The Flickr Poemsused Image Generatr

Trees Have Many Arms
Birds perch on them
Singing a beautiful melody
Once in a while a breeze will come by
And the leaves move with a fanciful shimmer
As if clapping in approval
People walk by, never even hearing
Or stopping to see the concert above
They are seemingly left out
But occasionally a passerby will stop
Hearing and looking with eyes wide open
And passing on that smile of appreciation

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one afternoon in Everglades National Park while walking along the Mahogany Hammock Trail. The setting is looking to the northeast and up into some nearby trees to a barred owl. I used different positions to compose images of the owl perched, whether looking away or down in my direction. This is a favorite of the ones looking down at me.

I’d walked this same trail the day prior as a couple had mentioned seeing an owl, but a friend and I didn’t see it then. I came out the next day, specifically to find it and was not disappointed! I saw a group of people in an almost quiet reverence as they watched the owl; it watching them back. For this image, I used NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR that I’d purchased specifically for wildlife photography on my national park trips. The quality of the lens with my Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera was quite impressive!

On a side note, this was the first time I’d seen an owl in person :-)

We Never Know When It’s Over
There’s not a time
And not a place
Only those who live know that we’re gone
So try to make a point to not miss anything
Whether it’s the moon shining in the evening twilight
Venus rising in the morning skies
Mountain vista that stretches for miles
Swimming with a dolphin
Or even a kiss
We’re never coming back
But I’m here now and loving it!

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one morning while enjoying a boat ride on the Manatee, Dolphin and 10,000 Islands Beach Eco-Tour. This is located in the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge (based on a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service map) with a view looking to the northeast and port side of the boat I was on. A pod of dolphins was playfully jumping up in the air in the boat wake. I was able to capture a few different images of them above the water and definitely took advantage of the subject detection on my Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera to lock in a focus.

Do You Approach Nature as a Mere Observer
Seeking to capture its sights and sounds
Or do you yearn for a deeper connection,
Perhaps to find a sense of belonging?
Maybe there lies an alternative path
A connection with things wild
To lose yourself and let nature connect and resonate with the soul.

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one morning while walking around the summit area of Cinder Cone along the namesake trail. This is located in Lassen Volcanic National Park with a view looking to the southwest and to Lassen Peak (which I had hiked the day prior). My thought in composing this image was to angle my Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera slightly downward and capture a sweeping view from the elevated high ground where I was situated. My intention was to convey a vista across the expansive open area in front of me, with Lassen Peak situated slightly above the image center in the distance. While I did work to minimize what I felt was the perceived negative space of the blue skies above, I found the resulting color contrast to be complementary to the earth-tones in the lower portion of the image.

I’ve Long Dreamed of Visiting You
An old army fort on the Florida Keys in the Gulf of Mexico
Turquoise and blue waters with blue sky of sunshine above
A boat ride to get there, while exploring for hours
You have a history going back beyond the American Civil War
And now you are a sanctuary for birds and other aquatic life
I had fun in the sun and water
You were 50 for me of the 63
With fond memories of images to reflect on for many years
Oh, Dry Tortugas you are a special national park, indeed!

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one morning in Dry Tortugas National Park while on Yankee Freedom Ferry Ride to Fort Jefferson. This was located in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico with a view looking to the northeast. One can see the South Coaling Dock Ruins and South Swim Beach in addition to the fort structure itself (I cloned out any people present). As the ferry I was on was in a no wake zone, I had time to lineup and compose this image.

I chose to angle my Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera slightly downward and capture more of a sweeping view looking across the blue and turquoise waters to my front, while still including some of the blue skies above to complement the setting. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 8 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.

Much Like a Work on a Photo
Or renovations on a lighthouse
What is required in America is never done
Yes, there is the ideal
It is magical, a shining light
A draw to those in foreign lands
As well as those living here
Always striving for something better
The flag flies above
Unfurled with a passing wind
Drawing our heads to look up
Smiling at the stars and stripes
While taking in a beautifully sunny day
I will remember my service
And no, the work is never done
But for today
I will enjoy Biscayne National Park
With the American flag flying high above!

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured day while spending a few hours on a boat ride tour of Biscayne National Park. The image was captured at Boca Chita Key with a view looking to the northwest to the lighthouse with the US Flag out front near a pavilion. I chose to angle my Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera slightly upward, as I wanted to capture more of the blue skies and clouds as a backdrop with the American flag and light house. I liked how there was enough foreground interest too with the nearby grassy area and blue waters of Biscayne Bay.

