This morning I took my camera club to the Waterbird Regional Preserve in Martinez at the crack of dawn. There’s a refinery right across the way from the preserve, and I’ve always thought it was such an interesting juxtaposition of nature and man.
I didn’t get anything spectacular but it was a fun outing!
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April 18, 2015 at 3:03 pm
Reblogged this on rennydiokno.com.
April 19, 2015 at 4:58 pm
Thank you for the re-blog!
April 18, 2015 at 3:22 pm
Great use of reflections, bokeh and the natural light hitting the industrial structures.
April 19, 2015 at 7:01 am
Thank you so much Laura. 🙂
April 18, 2015 at 3:25 pm
I think they are all spectacular, especially the first one. Love them.
April 19, 2015 at 7:01 am
Why thank you! I think the first one is the one I liked best as well. 🙂
April 18, 2015 at 4:02 pm
You had some fabulous light and reflections Laura! Lovely images as always!
Tamara
April 19, 2015 at 7:02 am
Thank you so much Tamara! It was really fun going out with some people at that time.
April 19, 2015 at 8:55 am
You’re welcome!
April 18, 2015 at 4:04 pm
The first one is my fav, they are all top notch shots!!
April 19, 2015 at 7:04 am
Thank you very much Jim. I really appreciate your comments. 🙂
April 18, 2015 at 4:18 pm
OMG Laura…these are fantastic captures. I know you do, but I love your camera too, lol. Bravo!
April 19, 2015 at 7:04 am
Thank you Dan! And yes hehe I do love my camera. 😛
April 18, 2015 at 4:27 pm
all the right angles
& colors of Martinez!
even the gas tanks
look marvelous 🙂
April 19, 2015 at 7:05 am
Thank you! Not many people even realize how beautiful this little marsh is. I’m glad you liked the gas tanks! 🙂
April 18, 2015 at 4:39 pm
I think it’s pretty spectacular just getting up at the crack of dawn! 🙂 Your photos are amazing too! Love them all.
April 19, 2015 at 7:06 am
Oh I do too lol. Trust me, I always have good intentions but I never actually get up early so I’m pretty proud of myself. lol Thank you!
April 18, 2015 at 4:46 pm
Wrapped up, all in a ball. Wonderful pictures.
April 19, 2015 at 7:06 am
Thank you so much Tommy! It was kind of fun to put a gallery together for a change.
April 18, 2015 at 7:11 pm
beautiful pictures…:-)
April 19, 2015 at 7:06 am
Thank you. 🙂
April 18, 2015 at 7:29 pm
You didn’t get anything spectacular? Sorry but I disagree! These shots are amazing!!
April 19, 2015 at 7:07 am
Aw thank you for disagreeing with me. I really appreciate your disagreement! LOL! 🙂
April 19, 2015 at 10:21 am
Anytime! 🙂
April 18, 2015 at 8:04 pm
Great outing, definately worth getting up for.
April 19, 2015 at 7:07 am
Thank you. I really enjoyed the quiet at that time of day. But I had to order some gloves. Sheesh my hands were frozen!!
April 18, 2015 at 8:31 pm
All of these photos are absolutely breathtaking.
April 19, 2015 at 7:07 am
Thank you so very much. 🙂
April 18, 2015 at 9:36 pm
Spectacular! Yes!
April 19, 2015 at 7:09 am
Thank you Tiny!
April 18, 2015 at 10:37 pm
Oooh lovely captures
April 19, 2015 at 7:09 am
Thank you Rob. 🙂 Betcha liked the pelicans eh? 😉
April 18, 2015 at 11:27 pm
Quite a few residents have cancer from the hydrocarbons around there .
April 19, 2015 at 7:10 am
UGH 😦 Yeah I’m not surprised. I can hardly stand to be around propane let alone that.
April 19, 2015 at 7:14 am
I wrote that post a while back about the guy who I fixed his internet and he had some rare form of cancer and his brother was “brain challenged” they lived there their whole lives….
April 19, 2015 at 7:17 am
I believe those things happen. Some people are genetically set up to be more sensitive than others to different things. I have an ACUTE sense of smell and cannot even sit 30 seconds around propane, detest perfume, cleansers, smoke, ash, etc. The list goes on. What really drives me nuts are people who don’t believe this can happen and slough it off.
