Dramatic Contrasts and Weather Pattern Changes

Summer in the tropics
Of January 2013
First week
We welcomed the frequented refreshing
Scattered rain showers
Often overnight

Random patchy
Heavy rain cloud covers
Blowing up and in
From the South-East coastline

But it all
Too soon
Dissipated
Yet again 
Alternating to continual hot
Drier sunny but still sultry days
Those seamless blue skies
Dominate fiercely
All second week long
Average temps of 23-33 Celsius

13.01.2013 (photo ref.)
Early evening twilight
Horizon sky line
Subsides into a lull
Of warm ember glow
Sooty, dusky residue
Evidence from further inland
Burning fires

New waxing phase moon
Arisen
Left side tilt
Peering down on a darkening earth

Innisfail Evening Twilight with New Waxing Crescent Moon 2013.01.13
by K.Madsen-Pietsch ©2013 Photography

Twilight's embers
Glass paneled windows
A Rustic orange glowing presence
A mirrored reflection

Warm Twilight Reflections, Innisfail by K.Madsen-Pietsch ©2013 Photography

Then comes high anticipation
For a 'real' FNQ wet season
News
Of an expectant weather pattern change
Dominating our weary heated senses

Some Top End Monsoonal Low clouds
Finally roll in
Low, heavy
By late afternoon
Two days on, 15.01.2013

Unusually quiet
No storm, no thunder
No gusty winds
Just a heavy deep blue-grey presence,
A thermal blanket
Covering the whole west horizon.

Monsoonal Clouds finally arrive from the West.CBD ~ Innisfail, 6:12:29 pm. 2013.01.15

And in the opposite coastal direction
Sit seemingly
Stagnant
Horizontal aligned rows
Calm, puffy light
Lowly elevated grey clouds

Eastward, overlooking Johnstone River, CBD ~ Innisfail, 6:18:35 pm, 2013.01.15

Hours pass by
The mugginess builds
Heat is trapped
Under the west's mass cloud blanket

Eventually
Offerings from above
Minimal rain shower 
Later
Early morning,1.30 am

That smell of rain
So distinguishable
Bites
Into a dry stuffy atmosphere
Then comes a nip
Of temporary cooling
Of the night air

Bat screechy sounds
Break the ember dark
Night silence 

©2013, 2015 Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch
All rights reserved.

Bauhinia Monandra (Pink Orchid Tree) Flower Cluster

'Bauhinia Monandra (Pink Orchid Tree) Flower Cluster

'

'Bauhinia Monandra (Pink Orchid Tree) Flower Cluster'
by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch ©2013 Photography

Prints available at my RedBubble Gallery

I am finally seeing a sparse one or two isolated cluster groups of these lovely pink orchid tree (Dwarf Bauhinia monandra) flowers blossoming in our rural home garden, near Innisfail, Far North Queensland, Australia.

Unique flower features

• Butterfly-like
• Every cluster appears unique in composition
• The Dwarf Bauhinia Monandra flowers open first as red/rose with yellow tips
  then quickly change to a very sweet pink, then hold the pink
• A rare variety ~ develops pink orchid-like flowers with red blotches or dots, the uppermost one splotched with deeper red, yellow or yellow-margined
• The petals are spreading, each about 2.5 – 4 cm long

Tree’s characteristic features

• Small, rounded-crowned tree with smooth gray bark.
• Twin lobed leaves which are 4 to 6 inches across and cleft almost to the middle, giving the leaf the shape of a hoof print.
• Native of Burma

Since the recent late wet season’s few days of heavy rainfall (delivered by Ex Tropical Cyclone Oswald last week in January) a couple more have bloomed, but they are only still appearing in very limited quantities. Perhaps our tropical soil is not acidic enough but the tree plants are still relatively young!
I am observing their progress with keen interest.

Camera/Shoot Details
Handheld Pentax K-5 II s Lens DA* 50-135
1/100s@ f/2.8, ISO 200, FL.135mm
Date – Jan.13, 2013 Time – 18.04.11
Raw file ~ Processed/edited via CS2.