The original image composed included construction equipment around the lighthouse that was undergoing renovation. I used Photoshop to remove that equipment. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation in DxO PhotoLab 8. I then exported a TIFF image to Nik Color Efex Pro 7 where I added a Polarization, Foliage, and Pro Contrast filter for that last effect on the image captured.

In the Hours Since I Had Gone to Sleep
The air had noticeably cooled
A misty blanket had draped the landscape in a magical fog.
This was a time just before the sun had risen
As I looked to see the warm colors across a distant horizon
There were no birds singing
No sounds in the air
Me
My camera
A long loneliness

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured early one morning along a roadside pull off in Everglades National Park. The view is looking to the southeast across the sawgrass prairie or marsh. A friend and I were driving from the Flamingo area to Shark Valley and had an early morning drive to make. It just so happened that we caught this part of Everglades before the sun had risen and a fog had set in from the colder temperatures that had come to southern Florida the past night. I attempted to meter the image to not blow any highlights while still being able to pull the more shadowed areas later on in post-production. I wasn't able to really get the focus I wanted because of the darkness present but this was the best of the set I’d captured then. I later found myself liking this image even more because the softness of the image, as you look further into the setting, had an almost painting like quality.

As for the poetry and words written, I had time to mull over different words as I was making the drive and played with different scenarios of words with the sunset, temperature, fog, and quiet stillness present that morning.

In the Morning Light
Begins a new day
Golden light dances across
As the wild grasses sway
Majestic peaks and mountains all stand guard
All under the watchful gaze of a blue sky day.

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one morning as I was walking around and exploring the area around the Lake Shastina area near Edgewood, California. With this image, I got behind some tall wild grasses and captured an image with a look beyond to more distant mountains. I decided to close down on the aperture as I wanted to have at least some of the backdrop partially in focus. But the grasses were the primary focus, and I was drawn to them because of the sunlight on them and the golden colors it brought out.

A tranquil evening
Snow Is Falling
A delight descends upon us
A new day will start
With a blanket of freshly fallen snowflakes
Awaiting all eyes is a picturesque day
Hands with mittens and heads with beanies
The glee in the laugh
A celebrations of approval
Don’t drive if you can avoid it
Just enjoy the once is a few years
Time for snow in Austin, Texas!

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one very early morning as snow began falling in Austin, Texas. My thoughts focused on the feeling and experience of watching snowfall and what I imagined the next day to be. This image is looking to the north-northeast from the balcony view I have here in the downtown area.

One technique I used in capturing this image was to use a flash to freeze the action of snow falling from the skies. A friend had told me about this many years ago, and I finally remembered to try it out with my new Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 8 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.

Looking with One Lens and Then Through Another
Yet I have only one pair of eyes
I hold a camera in each hand
But it’s the beyond that has the wonder
I came to this place only while out on a walk
And found much more than I expected
I should continue going through life with that view
And find the heaven on earth each day I live

Another work of short poetry or prose that serves as a companion to the image captured one morning while walking the streets of Mount Shasta, California. The view is to the northeast and uses both sides of the open street as leading lines into the composition. Mount Shasta stands tall as the backdrop, seemingly rising into the heavens above. The camera in my left hand is a Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera with the LCD LiveView screen turned on with Mount Shasta. I captured this image with my iPhone.

Each Morning Is a Resurrection of a New Day
Past mistakes can be put away,
At least in the mind
One needs to move on,
Discovering what wildness awaits
There are no second lives,
Today is that special day
If there's a sense of hurry,
Be patient and look around
Say hi to a tree or bird or flower
And watch the pink skies of a new day

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one morning around the Lake Shastina area in Edgewood, California. The setting is with a picturesque view to the southeast across a lush, grassy meadow. The sun casts a radiant glow over the majestic ridges and peaks of Mount Shasta. my thought in composing this image was to have a leveled-on view with the horizon. I wanted the blue skies above to be that color contrast to the earth-tones in the lower portion of the image. In order to bring out more of a starburst look to the sun, I closed down on the aperture and then spent a minute or so attempting to get a good shutter speed with the brighter portions in the upper portion of the image while still being able to pull out the more shadowed areas later on in post-production without a color cast present.

