Photography

Orbs Glide Room Waiting

What happens when there is no band to excite the orbs? Just like us they continue to exist.

This stage has served many purposes. It was once the focal point for a church congregation.

The inside of the Bisbee Royale building was completely remodeled in 2011-12, but years of good vibes remain.

Long after the church sold the building it was the place for Bisbee to create theater.

You have probably been wondering about all those orbs. Are they just a result of theater lighting? This is what the stage looks like when my flash doesn’t go off. The colors are richer, the image isn’t as grainy and low contrast. If I wasn’t questing for orbs, I certainly wouldn’t be taking flash photographs.

Here is the same angle with flash. As I’ve mentioned before, Dr. Miceal Ledwith, co-author of The Orb Project, thinks that the orbs are revealed by a florescence by which the flash excites something in the orbs which makes them flash back at the camera. Brilliant sunlight can sometimes have the same effect.

But it’s night-time, and I was taking way too many flash photographs of the Andy T Band featuring Nick Nixon. Just couldn’t help myself. So, I stepped outside to break the grip of attraction and see if any orbs were on the loose in town.

I’ve shown a picture of the Bisbee Royale’s box office before, can’t remember if it was painted the last time I photographed the building. The white globe on the side really is a light bulb. However, that isn’t the moon or a star or a street lamp high up on the left.

For those of you who are new to this blog or would like to revisit the explanation as to what orbs are, this might be of help: https://orbsdelight.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/closeup-on-orbs/

Orbs Gather for Andy T Band featuring Nick Nixon

I wandered into the sound check of the Andy T Band of Nashville, Tennessee this evening while questing for orbs.

Markey, the female backup singer, is already an orb enthusiast.

Friends and family of the band amused themselves playing “catch the orb” while we waited for the show to start.

Sound check had the orbs interested, but when Nick Nixon, formerly of the New Imperials, took center stage, the orbs turned up their wattage.

The band has been crisscrossing Arizona for a few weeks and are homeward bound for a day in Nashville.

They obviously enjoy working together. And their music brought out the best in orbs.

I must admit that every time I got an extra-large luminous orb in my camera I showed it off to friends in the audience. Can’t help but share the joy of orbs with each and everyone!

I gave up my rule about only one flash per song. There are too many choice moments to see how the orbs are reacting to the music.

Nick Nixon trained to sing opera when he left high school, which he had to unlearn when he took up rhythm and blues. But, man, he can really light up an orb when he lets loose with his full-bodied vocals.

To learn more about this Chicago, Texas, New Orleans, Blues, and R&B band whose hometown is in Nashville, Tennessee you can find them on Facebook listed under Andy T – Nick Nixon Band. The Andy T Band also has a website:http://www.andytband.com/Music.htm  This will direct you to their Facebook page where you’ll get to hear some soul-stirring, wish you were there, music.

Thanks to the Andy T Band: Andy T – guitar, Nick Nixon – vocals and guitar, Larry Van Loon – keys, Bill Blois – bass, Jim Klinger – drums, Markey – backup vocals.

And, thanks to Shawnee Hicks, sound engineer for the Bisbee Royale.

For those of you who are new to this blog or would like to revisit the explanation as to what orbs are, this might be of help: https://orbsdelight.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/closeup-on-orbs/

Painted Stonehenge Orb

In my last post I mentioned I had done a painting of one of the orb photographs of Stonehenge.  Here’s a look.

For those of you who are new to this blog or would like to revisit the explanation as to what orbs are, this might be of help: https://orbsdelight.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/closeup-on-orbs/

Orbs of Stonehenge

Inspired by http://sethsnap.com/ who is doing a series of his England photos in his WordPress blog, I went looking through my files of photographs from my visit in 2009. I wasn’t on a quest for orbs back then, but my husband, Bruce MacMasters, caught some in his digital camera, so he is my guest orbist for this posting.

Our cameras were quite primitive in digital terms, but I’ve liked this photo so much I’ve done oil paintings of it and I always emphasize the large pale orb on the left in my paintings, making it an otherworldly mystery.

This was a Summer Solstice gathering of over 33,000 people, the largest that had ever come to Stonehenge at one time. I was expecting an “Om, I love you stone” kind of meditative reverie. Instead we arrived at the largest punk rock mosh pit that side of the Atlantic. Our many layers of clothing barely kept the cold at bay and the post midnight hours became an endurance contest to survive the chill of Salisbury Plain.

In this next photograph you can barely see the orbs after I’ve brightened the image and lowered the contrast:

On this darkest of nights, it was a challenge not to step or fall on the thousands huddled close to the Stones and sleeping in lapping waves around the circle.

Now of course I want to return for the next Solstice (is December too soon and cold?) to record the orbs who fly above the Stones.

To give you an idea how tightly we packed into the center of the circle:

The dawn that Solstice morning did not bring a flash of Sun into our patiently waiting mass.

We were all just happy to have been part of an immensity of mankind meets Stones experience and survived to tell the tale.

For those of you who are new to this blog or would like to revisit the explanation as to what orbs are, this might be of help: https://orbsdelight.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/closeup-on-orbs/

Outside with Orbs

I’m still in the orb of All Hallows when time seems to have come to a standstill. The bands are playing and I’m sure they’re sending clouds of orbs soaring across the dance floor, but not for me this night.

Tonight I’m just stepping outside to check the weather and see who’s in the neighborhood. The moon hasn’t risen yet and the stars are higher than the orbs who grace my photos.

As usual, the orbs find the gate to be a place of interest. Perhaps because it is a passageway. Perhaps because they know I’ll look for them there and they don’t want to disappoint.

What I do know is that my fascination with being able to see beyond our limited visible spectrum with the simple use of flash continues unabated. Even though I wasn’t up for a raucous night of hard-driving music, I grabbed my camera eagerly to see who would come into view this evening.

Let’s take a closer look:

For those of you who are new to this blog or would like to revisit the explanation as to what orbs are, this might be of help: https://orbsdelight.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/closeup-on-orbs/

Not Halloween Orbs

There’s something about a full moon on Halloween that makes me stay home. Even though there’s a hot and exciting band playing a short stride downhill from my house.

So, I looked in my files for another costumed night at the Bisbee Royale and found these men dressed in red and looking for their own hot night on the town.

I hope you all stayed safe and are recovering from the storm.

For those of you who are new to this blog or would like to revisit the explanation as to what orbs are, this might be of help: https://orbsdelight.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/closeup-on-orbs/

Honoring the Power Service Crews of Hurricane Sandy

In honor of all the men and women working to restore power to the millions of people whose lives have been forever changed by Hurricane Sandy, I offer this picture in salute of your hardworking and tireless endeavors. May you know that your efforts are greatly appreciated as you strive to repair the damage left by the storm. You hold the hopes and wishes of millions in your hands.

For those of you who are new to this blog or would like to revisit the explanation as to what orbs are, this might be of help: https://orbsdelight.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/closeup-on-orbs/

Daylight Orbs

In this post I’m going to be showing several shots of this scene, just because the light orbs are so beautiful.

I posted a similar picture taken with my iPhone 4s camera in last week’s silhouette photo challenge.

These and most of the photographs in my blog posts are taken with a Canon G12.

Whether or not these are orbs of the same kind as we have seen in the night flash photos, or simply sun reflections, or a combination of both, they certainly brighten up a photograph.

Dr. Miceal Ledwith, co-author of the Orb Project, thinks that the hexagonal shaped orbs are a result of their light reflecting back at the camera lens just as the shutter is closing, thus the hexagonal aperture shape.

Looks like the orbs are approvingly interested in the renovation work.

I’ve inserted a larger image so that you can see the fainter orb on the upper left and the smaller orb on the right.

Daylight orbs? Scientists Dr. Ledwith and Klaus Heinemann, Ph.D. think it possible.

For those of you who are new to this blog or would like to revisit the explanation as to what orbs are, this might be of help: https://orbsdelight.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/closeup-on-orbs/

Flying in an Orb of a Balloon

In yesterday’s post I described the process of putting a hot air balloon up into the sky.  After the other balloons had taken flight from the field I saw Dream Catcher off in the distance still waiting to ascend.

Jeff, the Crew Chief for his wife, pilot Elaine Anderson, was happy to see another potential crew member coming to help.

I was happily photographing while helping when Elaine asked if I’d like a ride.

Yes!

Usually I love to fly even though there’s that cold feeling of fear in the pit of my stomach.  This time my flight was so unexpected the fear didn’t have time to get its grip on me.

With a burst of flame we were flying into the morning sky of Marana, Arizona.

My crew members were setting up the tailgate party below and totally unaware that I was flying overhead.

It was a beautifully clear day for a flight over the Pima cotton fields and mesquite trees. Very little wind so that we basically went up and down and just thought about flying across to other fields.

Finally, Elaine decided to bring us back to Earth.

The crew came to meet us and pack the balloon away.

For those of you who have not experienced the joys of hot air ballooning here are a few tips: always bring a pair of leather gloves to handle the ropes, be hopeful, but not too disappointed if you don’t get a ride the first time you crew, and don’t rush away at the end of the flight.

Tailgating is half the fun and a chance to relax after a sometimes strenuous early morning workout of wrangling a hot air balloon into and out of the sky.

Hot Air Balloons are Orbs of a Different Kind

Today I was chasing orbs of a different kind: hot air balloons. First, by getting up at 3 a.m. to travel two and a half hours to the balloon field in Marana, outside Tucson, Arizona. Even when we’re in New Mexico for the White Sands hot air balloon rally and the alarm goes off in the hotel room at 4 a.m., we know it’s really 3 a.m. Arizona time.

After standing around in the dark, catching up with each other since the last rally a month or more ago, and listening to the pilots’ briefing it’s time to get to work.

The ground is dry enough and weed free enough that Dan Ewer, pilot of Foolish Pleasure Hot Air Balloon Rides, has decided we can lay out the balloon envelope without putting down a tarp.

Number one rule: never step on the envelope.

This is a job I usually do, holding open the throat of the balloon while the fan blows it full of air.

Propane fuel heats the air so that the balloon can rise.

We’re ready to tip back the wicker basket and begin the final heating of the air before lift off.

Now we’re just trying to keep the balloon from flying off before the pilot gives us the go ahead to set it free.

The lucky ones are airborne!

In tomorrow’s post I’ll give you the view from on high after I wandered over to another balloon to help crew and was asked if I’d like to go for a ride.

Yes!