• Fotomom Home
  • Browse
  • Search
  • Contact Me
  • Daily Photo
  • Recent Photos
  • Most Popular
  • Map
  • Guest Book
  2. Daily Photos

My Best Daily Shots

Thanks for stopping by to view my daily photo! I will post a new photo each day to this gallery. Typically, I will post early morning, and the photo will have been taken the day before. Sometimes the photo may be from sometime earlier in the week, but all the pictures posted will be relatively new. I hope you see something that makes you smile. Feel free to leave professionally appropriate comments. Here's a link to the SmugMug Daily Community.
Read More
08/05/09 - On my way to work yesterday, like usual, I went the long way down past the swamp. What I saw of interest to me were two neat spiderwebs side by side, covered in morning dew, and in decent light. So, I did my best to capture them. This is the one I liked the best. I hope you think it's neat too. <br /> <br /> Thanks for your comments on the glass shot from yesterday. The weave pattern was actually etched into the glass. I had not used glass beads before. I had used marbles (flat or round), sugar, or broken glass. So using beads was new. If you missed it along the way, I'm going to do a coffee shop show later this year, and I'm most likely going to pick from my glass shots what to hang. I did nature shots the last two times, and the owner and I both like to switch it up sometimes.<br /> <br /> Have a great day!
2087 / 2142

08/05/09 - On my way to work yesterday, like usual, I went the long way down past the swamp. What I saw of interest to me were two neat spiderwebs side by side, covered in morning dew, and in decent light. So, I did my best to capture them. This is the one I liked the best. I hope you think it's neat too.

Thanks for your comments on the glass shot from yesterday. The weave pattern was actually etched into the glass. I had not used glass beads before. I had used marbles (flat or round), sugar, or broken glass. So using beads was new. If you missed it along the way, I'm going to do a coffee shop show later this year, and I'm most likely going to pick from my glass shots what to hang. I did nature shots the last two times, and the owner and I both like to switch it up sometimes.

Have a great day!