 RedBubble Card 

Image ~ 'Bauhinia Monandra (Pink Orchid Tree) Flower Cluster'
by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch ©2013 Photography

Fine Art and Photographic Prints
available at my RedBubble Gallery

Thanks for visiting.

Wild Rainbow Lorikeets Feeding ~ Innisfail, FNQ, AU.

My first blog for the New Year 2013 and my first published 2013 photographic image 'Wild Rainbow Lorikeets Feeding ~ Innisfail, FNQ, AU.' which originates from my first 2013 photographic shoot session with some new photographic equipment attained through the disguise of that dear generous mythical, magical creature called 'Santa'!  8 )

The FNQ landscape has been pretty much sun parched, greens turning yellowish-brown shades, well up until Christmas Eve when Innisfail finally received a first decent rainfall in months, all of 50mm.  It is a somewhat very mild and slow beginning to our Wet Season which is, by the way, a very welcome change when compared to the dramatic heavy rains and floods experienced in previous December periods ('big wet' example image here).

So even though the tropical heat and humidity prevails at this time of year, we have been enjoying, since Christmas and the New Year, some continual light and moderate showery, often early morning, rains and cooling south-easterly winds and breezes ~ all gratefully received.

Nature and the tropical landscape have been considerably revived. All is indeed looking refreshed with the greens vibrant once more. The growth rate in plants and grass usually soar to new heights during this intense time of year, while I myself try to stay cool and skin dry as much as I possibly can with ceiling or pedestal fans close by! The unpleasantness of Prickly heat, fungal and skin rashes are best to be avoided with all due care taken.  The best time for me to photograph 'outside' is either early morn or late afternoon and even then, more often than not, I'll end up with clothes soaked in perspiration and itchy from mozzie bites depending on the (lack of) breeze and location.

'Wild Rainbow Lorikeets Feeding ~ Innisfail, FNQ, AU.'
by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch ©2013 Photography

About the image.
In slightly windy conditions some wild Rainbow Lorikeets were spotted (through the lens) clinging to and feeding from the very large pendular inflorescence on a well established Alexandra palm tree (Archontophoenix alexandrae).
Location ~ Innisfail, tropical Far North Queensland, Australia.
Photo Shoot Date ~ Jan.04, 2013.  Time - 18:14:11

*An 'inflorescence' is a cluster of flowers on one or a series of branches, which together make a large showy blossom.

©Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch Fine-Art and Photographic Images

Select from a range of print formats made available

at my RedBubble Gallery

"Beyond Matter" by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch | Redbubble

• “All that lies before us and all that lies behind us
  are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Beyond Matter by K.Madsen-Pietsch ©2012 Photography
(Framed print example | RedBubble)

Greeting a tropical dawn through a curtain veil of a Silver Weeping Tea Tree.I planted this at the front of our home property near Innisfail, Far North Queensland, AU, some 20+ years ago now.  (My, how time flies when kept busy!)

"Beyond Matter" ©2012 Photography by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch
Redbubble Prints available

* Through a Google research, the tree’s official botanical name is ‘LEPTOSPERMUM brachyandrum’ which is a member of the Myrtaceae family. Tea Tree is the accepted common name for plants in this genus.

... Thanks for visiting ...

"Dappled Delight" by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch | Redbubble

A different angle, some glorious wintery mid-afternoon spots of dappled sunlight on this delicate hanging annual Zygocactus flower, combined with using an old faithful manual 50mm Pentax Prime lens created some lovely varying compositional effects I’m really happy with.

"Dappled Delight" by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch | Redbubble:

"Dappled Delight" by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch ©2012 Photography
Prints on demand available at Redbubble

Photo taken at home, near Innisfail, rural Far North Queensland, Australia.


