Bees, Lavender, and Daisies at Frederik Meijer Gardens

Bee on Lavender

Experiments with the photography of bees, lavender, and daisies at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.

Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan is a photographer's dream. Everywhere you look, in every direction, and in every season of the year, there is something new, something different, and something that might never be seen again.

Moments in nature are ephemeral and we have only a moment in which to capture them before they are gone forever.

All is not lost, however. For each fleeting moment is replaced by countless others of infinite variety and intricate beauty.

Playing with Bees and Daisies

In these photographs, I have attempted to capture and share a warm moment sitting serenely under the sun among the bees and flowers at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

The photographs of the bees on daisies were taken near the entrance to the outdoor gardens just beyond the main building which houses the Tropical Conservatory.

Honey Maker & Pollinator 

The bees on lavender were taken near the Heirloom Vegetable Patch on the grounds of an area of Meijer Gardens known as Michigan's Farm Garden.

Bee in Action

This bee was captured in flight seeking nectar and pollen from this healthy lavender flower.

Bee on Daisy

All of these photos and more have been posted to my Instagram account under the username "donwatkins10" (link below).

►https://www.instagram.com/donwatkins10/

Please feel free to share these links and share your thoughts below. Let me know if you like these photos and if you'd like to see more.

All photos on this page were taken using the Canon EOS Rebel T5i in RAW mode. The images were processed using Adobe Lightroom. See links below to purchase these items from Amazon.com.


Photography Equipment, Software, and Books
►Canon EOS Rebel T5i DSLR w/ 18-55mm & 75-300mm lenses
►Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop Subscription Bundle (best deal)
►Adobe Lightroom 6 - Non-subscription Purchase
►Tony & Chelsea Northrup Adobe Lightroom Guide


Thanks for visiting. Please feel free to share this article, follow me on social media, and post your questions, concerns, and suggestions in the comment space below!

Get Outside!
Donald P. Watkins, Jr.
West Michigan, USA


► Twitter: https://twitter.com/donwatkins10
► Instagram: https://Instagram.com/donwatkins10
► YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/DonaldWatkins
► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014611279214
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Sugarbush Festival - Blandford Nature Center

Horse Trainer - Offering Draft Horse Rides

The Sugarbush Festival at Blandford Nature Center is one of West Michigan's most cherished late Winter celebrations which welcomes the arrival of Spring and the beginning the new year's flow of sweet, delicious maple syrup!

Although the ground was damp and the skies were a bit gray, the smiles were bright and cheerful. Draft horses, maple cotton candy, wild animal encounters, sugar shack operations, nature walks, blacksmith demonstrations, and live music were just some of the activities happening in and around the brand new Mary Jane Dockeray Visitor Center. 

Many volunteers were on-hand to give live demonstrations and describe the process of collecting maple sap directly from the trees and turning that thin liquid into a treasured syrup using a simple process of boiling and evaporation. Other volunteers were placed along the nature trails answering questions and telling stories about the history of the area and of the Nature Center itself.

Painted Turtle - Among the Rescued/Rehabilitated Animals

A Little Blandford History...

Many festival attendees were treated with the opportunity to converse personally with the wonderful Dr. Mary Jane Dockeray, the center's founder. As one these fortunate visitors, I was delightfully enlightened by a quick and colorful history of the nature center's beginning in the early childhood of Mary Jane Dockeray who, at a very young and curious age, often splashed in the streams and wandered through the woodlands that were later to become Blandford Nature Center. 

Live Blacksmith Demonstrations at Sugarbush

As an adult, Dr. Mary Jane Dockeray seized the opportunity to begin working for the city's museum; bringing together her love for nature and a desire that drove her to share that enthusiasm with others. 

Among the teachers and parents in the community, interest soon developed in having a place where city children could be safely taken into the forest to walk among the trees, wetlands, and wildlife. From her early days exploring the streams and walking the fields of Collins Farm, Dr. Dockeray knew of an idyllic setting that was close to the city and could provide the needed venue for education. 

The owner of this woodland (then called Collins Farm) was a man named Victor Blandford and it was he that made the initial donation of acreage that gave birth to the nature center that proudly bears his family name.

The rest of the story is something I'll let Dr. Mary Jane Dockeray tell you herself. ...some of this history is also available on the Blandford Nature Center's website.

A Little Maple Syrup Background...

Maple syrup is a sweet and sticky liquid usually made from the sap of maple trees. In northern climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots as they prepare for a long, harsh winter. Natural chemistry within the tree converts this starch into a sugary sap that begins to rise in the late winter and early spring. The prized syrup is collected by drilling small holes directly into the trunks of maple trees and collecting the sap which drips from the openings. The thin but sweet sap is processed by slowly boiling the liquid to evaporate much of the water and leave behind a concentrated syrup. Maple syrup is often poured over waffles, pancakes, french toast, and anything the stomach and tastebuds desire! 

Warm Feelings of Gratitude...