spider

  • 08/11/09 - (Somehow the caption I typed at 7AM is gone...I probably didn't hit save...retyping as best as I can.) I tried some new things with my artsy glass shots yesterday. First, I tried using small squares of tissue paper on top of the plate. I didn't get the results that I was hoping for. Second, I tried smearing several colors of glitter glue on top of a plate. That didn't yield particularly cool results either. So, I went to the old standby and dug out some kid type plastic beads. Finally something of interest! I had a saucer with small flowers in the center and bigger flowers around the outer edge. I took 300+ shots trying to get 'the' shot. Near the end of my attempts, I put thin white paper on top of the beads, and that seemed to really add nicely to the process. This shot happens to be the last one I took! I wish it was a tad crisper as is the case with many of my glass shots, but this is as crisp as it gets (there's no motion blur). This is sooc without even a crop. Maybe there is something I could do to it in pp...not sure. <br /> <br /> Thank you for sharing my excitement about the train picture yesterday. That whole experience was so awesome!<br /> <br /> Have a great day!
  • 08/10/09 - Here it comes!<br /> <br /> On the spur of the moment, the kids and I with Dad drove over to Waxhaw, NC to look around. I took pics of the water tower and of the pedestrian bridge over the train tracks. We were having a good time. I was wishing that a train would come through. We'd loaded up and were heading out of town when we crossed the tracks and I saw the lights of this train coming toward us from off in the distance. I parked again...quick...and the kids and I ran back up on the pedestrian bridge. Another family was up there. They were regulars. The train slowed down to come through town, so we got to enjoy the approach. I got to take pics. WAY COOL. Well, you see that heat and air above the diesel engine in the front? In this shot it is getting ready to go RIGHT UNDER US. The pedestrian bridge cannot be more than 8' above the top of the train. What a rush of heat and air for a few seconds! I was not quite prepared for that. We watched the entire train pass. It was neat to see down into the cars...railroad timbers, concrete slabs, coal. In pic IMG_9175 5 shots later, the engineer on the right is waving at us with his donut in his hand. Can you tell I thought this was COOL?!?<br /> <br /> Here's the link to the donut:<br /> <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9208986_8ty5A#615687836_TLNiz">http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9208986_8ty5A#615687836_TLNiz</a><br /> and the gallery with the rest of the pics from the train and the weekend.
  • 08/09/09 - I was MIA commenting yesterday because the boys and I drove to my dad's house in Monroe, NC. That's about a 150 mile trip. What a nice smile I had logging in this AM (from my old bedroom) and seeing your comments about the fawn and the glass 'painting'. Thank you! I will be back in action like regular come Monday morning. We'll head out of dad's midday, stop at Boss Grist Mill on the way out of town, and get back to Raleigh late day. <br /> <br /> I take the backroads from Raleigh to Monroe on purpose. Not much to see on I40 and I85, so I come Hwy. 64 to 49 to 601/200. There was a storage place in a small town on Hwy. 200 that I remembered having beautiful lantana and butterflies when we drove past this time last year. I'm always looking for nice flowers not on private property that I can take pics of. To my delight, the lantana and the butterflies were back. The boys watched a DVD in the car. I put on my sun visor and spent a solid 20 minutes in the 90 degree sun taking butterfly pictures. This is one of my favs. And, yes, I'm likely to stop on my way out of town too:-) <br /> <br /> I hope you all are having a good weekend.
  • 08/08/09 - More glass and beads. The glass was a small frosted apple-shaped little bowl/plate. Small green, pink, and red beads on top. No water:-) No real pattern here, and that might be the beauty of it. I like the splash of bright water looking color. <br /> <br /> Have a great weekend!
  • 08/07/09 - Boy did I miss SmugMug (and you guys) while it was in read only mode. I was really feeling for whoever was under the gun to get the issue resolved. <br /> <br /> I see you... - This may not be the sharpest picture ever, but I am so pleased that I was able to see this fawn up-close and to get this picture. I love his/her stance. There were actually two fawns and the mother that I was able to watch, enjoy, and take pics of for about 15 minutes. Wow! It's been a goal of mine to get a picture like this:-) The album with the rest of the best pics is here:<br /> <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9187360_fg3qQ#613168186_Vkxqt">http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9187360_fg3qQ#613168186_Vkxqt</a>
