The Daily Joe

Trees at the End of the Day Photo of the Day 243/365 This past weekend, we wanted to get out of the house. There was little hope for a sunset, just because of the direction we needed to go. The sky was pretty, but by the time we got to a location for a sunset, it was too built up. On the way home, I was able to get some shots of the sky and scenery with the fading colors of the sunset. This photo was one of them. I really like how it came out.

Barns and a Break in the Sky Photo of the Day 242/365 About two weeks ago, my wife and I needed to get out of the house, so we went for a drive. The time was nearly sunset, so we were hopeful to catch a nice sky. The sunset didn't exactly happen, but we did find these barns under a break in the sky, which was almost as nice as a sunset.

Foggy Road over the Mountain Photo of the Day 241/365 We had to make a trip back to my father-in-law's home yesterday morning. When we started, it was very foggy everywhere.  As we got closer to his home, the blue sky was showing (see left), but the fog/clouds clung to the top of the last mountain, and the photo above shows that fog. I'm glad we went because there were more items to bring down than we anticipated, and the final trip should be done.

Storm Clouds through the Trees Photo of the Day 240/365 A few nights ago, while out on a sunset walk, I was trying to find different compositions. Sunsets are ALWAYS beautiful, and I will likely not stop photographing them, but I need a little more sometimes. While on my walk, I looked through my neighbor's trees and saw these storm clouds far away, lit up by the setting sun, and I took this shot. I like the tree branches and the bright orange clouds.

Sunset over the Grassy Field Photo of the Day 239/365 A couple of days ago, I was out for one of my sunset walks when I came upon this scene. To be honest, I tried "normal" mode, but opted to try out an HDR camera app on my phone. The app did a very nice job of balancing the bright and dark areas. After a small bit of editing, I think it came out magnificently. This field will soon become a housing development, so I'm trying my best to get as many shots as I can before the view disappears.

Kayaks by the Lake Photo of the Day 238/365 A couple of days ago, I was visiting my friend and instructor to help him sort out some of his older stuff. On the way home, I decided to take a brief stop at the lake that was close to our old home. When I got there, the temperature was warm but not hot, the sky was blue, and the air was clear. I took a few shots with my phone but stopped mostly to test out a new (to me) film camera. We'll see how those shots turned out.

Sun Sinking through the Clouds Photo of the Day 237/365 A couple of days ago, I was out finding a sunset while taking a walk. While I got some nice photos, this was the last one I captured. I could not resist when I saw the bright edges on the clouds while the sun sank into the horizon. The colors were spectacular.

Break in the Sky over the Corn Field Photo of the Day 236/365 Saturday evening, my wife and I decided to go out for a jaunt to see the afternoon sky and to do a little shopping. We stopped at a few places, but this spot was one where we were between corn fields on a country road. I knew we wouldn't get a "good" sunset, but the sky was neat where we were, so I asked her to stop. She did, and I was able to get a shot over the corn field with the streaks of sunlight trying to get through the clouds.

Lakeside in the Afternoon Photo of the Day 235/365 A few weeks ago, I took on scanning all of my father's slides. After he had passed, I went through all of his photos (almost 25,000 photos) and split them by family. I have four siblings, and family photos got passed on to them. What was left was sifted through as good shots and not-so-good shots. This photo was one that caught my eye. I scanned it in and worked some Lightroom magic on it. Now, I really like it.

Sunset Clouds among the Trees Photo of the Day 234/365 Thursday, at our evening class, I noticed the brilliant sunset and sky that followed. However, as I was leading class, I could only bolt out for a few photos towards the end of class. This photo shows the end of the sunset sky that filled the air just a short time before.

Sunset Tree on Fire Photo of the Day 233/365 We've had some spectacular sunsets this week. The evening I got this, I actually made it in time to see the sun setting. By taking the direction that I went on my walk, the sun set directly behind a nearby tree. When the sun went down, it almost looked like the tree was on fire. I really liked the sky, but the tree on fire was the attraction to me.

Barn and Sunset Sky Photo of the Day 231/365 Two nights ago, I was coming home from my classes. I saw a beautiful sky when we were in class, but I could not take a break to try to get a sunset shot.  However, on my way home, the sky was still burning with color, so I managed to stop at a local farm and get some wonderful shots. This one was the last shot I got on my stop.

Sunset and the Machines Photo of the Day 230/365 This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago. I was out for a sunset walk and took a number of shots and really liked the color of the sky and the clouds. I went a little farther than normal and tried to get this shot with the sun coming through the arms of the excavators. I did get it and, at first, resisted posting it. I don't like where the situation is going as they are building a new housing development, but this did make a good shot.

Afternoon Sky over the Hill Photo of the Day 229/365 This photo was taken earlier this summer. My wife and I were out on a drive to try to catch a sunset in some new locations. We ran into rain and cloudy skies, but as we drove on, the sky started to clear, and we found this sky just as we were heading up a hill. We did not end up catching a sunset, but the clouds made for a pretty sky.

Sunset over a Tree Photo of the Day 226/365 Two evenings ago, I went out for my almost daily sunset walk. I found a milky sky, courtesy of the Canadian wildfires. Unfortunately, I was too early for the colors, but I have to go when I can, and being early can have advantages. I was able to get a good shot of the sun directly above this tree with the golds and blues of the sky. 

