Showing posts with label sunset. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sunset. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

a winter's setting sun

Header Challenge: A Winter's Setting Sun

January 16, 2013


Technically, this is called a competition, but with such a theme as we have now, there can be no losers.  This week's theme was chosen by Imac.  The image in my header was taken from the parking lot behind my church.  Notice the holiday ivy spiraling down the light posts.  I picked it, because of the dark part where I could easily superimpose "Craver-Vii."  Check out my  pals for their interpretations on the theme of winter sunsets: Fishing  Guy, Katney, Imac and Lew.

Across the street from Bolingbrook's Fountaindale Public Library.

Facing Midwest Montessori Christian School

Heavy snow on Lee Street in Downers Grove

Predominately blue sunset at Ty Warner Park
Big trees near Midwest Montessori's playground
Orange sky over snowy fields at Ty Warner Park

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

crepuscular collection

I drove up to Wisconsin this weekend, and had a little time to kill in the late afternoon. The sun was very low on the horizon, and the drama of daylight's finale would climax quickly, followed just as quickly by the drawing of an opaque curtain.

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First, I worked to get the most realistic colors in this shot (above). Then, I toyed with the color settings in the camera, pulling one color or another. I fiddled with saturation, too. But I ended up most satisfied with a simple black & white. [click on any photo to enlarge]

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My favorite part of the amber waves of grain was the closest stalks, with their wavy details.

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There was a wooded area bordering the South of the property, and this is where I have done some archery. This path interests me because of how well lit the pathway stays, and how dark the woods can be on either side. When someone looks at this spot, they might just see a hill. Do you know what I see? My mind goes back to a time when I worked with campers there, and some children had the misfortune of disturbing a swarm of ground nesting yellow jackets. I also picture, in my mind's eye, my own children rolling down that hill. Thankfully, these are two separate stories, and not the same event.

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This last one was inspired by David Herrick, who's pictures I've seen on Facebook recently.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

cool rains

Cooler weather is setting in (finally), plus it has been raining. I like the rain. I like the pitter-patter off the roof at work. That sound comforts me, but I don't know why. I like the swishing sound of cars driving on the rainy streets. I like the optical accents that come from the wet pavement and the extra lights.

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This second photo makes the oncoming Jeep look like a surfer locked in the hollow. That's when the surfer can ride inside, completely covered up by the wave, without having it break on him... like riding in a tunnel. Do you see it? The crest of the wave is formed by the trees on the left side of the image.

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Thank you Lord for the cool rains, for golden sunsets, and for every visitor that passes through here.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

night lights

Good news - I've begun carrying my camera bag again!

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Daylight lingers until after I start heading home these days. Sunset's spectacle changes so very rapidly, that I hurried into a lot at the local park to set up a tripod and snap off a few pics.

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Besides the amazing colors in the sky, the ground was an interesting blue-gray hue. It was important to me that I capture the snowbank in the foreground, so I used a flash. The white snow in the foreground makes the blue behind it look like it's painted on, but that's what I found so fascinating here. I did not add the blue in the back... I removed it from the front (by using a flash). That blue compliments the orange sunset rather nicely, don't you think?

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It is 56 degrees (f) as I write this. (That converts to 13 c.) It is so warm, that I walked out front during a break, and filled my lungs, but could barely reconcile what I felt on my skin with the piles of snow that still cover the ground. I reached down to touch it and make sure the snow was still cold.

Friday, November 05, 2010

it'll be dark soon

After we change the clocks each fall, it gets so dark! There are a lot of windows at work, and it starts to feel like I’m working night shift. That brings new challenges for taking pictures. There will likely be a change of emphasis toward indoor opportunities, but I don’t want to miss out on night photography.

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I hope I didn't obfuscate the post with a misleading title, but this is going to be more about the sun in general than sunsets in particular. Right now, I'm thinking about the setting sun. You know, in the summer, it goes down ever so slowly, and sunsets are stretched out over a longer period of time. But as the seasons change, and the sun sets quicker, I am concerned that it might descend too rapidly and break something. Easy does it, Sunny boy!

