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yelenabelovasbxtch · 2 years

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The Coffee Shop

Florence Pugh X f!reader

a/n: Hey! I don't know if you guys have seen these new photos of Flo or not (attached below) but I just felt love struck when I saw them. So much so that I HAD to write a fic inspired by them...so, I hope you enjoy it!

Word Count: 2090

Concept: You go to a coffee shop where you meet a short-haired brunette that has you falling head over heels.

Warnings: Not much, mainly just some fluff, NOT proofread.

Taglist: @jeyramarie @flosbelova @bridgecitybrad @justthis-stuff @chloe7076 @ailenepuff @wandanatvoid @3xbyrn320 @thorya22 @ravenclawbitch426 @mellowladyangel @wandanatvoid @ailenepuff

You were in LA for the week on a girl's trip but were originally from New York. You and your friends just wanted to get away for a bit somewhere warm because winter in NYC can get very cold. None of you had been to LA before so this was a whole new experience for the three of you. You are naturally an early bird but your friends always sleep in, so, you’re alone for probably a good three hours every morning. Today when you woke up, you knew they were not going to be out of bed any earlier than noon since the three of you were out late clubbing last night. You decided to go to a nearby coffee shop and sit down to edit some of the photos you’ve taken on your trip so far. You love taking photos of people whenever you go somewhere new. You never sold these pictures as they are ones that you technically don’t have consent to take but it’s sort of like a small passion project of yours. Other than that, you are an architecture photographer as your full-time job. With photography as a passion and you already being three days into the trip, you had a whole SD card of pictures to edit. So, you grab your camera bag and head out the door, being sure to leave a note behind in case they do get up earlier.

You found a nice quiet coffee shop near your hotel, not a Starbucks but a genuine coffee shop where they took pride in making their drinks as opposed to pumping as many of them out each hour as they could. You get a latte and settle down in a seat near a window at the back of the coffee shop. It was only you and a couple of other people there as it was still fairly early. You figured this place doesn’t get super busy as it was fairly secluded from the main streets of LA and not a major franchise. You sat there for what felt like an hour sifting through photos and 2 coffees and a scone later you were finally ready to start editing. As you eject your SD card and put it back in your camera you look up to see a brunette walking through the door of the coffee shop.

You were honestly stunned by this human being. She was beautiful in every way imaginable Her smile, her hair, her eyes, oh my gosh her nose. She had the most perfect nose. You knew you had to take a photo to add to your LA collection of portraits so you turned your camera on and started focusing your lens as she had her coffee order taken. You snapped a few photos and while your head was looking down at the tiny screen on your DSLR you hear someone talking.

“Hello.” A beautiful thick British accent says. “Hello? Hi.”

You look up not realizing she was talking to you. “Oh– Hi! Sorry, I didn’t realize you were talking to me.” You say with a smile.

“Yeah uh, sorry, but I was just wondering if you could not post those?”

“Post?” You respond confused.

“Yeah, the pictures? You were taking photos of me, right? Sorry, I just, I know it’s your job as paparazzi to take photos and sell or post them but I have successfully kept this coffee shop one of my quiet places when I come to visit LA and I would like to keep it that way.” She says in a genuine tone.

Did you take a photo of a famous person and you didn’t even realize that they were famous?

“OH! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude–”

“No, no, it’s okay. Like I said, I know it’s your job–”

“No!” You abruptly cut her off. “Sorry, I just, I’m not a paparazzi.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I um, I’m just a photographer and I have this small little passion project thing I do where I take pictures of people that stand out to me when I travel around the world. It’s sort of like a side thing I do for personal enjoyment. Otherwise, I’m shooting architecture.”

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to assume, it’s just been a really crazy week with people following me around and this is the one place I come to get away from it all.”

“No, I totally understand. I can delete the photos if you’d like?” You say as you turn your screen towards her and show her the raw photo you took.

“No that won’t be– Woah. That’s a great photo. You took that just now?”

“Yeah.” You say with a smile.

“That’s amazing work uh…”

“y/n.”

“y/n. That’s amazing work y/n. Also, you have a beautiful name I must say. I’m Florence by the way.”

“It’s nice to meet you Florence.”

“It’s lovely to meet you.”

“FLORENCE!” You hear yelled from behind her as the barista holds up her drink.

“Looks like that's me, it was nice chatting with you.”

“And you!”

You continue to edit your photos as she turns around and walks to get her coffee, thinking that was the end of that interaction when suddenly you hear, “Hey again, would you mind actually if I sat down and watched you edit some photos?”

“Yeah of course!” You say in an eager tone. It’s not often that someone shows this much interest in your work.

“I took these when I travelled to Venice about a month ago.” You say, showing her the different portraits you took on your trip.

“Wow. y/n, you have some serious talent love. Do you sell prints or anything of your work?”

“Not really, not too many people are interested. I live in a really small apartment with my best friends in New York and it is seriously overpriced and working as a photographer isn’t really cutting it. When I head back after this trip I think I’m going to have to get a different job and just do photography as a hobby.”

“Nonsense! That’s ridiculous. You need to be taking photos y/n! Your work is just amazing, you have a great eye and I think I know someone who would agree.”

“I have an ex-boyfriend, his name is Zach Braff, we are still close but I know he would love your work and he’s actually working in New York right now.”

“Sorry…Zach Braff? Like the popular actor from Scrubs? You dated him?”

Florence just sort of chuckles at your response. “Yes.”

“Oh my gosh, Florence, I feel terrible, I feel like I should recognize you but I’m so sorry nothing is coming to mind. Is there something I might have seen you in?”

“It’s okay! It’s honestly refreshing meeting someone who isn’t talking to me just because I’m famous.”

“Well, I must say, you are quite lovely to talk to.”

Her cheeks turn a shade of red at your kind words.

“Well, thank you. You are too and I’d love to hire you to do some work for me. Your stuff is seriously amazing. Plus, I’m heading to New York to shoot a movie next week so if we exchange contact info we could maybe meet up?”

“Sure! That would be amazing. Thank you so much.”

“Of course. Oh, and to answer your question, I haven’t been in too much…not sure if you are a Marvel fan but I do play one character in that universe. Yelena Belova, Natasha Romanoff's sister.”

Your eyes feel like they grow three times in size and blood is rushing to your cheeks in embarrassment.

“Oh– There it is aha.” She says. “Looks like something clicked.”

“Okay, well. Now I feel even worse for not recognizing you. I want to say the new hair and different accent is what messed me up but honestly, that’s just totally on me. I am so sorry. But! I did love you in Black Widow and Hawkeye.” You say with a grin.

“Thank you. I hope this doesn’t change anything between us? I just want you to see me as the same old Florence, the person that you randomly met in a coffee shop and not famous actor Florence.”

“Yes, of course. Besides, it was your natural beauty that had me taking pictures of you in the first place.” You say with a cheeky grin and in a teasing tone.

“Oh stop it,” Florence responds giving you a little nudge on your arm that causes the two of you to start laughing. “You’re not too shabby yourself y/n.”

You felt yourself blushing again at Florence lightly flirting with you. You look up at her and just for a second get lost in her eyes as the sun was coming through the window just right.

“Y/n?”

“Yeah! Sorry. I just um, zoned out.”

“No problem, I was just asking for your number.”

“Oh my number! Yes, for sure, sorry let me write it down for you.” You pause for a second in place. “Actually Flo, could I um, could I take another photo of you? I just, I have this vision that I’m seeing right now.”

“Oh? Yes! For sure. Let me see the master at work.” She says with a chuckle.

You pull out your camera again and take a few scoots backwards in your chair as you pull the viewfinder up to your face. You couldn’t help but smile when you saw how beautiful she looked with the sun naturally highlighting her face. She noticed your smile behind the camera which caused a big one to come across her face. She was grinning ear to ear.

“You look beautiful Flo.”

Her cheeks are then brought out more in these photos as they turn a light shade of pink from your compliment. Her nose scrunches up and she shows more teeth in her smile and it was one of the best photos you have ever taken. You pull the camera down from your face and lock eyes with her. You had this feeling in your stomach, absolute butterflies. You were falling for this random girl in a coffee shop you had just met that apparently just so happened to also be a movie star. You moved back towards her and she leaned towards you a little and the two of you were extremely close to one another's faces.

“Are you guys all done with these?” A waitress asked pointing to your mugs and plates causing you two to practically jump backwards from one another.

“Uh, yeah, yes, sorry, yes please take them.” You say.

She grabs your plates and as she walks away the two of you make eye contact and just burst out laughing from mild embarrassment.

The two of you exchange contact information and Florence walks you back to your hotel around the corner.

“Well y/n, it was lovely meeting you and I can’t wait to do work with you in the future. Oh, and I will be sure to pass your information along to Zach too.”

“Thanks so much, Flo and it was great to meet you too…sorry again for not recognizing you.”

She just chuckles. “It’s no problem. As I said, I’m just a girl you met in a coffee shop.”

A warm smile comes across your face as she leans in to hug you goodbye.

You head back up to your room and as you open the door you were feeling absolutely love-struck like you were floating in your own world.

“So, where are our coffees?” You hear one of your friends say.

“Shit– Sorry guys.”

The two of them just look at you with the most exhausted expressions.

“If it’s any consolation, I think I just met the love of my life.” You say.

They both perk up with interest as you sit down and explain to them everything that happened. Once you were done, they both decided to go and get ready as your phone binged. You look down to see a newly added contact pop up.

“Hey, it’s Flo! It really was lovely meeting you today, I hope that we can meet up again in New York and maybe not just for work or coffee next time? ;) p.s. Send me the pic you took of me!! Your work needs to be shared with the world!”

Reading this text brought all the butterflies back to your stomach. You couldn’t wait for the adventure that awaited you when you got home.

– The End –

#cooking with flo #florence pugh smut #fluff #florence pugh #florence pugh x reader #florence pugh fanfic #florence pugh fluff #florence pugh angst #yelena belova #yelena belova fanfiction #black widow #mcu #marvel #yelena belova imagine #yelena x reader #yelena belova smut

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mackeydoodledoo · 3 years

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I Only Swim Free: Chapter 2

Pairing: Bela Dimitrescu x (Fem!)Reader

Summary: You’ve done swimming all your life. You’ve gotten to your dream college on a scholarship for your outstanding freestyle technique back in high school. Relationships never crossed your mind however, that was before you met your swim team captain: Bela Dimitrescu.

Warning: Alcohol/Drinking, Introverted-ness (At Parties), jealousy/slight-heartbreak

A/N: Rather than having this be a one chapter story, I decided to make this thing a whole series!

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“This Photo assignment is due next class, make sure there is no slacking off,” Your Photo professor announces, “Now, that will be all for today, I can’t wait to see what you students will come up with.”

As you finish up your last class of the day, you grab a quick bite to eat before you headed off to the sports facility for practice.

The Assignment: You are to create a collage of photos taken on your DSLR camera. However, they need to be edited in some way. The theme and the way of editing is entirely up to students.

You go down the list of options in your head as you get yourself changed into your new swimsuit. You feel a slight tap on your shoulder, making you lose your train of thought.

“Hey y/n,” Bela smiles, “I just want to apologize for not letting you finish yesterday. My boyfriend he’s- the worst at timing. What was it that you wanted to ask me yesterday?”

A date... I want to ask you on a date Bela...

“Oh don’t worry about it,” You lie, “It was nothing important anyway.”

“Okay,” She says, “Hey do you have any plans tomorrow night?”

