Author Archives: Tom

About Tom

Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, Appalachian State University.

Winter Solstice 2017

The shortest day of the year!  It’s dreary Winter weather, having been cold last week, then some rain, several days of fog, and now just gray and damp.  Outdoor activities are at a minimum even though the temperature is fairly … Continue reading

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Savannah Waterfront Sunset

I joined some friends to photograph the Savannah waterfront at sunset a few days ago and found that my favorite shots actually came after sunset.  We arrived at the Hutchinson Island  location of the Westin Hotel and Savannah Convention Center shortly … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary, Landscape Photography | 1 Comment

Sunflowers

The competition theme this month at the Photography Club of Sun City-Hilton Head is “Still Life” and I am entering a photo titled “Sunflowers” which I took just last week.  The subject of the photo is a large wine jug with … Continue reading

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Brunch at Soho South

Had a great brunch at Soho South Café in Savannah on Sunday. This restaurant continues to be one of our favorites, even though parking is somewhat of a problem. But that’s true everywhere in Savannah, isn’t it? Check out this … Continue reading

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Fiber Optic Cable Installation

This employee of Coastal Power and Electric, contracted by Santee Cooper, is suspended from a helicopter as he is moved from one utility pole to another as he and a coworker replace existing wires with fiber optic cable on Friday, May 20, along … Continue reading

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Pileated Woodpecker

The pileated woodpecker is one of the largest forest birds in the United States, being almost as large as a crow.  This woodpecker has distinctive markings, mostly black, some white, and a flaming red crest that is unmistakable in the … Continue reading

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Eastern Fox Squirrels

The eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America.  Despite the differences in size and coloration, they are sometimes mistaken for American Red Squirrels or Eastern Gray Squirrels in areas where both … Continue reading

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Topaz Remask 5

Several years ago I took a marvelous close-up image of a great egret in full breeding colors during a trip to the Everglades.  This egret was almost tame and allowed me to get really close, so I was able to … Continue reading

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Topaz Impression

I recently attended a workshop on Nik and Topaz plugins for Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom photoprocessing software, and I became interested in using Topaz Impression to convert some of my images to a “painterly” look. Topz Impresssion makes this … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary, Software | 1 Comment

Herons I have known

Since coming to the Lowcountry I’ve expanded my circle of friends in the heron family.  Although I already knew the largest member of the family, I only recently became more closely acquainted with some of the smaller and less-well-known herons, … Continue reading

Posted in Birds, Commentary, Uncategorized, Wildlife Photography | 4 Comments