Fire and Ashes

Flames in the campfire

This photo of flames at a campfire is particularly relevant to today, being Ash Wednesday. Wikipedia says:

Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance.

You may have heard the saying "dust to dust, ashes to ashes". This is taken from the words spoken during the placing of the ashes. The actual words spoken are "Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return." And I like the Latin translation: "Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris."

Today is a day to look at our lives, remember that we are merely mortal, and take time to realize our greater purpose in life. In the Christan calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, a 40 day period of prayer and fasting leading up to Easter.

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

A Smile in the Moon and the Stars (and Planets!)

"Smile!"

Moon and Stars

A few nights ago, a friend rang up from Brisbane saying "step outside and have a look at the moon!" So I went out to see what all the fuss was about - and then smiled. The moon and two "stars"* were aligned perfectly to create a smiling face.The mouth was formed by the brilliantly gleaming crescent moon, with two tiny spots of light above representing eyes. It was almost as if God was looking down on us saying "Good night!".

So remember to smile today. Everyone needs a smile, and it's something you can always give away without running out! Who knows what good a simple smile could do to brighten someone's day.

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

* Yes, I know, they were actually the planets Jupiter and Venus, not stars. But I never let the facts get in the way of a good story! NASA has a wonderful picture of the event - you might like to check it out for a further explanation.

Pillars of Faith - WYD Banners

"Pillars of Faith"
Banners at WYD

During World Youth Day, the streets of Sydney were lined with these banners. I got this photo at Darling Harbour - right along the side of the water these flags were flying high in the air. They made a great subject for a photo - the foremost banners are receding into the picture, and you can even see a few more standing straight in the distance.

Now that the WYD activities are starting to finish up, it's time to look at "Where to from here?" The experience of the week is one to treasure, but also one to move forward from. So far we've had meetings where young people shared their experiences from WYD, and joined together again in song and worship. Some people have also started organising youth groups and ongoing plans, so that we can keep the spirit alive. Already people are noticing that those who went to WYD have been much more joyful and friendly since they returned, and that it has spread to others as well. It's really been an awakening for all of us, young and old alike, to reconsider our life's mission and our interaction with friends and family.

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.It is one of a series of photos commemorating the occasion of World Youth Day Sydney 2008.

Snake's Eye View - Sky Watch Friday

"Snake's Eye View"
View from ground level in the Australian rainforest
Sky Watch Friday

Here's a relatively unique photo for my first Sky Watch Friday back again. Looking at this I just imagine the snake slithering along the path, looking up into the early morning sun....

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Water, a Break, and The Interlude

Something Wet
Guess What!

It's been quite a long time since I last posted here, and a lot's happened in that time. For those loyal readers that have kept watch here in my absence, I'll try to summarize what's been going on.

Firstly - Water! I went on a holiday to Goomburra National Park over the Queen's Birthday weekend, and there was lots and lots of water there! As anyone who's been following my blog will know, there isn't much water where I live so this was a special event. I took about 1,200 shots in the 36 hours, and got quite a few good photos out of the trip. Over the next few weeks I'll try to post some of those shots here. Update: The photo above was taken at Goomburra - can you guess what it is? For the answer, click here.

I've also had exams in the past week, so I've been focusing entirely on study and didn't have time to work on this blog. Consequentially the traffic has gone down from about 300 visits per day to 160. Hopefully with a bit of regular posting this might come up again, but as I've said before, traffic ain't everything!

Finally, there's going to be another interruption to the posting schedule again soon. I'm travelling to Sydney in about a week's time for World Youth Day - an international gathering of youth that will attract 120,000 overseas visitors to Australia. I'm not sure if there will be internet access available, but if there is I will certainly try and get some photos up during WYD.

So, that's about all for now. Thanks a lot to the people who have stayed around during the quiet period in this blog, I will try to get around to your websites soon, but can't guarantee anything until August!

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Lazy Rock! - Wordless Wednesday

Lazy Looking Rock!
Rock with shadows in Sunlight
Wordless Wednesday

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Time to take a break! (Monkey Relaxing)

"Time to stop 'monkeying' around!"
Monkey taking a break

I caught this monkey taking a break at the Dubbo (Western Plains) Zoo last year. It seems an appropriate photo for today's post, as I've just finished a hectic week of playing at the Eisteddfod (along with younger siblings who were in other sections).

One of the pieces I played in this year's Eisteddfod was Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata", Opus 27, 3rd Movement ("Presto Agitato"). This is a quite an "agitated" piece, and certainly makes for a great performance, if you can play it well. Recently I found a video of Rowan Atkinson (better known as "Mr. Bean") miming this piece, along with the first movement of Beethoven's "Sonata Pathetique". His performance is quite clever, and very amusing for anybody who's played either of these pieces. I've included the video below, and highly recommend you check it out. This guy is really amazing!

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

ANZAC Day - The Dove of Peace

"The Dove of Peace"
Anzac Day

Anzac Day, April 25 in Australia and New Zealand commemorates the landing in 1915, during World War I, of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The Allies attempted to take control of the strategic Dardanelles from Turkey, allied with the Central Powers, in the so-called Dardanelles Campaign, which began in February 1915. ANZAC forces landed on April 25 and secured a beachhead at what came to be called ANZAC Cove, on the Aegean side of the peninsula. Despite additional landings by other troops during the succeeding months, the Allies could not capture the strait, and they suffered enormous losses from battle and disease. By December 1915 the Allied troops, including the ANZAC forces, had been withdrawn. Nonetheless, the ANZAC troops earned a reputation for valiant fighting, and they then served with distinction in France and in the Middle East. Later, in 1917, the Australian and the New Zealand forces were separated, and ANZAC thus ceased to exist.

In 1920 Australia and New Zealand created ANZAC Day as an official holiday to honour those who had fought in the Dardanelles Campaign. Since then it has been broadened to become a memorial day honouring all who served and died in World Wars I and II and in the Korean and Vietnam wars. It is a public holiday marked by religious services and parades and by ceremonies in which veterans participate. The Cook Islands, Tonga, and Samoa also observe the day.

This dove represents peace in the world. The bird, perched high on the roof of a shrine, is looking out over the world wisely, and is at peace. We in Australia are thankful for the peace we do have, and for those who have gone before us defending that right. Not only Australians, but everyone in the world should remember the ANZACs and all like them with gratitude today, and look forward with hope to the peace of the world to come.

Source: Britannica Online
This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Free Access to Encyclopedia Britannica for Bloggers

Encyclopedia Britannica is well-known as a reputable source of information. Over 4,000 editors who are recognized as experts in their field help to maintain well-written and accurate articles in this classic reference. Unfortunately the encylopedia has been somewhat neglected nowdays, with the advent of Wikipedia which offers free access to all articles. For every article viewed on the pay-for Britannica Online, an estimated 187 articles are viewed on the free Wikipedia.

This may be set to change though - you can now get access to the online version of Encyclopedia Britannica for free through a new program called Britannica Webshare - provided that you are a “web publisher.” Bloggers are included in this invitation: “This program is intended for people who publish with some regularity on the Internet, be they bloggers, webmasters, or writers. We reserve the right to deny participation to anyone who in our judgment doesn’t qualify.” I signed up for this program, and now have access to all 65,000 articles in this reference work online. From now on I'll be citing Britannica articles on my blog whenever I include information about the subject of my photographs.

If you sign up, and you'll have instant access to the world's most famous encyclopedia, with the ability to link to the full article in your blog posts. Your visitors will have access to any articles you link to, but will still have to pay to access the full encyclopedia.

Moon behind a Tree - Sky Watch Friday

Full Moon behind a Tree (Eucalyptus)
Sky Watch Friday

For some reason, whenever it came around to Sky Watch Friday, I automatically thought of a day-time sky. It never occurred to me until now that a moon landscape is actually a "Sky Watch" photo as well! So, today I have this photo I took the other night of a full Moon behind my gum tree (see my other moon / tree silhouette). I find the layer of cloud interesting in this picture - it serves to split the picture into two parts horizontally, while the tree splits the picture vertically. Not exactly the rule of thirds - maybe more like the rule of fourths!

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Easter Sunday

Life
Sun shining through green tree leaves
Easter Sunday

Happy Easter!

Today is Easter Sunday. Easter, also called Pascha, is the most important religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus.. Many non-religious cultural elements have become part of the holiday, and those aspects are often celebrated by many Christians and non-Christians alike.

Easter Eggs are a popular traditional food eaten on Easter Sunday. The egg is a symbol of the Resurrection: while being dormant it contains a new life sealed within it.

Easter is termed a moveable feast because it is not fixed in relation to the civil calendar. Easter falls at some point between late March and late April each year, following the cycle of the moon. After several centuries of disagreement, all churches accepted the computation of the Alexandrian Church that Easter is the first Sunday after the first fourteenth day of the moon (the Paschal Full Moon) that is on or after the ecclesiastical vernal equinox.

Easter also refers to the season called Eastertide or the Easter Season, which lasts for the fifty days until Pentecost. So don't stop eating chocolate after one day and think the party's over - you've got over 5 weeks of celebration to go!

Information from Wikipedia
This photo taken with the Kodak C330 digital camera.

The Cross - Good Friday (Sky Watch)

The Cross
Good Friday
Sky Watch Friday

Today is Good Friday. Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday before Easter (Easter always falls on a Sunday). It commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus at Calvary. In many English speaking countries, hot cross buns are eaten on Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of the crucifixion. This is the first day of the Easter Triduum, which begins on Holy Thursday night and ends on the evening of Easter Sunday.

Information from Wikipedia
This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

E for Excellent Blog Award

Angie from photosforthefunofit.blogspot.com just awarded me the "E for Excellent" blog award. This is a new award to me, and I am very honoured to receive it. Angie, although humbly classifying herself as an amateur, posts some really excellent photos over on her blog, and I suggest that you check it out whenever you have time. Thanks, Angie!

