Posted in Architecture, Christmas, Landscape, Photography, Travel, Winter, tagged Canon SX50, Christmas, Christmas 2016, Christmas market, city hall, Rathaus, Vienna Austria on December 15, 2016| 2 Comments »
My short trip to Vienna, Austria is rapidly coming to a close and I want to leave you with this image of the entrance to the outdoor Christmas market at the Rathaus (City Hall), the tall building in the background.
Best wishes to all for a “Frohe Weihnachten,” German for “Merry Christmas.”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Architecture, Christmas, Photography, Travel, Urban, tagged brussels, Brussels Belgium, Canon A620, Christmas, Grand-Place on January 13, 2016| 4 Comments »
The Christmas season is gradually coming to an end in Brussels. Yesterday, for example, I noted that they had removed the large Christmas tree from the central city square, leaving a large hole in the cobblestones and a pile of discarded debris.
Beautiful decorations, however, still remain in a covered shopping arcade and in some of the streets.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in animals, Christmas, Photography, tagged Canon 50D, Canon 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens, Christmas 2015, cows, dog, farm, farm life, horse on December 26, 2015| 3 Comments »
It’s hard for me to imagine life on a farm, having spent most of my life in the suburbs. I consider myself lucky to be able to distinguish a cow from a horse, but don’t ask me to tell a llama from an alpaca.
I got a little taste of farm life on Christmas Eve day when I accompanied a family member as she went about accomplishing a seemingly endless list of chores associated with the care of the farm animals.
Here are some of the fascinating faces of the farm that I encountered that day.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Christmas, Nature, Photography, tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 50D, Cardinalis cardinalis, Christmas 2015, Huntley Meadows Park, male Northern Cardinal, Northern cardinal, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto on December 25, 2015| 8 Comments »
It has been cloudy and rainy almost all of today and I feel a need for some bright colors. Here’s a shot from last December of a male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) decked out in Christmas red.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in animals, Christmas, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 50D, canon 70-300mm telephoto zoom, Christmas 2015, fox, huntley meadows, red fox, Vulpes vulpes on December 25, 2015| 5 Comments »
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, but it looks like it won’t happen here this year, with a high temperature for today forecast to reach 70 degrees (21 degrees C).
So I decided to reprise a more seasonally appropriate shot from a couple of years ago at Huntley Meadows Park. In early January 2014 I spotted this Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) circling around a beaver pond, not far from where I took my most recent fox shots.
Merry Christmas to all of my friends here who support and encourage me on my journey into photography and best wishes to you and your families as we move toward the start of a new year.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Christmas, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon A620, Christmas, Christmas 2015, Christmas market, Rathaus, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 16, 2015| 3 Comments »
The lights at the Christmas Market at the Rathaus (City Hall) in Vienna, Austria really put me in the mood for Christmas. I’m finishing up my work in Vienna and will be back in Northern Virginia in a couple of days.
Merry Christmas (in German)
Vienna Christmas Market
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Architecture, Christmas, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon A620, Christmas, Christmas 2015, Christmas market, Rathaus, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 14, 2015| 4 Comments »
At this time of the year there are Christmas markets all over Vienna. One of the largest and busiest is located in the square in front of the Rathhaus (City Hall), an elaborate building in the center of the city.
Most of the times that I have visited this market in the past have been at night. Each time I had to fight my way through jostling crowds of people as I was overwhelmed by the sights and smells of the market.
Last week, I had the chance to walk through the market early in the day before it had opened. I noticed there there were statues overlooking the market booths. The statues, which I suspect are historical figures, are probably permanently in place. I’m sure that it was my imagination, but the statues seemed to be making an assessment of activity that was taking place below their feet.
I love the look of the Rathaus and am also including a few views of this wonderful piece of architecture.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Christmas, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Alexandria VA, birds in flight, Canon 50D, Hooded Merganser, Hooded Merganser ducks, Huntley Meadows Park, Lophodytes cucullatus, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto on December 26, 2014| 10 Comments »
On Christmas Day I managed to fit in a short walk at Huntley Meadows Park, my local marshland park, and captured these images of a pair of Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) as they took off from the water and started to gain altitude.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Christmas, Nature, Photography, Portraits, Winter, tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 50D, cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, Huntley Meadows Park, male Northern Cardinal, Northern cardinal, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto on December 25, 2014| 14 Comments »
I posted this image once already, but its bright Christmas colors cry out to be used again this morning.
Merry Christmas to friends and family and best wishes for a blessed New Year.