“No, don’t think so... Why?” You ask

“My boyfriend’s fraternity house is throwing some huge party and I was wondering if you would like to show up... With me,” Bela explains

“Wouldn’t that be a question for your boyfriend?” You ask out of pure curiosity

“He’s apart if the fraternity silly,” Bela giggles, “I don’t want to be showing up alone. so, how about it?”

She’s going to be the one leaving you alone for her boyfriend... Won’t she?

“Okay,” You answer unconsciously

“Great,” she smiles, “I’ll pick you up around six tomorrow.”

You watch her walk up to the coach and you follow the rest of the girls to begin practice.

After practice that evening, you only rinsed out your hair in hopes to avoid Bela. However, once you had just gotten out of the shower, you realized you unconsciously did your “post-swim shower routine”. So you didn’t rush out of there.

“You okay y/n?” Bela asks

She was wearing her undergarments that time so you were slightly thankful.

“Yeah-yeah,” You sigh

“Are you sure?” She asks

“Yeah, practice is different from high school,” You say, changing the subject, hoping Bela wouldn’t notice how you felt about yesterday

“Oh- I just remembered,” Bela says, reaching into her bag

You look over and notice that your hoodie is in her hands. You had too many already...

“Keep it,” You say, “You make it look good better than me anyway.”

“Even if my name isn’t on here?” She asks

“Definitely,” You smile, holding the locker room door open for her, “Besides, doing indoor percussion for almost nine years now gets you to own too many hoodies.”

“Nine years?!” Bela asks

You nod, “Fun fact, after high school swim season for the girls’ team, I’d turn to music and participate in indoor percussion.”

“Do you still do it? Indoor Percussion?” Bela asks

“Yeah,” You say, “I currently have a contract with a top tier world class percussion ensemble for this coming season.”

“That’s awesome y/n,” Bela smiles, “I’ve never been to one of those kinds of shows.”

“Well, I juts might bring you along,” You suggest, “It’s fun to watch.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” She smiles

Her boyfriend yet again pulls up to the both of you. You watch her drive off with him as your heart sinks again.

Why are you feeling this way when you clearly know she has a boyfriend? Grow up kid...

You walk to your car once more and decide to treat yourself out for something to eat.

Once you got back to your studio apartment, you felt your phone vibrate. When you open it up you see a text message from an unsaved number.

Hey, it’s Bela. This is y/n’s number right?

Hey, yeah. That’s my number.

Despite knowing she has a boyfriend, you enjoy talking to her. Like friends. Right?

The next day you focused on school work however, putting off the photo assignment as you haven’t gotten a clue on what to do. However, you see your phone’s screen light up again and see a message from Bela.

Hey, just a reminder, just dress like you’re going to the club.

Okay, got it.

You stand up from your couch, declaring that was enough homework for the rest of the night, you go through your closet and spot an outfit; red crop tank top/lace bralette combo, ripped skinny jeans, dr. martens and a leather jacket to top it all off.

Perfect. Wait until Bela sees you.

When you finally put on your leather jacket, you decided to put on some dark red lipstick to give more ‘oomf’ to your look. When you had finished applying it, you hear your phone ring. You look over and see Bela’s icon on the screen. You unlock your phone and hold it up to your ear.

“Hey I’m here,” Bela says from the other end of your phone

“Great, I’ll be down in a second,” You say, hanging up the phone

You exit the bathroom and grab your apartment keys and exit your apartment; locking your door. You almost rush down the stairs when you see Bela’s cark park out front. You weren’t sure how Bela reacted to you when you stepped out of the apartment door however, when you got into the passenger seat, Bela was looking at you.

“Take a damn picture if you’re going to stare,” You flirt

She takes out her phone and snaps a photo. You didn’t think she’d actually do it. But, you weren’t complaining though.

“You-oh wow,” Bela say, breathlessly, “Since-since when do you dress like that?”

“Whenever I decide to look like a hot lesbian,” You say, sitting back into the passenger seat

The both of you didn’t really say much after then as Bela was focused on driving. When the both of you arrived, You get out first, just to open the door for her.

“A lesbian and a gentleman,” Bela flirts

You follow close behind her as you enter the fraternity house Bela talked about the evening before. You didn’t expect it to be packed. By the time you had fully processed a college party, Bela was no longer in front of you. Instead, in the arms of her boyfriend.

“You look like you could use a drink,” One of the fraternity boys tries to flirt with you

“No thanks,” You brush him off immediately

You begin walking away, hoping to find a spot in the party to just think.

What did we tell you kid? Now you’re alone... At a college party. You should have just lied kid...

By the time you decided to step outside it was packed too. You turned your heel and began to walk right back into the house. You had decided to avoid the party entirely now that Bela had left you for her boyfriend, yet she showed up with you, took a photo of you and flirts with you, you found a closet.

You shut the door and take a seat. Luckily you brought your own kind of music to listen to when you want to feel isolated. You weren’t sure how long you sat with your knees up to your face. But you sure as hell wanted to stand up because you could no longer feel your arse. Feeling slightly confident, you decided to go back downstairs where the main party was happening, hoping you could have some time with Bela. You didn’t see any of your swim teammates, so she was the only one you felt that you could talk to.

Fuck....

You were only halfway down the stairs when you spotted Bela’s hair in the bright light. Lips locked with her boyfriends’.

Aaaaaand we are going back up the stairs.

You had never went back up a set of stairs so fast in your life. However, you didn’t want Bela to see you looking heartbroken. You were easily seeable from the part of the stairs you were standing on. You rushed back into the same closet. Once you leaned against the wall, you realize it wasn’t a wall. It was a ladder. You took the opportunity to limb onto the roof. You were sure it wasn’t allowed but it would be better to be banned rather than watching your now crush making out with her boyfriend. You open the hatch and inhale the fresh, crisp scent of the evening air. Once you found a suitable spot along the rooftop, you scroll through your phone.

Ahhh, This is the song to listen to when all you want to do is fall apart.... Or stargaze, or both.

“All the Stars” - Kendrick Lamar/SZA

A Classic.

Although you had a whole playlist just for moments such as this one, All the Stars gave you a mixed vibe when all you want to do is to fall apart and stargaze. You turn up your music, shutting out the rest of the world. You didn’t care, you had your thoughts, your music and the whole night sky to yourself.

Bela’s POV She didn’t realize how much time went by until she looked out the window.

Oh shit it’s getting late. I have to find y/n...

“Hey babe, I’m going to look for y/n,” She says

“I’m sure the kid’s fine,” He says, drunk, “Stay baby. Please. Your boyfriend needs your attention.”

“Your boys can take care of you for now,” She says, standing up

Before she could depart from him, he forcefully grabs her wrist. In a panicked state, she draws her hand back.

“Not. Here.” Bela growls, turning her heel and leaving her boyfriend by his lonesome

She walks into the kitchen, seeing some party-goers playing beer pong.

“Have you guys seen a girl wearing a red crop top, leather jacket?” She asks

They all shake their head ‘no’. Bela rushes into the gaming area. The same response from them as well. Panicking, she checks nearly every area there was in that house. However, when she reached the top of the stairs, she barely heard anyone there. So, she checks each room to see if you were in any of them. To her dismay, no luck.

“Where did you go y/n?” she sighs, “I shouldn’t have left you alone...”

Genuinely feeling guilty, Bela picks up her phone and speed dials your number.

Y/n’s POV You groan in annoyance when your music suddenly stopped playing. However, when you looked at your phone, you freaked. Bela’s name and icon showed up. Not knowing what to do, you panic and let it go to voicemail. Hoping she would give up, you just go back into your vibe.

“Isn’t she persistent,” You talk to yourself, seeing her name and icon once more

You, again let it go to voicemail.

Bela’s POV Bela was pacing along the second floor, trying to get you to pick up but each time leading to voicemail. She was beginning to get to the point that she thought you had left. However, when she looks over to an open door, a faint light shining down. She walks into the closet and noticed the ladder leading up to the roof. She decides to check the roof as the last place to see if you were there. As soon as she poked her head through the open hatch she gasps as she sees you lying down.

Y/n’s POV You were too focused on the stars in the sky however was now blurred. As your eyes adjusted to the new darkness, you could hear Bela.

“There you are y/n I was looking for you,” She says, “You will not believe what- hey, are you okay?”

Still having your music on loud blast, you turn your head towards the horizon line; where the land meets the sky. You didn’t want her to see you like this, you had nothing to be jealous of... But here you are; jealous of Bela’s own boyfriend.

“Hey, y/n look at me,” Bela says calmly

You began feeling like melted butter as soon as Bela’s fingers gently caressed your jawline and cheek. You let her turn your head to look at her.

“What’s wrong?” She asks

You don’t say anything but you only take out one of your earbuds and hand it to her. You couldn’t find the words to tell her how you were feeling. A new song had popped on.

“Too Afraid” - MARINA

She puts in the earbud just as the song begins. One of her hands wraps around your neck while the other lingers on your cheek. You gently put your forehead against Bela’s as the both of you listen to the song together. Your hands hold onto Bela’s forearms as it hit the chorus line.

The both of you were up on the roof listening to your music for god knows how long. The both of you were lying down at that point; Your leather jacket wrapped around her, her resting against your shoulder, stargazing with you, still listening to your music together.

She’s the first one to actually listen to music with you...

“Hey, Bela,” You finally say, breaking the silence

She perches herself on her elbow, looking down at you, “Yeah?”

“Won’t your boyfriend be suspicious?” You ask, “I’d hate to see something happen to you if he-”

She places her finger against your mouth.

“Forget about him right now,” She says, “What matters more is that I need to make it up to you for leaving you alone.”

“Bela- you don’t need to do that,” You say sitting up to meet her face

“No, I want to,” She says, “That reminds me, have you eaten at all?”

You both hear your stomach gurgling from the lack of nutrient consumption.

“Guess that answers your question,” You chuckle

“I know a great 24/7 diner, wanna go?” She asks

“I’d like that Bela,” You smile

You finally had the courage to walk back into the fraternity house. Bela’s boyfriend was nowhere in sight. However, Bela doesn’t seem phased at the fact as she drags your arse out of the party and back to her car.

When the two of you arrive there, you sit in a booth near the window.

“Now would you want to tell me why you were basically gone almost all of the party?” Bela asks

“I don’t know,” You lie, but it was also the truth, “I’m not very much a party person... Especially with a bunch of strangers.”

“Then why didn’t you say so? We could have done something else,” Bela says

“I didn’t want you to have to leave your mans just to make time with me,” You sigh, sipping on your milkshake, “Besides, you looked like you are the life of the party. I.. I also can’t say no to you.”

You didn’t realize how upset you sounded when you told her how you ‘didn’t want to interrupt her time with her boyfriend just to make time for you’ bit.

“What’s your ideal ‘party’?” She asks out of the blue

“Oh? well, just having three to four friends over, we just drink, eat junk food, play super smash brothers, watch a movie watch youtubers or all three. Not in that particular order though,” You ramble on, “That’s pretty much it. Nothing special.”

“When was the last time you’ve had one of those?” She asks

“Too long,” You answer, “Why?” Are you going to do something like that one of these days?”

“Something like that yeah,” She says

After the two of you had diner food she drops you off back at your apartment.

“Thanks Bela,” You say, opening the car door

Before you could step out of the car, you could feel her hand coil around your wrist and you felt her other hand turn your face towards hers and your lips meet each other halfway. She pulls away for you to process the fact, however, you lean forward even further and your lips meet hers once more.

