Category Archives: Photos from others

Other people’s photos.

Chaco: Seen and Unseen – New Mexico Mercury

I recommend the essay and photos by Margaret Randall, a New Mexico treasure herself.

Chaco: Seen and Unseen – New Mexico Mercury

By Margaret Randall – International Raconteur

(Photos by Margaret Randall) At Chaco Culture National Historic Park much is apparent but much remains hidden. The place hides as many secrets as it reveals. What one sees is breathtaking. What one cannot see but only feel, also awes the spirit. A vast solitude describes the landscape: once probably greener and more sustaining of life, today dramatically desolate, a mystery only partially unfolding….

Chaco: Seen and Unseen – New Mexico Mercury

Stokes: Birding blog and new books

If you’re in the market for a photographic birding guide, check out the new guides from Lillian and Don Stokes.

I have The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America put out a few years ago. I like it a lot, although I was slightly disappointed that those photos aren’t nearly as dramatic as photos you’ll see on the Stokes blog. That may be different in the new guides. Be aware that there is an older version of the Western guide you don’t want — get the 2013 versions. peace, mjh 

To see the quality of Lillian Stokes’ photos, start by looking at the photos at the following link:

STOKES BIRDING BLOG: Swallow-tailed Kites have returned!

Then, check out:

Birding Is Fun!: The 10 Most Beautiful Birds

Finally, see the very detailed review of the books at the following link.

10,000 Birds | The New Stokes Field Guides to Birds, Eastern Region & Western Region: A Review of Two Books

I think these field guides will be a valuable asset to many birders’ field kits and libraries, especially if they have not yet invested in a photographic guide. Beginning and intermediate birders will find the abundance of clear, well-printed photographs of male and female birds, juvenile and adult, perched and flying, extremely helpful in the field, and the emphasis on shape a good teaching tool….

10,000 Birds | The New Stokes Field Guides to Birds, Eastern Region & Western Region: A Review of Two Books

APOD: 2012 August 1 – The Milky Way Over Monument Valley

Wow! mjh

APOD: 2012 August 1 – The Milky Way Over Monument Valley

2012 August 1
See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download
 the highest resolution version available.

The Milky Way Over Monument Valley
Image Credit & Copyright: Wally Pacholka (AstroPics.com, TWAN)

Explanation: You don’t have to be at Monument Valley to see the Milky Way arch across the sky like this — but it helps. Only at Monument Valley USA would you see a picturesque foreground that includes these iconic rock peaks called buttes. Buttes are composed of hard rock left behind after water has eroded away the surrounding soft rock. In the above image taken about two months ago, the closest butte on the left and the butte to its right are known as the Mittens, while Merrick Butte can be seen just further to the right. High overhead stretches a band of diffuse light that is the central disk of our spiral Milky Way Galaxy. The band of the Milky Way can be spotted by almost anyone on almost any clear night when far enough from a city and surrounding bright lights.

APOD: 2012 August 1 – The Milky Way Over Monument Valley

Reconsidering The Moon | Mighty Optical Illusions

Click for larger images. Quite creative. peace, mjh

Reconsidering The Moon | Mighty Optical Illusions
By Jill Harness on August 24, 2011

Of course, since the dawn of time, children have looked up at the moon and fantasized about being able to pluck it from the sky if only they had ladder tall enough. That’s why I love this playful series of images by photographer Laurent Lavender showing people interacting with the moon in all kinds of ways. We’ve featured some of his images before and while they may not be the strongest illusions featured here, they are stunning photos that truly capture the childhood feeling of being able to reach out to the moon and turn it in to a new toy!

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Reconsidering The Moon | Mighty Optical Illusions

BirdWatching: Hummingbirds of the world

Friday photos: Hummingbirds of the world – BirdWatching Field of View – BirdWatching Daily – BirdWatching Community

Photographed in Tobago, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala, the hummingbirds below are great examples of the beautiful birds to be found in Central and South America.

Friday photos: Hummingbirds of the world – BirdWatching Field of View – BirdWatching Daily – BirdWatching Community

Time-lapse Video Captures May 2012 Solar Eclipse [Video] – How-To Geek

Time-lapse Video Captures May 2012 Solar Eclipse [Video] – How-To Geek

If you missed the solar eclipse a few days back, this short time-lapse video will replay the eclipse in under two minutes for your viewing pleasure.

Courtesy of photographer Cory Poole, the images were created by shooting through 700 shots through a telescope lense and blending them together into a time lapse video.

[via Wired]

Time-lapse Video Captures May 2012 Solar Eclipse [Video] – How-To Geek

APOD: A Partial Solar Eclipse over Texas

APOD: 2012 May 22 – A Partial Solar Eclipse over Texas

See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download 
the highest resolution version available.

A Partial Solar Eclipse over Texas
Image Credit & Copyright: Jimmy Westlake (Colorado Mountain College) & Linda Westlake

Explanation: It was a typical Texas sunset except that most of the Sun was missing. The location of the missing piece of the Sun was not a mystery — it was behind the Moon. Sunday night’s partial eclipse of the Sun by the Moon turned into one of the best photographed astronomical events in history. Gallery after online gallery is posting just oneamazingeclipseimageafteranother. Pictured above is possibly one of the more interesting posted images — a partially eclipsed Sun setting in a reddened sky behind brush and a windmill. The image was taken Sunday night from about 20 miles west of Sundown, Texas, USA, just after the ring of fire effect was broken by the Moon moving away from the center of the Sun. Coming early next month is an astronomical event that holds promise to be even more photographed — the last partial eclipse of the Sun by Venus until the year 2117.

APOD: 2012 May 22 – A Partial Solar Eclipse over Texas

STOKES BIRDING BLOG: Northern Saw-whet Owl, baby!

Lillian Stokes is a great bird photographer.

STOKES BIRDING BLOG: Northern Saw-whet Owl, baby!

I’m on the NH Audubon birdathon fundraiser today, doing a big sit category in our yard and just got this photo of a young Northern Saw-whet Owl in our owl nesting box, too cool!!!
Ok, back to the birdathon.

Posted by Lillian and Don Stokes at Saturday, May 19, 2012

STOKES BIRDING BLOG: Northern Saw-whet Owl, baby!