Category: nature

I picked these

Published on by bushboy31 Comments

The Lens-Artists Challenge #125: You Pick It

This is an interesting challenge due to Tina’s opening inviting us into the challenge with “This week it’s all up to you – you get to choose your subject and to share whatever it is about it that you find interesting. Personally, I’ve chosen last week’s introduction to the concept of Wabi-Sabi, particularly as it relates to art and photography, as my topic.“

Wabi-Sabi has me intrigued as my initial though was to just bung up a couple of flowers and say I picked these.

But no, I had to go down a bit of a Wabi-Sabi rabbit hole of discovery. This definition was quite good “Although Wabi-sabi can be hard to define, we can translate its simplified meaning to “rustic simplicity” or “understated elegance” with a focus on a less-is-more mentality, while “taking pleasure in the imperfect”.”

When looking for Wabi-Sabi perhaps “Wabi-sabi is a cracked and glued together ceramic bowl (check the concept of kintsugi); a funnily shaped, home-grown tomato; a dinner created from leftovers; falling cherry blossom; a worn wooden hallway and an elbow patch on your favourite jumper. Therefore, it’s an appreciation of all that is simple, modest and imperfect. Yet, loved deeply.”

So where to from here. Want to find out? Let’s have a go at my interpretation of Wabi-Sabi through a photographers eyes

I added this one for a bit of Zen fun

From the website – https://japanahome.com/journal/wabi-sabi-how-to-embrace-this-ancient-japanese-philosophy-at-home-and-life/

Wabi- sabi and Zen 

Wabi-Sabi’s roots lie in Zen Buddhism, which a Chinese twelfth century monk (Eisai) brought to Japan. Zen stresses austerity, communion with nature, and above all, reverence for everyday life as the real path to enlightenment. To reach enlightenment, Zen monks lived ascetic, often isolated lives, and sat for long periods of concentrated meditation.

In Zen philosophy, there are seven aesthetic principles in achieving Wabi-sabi:

Kanso — simplicity

Fukinsei — asymmetry or irregularity

Shibumi — beauty in the understated

Shizen — naturalness without pretension

Yugen — subtle grace

Datsuzoku — freeness

Seijaku — tranquility

wabi sabi tea ceremony

Thanks Tina for taking me to Japan and back for a while

Too many times

Published on by bushboy21 Comments

Debbie’s quotation-inspired image

AS is with most of my posts, here’s a bit of Australian music from one of my favourite 1970’s bands, Mental as Anything.

Enjoy a listen as you scroll at too many times (but sometimes you just have to) gallery inspired by the quotation for this week –

“Photography is pretty simple stuff. You just react to what you see, and take many, many pictures.”
– Elliott Erwitt

I had a terracotta bird bath. The birds used to love to come and have a drink or a bath. It is a place in the garden that is worth sitting hidden or even from the verandah viewing. I have taken liberties at using the words quotation-inspired image especially the image singular part…….

Sometimes it is comical when the Rainbow Lorikeets splash about.

or just sit and ponder….I’m sure Rainbow Lorikeets have ponderences

A Spangled Drongo would like you to turn around while he has his bath please

Yellow-faced Honeyeaters were usually amicable to sharing the bird bath

as were Silvereyes, who were rarely by themselves

THey would share with most other small birds like this Red-browed Firetail finch

More than often the Silvereyes turned up for a party

The White-throated Treecreeper was the funniest getting sorted at the bird bath. Most of the time Treecreepers spend their time in a vertical pose hopping up and down tree trunks digging under the bark for insects, hence the way he’s sitting which would keep your butt cool on a hot day I reckon

The female Satin Bowerbird liked to sit on the edge and have a bit of a chatter before plunging in

Sometimes a male Satin Bowerbird would appear when she was there. They are more of a solitary bird and don’t hang around much unless it’s for you know what!!

The Spotted Pardalote, one of the first times I spotted one in my garden

Another sharing between a Yellow-faced Honyeater and an Eastern Spinebill

A Scarlet Honeyeater wonders if he can hang on to get a drink like the Silvereyes when the water is low being the smallest honeyeater

The bigger birds liked the bird bath as it was quite solid. Pied Currawongs come down from the mountains when the weather gets cooler and head back in Spring

Grey Fantails make a bit of a show at the bird bath

Noisy Friarbirds aren’t the best sharers in my garden. They were quite dominant this year. In the evening their calls from all around my house indicated there were lots of birds. They stopped other birds snacking on the grevilleas as best they could. At the end is a video from around five years ago.

Little White-throated Honeyeaters look so cute fluffed up after a bath

There is always a disagreement at times when King Parrots get together

Rainbow Lorikeets and Musk Lorikeets didn’t share all the best either

and an Eastern Yellow Robin is always around

Fun in the tree

Published on by bushboy25 Comments

Late one afternoon a while ago a screeching could be heard, the unmistakable sound of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos. Soon the Cockatoos were circling around and they then headed off to some distant trees.

I was watching where they were and in particular the Black Cockatoo closest who was doing a bit of moving around on the branch he was sitting on. It was very low light and the telephoto function on my Canon camera was at full stretch. The quality of the photos isn’t the best but I thought I should share a bit of our native birds sense of fun. You have already seen what the King Parrots do around my place having fun.

Enjoy the next sequence of photos. Just two settled on this side of the tree

Suddenly this Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo leant forward.

Then it was head down a bit further, wings spread a bit for balance and the tail feathers flared.

A little bit further, head well tucked and body all on the other side of the branch.

Then it was right over, wings open, tail upright and his head where his tail was seconds ago.

Back upright, wings and tail ready for the final balance on the branch.

Steady and settling back down.

and carry on as though nothing happened

One day at the bird bath – a feather discussion

Published on by bushboy27 Comments

Sometimes sitting watching birds and getting the occasional photo, you think nothing of grabbing a few shots but the when you see them on the screen an idea can form. This was a quick do it now thing before the “inspiration” went to where those sort of great ideas go to wait in a stratosphere for someone else to come along or perhaps you may have a flash of “Ohhhh…..that’s right!” and once more that wonderful bit of information’s sucked back in.

But I digress, sorry. This is a story of what could happen One day at the bird bath

I like popping over to this bird bath in the morning. Often there’s not too many folk around and I can splash a little, get a little wet and shake my feathers as the water is a bit cold.

Sometimes I like to sit on the edge of the bird bath and ponder things like what does ponder mean? It’s so good to get in the water a bit deeper each time so I can get water through my feathers. I wonder if anyone else I know will be here later on.

Whoa!!! What happened there? One minute I am a sleek flying machine, drop in for a splash and look. I look like I have gained grams. Oh dear what can I do……I can’t go out looking like this. I probably won’t be even able to take off.

Hey buddy, glad you’ve dropped by this morning. Do you think my feathers make me look fat?
No mate, not at all…..WHOA!!! What happened there? One minute I am a sleek flying machine, drop in for a splash and look. I look like I have gained grams…….
Yeah buddy, I know just what you mean……..

More black and white in nature

Published on by bushboy22 Comments

Jude’s 2020 Photo Challenge #47 – November’s themes/techniques: Black and White Photography

This week's assignment - Photograph nature in black and white. This can be more challenging as we often associate the natural world with colour, so look for contrasts, shapes, patterns, tones. Experiment with high-key and low-key effects.