Tag: beautiful

Preying Mantis

Photos of one of my favorite models.  She posed so nicely, and wore her flowing dress of green so elegantly.

Of course, sometimes models are a bit reluctant.  There is nothing wrong with capturing them in a jar to keep them from running off to do something else.

But you can't retain their services for very long if you keep them in the jar, so eventually you have to get them to the set.  In this case, a cool, shady spot in some tall grass where she can stretch her long legs and become one with her surroundings.

Once on the set, she is all business.  Posing, hunting and playing the game -

Look how she curls back to stalk and snare her prey!

And after this set, it's time for some easier poses.

Ok, good.  Good profile.  Now how about the other side?

And turn.... great!  Perfect shot!

Ok, now turn toward the camera...  perfect... looking great!

And now how about a shot where you're looking back over your shoulder...

Now, I need fierce.  Hunting.  Stalking.  You see what you want and you're going to get it!

Great! Here is a wounded male mosquito to help you get into the part...   just get a little closer... use those angles... lean... a little further...

...now... STRIKE!

That's the shot!  Fantastic!  Now, it's all yours...  you've been amazing!

Good, good pose for the portrait shot...

Ok, hold that pose, we'll get some close ups...

Excellent... show me those big green eyes...

And that's a wrap!  Thank you - a professional, as always!

Alaska

I mentioned to someone recently about my adventures trying to drive a Toyota Corolla up an icy mountain road, then hiking into the face of a blizzard on a mountain wearing motorcycle boots and a light jacket...

There's the oncoming blizzard.

Yes, it was f***ing cold.

Anything for a good photo.

I forgot who asked me about posting the picture.  Hope who ever it was gets to see it.

Shea’s Performing Arts Center

Shea's Buffalo opened in 1926.  Styled after the European Opera Houses has recently been restored to it's original glory.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and continues to be the centerpiece of the Buffalo theater district.

Shea's also owns one of only five Wurlitzer pipe organs to ever be built with tonal finishing, provided by the Wurlitzer company directly after being installed in the theater.  If you have the opportunity to visit Buffalo, do try to catch a performance at Shea's Performing Arts Center.

Little Treasures

As mentioned in the previous post, one of our goals on Sunday was to find the Eternal Flame.  Quaintly nestled in a natural, shallow cave in the shale walls behind a waterfall, the flame constantly burns fueled by a naturally occurring reservoir of methane.  It doesn't look like it could possibly just naturally be there.  The entire area looks like it was professional landscaped and carved, but in this ravine of shale walls, the Earth has intricately carved what it would probably take a team of expensive designers and architects to otherwise create.

The nice thing about this little natural wonder is you can still walk right up to it.  Unlike so many other amazing natural occurrences in the world, man has not fenced it off, placed it behind glass or in any way tried to protect us from ourselves while claiming to be protecting us from it.

The whole area is left as natural as possible.  Fallen trees remain fallen and become natural obstacles in the hike.  The ravine walls are not in any way groomed or screened; the creek bed is littered with fallen rock and shale, and lined with other water fall channels where run-off naturally flows.

Unlike other natural occurrences people will travel to see, no path has been paved to make it accessible to everyone.  To get to it, it is a natural hike - 1.3 miles down a hill side and through a creek bed.  In some areas, concrete slabs have been buried into the hill side to make it easier to traverse some of the steeper areas.  In winter, as we discovered, these steps turn into hazardous slides of ice and snow, actually making it more difficult.

The fact that we either pave nature to see nature or close it off for fear of people getting hurt by it annoys me.  It is nice to be able to walk within feet of this dancing flame and enjoy the simple pleasure of it.

And the fact it exists where it does is equally as wondrous.  In an area that can see several feet of snow fall at once, that can have thousands of gallons of run-off water flowing through this area, that has at times seen hurricane strength winds blow through...  despite it all, this little flame keeps burning.

Once down to the flame, you have two choices on how to get back:

1.  Back up the same trail you just hiked down, or

2.  Up the side of a tree-lined ravine

Sarah took the path less traveled.  I hiked back up the trail.  I'll try climbing the roots in the Spring time when they aren't as icy.

As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, the trail was icy enough.  I took several good falls on my ass and slid down icy hillsides a number of times.  When we were leaving, we saw a couple getting out of a car with New Jersey plates.  Probably in town, looking for something to go see and they were told about the Flame.  They were wearing designer jeans, woolen coats, boots with heels and looked more prepared for a walk to a restaurant downtown than a hike through a creek bed.  We gave them a brief warning about how icy it is, that they will need to hike through a creek bed - through the water - and wished them luck on their adventures.

I wonder how they made out.

I wonder if they got out....

Sometimes Where I Live is Beautiful – 4

Sunday's hike through the newly snow-covered hills was quite the adventure.  We traversed a couple more steep sided ravines, which in the snow was quite the challenge.   We also took a more popular and marked trail to see the Eternal Flame.  If you look at the image above, you will see a tiny orange light through the fallen trees.   That is the Eternal Flame.

Click the picture to make it bigger if you can't see it.

More on the flame later.

The trail is popular and well traveled, which results in a lot of packed snow and ice on top of rock-hard ground.   The right side of my ass still hurts from multiple slips and falls!  The frozen banks of the creek present another challenge as well - but it was well worth it.

Nature has carved out quite the scenic path on this one, including multiple waterfalls and a tiered, shale creek bed.

I will definitely be heading back during the spring thaw...