[dcstep]

Originally Posted by allachie9

Another frosty sunset shot from Duffus Castle, this one taken well after sunset though.

Is there an interesting story about the Duffus family name?

Great shot, BTW.

[allachie9]

Thanks Dave, I believe the name relates to the village and surrounding area, rather than a family name.

The name of the village Duffus derives from the lands of Duffus in Moray, Scotland. What is now known as Duffus Parish encompasses the lands of the ancient Barony of Duffus and comprises 9,565 acres (38.71 km2). The Duffus name has undergone a variety of spelling changes through the years; in 1290, "Dufhus", and in 1512, "Duffous". The name is probably a compilation of two Gaelic words, dubh and uisg, meaning "darkwater" or "blackwater". At one time, the region was below sea-level and the Loch of Spynie and stagnant pools of water were a conspicuous feature of the area.

Duffus Castle, near Elgin, Moray, Scotland, was a motte-and-bailey castle and was in use from c.1140 to 1705. During its occupation it underwent many alterations. The most fundamental was the destruction of the original wooden structure and its replacement with one of stone. At the time of its establishment, it was one of the most secure fortifications in Scotland. At the death of the 2nd Lord Duffus in 1705, the castle had become totally unsuitable as a dwelling and so was abandoned.

Hope this helps.

It remains a wonderful place to take pictures at any hour of the day or night, and only a couple of miles from home.

[Itsed65]

American Kestrel #4 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Thanks Alan. In the US, we call some that are "stupid" (don't agree with us) Doofus or Dufus. I did a little research and it's a relatively new slang word that started in the 1960s. Some think that it may be related to the Scottish word doof, but, more likely, an alliteration derived from goof or goofus.

[dcstep]

Flag of England flies over Colorado:

English Flag Flies Over Colorado by David Stephens, on Flickr

This gentleman, proudly flying the flag of England, rowed out onto the reservoir and then laid back in his lovely wooden (probably hand made) boat and waited for the sun to set over the Rocky Mountains.

[Itsed65]

Originally Posted by dcstep

This gentleman, proudly flying the flag of England, rowed out onto the reservoir and then laid back in his lovely wooden (probably hand made) boat and waited for the sun to set over the Rocky Mountains.

Looks like a nice way to spend some time.

[Itsed65]

This shows what a difference light can make. This is the same coyote in the above shot after he wandered across the road for me. Explored on Flickr:

Coyote #36 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

This shows what a difference light can make. This is the same coyote in the above shot after he wandered across the road for me. Explored on Flickr:

Nice shot. Congrats on the Explore.

[dcstep]

Great hunting kestrel shot, Ed.

[instalher]

a build I did in 2012 for Hertz/ Audison

[allachie9]

As a BBC Weather Watcher I'm out most days, if only for a walk with my little camera, looking at the sky.
This afternoon looked promising, and as sunset is before 3:30pm now, it's easy to get a nice sunset picture in plenty of time to upload it to the BBC and see if they use it on the early evening weather forecasts.
I walked over to the West Beach which is usually the best place for sunsets (winter and summer alike), but too much cloud in the west left the sky devoid of too much colour.
As I set off back along the beach, the colour suddenly started to build in the eastern sky.
I walked up to a favourite spot overlooking the river estuary and the East Beach and, 20 minutes after sunset, this is the shot I got - shooting due east !

Skywatchers Sunset by Alan Butterfield, on Flickr

[M_Six]

Beauty, Alan. Nicely done.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by allachie9

As a BBC Weather Watcher I'm out most days, if only for a walk with my little camera, looking at the sky.
This afternoon looked promising, and as sunset is before 3:30pm now, it's easy to get a nice sunset picture in plenty of time to upload it to the BBC and see if they use it on the early evening weather forecasts.
I walked over to the West Beach which is usually the best place for sunsets (winter and summer alike), but too much cloud in the west left the sky devoid of too much colour.
As I set off back along the beach, the colour suddenly started to build in the eastern sky.
I walked up to a favourite spot overlooking the river estuary and the East Beach and, 20 minutes after sunset, this is the shot I got - shooting due east !

I'm amazed at how well my Colorado colors match you Scottish sunset colors. Great shot.

[dcstep]

This is pre-dawn, but very much the same colors that Alan's seeing in Scotland:

Pink Pre-dawn Sky by David Stephens, on Flickr

As with Alan's shot, it's looking away from the sun.

[jmg]

Heading back to the dock...

20161120 - Philippines Vacation - 6D - IMG_6299-Edit_E_100 by JMG, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Big White-tail Buck

Big Buck Poses by David Stephens, on Flickr

[allachie9]

Dave, the colours in your Colorado pre-dawn shot really are very similar to those in my shot, the cloud formation also has some similarity.
Amazing isn't it ?

I also think the backdrop in your shot of the guy flying the English flag also has a look of some of the Scottish mountain scenes.

All very nice shots on here too.

[dcstep]

jmg, nice dock shot. I grew up with a dock in my front yard, so I'm always attracted to these shots. Well done.

[Itsed65]

Sitting Bunny by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Ed, what big ears you have!

[allachie9]

Playing around on a cold winter afternoon, presenting images differently can sometimes produce nice effects.
This one has been created using a free Photoshop Action from PanosFX -

An Open Book by Alan Butterfield, on Flickr

[Arsonism]

Found a pretty cool angle shot over thanksgiving during my first attempt at birds. More frogs to come as well.


The Loophole Cardinal by Shane