“Goodnight Bela,” You whisper when you pull your lips away

“Goodnight y/n,” She replies

You finally step out of her car. You don’t fully process what happened until you got into your apartment.

You just fucking kissed Bela Dimitrescu...

Chapter 3

#bela dimitrescu #bela dimitrescu x reader #bela is my wife #cassandra dimitrescu #daniela dimitrescu #alcina dimitrescu #resident evil village

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dansnaturepictures · 3 years

Photo

Monday 16th August 2021: Lakeside and home

On a day when the sun was in and out I enjoyed seeing a nice few flowers on the balcony and in the front garden before leaving for my Lakeside lunch time walks, a pink and red geranium each looking quite lonely in their respective pots now with not as many flowers about in the balcony pots and some in a pot hanging off of the balcony and in the garden the delights of a dandelion clock, the first andryala I recall seeing a sweet yellow one and more lovely poor man’s weather glass aka scarlet pimpernel looking lovely there are so many about at Lakeside and home lately with a great little carpet of them in the front garden I took the first picture in this photoset of one. Just before getting into Lakeside I enjoyed seeing blackberries as shown in the second picture I took today in this photoset and a nice patch of ragwort I’ve enjoyed a lot lately entangled with rich green oak leaves which I tweeted a photo of on Dans_Pictures tonight.

I took the third picture in this photoset looking over the southern fenced off nature reserve area on my way down to the lakes and also loved seeing pink great willowherb and yellow fleabane mixing nicely. I reflected today how lucky I am to have such a variety of special flowers so close to us at Lakeside. For butterfly purposes primarily we spent the weekend in perhaps the best place to see lots of wildflowers in summer meadow downland and it was amazing as I charted in my posts about the three sites. I reflected at Magdalen Hill how when seeing meadow crane’s-bill there it was quite something as probably the first place I’d seen one outside of Lakeside. And it hit me today I’m not sure I’ve seen the great willowherb or fleabane for that matter at many other places. The great willowherb especially Lakeside is a brilliant varied habitat for and I am lucky to see so many in the summer I have loved learning them the past couple of summers one I do like looking out for.

Reaching beach lake the Black-headed Gull in the fourth picture in this photoset was a delight to see a great intimate view. I walked around Kornwestheim lake shown in the fifth picture I took today in this photoset and it became a great walk of little flowers with speedwell, chamomile and perhaps the first scarlet pimpernel I’ve seen actually in Lakeside all shinning out nicely and I enjoyed getting pictures of them.

Alongside Coot and Moorhen well at lunch time I’ve not seen much of the former lately I was happy to get smashing views of the Great Crested Grebe pair on this lake. I saw one very closely before looking at the flowers swimming on the lake and then I was thrilled to notice the pair seem to have a nest not where I saw one last week but the usual spot at the north of the lake where they raised the three chicks from last year which is quite protected. So it may be a bit late now but its hopeful and it was good to see the pair around the nest together. A late resurgence in another dramatic and captivating breeding season I loved observing so much whilst working from home at Lakeside is hinted with all of this so we’ll see what happens. On the western shore of Kornwestheim lake the sun came out a little bit and deliciously lit the scene and my bridge camera on a rare lunch time walk with it proved a good tool to photograph a scene I have a lot with my DSLR in a different way getting more of the scene in with some reflected leaves in the sun looking especially nice.

Walking back west of Concorde lake then along the northern path it turned into a foray into fungi with some by where I stood next to Kornwestheim lake too it was great to see a few ahead of the autumn when I love seeing so many they are certainly coming out in numbers now and it seems to be a good time for them. This included the lovely shaped mushrooms in the sixth and seventh pictures in this photoset and a nice redish one which I enjoyed here last year and another too. I took the eighth picture in this photoset of lovely watermint which I’ve seen a fair bit of across Lakeside lately and ninth of concorde lake. A bright red male Common Darter flying along the northern path was symbolic of later summer starting to replace the Emperor and Black-tailed Skimmers that I enjoyed seeing so much this of year. On a great sunny evening with nice sky scenes again I took the tenth and final picture in this photoset of this.

Wildlife Sightings Summary: One of my favourite birds the Great Crested Grebe, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Greylag Geese still nicely about they stop being here daily at some point around now as has appeared to happen with the Canada Geese, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Carrion Crow well at Lakeside, Starling, House Sparrow, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Common Darter and fly.

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xseildnasterces · 3 years

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that won’t save us.

The current pelvic pain I am experiencing is unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I am well aware that I can be dramatic, but this is exceptional pain. I have been asked before during IBD appointments if I experienced any pelvic pain, and I always said ‘no’, because I never really understood what was meant. Now that I lay here, unable to sit on my butt, with stabbing pains in my stomach, lower pelvis, and also in my butt, I realise that I do indeed experience pelvic pain related to IBD. I have experienced pelvic pain before, but clearly was not aware that that was what it is. Yet this that I am experiencing today is excruciating. I cannot sit, I cannot stand, my face is in a constant look of screwed up pain whilst I have also found myself shouting ‘ouch’ at numerous times today when I physically couldn’t continue what I was doing anymore due to the pain. In short: it really f*cking hurts.

Since moving to the US I also seem to have developed allergies. I have woken so many mornings feeling incredibly congested, sneezing non-stop and just generally feeling a bit sh*t. I actually thought I just had constant cases of the common cold, but it appears that is not the case. I clearly have allergies. I woke up like that today. The inside of my nose is so itchy that I would love to just remove my entire nose until the allergies stop. I took anti-allergy tables this morning in the hope that they might help a little. I already had some due to needing them to combat medication allergies which seem to arise every time I start new topical medication.

Despite all of this, I’ve actually had quite a productive day. I’ve crossed a few things off my list that needed doing, sent numerous emails that I hadn’t done earlier and also did some cleaning. I’m currently half laying, half sitting on the sofa in the only position that appears to help the current pelvic pain. If I had a picture, I would share, considering the current position is interesting to say the least, with almost half myself on the sofa, and the other half balancing in mid-air!

My skin has been reacting pretty well to my new acne medication, but since upping the dose last week, my skin has become so incredibly dry, itchy, sore and peeling. I know this is normal at this stage of treatment, but regardless, it sucks, and I am simply lathering on as much moisturiser as possible to simple bring some form of moisture and hydration back to my poor skin. At least the treatment is doing as it is supposed to. It is renewing the skin and removing the old skin, I almost feel like some form of reptile that sheds its skin throughout the year. I guess it’s a similar type of process, although it doesn’t happen quite like that. Imagine that, a full layer of your skin coming off in one piece. Urgh, that sounds gross.

Although it’s Easter weekend, this is not something that we get off in my current organisation. It seems very odd to me, as thought-out school and all my previous jobs up until this point I have always had easter off. I usually always took the long weekend to head home and see family, so as with last year, it seems a little odd to be spending it alone. However, my friends and family have come through, and during the week I received a wonderful parcel from my mum full of easter chocolate treats, my birthday cards from my parents, sister and grandma, easter cards and a cute little note from my mum. I also received parcels from C and A, both full of chocolates as my UK chocolate supply is very much at its end. I was incredibly grateful. My family really are wonderful. I was also sent another parcel but that is lost in the post and I am currently in the middle of a huge argument with the postal service here to try and locate it. It seems very unlikely; despite the fact it was sent tracked. So yeah, that sucks.

I took yesterday off regardless, as I had worked so much overtime that I had the time to take back. I, H, F and M went to the National Arboretum which was wonderful. Unfortunately, despite it being incredibly sunny, with wonderful blue skies, it was freezing. The wind was icy cold, and it was impossible to spend too much time outside with such a small child. To be totally honest, after an hour or so I was also ready to get warmed up I the car because it was just far too cold to be walking around in such a vast open space. We fully intend to go back once all the flowers are in full bloom and I hope whenever my mum gets to visit I can take her there too – because I know she would love it. I also found a flower that I thought was the cutest, most adorable thing ever, so I used my geeky plant app to find out what it was. As I guessed, it was a type of snowdrop, but was actually called a summer snowflake. I thought that was adorable. I must admit that I have become quite the plant nerd. I have always had such a huge love and appreciation for nature, but that has grown so much, and I very much enjoy having my lovely plants inside. I also would really love to start growing fruit and vegetables once I have some place to do so. Yesterday I re-potted my snake plant as it had had a child and the child was beginning to outgrow the pot. So now I have two!

I was determined to head down to the Tidal Basin this year to see the cherry blossoms. My mum was visiting to see them last year, and then covid happened and the National Park Service shut the Tidal Basin to the public completely because of covid regulations. This year, they said they would keep it open until they felt it was becoming too busy and then they would close it. So, me being me, decided that I was going to go anyway. I got up at 05:45 and got myself ready, before waiting for the sun to come up a little as I didn’t fancy walking through certain parts of town whilst it was still pitch-black dark. I reached the Tidal Basin at around 06:30 and began to walk around the loop. I had the most wonderful time and took some incredibly beautiful photos. I got to see the sun rise at the Lincoln Memorial and although there were still numerous people with the same idea at the Tidal Basin, it was still quieter than if I had gone later in the day. After taking a slow walk around and admiring the flowers, I finished the loop and then began my walk to work. I arrived at the office at 08:58 and by that point I had already walked six miles! I was very proud of myself, and just felt really good. It was a fabulous way to start the day and walking in nature just makes me so happy. I very much enjoyed taking photos and it once again made the urge to attend a photography class or course come to the forefront of my mind. I think after covid I will definitely look more into this. I do not want to become a professional photographer or anything like that, but I would love to know more about editing and the technical side of things. It would be a new skill that I would like to learn for myself. I’m excited at the prospect, yet I still need to buy the new DSLR camera that I have been talking about for the last 5+ years. I am always like this about any big purchase. I am so scared of making the wrong decision.

Next week I finally have a OBGYN appointment to finally address my PCOS and see what options are available to me. The UK didn’t seem to treat my PCOS as something that needed treating. I was pretty much told that it was not a concern until the time I decided to have children (if I ever made that decision). Seeing specialists here, I hear that they approach it much differently. There is treatment, so I am looking forward to hear about what they are. I have also been talking to R a lot recently about possibilities of freezing my eggs. I do not believe I want children, but I do not want to get to a point where my body no longer works at all and I regret not giving myself that option. I feel that I am perhaps getting a little ahead of myself as I do not even know if everything is even in working order, and I have a gut feeling that it’s not, and I would not be able to have children anyway. This is something that has never bothered me before, but the thought of it actually being confirms scares me, and actually really upsets me. I don’t like things being closed off to me. I want the option to be there, even it is unlikely that I will use it. Anyway, I guess we shall see. Perhaps that will be a whole other journey that I will find myself on.

In 20 days, I turn 29. Twenty-nine years old! Now, that is scary as hell. One more year till 30. Genuinely, the thought of that makes me feel sick. I feel grateful when people try to guess how old I am and actually think I am still in my early 20s. I assume dressing like an early 2000’s lesbian emo kid. I do like that I can do both though. I can be my grungy inner child who I have always been, but should I need to dress up for work and look professional, then I can do that, and I’m more than happy to do so. It’s funny though, I actually haven’t worn any work clothes for over a year, and I hate it. I would love to go back to wearing office wear, blazers, tailored trousers, shirts and smart dresses. I do hope we one day go back to looking professional, even if it is just for a few days a week.

[Blog title: Against The Current - that won’t save us].

