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Author Archives: untouchedtcphotos

Catching Fast Wings

05 Saturday Dec 2020

Posted by untouchedtcphotos in Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Bumblebee, Canon, Garden, Home Garden, Sloat Garden Center

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Backyard Garden, Bumblebee, Canon, Garden, Home Garden, Sloat Garden Center

Bumblebees have super fast moving wings. I photographed at 1/8000 of a second and still could not freeze the motion of these wings! Can you imagine being that fast? It is interesting the orientation of the top wing. The bottom wing is a little blurred due to its quick movement.

This bee is also bent around the middle and his rear end is pointed down. This bee is getting ready to fly out. It was interesting how he stretched out before flying out. I never really paid attention how fuzzy Bumblebees are.

I am pretty amazed how fast the bee’s wings move. My challenge is to see if I can catch a sharp picture of the wings. Not sure if this is possible since I shot at 1/8000 of a second. It will depend if I can catch a bee who slows down a little. My bee’s wing photos show the wings mostly tucked under when they are not moving.

This pandemic has given many of us big challenges. Many challenges are from our circumstances and environment. We get stressed with the current increase of COVID cases. In California, we will be facing new stay at homes rules to follow. Many feel pandemic fever, but will have to deal with these feelings with the additional restrictions.

Since we all face this pandemic stress, I am learning I need to choose my own personal challenges. Shooting cool photographs of the bees, hummingbirds and butterflies is my challenge and goal. I am attempting to figure out a strategy for my garden photography to shoot these creature models. I purchased this perennial flowering plant at the Sloat Garden Center to help with my pollinating friends.

Choosing our own personal challenges as goals to achieve could be the answer to deal with the circumstantial challenges we face. None of us chose this pandemic life. This virus happened, and we need to live with these circumstances and consequences. But we can choose our own challenges to improve ourselves or our situations.

Photos Teach!

 

 

 

 

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See my Face

04 Friday Dec 2020

Posted by untouchedtcphotos in Backyard Garden, Butterflies, Butterfly, Garden, Home Garden, Red Admiral

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Backyard Garden, Butterflies, Butterfly, Garden, Home Garden, Red Admiral



Butterflies are a little easier than hummingbirds to photograph. Hummingbirds are always on the move. Butterflies will take a short nap in my garden. They pause on the flower and do not rush around like the hummingbirds when they visit my backyard.

Since butterflies are not very big, I cannot see all their detail. Looking back at these pictures, I can take my time to examine the butterfly’s face by looking back at the photo. Do you notice the butterfly’s long tongue sucking on the flower nectar? Notice the butterfly’s fuzz. I love the long antennae. See the butterfly’s eyes.

The bright yellow orange and deeper orange colors of the 2 butterflies are pretty cool. I love their natural stripe designs on the wings.

How did I catch the butterfly’s face in the second photo? In photography terms, I shot with “select focus” meaning I focused to get a clear shot of the face. By doing this, the body behind the face was not as focused. So I selected what I wanted to focus on with my camera to get the clearer shot.

In our old life, we would see lots of people as we walked the street. We saw people at work. We see people on public transportation. But do we look into the faces of people to empathize or notice who they are? Do we see the faces of the people we live with to understand their problems and emotions? When we visit with family we do not live with or friends, do we examine their faces to see the hidden messages they do not want to talk about.

Let’s “select focus” to notice other people’s faces to understand who they are and empathize.

Photos Teach!

 

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Zooming In With a Fan Dance

02 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by untouchedtcphotos in Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Cuphea Vermillionaire, Garden, Home Garden, Hummingbird, Sloat Garden Center

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Backyard Garden, Cuphea Plant, Cuphea Vermillionaire, Garden, Home Garden, Hummingbird, Sloat Garden Center

Hummingbird is doing a fan dance while drinking nectar. The shutter speed was set for 1/4000 sec. See the quick flutter of the hummingbird’s wings. The wings still have a slight flurry in the photo due to the speed of movement. This was a pretty fast fan dance.

The shiny green camouflaged back seems surreal in the reflection of light and the pretty black shaded pattern.  It is nice this bird is naturally decked out in a shiny outfit for the dance.

This hummingbird went straight into the Cuphea Vermillionaire flower purchased from the Sloat Garden Center to drink the sweet nectar. The bird drank from this flower for about a couple of seconds. It is difficult to photograph these birds since they are always moving quickly.

It is nice the hummingbird is happy with simple pleasures like sweet flower nectar. The bird can do the happy fan dance to express his joy. The bird is enjoying his own personal party with dancing and drinking.

Being home during this pandemic teaches us to enjoy the simple pleasures while sheltering in place. Our family has a good time eating together for our meals. We are discovering new favorites to cook and eat together. More recently, I am enjoying football while eating my turkey sandwich with avocado.

