DSK.Views.Nature

DSK.Views.Nature Sharing my nature and landscape photos with you!

• Under What Is Under •What are some of the strangest natural things you've seen? I think cave formations rank way up t...
08/11/2026

• Under What Is Under •

What are some of the strangest natural things you've seen? I think cave formations rank way up there for me. However, strangeness comes from being uncommon or unfamiliar, so I guess is we lived in caves these wouldn't be quite so strange.

Traveling up through mid-America my wife and I stopped at Mammoth Cave National Park. It's generally known for its size not for its formations but this time we took the Frozen Niagra tour. Mostly because it's relative short and has interesting features. For it you take a 10 minute bus ride to one of the few alternate cave entrances. It's far enough away that when the caves were first explored they didn't realize (though maybe suspected) that it was the same cave. And it's kind of a different world even from much of the rest of this cave since it actually has a fair amount of formations.

I took this from about the lowest point in this cave tour. You go down almost a hundred steps to get to this spot. Of course I took a lot of pics from the sides and all around, but I don't think I've ever been under such a formation before and that gives this an interesting perspective looking straight up.

To me, it almost looks like living tissue. Maybe alien living tissue. But thankfully (for my mind) being rock it isn't pulsing or moving. In a sense, it is the living tissue of the cave since it grew into the space. It's just that caves are very slow growers. Just some of the thought I have about the magical looking world beneath us.

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• Apr '24

• Nikon D5200 | f2.8, 1/6s, ISO-3200, 24mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• Busy Bee •While I was snapping pics of these California Poppies the bees and other insects were certainly busy flying ...
07/28/2026

• Busy Bee •

While I was snapping pics of these California Poppies the bees and other insects were certainly busy flying around gathering the nectar. Though they were all around, I find it's actually hard to get a pic of them since they are soooo busy that they are never still or at the same flower for very long. But this one decided to roll around in the nectar long enough for me to grab this pic.

I've shared another pic of this photo shoot a couple of months ago. I'm just happy to have finally gotten some good pics of the poppies. I've either been too busy to stop, or (gasp) didn't have my DSLR with me. I have cell phone pics, but the quality just isn't the same when you start trying to zoom in / crop, or try to enhance the overall image. Mostly because the cell phone has already done all that for you and if you try to change it anymore the processing becomes very obvious with artifacts. Maybe you wouldn't see the difference on a social media share, but I can see it on larger screens.

I'm not saying cell phones can't take good pics and I'm glad I've got one with me for any instance. Maximize the equipment you've got - cell or other. The photographer certainly makes the most difference. But some times you need the right tool for the best results.

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• May '26

• Nikon z6iii | f5.6, 1/1250s, ISO-400, 70mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2 with K&F Polorizer filter & Variable ND filter
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Wisps of Beauty •Last night we had a thunderstorm roll through the area. Alas, this is not it, but it made me decide ...
07/23/2026

• Wisps of Beauty •

Last night we had a thunderstorm roll through the area. Alas, this is not it, but it made me decide to share these pics.

I'm still wanting to get some good lightning pictures. I have a few but not what I would call "good". I'm not sure I would call these "good" cloud pictures but I like the abstract sometimes and clouds certainly lend themselves to that. For me, there's a beauty in the curls and wisps particularly brought out with a little enhanced contrast and de-hazing.

Since I live in the Pacific NW USA, we don't get many thunderstorms. Maybe a couple per year. In fact, if you look at a map of lightning strikes across the USA (or world), we're one of the least active areas. On the other hand, Florida in the opposite corner of the country gets massive amounts of storms - basically every day. My point is, my opportunities are few but I keep trying. And I remember that the most incredible thunderstorm I remember wasn't in Florida or the SW deserts, but rather in the PNW with the mountain valleys to bounce, rumble, roll, and echo the thunder. But I can't take a still picture of thunder.

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• Mar '25

• Nikon z6iii | f4, 1/250s, ISO-400, 24mm; f11, 1/60s, ISO-1250, 24mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed

• The Mountain Out but Under •This year Tahoma is rather bare. We didn't get nearly as much snowpack in the mountains a...
07/16/2026

• The Mountain Out but Under •

This year Tahoma is rather bare. We didn't get nearly as much snowpack in the mountains as usual this year but instead we got even more rain than normal. Enough to fill up lakes that haven't been full in a very long time.

