Colorless ex-clematis flower and “L” stories voting reminder

Posted on 12July2020 by

The “L” Stories voting had a momentary swell of activity (three votes) before falling back to dormant status.

I’d like to think it’s because of my promoting efforts, but I think it’s friends of the twins who account for most of the activity (note to self: get some friends of my own . . . but not too many).

If your life feels devoid of meaning and purpose and you want to spice it up, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link

Not saying reading these stories and voting will improve your life, but stranger things have happened, so I’d say it’s worth a shot.

 . . . for them who don’t know, once I post a set of photos, I’m likely to post variants (see previous posts). In this case, I again decided to go monochromatic. Specifically, on the photos of the clematis seed head.

Wait . . . why two versions of the same photo?

Continue reading →

Posted in Macro Photography, Nikon D7500, Photography Stuff, Photos | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Ex-clematis flower and “L” stories voting reminder

Posted on 11July2020 by

The “L” Stories voting has ground to a halt.

I don’t think that COVID-19 resurgence, social unrest, impending economic catastrophe, impending climate catastrophe, a government at odds with itself and its constituents, and global tensions are affecting people’s motivation to vote, so I’m at a loss as to why we’ve stalled.

If you’re bored and you want to participate in the process, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories.

So . . . for them who don’t know, a clematis <<link flower looks something like this . . .

That’s a photo I snapped with my phone in my yard, literally a few days ago.

Continue reading →

Posted in Macro Photography, Nikon D7500, Photography Stuff, Photos | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Restyled rock and “L” stories voting reminder

Posted on 10July2020 by

The “L” Stories voting has stalled, but you can be the one to kickstart it back to life. If that sounds like a mission you’re willing to accept, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories, in case you’ve yet to read them. Hint: read them all before voting. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . . the rock (geode<<link) I’ve been sharing — while interesting — ain’t exactly in the same league as geodes showcased in photos and museums. Not wanting my rock to come down with an inferiogeode complex, so I treated the photos to a bit of Topaz Labs Restyle plugin . . .

Whereas before we showcased shape and texture, these treatments are all about the colors.

Continue reading →

Posted in Macro Photography, Nikon D7500, Photography Stuff, Photos | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Monochromatic rock and “L” stories voting reminder

Posted on 9July2020 by

We’re almost at the halfway mark for the “L” Stories voting round. If you want to participate, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . . yesterday’s rock got treated to some Nik Collection Silver Efex Pro 2 . . .

Once again, I think the monochrome treatment enhances all that texture and shapes, making it easier to “see” faces and figures on a surface that reminds me of a representation of Dante’s Inferno.

Continue reading →

Posted in Macro Photography, Nikon D7500, Photography Stuff, Photos | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

A rock and “L” stories voting reminder

Posted on 8July2020 by

The “L” Stories voting round is underway and a couple of stories are making their move, breaking from the pack. Who will win? If you want to participate and help “fix” the race, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . . a rock . . .

Look at all that texture and shapes. I bet you can find all manner of figures hidden in those nooks and crannies.

Continue reading →

Posted in Macro Photography, Nikon D7500, Photography Stuff, Photos | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Multichromatic Wing, helicopter, and “L” stories voting reminder

Posted on 7July2020 by

The “L” Stories voting round is underway and it’s a tight race. If you want to participate, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link Just think; you could be the deciding vote in an epic battle of giants! Well, mostly giants; I’m still small both in stature and mass.

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . .the monochrome wing<<Link and helicopter (seed)<<Link were introduced in yesterday’s post. Today we’re swinging all the way to the other end by offering . . . a multichromatic extravaganza!

Today’s post showcases the result of using Topaz Labs Restyle and Impression plug-ins.

Continue reading →

Posted in About Photography, Macro Photography, Nikon D7500, No Category, Photo Post-processing, Photography Stuff, Photos | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Monochrome Wing, helicopter, and “L” stories voting reminder

Posted on 6July2020 by

The “L” Stories voting round is underway and it’s a tight race. If you want to participate, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link Just think; you could be the deciding vote in an epic battle of giants! Well, mostly giants, I’m still small both in stature and mass.

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . . wing<<Link and helicopter (seed)<<Link were introduced in yesterday’s post. I won’t be repeating all the information. If interested in what I shared, read yesterday’s post.

Today’s post is about the monochrome versions of yesterday’s photos.

Continue reading →

Posted in About Photography, Macro Photography, Nikon D7500, No Category, Photo Post-processing, Photography Stuff, Photos | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Wing, helicopter, and “L” stories voting reminder

Posted on 5July2020 by

The “L” Stories voting round is underway and it’s a tight race. If you want to participate, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link Just think; you could be the deciding vote in an epic battle for . . . well, just for the fun of it, really. We don’t actually win anything.

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . . wing<<Link and helicopter (seed)<<Link . . .

On the left, the wing of a Cicada.<<Link
On the right, a maple seed (I think).

Continue reading →

Posted in About Photography, Macro Photography, Nikon D7500, No Category, Photo Post-processing, Photography Stuff, Photos | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Masked opportunist, lost oranges, and “L” stories voting reminder

Posted on 3July2020 by

The “L” Stories voting round is underway and we already have some action. If you want to participate, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . . masked opportunist is, of course, a raccoon <<Link . . .