Warm Afternoon at the Gamelands Photo of the Day 227/365 The other day, I was on my way home, and it was very warm. I decided to stop at our local gamelands and snap a few photos with some film cameras that I've just purchased. At the same time, I decided to nab a few images with my phone. During the off-season, the gamelands are usually very quiet and serene. During hunting season, I avoid the gamelands as I don't want to be shot at. This is a view across one of the fields to the far hills.

Colorful Sky over the Corn Field Photo of the Day 226/365 Yesterday was a really good day. With the exception of family, I got to spend time with three of my favorite people. My karate instructor, one of my top karate students, and the person I consider to be the best employee I ever had (and a close friend). Despite busy schedules, we got to just visit and talk. The day ended with this glorious sky that appeared after sunset. I was able to stop in a parking lot and get this shot!

Sun Sinking through the Trees Photo of the Day 225/365 Last week, I was out trying to capture the sunset and was able to take a number of photos. This was one of the very last with the sun still in it. The sun was actually just behind a far tree. The sky was red, and the clouds looked like golden tears in the sky. I liked this one very much.

Hot Quiet Afternoon at the Lake Photo of the Day 224/365   One of the advantages of retirement is the ability to go about and see some local places at times when I have not had the opportunity before. This photo is an xample of that timing. I wanted to see our local lake, near to our last home. I went out on a hot afternoon, expecting to see kids swimming and playing and parents watching them. Instead of kids and parents, there was almost no one, just one person in a kayak. It was so quiet, I asked a ranger how stopped and he did not know why either - perhaps it was just too hot...

Misty Morning at Eagle Lake Photo of the Day 223/365 It has been cloudy and stormy for the past couple of days, so I decided to dig into my archives for a photo. This photo was taken while on a photo trip to Maine a few years ago. One morning, our group went to Eagle Lake before dawn. I took some wonderful shots there as the sun rose. After sunrise, the mist was lifting from the water, and the sun bathed the mountains. This image was present, so I captured it.

Last Bit of a Summer Sunset Photo of the Day 222/365     Late last week, I was out trying to get a nice sunset photo, and I did get some nice ones. But as it the case, sometimes, the colors after the sunset are just as nice as the sunset itself. This was another instance of that. The colors at the horizon, just a bit after the sunset made me think of color leaving the sky for the night. I like how it turned out.   

Beautiful Colors of Sunset Photo of the Day 221/365 Late last week, I was able to see some spectacular sunsets. Sometimes, though, the sky after the sunset is just as beautiful as the sunset itself. The evening I took this was just such a night. The sky lit up with color, and I was able to capture it on my way back from my walk.

Summer Sunset Sinking Low Photo of the Day 219/365   A few days ago, as is my normal habit, when there is a sunset, I do my best to get out for a walk and see what I can capture. I'm not sure why, but I've always loved sunsets and sunrises. Sunrises, now that I'm retired, are not such an attraction anymore, but sunsets still are. This one seemed particularly pretty. The clouds down near the horizon and being able to capture the sun just before it disappeared made for a nice shot.

Sunset Glow and Streaky Clouds Photo of the Day 218/365 Two evenings ago, I took a walk to catch the sunset. I did, indeed, catch a number of shots of the setting sun. However, when I was all done, I was in our yard, after the sunset, and noted the beautiful colors in the sky after the sunset. I think the photo represented those colors. I'll post photos of the sunset later.

Grand Drive to the Farm House Photo of the Day 217/365   I went for long walk with my youngest yesterday - much longer than normal. She wanted to talk about things and I obliged. At the far end of our walk,  I saw this driveway entrance. I'd seen it before, but always while driving. As I was walking, I could see the farm house at the end of the drive and decided to see if I could capture it. This was the result.

Hazy Sunset at the Farm Photo of the Day 216/365   This photo was actually taken earlier in the summer but other photos overtook it. It has waited in my camera roll since I took it. I like it but other photos just seemed to fit the bill better at the time. I like the warm golden sky and the sharp outline of the farm buildings. It makes a nice farm photo.

Quiet Tree-Lined Drive Photo of the Day 215/365 I took a drive late last week, hoping to get to a nice spot to take photos. On the way, I drove down this road and was able to take a photo. There was no traffic, so I was able to get a good photo of the road. It is indeed a quiet place. Unfortunately, I found out that there would be construction in the near future, and once I turned the corner, there were people everywhere, getting into the creek to do some swimming, wading, and tubing.

Sun Sinking into the Clouds Photo of the Day 214/365 Earlier this week, I had the chance to get a sunset walk in and get some great shots. Initially, I didn't think there would be a chance, but the clouds opened for a period of rain and storms.  I literally ran out and did my best to get what photos I could before the clouds came back. For this one, I zoomed in as far as I could to capture the sun itself. I really like the way the sun almost seems to be settling into the softness of the clouds.

Farm Past the Fence  Photo of the Day 213/365   While out on a long walk with my youngest, I spied this farm. It was almost obscured by the summer foliage but I managed to get a nice shot of the barn with the fence, framed by the leaves. I like the summery feel of the photo and the calm of the bucolic scene.