Monday, June 13, 2011

A welcome summer rain

It was a peaceful weekend here in Maryland. We had a good rain come through on Saturday night which was badly needed. And on Sunday morning, as I sat outside in my pajamas with my first cup of coffee, I could almost hear the earth sigh with relief. Soft gusts of wind rustled the leaves from time to time, sending little rain showers falling from great heights.

The birds were happy, too.

After filling my little pool (yes, I broke down and bought a small pool), and doing my chores, I set about to take some bird photos and sit in the sunshine.

 

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I caught this little nuthatch.

 

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And I’m very proud of this male red-bellied woodpecker that I captured. In fact, I’m going to order a standout print and add him to my collection.

 

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I liked the colors on this one. I’m also playing around with a different watermark.

 

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George treed a squirrel.

 

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What? Where?

 

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Up here. Waaaay at the top of the tree, the squirrel waits for the dog to leave.

 

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This is a weird photo. He looks like he’s all-business here, doesn’t he? It’s that serious jaw line, that’s what it is.

Question for you photographers out there: Has anyone ever used Zenfolio to sell your prints? If so, what plan do you have? Do you like it or can you recommend something else? Just wondering ~

Thanks to everyone for stopping by today.

123 Signature

40 comments:

Hilary said...

Love your photos today....and that one you want to add to your collection is perfection.

Margaret said...

what an adorable set of photos!
great blog!
loving the posts
stop by some time xx

Country Gal said...

Wonderful photos ! Same type of photos I have taken here at the Cove ! Birds, Birds, Birds and our Miggy !
I dont sell my photos,but I do make portfolios of them incase someone wants to see my photography ! sorry cant help ya there ! Have a good evening !

TexWisGirl said...

that is a great shot of the red-belly (literally).

Caroline said...

Gorgeous photos kate! yes, George looks all business here! LOL Never used Zenfolio...I'll be curious to come back and read comments!

Gone Country said...

They're all great pictures! I have a family of red-bellied woodpeckers and I've yet to see the red on their bellies. Yours shows up great and is proof that they DO have red on their bellies!

Never used Zenfolio... sorry!

Anonymous said...

Zenfolio? No, I've never heard of it, but I seem to get stuck in ruts and just always go to the same sites over and over again. I should spread my wings a bit I guess.

Great shots!

Di

Deb said...

nice photos...

spindrift,maine said...

Just lovely, Kate! Your woodpecker is im-peck-able. (Sorry I couldn't help myself.) ;o)

Mental P Mama said...

I'm too distracted by my puppy to answer any questions. I need to come terrorize him....

Low Tide High Style said...

Oh my, that woodpecker photo is just stunning! They never stand still so to have captured it so beautifully is a real feat! I have heard good things about Zenfolio, though I use Photoshelter instead.

Kat :)

A New England Life said...

Isn't Zenfolio associated with Mpix? I believe I already signed up with them but never used the account. As you probably know, Shutterfly lets you set up a webpage to sell photos also.

Lily was busy chasing the squirrels today. Darn rodents won't leave my peanut feeder alone! And I do love to watch the birds, not the squirrels.

To much rain here. I want summer back.

abb said...

That's a very serious George there!

Nellie from Beyond My Garden said...

I'm jealous of your watermark. I cannot do that with iphoto on my mac. I really need to buy photoshop.
You have every right to be proud of your Red-bellied woodpecker photo.
nellie

Jill of All Trades said...

Love the photos. I watched this weekend as our nesting bluebirds dive-bombing a pesky squirrel. Clayton loves to chase them too.

Hilary said...

Oh that woodpecker is outstanding.. nicely done, Kate.

BB said...

Love the one you are printing Kate - amazing colour and cropping. The texture on the one below is lovely too... I never know what to apply where - so my pics are just 'naked'. *sigh*
:-)
BB

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

Love the new watermark -

Skogkjerring said...

Beautiful photos Kate and you got those in the rain??? Geez, I think we have gotten your rain from Saturday now and I have been thinking no photos outside for awhile but I might just have to venture out now...hehehe...

trump said...

Ive just posted a fresh post from old order Mennonite Jean from New York State. So please feel free to stop by Amish Stories to read her story. Thanks folks. Richard

mrs mediocrity said...