Simple pleasures are the best. Unfortunately, I cannot do any fan dance to express my happiness when I eat delicious food. My dancing is pretty comical compared to the artistry of the hummingbird’s fan dance.

Photos Teach!

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Past View of Candlestick Park

29 Sunday Nov 2020

Posted by untouchedtcphotos in Baseball, Candlestick Park, Canon, Former Home of the San Francisco Giants, Lost Ballpark, Remembering Candlestick Park, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants, tell it goodbye, the stick

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I took this picture many years ago with black and white Kodak T-Max high speed 35mm film. This explains the large grain in the picture. I was in the right field pavilion section. Battling practice ended and the grounds crew were preparing the field for the game between the SF Giants and the Chicago Cubs.

Since this picture was shot as batting practice ended, the upper deck is still empty since it is before the game started. The crowd in the lower decks are the fans who came early to watch batting practice.

Bayview Park is behind Candlestick Park. Candlestick Park was not in the best part of town. It will be interesting how long it will take to build anything in the old location of the Stick.

This pandemic is causing economic turmoil for many businesses. There was discussion of creating a mall in this area. I have not gone to any shopping mall since this pandemic began. I’ve only gone to one retail store which is 5 minutes from my house. I only go to buy food or for other important errands.

Looking back at my old Candlestick Park photographs reminds me how much fun it was to watch live sports. Even watching the 49ers versus the Rams play on 11/29/2020 in LA is good, but not the same as live football.

During our pandemic crisis, the 49ers are now banned from playing in Levi’s Stadium due our purple status in Santa Clara until at least December 21, 2020.

Since we are banned from any games due to the pandemic, at least I can look back at my different stadium pictures to remember and dream what it was like to be at the Stick to enjoy a live game.

We all need to keep old photos since we never know what will change to prevent us from going to a place we always thought was available to us.

Photos remind us to be prepared for the unexpected!

 

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Being upside down is not bad as a Red Admiral Butterfly

28 Saturday Nov 2020

Posted by untouchedtcphotos in Agastache Blue Boa, Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Butterfly, Garden, Home Garden, Red Admiral

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Agastache Blue Boa, Backyard Garden, Butterfly, Garden, Home Garden, Red Admiral

The weather has been cool and sunny in my backyard. When there is sunshine, there is a 2 hour window when the lighting is perfect to shoot photographs. So the sunshine motivates me to get myself outside to visit my flying friends.

This Red Admiral Butterfly is one of my favorite butterflies. It flew into my yard and hung around for about an hour. It even seemed to take a short nap around my flowers.

It was nice to pose for me upside down with it wings wide open. The antennae are perfectly up and straight. The butterfly is strong yet delicate. The bright yellow orange pattern almost looks like the outline of a turkey’s wings looking at the center dark brown tan colors. I am thinking a lot about turkey, as I am eating my delicious leftovers.

Our world seems like it is upside down with this pandemic, racial injustice, and economic hardships. This butterfly does not mind being upside down, since it can flip and be right side up again. It flies quickly and with ease.

We can be reassured there is a way to be right side up again. I was listening to the news where a scientific expert was exclaiming how amazing how a vaccine is available soon in such a short amount of time. In the past, vaccines can take years to be developed. This expert marveled at the relatively quick development of these vaccines.

This butterfly reminds me it may not be as big a hurdle for any of us to get right side up again.

Can we float and fly right side up like a butterfly to new heights?

Photos Remind!

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Feeling Round, Plump & Happy

27 Friday Nov 2020

Posted by untouchedtcphotos in Back Yard Garden, Bumble Bee, Bumblebee, Cardinal Flower, Garden, Home Garden, Lobelia Gerardii Vedrariensis

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Backyard Garden, Bumble Bee, Bumblebee, Cardinal Flower, Garden, Home Garden, Lobelia Gerardii Verdrariensis

The day after Thanksgiving was a day of getting up early to catch the Black Friday specials. Shopping was the physical exercise after over indulging our Thanksgiving feasts. Family, friends and food are the 3 “F”s which are characteristic of this wonderful holiday. Unfortunately, this year we probably had less of our normal 3 “F”s, since we were warned not to gather to spread COVID.

Yesterday, we did need to cook our Thanksgiving comfort foods. We prepped our large turkey which was a little smaller than what we cook for 30-40 people. It was still large, since we provided food for my parents and brother. We normally never have any turkey leftovers, since our relatives enjoy taking home the leftovers. So if we are going to roast a turkey, we might as well enjoy the leftovers for a change.