April 19, 2015 at 7:20 am
Hydrocarbons and propane are bad news….
April 19, 2015 at 7:28 am
Agreed
April 18, 2015 at 11:32 pm
Great palettes
April 19, 2015 at 7:10 am
Thank you so much Derrick. I like how you put that. I did try to keep them similar and related.
April 18, 2015 at 11:32 pm
Prachtige foto’s Laura.
April 19, 2015 at 7:11 am
Thank you Leo! 🙂
April 19, 2015 at 1:34 am
very beautiful Laura,really beautiful!
April 19, 2015 at 7:12 am
Thank you Stefano. Makes me happy. 🙂
April 19, 2015 at 1:51 am
Laura .. lovely my friend!
April 19, 2015 at 7:12 am
Why Julie, thank you so much!
April 19, 2015 at 2:31 am
Beautiful light !
April 19, 2015 at 7:12 am
Thank you!
April 19, 2015 at 3:58 am
Yes, quite the interesting contrast…nature amidst man – certainly we all have to remember that each expedition does not necessarily yield us photographic gold, but that’s OK – it is enough to get out, practice and bring back some beautiful images to remember the day with.
April 19, 2015 at 7:13 am
I enjoyed trying to find shots there. My lens isn’t quite long enough to take decent bird shots (the pelicans were cropped significantly), so I challenged myself to come up with these. You’re right…practice is just fine and I loved being with other photographers most of all. Thanks Robert.
April 19, 2015 at 7:26 am
Where have you been hiding, Laura. It has been a while since I have heard from you. Nice galley here.
April 19, 2015 at 7:28 am
Thanks Ron. I’ve been trying not to be so obsessive with the blog and all the other social media I do. It gets overwhelming at times. But I have been taking pictures! 🙂
April 19, 2015 at 7:42 am
You certainly have been practicing the art. The first two months of this year I saw a steep drop in viewers despite posting lots of new travel photography. Most of the decline was from other bloggers here at WP. Things picked up about 6 weeks ago, but I really don’t know where they are coming from. I have resumed posting at flickr and I get a lot of viewers. I do 2 or 3 images per day there.
April 19, 2015 at 8:00 am
Thank you. I actually was so obsessed with the numbers in all my social media platforms and then I wondered WHY? What do I really gain from it? Nothing. It’s very obsessive to me so now I’m just not going to focus on the numbers. WP and the Nikon FB group is where I focus most of my time. I like it here but even still..sometimes it can be overwhelming with the amount of blogs I follow. Thanks Ron.
April 19, 2015 at 7:43 am
Very nice photos of the nature Laura 😀
April 19, 2015 at 8:00 am
Thank you! It was a beautiful quiet morning there. 🙂
April 19, 2015 at 7:56 am
Gorgeous!
April 19, 2015 at 8:00 am
Thank you!
April 19, 2015 at 9:15 am
Love the tones in these Laura
April 19, 2015 at 11:20 am
Thank you David. I’m glad you like them!
April 19, 2015 at 10:25 am
Beautiful light and color in these, Laura! I like the first one and the blackbird in front of the refinery best!
April 19, 2015 at 11:21 am
Yay! I’m glad you liked the blackbird as well. I thought it showed the juxtaposition of that refinery and nature. Thank you!
April 19, 2015 at 11:46 am
gorgeous light and colour!! pond 1 and 5 and the bokeh are magical!! But even the industrial shot is poetic!!
April 19, 2015 at 1:36 pm
Thank you so much Hannah :-). I’ll take magical any day of the week!
April 20, 2015 at 11:01 pm
me too!
April 19, 2015 at 9:10 pm
Love them all! I keep looking and re-looking.
