out and play. So off I went into the woods around the house, hunting for shadows and shirking my housework.

The first shot is the road where I live. That's the beginning of our driveway off to the right. It was taken from the maximum height of the monopod, about six feet up. I like the perspective from up there:




The next one is in the woods between the road and the house. I'm actually standing in the shadows, looking west toward the late afternoon sun. The hazy light cast a magic spell; it felt like walking in a dream.





This last one was near sunset. It is the path behind the house that leads down into the northern woods, a much denser, darker place. By this time the sun was quite low and only touched a few spots here and there.





 I really love the monopod. It's so much easier to carry around than a tripod, and I found it steadied my shots almost as well. If you haven't tried one, I highly recommend it. I found that a polarizing filter worked wonders on the fall colors, too. ( Probably not news to any of you. I know. I'm such a newbie.)

The leaves are falling in earnest now, and they say we have storms coming tonight, so I doubt there will be another opportunity like this until next year. And really, who cares if the laundry didn't get folded, and the place is a bit dusty, and dinner was late?

Posted for Shadow Shot Sunday 2

Shadow Shots: Morning Glory

I don't often see the dawn, not being much of a morning person. But I'm glad I didn't miss this today: Our old maple breathing in light, like a swimmer's face rising from the sea of shadows.

Just a few minutes later, the sun lit up the far woods at the other end of the world:
 





The light here in fall is glorious, made all the more precious by the knowledge that it cannot stay for long. br />

Posted for Shadow Shot Sunday 2

Indiana Sky

 I like to snap photos from the car when we're on road trips. I love the sweep of farm fields, each flowing into another as far as the eye can see, and the crisp straight line where they meet the sky. It's so soothing to watch them roll by. Pretty boring photos, though.

So on this one I experimented with the Watercolor filter in Photoshop. The colors went wierd and the shadows blocked up, and I couldn't figure out how to fix it. But it kinda looks like an old postcard. Or something.

Whatta ya think?

Posted for Skywatch Friday