#that won't save us #against the current #life #update #thoughts #feelings #thought #feeling #memory #memories #emotion #emotions #me #personal #diary #journal #journalling #writing #write

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cecphotos · 3 years

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Reach For The Stars in Joshua Tree National Park

Price: $950, $250 dollar deposit required, Optional Post-Processing After Workshop for $125 More details on pricing and deposit below.

Join me May 14-16, 2021 in Joshua Tree National Park for a multi-day immersive experience amongst ethereal Joshua Trees, amazing rock formations and dark skies. This unforgettable photographic experience will include four Golden Hours and two nights exploring the vast arid landscapes in one of the country's most interesting National Parks.

Scroll down for all the details

About The Workshop

During this workshop, I will guide you through Joshua Tree National Park while helping you to translate emotion and vision through our photographic medium. I am dedicated to providing the best instruction on all aspects of the art of landscape photography and night photography. Whether you are just beginning or are a seasoned pro, I am ready to help you move forward with your photography as all levels are welcome to participate. Together we will create an unforgettable photographic experience this spring by chasing light and capturing the early spring night sky.

Itinerary

Tentative Schedule: Since this is a field workshop, we will remain flexible to weather and light conditions to ensure we are able to shoot during the most ideal conditions. The final itinerary with exact times will be made available on Day 1. Lodging, airfare, transportation, park fees and all meals are the responsibility of the attendee.

DAY 1: Friday, May 14th 6:00 PM Meet at Park Entrance (Meet and Greet) 6:30 PM Depart for Sunset Shoot 8:00 PM Depart back to Dinner and Rest For Astro Session 11:00 PM Meet For Astro Session

DAY 2: Saturday, May 15th

4:00 AM Move to Sunrise Location (if necessary) 6:00 AM Return To Hotel for Meals and Rest 6:00 PM Meet for Sunset Shoot 8:00 PM Depart back to Dinner and Rest For Astro Session 11:00 PM Meet For Astro Session

DAY 3: Sunday, May 16th

4:00 AM Move to Sunrise Location (if necessary) 7:00 AM Workshop Concludes for rest and easy check out of Hotels.

Transportation

No Transportation will be provided to, from or during the workshop. All attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation. Any car will be sufficient for our outings, but a vehicle with higher clearance may allow you more ease on some roads throughout the park.

Airports

The nearest airport is in Palm Springs, California

Los Angeles is about 140 Miles to the West

San Diego is about 170 Miles to the South

Rental Cars

Many options are available for renting a vehicle of any kind from either airport listed above. Any car will be sufficient for our outings, but a vehicle with higher clearance could make driving easier on some roads in the park.

Accomodation

Hotels:

There is no lodging available within Joshua Tree National Park. However, there are many places to stay in nearby communities. Please contact area chambers of commerce for information.

I would recommend staying in 29 Palms or just outside of the park towards the town of Joshua Tree. You will find lots of accommodations in both of those areas including hotels and AirBnB.

Camping:

Camping is very popular in Joshua Tree and campgrounds sell out quickly. Learn more about the nine campgrounds in Joshua Tree. There are also a number of options for camping outside of the park. Restaurants, Grocery Stores, & Picnic Areas:

There are no restaurants or grocery stores inside Joshua Tree National Park, but nearby communities provide these services. Check with area chambers of commerce for more information.

Joshua Tree has eight picnic areas: Cottonwood, Indian Cove, Live Oak, Split Rock, Cap Rock, Hidden Valley, Quail Springs, and Black Rock. Their locations are shown on the map here at the bottom of the page.

Remember: help us keep wildlife wild. Never feed wild animals. Store food in hard-sided containers or in your vehicle. Carefully clean up all trash and leftovers, even small crumbs.

Things to Bring

It’s always good to know what equipment you need. If you have any questions about the necessities I’m here to help, but here is a list of essentials and recommendations for the trip:

Equipment:

DSLR / Mirrorless camera and lenses

DSLR or Mirrorless camera is an essential tool to get the most out of the workshop and your photos

Wide Angle Lens - 12-24mm (Faster lenses are better for night photography, but not essential)

Mid to Long Range Zoom - 24-70, 70-200, 100-400 are great ranges to capture intimate scenes

Tripod (Sturdy as the Fall months can have very strong winds)

All filters you might have, a Circular Polarizer is a great tool

Remote / cable camera shutter

Needed for tack sharp images and long exposures

Several memory cards

You never want to run out of space for pictures. Bring several or empty at the end of the day

Spare camera batteries

Another thing you never want to run out of in the field. Bring several fully charged with you and charge over night

Head torch (for any night or low light walking and shooting)

Raincover for camera and camera bag cold come in handy in some rare cases of rain or high wind!

Small Camping Chair or Stool for comfort

Clothing Items:

Many layers -It should be quite mild to warm for our trip, bt May can still hold a few cold nights. Plan for warm days and mild nights

Gloves, Warm Hat, warm socks (If there’s a cold spell)

Sunglasses, Large Brim hat, and Sunscreen are recommended for the daytime

Hiking Shoes\Boots are recommended

FOOD:

Food, Water, and all other essentials. No Food or water will be provided before, during or after workshop; unless otherwise stated in the itinerary.

Plan ahead and have plenty of water available as it is very dry and can warm quickly on clear days.

Physical Requirements

Some hiking will be required, but the hikes will be around 1-2 miles at most. Most of the hiking is very flat and moderate in difficulty at best. Typically shooting is done within a mile of the car and most hiking should be generally light in elevation change. We’ll be sure to move at a fair pace and no student will be left behind.

Please make me aware of any concerns you might have about your physical abilities.

What is Included and Not Included

INCLUDED:

• Tuition • Expert instruction in the field with Chris Ewen Crosby • Video Introduction and Presentation Prior to Workshop • Guidance to key compositional attributes throughout the park

NOT INCLUDED:

• Flights and transportation • Lodging • Meals • Park entrance fees • Travel and cancellation insurance

Payment, Fees and Terms

COST: The cost of the workshop is $950 and includes everything listed in the “What’s Included” Section

PAYMENT: A non-refundable deposit of $250 is required to reserve a space on this workshop. The final balance of $950 is due and payable 60 days before the workshop begins. Full payment is due at that time or thereafter, and there will be no refunds on the full amount owed if you cancel after final payment. However, if another client happens to fill your space, you will receive a full refund, minus your non-refundable deposit. Payment(s) can be made using the Add To Cart button of this web page using a credit card via Paypal and Stripe. If you would like to pay by another method, use the contact form on this page to ask Chris about options for sending a personal check or bank transfer.

COVID-19 ADVISORY:

In accordance with state and local public health organizations, Chris Ewen Crosby Photography & Samy's Photo School are following all COVID-19 related protocols. All participants will be asked to maintain social distancing protocols of 6 feet from anyone not in their household. Face coverings are mandatory for all. The class size for this event has been limited to only 5 students to further minimize the risks associated with COVID-19. Please do not attend this class if you are experiencing any symptoms related to COVID-19 including fever of 100.4 or higher, cough, shortness of breath, loss of sense of taste/smell, fatigue, diarrhea, muscle aches and headache.

Participants will be required to sign a COVID-19 addendum and assumption of risk form

CANCELLATIONS: Cancellations require me to re-open enrollment and/or to engage in additional promotional efforts to fill the workshop on a short notice, therefore, my policy is that there will be no refunds of the deposit. The balance (minus the non-refundable deposit) is refundable up to the 60-day deadline. Thereafter, the balance is also non-refundable, with one exception: if we find participants to fill all canceled spaces and the workshop is ultimately full when it begins, then you will receive a refund of the balance within two weeks of the workshop’s conclusion. The deposit remains non-refundable. All refunds are subject to a 6% processing fee. I highly recommend that you obtain travel/cancellation insurance for all workshops to protect yourself against unusual circumstances.

PARK FEES: All attendees of the workshop are required to pay the National Park Entrance fees upon entry to the park and are not included in Workshop Fee. Further instruction will be provided to students prior to their visit.

Joshua Tree Entrance Fee - per vehicle - $30.00

This permit allows all persons traveling with the permit holder in one single private, non-commercial vehicle (car/truck/van) to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.

Joshua Tree Entrance Fee - per motorcycle - $25.00

This permit allows persons traveling on one motorcycle to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.

Joshua Tree Entrance Fee - per individual - $15.00

This permit allows a single individual traveling on foot or individuals traveling on one bicycle to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.

Joshua Tree Annual Pass - $55.00

Annual pass providing free entrance to Joshua Tree for 12 months from the date of purchase

Curriculum

Curriculum will be catered to each individual’s skill level and may vary from student to student. Below you’ll find some common topics based upon different skill levels.

BEGINNER-INTERMEDIATE

I am a big believer in fundamentals in the development of any skill, photography is no different. I start all my workshops by ensuring that we have a good foundation to build on. Below you’ll find some sample topics:

Shooting in Manual Mode

Understand The Exposure Triangle and how each affects the image (aperture, ISO, shutter speed)

How to Meter and Expose for best results

Using light for better captures

Compositions made simple and easy

Understanding and using camera settings and menu options

ND’s, Polarizer and Grads - Which to use and when to use it

Tips and Tricks for easier workflows and shooting experience in the field

Photographing the night sky - Exposure, Focusing, Compositions

INTERMEDIATE - ADVANCED

Those who have a greater understanding of their cameras will get some more advanced shooting techniques to focus on light, location and making good decisions to make the most of the variables. Some advanced topics are listed below:

Exposure bracketing and blending

Focus stacking for depth of field and sharpness

Creative blending to bring the vision to life

Composing for interest, depth and focus

Time Blends for Night Sky

Conclusions and Expectations

SUMMARY

Your satisfaction, enjoyment and educational experience is important to me. The goal of this workshop is to allow you to further understand your camera, composition and artistic expression while using the amazing landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park. I want to ensure that everyone comes away with great instruction as well as a great experience in nature. Most importantly, we are going to have fun! Having fun is a critical part of any good photography adventure. When you have fun, your mind is free to expand and learn.

POST PROCESSING

Post Processing is not included with this workshop. You can purchase an additional 3 hours of post processing instruction with this workshop that will be completed following the workshop. Editing is done via group video session in the following weeks from the workshop. It is recorded and available for download shortly after the session is complete. Instruction is given in both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Topics of post processing will vary upon your skill level. Common topics below:

Lightroom and Photoshop Workflows

Maximizing your RAW captures

Keys to clean editing

Stacking for depth of field and noise

Use of Luminosity Masks

Blending methods

Finishing an Image

and much more...

Learn More About Chris

Chris is a photographer and educator based in Long Beach, CA. It is a desire to teach, love for the outdoors, and photography which resulted in his role as a landscape photographer and educator. When not sharing his photography knowledge he can be found exploring nature’s beauty in his endless search for perfect light and discovery.

Learn More About Chris’s Workshops

Chris’s workshops cover a wide-range of photographic instruction and all its aspects, but also put an emphasis on having fun to enable creativity to thrive. Chris puts the emphasis your development as a photographer, incorporating infield fundamentals and cutting edge techniques to help you find your vision and bring it to life in post-processing. Whether you are just beginning or a blooming professional, Chris will help you to create meaningful and inspiring photographs while leading you down a path towards finding your own creativity.

#Workshop #Group Workshop #Photo Tour #Photo Adventure #Landscape #Photography #Photography Workshop #Desert #Joshua Tree #National Park #night photography #photo workshop

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monstersandmaw · 5 years

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Male merman x male reader (nsfw) - Mermay Story #2

Edit which I’m including in all my works after plagiarism and theft has taken place: I do not give my consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted anywhere. They are copyrighted and belong to me.

