For Sale? /  by Dave Hileman

This old fruit stand is found on the highway at the bottom of the mountain from Luray, Virginia, just outside the village of Sperryville. It appears to have been here a long time and certainly was once a good stop for fresh fruit, eggs and information. Not sure what the painted strip was to represent, looks like a sort of flag?

Portrait Project #26 /  by Dave Hileman

Meet Mike, the Balloon Man. He was at the North Carolina Museum of Art on the day of the eclipse. I asked him if I could take a portrait and he readily agreed. His balloons delighted folks and it was fun watching children chasing the balloons until the inevitable pop.

One More, I promise... /  by Dave Hileman

but fair warning, I am heading out for a trip to two or three famous gardens in a few days so…

Anyway, this is my first effort to photograph a flower inside where I controlled the light and the arrangment. These tulips were given by a friend of Jill’s following KnoxCAM’s annual concert at Cedar Springs Church on April 21st. They were such a striking color and I took a couple to shoot this photo. I enjoyed “staging” the angles and placement of the two flowers. I thought the gentle bends and the foliage behind each blossom worked well. I would liked to have a bit more of the bottom leaf but the vase intruded into the photo and if I raised the flower it lost the bend I was trying to keep. So a compromise. It was a fun experiment but I think I could do a lot more with this type of shot, better backgrounds, more arrangements, different lighting et al. So, perhaps some more of these later this year. Suggestions? Ideas welcome.

Trestle /  by Dave Hileman

Underside of the high railroad trestle along Rt 340 in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. This was the site of several Civil War skirmishing.

Looking for lunch /  by Dave Hileman

This is a Tri-color Heron searching for a bit of lunch at the Silver Springs State Park in Florida. The bird was undisturbed by the kayakers drifting past. Or indeed from me 20 feet away in my kayak. Food was the dominate need at this point.

Painterly??? /  by Dave Hileman

Trying to adjust a photo to “appear” a bit more like it was a painting. I know you can get a program to do that but I am trying to do so via my ON 1 editor. Here are two attempts each one with a different process. Suggestions, thoughts, offers over 1k per photo are all welcome.

Red /  by Dave Hileman

The red clay of the path leads to three red barns. The barns are located in central Virginia against the eastern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is well off the beaten path but if you try to hike Old Rag Mountain from the western slope you might see these as you get to trail.

Unfolding Story /  by Dave Hileman

This is a fiddlehead on a fern found in the Shenandoah State Park near Front Royal, Virginia. There were beautiful flowers and ferns emerging in the understory of the forest along the river.

Whistle Stop /  by Dave Hileman

This is the train station that was built primarily for the Montipelier estate near Orange, Virginia. It was restored to it 1910 appearance and presents an exhibit about the Jim Crow era of segregation. You will find it along historic and scenic Route 20 that winds its way from South of Charlottesville near Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe’s homes, past where George Rodgers Clark was born and then beyond Orange, Virginia and the church where Lee worshipped and toward Fredericksburg and the battles of Chancellorsville, the Wilderness and Fredericksburg. While the station is no longer in use, trains still speed along the rails. Just as we were leaving - with the cameras put away, an Amtrak raced past.

Hammer /  by Dave Hileman

This is the Pileated Woodpecker that is often heard hammering loudly on trees in the forest or in area with a large wooded margin. They are crow sized and appear even larger with the brilliant red crest and massive wingspan with bright white patches. You can always tell a Pileated Woodpeckers work on a tree because it will be more rectangular in shape and often pretty deep. The give a singular cry when flying but often you hear their “laughing” call when in the woods or watching an old Tarzan movie:) This particular bird was in the swamp near the Fort Clinch State Park in Florida.

Tulip /  by Dave Hileman

This flower was in a yard in Sperryville, a tiny village in Central Virginia at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is a few blocks long and two streets wide at places. Good coffee shop in town.

Understory /  by Dave Hileman

This is a tiny wildflower that I spied in the undergrowth of the forest in Shenandoah State Park in Virginia. There is a path along a side creek in the park called the Bluebell and there were some of those blooming but largely past prime (though one or two are coming) but this tiny flower was off the main path on a social trail leading to the main river. It was about 1/2 inch across.

War /  by Dave Hileman

The Coopers Hawk landed on this tree about 20 feet lower and then the Ahinga started hissing at it but when the hawk flew up the Ahinga squawked and fussed but still took off leaving most of a fish behind. The hawk then settled in to finish the seafood dinner. All this happened at Silver Springs State Park while I was in a kayak tying to keep things still for the photo. Only partially succeeded. Was neat to see.