Pictures: something unique / common in your neighbourhood

[HorseFilms]

Horse, You have some really beautiful sunsets there in Minnesota. And you capture them very well.

Thanks, sir. I live deep in the Minnesota River valley, so I don't always see the good sunsets without driving to catch them, but I snap a few pics when I see them develop. I just wish I had this lens when I shot my other sunset shots. It's way sharper.

Oh, and I'm a huge nerd... not that you didn't already know.

[Larry R]

I pass this every day on my way to/from work ... catches my eye every time:

[Nick]

Those are brilliant, Larry! I love things like that, things that are so random and yet so beautiful.

[KitKat]

After seeing all the beautiful sunset shots, it reminded me that I miss way too many sunsets.  Thanks Horse and Larry! 

[Ginafish]

That's nice Larry. It's pictures like that which make me question where you live. Old tractors in California?? That's not right!

[HorseFilms]

Those are awesome, Larry!

[Larry R]

Glad you like 'em ... that tractor catches my eye every day, I just had to finally stop and snap some shots of it.

And Gina, unlike most of the world's perception of California, we have a large amount of agriculture, so this is far from an uncommon sight.       The glamor of Hollywood and San Francisco is purely a movie thing ... the reality is much different

[Ginafish]

You did see my wink after the comment about "that's not right?", didn't you? My dad's family went to California for half a year for many years to work in vineyards. Stereotypes are fun to get rid of, aren't they?

[Larry R]

Yea, I saw it ... but thought I'd use your comment to help "educate"

It's funny what some people in the world think about other places (and we do it about non-California places too). I remember years ago my uncle went to Ireland. The people he went with had friends there so they went their house one day for dinner, they were in the backyard for a BBQ (I didn't know they BBQ'd outside of California and Texas ... see stereotypes ) ... and it started raining, so they had to rush everything inside. They apologized over and over to my uncle because he was from Sunny California, so they assumed it never rained here

I've spent my life up here in Northern California, in the central valley, and it is nothing but agriculture ... I remember when they used to burn the rice fields after the harvest to put nitrogen back into the soil ... for 3 or 4 days you couldn't go outside without having trouble breathing.

I'm definitely a city boy, love asphalt roads, cement sidewalks, indoor plumbing, air conditioning, nearby grocery stores/restaurants/hospitals, but I also love being able to hop in a car and be in the wide open country in just a few minutes.

Maybe I'll do a series of California Farmlands ... it's amazing how beautiful they are, considering they are just fields of dirt and manure

[Nick]

I think stereotypes about California are funny too, since I live here. We aren't all tree-hugging surfers. That being said, I have done my fair share of stereotyping. I like it where I live, it's not too city and not too desolate. It's nice.

[Larry R]

Ok, finished processing some of the other shots I took the other day the same time I got those tractor shots above:

[KitKat]

   Larry, your photos are outstanding!!  The second one has the most awesome colors.      This makes me want to take more photos.   Your light timing is, I can see, very important.  Something I've never thought much about until now.  Thank you!!

[Nick]

Larry, excellent CC in those pictures. Gosh, I can't get away from DVXUser and filmmaking can I?

[HorseFilms]

Gosh, I can't get away from DVXUser and filmmaking can I?

Nope. It's an illness... but a good one.

[HorseFilms]

that tractor catches my eye every day, I just had to finally stop and snap some shots of it.

It's a good thing you did. It's happened to me too many times where I think something looks cool and always meant to shoot a few shots of it... and then it's gone. Get 'em while you can or you'll kick yourself for it.

[Nick]

It's a good thing you did. It's happened to me too many times where I think something looks cool and always meant to shoot a few shots of it... and then it's gone. Get 'em while you can or you'll kick yourself for it.

Wiser words have ne'er been posted. On my way home today from the local Mexican food joint the smoke from nearby fires that recently started the blow back into this valley created a mask over the sub which produced what wa sa brilliant display. I wanted to pull over and get a shot of it but there wasn't a good place to do so. I should have gone back but I kept thinking I would find a good vantage point, by the time I found one it was my house and the sun was already below the hill.

The smoke is still here, however, so maybe I can get a shot tomorrow before I leave for LA.

[Larry R]

Yep, I agree wholeheartedly. The other day I was driving by that sunflower field (the one I put a picture up from before) and all the sunflowers had died and were bowed over, except 1 single sunflower in the middle standing tall and bright. It would have been a great shot, but when I didn't have my camera with me. When I went back the next day, it was dead too

Last night driving down to Southern California I saw a gorgeous sunset, the sun was red/orange through the smoke dipping down behind the mountains as I cruised through Bakersfield ... I kept thinking about pulling over and trying to get a shot of it ... but didn't do it before it finally dipped the rest of the way behind the mountain.

[RoS]

This used to be my neighborhood at Montevideo - Daytime view




Night view

[KitKat]

  Wow! RoS, that's beautiful!! 

[ZeroG]

Nice pics RoS! I love the lights on the beach.

[Ginafish]

That's beautiful Ros! It's funny how some place that looks ordinary during the day can be so dazzling at night. The ocean is a big plus.

[Nick]

Nice pics RoS! I love the lights on the beach.

I totally agree, lovely place. How have things been here while I was in LA? Did you guys miss me?

[PK]

Montevideo looks beautiful. Florida has lots of beaches so it should feel kind of like home.

Nick - thartley said she saw you on the DVXfest Webcast.

[Nick]

Nick - thartley said she saw you on the DVXfest Webcast.

Sorry I missed this PK, sometimes new posts slip through the cracks on busy days. Yes, it is true I was interviewed at the screening. Thartley would have to be the one to speak as to hoe well I did, but when I watched it back the one thing I noticed was I talked way too fast (although that wasn't a surprise because I usually do). Next time I will remember to slow it down so people actually know what I am saying.

The real reason I came in here, though, was to post a picture. The other day I saw the smoke-masked sun again and stopped to take a picture. I didn't treat it or anything because I think the colors are neat in their natural state. Here it is:

[KitKat]

I totally agree, lovely place. How have things been here while I was in LA? Did you guys miss me?

 Nick, we always miss you when you're away.

I've enjoyed your photo very much and for this reason.  
It sets the sun up for special importance with the many horizontal layers and the vertical poles.     Your appreciation for it's natural beauty was an excellent choice.      I'm not an expert on photos, but I do appreciate the many layers of different natural elements captured.     I've counted at least 7 horizontal layers and 8 if I include  the road stripes.