Well, plot happened amid my planned porn. Oh well! Here's 7692 words for you! It’s been up on Patreon on early release. My lovely patrons have just been told who’s up next, so if you want to know, and more importantly be involved in the next poll and get your sticker and reward when I hit 100 patrons, head on over to Patreon and sign up!

Anyway, here's Connor. Light warnings for alcohol and the after-effects of a painful breakup. And... uh... two tentacle cocks. *shrugs*

___

Boxes.

Dozens of badly packed, disorganised, straining-at-the-seams cardboard boxes filled your new small seaside cottage, some marked, others not, all hastily packed, and the thought of dealing with them at the tail end of a long day was just… overwhelming.

In a desperate attempt to delay the inevitable, you simply shut the front door behind you, with its cheery red paint peeling slightly under the influence of many a winter storm, and set off down the quayside with the only thing you’d not even packed away for the move: your camera.

It was your faithful workhorse, a chunky, veritable beast, and it earned you your living, so there was no way you’d risk packing it away in anything other than its soft, protective case for the move. It had sat beside you in the van as you’d driven it down the winding, cobbled streets of the old town of Starfall Springs, heading for your new home. And now as you set out into the spring evening, the pavements gleaming in the wake of a sudden shower, it hung around your neck, the familiar weight a comfort in the constant flux and chaos of moving house.

Seagulls whirled and wheeled overheard in crazy, lazy circles, and the constant lap and slap of the sea against the harbour wall and the hulls of the little pleasure and fishing crafts moored in the weedy harbour formed a constant backdrop to your evening walk.

Groups of locals gathered at the edge of the town to watch the sunset and stretch their legs after work or before dinner.

A minotaur’s hearty laugh made you look round, and you saw a blue roan centaur talking with the tiniest goblin you’d ever seen. She was barely three feet tall, and was standing on a bench to talk to the centaur, but she had him laughing and tossing his head with a very equine delight all the same.

A couple of gnoll cubs scrapped and snarled on the playground just set back from the harbour road, and a shy looking werewolf cub looked on in awe and longing.

You documented the light and the angles, but it was the stack of lobster pots, with their woven, birdcage appearance, that snagged your eye and drew you away from the more obvious spots towards the quieter shadows of the harbour.

Raising your camera to your eye, you tweaked the shutter speed as the light changed, and adjusted the focus with a subtle twist of your wrist.

Behind the network of the crisscrossing lines of the lobster and crab pots, the surface of the sea formed a calm, beaten bronze backdrop, gilded by the sinking sun, the tiny waves like hammer marks in a sheet of polished metal. You lost yourself for a moment, just staring out at it with boats bobbing and the waves nudging against the slimy stone of the harbour wall.

Breaking that magical surface, a figure appeared in the water for a moment, and you adjusted the focus instinctively, framing them as they breached the surface. The figure was one of the merfolk who lived in the area, and you almost regretted taking the photo without their knowledge. This was not a wildlife shoot after all, and despite the lithe, muscular tail, they were no mere fish. You’d worked with a rough and tumble tiger shark mer out on a shoot in the tropics the previous year, but aside from her, you’d had little contact with them. And every shoal and pod was different, especially in their attitudes towards humans. Some were chilled and helpful towards humans, while others were shy and reclusive, and there were those that were even predatory.

You assumed that here in Starfall Bay, the merfolk would be at least tolerant of humans. How tolerant of paparazzi humans they would be was a different matter, and you lowered your camera.

This mer was clearly enjoying the evening sun as much as the landfolk who strolled along the promenade. They rolled onto their back and you saw a long, lean, grey-blue tail rising up to balance them and hold them at the surface as they spread their arms and floated there like a snoozing sea otter; except this ‘sea otter’ had the lower half of a creature as lean and streamlined as a shark, or perhaps a marlin. This was a predator.

Your feet took you, almost without your realising it, towards the end of the harbour wall, and as you neared the final few yards of the curving stone cob, you felt a wild and bold urge sweep through you. You sat down on a rusty old cleat and dangled your feet off the edge, well clear of the waves, but it was obvious that you were watching the mer.

After no more than a minute, they saw you. Long black hair trailed in the water, and sharp, wet cheekbones glimmered in the sinking sun. A lopsided grin flashed, and they flipped over and swam a little closer. “Enjoying the show?” came the question in a husky, rich tenor voice.

“I didn’t mean to stare,” you said.

“Sure. Not been this close to a mer before?” he said playfully, and in a flash of his powerful tail, he was mere metres from your dangling feet. If he’d wanted to, he could have darted up and yanked you into the water. The thought gave you a strange thrill. Instead, he floated there and looked up at you with dark eyes glittering.

“Just once,” you said carefully.

He raised a sculpted eyebrow at you. Gods, but he was handsome. He had one of those faces that could have been painted by an Old Master and hung in a gallery somewhere; all sharp angles that caught the light perfectly, and framed by a curtain of shoulder-length black hair. You’d have loved to have taken his photo in that moment, with the light playing so beautifully on his features. He had a row of pointed teeth too, like a shark. He tilted his head. “Oh?”

“She was a tiger shark mer,” you said, without elaborating further. Let him infer what he chose from that.

The mer grinned broadly, showing off all those pretty white teeth. “You like us dangerous I see…”

You snickered at that and leaned back on your hands, your camera resting on your chest. “She was helping me with a job.”

The mer turned from playful to curious in a heartbeat. “What kind of job?”

You waggled your DSLR at him. “Photography. We were trying to film green sea turtles for a program on endangered species, and she was one of the mer who guarded the reserve where they’re being protected.”

“Sweet,” he said. “Nice to see our two species actually working together for a change.” A tinge of bitterness crept into his voice, but you let it slide.

“I know. We both had a blast doing it.”

He grinned and then the smile slipped from his face and he turned away, webbed hands waving slightly in the clear water of the harbour to keep himself above water.

“You… ok?” you asked hesitatingly.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Fuck.”

You waited, hoping he’d elaborate. All the fun seemed to have gone out of him, like the sparkle of a bubble suddenly pricked and burst. He sighed and his shoulders drooped. He dipped beneath the surface and raked his clawed fingers through his long hair, scraping it back off his handsome face.

“What are you doing here in Starfall Springs?” he asked after a moment. “No endangered species here. Unless you’re documenting humans, that is…” he added with a wry smile. “Not too many of those here…”

“I actually just moved here,” you said gently, hoping that whatever it was that had darkened his mood would pass as swiftly as a scudding cloud.

He turned and looked directly at you. “Really?” he said. “Why did you settle on this place?”

You shrugged. “The lady I’m renting from had really good rates, and I want to expand my personal portfolio,” you said, camera in hand. “The landscape round here is amazing, particularly the coast.”

He smiled. “It’s gorgeous,” he agreed. “If you head slightly north there’s this huge sandy bay with enormous rock arches, and sometimes you can find fossils in the cliffs.”

“Sounds great,” you said, eyes going wide.

He paused. “I could show you if you like?” he said after a moment.

Your brows knitted. “You serious?”

He grinned. “Sure, why not?”

“I mean… you don’t exactly know me…?”

Again, the mer shrugged, a twinkle coming back to his eyes that made you lick your lips subconsciously. “So?” he said. “You free tomorrow?”

“Hell yeah,” you said. “Anything to put off unpacking all the boxes from the move…”

He laughed, a sound like sunlight on still water, and you found yourself beaming back at him.

“Ok, meet me tomorrow at 10am on the old bridge into town.”

“Wait, what?”

He simply grinned and disappeared with a flick of his tail, leaving you with about a million questions and no one to ask.

The next morning you made your way through the winding old streets of Starfall Springs and hurried towards the old bridge. You were wearing your usual ‘photography-ramble’ clothing - namely a nondescript and slightly nerdy t-shirt, and scruffy jeans - and the day was fast warming up. The bridge was empty when you arrived, but you checked the time and realised you were fifteen minutes early anyway.

You leaned your body against the ancient stones of the wall and peered over the edge. The water rushed down, clear and quick, from the eponymous springs above the town, and swept away into the harbour and out to sea. The way the water weed danced in the current was mesmeric, and, yes, incorrigible as ever, you whipped your camera out for a closeup of the textures and play of light on the water. It rippled, and yet was smooth as blown glass, and it caught your attention so fully that you almost didn’t notice the person approaching you until he came to a halt right beside you and leaned his backside against the wall and laughed, folding his arms across his slender chest.

You jumped, almost dropping your camera in surprise, though luckily the neck-strap earned its keep and saved the camera from a plummet to a soggy doom below (and not for the first time). You turned and had been about to scowl disapprovingly at the young man, both for invading your personal space quite so closely, and for interrupting you mid-photo, but the words died on your tongue when you recognised the handsome figure a second later. You knew your jaw was hanging open in shock, but you couldn’t wipe the stupid expression from your face.

The mer - who now had legs and clothes - simply tipped his head back, his long, blue-black hair tied in a low, scruffy bun at the nape of his neck, and laughed. “Oh man,” he said, eyes watering. “You should see your face.”

“But… how?” you faltered.

“Brackish mer,” he said. “We can shift at will. Though I still find these fuckers… weird,” he said, slapping one lean, skinny, denim-clad thigh with the palm of his hand. He wore a plain grey t-shirt and nondescript, slightly baggy jeans which rode invitingly low on his narrow hips. Your mouth went dry and you looked away.

“Well, that’s… unexpected,” you finally said.

“I’m Connor, by the way,” he said, holding out his hand to you. His fingers bore traces of webbing between them, stretching between the first knuckles of his fingers. Another reminder that although he walked on human legs, he was not, in fact, the same species. Your eyes darted to his neck and, sure enough, you saw three faint, almost scar-like, lines where his gills should be. Or perhaps they were still there but had closed over for his time on land. Merfolk anatomy was still very much a mystery to you.

You shook his hand as you introduced yourself by name, and felt how cool his skin was against yours. His grip was strong, his hands hard and smoothly callused. You wondered fleetingly what they’d feel like on your body. Fuck. Not helping.

Even in this new human form, he still had his row of pointed, predatory teeth, of which you were granted a beautiful view when he hitched his lips up into a lopsided grin and said, “Ready?”

You nodded mutely and allowed him to lead you through the town towards the northern side. A wide road led out of Starfall Springs, and Connor talked a mile a minute about everything as you passed it. He pointed out the marketplace on your left, and added, “I sell my catches there on Fridays.”

“You mean… you’re…”

“A fisherman,” he said. “Yes. There’s literally nothing, save for maybe another marlin mer, that can out-swim me. Even the tuna. I work with a team of open-water fishermen. We catch tuna and other fish and bring ‘em to market once a week. Sometimes we’re out for longer though.”

“How long?”

He shrugged. “Maybe a month or even six weeks sometimes? Depends on what we want to catch.”

“Do many of your kind do that sort of work? Are the rest of your crew merfolk?”

Connor shook his head. “Nah. It’s just me with the fish-tail on the team. And… most of my folks just keep to themselves, you know? They don’t get why I like humans and landfolk so much, and even though they can shift, they don’t.”

You tilted your head and snatched a sidelong look at him as you walked. He was lean and clearly very fit, with no sign of being puffed or overly warm despite the growing heat of the summer day. You on the other hand were getting distinctly warm under the collar, though you weren’t sure if it was the sun or the presence of the gorgeous merman walking beside you that was causing the reaction. You had your suspicions, though you kept those firmly to yourself.