Update: I am passing on this award to Anna, from My Only Photo. Anna maintains a top quality photo blog with lot's of great nature photos.

How to live without batteries

David McMahon posts another interesting question on his blog this weekend:

How efficiently (or inefficiently) would your household function without batteries?

For me, the first thing which came to mind was that my camera wouldn't work without batteries. So if I had no batteries in the house, I'd have to go back to the "old-fashioned" film method (some film cameras don't need batteries). But this is more inconvenient than it would seem. If I wanted to change to film, here are some of the costs that would be involved:

• I'd have to buy a new SLR. Cost: AUD$700+
• Since September (four months ago), I've taken approximately 9,000 photos. If I were to take these on film, I would need about 375 rolls of film. These would cost over AUD$1,800.
• To develop the 375 rolls of film would cost about AUD$6,000

This brings the total cost of film photography for 4 months to about AUD$8,600! And that's ignoring the storage factor - 375 rolls of film take a lot of storage space.

Apart from cameras, there are quite a few other things in the house that use batteries. For example:

• T.V. remote controls - These devices are very handy, and without them we would all be forced to perform the laborious chore of actually standing up and walking across the room whenever we wanted to turn up the volume.
• Cordless (or mobile) telephone - Have you ever noticed that when you're talking on a cordless phone you tend to start walking around the room? Without them, you'd have to stay standing beside the phone the whole time - until you need to get the pencil and paper that aren't there.
• Computer - Hang on, doesn't the computer run without batteries? Yes, as long as it is turned on. But when you turn off your computer, a small battery inside of the case takes care of the time, making sure that when you next start up, it knows what day and hour it is. Without batteries, we'd have to reset the computer's time - and the time of every clock in the house - all day.
  

The verdict: Thank God for digital photography - and pray that we never run out of batteries!

Australia Day - What is Australia Day?

Australia Day - What is Australia Day?Australia Day is the official national day of Australia, which commemorates the establishment of a settlement and penal colony at Port Jackson by Captain Arthur Phillip, who later became the first Governor. Australia Day is celebrated on 26 January annually, and has been declared as an official public holiday in all states and territories of Australia. Known also as Anniversary Day or Foundation Day, Australia Day is widely considered to be an important day in the history of Australia.

On Australia Day, the winner of the Australian of the Year award is announced by the Prime Minister; the award is given to any Australian citizen who has shown a "significant contribution to the Australian community and nation", and is an "inspirational role model for the Australian community". Subcategories of the award include "Young" and "Senior Australian of the Year", and an award for the "Australian Local Hero".

Recorded celebrations date back to 1808, and in 1818, Governor Lachlan Macquarie held the first official celebration of Australia Day. In 2004, an estimated 7.5 million people attended Australia Day celebrations and functions across the country.

Source: Wikipedia

Fishing Boat and Pelican at Dawn

Fishing Boat and Pelican on the Water at Dawn

I took this photo on a recent holiday to Lake Cootharaba, near Noosa. The shade of a nearby tree gives the photo a blueish tone. You can clearly see the ropes on the deck of the small fishing boat, and the pelican in the background looking out over the water for breakfast.

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.
Shutter speed: 1/350, F4.9, ISO 100

Best Nature Pictures of 2007 - Happy Birthday, dear "Bloggy"....

This January marks an important milestone for this blog: it is exactly One Year since the first visitor came to davids-pics.blogspot.com! Since then, the site has received 10,600 visits, and over 400 comments from all over the world. In the past few weeks, the average has been about 75 visits per day, so traffic is increasing quickly as well.

Here are some facts and figures from the history of this blog so far:

• Total visits: 10,681
• Total pageviews: 16,651
• Total posts: 171
  
• Total comments: 455
  
• Avg. Time on Site: 1:05
• Avg. Pages per Visit: 1.56
• Most Popular page overall: /2007/04/drought.html - 4.74% of total traffic
  
• Most Popular search term: images of nature - 2.76% of total traffic
• Most Popular referring site: google.com - 44.27% of total traffic

I'm certainly happy with the progress made with this blog, and I'd like to specially thank all of you who visit and contribute your comments and advice - without you, this blog wouldn't exist today! I hope you are all enjoying the photography posted here, and as always I am open to suggestions for improvement. Here's looking forward to another successful and enjoyable year of blogging in 2008!

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Some of the best nature pictures from 2007:

Happy New Year 2008! [Fireworks]

Happy New Year!

Wishing you a safe, happy and productive New Year in 2008.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

In my last post I asked you all what photo you would like as a Christmas gift. I have received quite a few varied responses, so thank you all for your feedback. In this post I've included two of the requests. A Merry Christmas to you all, and may you have a fruitful and happy New Year in 2008!

Nature Nut / JJ Loch asked for a photo of the interior of a church decorated for Christmas.

Tom and Anna asked for an "Aussie Christmas Tree" (Most of them are the same as he American ones!)

Sun shining through leaves at Sunset - Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Sunset with silhouette of May Bush leaves

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.
Shutter speed: 1/350, F4.1, ISO 200