dimanche 31 août 2014

52 weeks of pics for 2014

black and white photography... I love to look at them, love the feel of a truly black and white picture... but I hardly feel confident to shoot in b&n...  but sometimes I feel the picture deserve it...
here is the story behind that picture... as I was walking, a small banded damselfly flew around my leg and landed on a leaf in front of me, around eye-level! It was as if he tried to attract my attention and then just stared! the sun reflecting on the leaf, the sharp contrast... I'm glad of the black and white version of that picture!

jeudi 28 août 2014

close-up of a dragonfly

while looking for bird on the lake I was lucky enough to stand over a stick dragonflies loved to wait on... nice opprotunity for close-up pictures! 

dimanche 24 août 2014

52 weeks of pics for 2014

this week-end I finally got a visual confirmation that the change in behaviour of one of the great crested grebe couples meant babies as I spotted a juvenile!! could not get a decent shot as they are still very shy so here is one of the adults.

The water was just magnificent! I was glad to be able to capture the color and reflections... on top of the great crested grebe! They are diving for fish very fast and do not stay up for very long... it is a spot, point, focus game before the bird dive again... 

dimanche 17 août 2014

52 weeks of pics for 2014

This little one was rescued and then stayed with us a little bit... until her wings felt better and she flew off... but not before I too k a few close-up shots!

vendredi 15 août 2014

sometimes I just want to capture the mood...

a different kind of picture this time... to capture the mood of a gray/rainy day with a mug of tea, my camera... waiting for the heron to come around...

mercredi 13 août 2014

for the love of poppies

I love poppies! when I saw those on the side of the road I had to snap it!
poppies are among my favorites flowers! So they are good candidate to test that book about flower photography! This was taken on the side of a (not so busy) road 

mardi 12 août 2014

dimanche 10 août 2014

52 weeks of pics for 2014

at the end of the passing tail of a tropical storm I saw this poor damselfly 'riding the wave' on this nettle leaf... only saw the other guy behind when the leaf that was in between got blown out of my field of view... still he was to far to be also in focus...

lundi 4 août 2014

"Nine by Night": A Multi-Author Urban Fantasy Bundle of Kickass Heroines, Adventure, & Magic Various

You know I love to read, so when Lindsay Buroker (the Emperor Edge series, look here or here) asked for people to read the latest bundle in which she was participating in exchange for an early review, I looked at the content of that bundle...  I saw that she participated  with her novel "Torrent” the first of the series  "Rust and Relics" which I have been meaning to read for some times!

This bundle is 99cents, for 9 books! even knowing only one author, it is a great deal! and a nice way to discover more authors! Here are a few links, but it should be available at your favorite e-retailer smashwordsamazon,...

I will continue to add review for individual novel story as I read them!

 WITCH HUNT –– by SM REINE
Shaman on the run. Isobel Stonecrow speaks with the dead...for the right price. She brings closure to the bereaved and heals broken hearts. But when she resurrects someone for the wrong client, she ends up on the OPA's most wanted list.
  I do not think this blurb gives a good idea of the story! I would have described more the first few chapters... waking up with a hangover, a body in the bathtub and no memory of the previous night means that you cannot even say that you are innocent to the police when they show up at your doorstep a few minutes after you woke up... and the only way to clear your name is to find someone that can speak to the dead and ask the now dead waitress what happened!  

DEATH’S SERVANT ––  by CJ ELLISSON

Jonathan Winchester has clashed with his werewolf alpha one too many times. He returns to Virginia to find work and meets a young waitress, Raine. As their relationship progresses, Jon's embroiled in more intrigue than he bargained for and a danger bigger than he can handle.
  I understood this was a prequel for the series "The V V Inn" (there is another story in that bundle about it). This just did not click for me... It is hard to point out what was the problem... Perhaps because all the characters were new to me... I will see when I read the other story but someone being ok with the concept of eternal slavery does not sit well with me... 

TORRENT ––  by LINDSAY BUROKER,

When Delia chose to major in archaeology, she imagined herself as the female Indiana Jones of the Southwest. She didn't imagine herself stumbling across decapitated bodies in old mine shafts or learning that monsters are real…
   Even if I'm not as big of a fan of this series as I am of the Emperor's Edge series, she has a whip! and knows how to use it! yeah Indiana Jones!! and love the trekkie references! The humor and style of Lindsay Buroker is there and it is a nice story that hints at a complex world but I felt the characters needed more depth... This is probably because I'm used to her other series with more than 8 books! There was a lot of character growth and evolution! As it is the first of a series, number two is being written, it is more of a world setup! I will be reading the number two just to see what happens...

SPARK –– by ANTHEA SHARP

What if a high-tech game was a gateway to the treacherous Realm of Faerie? Superstar gamer Spark Jaxley's life might look easy, but she's part of an elite few who guard a shocking secret; the Realm of Faerie exists, and its dark magic is desperate for a foothold in the mortal world.
  Being a MMORPG player this sim game really appeal to me! I also like the way some of the old lore was put into the story (do not eat anything in fey land, do not thanks a fey, promises have to be made with lawyer language precision!). Some of the things that happened in the real world were too over-the-top (thinking of the twin but also teen having such an heavy work load and no parent or legal guardian around to check on them... ) but it is ok as we do not spend to much time there! I will be checking the prequel and probably more!

DEATH TIMES TWO ––  by BOONE BRUX and CJ ELLISSON

The V V Inn has a ghost problem. New grim reaper, Lisa Carron, accepts the job. She quickly learns the hotel is full of the dearly departed—and she’s working for vampires. Throw in Asa, a young vamp hot enough to melt the Arctic ice, and Lisa realizes she’s way out of her element.

ROOK: ALLIE’S WAR EPISODES 1-4 –– by JC ANDRIJESKI

Like most humans, Allie distanced herself from Seers, a race of human-like beings discovered on Earth. Yanked out of her life by the mysterious Revik, Allie finds out her blood may not be as “human” as she thought, the world is nothing like it appears to be...and she has more in common with Seers than she ever wanted to believe.

JUSTICE CALLING –– by ANNIE BELLET

Gamer. Nerd. Sorceress. Jade Crow lives a quiet life running her comic book and game store in Wylde, Idaho. After twenty-five years fleeing from a powerful sorcerer who wants to eat her heart and take her powers, quiet suits her just fine. Surrounded by friends who are even less human than she is, Jade figures she's finally safe. As long as she doesn't use her magic…

ARCADIA’S GIFT –– by  JESI LEA RYAN

Teenager Arcadia (Cady) Day’s family tragedy unleashes a hidden power. After experiencing what can only be called a psychic episode, her home life crumbles. As her emotional control slips away, Cady begins to suspect that her first psychic episode was just the beginning…

WILD NIGHT ROAD –– by  KARA LEGEND

One innocent hex sets off a chain reaction of trouble among the shifters of the Kinraven that threatens war between werewolves, seraphim and witches. Lilith Darke will do anything to be free of her seraphim master. All hell breaks loose when rival packs face off only to discover a new, deadly threat that will take all their magick to survive.

I opened that bundle knowing only one author, but I will be checking out other books by a few of those! Not all were to my taste but for 99cents, it is a great way to discover new authors!

dimanche 3 août 2014

52 weeks of pics for 2014

I love dragonfly, and since My birthday and set of close-up lense and book about macrophotography, I have been redoubling effort at finding them... but I had not been able to have a nice silhouette yet! until last week-end! while I was doing something totally different!


vendredi 1 août 2014

I love damsefly

I continue playing with my new set of close-up lenses though I have to be careful ad those damselfly seems to love nettles!