Night photography when it’s frickin cold outside

I’m camping around Florida (more on that here) and last night I was determined to get some late night astrophotography. It’s been cloudy for days but the sky opened up late afternoon yesterday, OK it’s on! I reviewed the settings to use in order to get the best starry photographs and every few minutes, amped myself up by saying, “You can do this. You can DO THIS.” Why such encouragement? Because it’s frickin’ cold outside! In hindsight, I could’ve used a pair of gloves. Here’s proof. As I was setting up the tripod, my knuckles hit the asphalt in the parking lot, not once but about 4 times. I didn’t even feel it. Didn’t even know I was bleeding till I was almost done shooting! Hopefully this won’t make you squeamish.

I’m such a wimp!

Injuries aside, I was able to get the gear set up and although the Milky Way isn’t visible in Florida at the moment, I love how these pictures came out! In fact, I’m not even ashamed to show you some of the photos that DIDN’T turn out so well haha. Let’s start with those. All of these were taken between 10pm and 2am.

a pier, sort of
a mistake, or we call it abstract?
how beach hotels look if you’re tipsy

And now that those are out of the way, here are the ones I’m very happy with!

how beach hotels look if you’re not tipsy
more stars than we can count
under the pier
stars a’pier
the beautiful campground
silent night

I often say that anything someone does in really cold weather is an addiction. It could be smoking, golfing, fishing, you name it… so I guess I love photography. I’ll say this, too… I appreciate warm hands and a warm camper to return to on night’s like this one.

Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

Walmart’s clever “company” commercial – the music and the message

Walmart has an ad airing during the 2022 Winter Olympics and it’s all about company. Take a minute to check it out…

The Music. The song backing this commercial is “Home Again” by Michael Kiwanuka. The song was released in 2012. You can find more about him and his music on Instagram @MichaelKiwanuka.

The message. I’m not sure Walmart meant to do this but notice in the beginning, the voiceover says, “Can company help you live a better life?” and the last part says, “So… can a company help you live a better life?” The addition of ‘a’ in the question changes the meaning from [company: a group of people] to [company: a business, aka Walmart]. This was either subtly clever, or they overlooked a major mistake in the production. Without drawing a lot of attention to the variation of the question (the question that becomes the climax of the entire ad), my guess is it’s a mistake. It’s still a good message, though. “We are the company we keep,” as the old adage goes.

The visualization. I really enjoyed the visuals, with the scenes projected on large walls. Something about it just feels comfortable and peaceful. There’s also a lot of diversity in the people appearing in the commercial, and viewers will mostly appreciate that.

What do you think about the ad? Does the music pair well with the visual? Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

Taco Bell Commercials Music and Actress – February 2022

There are a couple of Taco Bell ads airing this month that promote–make a guess!– tacos. One is about the “taco lover’s pass” which offers you a taco per day if you sign up for that service. The other is about Cantina Crispy Chicken Tacos. They both include songs you might be curious about so scroll down for the crispy info…

The actress in the commercial above is Allie Jennings. You can get the scoop on her acting history on her website Allie-Jennings.com and find her on Instagram @alliejens.

The music in this ad is “Everyday” by Strobe Light Fancy. Here’s the full track…

The next ad is a little more specific, advertising the Cantina Crispy Chicken Tacos with a side of 80s humor…

The music in this ad is “New Love” by John-Allison Weiss. The song was released in 2015. Here’s the full track…

This artist can be found on Twitter @JohnnyAlligator and the main website LowerKeyMusic.com.

What are your thoughts on the ads? Do you like the music? Chime in below. That is, if you’re not already on your way to Taco Bell for a taco or two. 🙂

-Out of the Wilderness

Birds of Paradise – a few pictures from the Florida Gulf Coast

I loved seeing all this wildlife on the gulf coast of Florida last week. Below are 7 birds I was able to photograph, labeled with what kind they are. Some let me get kind of close but thanks to my Sony 350mm zoom lens, it looks like I’m a lot closer than I am… except for that shy juvenile bald eagle. If you get within a hundred yards, you’re lucky! Which of the bird photos is your favorite? Comment below, I’ll share which is my favorite at the end of the post. Also, you can find a few of these (without labels) for purchase as framed art, ornaments, mugs, all sorts of things, on my FineArtAmerica photo page.

I liked all of these birds, especially seeing the bald eagles. But to pick a favorite, I’d go with the great blue heron. Something speaks to me about how it’s walking with its head up high, feathers ruffled, not having a care in the world!

Thanks for flying by…

-Out of the Wilderness

Pop up pup pics – a photo session with a few doggos

I didn’t plan on taking pictures of the family pups but my niece was outside doing flips and hand-stands and all sorts of acrobatic tricks so I got my camera.

Sure, I took pictures of her, but I also got a lot of dog pictures because, I mean, how can you resist such cute faces, ya know? So here are a few photos from the late afternoon pop up pup session…

Thanks for barking by…

-Out of the Wilderness