April 20, 2015 at 8:36 am
Thank you so much Jeremy! I appreciate your relooks. 🙂
April 20, 2015 at 1:01 pm
So if they are not “spectacular” for you say so, how about ‘impressive”? The red wing backbird, the pelicans, those little yellow flowers with the sun lighting the clouds? I’d say you are getting pretty darned close to spectacular, perhaps nudging it just a bit, Laura (yes, I even checked definition). 🙂
April 20, 2015 at 3:58 pm
You are so sweet Robert, thank you! I’m really glad you liked them. 😀
April 20, 2015 at 1:41 pm
Gonna have to take you to task on this one Laura, the images are good. I think I know what you are trying to say, but the images really work for me, particularly the last one and pond2. Sometimes if they look too dramatic they just don’t seem real, but here you have turned the ordinary into something that little bit more and create the interest in a much longer lasting way. I like them anyway…and I hope you understand what I am trying to put into words, MM 🍀
April 20, 2015 at 3:59 pm
I think I get what you’re saying and I really appreciate it! Mostly because i do try to present a different take on my photos without getting too squirrely. You put it perfectly and I thank you so much!
April 21, 2015 at 12:10 am
To make others see the ordinary in a new light is a wonderful art in itself 😎
April 21, 2015 at 11:44 am
I love that MM. It is so true. Even for myself!
April 20, 2015 at 7:07 pm
OH, come on now, Laura. You say you didn’t get anything spectacular and then you post these jaw dropping images. Your very first one blew me away right out of the water. Are you serious when you say you didn’t get anything special? The unique way you grouped these photos together, each so diffferent from the other. NICE! I know, this is just your way of getting attention. A-huh …. Yep, say oh this aint nothing and wham you hit us with drop dead gorgeous images. The ones of the factory I Love the way you processed them. Very cool, Ms. Laura, indeed. With that, I am hitting the hay. You are one of the lucky ones who I came to visit seeing you are my Lil Mac friend. LOL Love, Amy … with cracked dry hands, blisters, sore shoulders and knees, and buggy eyed with fatigue …. ❤
April 20, 2015 at 8:22 pm
Your comments ALWAYS make me smile. Seriously I am cracking up! I honestly didn’t think much of the images but maybe they’re not so bad after all. :-). I hope you feel better tomorrow! I know that ultra heavy lens of yours is work! Hehehe. Omg btw,,,one of my camera club members has a 300mm 2.8 lens. I thought it was a joke when he pulled that sucker out. It’s a HUGE lens. No thanks. I’ll stick to my regular 300mm zoom. Sheesh! Oh…and I’ll stick with my 105 macro. Whoops. Did I say that????? lol. Feel better Amy! Nite 🙂
April 21, 2015 at 4:46 am
300mm? *eyes bug out* For real? I suppose if I were rich I would just out of sheer curiosity buy one of each lenses that appeals to me. And of course I would have so much TIME in order to PLAY because I would be able to PAY others to do all that I do. And you. Mentioning that 100mm + 5mm lens. Sure, rub the salt in the wound. A-huh.
OK. I really must give credit where credit is due because I honestly saw genius in your images. The dichotomy is just this. What you and I THINK others will really oooh and ahhhh over, seems to fall flat. Then those images that you and I THINK aren’t all that great, folks go nuts over. Go figure. Hhehehehehe
It’s raining here today SOOOOOO I must dash out today to bring in some food into the house and attempt to catch up on some cleaning. I have to let the blogging go a bit for now. These gardens are taking everything I have and then some!!! Much Love, even though you are a um brat. LOL Love, Amy ❤
April 21, 2015 at 11:44 am
It is so true! The images I think people will like, they are kind of meh and the ones I think aren’t so great people like. Go figure! I’ve been letting blogging slide too a bit. I’m trying to find a better balance in my life. Sometimes this occupies way too much time y’know? I might take some macros in a bit! You’ve inspired me!
April 21, 2015 at 3:37 pm
Laura, it feels so good not to be blogging right now. I’ve worked so hard getting Petals “known” and improving myself in every way, helping others here as well, and to just not do what I have nonstop for 2 years, yep, feels wonderful. I too am finding Balance in my Life. I shall succeed. (((HUGS))) Amy ❤
April 21, 2015 at 4:28 pm
Boy do I relate! hugs!
April 20, 2015 at 8:24 pm
And THANK YOU!
April 21, 2015 at 8:14 am
Laura,
I liked this series of photos a lot!
I shoot a lot of wildlife shots in the urban areas of Baltimore County, Maryland, but I have been doing most of it with a 300mm lens and just focusing on the animals.
Maybe it is time for me to back off on the tight shots for a while?
You’ve given me some ideas about how to show how animals live among our factories and cities.