We were somewhat lucky to be up on the mountain this day as the lenticulars formed over us. The day had been mostly clear which means as we say, the mountains were out (visible). So it made for a surreal experience seeing the clouds forming like this. Simply awe inspiring.

There are two primary places to get up to the tree line, Paradise on the south side and Sunrise on the northeast. This was at Sunrise. Despite the fact they are only 10 miles apart (as the birds fly), it takes about 1.5 hours to get from one to the other. This is part of why we laugh when people tell us the plans for seeing all of Seattle, Rainier, and Mt St Helens in one day. We're not the biggest state, but the roads through the mountains are not built for speed. But what they lack in speed they certainly make up for in beautiful scenery!

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• Aug '16

• Nikon D7100 | f13, 1/2500s, ISO-1600, 70mm | Nikon 18-135mm, 4.5-5.6 DX
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Refreshing Picture Stroll •Seattle is one of the cities the world has gotten to glimpse a little more through the Worl...
07/09/2026

• Refreshing Picture Stroll •

Seattle is one of the cities the world has gotten to glimpse a little more through the World Cup games here. Many have visited places like The Space Needle, The Waterfront Park, Pioneer Square, and Pike Place Market. Last year after finishing a job in the Pike Place area I decided to wonder around with my camera for a bit. At the south end of the market I happened on this little garden tucked in between various building on a roof or terrace. A pleasant little place to get away from the crowds in the market - at least when I was there it was mostly empty.

I try to always have my camera handy for such occasions. As I've said before, simply taking the pictures is therapeutic for me. Later when I go through and see if what I captured still appeals to me I enhance them to make them a good as I can. I touch of sharpness, maybe some extra contrast, a little more vibrance, maybe remove a dust spot or two (or many more). And then I get to share the pics with you! If only you could feel the cool morning Puget Sound air, the semi-stillness as the city was waking up, and the calmness of a peaceful garden there for any to find and share. I share what I can, but I also get taken back to that morning and often enough, my pictures refresh my soul. I hope they touch yours as well.

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• Sept '25

• Nikon z6iii | f3.2, 1/250s, ISO-800, 70mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed

• Where the Ferns Grow •What did you used to think was unique to your area but then found out other places have the same...
07/02/2026

• Where the Ferns Grow •

What did you used to think was unique to your area but then found out other places have the same feature?

Living in the Pacific NW USA I am quite familiar with ferns growing on trees but somehow equated it to the near rain forest nature of this part of the world. Even though I had heard other places in the USA get more rain that Seattle or Portland it sometimes just doesn't register. In fact, I saw a report some years back that most of the top 10 rainiest cities in the USA are in the south. That is, the average number of inches per year is higher overall down there - in cities. But the wettest place on average for the continental USA is actually in the Aberdeen Reservoir in Washington state, but that's not a city.

So I should have known but it was a bit unexpected when I came upon this tree (and plenty of others) while traveling in Georgia a few years ago. I wish I could get a more wow shot of this but I think I would loose the detail of the ferns which is what I really wanted to show. But then, when I'm always in a hurry while traveling it's hard to get great shots anywhere. My loss - but I keep learning and trying.

I was also amused after picking this shot to share today, that I realized I took the pic on the same date I'm sharing 7/2. Quite a difference life is for me in these past 4 years. Who knows where you'll find yourself a year or 10 from now. Maybe taking more pics of trees in some yet to visit place.

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• Jul '22

• Nikon D610 | f3.5, 1/50s, ISO-400, 52mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• The (non)Land of Blues •What are some of the most interesting places you have flown over? I love flying over mountain...
06/19/2026

• The (non)Land of Blues •

What are some of the most interesting places you have flown over? I love flying over mountains, ice fields, canyons, and well, pretty much anywhere with some amount of texture or color to the surface. Normally I would say oceans are some of the most boring parts to fly over. So when I flew from Miami to Panama on a business trip I wasn't expecting the display I saw.