  • 08/06/09 - This is Johnny sound asleep on top of a pile of his teddy bears. He has a bed...really, but he prefers to get out of bed and sleep in the corner of his and Joey's room with is friends. This has been going on for a couple of years on and off. I don't fuss with him. He's old enough not to worry about, and he's certainly happy where he is. I am considering this picture for the Dgrin challenge #30 environmental portrait. The original is <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9174577_PvjnE#612202140_KEm7B">here</a>. Another shot that I like but which is cropped a little closer sooc is <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9164148_Dq97g#611380475_8Fcbr">here</a>. I took more puddle pics of Johnny yesterday thinking that might be a good idea, but it was too dark. I have one or two nice ones out of 200, but the action would have been captured so much better in the sun. That picture is <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9174577_PvjnE/1/612284859_g9ETu#612217193_3VLWY">here</a>. I have a neat pic of Joey in the green ball pit from the museum on Saturday that I am also considering <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9125379_2dHQb#608264843_8LWMr">here</a>. If you want to leave me critical feedback on the potential (or I suspect not) of any of these, let me know. Meanwhile, I'll keep trying. You guys really made my day yesterday with all your feedback on the spiderweb picture. WOW! Thank you........
  • 08/05/09 - On my way to work yesterday, like usual, I went the long way down past the swamp. What I saw of interest to me were two neat spiderwebs side by side, covered in morning dew, and in decent light. So, I did my best to capture them. This is the one I liked the best. I hope you think it's neat too. <br /> <br /> Thanks for your comments on the glass shot from yesterday. The weave pattern was actually etched into the glass. I had not used glass beads before. I had used marbles (flat or round), sugar, or broken glass. So using beads was new. If you missed it along the way, I'm going to do a coffee shop show later this year, and I'm most likely going to pick from my glass shots what to hang. I did nature shots the last two times, and the owner and I both like to switch it up sometimes.<br /> <br /> Have a great day!
  • 08/04/09 - I tried a new piece of glass. Can you guess what is sitting on top of the bowl this time? Well, it's tiny glass beads...a tube of blue and a tube of orange. I read Joey all the comments about his shark picture and Johnny all the comments about his water collage, and both boys had big smiles. Joey thought it was cute that a flower and a camel were making comments about him. Johnny liked his doggie commenter. I tried to explain how real people represent the thumbnail images beside the comments. Mostly I just giggled. If Joey was gonna pick an image for himself, it would probably be Mario or maybe his dog Blaze. A new gallery with the other best pics from this session are <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9151141_zPw2j#610341162_iJM62">here</a>. Also, Joey now has his own web presence. http://goldmanjh.blogspot.com It won't be long before he's cruising along and passing me. Such is the way it was intended to be.
  • 08/03/09 - OK, here's the birthday boy, Johnny, who just turned 5. And, what is he doing again? Why playing in water of course! You may remember that he's mud puddle boy;-) These pics are also from his b'day party at Marbles Kids Museum. In yesterday's shot of Joey and the shark, Johnny was standing behind him at the hand dryer. <br /> <br /> What you can't immediately tell from the picture is that the white pipe has a tiny hole at the bottom of it and when you close off the water flow with your finger you get splashed in the face. If you look close, well maybe you don't need to look THAT close, you can tell his shirt is soaked:-) I tried to get a 'spray' picture, but that was truly proving to be bad for my camera's health. <br /> <br /> Continued thanks for looking and commenting on my pics and for the sense of community here.
  • 08/02/09 - Mom, the shark's got my finger! (Joey age 6) We had a lot of fun celebrating Johnny's 5th birthday at <a href="http://www.marbleskidsmuseum.org">Marbles Kids Museum</a> yesterday. I guess I should be posting a picture of Johnny. There were many cute ones of everyone from yesterday. But, something about this pic of Joey I just really like for a daily. (The boys are 21 months apart.) The 16 best pics are in a collage <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9125379_2dHQb#608251373_9qA84">here</a>. The 'best of' album is <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9125379_2dHQb#608284775_ioE8x">here</a>
  • 08/01/09 - Just Hangin' Around - This is a juvenile red-bellied woodpecker. I sat in my home office yesterday with the window open. I put my camera on a tripod and did the best I could to capture the woodpeckers at my 3 suet feeders and on nearby trees. They were pretty darn cooperative, but the light is very low in the shade back there. This time I tried in the morning. I might try again Monday afternoon (different lighting). I liked this picture best because I thought he looked like a typical kid out having fun. There's a collage of 3 of the red-bellied pics <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9113104_gDpbf/5/607396710_n4BTr#607447804_iUfJB">here</a>. I also caught a male ruby throated hummingbird at my backyard feeder yesterday, That pic is <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9113104_gDpbf/5/607396710_n4BTr#607393315_TSmFF">here</a>. That pic is pretty colorful, so maybe some of you might like it better. Today we celebreate Johnny's 5th birthday at Marbles Kids Museum. I hope to get some good pics...maybe even one good enough for the Dgrin environmental portrait challenge.
