West Nile Virus!?

So....apparently there's been a positive result for West Nile Virus in the area and they're spraying to kill mosquitoes.

Why? Everywhere! I wanted to go to Gardiner's Park, and they closed at 6! I remember the gatekeeper at Connetquot telling me something similar.

Well I did go down to the Picnic area of Captree and managed to get this nice shot. Too bad I couldn't travel much otherwise...

Sunset at Southards Pond

After realizing the timing of the sunset from my trip to Belmont Lake and Sunken Meadow, I decided to see how it looks from Southards Pond. I've been there so often, even made friends with the ducks that live there. Today was no different, as soon as I got there they all came out of the water and towards me. Around 7 the sun was setting and I got the perfect (to me at least) pictures of it all. It's truly amazing and I'm going to try and get several parks and landmarks to this effect.

Another iPhone shot, and I gotta say I really like the glare effect.

This isn't terrible, but this is definitely a digital camera shot.

Can't remember which took this, but all the elements are what make this picture so relaxing- the clouds, the sky, the horizon, the water, the ducks, the shore, and of course the setting sun that touches everything listed above.

The clouds were nice today as well.

The digital camera doesn't produce the Sun Glare effect as strongly as the iPhone.

A picture without the setting sun?? What am I thinking?? Well I thought the symmetry was amazing. It's an amazing reflection and what you have on top is what's on the bottom, and that's just awesome to look at.

Didn't realize I took this picture, but I like it. The duck is looking towards the sun and the way it's hitting the duck? It's also cool. I like it!

If you haven't already, please vote for photo's #30 and #31! http://www.bellport.com/gallery/contest.htm

Bellport Contest and Sunken Meadow

Here is the link to the Bellport Photo Contest. Please vote for #30 or #31, they are mine. Everyone has been telling me they like #31 a lot.

http://www.bellport.com/gallery/contest.htm

I checked out the competition. The first bunch seem amazing. There's one on there (#16) that just doesn't make the cut. Normally I wouldn't criticize someone else's picture, but it's supposed to be a summer themed photo in Bellport. There's SNOW in that one!

I took a lot more photos and put them on Facebook. But here's a somewhat progression of the sun setting.

Really liking this golden sky effect!

Really liking it, I like how it hits the clouds too.

Connetquot State Park Trip

So I finally made it out to Connetquot. It took me forever to find time and motivation to go out there, and honestly, I should have waited. Sheesh was it Humid! I wore pants thinking water, has a nice breeze....Nope. Totally wrong call on that one. On any other day I'd have really liked this place, as it had a beautiful lake, a large trail system, and plenty of wildlife. Well, not that I saw, but signs pretty much everywhere told me I should have been able to see Deer, Foxes, Owls, Hawks, and other animals. Oh well, I got to see a turtle and some Swans. 

A view of the lake.

I thought this was cool, at a few spots there was a dock for fishing, but you need a permit.

I liked all of the different winding and rivers that this lake made.

One of the very few flowers I actually saw that day.

This can pretty much sum up my day- An endless road or trails and a heck of a lot of walking down it!

Every now and then there were fields of tall grass that I was specifically told not to go in. Mostly because of deer ticks, but also because of the preserved bird sanctuaries.

I liked this area because it wasn't as wide and allowed the trees to grow over the water.

This was as close to the water I could get without stepping into mud.

One of the only buildings in the park, I want to come back here when there's an event or at least in the cooler weather.

Bellport Docks

Decided to head to Bellport to take photos for a contest. The contest called for two photos, in Bellport, that show a summer theme. Well I'm not really sure what that means, but here are the two I'm submitting anyway:

I realized that really every other shot I took either was focused on the Sun effects, or the subject was either too far away or blurry (See below with the Sail boat pictures)

This one I'm most proud of. I got the Gazebo in there, but it doesn't steal the show. I've got a focus all over- I have the choppy water in the lower section, the silhoutted tree line along with the glare from the sun in the center, and the clouds getting hit by the sunlight in the upper area in the sky.

These are all of the other pictures I took today. I tried to rush back to Belmont Lake again to get the golden sky picture again, but I didn't make it in time. I did get some horizon shots and the same Swan family of 6 children were there again too.

I think I did this all wrong, not enough detail in the center.

Everything came out blurry. Sucks, because I liked the sun rays in this one.

I just didn't like this one AS MUCH as the other one.

No explanation necessary.

I tried to get the branches in this one.

The Swan Family

This is what the main character of "The Ugly Duckling" looked like.

My camera's shutter slowed for this one, but I did get the duck grooming itself!

Two regular ducks

Spider made a web inside the NO SWIMMING sign.

Sailboat in Bellport

Not sure what's wrong with me. I really have no excuse for the bad angle, unless you want to believe "I don't believe in the wind pushing boats, so I made it look like the water was tilted so the boat kinda falls down the incline."

And if you believe that, then this one is really booking it down that incline!

Gazebo at the Bellport Docks

I liked the reflection it made on the water

See? The sailboat is too far away...

I got a more focused shot, but there's not much activity in the picture otherwise.

The Babylon Area

When I go out and take pictures, you won't see me with a large camera big, multiple pieces of equipment, or anything that isn't easily replaceable. For example, the camera I use when I'm not using my iPhone 4 (No Siri!) looks like this:

 

It doesn't have a zoom feature where a lens pops out; The lens isn't detachable or modifiable; Heck let's face it the most advanced thing on the camera is the wrist strap. The back of the camera? No better:

  
 

As you can see, there isn't a heck of lot to work with. As an FYI- that's not even a touch screen. But basically this is what I use. When you turn the camera on, the lens in front shows you what it sees on the screen, and when click whatever you want to call the shutter on this thing, what it basically does for you is makes a freeze frame. IF you have a flash turned on, it does that first, obviously.

Now that that is out of the way, here are more pictures. These were taken at the Babylon Docks, during a minor fishing trip. I was fishing, so I didn't get many opportunities, plus the sun really wasn't too kind as far as shining goes...

The sun was coming out, and I wanted to get some of the boats too.

I just thought that looked so cool!

So cool, I took another shot without the horizon.

Originally, I wanted just the Robert Moses Causeway, instead decided to get the bulk of the Dock in there.

And of course the Robert Moses Causeway, as originally intended.

Beginning Collaboration - Summer 2013

These are some of my favorite shots. They're from all over, mostly Summer 2013, but a few from last year and the year before stick around.




Flowers at Southards Pond



      Sunset at Anchorage Marina     



     Setting sun at Bayshore Mall

Bridge at Belmont Lake         

        Bird at the Atlantis Marineworld Aquarium

After Sunset at Belmont Lake         

        Clouds over the Great South Bay

Flowers at the Planting Fields Arboretum         

 Underwater Life at Atlantis Marineworld Aquarium

Far end of Belmont Lake after Sunset        

   Underwater Life at Atlantis Marineworld Aquarium

Flowers at the Planting Fields Arboretum        

           The Robert Moses Causeway

Belmont Lake at Dusk by the Waterfall         

                 Belmont Lake after Sunset

St. Patrick's Cathedral in Rockville Centre       

      A barnhouse off the Taconic Parkway

Belmont Lake taken in Sepia setting            

              Belmont Lake through the trees

Crab Meadow Beach/ Northport              

         Throggs Neck Bridge

Pond at Atlantis Marineworld Aquarium           

       River at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Sunset at Anchorage Marina                  

           Flowers at the Planting Fields Arboretum

Sunset at Belmont Lake                       

 



Butterfly at the Planting Fields Arboretum



Swan at Southards Pond