Tag Archives: wallpaper

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May 2013 Wallpaper

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Sunset from Waterrock Knob, Blue Ridge Parkway, NC
Sunset from Waterrock Knob, Blue Ridge Parkway, NC

This month’s photo was my second choice for last month’s wallpaper, and I liked it so much I decided to run it for May.  Plus there is an added bonus of getting to tease my friend Kevin W. who made the mistake of telling me that he was homesick for the NC mountains and that my photos made him more so.  Come on back, Kevin!

Amazingly, this photo was taken just 4 1/2 minutes after the photo I used for last month’s calendar.  Looking west from Waterrock Knob, out over Cherokee and the Oconoluftee River toward the crest of the Smokies, this is one of my favorite views.  Not as famous (or as crowded) as some other sunset spots, I like it because I can practically shoot out of my car, and there are facilities nearby!

In the months and years after I took this photo, the view started to get overgrown with trees and brush.  Until the Park Service recently cleared some of the overgrowth, it had gotten to the point that there were very few vantage points for a good sunset view.  I’ve been back a few times recently, but the conditions haven’t been cooperative.  But it’s a place I return to often, and one day I’ll get my next Waterrock Knob sunset.  Maybe soon!

I know I’ve been a little quiet lately, but I’ve got some non-photographic backlog to get through and I’ll be back.  That’s a promise!

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March Wallpaper

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Spring dogwood in Salisbury, North Carolina
Spring dogwood in Salisbury, North Carolina

Spring is a great time of year here in the Carolinas.  While we have seen the occasional snow storm, March is usually when spring comes roaring in, splashing with both feet to put an end to winter.

This photo, taken last March just down the road in Salisbury, NC exemplifies spring for me.  Crystal clear blue sky, te beautiful dogwood blooms and the joy that spring has not forgotten us.

I’ve been laying a little low lately.  Kathy & I have a few irons in the fire, so to speak, that have kept me away from the computer more than usual.  It’s all good though, not to worry.  But stay tuned, I haven’t gone far.

Photography

February Wallpaper

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Sunset over the Bahamas aboard Celebrity Equinox sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
Sunset over the Bahamas aboard Celebrity Equinox sailing toward Fort Lauderdale

I’m a few hours early, but here is my wallpaper for February.  I generally shy away from sunrises and sunsets for my wallpaper, but this one looked pretty nice and I thought it was a photo someone wouldn’t mind looking at for a month, so here it is.

This photo was taken on the last night of our recent cruise.  The land is one (or more – it’s hard to tell) of the Bahamas islands.  I don’t often get to include land in the foreground when we’re on a ship, and while it doesn’t add a lot it is an extra element of interest.  Great sunbeams and color make this a special sunset.

Here in the south we’ve survived our 72 hours of “winter” and will be soon looking forward to spring flowers and buds on the trees.  For those of you in the colder climes – sorry! 🙂  I hope everyone has a wonderful February, wherever you might be!

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Happy 2013!

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Evening Light, Corolla
Evening Light, Corolla

Just about the time I figure I’ll stop doing this monthly wallpaper thing, I hear from someone else who really likes it.  So here you go, a start to another year!

This image is from a style of photograph I don’t post very often on the blog, and I’m not sure I’ve ever used one for wallpaper.  But I really like these impressionistic photos, as they often reflect a peace and calm that a “normal” photograph can’t capture.  I recently sold a group of prints that included this photograph, and I liked the print so much I decided I’d like to look at it for a month or so, and hoped that my blog followers would like it too.

For those interested in the technical details, this was shot in 2009 on the beach in Corolla, North Carolina.  And even though I’ve been calling it “Morning Light, Corolla” for a number of years, in looking at the metadata for this blog post I discovered that it was actually taken in the evening.  Oops…I guess I’ll have to start calling it “Evening Light, Corolla!”  It was taken with my lowly Canon 40D with the 24-105 lens at f22 for 1/4 second, panning with the wave movement to give it the blurred effect.

I know I’m looking forward to the new year and can’t wait to make new photographs to share.  Thanks for reading and for all the great comments.  Hopefully I’ll get to meet some of  you in person soon!  Happy travels!

Photography

October 2012 Wallpaper

Morning light and fall color with an early snow fall from the Deep Creek Valley Overlook in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Last fall we were treated to a relatively rare (for me, at least!) mix of fall color and snow.  We had driven up to Clingman’s Dome in the Smokies for sunrise, only to be chased back down by gale-force winds and blowing snow.  The morning light a few hundred feet below proved to be a good consolation.

October is definitely my favorite time of the year here in North Carolina.  We have a number of interesting adventures planned, including a long-overdue visit to Florida (not for fall color) so stay tuned for updates on our travels.  Whether you manage to see snow or not, I sincerely hope that your October is a wonderful one!

Photography

September Wallpaper

The Whalehead Club at Currituck Heritage Park near Corolla, North Carolina

I set this up to auto-post on 9/1 and hopefully it will work!

This is one of my favorite photographs from a visit to the northern Outer Banks back in 2009, and I thought it might make a nice intro to fall.  The nice clear sky hints at the return of autumn while retaining just a hint of summer’s warmth.  I had walked around this building earlier in the day and loved the windows.  The possibility of a reflection of the sunset in those windows at dusk were what brought me back.

The building is known as The Whalehead Club and is located at Currituck Heritage Park near Corolla, North Carolina.  It is the restored private residence of northern industrialist and conservationist, Edward C. Knight Jr. and now houses the Whalehead Club Historic House Museum.

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June Wallpaper

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Large and In Charge

Sorry, but I’m having so much fun going through my Alaska photos that I’m going to stick with that theme for this month’s wallpaper calendar.  I got a number of good shots in Glacier Bay, so stay tuned to an upcoming post with more photos.  This one sort of best fits my criteria for wallpaper, so hopefully it’s a photo you don’t mind looking at for a month or so while summer here gets geared up!

It’s hard to imagine as I sit here with the temperature outside hovering around 90 that I was standing on the deck of a cruise ship in boots, wool socks, long underwear, a hat and gloves!  I tried to bring some of that cold home with me but I think it slipped out of my bag in San Francisco. 🙂

I hope everyone has a splendid June.  We’ve got a few birthdays in the family in June, so special wishes to those-who-know-who-they-are!

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May 2012 Wallpaper

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South Beach Marina, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Here’s something a little different this month.  A simpler and more graphic photograph, the kind of photography I’ve been doing more of lately…seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.

While this photograph was taken on Hilton Head Island, SC the location isn’t really important.  The photo isn’t about Hilton Head.  What it is about is the combination of red, white and blue in a simple, graphic design that to me represents that feeling I get on a sunny summer day with a great clear blue sky.  That feeling of being on vacation!

Lots going on these days, so while I hope to send off a few more posts before the Big Adventure, it may be a too little hectic.  But you’ll hear from me, don’t worry!

Photography

April Wallpaper (Better Late Than Never)

For those of you who I forced to spend a few extra days in March…sorry.  The weekend got away from me and before I knew it, well you know.

One of my favorite sunrise locations at any time of the year is Pounding Mill Overlook, on the Blue Ridge Parkway just south of the junction with US-276 that runs between Brevard and Waynesville.  It’s either hit or miss here, but generally speaking if you aren’t socked in with clouds you’ll get something worth pulling the camera out for.  Fog in the Pink Beds is always a good bet, and a nice golden glow from the rising sun makes for a doubly special sunrise.

Things may be a little quiet here for the next week or so as we head out on our next adventure, but with any luck I’ll come back with some nice shots of the Shenandoah National Park area.  They had a little snow at Big Meadows this morning, so you just never know what you might run in to!