Flamenco in Sand

- Another nighttime sand sculpture picture from last weekend's Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This one is entitled Flamenco by Thomas Koet and Jill Harris. Check out some other great daytime pictures of the sand masterpieces at Les's blog The Tidewater Gardener. Canon G11, 1/10 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 800.

New Wheels

- "How do you like my new wheels?" It's not very often you get to see an old brick house up on wheels ready for a move. This house in the Kempsville section of Virginia Beach, Virginia is being moved because of a road widening project. Ironically it is old but not really old like the dozen or so other colonial era homes that were located nearby and lost to development over the past 50 years. In the early 20th Century, Kempsville was sometimes compared to Williamsburg. Like Williamsburg it had numerous colonial buildings that time had passed by. Unfortunately it had no John D. Rockefeller, Jr. to save it. Canon G11, 1/320 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Builder Bob?

- No it's not Bob the Builder, it my grandson Robert doing some serious reconstruction last week at Sandbridge Beach. Canon 7D, 1/1600 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, zoom at 135mm focal length.

Face in the Sand

- A face in the sand at the North American Sandsculpting Championship in Virginia Beach, Virginia USA. Check out some more photos of the amazing sand sculptures at night. Canon G11. 1/13 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 800, handheld thanks to the miracle of image stabilization.

Night Castles

- The North American Sandsculpting Championship was heald this week at Virginia Beach's 2010 Neptune Festival. For the first time the sand castles were lit at night. The night lighting produced a great new way to take pictures of these creations which are part of the Master's Division. Canon G11, 1/40 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 800.

Bachelor Button

- Gomphrena globosa, commonly known as Globe Amaranth or Bachelor Button, is an annual plant that grows up to 24 inches in height. This cultivar is white but the most familiar variety is the true species with magenta bracts. Canon 7D, 1/50 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro.

Monarch

The monarch reigns supreme at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens Butterfly House. This Saturday morning is the annual Monarch tagging and release by the Butterfly Society of Virginia. Canon 7D, 1/400 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro.