James Brubaker

You can link to a previous posting by Dave Cesari by clicking on the top item in the menu in the left-hand column.

A macro view of a frog I found behind a wall hanging I had on the outside wall of our front porch

He/she hopped under a flower pot after this shot

As you swing through life, enjoy the up-close small things

Dave wrote:  Hi Jim, Here are some pictures for the blog.We  got one inch of snow here last night. These were at my feeders before the snow came. A Fox Sparrow, a Goldfinch, a Morning Dove, a Cardinal, a Chickadee and a Red-bellied Woodpecker.  Dave

11 17 2022 Dave Cesaei

11 17 2022 Dave Cesaei

11 17 2022 Dave Cesaei

11 17 2022 Dave Cesaei

11 17 2022 Dave Cesaei

11 17 2022 Dave Cesaei

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Another kind of photography I enjoy is taking or making photos to support a story.  Today my story is simple and obvious.  I have lived in a number of states, and spent months working many places, including some foreign countries. So, people ask, “How did you come to live your current winters in Florida?”

I used my phone camera in my front lawn, a remote live stream camera at the Drummond Ferry Dock, and a National news source reporting on my home towns in Pennsylvania for these four photos.  The story that answers the question about me living in Florida is in the four-photo-image below:

The title of the story is  “Mow or Snow

As you swing through life, have fun watching your birds at the feeder and share your photo story.

I have talked with those who judge photographs for the Professional Photographers of America’s International Photographic Competitions. They gave me a document explaining the “The Twelve Elements of a Merit Image” that they all are required to use: 1. Impact, 2. Technical Excellence  3. Creativity  4. Style  5 Composition 6.Presentation  7. Color Balance  8. Center of Interest  9. Lighting  10. Subject Matter  11. Technique  12. Story Telling.

Now that we have cell phone cameras, we are all professional photographers. Most of us are not professionals at photography but we are professionals at our life. We use our cameral to bring fun to what ever we do in our profession of living and not to win an International Photograph Contest.

The Happenings says the Photo Club will be meeting on the first Friday in December. There is no better place to share, learn, and meet photographer birds-of-a-feather who help each other.  So, the purpose of my rambling here is to say:” I want you to be at that meeting.”

But, for right now,  think about why you grab that camera or cell phone while doing your own personal (professional) living.    For sure, I want you to have the confidence to use your photos regardless of how they stack up to the 12 elements of merit.

Believe me, I want to make better photos but really their “contestant” merit quality is not what matters to me. I just want to make you stop and look at what I saw – maybe ponder the same story & emotion (element 12) that I did when I took the photo – or cause you to see the event I saw and make up your own story.  So now you know why I grabbed the camera.  I would love to get together with others that grab theirs for the same reason (photographer birds-of-my-feather) and I  hope to see you at the Photo Club meeting.

Here are two photos I grabbed from my thousands of photos:

On the streets of NJ, this man caught my attention – I assumed he was was rushing to the Synagogue – maybe overslept – anyway he showed an image of importance and of being late – I watched and snapped a shot.

Again, NJ, I spent an afternoon at a youth horse show. Love horses and horse people – the audience.  I snapped this shot  to show how many were on cell phones (Back row) – but I caught another story – “Is that golden hair the man’s pony tail or is the a youthful girl between me and the man??” -I am still not sure.

As you swing through life, use your photos, share with all and talk about them with  birds-of-a-feather.  Come to the Photo Club meetings.

About the bird flock I posted yesterday, Dave Cesari e-mailed me this information last night:

“Jim, Those birds you posted are Tree Swallows. They gather like this every year in Florida. Sometimes these flocks hold several thousand birds. At night they roost in cattail marshes. We have seen them in the cattails in the Blue Heron  wetlands early in the morning. Dave”

Lets lighten up that sky and take a telescope look at it – Oh my, the storm brought us many birds – did they blow in from up north? I stood and watched them turn back and forth – I wonder which bird told them it was time to turn back and weave across the sky?

This one of those photos that tell a story … Your story. Is it a friendly encounter between the driver and the walkers?

The sign on this porto-potty made me laugh. Before you can use it “Call Ahead”

As you swing through life call ahead …….. Thanks!

“Thanks to all Veterans for their service on this Nov. 11, 2022 Veterans Day”

Biking yesterday after the storm – why the dark cloud?

Lets lighten up that sky and take a telescope look at it – Oh my, the storm brought us many birds – did they blow in from up north? I stood and watched them turn back and forth – I wonder which bird told them it was time to turn back and weave across the sky?

By now you know I see faces, birds, alligators, sailing ships and much more in the clouds every day – but what monster walked under this camping trailer and left his wet foot prints on the pavement? It made me have goose bumps!

P.S.      ——      If you clicked to Dave Cesari’s page with the Trumpeter Swans – You noticed I spell “Trumpeter” wrong – I fixed it last night.

As you swing through life – Find fun things to see – then snap a photo of them and share what you saw.