Sunday, December 18, 2011

Morning, Evening and Night

One good thing about the shorter days of winter is that sunrises happen a bit later in the morning, at a reasonable hour for being up, out and about. A summer awakening at 5-something is not likely to happen but a 7:30 stroll, I can handle

sunrise bird
It was around this hour - perhaps a bit later when I snapped this photo. It was awfully kind of the bird to land atop the tree just in time to give me a lovely profile shot. Morning had broken and the day way looking fine.



sunrise in the park
A view of the sun rising behind the clouds, over the roof tops across the pond.



morning has broken2
You can hardly tell by that fire in the sky that it was a cold, late-autumn day.




evening tree2
I'm sure you have figured out that I love this old, dead tree. With each wind storm it changes, losing branches and redefining its shape. Here it is again, one evening with dramatic clouds approaching. You can just make out the pond water shining at the bottom right of its trunk.



moonlight
Evening falls and the moon rises. It was a hazy night and the effect made for a colourful orb in the night sky.



moonlight2
A different tree but the same old moon.



nightpath2
We've walked along these paths before, you and I - in daytime and night time. They just seem to hold a certain mystery in the near-dark.



night walk2
I've certainly shared these trees with you before - in summer and in autumn. Both photos appeared here. I will be taking photos of them again once the winter snow has kissed them but for now, please enjoy this nighttime encounter.



dock at night
Last but not least, this is a view of the pond's dock, taken from the opposite shore. I didn't think I'd get a clear enough image considering the shutter speed was slowish and the camera was hand-held. As the nighttime strollers walked into view, under the light of the lamppost, I decided to give it a try anyway. I was happy with how it turned out.

Thanks for joining me on my walks at all hours of the day and night.

63 comments:

Cloudia said...

Magical
spooky
wonderful

S H O T S !


Aloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral

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Terra said...

How kind of that bird to sit in just the ideal spot for your photo, and that last photo is dazzling.

ADRIAN said...

A beautiful set. The last I love.

Dave said...

Cloudia took my words to describe these shots Hilary. Wonderful - Dave

Vera said...

The first one is my favorite! That bird, and amazing colours...

Anonymous said...

Ah , what lovely skies. Light is a rarity for us at this time of year though!

That last shot is pure magic.

Ruby said...

Beautiful shots!!! I love the first - the bird crowning a winter tree :)

Sueann said...

Oh my! Such beautifully crafted photos Hilary! Each one so dynamic and elegant!
Hugs
SueAnn

Andy said...

I admire how you take a simple day and turn it into a classic photo story.

Brian Miller said...

nice...i too like the ones of that old tree, very cool find hilary...like your play on light in these...

Daryl said...

Lovely walk ...

Anvilcloud said...

You have some lovely photos here, but the last one is a real winner.

Elizabeth Grimes said...

Wow, a day in the life of trees! Magical as always.

Unknown said...

Lovely! Thanks for taking us along!

ToBlog today said...

Love, love,love, your photographs!

messymimi said...

So there is a good side to shorter days! Thanks for demonstrating this in such a lovely way.

Anonymous said...

It's 9AM here and still only 36 degrees. Just can't handle a cold morning walk. Your shots however look to be worth the cold outside.

TexWisGirl said...

i love your old tree. i have a few favorites around here as well. the night shots are beautiful, too!

Denise at Autumn Sky said...

I love photos of tree branches against the sky. These are so beautiful and varied. The photo down the lit path is just stunning.

Ruth Hiebert said...

WOW!!! Each of these is a masterpiece.,but I think that last one outshines them all. Oh,I do like the first one as well,with the bird posing so nicely. Have a fabulous day.

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

You've created some lovely moods here Hilary. Happy Holidays to you and yours. (P.S. Ogilvy still does its magical Christmas displays.)

Leah J. Utas said...

The pathway is a portal, isn't it?
Gorgeous pics. That old tree has magnificent character and you've captured it well.

Clare Dunn said...

So Beautiful, all of them!
But I like the People strolling by the pond best.

xoxoxo, cd

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

I think it is the mood you capture that makes the magic in your photos. I love these.

André Tavares said...

Hello!
Beautiful pictures of evening!
Congratulations!
A hug,
Andre Tavares

Kristina P. said...

So pretty! I love the different times of day.

ellen abbott said...

magical and lovely.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Beautiful. You can "see" the cold in the morning light. I rarely see the sunrise. Even if I am up. Not quite attune to the morning so I enjoy that someone else is.