  • 07/31/09 - I took this picture on my way to work yesterday near the swamp where I go often. I think he is a red-tailed hawk (see new note below). As I drove up, I saw him fly overhead in the sky. Nice of him to land on a tree branch that I could take pictures on without even getting out of my car! I wasn't too lazy to get out, but if I did, he probably would have flown. Anyway, I took some shots, moved up a few feet closer, took a few more, and moved again until he flew. Then, I got pics of him on two other branches. I guess it's my week to have twigs in my shots near my subject's faces. I have a few shots where there aren't any twigs, but his face is better in this pic and so is the color I think. Anyway, enjoy him. I did. More shots of him are <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9098805_3Vgnt#606242669_hoKWp">here</a>. I was sad yet again to see the big dead tree overlooking the pond on the ground. The storm the other day knocked it over. I took pics of a great blue heron standing in that tree a couple of weeks ago...no more. Such is the way nature works, though. From a friend that would know: It's a red-tailed hawk (imm), hatched this year (HY). Immatures don't have the "red tail" of the adults. Note the fine barring on the tail which would be wider in red-shouldered (both adult and immature). The breast is clear not reddish, or finely barred, as in adult red-shouldered, or streaked as in immature red-shouldered. The bird is chunky, or heavier bodied than red-shouldered.
  • 07/30/09 - Here's something a little different for today. As the saying goes, love it or leave it (or somewhere inbetween). I shot this when I was taking the hummingbird pics, and I worked on it last night. It's the brick of our house, blue shutter, and nice bokeh light out the window. I liked the colors and textures. I saturated it a bit, cropped it a tad, and straightened it so the blue shutter was more vertical.<br /> <br /> Have a good day everyone..........<br /> <br /> Maryann
  • 07/29/09 - As I worked yesterday, I sat on the family room couch. I had pulled the screen off the window, and I either had the top or bottom part of the window open. When I heard the hummers come to my feeder, I'd try to get in position to take a picture either at the feeder or on the nearby American Holly branches. It was fun but a tad frustrating chasing those fast and small birds. Also, it was a little low light with the feeder hanging on the front stoop overhang semi blocking the incoming sun. I'm convinced now that I need a shephard's hook and to move the feeder if I'm going to try this again. Just over 5 feet or so should do!<br /> <br /> I had fun, so that's good, right? I'm just a tad frustrated that the sharpest best composed picture of the day has the hummers beak behind that little twig. I tried to PS it out. I did OK, but you could tell. So, here it is, sooc except for a crop. You know, I am always going to be hardest on myself...<br /> <br /> Here's one at the feeder picture in the gallery that has the rest of yesterday's decent shots:<br /> <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9077053_gFEQ4#604516869_3X8qN">http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9077053_gFEQ4#604516869_3X8qN</a><br /> <br /> Thanks for your support and sharing your pics and comments with me and looking at my pics too.
  • 07/28/09 - I believe this to be a Turk's Cap lily. This picture was taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway on our trip this past weekend. These lilies were everywhere...just spectacular. Many, many wildflowers were blooming. I was so delighted to have the opportunity to photograph them. Here's a <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9071554_7x87Z#604154258_WZfSU">link</a> to my last and #3 collage from our trip which mostly showcases the wildflowers. We had damage in my yard last night from the storms that rolled through Raleigh. There were 70mph winds clocked within 2 miles of our house. I believe it! Hail too. Half of the top snapped off the largest tree in our front yard and took out the tops of 3 other smaller trees. It was such a wonderful, old oak tree. Oh well. It's on our shed, but the shed doesn't appear to be damaged as best as we can tell so far. It's just that the landscape of my yard is now changed forever yet again. Fran did so much in 1996. Also, Joey and Madi were on the bus during that storm. I think I aged a bit waiting for them to get home. Their bus was delayed waiting for a tree to be removed that was blocking the road, but they were fine. Hopefully today will be less, um, interesting.