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Another random thought: if the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, why is the longitudinal reference point in England? Shouldn't it be somewhere in the Pacific? One more blurb, then I'll stop. John Denver's song "Sunshine." I've been listening to (and singing along with) that song in my car. Play song from iLike.com... wow, that guy was brilliant!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

on the morrow

The sun sets on one day, promising to return in a few hours. Its yielding of the sky to twinkling stars is only temporary, because he will return soon to rule the day again.

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Leafless trees are barren for a season. A frosty breeze strips them bare to reveal another form of glory in their creative lines, their shape, their originality.

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A noisy escapee from the recycle bin performs its random and noisy dance in the gusty breezes. It rushes here, then there, crashing occasionally, and then suddenly stopping - as if out of breath.

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Standing there, I soak it all in. Someone steps outside, chin tucked, and begins the hasty charge to the calm inside their car. "What are you so happy about?" they ask. I smile and say, "no mosquitoes."

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But I know they will return. And so will the leaves. And so will the sun. Lord willing, I will be here to enjoy them all again.

Thursday, September 09, 2010

near and far

Bolingbrook is a suburb of Chicago with upwards of 70,000 residents. You can actually see the downtown skyscrapers from here, but it is far enough away, that we still have a little bit of elbow room.

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This is a construction site on the East side of town. I do not know what they are going to do with this yet, but when you stand close enough, the light posts disappear, and the piles of gravel have the illusion of being bigger and farther away than they really are. I hope these folks are not in a hurry. This spot is fine, just the way it is now.

Thursday, July 01, 2010

time to relax

Big plans tonight. We have decided to... just sit back and relax... maybe watch a movie and read a bit. It should be nice.

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Friends, last night I ran sound for a band, and one comment got under my skin and bugged me the whole night. One of the guys picked up a cabasa and started shaking it like a maraca. I was re-doing the keyboard setup, and heard this man say that all sound is music; it just depends on your interpretation. I guess I could take that kind of pseudo-philosophical drivel better if he was an accomplished musician, but that was not the case. I could not stay silent; I challenged his position and attempted to show him the folly of his argument.

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There is a sense in which a person can listen to leaves rustling in the wind, and consider it music. But when a musician is part of a band, it is important to work together with the rest of the members. Learn the harmony. Hit your notes. Make sure the sounds you make convey the meaning of the words... that's music.

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Doing your own thing is fine for a child playing in his or her house, but not for a mic'd musician on stage. I'll tell you this, if it was up to me to assemble the band, I certainly would not choose someone who thinks like this quirky cabasa guy.

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As you can probably tell, I'm still wound up about this. I could sure use a break.

Monday, June 21, 2010

whole lotta nothin'

We did a little visiting this weekend, and I took a few pics. And I wanted to share one or two of them with you today, but guess what... I checked my pocket today, and the thumb drive was missing. I can't retrieve them from the camera, because they've already been deleted. I like to keep the memory card as uncluttered as possible. The images are not lost forever; they're just on a computer that I can't get to right now.

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The best of intentions today yielded a whole lot of nothing. Oh well, that's the way it is sometimes. Maybe tomorrow I'll have those files, okay?

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In the meantime, I pulled this one from the archives. I took it last week, and it fits perfectly for today, because it shows a spot where there used to be a tree, and now it is... nothing. Those houses in the background are empty because construction was stopped... hence: nothing. And most of the photo is sky... more of nothing!! ;-)

Friday, March 12, 2010

one sunset - three pics

5:30 PM:

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5:46 PM:

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5:52 PM:

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The drive home is exciting this time of year. The sunsets are yielding spectacular colors. The hard part is trying to catch them in time, and with no utility poles, streetlamps or power lines. These were taken within a half hour, and both were from parking lots. The last shot was taken at Ty Warner Park, which is the home of Beanie Babies. Next week, we push the clocks forward one hour, in effect rewinding the days, to get more of these sunsets during rush hour. Longer daytime, more sunsets... I can deal with that. The first photo looks like there's fire in the tree, don't you think?