Connor caught the look you gave him and tossed you another carefree grin. “Not quite sure what you’re thinking, but I’ll take a wild guess. Not all merfolk can shift, you know? And not many can shift the way we do. The more we do it, the easier it gets. Though it still hurts like a bitch.”

“What’s so fascinating about us? I mean, why do you do it?” you asked. As you did so, you caught sight of a butterfly sunning itself on an old, stone mile-marker and paused to focus your camera on it. The two of you had come to the edge of the town now, and the rolling countryside slid away from you in a series of gentle, undulating slopes adorned with orchards and vineyards to the north west, and the coastal road slid away to the north east.

All the while you snuck closer to the butterfly, Connor stayed silent and still on the road behind you, and when you’d got so close you could see the feather-like mosaic of colours on the butterfly’s wings through the view-finder, you snapped some shots, checked them reflexively, and then pulled back and blushed slightly to find him staring at you.

“What?” you challenged gently.

Connor only grinned and said, “Nothing. I just… wouldn’t have noticed that. You’ve got a quick eye, you know?”

You answered his gesture with one of your own. “Comes with the career, I guess.”

He led you off down a rugged footpath, having left your question about the fascination of landfolk unanswered, and as you passed by a battered-looking hut on your right, nestled among tall, flowering grasses dotted here and there with poppies, he said, “A friend of mine lives there. He’s a mer too, but he actually spends most of his time on land. Fuck though, you should see him as a mer. He’s got this big orca tail and these gorgeous markings…” he sighed.

“Sounds like you’ve got a crush,” you blurted.

Connor barked a laugh. “I did,” he admitted. “As a teenager, I crushed so hard on him that I forgot how to swim once and crashed straight into a wreck. He never let me live it down. We actually dated for a while when we were a bit older. Didn’t work out, but we’re still close.”

“That’s nice,” you mused, staring at the ramshackle cottage covered in honeysuckle and creeping ivy. “My exes don’t tend to want anything to do with me.”

“Is that a human women thing, or…?”

“Men,” you said absently, raising your camera to your eye to snap a quick shot of a passing seagull soaring just off the high cliffs below you.

“Oh,” he said, and when you looked back at him, he was staring at his shoes.

You smiled a soft, wonky smile, and continued in silence for a little bit, until the cove below opened up fully before you, and you gasped. “That’s gorgeous,” you breathed.

“Isn’t it?” He raised his hand, his bare, slender arms muscular and so inviting, and pointed at the rock arch at the end of the sweeping, sandy bay. “There are often fossils in that bit. You want to go take a closer look? See what we can find?”

His playful attitude was infectious, and the two of you were soon scrambling down the sandy, scree-slope path to the beach. At one point your soles slipped on the gravelly surface and you sat down hard on your backside with a grunt. Connor, three paces ahead of you on the narrow path, turned abruptly and snorted at the sight of you. “You alright?” he asked. When you nodded, a bit winded, he held out his hand again, and you accepted it without question and let him yank you back onto your feet.

The tide was creeping slowly out, leaving a swathe of dark, hard, wet sand behind, and the beach was littered with little shells and other gifts that the retreating water had left behind. Connor drifted away towards the waves and began to toss bits of debris at passing gulls, never close enough to hit, but accurately enough to make them wheel away, shrieking indignantly, which only made the mer laugh and yell at them.

In the short few hours you’d been with him, you’d come to love that laugh. His voice was husky and rough, like the rasp of dune marram grass disturbed by the wind, and his dark hair glimmered with a hint of blue in the strong sunlight. But there was something else to him that spoke of hidden currents beneath the surface. In moments when he thought you were otherwise occupied, the laughter died in him and a hollow sadness crept in at the edges.

It felt as though he were trying to forget something, trying to put something behind him, and he was focusing on you as an excuse to do it.

You barely knew him, so you didn’t press, but as you neared the cliffs and he wandered over to them, running his fingertips over the jagged, crumbling surfaces of the sandstone, you watched him more closely. He walked recklessly close to the base of the cliffs, picking at flaky portions of the rock until a rain of bits and dust scattered to the sandy beach at his feet.

“Connor?” you asked after watching him for a while.

“Mm?” The mer did not look up.

“What are you doing?”

He paused but still didn’t turn round. “Looking for fossils. Sometimes you can find ammonites and belemnites and…” he trailed off when he turned and saw the look on your face.

You shook your head. “I mean… why are you doing this with me? You saw some human taking photos at the harbour yesterday, and the next thing you’re volunteering to take me fossil hunting along the coast.”

“Can’t I want to do something nice for a handsome stranger?” he asked, a slight bite to his playful tone.

You simply looked at him flatly. “Sure you can,” you said. “But…”

“Forget it,” he said, shaking his head. Sections of his dark hair had come loose in the stiff breeze, and they whipped across his pale face and into his dark eyes.

You nodded. “Sorry I pushed,” you muttered, turning away and walking along the cliffs for a bit, hoping that a moment of privacy would give him a chance to recover.

The mood was different after that. The wind seemed to have a chill to it that you’d not noticed earlier, the calls of the seabirds almost mocking now, and as Connor slouched along the wet sand, he scuffed his heels and kept his hands stuffed in his pockets.

“I’m hungry,” he said after perhaps half an hour of walking along the beach. “You want to head back to town?”

“Sure.”

The house martins’ high, trilling calls filled the air above as they darted in and out of their nests in the eaves of the old buildings with their terracotta roves and sandstone walls. You watched them and tried to snap some shots of them with your long lens. Connor watched you curiously and when you turned back to him he smiled softly, some of the warmth returning to his face. His skin was pale and smooth as porcelain, save for a few scars here and there, his cheekbones high and sharp, and his lips… there was something inviting about his soft lips. They curled slightly at the corners, making you think of stolen kisses and secret smiles.

He walked with you back to your house in near silence, but when you asked him inside, he shook his head. “Nah, I should to get back to the sea. Too much time on land isn’t good for me. Not just… physically…”

“Right. Well, thanks for today… for showing me around a bit. I had fun.”

Connor shrugged one shoulder, hands still in his pockets. “Figured it’d be a nice thing to do, you know? Since you don’t know anyone here yet.”

“I appreciate it. Let me know if you want to meet up again some time…”

A little light kindled in his dark eyes and he flashed you a sharp-toothed grin. “Alright,” he said. “I will. And I look forward to seeing your photographs in the gallery sometime soon…”

You answered him with a shy smile of your own and watched him walk away down the narrow, cobbled street, his hands in his pockets, his head bowed and his gaze fixed on the road directly in front of him.

After a day which had turned out in an entirely different way from the one you had imagined for yourself when you’d woken up, you settled down later that evening, having edited all your photos of the trip, and sank onto the old, squashy, comfy sofa, and sighed. There were still boxes everywhere, but now, with at least a fleeting connection made, you felt more tethered to the place. The task of unpacking didn’t seem so daunting, somehow. It seemed… worth it.

A bashing at your door just after ten o’clock frightened the living daylights out of you.

You stood and cautiously went to the front door, heart hammering in your chest, almost louder than the pounding on the wood. No one here knew you yet, and there was no call for anyone to be thudding away at the little red door at this time of night, surely?

Peeking through the tiny, warped glass window, you saw a pale face and frowned. It looked like Connor, but he’d said he was going back to the sea.

You opened it and found him listing heavily to one side, like a ship floundering on a reef, leaning all his weight against the thick wall of your cottage, his hair hanging loose into his face. “Shit,” he said when he saw your eyes wide with surprise. “Shit, I shouldn’t… Fuck.”

His words were thick and slurred, and you could smell the alcohol on his breath. “Connor? What happened?”

“So… I didn’t go back after all,” he said, swaying again and staggering as his body tried to adjust and correct. “Fuck.”

“Here,” you said, stepping forward and scooping your arm under his to help him inside. “Sit down before you fall down.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” you chuckled. You’d dealt with drunk friends before, and manoeuvred him easily enough onto the sofa you’d just vacated.

“Walking is fucking hard,” he commented when you were halfway there. “I mean… I can just about manage at the best of times, but fuck me… I mean, you don’t have to do that. That’s not why I came here. You are gorgeous though. But… ah… fuck.”

“You’ve got quite the mouth on you,” you smiled, easing him down onto the sofa and taking a look at the greenish tinge to his cheeks. “Hey, you gonna throw up?”

“Maybe?” he said. Then, the more he thought about it, the greener he got.

“You sit tight. I’ll find a bowl or something. And a glass of water.”

When you came back, he was leaning forwards with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, trying to steady his breathing. “I’m… I’m gonna…” he said, and you instinctively shoved the bowl into the space in front of him. Just in time.

His body heaved and you rested the bowl on his knees while you held his hair back out of the way. You’d done this for girls at college who’d had hair as long as his, but you’d never done it for a guy. Somehow it felt different. More intimate, despite the fact that he was still practically a stranger.

“I’m sorry,” he managed to say again between heaves.

It wasn’t long before he recovered enough for you to be able to leave him and deal with the bowl. When you returned, you found him, ashen-faced, sipping the water and looking frankly about as miserable as a wet raccoon. He even had the shadows under his eyes too, for sure.

“What happened?” you asked tentatively, sitting down beside him.

“Got thinking,” he said without opening his dark eyes.

“About?”

“Him.”

“Who’s ‘him’?” you asked, instantly knowing you were going to regret bringing this topic up.

He swallowed. “My ex.”

“Ah.”

“I had fun today, you know?” Connor said, casting you a careful, sideways look through squinted eyes. His dark gaze was still unfocused and glassy, but the pain in his eyes was clear as day. “It was nice. But it made me think…”

“Yeah, that can happen,” you said.

“He was a human too,” he said. “Is. He’s still around. Doing fine. Moved on to someone easier to be with, I guess. Someone who doesn’t need to sprout a fucking tail and go back to the sea. Hey, you know what he said? Right before he broke up with me?”

This was not a healthy line of conversation, but for now, you allowed it, sensing that he needed someone new with whom he could talk this through. He’d probably exhausted his friends with it already. “What did he say?”

“He said ‘you’ve got a nice ass, Connor, when you’re a human. It’s just a shame I can’t fuck a fish!’”

“Thats… wow, that’s callous.”

“Right? I’m not even a fish! Mer aren’t fish. We’re not mammals either. Fuck knows what we’re classed as. I don’t even care. But you can definitely fuck a mer. That’s for sure.”

“So, tell me then… how does alcohol affect mer?”

“Can’t you see?” he said sourly. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“Yeah, but… you gonna be ok?”

“I’ve been drunk before.”

“Why didn't you go back to the sea earlier? Have you been drinking all this time?”

Connor shook his head and then rapidly looked like he regretted it. He groaned and sat back on the sofa, eyes fluttering closed once again. “I walked up to the springs for a bit. I’m not… I’m not normally like this,” he said, his voice gravelly. “I don’t normally get drunk.”

The sadness in his tone struck you deeply. “I get it,” you said. “Breakups suck.”

“He sucks,” Connor retorted petulantly. “Ah, fuck. I should go. I don’t want you to see me like this. Not when… not… not after…” he broke off, shaking his head. He tried to stand but his knees gave way a little and he veered sideways.

You shot up to catch him before he face-planted onto the floor and, laughing gently, you laid him back down on the sofa. “You stay right there,” you said, helping him to lie down. “Sleep it off. Let me grab a blanket.”