I have passed along the water's edge below the humid trees
The caption used is from a poem by W.B. Yeats, The Collected Poems
A setting looking to the east-southeast while taking in views on the Townsend/Sunshine Covered Bridge with the Little River flowing by. My thought in composing this image had been to capture a more or less balanced view between both sides of the riverbank with the river flowing by. I angled my Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera slightly downward, so that I could raise the horizon and minimize what I felt was the negative space of the mostly overcast skies that afternoon. I later worked with DxO PhotoLab 7 and was able to use the ClearView Plus tool to bring out some blue skies present for the final image.

In the Realm of Wonders
We live in quite the palace on this world
So many amazing wonders
A countryside of trees and forests
Majestic mountains and wide open valleys
Vast oceans and arid deserts
An expansive meadows stretch,
adorned with an abundance of grass and animals of all sizes
A tapestry of diverse landscapes that seemingly never end
I've only stepped my toe out in exploration
But oh, I get to live in heaven on this earthly paradise
Each breath is so precious and cherished
And every sight is only amazing

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one afternoon hiking along the Heart Lake Trail From Castle Lake in Shasta–Trinity National Forest. The setting is looking to the northeast with Castle Lake below me and Mount Shasta off in the distance. What I had wanted to capture while composing this image was to take advantage of the overlook and high ground I was located and capture a sweeping view looking down the valley and then over to Mount Shasta. In angling my Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera slightly downward, I knew that I would bring the horizon higher into the image. I felt that would help bring out more of a sense of grandeur with this national forest and northern California setting. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 8 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.

The story behind this image is that I’d come across this location and hike while planning the trip I took to Lassen Volcanic National Park and the Mount Shasta area (trailheadtraveler.com/shasta-trinity-national-forest/). This overlook was a set of images that I also came across on Flickr (search under Castle Lake and Mt. Shasta). The view is amazing, to say the least!

Whether the body is cold and shivering with a passing wind,
Or amongst the saguaro cactus as a sun seemingly melts an arid land,
Breathing so hard those deep gasps of oxygen on a high summit,
Enduring the rain pounding on one’s clothes during a storm coming in,
Entering a land where a creature could easily harm the other,
The nice things of life can and do provide comfort
But the mind, and so often body, needs those teeth chattering experiences
For where there is danger, one can often find wisdom, beauty, and a calm
Today I see ravens dancing on the winds off a mountainside
Mountains far off with a grandeur even harder to describe
I was out of breath, but my feet keep moving
Always moving; never stopping in the witness of living.

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one late morning while walking around the summit of Lassen Peak. This is in Lassen Volcanic National Park with a view looking to the north-northwest to (an unkindness of) ravens flying around with Mount Shasta as a distant backdrop. I didn’t have a lot of time for composition as the ravens moved about around the peak. With this image, I had closed down on the aperture, so that I could have more of the image in focus. The rest was the layers present from the nearby volcanic past, to the ravens in flight, and finally Mount Shasta with blue skies sunshine all around.

Years Ago I Encountered an Image of You on the Internet
I knew I wanted to visit, hiking and exploring your wonder
The wind carried the scent of volcanic remnants as I ventured into your wonderland
A sky devoid of any clouds, stretching endlessly above
A distant mountain peak, once with fiery volcanic eruptions
To me, it is a land of undiscovered enchantment
Curiosity and reverence fill me as I step forward
On a path that leads ahead

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one morning in Lassen Volcanic National Park. This is while hiking along the Cinder Cone Trail with the namesake feature to my front and looking to the south-southwest. I’d come across a similar image several years prior from a blog post (www.sfgate.com/california-parks/article/Don-t-make-the-sa...) describing different things to hike and explore in this national park. This setting is one that I had promised myself that I would attempt to capture when I came across it. The view is looking to one of the paths leading to the summit area. I chose though to take the path that goes behind and follows a different direction with the return coming down the trail to the front on the image right.

The rest of the image was attempting to align myself with the peak and some of the evergreen pine trees as foreground interest. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 8 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.

So Much to Remember
Remember to bring water and perhaps some food
Remember to bring a map and compass
Remember to wear comfortable shoes
Remember to wear layered clothes and a hat
Remember to bring a camera to capture the
many moments of life you come across
But off all else to remember
Is to bring an attitude of thanks and wonder
A heart that loves to explore!