Thursday, February 25, 2010

hope secured

It is tempting to say about my friend who died, "You can't keep a good man down." As much as I respected him, that would not be perfectly accurate. If that statement is wholly true, it is only true about Jesus Christ, because there has never been anyone who was truly, thoroughly, spotlessly good... not in and of themselves, anyway. And when I hear that phrase, my mind is drawn to the Lord's resurrection. Yes, then it would be true: you can't keep a good man down.

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But folks, we have this theological whatchamajiggit called "imputation" which basically says that Jesus (who never sinned) took sin upon himself to pay the penalty for all who believe in him. He answered for it in a legal sense, even though he did not actually commit any of that sin. Got it?

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There is a flipside of the imputation. Just as our sins were charged to Jesus Christ, the Lord's righteousness then covers those who belong to Him. His people are legally covered with the perfect righteousness that Jesus lived and earned. That is how the Lord presents to himself a "spotless bride." That is the reason we can be confident that Alan Haymaker is experiencing paradise today. And that is why our grieving is only temporary.

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Wanna smoke some brain cells? Think about the imputation for a while. Ponder it, and try to wrap your mind on the unfairness (to God) of it all. See if you can agree with John Newton that God's grace (unmerited favor) is amazing.

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"And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope."
1 Thessalonians 4:13 (New Living Translation)

Friday, November 06, 2009

your attention please

What in the world is going on up there? It looks like a wake in the sky or ripples in the stratosphere from a cosmic concussion.

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Hmmm... could these clouds be mimicking a farmer's plowed field?

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This was one of those times, when there as absolutely no talent or special equipment required. I mean, who needs a trained eye to see that this sunset commands us to take notice. The sky was awesome, and everybody down here was looking up, soaking in the gorgeous sight. I would not be surprised if it contributed to a fender bender or two.

Monday, October 19, 2009

a weekend's preview--in retrospect

Patriots Park -- Downers Grove, IL
The news reports said that we could expect better weather over the weekend. It was cold and wet all week, and the visual conditions were blah for days on end. I left work Friday with enthusiasm for the expectations of light and color. I was not disappointed.

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This was a preview for the weekend from the drive home on Friday! (I squished it down, just for fun.) The park was empty (probably because the hours preceding had been dismal), but as the sun went down I turned around to see that the Eastern sky was doing it's own thing, so I had to pull over and snap a few pics.

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Check it out... My grandson received a gift from his other grandparents. This outfit is so cute, I had to share it with you. In case you didn't know it, they're HUGE Star Wars fans.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

where credit is due

There's a funny story about this photo. We were on a ten-minute drive to visit our blogging buddy, Brother Greg. This view begged for a picture, so I pulled over and stood out in the middle of the street to get the shot. There isn't much traffic here, but every once in a while, my kids would shout out the warning: "Car!" It felt like a total role reversal.

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Thanks, Kids for keeping me safe.

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A photography tip: David says no matter what he's photographing, he always makes it a point to look around, to make sure he hasn't missed out on anything else [here's his post]. I have not made this a habit, but I should. On this particular day, I DID happen to look for a different shot, and caught this image only four minutes after the first. Maybe you already saw it a few days ago on the post called "A Sunset for Coco."

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Thanks Dave, for the good pics I will capture on account of your wisdom and experience.