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, his eyelids already drooping.

By the time you returned with a blanket from a box upstairs, he was sound asleep. He was going to have one wicked hangover in the morning though.

You took his shoes off for him, surprised by how cold his feet were despite the socks and the temperature of the room. Maybe merfolk just ran cold; you recalled the coolness of his palm from earlier and shrugged. Somehow, he was still gorgeous, even pass-out drunk on your sofa.

You left the, now clean, bowl within hurling distance and hoped he wouldn’t need it, and made sure he was lying comfortably on his side with a cushion beneath his head. He didn't wake as you lifted him gently and slid the small cushion under his cheek, but you were surprised when he let out a deep, sleepy moan at your touch.

“Sleep well,” you said as you headed upstairs, leaving him with a large glass of water.

Morning came and you stretched groggily. It was only as you thought about taking yourself in hand to ease out the tension of your morning wood that you remembered that you were not alone in the house. Lying there for a little while longer, thinking about Connor and the sharp, chiselled planes of his face, did not help matters, and eventually you relented and closed your fist around your cock. You gasped at the rush of pleasure, and it wasn’t long at all til you were spilling into your hand, thinking about what it might be like to be with the merman. Guilt rushed in to replace the elation of your release when you remembered that he was not long into the first stages of post-breakup hell, and thinking about him that way was probably not the most appropriate thing in the world.

After a perfunctory clean up, you dressed and headed downstairs. The moment you reached the bottom of the staircase, you froze. The sounds drifting from the living room were not the sounds of morning pleasure. In fact, at a faint little whimper, you shot forwards into the room and saw that Connor was lying on his back on the sofa, writhing weakly and gasping.

“Connor?”

“Help,” he rasped, clawing at the blanket. As it slid slowly off him, you realised with a jolt of shock that the pile of clothing on the floor was his discarded jeans and t-shirt from the night before. Your eyes shifted back to his legs and you gasped. His skin was in the process of fusing together, turning dark and shadowy, his legs pressed together and clearly trying to become a tail.

“What do I do?” you asked helplessly. “Connor…”

He wheezed and jutted his head back, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. His hands were clawed now, the webbing stretching right up to the tops of his fingers, and visible as he flexed and balled his fingers in obvious pain. He looked across the room at you with his large, dolorous eyes, and tried to smile. “I…” a long, rattling inhale followed, and when he was finally able to speak again, he added, “I should have gone back to the sea. I -” he broke off with a sharp cry as his legs fused into a tail and his skin darkened to the familiar grey-blue you’d glimpsed in the water. The fan of his tail spread across the far end of the sofa, looking strangely like crumpled tissue paper.

“You’re gonna be heavy,” you said, “But I could probably carry you to the harbour from here if you need to be in the water. It’s not far. Maybe only a hundred yards or so?”

“Would you?” he asked, gratitude surging in his expression. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” you said. In fact, you were the one worrying. He looked dried out, and probably the alcohol from the previous night wasn’t helping in the dehydration stakes. “C’mon. Let’s give it a go.”

You opened the front door and grabbed your keys before turning back to the merman who had now completed his transformation and was lying limply on the couch, breathing rapidly and shallowly. There was still a tight wheezing to his breaths, and you noticed how the gills on his neck had opened in a futile attempt to draw in more air.

“You good?” you asked, and he nodded.

“I will be. Shit, I’m so sorry. I tried to hold it off but… I can’t stay ‘human’ on land for too long. I pushed it by staying last night.”

Connor’s pale cheeks flushed crimson as you stooped and slid your arms under his tail and around his torso. He immediately latched his arm around your neck, and you rose, staggering slightly.

“Fuck, you’re heavier than you look…” you grunted.

“Isn’t that romantic,” he quipped, turning his face away. “Fuck, I’m so sorry.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” you said. “It’s been an interesting time lately for you. And nothing says ‘getting to know a guy’ like carrying him ‘bridal style’ to the water and tossing him in… you know?”

Connor managed a weak laugh. “I knew you were a good’un when I first saw you.”

“No you didn’t,” you retorted, letting the front door slam shut behind you.

“You’re right. I just saw a good looking guy and thought I’d try and get into your pants to make me feel better. Happy now?”

“You’re not in my pants…” you pointed out, grunting again as you adjusted his weight.

“No, but I’m in your arms. That’s pretty close…” He turned serious and added, “But you deserve more than some rebound fuck… I’m… I’m sorry. For all of this.”

“I’m not,” you said. “My back might be tomorrow, but…”

Connor laughed again, and buried his face at your collarbone. “I’m so sorry. Let me make it up to you somehow.”

“Let’s get you to the harbour first, and then we can talk about making up. Or out…”

His grin was broad and toothy and genuine, and it went some way to reassuring you that he’d be ok.

It was a long, hard slog to the harbour, but you made it and just pitched him over the wall so that he fell, undignified and flailing, into the harbour mouth with a disgruntled squawk that made you laugh. The splash of his landing got you all the way up the front, but you sat down on the edge of the wall as he circled a little in the water, drawing water through his parched gills, and then bobbed up at the surface again, looking sheepish.

“Thanks,” he said, eyes fixed on his hands as he floated there in front of you.

“No problem,” you replied. “Seriously. I know what it’s like to go through a rough breakup. It’s shit. You seem like a good guy, and I’m happy to be here for you. I’d like to get to know you better anyway… regardless of what… you know… might happen down the line. Or not.”

Connor’s smile was as broad and white as it had ever been. “Thanks. I… I’m not sure I deserve that, but thanks anyway.”

“Look, I’ll let you get sorted out for now, but if you’re free tomorrow, meet me at the cove with the fossils again? You don’t have to come on legs this time either.”

He nodded, seeming surprised at your last comment. “Alright. I’ll see you there. What time?”

“Just before sunset?”

Connor nodded once more, and then disappeared in a flash of his tail as he sped away through the clear water of the harbour, out to the brackish waters of the estuary beyond the protective curve of the wall.

At sunset the following day, you had taken your shoes off and were enjoying the cool water with your jeans cuffed up when a splash further out to sea signalled the arrival of Connor. He looked brighter, healthier, and he powered up through the gentle, lapping surf and dragged his body up above the tide line to join you. “Hi,” he said, rolling onto his back and splaying his arms out at his sides like a starfish to recover his breath after the effort. “Fuck. I’m so sorry about yesterday. I’m not a complete drunken loser, I swear.”

“Like I said, I get it,” you said, standing beside him and staring out at the sun as it sank low above the horizon, heavy and as searing as a blacksmith’s coal over the water. You looked down at him then, and something began to thrum in you. You’d yet to see all of him like this, as he truly was, and he was even more beautiful than he’d been in his ‘human’ form. You hissed a soft curse to yourself, but he heard it and flashed a frown at you.

“What?”

“You’re… You’re stunning, Connor. I don’t know what your ex was thinking, but… you’re beautiful like this. Especially in this light.”

Connor blushed and looked away. Then, with a snort of laughter, he grabbed your ankle and knocked your knee out from behind you, sending you sprawling into the wet sand beside him. Your jeans soaked up the seawater instantly, and you gasped at the shock of the cold water.

He pulled you close and crushed a kiss against your lips before you had time to register it, and you found your body responding instantly. “Connor,” you panted, drawing back and finding his pupils fully dilated. “You sure you want this?”

“Yes,” he rasped. “I want you. Please…”

You ran your hands down his slender torso, to where his hips melted into the rough, pale skin of his shark-like lower half. The skin there was tough as fine sandpaper, and as you skimmed over his hips, he arched his spine and whimpered.

“Connor?”

“So good,” he mumbled. “Fuck, that’s so good.”

You lavished attention on the transition point at his hips, and he was soon a writhing, squirming wreck, left beached high above the retreating tide. His tail flopped uselessly, and his clawed fingers raked furrows in the hard, wet sand. He bucked upwards into you and you found a slit swelling and opening in his lower body. It was slick and as you guided your fingers to it, running your fingertips around the hot, silky walls of the inside, he yelped and moaned, biting his lip and swearing. “Fuck, yes, there… fuck. Fuck!”

And as you slid your fingertips further inside the slit, you found that the puffy, smooth walls hid a delightful surprise. Not one, but two cocks began to swell inside, and as you ran your finger along the slick interior, a large tentacle-like cock slid free and writhed idly in the cool, evening air. The second cock, a little smaller but equally hard and eager, slipped free a moment later, and writhed beside it.

“Well,” you said. “Isn’t that a surprise.”

Connor smirked softly and raised his hips weakly. “Please…” His cocks were leaking already, and a line of pre-come hung between them from tip to tip.

“How could you not have been enough for anyone?” you mused aloud, growing painfully hard yourself. Your cock was soon straining at your boxers, and you ached to run it between his twin cocks and feel the slickness of his heat against your body. “Can I?” you asked, and he nodded instantly.

You took both of his cocks in one hand and pumped them gently, the way you’d have taken a human’s cock in hand when just starting out, warming up and teasing. Connor tipped his head back and moaned deliciously, exposing his pale throat to you as he tried to grind his hips up into your hand, seeking more contact, more friction… more.

“Please…” he gasped a moment or two later. “Please…”

“Please what?”

“Anything, dammit,” he snarled, teeth on show. “Anything, just… it’s… it’s not enough… and… and I want to see you. Please, let me see you.”

“Just see?” you teased.

You were met with another growl and a row of white teeth.

“I’m not letting those pearly whites near my cock unless you grow some manners,” you snickered as you undressed, heedless that this was a public (if quiet) beach.

Once naked, you watched as Connor’s eyes drifted down your body to your hard cock and his pupils soared even wider. “Fuck, look at you,” he said. “You’re fucking perfect…”

“Connor, I want… I want to… but…”

“My slit…” he said. “Fuck my slit. Please. I’m slick enough…”

You needed no more encouragement.

You straddled the merman, feeling the hard, rough skin of his shark-like tail between your thighs, before you leaned over him, lowering your hard cock towards his own. His two cocks were both weeping, the tentacle-like shapes twisting in the cold air, desperately seeking out heat and contact. When they found your own, painfully hard cock, they instantly began to coil around your length, gripping you with incredible strength. They were leaking and wet, slippery and searingly hot, and you felt your balls tighten at the way they twined around you.

You swore and Connor groaned as you rocked your hips between them. His two cocks spiralled around your own gripping you so tightly it stole your breath completely. You swore, head tipping forwards over him as sparks ignited along your spine. His clawed hands found your back and he raked delicate, red lines across your skin as you rutted into him.

Your tip hit the entrance of the slit which contained his two cocks, and he cried out as you entered him.

“You want me… to stop?” you asked, breathless.

He shook his head. “Fuck no. Keep going. That’s amazing…”

You slid into him and as you did, his cocks gripped you tighter. “I’m not gonna last much longer if…” one of his cocks coiled around your balls and slid towards the cleft of your cheeks. “Oh fuck, Connor, I’m.. That’s…”

“You don’t want me to?” he managed to whisper.

“Please,” you said. “I need you…

And with your cock now buried fully in his slick sheath, and with one of his cocks wrapped tightly around your shaft, you felt his other cock slip inside you. The intrusion wasn’t as painful as you’d though it was going to be, having had no preparation, but perhaps that was because of the shape of him, and because it was the slightly smaller cock that was sinking into your ass. The tip of it nudged suddenly against your prostate and you saw white.