The first three photos in this blog were taken by me during the 2017 Sugarbush Festival. Each image was posted to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook using the #BlandfordSugarbush hashtag. Blandford Nature Center had announced that they were eager to see all the photos taken during the event and asked people to use their hashtag. As a person who enjoys the outdoors and has a budding interest in photography, I decided to "take a chance" and let others see some of the pictures that I had taken that day.

Much to my pleasant surprise, when reviewing Facebook late Sunday evening (the day after the Sugarbush Festival), one of my images appeared in the newsfeed and it wasn't coming from my account. A feeling of gratitude and excitement warmed over me as I realized that one of my images had become a cover photo for Blandford Nature Center's 2017 Sugarbush Festival Facebook album. In the lower right-hand corner of the Nature Center's post (see image at right) was another one of my photographs and a third photograph (the painted turtle) was found inside the event's photo album.

Thank you Blandford Nature Center, and thank you Dr. Mary Jane Dockeray for holding such a wonderful Wintertime community event. Spring is just beginning and I am very much looking forward to spending the coming days exploring Blandford's many nature trails. The land slowly changes throughout the year as the seasons gradually evolve through their annual cycles. Come on out, join the fun, and experience some of the best of West Michigan!

Blandford Nature Center Resources

► Blandford Nature Center Website
► Blandford Nature Center Trail Map
► Blandford Nature Center Event Calendar
► Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Thanks for visiting. Please feel free to share this article, follow me on social media, and post your questions, concerns, and suggestions in the comment space below!

Get Outside!
Donald P. Watkins, Jr.
West Michigan, USA


► Twitter: https://twitter.com/donwatkins10
► Instagram: https://Instagram.com/donwatkins10
► YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/DonaldWatkins
► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014611279214
► Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DonaldWatkins

Nebula Fly Through - Blender Experiment 02

Nebula Fly Through - A Blender Experiment - UHD 4K - 2160p

Drift aimlessly through the center of an endless nebula as a passenger on a ship lost in space. Will your ship and crew make it to the other side? Will you survive? Will you suffer from space sickness?

- Video Link Below -

Stare at the center of this video for 20 seconds and then quickly look at something else. If done correctly, you will likely see your world bending and twisting right before your very eyes!

This video is the result of following a free Blender tutorial produced by Aidy Burrows at CG Masters.

After following the tutorial, I played around; changing settings and tweaking things until I had created something pleasing that was a little different from the nebula produced in the tutorial.

Creating this scene involved animating a camera to fly through a nebula created from an array of transparent planes which have had a "tweaked" noise texture applied to them.

The animation was rendered to individual png files representing each frame. These files were then pulled into Sony Vegas Movie Studio for the final render to which I added the title graphics.

Nebula Fly Through - A Blender Experiment

- Click Here for Video -

Staring at the video for too long could make you motion sick if you are susceptible (be warned). At the very least, if you stare at the center of rotation long enough and then look away, the things you look at will twist and bend. It's a rather interesting effect all by itself!

Blender is a free 3D Modeling and Animation Tool...

► Download Blender - https://www.blender.org/

Learn more about the Space VFX Tutorials below...

CG Masters YouTube Channel -
► GG Masters - https://www.youtube.com/user/blengine

The tutorial video is called "Nebulae Cloud Flythrough in Blender | Free Tutorial" and I highly recommend watching it if you are interested in generating 3D nebula and/or clouds in your renders.

Link to the tutorial -
► Tutorial - https://youtu.be/CB8_QKQ4eKQ

The tutorial is a free segment from a more than 12 hour professionally produced VFX course offered by Aidy Burrows and Gleb Alexandrov. The series is titled "Space VFX Elements: the Ultimate Guide to Creating the Galaxy in Blender" and it will guide the student through the creation of "quasars, gas giants, planets, black holes, asteroids and more."

LInks to Aidy and Gleb's Websites:
► Aidy Burrows : www.cgmasters.net
► Gleb Alexandrov : www.creativeshrimp.com

Space VFX Promo Video:
► https://youtu.be/9GThOpX-ceU
► http://www.cgmasters.net/spacevfx/

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to share this video and if you liked it, be sure to smash that like button, subscribe, and comment in the comment box!

Stay Skookum!
Donald Watkins
of Skookum Valley Productions

► Twitter: https://twitter.com/donwatkins10
► Instagram: https://Instagram.com/donwatkins10
► YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/DonaldWatkins
► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014611279214
► Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DonaldWatkins

Getting Started with Blender 3D Modeling - Blender Experiment 01

My first foray into the Blender Universe was a fast trip to doughnut heaven. Being a complete beginner who has never touched Blender before, I was looking for a very thorough "beginner's guide".

Fortunately, I stumbled upon the tutorials created by Blender Guru (Andrew Price). His teaching style is smooth and informative. The Blender Beginner Tutorial series (see list below) will not only teach you how to make a nice set of doughnuts with matching coffee mug; it may also grant you a greater appreciation for art and photography in general.

The first image to the right is the result of carefully studying the tutorials and working through the details of the lessons. Without Andrew's direction, this image would not look nearly as photorealistic as it does. If stared at long enough, the CGI shortcomings may become increasingly noticeable. However, the results are amazing when you consider that the image was this modeler's first ever experimental journey into the world of Blender and 3D modeling.