Camera/Shoot Details
Handheld Pentax K10D, Prime Lens smc Pentax 55mm F1.2
1/1000sec, manually set @F22, ISO 100, manual focus.
Photo – Natural state. Raw file processed thru Photoshop.

'Dancing In The Stillness'

"Dancing in the Stillness" by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch | RedBubble:

Early morning, so soft and tranquil.
Overlooking the (North) Johnstone River towards Innisfail Estate, with the Geraldton bridge in view.
Photo taken in Innisfail, Far North Queensland, Australia.
Dec.2011 Time 5:47:01 AM

"Dancing in the Stillness" by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch | RedBubble: Greeting Cards and Postcards

Challenges

Honoured, amazed, thrilled, humbled, excited, grateful for the RedBubble community support and validation for one of my photographic works!  All because I seized the moment, took the opportunity and time to study and photograph one of nature's unique wonders offered in the early morning hours, first week in April, 2011.  I took a 'few' (well many really!) photos in the early morn light over two consecutive days while 2 blooms lasted. You see one of them here.


Today I actually found out that I have won (yesterday 27.04.2011) my first entered Challenge: April Colour Challenge:  *TWO SHADES OF YELLOW or YELLOW AND WHITE* in the *ONE SINGLE FLOWER ON DISPLAY* RedBubble group with my photographic entry ~ First Light's Breath 

'First Light's Breath'

http://www.redbubble.com/people/artropica/art/7034345-first-lights-breath

 Showing work in an available RedBubble Poster Print Format

Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

http://www.redbubble.com/people/artropica



In choosing this image I was this time very much guided by the image rules of this specific group. They didn't want just any ad-hoc flower photograph!
* Challenge results ~ http://www.redbubble.com/groups/just-flowers/challenges/33422-april-colour-challenge-two-shades-of-yellow-or-yellow-and-white.

Then, in the same RB group, First Light's Breath was voted into 2nd place in another Challenge
Featured Art Challenge 21 April 2011 (http://www.redbubble.com/groups/just-flowers/challenges/33676-featured-art-challenge-21-april-2011)

Winning a challenge
This meant I got to enter the work in the next level Challenge ~ "Simply The Best" Challenge May 2011   View here => http://www.redbubble.com/groups/just-flowers/challenges/32868-simply-the-best-challenge-may-2011

There are no actual prizes. I just get 'bragging rights' lol, for the honour and glory of winning by a fair and honourable voting system available to RB's members.

I have written an accompanying poem for First Light's Breath which may be read, along with the many community supportive feedback comments, on my RedBubble's gallery display page ~ http://www.redbubble.com/people/artropica/art/7034345-first-lights-breath.
(The image First Light's Breath may be viewed larger on RB also.)

Thanks for visiting.

.....

Intimate Encounter - Down the Fence Line

An incident encountered 7/02/08

One late afternoon I was briskly walking along, on my way around to the loo located at the back of the building of where I work in Innisfail, Far North Queensland. All of a sudden, the keys I held in my right hand flung out of my grasp.  Stunned, in shock and disbelief, I had instantly felt a sharp piercing pain on the side of my little finger. I didn't know what had just stung me but had my suspicions as I looked around in the man-made built area where there were no clues immediately visible.  As the pain intensified and knowing I have little immunity to such insect bites, I picked up my keys and rushed off to get some 'Stop Itch' cream from the chemist across the street. This cream I find works miracuously for me, minimizing both pain and swelling.

Afterwards, and still needing 'to go' you know where,  I returned to the area cautiously to try and unfathom the mystery. Ah ha, further down the fence line, about 3 meters along from where I was stung, there going unnoticed was a little hive of busy territorial aggressive Paper wasps building their nest discreetly underneath the pole rail of the fence line. I have only ever been bitten once before by one of these kind since my move to Qld and you never forget it.

Pentax K10D
Lens smc Pentax-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL
Shutter Speed 1/125
Aperature F8
ISO Sensitivity 100
7/02/08 - 3:55pm

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