Northern Bluet Damselfly

 Walker Lake Water Fairies

During the month of July, the lapis blue of the Northern Bluet Damselfly accents green bushes and shallow waters around Walker Lake.

These strikingly delicate creatures are insects similar to dragonflies, in the order Odonata and the suborder Zygoptera.  However the Damselfly is smaller than a dragonfly and its wings are held along the body when at rest. 

 The male is a striking blue. 

While the female is a duller slate color. 

Damselflies have a life cycle of one to two years and can often be seen mating in flight or by clinging to plants. 

After copulation, the female will lay her eggs in submerged vegetation.  Once the eggs are laid, she will continue this process.
  

Upon hatching, the damselfly does not go through the larva and pupa transformation.  It will emerge in to a nymph as a smaller version of the mature damselfly where it spends one to three years in the water preying on smaller aquatic insects.

After molting several times, the damselfly enters the adult stage where it keeps nature in balance eating flies, mosquitoes and other insects.

  

It's a wondrous sight to just sit and imagine the elegant damselflies as water fairies flying around Walker Lake on a warm day in July. 

 For additional reading:

http://www.lrdg.org.uk/articles/intro.php

http://www.cirrusimage.com/damselfly.htm

http://crawford.tardigrade.net/bugs/BugofMonth12.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damselfly

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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2011 Purple Summer Festival

Arts, Music and Culinary Delights at Lavender Ridge

I've just returned from participating in the Purple Summer Festival at Lavender Ridge, in Reno, Nevada. The Purple Summer Festival has become the top art festival and is held on the third weekend of July, during Artown, when the city of Reno is focused on the arts.

Lavender Ridge is a lavender farm with a setting that is just perfect for a celebration of the arts.  Owners Kristy and Mike Harris go all out providing the Reno community with a diverse selection of fine arts, culinary delights flavored with lavender and live music performances under the gazebo.

I've been fortunate to be a vendor with my PhotoGraphic Expressions since the beginning of the Purple Summer Festival.  Each year the festival gets better and more exciting.

  

The highlights of the 2011 festival including the diverse selection of mix media artists was the lavender beer that was so refreshing on a warm summer day and the entertainment by the Gabardine Sisters and their Homespun Harmony Hour.

  

The Homespun Harmony Hour with the Gabardine Sisters: Joyce Furlong as Dinah Gabardine, Karla Bowman as Tulla Gabardine, and Annie Pinkerton as Nettie Gabardine, perform a "live radio show"  with the call letters KQLT from the make-believe town of Cotton Creek.   The back-up band House Blend with guitarist Riley Hayes and Hobart "Geezer" Gaddy on upright bass play accompaniment to the three-part harmony of the Sisters.  

  

What a beautiful setting to enjoy the arts while sipping lavender lemonade by the cool waterfall that overlooks fields of lavender flowers.  Lavender Ridge is located on 7450 West 4th. Street, in Reno, Nevada.  (775) 747-3222.

To contact the Gabardine Sisters:
(775) 722-9877
Joyce Furlong

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Visit our website at: http://www.bonnierannald.com/

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Pyrotechnics in the Desert

 Star Spangled Fifth of July

On July 5th., the mountain enclosed sky at Hawthorne, Nevada comes alive with a star spangled celebration for Independence Day.  By holding the 4th. of July celebration a day late, the small desert town can catch the Fireworks Display Companies after the big city celebrations where they can use up left over pyrotechnics.  This year, the left over’s put on one very spectacular display. 

Anyone who has spent much time with me knows that of the two things I love to photo, fireworks is right up there with lightning.  Well, the word  photography is of Greek origin, meaning to write with light and with both lightning and fireworks, I am literally "writing with light"!

For this year's fireworks event, I set up in the desert approximately 400 meters from the display area, with the wind direction blowing cross wind from my left.

 This position turned out to be just perfect and the wind drift created some interesting effects with the bursts.  

With my Nikon D90 secured to my heavier Bogan tripod, I chose the Nikon 35-70mm 2.8 lens because a wide angle lens works better with fireworks to frame as much sky as possible.  The D90 was set on Manual Mode and by using a remote cable, I held the shutter open on Bulb setting.  

With Bulb, I have control over the shutter speed and can keep it open for long exposures where the fireworks become streaked.

Or time it just right to freeze the action on one burst. 

The pyrotechnics in this year's show were outstanding, making it very difficult for me to select just a few of the best 80 images.  To see more of the July 5, 2011 fireworks display, please visit my Bonnie Rannald's PhotoGraphic Expressions Facebook Artist Page.

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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