A tree tattoo

Posted by Photonstopper on June 19, 2013
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Photo: Unusual scar in tree bark. Photo by James Guilford.

Lionfish – A Scar in Tree Bark

I was out and about this morning, enjoying the beautiful spring weather and shooting some naturescapes and scenes around town. As I was driving home, I glanced to the side and into the woods. There was a tree whose trunk was illuminated by the sun making it stand out from the surrounding shaded trees. What registered in that split-second, however, was something peculiar: an oddly-shaped scar in the smooth bark. I found the first turnaround, whipped my car about, and headed back. Parking nearby I hiked back up the road a bit, then into the edge of the woods. The tree bore a scar that had a remarkable resemblance, in my mind anyway, to a lionfish! I shot images of the tree trunk that first attracted me, then several of the scar. I’d recorded several memorable scenes this morning but, I think, my favorite may turn out to be a tree tattoo.

Above it all

Posted by Photonstopper on June 18, 2013
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Photo: Cumulus cloud developing. Photo by James Guilford.

A Cauldron of Light at the Center

I love watching cumulus clouds billow and tower against a deep blue sky. Lately we have seen some of that with the scattered rain and thunderstorms that are a part of spring. In the early evening Sunday, the sky was changing from mostly cloudy or overcast to partly cloudy, allowing views of the cloudy blooms. I shot a good number of photos and it was difficult to choose what to show here. My shoot ended as the puffy towers passed overhead and no longer showed their profiles. A high-flying aircraft left a thin contrail, seemingly ejected from the clouds, high above it all.

Photo: Aircraft contrail appears ejected from clouds. Photo by James Guilford.

Above It All

A person could get lost in it

Posted by Photonstopper on June 17, 2013
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Photo: An antique lantern hangs next to a door. Photo by James Guilford.

Morning Lights

While I love to photograph scenes of nature, I also like capturing moments from the world made by humans. Buildings and their interaction with their surrounding earth, sky, and light are favorites as are details from those buildings. Structures and surfaces of all ages can be wonderful. What struck my fancy last Friday were some beautifully-restored old buildings in the Grand Pacific Junction retail area of Olmsted Falls, Ohio. Clear morning light swept across surfaces of newer paint covering chipped surfaces of ancient siding. Decorated rooflines penetrated the deep, blue, cloudless sky overhead. A person could get lost in it.

Phhoto: Peak of the roofline of an old house. Photo by James Guilford.

Top of the Morning

Death pads!

Posted by Photonstopper on June 12, 2013
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Photo: Lily pads with strong backlighting. Photo by James Guilford.

Lily pads take on a whole different feeling.

A vigorous walk around Hinckley Lake this morning provided plenty of “photo ops.” I got images of at least three Great Blue Herons, a macro shot of a slug (actually kind of pretty), some flowers, a butterfly, and fish thrashing about in the water apparently in the throes of spawning. The shot that was a standout, however, was also something of a surprise. I liked the way the morning sun was playing across some lily pads floating at the edge of the lake. Some of the pads had beaded puddles of water on their waxy tops and the sun outlined them in silver. The camera, set to automatically select a shutter speed appropriate to the light level, saw all that light and darkened the scene: the pads turned black, the puddles showed textures, and the pads seemed to levitate above the glowing surface. The scene, overall, looked somewhat foreboding. Perfect. The title sprang to mind and I couldn’t think of anything better… “Death Pads!”

No trains today

Posted by Photonstopper on June 7, 2013
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Photo: Railway station. Photo by James Guilford.

No Trains Today: East or West

A quick stop in Olmsted Falls this dark and misty morning to take a look at the old Olmsted Falls railway station. The structure was built in 1877 by the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad as both a freight and passenger station. It now houses a model railroad club but still stands adjacent to main line rails that carry frequent trains even if they no longer stop there.

Photo: Old baggage cart at railway station. Photo by James Guilford.

Waiting for Baggage

I didn’t have to wait for Microsoft

Posted by Photonstopper on June 5, 2013
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Image: Windows 8 desktop screen shot.

What’s this? Windows 8 with a Start Menu?!

As a very experienced user of Microsoft’s Windows operating system (OS), and a tech guy, I felt it important to give Windows 8 a try. I installed Windows 8 on a middle-aged Toshiba Satellite laptop computer that had previously run Windows Vista, and Windows 7. The laptop does not have a touch screen.