I think I’m going to try capturing the, “juxtaposition of nature and man” on my blog creativenonfiction315.wordpress.com very soon.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Chris
April 21, 2015 at 8:16 am
That’s awesome Chris! Thank you SO much. Comments like this make my day! Ping me when you make one of those posts ok? Sometimes I miss things in the reader. Shocking I know lol.
April 26, 2015 at 9:05 pm
Hi Laura,
I just finished posting a series of photos on Baltimore County Wildlife that were inspired by your work here, I even gave you a little plug.
Although I didn’t capture anything as stunning as your refinery shots, I do feel like I told a decent story.
Hope you like them.
https://baltimorecountywildlife.wordpress.com/2015/04/26/north-point/
Regards,
Chris
April 27, 2015 at 6:45 am
Oh I just saw this post lol. I did see them and I commented on them just now. Thank you SO much for being inspired. I loved seeing your area and the birds that live there. Wonderful!!
April 21, 2015 at 9:41 am
How gorgeous….You’ve captured this place beautifully!
April 21, 2015 at 11:42 am
Thank you Sharon! Hmm…I haven’t seen you in my reader….going over to your site now.
April 21, 2015 at 10:58 am
I love the lighting in the first one. And the pelicans are one of my favorites – although I’ve never seen one’s with bills quite like that! Beautiful as always, Laura.
April 21, 2015 at 11:41 am
Thank you Kirsten! I’ve never seen those either. I just googled it. They are American White Pelicans and those bumps are horns. Here’s what wiki says: “The bill is huge and flat on the top, with a large throat sac below, and, in the breeding season, is vivid orange in color as is the iris, the bare skin around the eye, and the feet. In the breeding season, there is a laterally flattened “horn” on the upper bill, located about one-third the bill’s length behind the tip. This is the only one of the eight species of pelican to have a bill “horn”. The horn is shed after the birds have mated and laid their eggs. Outside the breeding season the bare parts become duller in color, with the naked facial skin yellow and the bill, pouch, and feet an orangy-flesh color.”
April 21, 2015 at 5:16 pm
How cool is that?!? Isn’t it amazing how unique things like that happen in nature! I didn’t even know there were so many different species of pelican. I’m obviously sorely lacking in my pelican knowledge 🙂 thanks so much for looking that up and giving me the information. I find stuff like that fascinating. Can’t wait to show my dad your picture and give him the info.
April 21, 2015 at 5:49 pm
I was surprised at that ‘horn’ too! Odd I’ve never seen it until I took this photo and I’ve seen a fair amount of pelicans. I’m glad you were interested in it. I love things like this too! 🙂
April 21, 2015 at 6:19 pm
Thanks to your wonderful photo we both learned something new about Pelicans :). Thanks for sharing you photos with all of us.
April 21, 2015 at 7:44 pm
You’re welcome!
April 21, 2015 at 11:04 pm
I like the photos! This could be an environmental poster! lol 😉
April 22, 2015 at 7:23 am
Thank you! Sure could … or a sci-fi movie!
April 22, 2015 at 10:02 am
Like previous comments I have to disagree about the ‘didn’t get anything spectacular’ comment too! The sunlight reflecting off the refinery is beautiful (which is probably a sentence not used very often!)
April 22, 2015 at 10:29 am
Thank you so much dfgumby. I’m smiling at what you said about the sunlight reflecting. 🙂 You’re right…betcha that isn’t used too often. lol
April 22, 2015 at 2:00 pm
Great photo! Loved your work so far
April 22, 2015 at 2:14 pm
Thank you! Glad you like my photos. 🙂
April 22, 2015 at 2:15 pm
Could you check out my blog and tell me what you think?
April 22, 2015 at 3:37 pm
This is just sublime Laura 🙂 Peace and tranquility even with the industrial backdrop!
April 23, 2015 at 2:19 am
Reblogged this on susamaimily and commented:
beautiful!
Pingback: North Point | baltimore county wildlife
April 27, 2015 at 6:44 am
I’m glad you found inspiration to take these shots. Awesome!!
April 27, 2015 at 11:00 pm
Very beautiful! … Magical…
Wish man would take better care of our beautiful Nature… You really show us much more than Beauitiful Pictures here…
April 28, 2015 at 6:33 am
I really love what you said here, thank you. 🙂