The Doughnut Image on Instagram

On the right, is a sample image that I decided to put on Instagram. At the time of this writing, the image has the highest level of viewer interaction compared to any other image in my Instagram portfolio. The comments include pleasant conversation with another person who is eagerly learning blender and who is also following this particular tutorial series. There is a strong sense of community behind Blender.

Those who are interested in seeing the Blender interface to get a glimpse at what is involved in modeling the doughnuts and setting the scene may wish to take a close look at the image below. I find it fascinating that it is possible to go from a wire-frame to a fully photorealistic image with the power of an average home computer.

The Blender Guru's Blender Beginner Tutorial Series

If you want to learn Blender then I highly recommend the Blender Guru Beginner Tutorial Series. Andrew will carefully walk you through the world of Blender; from getting familiar with the user interface, modeling real world objects, texturing surfaces, lighting scenes, and developing your final composition. If you follow his guidance, you will learn quite a lot about photography as well as 3D modeling and the Blender tool, itself.

All in all, a little more than an hour per tutorial was dedicated to following the videos and performing the work. It was important to me to understand everything because each lesson was built upon the knowledge gained in the previous sessions. This set of tutorials can be treated as a true college level course in my opinion because that is the quality of instruction that is provided by this instructor. 

In total, the series is composed of nine sessions of less than one hour each. By the time you complete the series you will be well on your way toward new adventures as a 3D artist. It is certain that you will also gain a great amount of artistic and photographic appreciation along the way. 

I am thankful that Andrew, the Blender Guru, has decided to share such a valuable introductory course for no cost whatsoever. Thank you, Andrew, for your inspiration and assistance!

Links to the Tutorial Sessions

► Blender Beginner Tutorial - Part 1: User Interface

► Blender Beginner Tutorial - Part 2: Moving, Rotating, Scaling

► Blender Beginner Tutorial - Part 3: Edit Mode

► Blender Beginner Tutorial - Part 4: Material Nodes

► Blender Beginner Tutorial - Part 5: Modeling

► Blender Beginner Tutorial - Part 6: Texturing

► Blender Beginner Tutorial - Part 7: Particles

► Blender Beginner Tutorial - Part 8: Lighting

► Blender Beginner Tutorial - Part 9: Rendering and Compositing

Links to the Blender Project

► Creative Freedom Starts Here - Blender.org
► Download Blender Here
► Other Blender Tutorials
► Wikipedia Article on the Blender Project


Thanks for visiting and keep coming back!

Have a good one,
Donald P. Watkins, Jr.
Beachcomber, Wanderer, and Lover of Life


Follow me on Social Media...
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/donwatkins10
► Instagram: https://Instagram.com/donwatkins10
► YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/DonaldWatkins
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► Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DonaldWatkins

Introductions - The Experimental Logs

Experimenters Log: Gregorian Date 2017-02-26

Experimentation: the ultimate frontier. These are the logs of the experimenter Donald P. Watkins. His lifelong mission: to explore outside his comfort zone, to seek out new challenges and new understandings, to boldly engage in things he has never done before.

This entry marks the first log in a series of posts that will attempt to document the various activities in which I am currently and will soon be engaged. In my world, everything is an experiment. In the world of science, no experiment is failure. No matter the outcome of any endeavor, something will always be learned and horizons will always be broadened.

These pages will track the goals and outcomes of my attempts to try new things, learn new topics, and engage with all that the world has to offer.

Topics on the near horizon include experiments in 3D modeling, photography, film making, music production, amateur radio, robotics, botany, home improvement, and much more.

Some topics, such as Robotics, Amateur Radio, Video Games and PC Hardware, will be documented in detail on these pages as the work progresses. The final reports for these disciplines will most likely be posted to one of my related blogs or YouTube channels. This particular blog is intended to keep track of the day-to-day activities regarding the ups and downs of each project. Where appropriate, links to the other posts will be provided here. Stay tuned to this blog for all the updates!

My other Blogs, YouTube Channels, and Social Media Accounts:

DONALD WATKINS - THE ME BEHIND THE CURTAIN
► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/DonaldWatkins
► Instagram: https://instagram.com/donwatkins10
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/donwatkins10
► Google+: +DonaldWatkins
► Blogger: http://www.DonaldPWatkins.com

SKOOKUM VALLEY GAMING - VIDEO GAMES & PC HARDWARE
► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Instagram: https://instagram.com/SkookumValleyGaming
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkookumGames
► Google+: +SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Blogger: http://www.SkookumValleyGaming.com

KC7ZXY - AMATEUR RADIO
► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/KC7ZXYtube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/KC7ZXY
► Google+: +KC7ZXYtube
► Blogger: http://www.KC7ZXY.com

WATKINS ROBOTICS - ALL THE ROBOT THINGS
► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/WatkinsRoboticsTube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/WatkinsRobotics
► Google+: +WatkinsRoboticsTube
► Blogger: http://www.WatkinsRobotics.com


Thanks for visiting and keep coming back!

Have a good one,
Donald P. Watkins, Jr.
Beachcomber, Wanderer, and Lover of Life