  • 07/27/09 - These are the pictures from the 2nd day of our Day Out With Thomas trip to the NC Mountains. These pics were taken Saturday. We took our Thomas train drive and then we drove the parkway 30 miles over to Gatlinburg for dinner. We went to Mangus Mill in the park which was really neat. I took a lot more wildflower pics and of course cute pics of the boys. <br /> <br /> The rest of the best pics from Saturday are here:<br /> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/maryanngnc/JJ072509DOWTDay2TheBest">http://picasaweb.google.com/maryanngnc/JJ072509DOWTDay2TheBest</a>#<br /> <br /> I'm still getting settled back into being home, and it's Joey's first day of 1st Grade today. Johnny is off to Y camp too. Boy is it gonna be quiet at home today!<br /> <br /> See yesterday's daily for a collage from Friday.
  • 07/26/09 - The family traveled to Bryson City, NC this weekend for a Day Out with Thomas (DOWT) event. This is our 5th year going but all the other times we've gone to the event at the NC Transportation Museum in Salisbury. This time, we combined the trip to see Thomas with a trip to the NC mountains. This is a picture collage from Friday's (7/24) pictures. We drove to Bryson City taking the Blue Ridge Parkway part of the last leg. We went to the Smoky Mountain National Park at Deep Creek where we watched tubers and the boys got their feet and a little more wet. We checked into our 'log cabin' and the boys checked out their loft and the hot tub. Then we dorve around Bryson City for an early sneak peak of Thomas. <br /> <br /> The rest of the day 1 pics are here:<br /> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/maryanngnc/JJ072409DOWTDay1TheBest">http://picasaweb.google.com/maryanngnc/JJ072409DOWTDay1TheBest</a>#<br /> <br /> Thank you for all the comments on the sunflower and barn pictures from Friday and Saturday. They made me smile. <br /> <br /> More trip pictures coming your way tomorrow.
  • 07/25/09 - The Old Homestead (sometimes I call it The Barn but it's not really a barn). Straight line, this homestead is about 2 miles from my house. Over the past year and a half, I've driven by it many times and taken pics of how it changes during the seasons. You can see some of those other pics <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/7265861_EDckQ#467076356_VGE4F">here</a>. One day I was taking pics and a hunter came to shoot in the nearby field. He gave me a little history about the place telling me about the family that used to live there, etc. I just think it's neat. Maybe you will too. As I said in my 7/24 pic, I won't have internet access again until late Sunday night, so I'm posting two pics today. You guys have a great weekend! I'll be hopefully be taking lots of pics.
  • 07/24/09 - Come on...don't be bashful... I was out driving this past weekend looking for a field of sunflowers so I could take some pictures. No luck. Then I discovered that there was a small field only 3 miles from the house...but on private land with no road access or anything. So, I got up the courage yesterday afternoon to pull into the driveway and approach the homeowner. Luckily, he was out weed eating and was happy to oblige my request. The man's wife came out with their dog and we chatted for a bit. She even sent me home with some red peppers:-) Southern hospitality at it's best. The flowers were planted for the man's mother who lives with them so she could enjoy the birds that come to enjoy the flowers. Isn't that sweet?!? I'd say 5 rows 100' long each. He did good! Other pics from yesterday are <a href="http://fotomom.smugmug.com/gallery/9019946_3mAKa#599996228_sQ5jn">here</a>. I don't think I'll have internet connection again until late Sunday. I am also posting a picture in my daily album for 7/25. I'll 'see' you guys Monday morning. Have a great weekend! I should get lots of pics:-)
  • 07/23/09 - I shot 375 pics of this one piece of glass trying to get it just right. I'm still not thrilled. I don't think I'll ever be thrilled with this one. It is just too distorted and not sharp enough no matter what I do. I did use a neat little trick yesterday that helped some. I coated the bottom of the glass with vegetable oil to smooth out any imperfections in the glass. I love the flower pattern, so I just had to try to make it work.<br /> <br /> Joey is talking more I Spy already. Thanks for your comments on yesterday's pic:-)

  • RBlackburn

    on March 12, 2014

    Great looking spider web. You definitely raised the bar in the insect world.

  • 1075597aHardyPerspective

    on February 12, 2012

    great spiderweb, love it

  • debccrn

    on January 28, 2012

    Great job! thwey are very tough to capture and you have done so very well!!!

  • rdungan

    on January 28, 2012

    Great image. I have had trouble getting the web to show up so distinctly when I have tried these shots.

  • Michael J> Matusinec

    on December 16, 2011

    Awesome capture, well done , love the composition

  • barbarasan

    on February 10, 2011

    Great shot.

  • IDPphotos

    on July 22, 2010

    Absolutly great photos!Congrats!

  • Tammy Gibson

    on May 29, 2010

    great find and capture!

  • MissyW

    on May 24, 2010

    Very nice!

  • 470284salmansh

    on February 20, 2010

    Most beautiful spiderweb.

  • Photo Sharing
  • About SmugMug
  • Browse Photos
  • Prints & Gifts
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Owner Log In
© 2021 SmugMug, Inc.