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And thank you Lord, for the rising and setting of the sun. Amen

Friday, August 21, 2009

a sunset for coco

Former acquaintances bought a puppy to be their baby's companion. They were new to caring for babies as well as dogs, but I can see how they would think it was the thing to to. Fearing that the little nipper wasn't safe enough, they confined the poor dog to the basement. (That does not improve a puppy's socialization skills.) When they needed to take a trip out of town for a few days, they asked us to care for the pup. That's fine, but they never came back for her. Now we've had her for thirteen years, and before today is over, we will have put her down. I did not feel as close to this dog as the rest of the family, but among the wife and kids in the Craver household, tears will flow freely this weekend.

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Since this is the "sunset" of her life, I dedicate this photo to Coco's memory:

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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

show me the monet

Normally, I like my images to be as realistic as possible. Today instead, let's have a little fun playing with post-editing software.

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The above image was a throwaway. It was an experiment with a sunset and remote flash, but the set all turned out too dark. Since I couldn't destroy it any more than it already was, I generously boosted the fill light and added two or three doses of film grain. An impressionable coworker said it was reminiscent of Monet. :-)

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As a bonus, this shot of a 25-foot tall orange Dino Chomper balloon was retouched to remove the guy-lines. Though I couldn't get the angle I wanted with just the right clouds in the background... still, I like it for it's utter simplicity.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

look both ways

For this picture, I turned my head East to look at the sunset! I thought I would be taking more Floridian photos while down here, but yesterday, I hunkered down and copied a bazillion old family photos. I dug through a big footlocker full of pictures, but it brought back a lot of memories, and was worth all the work that went into it. They will probably not be worth trying to post, but I might change my mind after I get back and have a chance to sort through them.

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One thing I won't be posting is pictures of my mom & dad from this week. They are having some kind of allergic reaction, and all kinds of doctor visits and creams and pills. I feel badly for them. As for you, you will just have to believe me when I tell you that I have parents. ;-)

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I LOVE my parents!! They get along so well with my wife (& me, too). I laugh a little, when I see how my mom pinches pennies, doesn't care for brand names, and is always looking for a better price or coupons or whatever. But that is only a little funny. Our country would be in MUCH better shape if people would work like my dad and save like my mom. Government handouts? I'm sure there are a few people that could use a measure of compassion, but I feel better about the church doing that job (including me and my parents) rather than Uncle Sam.

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How did I get from sunsets to subsidy? Sheesh, what a scatterbrain I am sometimes! Okay, I'll get off the soap box, but before I do, I need to say that criticizing the federal financial program is not the fix. People need to learn how to earn a living, live within their means, give back a little to their community, and plan for the future. We need to rethink words like "entitled to" and "deserve." Credit abuse is a crime! Okay, I'll stop now. Ciao.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

sunset reflections

The church in this photo is a pleasant sight. I'm sure it would make a nice subject for daylight photos. The real beauty though, is the capture of the setting sun at the most stunning moment. The dark foreground creates a contrast that glorifies the colors behind it. If you look carefully, you can see that the church windows reflect a little bit of that radiant splendor. Don't you wish the church would reflect that brilliance even more?

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...Something to think about.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

dark so soon

It gets dark very early now.

And yet, the most impressive thing about the darkness

is still...

the light.

Monday, November 03, 2008

Keep driving, Dad!

On Halloween, S2 went trick-or-treating with my Mrs, as I drove D2 to a friend's house. She wanted to get there as soon as possible, and during the drive, heard me thinking out loud about the moon and Venus and pulling over to set up the tripod. "Daaaaad... NO!" She sounded like someone admonishing their pet. (Good grief, where's the rolled up news paper or spray bottle?) I stayed the course, and resisted the urge to stop and take a few snapshots of the unbelievable sky scape. I only captured this image, because the car was stopped, so quickly, I rested the camera over the open window and hoped for the best.

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It is a good thing too, because I don't think she could appreciate how much that meant to me, plus my old camera's disc drive was full, and it would have been worse to think I was carefully recording pictures and then find out that they weren't saved to the mini CD Rom.

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Here is an earlier picture of that sky. It was probably 5 or 10 minutes after this shot, that I saw the most expressive colors over a large field with an unobstructed view.