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one morning after reaching the summit at Lassen Peak on a hike in Lassen Volcanic National Park. I had spent some time exploring this area and wanted one last view to savor before heading down the mountainside for the hike back. With this image, I pulled back on the focal length to capture a wide-angle view. I also closed down on the aperture, so that I could bring more of this setting into focus from the nearby volcanic past on this mountain peak to the more distant ones, including Mount Shasta. I chose to angle my Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera slightly downward to bring the horizon higher into the image; I felt that might bring out more of a sense of grandeur with this northern California setting.

Between a Sunrise and Sunset
There is so much to explore in a life
For some it’s a day
While for others it seems a lifetime
One vowel difference
But the same feeling expressed
There is so much to love
And so much to live

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one afternoon in Lassen Volcanic National Park while walking along the shores of Manzanita Lake. The view is looking to the south-southeast across the lake waters with the reflections of the nearby trees and forest as well as Lassen Peak off in the distance. My thought on composing this image was to both closed down on the aperture so that I could bring more of the entire setting to focus as well as angling my Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera slightly downward to raise the horizon a little higher into the image. I felt the latter would create more of a sweeping view looking across this national park landscape and also bring the mountain higher into the image, helping to create more of a sense of grandeur.

I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation in DxO PhotoLab 8. I then exported a TIFF image to Nik Color Efex Pro 7 where I added a Polarization, Foliage, and Pro Contrast filter for that last effect on the image captured.

Don’t Focus on This Year Being the Year
But rather that today is today
A special day and never repeated
You don't need to wait on another
Go alone if you must
But go
And experience!

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one morning at an overlook to the Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park. This was while on the 700 Years Tour; I would later have a chance to walk during a park ranger tour of these famous Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling ruins but here I was enjoying the view from afar. My thought on composing this image was to pull back on the focal length to include the Colorado and national park landscape to add to the setting in the image. I also wanted to center the Cliff Palace in the image, as well as being nestled, as it was, in the cliff walls of the nearby canyon.

If you look closely, you will notice other travels and visitors at an overlook to that location, with many likely to depart and walk down to the ruins. This tour was something I’d been eagerly waiting for a little over three years since the start of the pandemic when I’d planned on a visit to this national park. Whether you go alone or with a friend, go! Go and experience these national park wonders, no doubt!

Birds Appear All Around
Singing, dancing, and fluttering about
It’s evening
The sun is getting ready to set
In my neighborhood on planet Earth
It’s been another beautiful day
As I reflect on my walks and explorations

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one early evening while staying at the Skyland Lodge in Shenandoah National Park. The view was looking generally to the west while I was sitting on a deck outside the cabin I was staying and taking in the sunset. I just happened to notice a robin on a nearby power line and decided to capture that look with the bird on the wire and the sunset present in the clouds of in the distance. I wanted to keep the image a little underexposed, so I could capture the vibrant colors in the skies beyond the trees while letting the shadowed areas remain more or less in silhouette.

The love I lived, the dream I knew
The caption used is from a poem by W.B. Yeats, The Collected Poems
While at a roadside pullout (wet bottom trailhead) along the main park road in the Cades Cove area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The setting is looking to the south down the tree-lined, loop road. This was another location using the road ahead as a leading line that I’d seen in a few other images on Flickr for this section in the national park. The things on my mind were squatting down low to capture that perspective, aligning myself with the road for a balanced view with the trees, and metering the image so that I could bring out some of the vibrant colors in the trees, even on an overcast morning.

No matter which direction you travel from where are were to here
Immerse yourself in the colors of the world around you
Smell the fragrances the wind blows about
Hear the symphony of birds and things that fly around
Take a step forward and know everyone greets you with a fine hello
And smile back that graciousness in gratitude for a life lived that moment

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one afternoon in the Cades Cove area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This was at a roadside pullout around the Whistling Branch Overlook to black bear that was eating here and there while crossing this grassy meadow. The setting is looking to the north-northeast with Cades Cove Mountain, Double Mountain, and Cerulean Knob as a distant mountain backdrop. In a few images that I captured at this location, I did zoom in with the focal length, but here I wanted to pull back and include some of the national parks surrounding landscape that I felt only added to the wonderment of nature here.

The rest was later making adjustments with control points in DxO PhotoLab 7 to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.