My main issue(s) with Windows 8 as delivered center around the lack of a Windows-style Start Menu. The Start Menu is the launch pad for virtually everything one would want to do on a computer outside of running applications from desktop shortcuts. In previous versions of Windows users could click on the Start Menu, then select applications or explore sub-menus to complete an action. Say you want to change certain settings in the System or Security, or check and modify a Hardware setting: go to the Start Menu, click Control Panel, and select what you want to work on.

With Windows 8 the user needs to Search for just about anything they want to do beyond the basics. If you don’t happen know the name of the action you need to complete, well, you have to start guessing. If you don’t know a feature or setting is even available, well, I guess you’ll never use it; you don’t know to even search for it. Reminds me of Microsoft’s own TV ads for their Bing vs. Google search on the theme of deciding vs. searching. Thing is, you really can’t decide if you don’t know the choices, and you can’t really search if you don’t know what you’re looking for! I guess that is simple but not very useful.

So I wanted my Start Menu back.

Image: Screen shot from Windows 8 - Start8 showing Start Menu.

The Stardock Start8 Start Menu on my Windows 8 computer.

Enter Stardock.

Stardock is a software company that’s been around since 1991 and makes nifty applications that help users get more out of their computers. They created Start8 and yes, its purpose is to give Windows 8 users the Start Menu they need if they are running a computer and not a tablet.

For a mere $4.99 I now have a Start Menu replete with my less-used applications on a list, direct access to the Windows Control Panel, easy access to system utilities, in short, it makes Windows 8 into a good desktop OS for anyone above the level of Beginner!

And I didn’t have to wait for Microsoft to issue Windows 8.1 — due later this year — to bring back the Start Menu.

An interesting way to end the week

Posted by Photonstopper on May 31, 2013
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Photo: Panoramic view of approaching thunderstorm. Photo by James Guilford.

There’s a Change in the Weather.

I was heading towards home this evening when I noticed the skies darkening in the southwest. Some relatively compact but intense thunderstorms had been driving through the area and it looked like this one was headed my way. In fact, as I turned south I could see the dramatic leading edge of the storm rolling towards me. I pulled off into the first open area I could find, whipped out my camera and started shooting. I did one series of shots with the intent of creating a panorama of the amazing scene. Then some rain drops started falling. I got back into my car and had traveled no more than about a quarter-mile when the deluge began! The area was pummeled by extremely intense rain driven by strong winds. Within half an hour the rain had stopped. An interesting way to end the week.

Photo: Wind-Driven Rain Pummels the Area. Photo by James Guilford.

Wind-Driven Rain Pummels the Area

Heading in

Posted by Photonstopper on May 31, 2013
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Photo: Clouds building over Lake Erie. Photo by James Guilford.

Clouds Building over Lake Erie

This was the scene midday over Lake Erie off Bay Village, Ohio: clouds building over the water and a tiny boat heading in to dock. A few hours later the sky became overcast and a compact thunderstorm drenched the area. It looks like it will be a stormy and wet weekend. We shall see what the next couple of days bring but we hope to get out and enjoy.

A snapping turtle and a tranquil sight

Posted by Photonstopper on May 26, 2013
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Photo: Sunfish swim around a large snapping turtle. Photo by James Guilford.

Look out, fish, that’s no rock you’re swimming around!

We visited Kendall Lake in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park this afternoon. I wasn’t holding out hope for much to photograph but our little nature walk presented a fine assortment of opportunities, many of which were captured. Among the sights was a very large snapping turtle fellow visitors pointed out. The reptile stayed beneath the surface of the lake during the entire time we watched, occasionally stretching its neck to put up its periscope nostrils and eyes long enough to breathe. As pretty sunfish swam all around the potential predator, the turtle snapped not once. Following a park trail, we recorded woodland scenes of weathered wood and lush foliage in the understory. It was a very relaxing walk following a period of several stressful days and was a most welcome respite. On the opposite end of the lake, a spot of sunlight fell on slender, colored leaves floating in the shadows … a lovely and tranquil sight.

Photo: Colorful leaves find a spot of light. Photo by James Guilford.

A Quiet Space in the Shadows