photo challenge: rare

this may be somewhat of a stretch, but the photo challenge is subject to interpretation… this week’s subject is “rare”.

I’ve chosen a highlight a photo I took of the sunrise over the ocean in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Nikon D70, f/6.3, 1/60 sec

most of my life has been spent in Michigan and I’ve seen hundreds of amazing sunsets on Lake Michigan – and granted you can see the sunrise over Lake Huron, I’m not sure it would compare to watching the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean.  so, for me, a sunrise over water is a pretty rare occasion.

how’s that for Jersey fresh, Baydog?

 

rule of thirds

from our front yard maple tree a few years ago, a favorite resting spot for squirrels in the spring.

Nikon D70, 300mm f/5.6 1/400

my contribution for this week’s photo challenge: rule of thirds

symmetry

a few samples of symmetry in some pictures from our trip to Germany and the surrounding areas (2006).

St. Stephan’s Church (Stephanskirche), Mainz, Germany

Nikon D70, 70mm f/7.1 1/60 ISO 400

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Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche), Munich, Germany

Nikon D70, 18mm f/11 1/500 ISO 400

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Ruins of Schloss Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

Nikon D70, 40mm f/10 1/200 ISO 250

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Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

Nikon D70, 18mm f/9 1/60 ISO 250

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my contribution to the daily post: symmetry

depth

Nikon D70 + 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5g f/6.3 @ 1/125

Nikon D70 + 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5g        f/6.3 @ 1/125

Nikon D70 + 70-300mm f/4-5.6g        f/5.6 @ 1/80

Nikon D70 + 50mm f/1.8D       f/1.8 @ 1/6,000

with inspiration from Exploratorius and Wind Against Current

’tis the season

we spent a couple days at my parents’ house just before Christmas to celebrate the holiday with my side of the family.

luckily, we arrived after the bad ice storm that hit their area – and even luckier, they still had power!

branches were weighted down with a thick coating of ice, and various branches had snapped and fallen down around their yard, thankfully with minimal damage.

despite all the destruction, the ice storm aftermath makes for some amazing outdoor photography.  when the sun is shining, the ice everywhere can just sparkle and make everything glisten.  I spent a bit of time walking around outside with our silver lab puppy, Arwen – she loves exploring my parents’ yard.

I also snapped a couple great shots of the various birds that congregate at the bird feeders.

here is a great shot of a male cardinal hopping onto the bird feeder.

and a red-bellied (strange name, huh?!) woodpecker that was hanging out at the suet feeder.

all told, a beautiful few days spending time with family and celebrating the Christmas holiday, and enjoying the amazing power of nature intertwined with the beauty it creates.

merry Christmas!

[all photos taken with my Nikon D70 & a Nikon Nikkor 70-300mm F/4-5.6G-AF Zoom Lens]