Bald Eagle

Patriot (from the World Bird Sanctuary) was extremely cooperative. Very kind, don’t you think? Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sweet Dee Reynolds: “Callin’ me a bird all night… makin’ fun… sayin’ names…”

– Kaitlin Olson – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

About this image: digital photograph (Canon 300D) lightly modified in Adobe Photoshop

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Peacock Feather

No peacocks were harmed or in any way mistreated during the production of this photograph. No word as of yet regarding their opinion of extremely shallow depth of field, though.

Brendan: “Here are the peacock feathers plus some instructions from the guru… what’s in that box?”

Francis Whitman: “We bought a snake.”

Brendan: “Its got a skull and crossbones on it…”

– Wallace Wolodarsky & Owen Wilson – The Darjeeling Unlimited

About this image: digital photograph (Canon 300D) lightly modified in Adobe Photoshop

Flamingo

Flamingos make me think ‘Miami Vice’, so I decided to pump up the pink and aqua here. Then I noticed pulling the saturation back created a bit of a 60’s vibe. Hmm… Sonny Crockett meets Don Draper… that would be an interesting conversation. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Pete Campbell: “A man like you I’d follow into combat blindfolded, and I wouldn’t be the first. Am I right, buddy?”

Don Draper: “Let’s take it a little slower. I don’t want to wake up pregnant.”

– Vincent Kartheiser & Jon Hamm – Mad Men

About this image: digital photograph moderately modified

Collaboration with Giuliano Saade

It makes me nervous to modify other photographers’ work – it’s like I’m tap-dancing all over their vision. But when the kind and talented  Giuliano Saade offered to collaborate on a project I was far too excited to decline. Mr. Saade let me choose a stunning photograph to edit in any manner I wished (more specifics about that below) – a very generous offer, indeed! Not only that, but he even took the time to answer the following interview questions which provide insight into his creative process.

Q – Mr. S, would you like to tell any readers who haven’t had the opportunity to meet you before a little bit about yourself?

A- I live in São Paulo, Brazil and I do film direction for a living and my bread comes from advertising. 

I love everything related to art and life as a subject and actually not much else.

I started blogging about a couple years ago so I could unload some ideas I had to share with others. And by others I don’t mean my family and friends. I mean people that doesn’t know me. People that knows what is written there in my blog and nothing else.

So it started out as essays and a lot of writing. But photography is something that accompany me since always so it started to take some space from the blog. As always in my life image grew bigger than words and today my blog is almost totally visual.

I guess i have more to show then tell… lol

Q – Would you tell us when you start taking photographs and why?

A – I started photographing since ever i guess. Really. I remember myself with a camera at the beach 6 years old.

Why? It’s a need. I always had the need to express myself. Photograph, painting, music, writing. It’s all I love to do.

That’s why I direct. It kinda mixes it all.

Q – What do you enjoy the most about photography (in process and/or the ‘world of photography’ as a whole)?

A – The old tale says that photographs can imprison one’s soul. I’ve been in an expo in the Guggenheim called Haunted. 

The idea behind it is that we have these ghosts living in our time. Moments registered in photographs that can bring back moments and

people long gone. I’m saying all this to help explain my joy about photography. And it’s about capturing. That’s it. When you can capture a

moment that is awesome enough you can show it around and relive it and make it immortal. This possibility of making these moments immortal

is what excites me about photography.

Q – Is there anything about photography you dislike (in process and/or the ‘world of photography’ as a whole)?

A – So what i really dislike is the fact that i lost so many of these amazing moments that will never be repeated…

Q – If you could be given any set-up you wanted (equipment, props, models, etc.) what / where / when would you choose to shoot first?

A – I would choose to keep the camera, dismiss the rest and start chasing things to photograph…lol

Q – Any other final thoughts related to photography and/or your creative process?

A – No rules applied.

My thanks again to Mr. Saade for working with me on this wonderful project!

Don’t miss Giuliano Saade’s blog: ‘The eternal solitude of the restless Mind‘ and his Flickr stream here.

About this image: *digital photograph by Giuliano Saade*. Digitally edited, printed and re-photographed through wet glass (partially under red light), and then re-edited by me.

Red Tailed Hawk

I know very little about birds, but Annabelle tells me this guy was/is a Red Tailed Hawk. Anyway, I should have used a faster ISO here, but considering how shaky I am and my luck with animals in general, I guess this will have do.

Dennis Reynolds: “I can absolutely keep a humming bird as a pet, bro. It’s no different than having a parrot or a parakeet… it’s a bird, bro!”

Charlie Kelly: “You really… you really can’t. And I’m not saying I agree with it, it’ s just that bird law, in this country,  it’s not governed by reason.”

– Glenn Howerton & Charlie Day – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

About this image: digital photograph, lightly modified

Mourning Dove

It’s time for a nap. Monday Annabelle and I start our ‘vacation’, anyway. I find these things almost as stressful as relaxing… I might need a nap when I get back, too. Anyway, we’ll be gone for 2 weeks or so. Unfortunately internet access will be scarce, so I won’t be able to  annoy visit everyone while we’re gone.  I’ll be back, though… leaving my usual trail of nonsensical comments behind me (although I may cut back on my own posting schedule). Because, as you’ve probably guessed, I’m not great with change. And there’s a ton of it going on right now. Makes me all… twitchy. Maybe I just need a nap?

*ZZZzzz*

About this image: digital photograph, moderately modified

Nature Hates Me

Here’s the thing; nature and I seem to have a healthy disregard for each other. I stay inside with my nice indoor plumbing, it, in turn, seems to leave me alone – for the most part.

Anyway, well perusing Jillsy Girl Studio, I noticed a bird photography challenge of sorts. I didn’t really understand the rules (I never do), but Jillsy is always posting amazing nature photographs and, being a rather dim-witted fellow, I decided (against my better judgment) to attempt to photograph a stinkin’ bird (I feed these creatures every day – they should work with me on this, right)?!

Here’s the problem; I’m twitchy and slow, birds are twitchy and fast. Mission FAILURE. I don’t know how J.G. gets such amazing results. I give-up. I bruise easily, and nature has thoroughly kicked my a**. Again.

About this image: Digital photograph heavily modified