Thanks for all of your support and encouragement this past year as I have continued my journey through photography.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Christmas, Photography, Travel, Urban, tagged Canon A620, Christmas, Christmas 2014, Christmas lights, street lights, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 20, 2014| 9 Comments »
On my final night in Vienna, I took a long, leisurely stroll through the pedestrian district in the city’s center, enjoying the magical atmosphere created by all of the different Christmas lights that adorned the streets.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Christmas, Photography, Travel, Urban, tagged Canon A620, Christmas, Christmas 2014, Christmas market, Sankta Lucia, Vienna on December 18, 2014| 7 Comments »
Although Vienna is best known for the classical music of composers like Mozart and Strauss, there is music everywhere at Christmas time, from the carols of a brass ensemble at a Christmas market to the softer sounds of a Swedish choir celebrating Sankta Lucia.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Christmas, Photography, Travel, Urban, tagged Canon A620, Christmas 2014, Christmas market, Rathaus, Vienna Austria on December 16, 2014| 12 Comments »
My daylight hours have been fully occupied during a short work trip to Vienna, Austria, but I have managed to visit a couple of the Christmas markets after dark. I took these shots at the one at the Rathaus (City Hall) with the small point-and-shoot camera with which I travel.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Art, Birds, Christmas, Nature, Photography, Portraits, tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 50D, cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, Huntley Meadows Park, male Northern Cardinal, Northern cardinal, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto on December 12, 2014| 14 Comments »
Do you prefer the bold color of the iconic male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) to the more subtle coloration of the female cardinal or are you on the fence?
Yes, I am beginning today’s posting with the same question that I used in yesterday’s posting that featured a fierce-looking female cardinal, but today am featuring a male cardinal. Not far from where yesterday’s female was perched on the fence wire, her male partner was calmly sitting on a green fencepost, seemingly surveying his surroundings.
Some of yesterday’s responses suggested that many viewers prefer the bright red color of the male cardinal, a visible and welcome sight at this time of the year, when the landscape seems to be dominated by shades of gray.
The combination of the red cardinal and the green fencepost give this image a definite feeling of Christmas. Somehow I feel like it would be good to emulate this cardinal during this pre-holiday season and stop all our frantic activity for a moment, take a deep breath, and look and listen, remembering the true meaning of Christmas.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Art, Christmas, Dragonflies, Humor, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged Alexandria VA, Blue Dasher, Blue Dasher dragonfly, Canon 50D, Huntley Meadows Park, Pachydiplax longipennis, Tamron 180mm macro lens on June 8, 2014| 6 Comments »
What do you think about when you hear the word “dasher?” From my early childhood days, the word meant only one thing—it was the name of one of Santa’s reindeer.
Many of us grew up hearing these familiar words from the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas” (“A Visit From St. Nicholas“) by Clement Clarke Moore:
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
So, every time I see a Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis), like this beautiful male that I photographed this weekend, I can’t help but have a little thought of Christmas, even on the hottest days of summer.
But Santa, some may complain, didn’t have a blue Dasher. That’s true, of course, but Elvis had no problem singing of a Blue Christmas, the perfect setting for a Blue Dasher. (Click here to watch a You Tube video of Elvis singing this signature tune.)
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Christmas, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 50D, Canon 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens, Carolina Wren, Christmas, Christmas Bells, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, joy, Thryothorus ludovicianus on December 25, 2013| 3 Comments »
“Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing…”
In this case, “nature” is a Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) that I photographed one recent morning, singing with all of its might.
On Christmas Day, many of us recall the message of the angels, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Yet sometimes I feel like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow must have felt when he wrote the words, “And in despair I bowed my head. “There is no peace on earth,” I said. “For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, goodwill to men.”
My prayer this Christmas Day, is that we will all be encouraged and blessed and filled with love for one another. Longfellow did not conclude his poem, “Christmas Bells” in despair, but instead ended with these words:
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!”
Merry Christmas to all of you.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Posted in Christmas, Travel, Urban, Winter, tagged Canon A620, Christmas, National Christmas Tree, Washington D.C. on December 24, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Last night I made a trip into Washington D.C. with some friends to see the National Christmas Tree. Despite the fact that I have lived in this area for more than 20 years, this was the first time that I had seen it live—I have seen the tree-lighting ceremony on the news many times.
The large Christmas tree, which is a live tree, is surrounded by 56 smaller decorated live trees, representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the unincorporated territories of the United States. Underneath the tree was an elaborate set-up of model trains, reminding me of my childhood.
It’s the day before Christmas and most of us are in high gear for the coming holy day. Best wishes to all of you for a joyous Christmas and a wonderful and blessed New Year.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Posted in Architecture, Christmas, Photography, Travel, Urban, tagged Canon A620, Christmas, lights, night photography, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 13, 2013| 15 Comments »
The streets in the pedestrian area of Vienna have spectacular displays of lighting for Christmas that are simple and elegant. Each of the streets has its own motif that is repeated in white or gold lights. My favorites are the giant chandeliers in one of the main streets, but others are equally impressive. Do you have a favorite?
I am including a selection of photos in a gallery to show you some of the different lighting schemes—click on a photo to see the photos in the gallery at higher resolution.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Christmas, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon A620, Christmas market, lights, Merry Christmas, Rathaus, Vienna Austria on December 11, 2013| 7 Comments »
The Christmas markets in Vienna are full of brightly colored lights and I attempted to capture some of their beauty at night in these photos. I did not have a tripod and my point-and-shoot does not permit really high ISO speeds, so I resorted to leaning against various objects to steady my shots. The big sign in a couple of the shots is a “Merry Christmas” sign in German at one of the main entrances to the biggest Christmas market at the Rathaus (City Hall).
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Architecture, Christmas, Landscape, Portraits, Travel, tagged Canon A620, Christmas, Christmas market, moon, Vienna Austria on December 10, 2013| 5 Comments »
It finally stopped raining in Vienna and I was able to take a walk through the Christmas market in front of the Rathaus (City Hall). There are rows and rows of stalls set up with all kinds of products and food.
In the midst of all of the artificial lights, I was struck by the beauty of the moon, which kept peeking in and out of the clouds.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in animals, Christmas, Photography, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, cat, Christmas, Lobo, pet-sitting, Pixel on December 25, 2012| 1 Comment »
I am not a cat person generally, but I am pet-sitting three cats for my friend and photography mentor, Cindy Dyer. You can read about some of the cats’ exploits on her blog.
Her striped cat is named Pixel (only a professional photographer would name a cat Pixel) and is very photogenic. Cindy featured him today in a posting entitled Happy holidays from Santa and Pixel. Here is a photo I took of him yesterday morning, with the soft light coming in from behind him.
Pixel
Pixel’s brother is named Lobo, though he was originally going to be called JPEG until Cindy’s husband nixed the idea. He is a bit more friendly than Pixel and equally photogenic. Here is a photo of him, also from yesterday morning.
Lobo
The third cat, an older female named Zena, is spending most of her time under the bed—she is irritated with me and seems to think that ignoring me is the best course of action.
These cats were my early morning companions today and we shared the start of a glorious Christmas day—they had their cat food and I had my coffee. Maybe I am starting to turn into a cat person.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Posted in Birds, Christmas, Inspiration, Nature, Photography, Portraits, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Christmas, green spring gardens, hope, Mimus polyglottos, mockingbird, Northern Mockingbird on December 24, 2012| 14 Comments »
On a cold, windy day this weekend, I visited one of the local gardens. Most of the color was gone and it was a desolate, lifeless place.
Then suddenly I heard a sound, the beautiful song of a bird. It was a Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) defiantly singing a song of hope and good cheer. It seems so appropriate for this Christmas season, a message of peace on earth, goodwill to men.
Northern Mockingbird
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Posted in Birds, Christmas, Nature, Photography, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, duck, Huntley Meadows Park, mallard duck, peace on December 22, 2012| 5 Comments »
The subject of this photo, a male Mallard duck, is very common. He’s not doing anything strange or unusual. The environment, the beaver pond at my local marsh, is not particularly exotic.
Somehow, though, I feel a sense of comfort and peace in the very ordinariness of this simple composition and in its soothing color palette. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, it’s good to slow down and regain some inner peace (even if it’s necessary at other times to paddle hard beneath the surface).
In the words of a song that I heard yesterday on the radio, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Posted in Birds, Christmas, commentary, Humor, Nature, Photography, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Christmas, Huntley Meadows Park, Santa, Santa bird, sparrow, white-throated sparrow on December 20, 2012| 1 Comment »
It’s almost Christmas. Decorations are visible everywhere and all the radio stations are playing non-stop Christmas music. As I am driving to work, I am reminded of (and sometimes burst into singing) the lyrics of Silver Bells, which include the line, “Strings of street lights, even stoplights, blink a bright red and green, as the shoppers rush home with their treasures.”
Even in nature I am reminded of Christmas. Despite the title of this blog posting, this bird is not called a “Santa bird,” but I enjoy making up names of the creatures that I photograph. Usually I do so when I don’t know their real names, but in this case I know that the bird is a White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis).
His prominent white “beard” and his round belly, though, remind me of Santa Claus, and I can’t help but smile. I recall some of the words of the famous poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, “He had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.”
Soon it will be Christmas day.
Santa bird
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Posted in Birds, Christmas, Nature, Photography, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, Huntley Meadows Park, Northern cardinal on December 15, 2012| 13 Comments »
The bright red plumage of the Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) reminded me today that Christmas is almost here. I guess it is such an obvious association that National Geographic featured the cardinal on the cover of its “Holiday” catalog. Cliché or not, I can’t help but smile whenever my eyes catch sight of a cardinal and somehow my spirits are lifted, particularly when the weather is gray and gloomy as it was early this morning.
Here are a couple of shots of the same cardinal that may appear to be identical. However, if you look closer, you will notice that the cardinal has his head turned in a slightly different direction. In the first one, the cardinal was looking right at me. There seems to be something more personal about our interaction when our eyes meet. He looks a little like he is growing weary of posing for me, but is patiently waiting for me to be finished.
In the second photo (which was actually shot before the first one), the cardinal is looking off into the distance, alone with his thoughts and not yet aware of the intruder with the camera. In some ways this photo seems to capture him in a more natural, unposed position.
At certain moments I like the second image more than the first, but most of the time I prefer to see eye-to-eye with a subject.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Christmas, Photography, Travel, tagged black and white, BW, Canon A620, Christmas, Christmas market, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 14, 2012| 12 Comments »
Sitting in the airport in Newark, I decided to take advantage of the time before my flight back to Washington, D.C. and play with some of my images. I have always loved black-and-white photography and have tried a couple of times to convert some of my images. I never know for sure what will work, but one of my photos of Christmas decorations in Vienna, Austria seemed to be appropriate for experimentation. I know that there is some good software available if I decide to pursue that direction, but this time I opted to desaturate the image almost entirely. I like the effect, in part because of the graphic lines of the original.
Which version do you like more, black-and-white or color?
Almost black and white
Color
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Architecture, Christmas, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon A620, Christmas, night, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 13, 2012| 10 Comments »
On my last night in Vienna, Austria, I decided to go for a walk through the city center to see how it was decorated for Christmas. There were lots of lights everywhere. Using available light, I took some photos of those lights and of some of Vienna’s famous landmarks. With a tripod, I would have done better, but I took advantage of various objects to brace myself and my camera for some fairly lengthy exposures. Here is an eclectic set of shots from my walk on a very cold Vienna evening.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Architecture, Christmas, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon A620, Christmas, Christmas market, city hall, Rathaus, statue, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 13, 2012| 5 Comments »
My time in Vienna is drawing to a close and I thought I’d post a few more of my favorite photos from the Christmas market.
Stands selling hot spiced wine are often areas where people congregate. One of them was set up on a path flanked with statues and I like how the first photo shows a statue peering down over the stand. What would he think of the scene in front of him?
The second image shows one element of the Christmas decorations. I like the colors, shapes, and the lines in that photo.
The third shot was taken looking up at some of the towers of the Rathaus (City Hall). I braced myself against the wall of one of the booths to steady myself for the shot and you can see part of the booth in the foreground. I like the effect of this extreme angle (and I always love shots of buildings lit up in the evening).
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Christmas, Photography, Portraits, Travel, tagged Canon A620, Christmas, Christmas market, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 11, 2012| Leave a Comment »
One of the most interesting aspects of any outdoor market is watching people, including the salespeople. In my experience, the vendors tend to be outgoing people who try to attract passersby to stop at their stalls and purchase what ever they are selling. Here are some photos I took of three of the vendors at the Christmas market in Vienna. The lighting is a bit harsh, but I decided to take the photos without flash to be less obtrusive.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Architecture, Christmas, Photography, Travel, tagged baked potato, Canon A620, Christmas, Christmas market, lebkuchen, Merry Christmas, potato, Vienna, Vienna Austria on December 10, 2012| 1 Comment »
This evening I had the chance to visit again the Christmas market in front of the Rathaus (City Hall) in Vienna, Austria and got better photos. Why? It was less crowed, the weather was better, and I was alone (rather than with three friends who were more interested in shopping than in taking photos).
The first sign was from a stall that was selling lebkuchen, a German baked product that is a lot like gingerbread. I really like the hand-carved look of the sign.
The second sign is a sign for a stall called “Potato Jim” that sold stuffed baked potatoes. I am not sure who “Jim” is, but I thought the sign, with a potato wearing a Santa hat, was cute.
The third sign is one that was at the entrance to the Christmas market. The big letters spell out “Merry Christmas” in German and the small lit sign to the right spells out “Vienna Christmas Market.” The building in the background is the Rathaus (City Hall).
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Christmas cardinal
Posted in Birds, Christmas, commentary, Nature, Photography, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, Christmas, Dona Nobic, Huntley Meadows Park, Northern cardinal on December 25, 2012| 9 Comments »
Deep inside a bush with red berries, a male Northern Cardinal was almost camouflaged, most of his body a dusty red that blended in with his surroundings. His head, though, was a bright red, a defiant red that refused to be hidden. For me, it’s like the true meaning of Christmas, that is often camouflaged with bright lights and tinsel. My simple prayer today is one that we sang at a Christmas Eve service last night, Dona nobis pacem (Grant us peace). Peace to all this Christmas day and in the coming new year.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
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