Monthly Archives: December 2015

A Look Back, A New Look Going Forward.

26 Replies

WordPress congratulated me a little while back on my 5 years of blogging. An automated nod for sure. Ordinaryhiker was my original title for a blog that was to be a nature journal. It is still the underlying identity of this blog. My original blog featured my writings to camp directors and staff; from that came my blogger identity as “making camp”. Ordinaryhiker never took off due to circumstances unforeseen. Primarily recovering from the misadventures of lung surgery.

In March, I decided to blog again as a way to share and get some feedback on my photos, as a new photo hobbyist. Looking for a blog title that sounded photo worthy, I choose Snap Shot. It took off more than I would imagine. In the process, I realized that while I take on a variety of subjects, I am primarily a nature photographer …  the ordinary hiker.

So, with the start of the new year, I am reverting back to being the Ordinary Hiker. Snap Shots by Wm. Roloff Photography. Changes will be on the way, a new gravatar etc.,. Thanks to you all who have made my photo journey such a joy and contributed to my growth.

As my first post of the new year I’m choosing 20 (if I can 🙂 ) of my favorite photos from last year. They are in no particular order but I would be curious to know your favorites.

Happy New Year. Looking forward to the journey. – Bill

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror…I Cor 13:12
Munch, munch.
Joe-Pye Weed replaces the milkweed flower as butterfly super food.
Wood Nymph Class
Labor Day Monarch Release
Crystal Curtain
Hmm, Should I or should I not…
Fall On the Clear Fork
Careful! The Bridges You Cross
Wisp for the Wind
Soothing Flow
Mound/Wood Ant
Camera Hike Across the Swingiong Bridge
End of Summer’s Bloom
Summer Night Serenade
Advertisement

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Red

4 Replies

Responding to Cee’s latest Foto Challenge series based on flowers, here are my entries for the color red. I’ve found the color red to be either hard to shoot or not as readily available as other flower colors. Red is not featured in our garden and minimally makes it presence in wildflowers, at least when I was pressing the shutter button.

Probably my last post for the year, so red makes for a festive exit. Blessing to you all in the new year.

Cee’s Odd Ball Challenge – Flow Art

11 Replies

Time to return to normal…probably sometime next week. Maybe I can ease back to normal. Most of my photos are taken while on my local hikes. During the holidays I hiked with family and focused on the conversation and relationships with my sons and grandson; intentionally leaving my camera at home.

My youngest son made his yearly migration home from his participation as an entertainer in the renaissance fair community. When  not spinning a tale with his wit and charm he pursues the “Flow Arts.” Spinning  fire in a variety of forms captures his passion . Each year we get a family demonstration of the latest addition to his spinning portfolio.

We decided to create a little art together in the basement one evening . He spins LED light Poi. I played with the camera settings, learned some new tricks and produced these images of light. And, we brought our worlds together.

Here is a sampling of my holiday photos. Cee’s Oddball Photo challenge seemed to be the appropriate place to show of our unique photo project.

 

 

 

 

 

Joy to the World

8 Replies

Merry Christmas to all, I wish to you all God’s peace.

DSC_0017 (2).jpg

 Joy to the World is a Christmas Hymn Favorite. Written by Isaac Watts, he used Psalm 98 as his inspiration, beginning with verse 4.

Psalm 98

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
2 The Lord has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
5 Sing to the Lord with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm,
6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.

7 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it;
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord,
9 For He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with equity.

New King James Version (NKJV)

Chatter Gathering

8 Replies

1-DSC_0003-002

Each evening as we arrive home from work, we are greeted by roosting crows. They chatter incessantly, darken the already seasonally gray sky, and make a mess of things. I wonder what brought them here this year? I suspect the land fill a few miles away becomes a day time feeding trough and our wood ridge a stopping point  on the to a more protected evening roost. Until this year I have never seen such a gathering.

See what others have posted to this week’s Photo Challenge – Gathering

Cee’s Black and White Challenge – Faraway

4 Replies

I’ve not done much with Black and white Photos, although that is what I first learned to do with film many years ago. I appreciate those who make this a form of art. When you look at monochrome your left to fill in the detail making it engaging and personal.

Cee’s Black and White Challenge offers me an opportunity to stretch my photography skill. So here is my first entry for the challenge. The challenge theme is faraway.

1-DSC_0001

Dew Drops and December Drops

2 Replies

Looking back six months (or forward if you prefer) I found these Touch-Me-Nots dew laden. Without snow, I currently am finding rain drops weighing down the remaining foliage of the Knockout Roses.

I found this to be a tween season for spring and summer flowers here in Ohio, I do not have a lot of flowers in my archive for this time. I expected to be taking frost, ice and snow photos right now but in the ebb and flow of weather cycles, this is a warm winter so far filled with rain and fog.