We made our favorite side dishes of sweet potatoes with marshmallows, roasted brussel sprouts, fresh cranberry sauce and Chinese sticky rice with Chinese bacon and sausage. Surprising from Wednesday to Thursday, we finished cooking everything in time for my brother to pick up the feast, even with our big mess of spilling the overflowing turkey juice from the pan.

Normally, I would feel like the way this bee looks – round, plump and happy. Our custom has been to celebrate with about 30-40 relatives and share a Thanksgiving potluck. We have been roasting the turkey for the family. There is an overload of variety. It is a fun time of feasting and fellowship. This probably is the first time we all could not meet together. I did not eat as much since I cooked so much and was tired from the work. It was still worth it to eat my favorites.

The bee is happily flying around to gather its pollen and nectar. It enjoys the sweetness of the flowers to become healthy round and joyful. This bee is fast. I shot this photo at 1/8000 of a second. I still could catch the quickness of his wings.

I wish I could move with this speed with a round body. The bee is quick to gather pollen to bring back to his hive family.

It reminds me during this Thanksgiving time how we need to be quick to express our Gratitude to God and to those we care about. This pandemic has been teaching me to be quick to appreciate the moments in life. After Thanksgiving, it is normal for us to feel lethargic from over indulging.

Nevertheless, we need to emulate to be like the bee. Can we feel happy to feed or help those around us. When we gave the meal to my brother to bring to my parents, he expressed it was a fancy meal. It may have taken us time to prepare the meal, and we sacrificed a day to cook for our family. But it is important to show an expression of our care for our family.

Bees are constantly taking care of their hives. This bee is pretty adorable being fuzzy, round and fast.

Who do we need to take care of? Be adorable with our after-Thanksgiving roundness and figure out who you can give care to.

Photos Teach!

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The Eyes Say it All

25 Wednesday Nov 2020

Posted by untouchedtcphotos in Anna's Hummingbird, Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Canon, Cuphea Vermillionaire, Garden, Home Garden, Hummingbird, Sloat Garden Center

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Here’s another slow motion slide show to show us hummingbird’s moves. Normally a hummingbird moves pretty fast. It is hard to catch all the wing moves and the bird’s facial expressions. I never thought too much about a bird’s facial expressions until my recent photography dates with my new friends.

This pretty purple speckled neck hummingbird has some funny eye expressions. Did you notice how his eyes were wide open, dilated with ecstasy, half opened and closed?

His eye expression makes me curious if this bird was just happy to drink the nectar. And was the nectar extra sweet? Was this bird extra hungry and famished to eat? Did the bird just burn a lot of calories flying around and appreciated this snack break?

Do we pay attention to our family and friends’ facial expressions? Are we sensitive to what a person’s face is telling us regardless what the verbal conversation is?

I do not have a poker face. My face shows my emotions. For example, we went on a tropical family vacation tour. One of our resort hotel stops had a turtle shaped swimming pool. The weather was humid and hot. I am not really a water person. But my wife convinced me we should use the pool, since the weather was so hot. Well once I got into the pool, the expression on my face showed my relief and delight. My wife said my face looked so pleased with the coolness of the water. I felt so refreshed being in the water.

Do we notice our “people’ with expressions of “Pandemic Stress”? This Pandemic is causing many of us to be on edge. As I interact with my neighbors, I do sense everyone feels stress and irritations from our new lifestyles.

Let’s not be so callous or busy to ignore the expressions of the people around us. Being sensitive is the first step to offering help to someone.

Noticing a hummingbird’s eyes should remind us to look into the eyes of the people in our life.

Photos capture the look of interesting eyes!

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Pretty Rear End View

24 Tuesday Nov 2020

Posted by untouchedtcphotos in Anna's Hummingbird, Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Cuphea Vermillionaire, Garden, Home Garden, Hummingbird

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I took these series of rapid fire pictures of this Hummingbird in our yard. This probably only took 2 seconds or less. It’s amazing to see the range of motion on the hummingbird’s wings. Depending on the angle of the wings shows a different reflection and color from the sunlight. I love looking at the pointed wings stretching horizontally straight out. The circular motion of the wings shows off a variety of poses.

The green camouflage back is so pretty as it glistens with the sunlight. This bird moves so gracefully as it stays afloat to drink the flower nectar.

Did you ever play with a flip book? I had a Disney flip book as a child. I would flip the pages quickly to see how Donald Duck moved in the various pictures.

I put together my 2 seconds of photographs into this slide show to mimic the flip book. It is a slower version to observe the movement of this hummingbird.

Many of us are too busy to bird watch. I never did much bird watching before this pandemic. There were always chores to do at home. There were places to go, and people to see. I did not spend much time in the backyard other than when I absolutely had to clean up the weed and overgrown plants.