Wow, great woodpecker shot, amazing. I have a feeling you are a very patient person. Don't mess with George when he has a squirrel up a tree. He means business!

forgetmenot said...

Very nice woodpecker shot. I love George--he looks like he is the "epitome" of patience and could wait all day for that squirrel to come down. Has he ever caught one? My dogs never have, but they never give up. Have a great day. Mickie

thotlady said...

Love the photos, especially George.

The JR said...

George kind of looks disgusted to me. Like - get your butt down here squirrel so I can chase you....

Kerri Farley said...

Ah Kate .... you must know that this post steals my heart. Birds and George - what more could a girl ask for? Superb captures!!

I have not used Zenfolio before. I h know some are using Smugmug, RedBubble, FineArt America. If I think of any others I'll let you know :)

Jen at Cabin Fever said...

I tried a trial of Zenfolio a little over a year ago and didn't really like the layout and customization it offered, but this morning I found an email saying they were partnering with MPix (which I LOVE and use for all my ETSY orders - didn't you tell me about them to begin with? Anyway..) I am debating whether to switch back and give Zenfolio another try.

Currently I use Smugmug and have for a little while. It seems to work okay, but I think the layout of the galleries and how to purchase photos is a little too confusing for my taste. I am not 100% happy with it.

If you switch to Zenfolio let me know what you think of it and its customization. I may follow your lead :)

Jen at Cabin Fever said...

Oh, and I should add that the $100 a year is a good price for a site like Zenfolio. I pay $150 for Smugmug, but I do have unlimited space to upload my full res photos for prints.

(GBS) NewsFromTheHill said...

Please tell George that his dazzling whiteness was the cause of Mr. Biggs getting a bath in the laundry sink yesterday. He wasn't a happy camper!

Love the woodprecker.... but also the quizzical expression of the little nuthatch? (wren?")

Grace

Carolynn Anctil said...

Looks like Husband has deputized George. I have a feeling he'll be pretty effective of keeping the little varmints out of Dodge.

Daryl said...

Never heard of them but then my pix arent as fabulous as yours so no one is beating down my door to buy prints..........

Mary Lou said...

What a gorgeous capture. It stands out no matter what!! I love the look George is giving you, like "that camera is going to scare off my squirrel!"
We had some rain too. So needed.

GailO said...

Wonderful bird photos Kate! I have a red bellied woodpecker nesting and pecking inside of a catalpa tree in my yard but have only managed to take a pic of his head sticking out of the hole so far...I need a longer lens!

George is as adorable as ever...

geetlee said...

I love George!
May I be friends with him on facebook? Only I don't know under what name to search :)

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

I am quite sure you don't want me answering any photo questions. Instead I will just say the bird shots are magnificent. George looks like he should be wearing a top hat smoking a cigar.

Lili said...

That woodpecker shot is perfection! And I also enjoyed the ones of George, both the profile shot and the serious jaw line shot, both of them are so much fun. xoxo ~Lili

Rain said...

Love those birds! and George too-very handsome-and his expressions are priceless!

Bluebird49 said...

The woodpecker really is a lot to be proud of! But then--I love nuthatches..house finches, and I think, every other bird, too! Squirrels...not so much, when they gnaw the cord off the feeders and they fall to the ground!BAH! I give up.

And George..did I just say he looked like he smiled all the time?
'Trying to prove me wrong, eh George?'

Mary said...

OMG, that woodpecker shot is fabulous! They are such beautiful birds.

Love the new watermark! And I have no advice on Zenfolio... sorry.
xoxo

thatgirlblogs said...

birds are hard to get - nice job! I love the dog/squirrel.

Anonymous said...

Just reading back through your entries here. Your woodpecker photo is gorgeous and I love your dog's 'resigned' expression. :)

Re Zenfolio: I had an account about 18 months ago and liked the way my photos looked on their site but found their pricing + margins structure a little tortuous for my non-maths brain. Then I ordered some sample prints to see what they'd be sending out. They were *dreadful*. As an example, a bright red tulip came out as a bleuch, pallid orange. I cancelled my a/c as soon as I could and moved to Red Bubble where pricing is dead simple in comparison and I know from ordering stuff myself that reproduction and quality are great. Hope this helps.