Railroad engineers

Preparing for a long journey.

 

Good morning! |  It’s an interesting story about this photo. It was cold and after I took one or two photos of the railroad station, I wanted to shut down the camera but, in the very last moment, I pressed the shutter without seeing the screen.  It was my favourite photo of that morning. 

 

 

 

 

Take care, here comes the train!

Special moments

 

 

 

 

Out of focus, not sharp enough but 101% close to my heart.

Sunsets during Autumn have something special for me, something full of good memories.

Trees

Three birch brothers.

3,1,2 Three birch trees brothers, one birch tree and two spruce trees brothers and many other brothers hidden in the mist. They are all one big and happy family … until we show up with our chainsaws…

 

 

You are beautiful just the way you are. Even if you have lost something of your innate beauty, you are enough, shine on.

A moment to wonder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Give yourself a moment to wonder. We are surrounded by beauty and yet we are too busy to even notice it.

My grandmother was blind for many decades… can you imagine the rest of your life without seeing? The rest of your life without sunsets, without the blue sky, without the green of the leaves, without colours, without movement, without joy? Could you?

You are here because you love images, I am sure, so take your time and observe the beauty around you now, until it’s too late.

Autumn’s colours

When I see birches bend to left and right

Across the lines of straighter darker trees,

I like to think some boy’s been swinging them.

Robert Frost, Birches

 

Fruits of Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa).

It is a long and winding road

Fruits

“Our life depends on the kind of thoughts we nurture. If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind, then that is what our life is like. If our attention is turned to the circumstances in which we live, we are drawn into a whirlpool of thoughts and can have neither peace nor tranquility.”
Thaddeus of Vitovnica, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives

Railway station

Waiting for the train in a cold November morning.

Signs

Leaves are falling to the ground without a sound.

Days are getting shorter.

Nights are growing longer.

Small things and little worlds

Beautiful head of a butterfly

We are surrounded by so many beautiful things and we don’t even know it. Or, worse, we say there is enough time for all.

Maybe there is enough time, but what if there is no more enough time for me (or you)?
What if this is the last day when I am able to see?

You don’t want to think about such things but yet…there are chances, unfortunately.

I keep asking myself what I will do if one day I will be a blind man?
How others will know what I was enjoying? How I will be able to show them the world as I saw it and yet not seeing it anymore?

My answer is: through the photographs I have taken.

There are some creepy portraits.

But even these terrifying insects have their own tender moments. In the photo above, this insect was cleaning(?) its antennae using gentle his left  foot.

I found this butterfly standing on this flower. The light was poor and it was windy. 

 

How incredible are its antennae!

I try to document many things like my belongings, our garden, our street, our neighbours, my dogs, our neighbour’s plants, the fields around our village, the forests, clouds, trees, bugs, and many other things. I take photos of my family, of my friends and of strangers.

Aster

Little insect, almost unnoticeable floating on water.

You might say these things will always be there, or at least for a long time starting now. But the real live has proven to me that …you never know when you see something for the last time.

And I will give you two examples:
First one: about two years ago I was off for a while. When I returned home, I took my bicycle and had a ride. I was shocked to notice that somewhere, about 3 kilometers away our house, a large area of forest has been cut down.
By chance, just a few weeks before I had taken a few shots of some trees, branches and leaves from that place. I was sure they will still be there for a couple of years and I will keep returning year after year. I was so wrong…

Second one: my grandmother was blind for way too many years before she died…Then I didn’t understand her and neither her special needs. Maybe one day …I will…

Enjoy this journey called life. Take photos of your wife, husband, children, grandparents, friends, neighbours, even of yourself, of your belongings, of your street, of your town, of everything you enjoy and of many things which you think will be there at least for many years. You never know when they will disappear…

Have you noticed how beautiful are the wings of honey bees?

Their last pair of legs are special. They have a sort of baskets.

Honey bees collect pollen and carry it to the hives. Can you imagine the work behind your jar of honey from your kitchen?

A flower for my grandparents…

For all these photos (except the one of butterfly standing on flower), I used this lens

Be Grateful

 

I have a tendency to see almost all the time only the empty part of the glass, and this fuels my fears. It’s something which must stop, but this process of healing requires a great amount of will and time… and patience.

To be honest to yourself it is the biggest gift for you and for those beautiful persons around you.

Lately, I have been exploring ‘small worlds’, ‘microcosmoses’. I started doing this because of a constraint: my camera. This was the glass half empty.
But I am a creative person and there is no limit for your creativity except your fears.

I found this lens.

I was embarrassed only by the thought of posting this image, of my ‘lens’.
But I decided to say “So what? What’s my problem? I take photos using this lens, too, so what?” Now we(me and you) may laugh, there is no problem.

This lens are from a slide projector and sometimes I hold it with my left hand, and other times I use adhesive tape to attach it to my point and shoot camera.

I think spending time in field enlarge your vision, makes you even more creative and, the most important, gives an experience which is invaluable.

Now, I am more grateful for all I have.

I found this little buddy in our garden. Even if it’s little, it’s smarter than you may think.

Be grateful for what you have.

Hazel grouse

October 5, 2014, Suceava County

 

As usually, I meet my best photographic subjects  when I less expect them .

Last year I visited for the first time some woods of Northern Romania. During one of these trips, I was in a car when I noticed right in front of us some birds. I didn’t recognized them so I asked the driver to slow down or even to turn off the car, but she said if she would do that, the birds will fly. So, I tried to take them some photos even if the car was vibrating.

This bird is called: Hazel Grouse.

It is a small bird from grouse family and has under 40 cm length.

Inhabit especially in forest of coniferous.

Its diet consists of buds, fruits, berries, seeds, ants, beetles, caterpillars and other insects.

Female lays up to 12 eggs. Incubation takes  21-25 days .

Unfortunately, hazel grouse may be hunted in season, 15th September – 15th December.

I know these photos aren’t so great but for me they are very important because I am absolutely sure I won’t see  this bird soon.

Reflections

It was very interesting to observe these reflections.
I remember very well that afternoon when I took these photos: it was a warm light, the wind was blowing just a bit and the surface of this lake was full of colours.

It was a lovely day of Autumn.

 

Thank you

Apiss mellifera

I say ” welcome” to my new followers.  I hope you will enjoy my photos (or at least some of them).

I am more than happy to reply to your comments, and answer to all of your questions (even if this might take me a while).

Cornel