Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Photography

Wilson Arch

We stopped to water the dogs and take a break from driving at Wilson Arch along US 191 south of Moab, UT. We’ve seen this arch many times over the years as we navigate through Utah. Photo from my Samsung Galaxy. Clickable.

From Brave Leo AI:

Wilson Arch is a natural sandstone arch located in southeastern Utah, just off U.S. Route 191 in San Juan County, 24 miles south of Moab. It has a span of 91 feet and a height of 46 feet. This arch is easily accessible and can be viewed from the road, with turnouts and interpretive signs available.

For those interested in exploring further, a short 0.4-mile hike offers a spectacular view of the majestic rock formation and the blue Utah sky beyond. The hike is considered easy and rewarding, with a chance to stretch your legs and explore the natural marvel up close.

Wilson Arch is also a popular spot for photographers and nature enthusiasts, with the changing light and shadows around the arch providing endless inspiration. Its imposing structure, set against the vast desert sky, creates a striking contrast that begs to be captured.

11 Jul 2025 by Photography Retirement Travel Wanderlust

Monument Valley

After sort of a long day of travel, we’re camping in Monument Valley for a couple of days. The trip was uneventful and only punctuated with a little summer rainfall north of the San Francisco Mountains in Northern Arizona.

We will be traveling eastward but not before heading north from here up into Colorado to drop by a couple of Ancestors burial places. More on those stops later.

Meanwhile, we’re relaxing in the valley made famous by John Ford, John Wayne and others in various cinematic performances of yore. Regardless of the cinematic fame, this place is awesome and one of God’s greatest creations.

08 Jul 2025 by Photography Travel Wanderlust

Cardinal Camo Failure
  and Happy Easter Weekend

With all the newly-grown green and yellow colors on the big mesquite tree out back, this Cardinal shows up big-time against the cooler desert hues. Seriously, these Cardinals come to the bird feeders up there and are a delight to see when they grace our area with their brilliant red-orange feathers and black trim.

I took this photo this morning (Good Friday, April 18, 2025) with my Canon EOS Rebel SL3 with the EF55-250 telephoto lens set to 250mm. I think that I took five or six images as the bird moved from left to right across the tree branch; this one was the best of the group.

Now for the message for all, that Jesus died on that fateful day when the sins of mankind were lifted from us on the cross at Calvary. We will be celebrating the sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord this weekend. Happy Easter. HE IS RISEN, INDEED!

Happy Easter!

18 Apr 2025 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography

“Cherry Red” Cactus Flower

Our Cherry Red (or sometimes Red Torch) flowers are starting to open in the courtyard. This is the first of the spring season. There are buds on several of the cacti and we’re expecting more soon. Click on the image to enlarge.

About Trichocereus Grandiflorus:

The Torch Cactus (Trichocereus grandiflorus) is a species of cactus from the Patagonian Desert in Argentina. The Torch Cactus is notable for its huge display of dramatic red colored flowers that open in late spring. When adult Torch Cactus flower they can often produce displays of flowers that cover the top of the plant and can look like a carpet of red flowers from above.

15 Apr 2025 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

V-22 Osprey Flyover

Late this afternoon (04/14/2025), an Boeing V-22 Osprey aircraft flew nearly over our place here at an estimated altitude of about 500 feet above ground level. Damsel snapped this photo after retrieving her camera when hearing the unusual sound from this one-of-kind aircraft type.

It appeared that the Osprey, in tilted up rotor configuration, might have been heading for a landing at our local airport, a couple miles west of us. Ospreys tilt the rotors up for takeoff and landing, otherwise the rotors are tilted forward for cruise configuration.

As I mentioned above, this aircraft makes a most unusual sound signature when flying by, especially in the rotors up configuration. At this low altitude, the sound was clearly something foreign to our quiet little abode here in the desert.

I haven’t been able to distinguish from the aircraft markings visible in the photo whether this is a Marine or an Air Force craft. While we have seen Ospreys flying over the past few years, this may have been the closest pass to our home to date.

Click on the image to view enlarged.

14 Apr 2025 by Arizona Aviation Military Photography

Spring Equinox 20 March 2025

Happy first day of Spring (northern hemisphere)! We’re off to a good start with daytime temperatures in the mid 70s and forecast to become in the mid 90’s in a week or so.

Greeting me on the first day of spring were these two critters — a cactus wren on the block feeder and an antelope ground squirrel foraging in the west side of the yard:

We always get a lot of comfort and enjoyment when the creatures which abound in our little corner of the desert show themselves to us and our cameras.

Both images were taken with the Canon EOS Rebel SL3 and an EF 55-250 lens at 250mm. Click on either image to view enlarged.

20 Mar 2025 by Arizona Critters Culture Notions Photography

Panoramic Images

Panoramic Image of Our House

Earlier this month, I retired my venerable Canon Powershot A710IS Camera and started using my newer Kodak PIXPRO FZ152 Camera. The older camera had roughly 18 years on it and after it got retired, I started using the newer camera. The newer camera, it turns out, had more features that I didn’t know about because I used it so seldom. Lo and behold, there is a “panoramic image” mode.

To make panoramic images using the FZ152, one must select the proper mode and shooting left to right (other direction optional) snap three or four images as you move the camera. There is a “ghost” image of the preceding image that helps the user to align the camera. When done, select the “SET” button and the camera begins to “stitch” the images into a single elongated image — a panoramic image.

I am still learning how to use the panoramic image mode, although some of the image results from following the procedure have been disappointing, with visible disconnects in the continuity of the image. I thought I was using the proper procedure and got the result seen below:

Discontinuity example

As you can see, the right half of the panned image jumps from a place in the middle of the house to repeating (in a distorted fashion) the same image segment going to the right. The image is not useful except to demonstrate the problem.

I guess I am spoiled by having had a really good Canon Utility in the past that would render panoramas from several images with very good results, even with marginally acceptable images. Unfortunately, that utility stopped being supported and did not work with later versions of Windows subsequent to about seven years ago or so.

I will keep trying to get panoramas with the Kodak Camera in the future, but I may opt for a Photoshop ($$$) utility to do the things I used to do with ease and for free with the Cannon App.

25 Feb 2025 by Notions Panorama Photography Technobabble

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