CiCi said...

The bird on top of the tree is a really good shot. Your walks bring such joy to many of us wanna be photographers. I like that you decided to try out a shot and found you liked the photo. Your photography is not at all amateur. Photos in dark or near dark are what I am working on right now.

DJan said...

Well, as usual, I loved every single one of your pictures. You are so talented, and your eye is impeccable. And yes, it was so lovely of the bird to land on the tree right then! Thank you so much for making my day even better. :-)

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

That last shot, across the pond, is just wonderful. Amazing that you were able to get such a sharp image at slow shutter speeds and with a hand-held camera.

Bob Bushell said...

Every day there is a start and ending, you have made a lovely photos of that happening. They are fantastic.

Maggie May said...

Although the darker evenings are a nuisance, the darker mornings mean that we don't wake to early because of the light. Theres more time to cosy into the bed.
Your photos of your early walks are beautiful. That is still early, Hilary...... to go for a walk.
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Friko said...

I love the moon rising.

Red said...

Neat idea to do morning, evening and night. The snags are a very valuable part of the eco system. Nice to see that they are left and that you did a great job of photographing.

SandyCarlson said...

Just incredible. That first shot is ethereal and strong--a combination your images make possible! Wow.

Scott Law said...

Thanks for taking me along. Wonderful visit.

Reena said...

Beautiful pictures and especially love that walk along the trees. Always fun to walk with you Hilary! Hope your week goes great!

Indrani said...

Absolutely gorgeous silhouette shots.

Tammie Lee said...

so much gorgeous beauty!!

Ricardo Miñana said...

Very beautiful pictures,
These days I wish peace and happiness come to your house.
Happy Holidays!.
a hug.

Betty Manousos said...

i'm loving all these magical shots!

nicely done you!


have a great week ahead! x

Zuzana said...

Beautiful images full of atmosphere.;) I too watch the sun rise in the morning these days, but an hour later than you.;)
Have a great week dear friend,
xoxo

Sharon Wagner said...

I love the gnarly look of trees at this time of year. You definitely captured that. But bring on the leaves I say!

stephen Hayes said...

Hilary:

Thanks for visiting Chubby Chatterbox and for leaving your comments. I'm really enjoying your blog; the photographs are beautiful poetry that express the sublime quality of winter. I look forward to coming back for more.

Suldog said...

Damn. Those could all be establishing shots in a Stephen King movie.

Mental P Mama said...

It is always such a treat...

Hilary said...

• Thank you, Cloudia. :)

• Terra, we have very accommodating birds around here. Thank you. ;)

• Thanks, Adrian. :)

• Dave, thanks very much. :)

• Vera, I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

• Lady Fi, the light is short-lived, for sure but not like in your neck of the woods. Thank you. :)

• Ruby, thank you kindly. :)

• Thank you so much, SueAnn. :)

• Andy, thank you kindly. :)

• Brian, I'm glad you enjoyed them. Thanks. :)

• Thanks, Daryl. :)

• AC, thank you. Much appreciated. :)

• Elizabeth, trees always do bring magic with them, don't they? :)

• Thanks for joining me, Susan. :)

• Angelina, thank you so kindly. :)

• MessyMimi, thanks very much for that. :)

• Diane, we've had a few pretty cold mornings here too, this past week. Dressing in layers gets me out there. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Tex, thanks very kindly. There are beautiful trees everywhere. I'm lucky to have a few that I love around here. Thanks for your visit. :)

• Denise, thanks so much for your kind words. Very much appreciated. :)

• Thanks you so much, Ruth. That means a lot to me coming from you. :)

• Bonnie, thank you kindly - and to you and your family, also. Thanks for letting me know about Ogilvy. :)

• Leah, I believe it could be. Any tree-filled path with the shadows of night and the magic of photography, might be. Thank you so much for your kind words. They do mean a lot to me. :)

• Clare, thanks so much. I'm glad you enjoyed them. :)

• Linda in NM, thank you so much for those kind words. Much appreciated. :)

Hilary said...