Now my world has changed. I cannot physically go to church. I cannot go to parties nor visit friends. We cannot host dinner parties. We cannot go to the movies.

But my refuge has become to watch these hummingbirds. My 2 seconds of rapid fire photographs allow me to take my time to watch their movement. Even when I sit in the yard and watch them move, I cannot catch all the details of their movement. They move too fast for me to see all of their moves.

I’m learning a slower pace can be a good thing. Going slower allows us to reflect or notice details we would miss if we are rushing.

The Pandemic is teaching lessons I would not have learned otherwise.

Photos Capture Details!

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Red Head Enjoying His Garden

23 Monday Nov 2020

Posted by untouchedtcphotos in Anna's Hummingbird, Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Cuphea Vermillionaire, Garden, Home Garden, Hummingbird

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Anna's Hummingbird, Backyard Garden, Cuphea Plant, Cuphea Vermillionaire, Garden, Home Garden, Hummingbird, Sloat Garden Center

It’s pretty exciting to watch this red head in the garden. I am guessing this is a male hummingbird due to the vibrant ruby red head and throat. His forward fan-like wings look like they are reaching forward toward his nectar feast. When I am watching the hummingbirds in the backyard, I usually cannot see exactly how they move their wings due to their quick motion. But capturing their poses in pictures allows me to examine their wing formations.

I am also getting accustomed to hearing their high pitched singing. My wife and I went out on an errand and were walking backing to our car and I kept hearing the high pitch sound coming from a hummingbird. I heard the hummingbird a few times and asked if my wife could hear the bird. It was too high pitched, and she did not know how to recognize the sound.

This red head points his long beak directly into the center of the flower. It must be nice to have a long straw attached to easily drink your meal. The birds come and go from the garden as they please. They know where an easy meal is available.

I try to make a date with the hummingbirds around lunch time when the sun is the brightest to get better lighting for my photographs. I ask my wife if I can go out to the backyard, and she never says no to these dates. It’s nice this is a red-head I am allowed to attentively watch and listen to without getting into any type of trouble.

Taking the photographs of the hummingbirds is teaching me how to be sensitive to learn who these birds are. These lessons requires time for these bird dates. It requires observation. It requires freezing their actions via pictures to catch a moment of their quick movements. It requires patience to wait for them to come to visit.

I realize how I need to practice these lessons with the people in my life as well with others I encounter. Exercising sensitivity during this pandemic times is needed more than ever now.

As I have been feeding and observing the red head in my garden, I also need to learn to feed the needs of others.

Photos Capture Emotions expressed thru Actions!

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Flashback Memories of Candlestick Park

22 Sunday Nov 2020

Posted by untouchedtcphotos in Baseball, Candlestick Park, Former Home of the San Francisco Giants, Lost Ballpark, Remembering Candlestick Park, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants, the stick

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ballpark art, Baseball Stadium, Candlestick, Candlestick Park, Candlestick Park Days Past, Candlestick Park Photography Art, Canon, Etsy Untouchedtcphotos, Former Baseball Stadium, giants nation, giants nation united, Lost Ballpark, Remembering Candlestick Park, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants, Stadium Art, tell it goodbye, the stick, Untouchedtcphotos, We are Giants, we are sf

Here’s a flashback photo of the Scoreboard at Candlestick Park in 1988. The centerfield TV camera was mounted near the base of the scoreboard. This was the General Admission area of Candlestick, and the ticket prices were the most affordable. I have tickets stubs with the price of $2.50 for a General Admission ticket in 1988. Those were the days. These tickets were from a few of the games that I attended in 1988. I took this picture sitting in the front of the General Admission area behind the Centerfield fence in 1988.

It is interesting how tickets have changed since 1988. We don’t have to display a paper ticket for entrance into an event. We can show a computer printed paper with the scan code to enter. Or we can show our ticket scan code from our smart phone.

Things we take for granted eventually will be considered archaic. How many younger people will never use an actual paper ticket. Or it seems the term of “ticket” will not be needed since we only need to show our scan code.

Technology gives us continuous change. So now we do need to hold a paper ticket.

But I think I prefer having a paper ticket. If I did not photograph these old tickets, I would not have recorded the actual old price of a ticket was $2.50.

It’s good to keep mementos of the past to appreciate our history. I love the memories of being able to walk into Candlestick Park and not worry about the price of entrance. The price made it possible anyone to enjoy the SF Giants play baseball.

Baseball should be available for everyone to watch live. There is nothing like the excitement generated by fans watching the game.

I’m sure the price of going to a live game will go up after the losses from this pandemic.

But it is nice to remember once upon a time when a game was cheap and affordable to everyone.

Photos Remember!

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