Photographing the Photographer

City Daily Photo's Theme Day is open and the topic is Photographing the Photographer. I selected one of my pictures from the eclipse on August 21. A photographer kindly offered a stranger a chance to look through his long lens and filter. 

I often take photos of other people taking pictures, especially on the overlooks of Skyline Drive. Of course, just about everyone takes pictures up there. The views are spectacular! Still, the pictures often look flatter than what you actually saw because there is haze between your vantage point and the valley below. I've found that including a person or two in the foreground adds depth and human interest.

Birds and Reminders

We have been fortunate in Virginia. We've had beautiful sunny skies and occasional just-in-time rain. Everything is green and pretty!

Some rain is expected this weekend as remnants of the hurricane float this way, but nothing serious. I've been watching in horror as the Houston area has suffered serious damage with flooding worse than anything in their recorded history.  Meanwhile people in several far-away countries are also dealing with terrible floods. I'm afraid this is just the beginning of these disasters.

I have donated to a couple of charities providing hurricane relief through Paypal.

Unrelated to all that, I want to remind my fellow Daily Photo bloggers that the September theme for CDP is Photographing the Photographer. I have a number of shots that fit that topic. I live in an area popular with tourists, and of course they take pictures like this man is doing with his cell phone.

A Family on Skyline Drive

Hope Field, Harrisonburg

Saturday at Harper's

We were in Harrisonburg and Frank suggested we stop at Harper's Lawn Ornaments. They always have fun stuff to see and he especially likes the fountains.

I was pleased to see a mural on the side of the Water Gardens building. (See other murals at Monday Murals.)

It looks like the frog needs a little touch-up. They should name him Hopper.

Harper's has a huge selection of concrete statuary. They cast these on the premises.

There was a sale going on and I wound up purchasing a little meditating dog.

Cry Me a River

What is this? It's a sculpture that was placed in a lighted water feature. I don't know who thought to do that but I took a picture of it, of course.

A Deer, A Toad, and Two Little Birds

In Shenandoah National Park.

A Toad in my Driveway.

According to Froglife, "Frogs have smooth, moist skin and long, stripy legs and are likely to be found in damp habitats in the garden. Toads have warty skin, golden eyes and prefer to crawl rather than hop; if threatened a toad can puff itself up to appear bigger. Toads can tolerate drier habitats than frogs and spend less time in water."

I think these are house finches.

It's Late Summer

We have been blessed with enough rain

To keep the green things green
And the blossoms brilliant.

It's late summertime
So soon, too soon!
How does time pass so fast?

There are things I haven't done,
Slow down, slow down!
Let me flower in the sun.

Sharing with My Town Shootout, Orange You Glad, Skywatch, and Floral Friday.

Civil War Weekend Near Cedar Creek

View of Massanutten Range

Last weekend was an annual event featuring Civil War history in the northern Shenandoah Valley. Unlike some localities like Manassas that canceled events for fear of trouble between Confederate sympathizers (or neo-nazis) and modern-day Unionists, Cedar Creek and Winchester went ahead with scheduled programs. I didn't hear of any problems.

I decided to attend a living history event on the Cedar Creek Battlefield. We parked at the Morning Attack Trails and walked to the encampment by the 8th Vermont Monument.  Yankee soldiers were there to greet us.

General Sheridan kindly told us about the weapons used by the Union Army. Technological advances were made during the war and his cavalry took advantage of them.

The life of a soldier was not an easy one, though. I'm sure they would have welcomed a pretty day like this one was.

My point-and-shoot camera has it's limits, and auto-exposure can be way off. I did not intend for the above to be a silhouette shot! (I keep thinking I should get a DSLR, although I like the light weight of my little camera.)

Fortunately there are ways to change an image using software. I experimented with some effects in Movavi and totally changed the look of the photo. The most dramatic change came about with a "gray acid" filter. I think black and white suits the subject. 

Some Things with Wings

Today in White Post, Virginia

1797 Livery, Stable, General Store

This fellow stands at the entrance of a driveway just outside of town. Why a dinosaur? Well, a little way down the road is a tourist attraction called Dinosaur Land.