During a drive through the Crab Orchard National Refuge, we spotted this young raccoon feasting on lost oranges.

Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Nikon D7500, Photo Post-processing, Photography Stuff, Photos | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

The Alphabet Challenge: “L” Stories Voting

Posted on 1July2020 by

Assuming everyone has read the stories, this is the place where you can vote for your favorite of the “L” Stories.

For readers who stumbled here or who need a refresher, the stories can be found by clicking on their respective names.

Here are the links to the stories:

Legend <<Link

LT <<Link

L.I.F.E. <<Link

All readers have to do is read each story and choose the one they liked best. Voting is open until the publication of the next group of stories (the “M” stories) at which time the votes will be tallied and a winner declared.

As a reminder, to have your vote count, click on the circle next to the story you’re voting for, and then click on “Vote”. If you don’t click on “Vote”, your choice won’t be recorded.

If you would like to leave a comment for the writers — either here or with the individual stories posts — please do so. I will forward each comment/question to the appropriate writer.

The writers will appreciate hearing from you and will likely respond.

The next round of stories — the “M” Stories — should be up around the middle of July.

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

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Note: if you are not reading this blog post at DisperserTracks.com, know that it’s copied without permission, and likely is being used by someone with nefarious intentions, like attracting you to a malware-infested website. Could be they also torture small mammals.

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The Alphabet Challenge: “L” Story No. 1 of 3 — Legend

Posted on 1July2020 by

This is the twelfth round of The Alphabet Challenge mentioned in THIS post. As a refresher, the Broxson twins, Gary and Perry, and I will each write one story for each letter of the alphabet. Meaning, a story whose title begins with the given letter. For this round, it’s the letter “L”.

Readers have until the publication of the next round of stories (about two weeks between rounds) to vote for their favorite story in the current round. Points will be assigned to each writer based on total votes received.

In each round, the story with the most votes gets three points. Second place gets two points, third place gets one point. In the case of a tie, the points for the tied rankings are added and then split equally among the writers who tied. At the end of the year, we tally up and crown the winner with the most points.

Long or short, each story will appear on its own post and the trio will be followed by a fourth post where readers can vote.

Here we go. Presented anonymously, the first of three stories with titles beginning with the letter “L” as submitted by its author.

Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Short Stories, Writing Stuff | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

The Alphabet Challenge: “L” Story No. 2 of 3 — LT

Posted on 1July2020 by

This is the twelfth round of The Alphabet Challenge mentioned in THIS post. As a refresher, the Broxson twins, Gary and Perry, and I will each write one story for each letter of the alphabet. Meaning, a story whose title begins with the given letter. For this round, it’s the letter “L”.

Readers have until the publication of the next round of stories (about two weeks between rounds) to vote for their favorite story in the current round. Points will be assigned to each writer based on total votes received.

In each round, the story with the most votes gets three points. Second place gets two points, third place gets one point. In the case of a tie, the points for the tied rankings are added and then split equally among the writers who tied. At the end of the year, we tally up and crown the winner with the most points.

Long or short, each story will appear on its own post and the trio will be followed by a fourth post where readers can vote.

Here we go. Presented anonymously, the second of three stories with titles beginning with the letter “L” as submitted by its author.

Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Short Stories, Writing Stuff | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

The Alphabet Challenge: “L” Story No. 3 of 3 — L.I.F.E.

Posted on 1July2020 by

This is the twelfth round of The Alphabet Challenge mentioned in THIS post. As a refresher, the Broxson twins, Gary and Perry, and I will each write one story for each letter of the alphabet. Meaning, a story whose title begins with the given letter. For this round, it’s the letter “L”.

Readers have until the publication of the next round of stories (about two weeks between rounds) to vote for their favorite story in the current round. Points will be assigned to each writer based on total votes received.

In each round, the story with the most votes gets three points. Second place gets two points, third place gets one point. In the case of a tie, the points for the tied rankings are added and then split equally among the writers who tied. At the end of the year, we tally up and crown the winner with the most points.

Long or short, each story will appear on its own post and the trio will be followed by a fourth post where readers can vote.

Here we go. Presented anonymously, the third of three stories with titles beginning with the letter “L” as submitted by its author.

Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Short Stories, Writing Stuff | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Alphabet Challenge “K” Stories voting results

Posted on 30June2020 by

The polls for the”K” Stories are now closed. Soon, the “L” Stories will go live.

You can check the “K” Stories voting results HERE.<<Link Since few will click on the link, here they are.

Here’s a photo before I continue . . .

It’s seashells treated to Topaz Impression 2.0 and framed using Topaz Studio 1.0.

Continue reading →

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Doe, Fawn, and “K” stories voting reminder and stuff

Posted on 28June2020 by

The “K” stories voting window will close sometime Tuesday (14 days window). You can wait until then, but to be safe and ensure your vote is counted, you should probably vote for your favorite “Alphabet Challenge K-Stories” HERE<<<This Is A Link by the end of tomorrow (Monday).

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . . Doe and Fawn . . . we’ve had a doe and fan hanging around the yard last week. We saw them a number of times and I was lucky to see them out my office window.

Unfortunately, I’m shooting with them in the shade and through a window and screen. Still, with a little manipulation, the photos are passable. Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Animation and Movies, Fur, Macro Photography, My YouTube, Nikon D7500, Photo Post-processing, Photography Stuff, Photos | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments