Tag: #waves

Do Birds Jump the Waves?

In Florida, I watch pelicans and osprey dive for fish, and sandpipers run from the approaching wave on the beach, but I have never witnessed a whole flock of birds jump the waves. That’s why I was intrigued by this sight in Iceland.

First of all, it amazes me that horses, birds, reindeer and seals can withstand the bitter cold and gale force winds of the Iceland winter. I saw all these types of wildlife roaming free and feeding on what Nature provides.

Then, I found myself at the foot of Vestrahorn on a black sand beach at dusk, which is mid-afternoon in January. I was photographing the mountain towering over the beach and reflecting in the wet sad. But a flock of birds floating near the shore caught my eye.

Birds at Vestrahorn
Sea birds jump the waves near the black sand beach at Vestrahorn.

I liked the rosy tones in the sky, the snow in the mountains and the repeating waves approaching the shore. What do you like about this image?

Jumping the Waves

Humans of all shapes and sizes flock to the beach on a hot summer’s day, saunter to the water’s edge and…jump the waves! The water feels so good. I think it’s fun to find animals doing the same things people like to do. So I had fun photographing this Snowy Egret in the air, jumping the waves.

#egret, #snowyegret, #jump, #wave, #ocean, #beach, #action, #wildlife, #birds, #wadingbird, #florida, #naples
Snowy Egret jumps the wave while fishing on the beach in Naples, Florida.

This image also gives us a good look at the crashing surf, frozen in time, and the snowy egret’s wings outstretched. He/she is such a graceful bird!

Painted Sunset

The orange hue of sunset is woven into countless blue waves lapping the shore this evening. Colors separate into horizontal lines and appear painted in this unique image.

#sunset, #orange, #orangeandblue, #gulfofmexico, #gulf, #florida, #gulfcoast, #ICM, #sony, #abstract, #warmandcool
The warm and the cool are woven together in this image.

 

Can you hear the tiny waves? Feel the warmth of the sun, offset by the breeze? Does the water reach your toes?

Interested in a print of this image? Please visit my website www.cathykellyphotography.com and look in the Gallery: Photo Illustration.

What the Ocean Says

In literature, water often sustains life. It feeds the thirsty. Thirsty humans, animals and plants. In rivers, it flows past us in a strong steady current, often signifying our journey through life. Other times, arriving in storms it taketh away. Floods overpower human settlements and people. It kills.

What does this ocean image say to you? Is it dangerous and menacing, or does it bring you peace?

#ocean, #gulf, #florida, #water, #surf, #blue, #windy, #ICM
Rhythm of the sea on a windy day.

Slow motion surf

There is something soothing about watching water break on the rocks.  Watching the smooth and repetitive motion is mesmerizing like watching fire burning logs in a fireplace. While a fire is hot and orange, and the surf is cool and blue — both natural scenes promote relaxation. I wonder why that is.

#surf, #lava, #maui, #hawaii, #soothing, #nikon
Waves wash over shoreline lava on Maui beach, captured by 200mm lens at 1/3 second, processed entirely in Lightroom.

Sounds of Hawaii

You might think I’m referring to music from a ukulele, but I’m not. I want to tell you about what it’s like to fall asleep in Maui listening to the ocean waves crashing on the shore. It’s quite different from what you might be used to — if your experience is the “hush…hush” sound of waves running up on a sandy beach.

In Maui, my room was right on the shoreline, and waves were crashing a few meters from my bed. They made a booming, thunderous sound as the tide came in, as the waves crashed with force on lava rocks. Sometimes, I even wondered if that sound were thunder.

#wave, #maui, #hawaii, #sound, #nature, #blacksand, #thunder, #naturephotography, #nikond800
Boom! Wave crashes on lava and black sand at the Wainapanapa State Park on Maui, Hawai’i.

I was also fooled by the sound of the wind blowing the palm tree fronds. Frequently it sounded like raindrops hitting the roof, but it wasn’t rain. It was the dry fronds blowing into each other really hard.

Listening to these sounds, I realized what a gift it was to be far from the sounds of traffic, city sirens or even the television. It’s peaceful to hear the sounds of Nature, and think about the power of the wind and the waves — even the power of the rain, too.

 

Summer Swim

In honor of the first day of summer — a season that seemed to begin at least a month ago — I went for a swim. Not in the ocean, just at our club’s swimming pool. The folks in Hawaii no doubt took a dip in the Pacific Ocean, like these body surfers I spotted on Kauai two years ago.

#swim, #firstdayofsummer, #Kauai, #bodysurf, #lava, #ocean, #surf, #beach, #Hawaii
Body surfers throwing caution to the wind at Secret Beach on Kauai.

Check out my  new website for more images from Kauai, where ordering prints is a snap. www.cathykellyphotography.com.