This pic is of a place that doesn't exist! Really! Well, let's just say it doesn't have a name (that I can find). Maybe on a marine chart, but not on Google maps. It's a reef line so thin and shallow that there is barely any land. On Gmaps in regular view it doesn't show up, but if you switch to satellite it's obvious.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/tnZ3hNuEPwSj3Q279

But interesting colors and textures can also depend on the exact route of any flight as well as the time of day, not to mention the weather. So while some places like this were still picturesque, most of the flight back wasn't. I didn't take near so many higher quality pics.

I'll also say once again that it usually pays off to anticipate which way the sun will be shining for the trip and plan which side my seats are on accordingly. You don't want to face the sun. Besides pics - it's just cooler than having the sun shine in on you!

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• Dec '23

• Nikon D610 | f18, 1/1250s, ISO-3200, 70mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• California in the NW •I find it fascinating how different plants are more or less prolific each year. One year it's F...
06/11/2026

• California in the NW •

I find it fascinating how different plants are more or less prolific each year. One year it's Foxglove, another favors Scotch Broom, another brings out the Rhodies, and like this year, the California Poppies seem to be everywhere around here in the Pacific NW.

I really like the yellow and orange of these flowers. I've been trying to get some good pics of them for quite a while (several seasons) but haven't had my camera (gasp!) at an opportune time and the cell pics just don't really work well IMO. So having seen bunches of these around, a recent Sunday afternoon I decided to find some that I could make a good pic with. I think I did all right - even though I don't have some spectacular mountain in the back or anything else. But then, something like a mountain would compete and frankly, by the time I have a wide enough shot for that the flower have lost all their detail. This time, I was just after the flowers.

When you're careful, you can make many a place work. This happens to be next to a railroad track that cuts through our town. There's a college parking lot just to the right of the frame. But in the shoulders grew this patch about 50 ft x 15 ft just filled with flowers. It was a very nice place to snap my pics and a wonderfully relaxing way to spend a bit of time on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

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• May '26

• Nikon z6iii | f5.6, 1/1250s, ISO-360, 70mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2 with K&F Polorizer filter & Variable ND filter
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed

• The Red Bridge •Today I'm continuing to remember my journey through the southern USA a few years ago. I made this sto...
06/09/2026

• The Red Bridge •

Today I'm continuing to remember my journey through the southern USA a few years ago. I made this stop at the Magnolia Plantation outside of Charleston, South Carolina. They have "The White Bridge" and "The Red Bridge". I bet / hope you know which one this is.

This scene capture the general sense I remember wandering the paths and gardens. A warm summer morning enjoying the quiet beauty they have there. And at least I didn't see any alligators in this pond.

I was having a conversation with a friend not long ago about color grading images. It makes a huge difference. I had to work to get the red looking the way I wanted. Mainly to get the red to stand out with such thin lines in the overall picture. The catch is, you probably see it different than me since every display shows slightly differently. Some favor certain colors compared to others. Even each of our eyes are different. So I make my best effort to make it look good to me and hope it relates to you.

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• Jul '22

• Nikon D610 | f4, 1/60s, ISO-400, 70mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2 with K&F Polorizer filter & Variable ND filter
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• Wake Up Call •I learned something new a couple of months ago... I learned that Woodpeckers are a nuisance!!! I mean,...
06/04/2026

• Wake Up Call •

I learned something new a couple of months ago... I learned that Woodpeckers are a nuisance!!! I mean, they're pretty and all, I find them interesting, but when they're knocking not too far from my window at early hours of the morning it doesn't exactly make me love them. Especially when he's found out that banging on the gutter makes more noise than wood so guess where he's perched.

But I like to take pics of birds so I got out my camera and went around the house. P**f - he's gone lickety-split. No pic the 1st try - nor the 2nd - 3rd? I don't remember but it took me several tries to get reasonably close. This pic is fairly cropped even with my long 600mm lens. But obviously I got my picture(s).

For the few of you that actually read my info, I mentioned that I had gotten some pics of flowers around my house while trying to get another picture. This is why I was out taking those pics. So at least I made the best of being so rudely gotten out of bed. 😊

Off he flew to the tree he likes at the edge of our property. Then off to the neighbor's shed where they had a metal ladder. Oh it sounded about as good as our drain but at least it was quite a bit further from my window!

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• Apr '26

• Nikon z6iii | f22, 1/1600s, ISO-2500, 600mm | Sigma 150-600, f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

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