• Welcome, André, and thank you for the kind words. :)

• Kristina, thanks so much. :)

• Thank you kindly, Ellen. :)

• MJ, thank you. I'm not too much of a morning person, myself but every now and then, it calls me. Thanks for your visit. :)

• CiCi, thank you so kindly. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. There's so much to discover out there and you and I are each having our fun learning as we go. Thanks always for stopping by. :)

• Thank you, Gillian. :)

• DJan, I hope you realize that you never fail to bring a big smile to my face. Your kind and encouraging words are always so appreciated. Thank you so much for that. :)

• Linda, thanks so much. All I had to do was stop shivering. ; )

• Thank you so much, Bob. I'm so glad you enjoyed them. :)

• Maggie May, leave it to you to find the bright side of darker days. Thank you so much for your always-kind words. :)

• Friko, thank you. It was particularly colourful, that hazy night. :)

• Red, thank you kindly. They do cut down a lot of the dead trees closer to the path, which is understandable but so far, they let the pond side trees be. There's always some creature enjoying them. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Sandy, thank you so much. What a lovely thing to say. :)

• Scott, thanks for joining me. :)

• Reena, thanks so much. I'm glad you joined me. It's always better to have good company. :)

• Indrani, thank you very kindly. :)

• Thank you, Tammie Lee. :)

• Thank you kindly, Ricardo and I wish the same to you and yours. :)

• Betty, thanks very much. And have a great week your own self. :)

• Zuzana, thank you. Your sun rises and sets in such a small window, this time of year. But I sure do envy your summers. Thanks always for stopping by. :)

• Sharon, thank you kindly. I'm always anxious for spring, myself. It'll get here in good time. Thanks for your visit. :)

• Welcome, Stephen and thanks so much for your very kind words. I'm glad you stopped by. :)

• Suldog, you're gonna scare me out of walking at night! No, not really. Thanks, Jim. :)

• Thanks, MPM. :)

Crabby McSlacker said...

Love these! Your photos should be in an art museum or one of those fancy galleries with Big Price Tags. I'm especially loving the same row of trees changing throughout the seasons, and this current shot of them is spectacular.

Redbush said...

Such breathtaking pictures of the sunrises! Now all you need is the Phil Collins song - "Morning Has Broken".

Pauline said...

Always a treat to walk around the pond with you. That tree-framed moon shot is fabulous!

Barbara said...

You did a wonderful job with that night shot! And I love that old tree of yours, too.

Dan said...

A great idea brought to light. So much character and moodiness. I imagine the varying temperatures, humidity and scents had a role in your own sense of what you wanted to achieve.

Funky Fun!

Joanna Jenkins said...

Beautiful as always.

As much as I love the leaves, the trees are so beautiful bare-- Their lines and striking against the sky and make for gorgeous photos.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas. I hope you get to spend time with your sons and have a great time.

Cheers, jj

Dawn said...

A wonderful full day walk. I so love the dark tree-lined walkway. Makes me want to linger there for awhile.

Karen said...

Lovely again!! I love the composition of your first one. And the others were great. Happy Christmas!

sage said...

I love the winter sky--even when it's red, it's so cold looking. beautiful photos

ds said...

Sunrise is beautiful, but moonrise is magic. Thanks for sharing these gorgeous shots. All wonder-full...

Hilary said...

• Crabby, you're much too kind. I thank you for that. I'm lucky to be surrounded with a number of beautiful trees. It's my piece of green in the city. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Redbush, thank you kindly. I was thinking Cat Stevens for both Morning Has Broken and Moonshadow. ;)

• Thank you, Pauline. I'm so glad you could join me. :)

• Barbara, thanks so much. I'm lucky to have this wonderful park just steps from home. :)

• Daniel, thanks very much. I wasn't setting out to achieve much more than to capture what I saw.. or at least attempt it. I rarely know what I'm going to end up putting together until I sit down at the computer. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

• Thank you so much, Joanna. One son lives here and the other is home for the holidays. All is right in my world. I wish you and yours a very wonderful Christmas. :)

• Dawn we did indeed linger. It was a lovely night. I'm glad you could share it with me through your visit. Thanks for that. :)

• Karen, thank you very kindly. Merry Christmas to you and yours. :)

• Sage, we know it's cold but through winter, it's often the only thing which adds colour to the day. I'm certain that's why I love it so much. Thanks so much for stopping by. :)

• Thanks very much, DS. Your kind words are so appreciated. I'm glad you could join me. :)

WritingsForLife said...

I absolutely love the first and the last image. Thank you for sharing your walks with us :-)

Anonymous said...

Beautiful, and I look forward to snow-kissed. :)

Hilary said...

• Raajii, thank you kindly. I"m glad you could join me. :)

• Karen, I can wait. ;) But I'll share them with you as soon as they happen. :)