His other cock clenched around your own, and as he hit you again and again in that bundle of nerves, you cursed, grabbed his shoulders, bowed your head, and as that heat surged inside you, you spilled all over his chest. A second or two later, while you were still twitching and convulsing through your own release, Connor found his peak and emptied himself over his own stomach, and inside you with a wild, high yell of pleasure.

You felt his release hit you deep inside as well, and after a few seconds, it began to slide from you as his second cock softened a little.

His whole body twitched and shuddered, his eyes had rolled closed, and his chest gleamed with sweat.

Eventually he came back to you, and his tentacle-like cock unravelled from around your own and you rolled off him into the wet sand beside him. His chest rose and fell rapidly and his pale skin was flushed and heated with the exertion.

Connor reached clumsily across the space between you and ran his leathery palm over your stomach and up your chest to your neck where your heartbeat pounded. Limply, he rolled onto his side and kissed your throat, raking his teeth gently over your sensitive, flushed skin. “Gods, I came so hard…”

You snorted a smile back at him and he laughed, flopping back into the sand. “What are we doing?” he murmured.

You shrugged. “I don’t know. But… I’m willing to see where it goes, if you are?”

“You mean you’re happy to fuck a fish?” he asked bitterly.

You rolled your eyes. “I just did, didn’t I?”

Connor offered you a lopsided grin and met your eyes askance. “Yeah. You did. Did you like it?”

You eyed the mess you’d both made of his torso pointedly.

Connor gave a final smile and pushed himself upright. Your combined mess slid down his front and you watched as his cocks retreated back into the sheath with slow, deliberate pulses.

He caught you watching him and blushed crimson.

“What?” you asked.

“I… Nothing,” he said, still not meeting your eye.

“You really are beautiful,” you said.

“Even like this?” he said with a deliberate flick of his tail.

You scowled and sat up too, reaching out and taking the back of his head in your hand.

His hair was wet, and he tasted of the sea, but you didn’t care.

You kissed him hard, biting his lip and making him moan and his eyes roll shut again.

When you pulled back, you practically growled, “Especially like this, Connor.”

************************************

For all early releases, character art and bios, upcoming story info, and much, much more, join me over on Patreon!

You’ll have access to stories before anyone else, and you’ll get instant access Patreon-only content as well, including polls and an exclusive monthly story for those on the Pixies and Goblins tier or higher!

___________________________

#merman #mermay #mlm #exophilia #mlm exophilia #male merman #male merfolk #male monster #male reader #alcohol

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ekaaaang · 3 years

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First Photowalk

e-bike shot

Some fail shots:

Finally got a film camera! I got myself a point and shoot Canon Autoboy3 quartz date my girlfriend and I saw on an online marketplace with the help of our film photographer friend Manel. I’ve been wanting to try film photography but was quite hesitant because #shootfilmstaybroke and i really don’t know where to start or what camera should i purchase as a beginner. But i am happy to finally purchase my first ever film camera.

I own a fujifilm xt-20 DSLR and i find it a hassle shooting hundreds of photos, choosing which to edit, and editing each photos. With film, you get to shoot limited shots per roll, you get nice colors from different film rolls, the thrill of not seeing your shots instantly is also one thing, no major post-editing, just minor adjustments -- the art of the whole process is amazing to me. Although i got a little impatient and anxious with the week-long or even longer dev/scan process, it was worth it.

There goes some of the photos from my first roll and first photowalk with my girlfriend. Lots of adjusting and learning to do. I also need to be careful with my hand or strap blocking the camera lens, hence the fail shots but nonetheless it was a super fun and thrilling experience! We had issues with our cameras but fortunately able to fix them with the help of Manel. It’s also true that if you shoot film, you stay broke. Haha

I am also happy i got my girlfriend into film photography and got myself a film buddy.

‘Til my next roll! ♡

Camera: Canon Autoboy3 quartz date

Film: Kodak Colorplus 200

Scan/Dev: Sunny16lab

(ignore the grammar, I’m practicing my English skills! bahaha)

#canonautoboy #filmcommunity #film photography #filmisnotdead #analog #made with kodak #kodakshootfilm #kodak colorplus 200 #autoboy

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loulougoingsolo · 4 years

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Memories...very hazy memories

At the ripe age of 40 years and 51 weeks (yup, I’m turning 41 in less than a week), I’ve become more aware of taking care of my brain. I’m very mind over body oriented, and although my brain doesn’t always do things in the simplest of ways, it is still my favourite body part. Only, it tends to be packed with unnecessary facts, memories, songs and all kinds of things that I could live without, and it’s sometimes a bit hard to find the important stuff.

So, today Rhett and Link go down the memory lane trying to remember exactly what they once said on GMM. With almost 1700 episodes, it amazes me that they can remember anything specific from all these years, but unlike an average person trying to remember their past, they have video evidence of everything. But can they actually remember anything? Oh, and I’ve linked all the episodes mentioned to this post, be sure to rewatch them!

I’m always at awe of those people in this fandom who can remember specific details about what Rhett and Link said years ago. I have, altogether, a pretty blotchy memory for things that are spoken - I remember visual things much better. And I remember things that I’ve actually understood and processed in my own brain. But if you’d ask me who is the exeption to Rhett’s rule “never tweet with #____life”, I wouldn’t have a clue. For some reason, I did think it might be #doglife, which is closer to the real thing than astronaut. Do I get half a point?

Link is clearly more in touch with his memories, but I think his memory was also a bit easier to go back to because it was so much more personal. Who wouldn’t have some rules about personal space? I think it’s kind a nice to hear him say he has grown as a person, and is now less awkward about touching strangers in a subway. (No, that came out wrong. My bad.)

Another sign of personal growth is Rhett admitting he’s BSing 99 percent of the time with his opinions. I know he is, and being able to do that without a flinch is one of the things that make his jokes so great. But apparently, he can get a little awkward when reminded about his past comments. Also, Link is loving this just as much as I am.

You know what, I think my memory works a bit like Link’s: He doesn’t actually remember what he said, but what he said was originally the result of a thought process, and all he needs to do now in order to find his original comments is to rethink things, and come to the same conclusion. This way of remembering is probably one of the reasons why I never liked learning things by heart without actually understanding them. But Link is really good at this game!

I couldn’t remember much else from the mind map episode than the fact that Rhett had really thought about what he wanted for his mind map, and Link took a more comedic approach, and Rhett had actually added Link on the same paddle board with rest of his family, and that was the sweetest thing ever. Although no one got points this round, I have to say, if Antarctica is an island, wouldn’t that mean all continents are islands? How big can an island be before it turns into a continent? I mean...all continents are surrounded by water, and should therefore be islands. Right?

What does it say about me that I could remember exactly what Rhett said about Tom Cruise’s ball sack? But also, unlike on the other rounds, when Rhett is unable to access this memory, he now does the more Link-style thing of rethinking the ball situation and coming to a similar conclusion as he did in the original episode. He just really believes that Tom Cruise has a tight/smooth ball sack. But I do think he deserves to get a point for good this round.

(This is about as much ball sacks I can take for one day, I prefer not to think about them in any situation, celebrity or otherwise. Moving on.)

Oh, we are not moving too far, now we talk about farts. This was, and still is, a solid theory on what laughter is, and it should be put on a t-shirt. Of course Link remembers this, everybody remembers this. “Laughter is like farting out of your mouth.”

Memory tests make me nervous. I often say that my memory is photographic, but sometimes the photos are a bit blurry, and I can’t see all the details. Also, unless it’s something super interesting, my mind drifts, and I forget I was supposed to concentrate on a specific thing - which is something that happened while Rhett and Link read the way too long instructions to each memory test in GMMore. But I actually did remember the answers to the first test correctly.

The second test is something that I suck at. I tried doing the test like the guys did, by only listening to the sentences Stevie read, but my brain is unable to remember things this way. I did gather the basic idea of the stories, but nothing word to word. And like Link, when I heard the strange verb tread, my mind went to thinking about that. The funny thing is, I’ll probably remember the sentences better in a few days, at a moment when they are not only unnecessary but also distracting. And I may forever remember the camera was a Nikon D5600 DSLR, because I’ve now watched this episode twice and things like that stick to my brain like the ink seems to stick to those whiteboards. I also have a 10000 lb egg in my mind now. And the last four numbers of the final test round.

To end this post, here’s an accurate depiction of a kid who has finished their test first and can’t wait to show the teacher that he knew all the answers. I’ve been that kid. I’m still that kid to this day, on the Spanish class I take. That kid can be a little annoying at times.

#gmm #gmmore #rhett and link #gmm 1678 #remembering old comments #memory testing

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axr162731-blog · 4 years

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nostalgia

For my final portfolio project, I wanted to focus on life in these strange times, spending a lot of time at home with my family and trying to find ways to function normally during this quarantine. The world has become an anxious place to live in, but there are some positives that have come out of this – one being that isolation has brought my family and I together and has allowed me to introspect on myself and my past a lot more than usual. We have been doing activities together that we often don’t have time to do in our regular schedules, like gardening, relaxing, and spending time with our pets. I decided to photograph what the best parts of this time have been like for me, not only just physically showing what we’ve done on our sunniest day, but also to represent how the good times make me feel and how they remind me of things I miss dearly.

I wanted these photos to look like they were taken back in the day when everything had a warm haze and leaks of bright light, of course when using a DSLR the quality remains much higher than old polaroid or snap-and-shoot cameras, but with the help of a few different sunglass lenses as well as some colour grading in post, I was able to achieve something close to that nostalgic look. The reasoning for this aesthetic is not only because I personally like how it looks in conjunction with the specific subjects I chose for this series, but because it instills that sense of nostalgia and whimsical remembrance.

When among an abundance of plants and animals, I already feel as though I’m closer to a fantastical world, and it brings a sense of peace to me. There have been a lot of white butterflies in our garden the past week and probably the toughest part of these photos was waiting patiently and trying to capture even one of them – which luckily, I did. White butterflies signify good luck and positive changes, and they are also known in some cultures to be symbolic of loved ones from the other side looking over you. When my family and I work on our garden, it often feels as though it is an ode to those we’ve lost and my mother always says the butterflies are my grandmother saying hello, so realizing I got that snapshot in a series of photos about remembering the past fondly was special.

When I look back on my memories, it feels as if I’m stepping into a dream, and that is what I wanted this series of photos to feel like when viewing, too. I personally feel that I achieved my desired emotions in these photos and am very happy with how my final project turned out.

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kinoalyse · 4 years

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10 Photography Tips for Bloggers

LEARN PHOTOGRAPHY BASICS

There are hundreds of thousands of blogs out there that offer the basics of photography but the reason this stands out is because there is a surprising lack of quality photography across travel blogs. Therefore, one way to shine among the crowd is by showcasing your photography. First, explore the "Exposure Triangle," which is the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. There's no shame in using automatic but sometimes a scene needs your assistance, such as a bright sky against architecture or a prop (wine bottles, ice cream, etc.).

Perfect Sky But... This isn't a terrible mid-range exposure but if you point your lens to the sky (or "expose for the sky"), the sky will be prefect but your architecture might be too dark for us to recover in post.

Perfect Interior, But... With an automatic camera, if you point your lens at the interior, this is what it will produce: perfect interior with a blown out sky that's impossible to recover. An automatic camera automatically exposes for where your lens is pointing. For the advanced, if you move your exposure square, it will expose where that square is when you lightly press the shutter. By learning how to use your camera more effectively, you can produce better work that stands out. If there's demand, I'm happy to write a quick and easily digested blog about photography basics. Leave a comment below or Tweet me if that would be helpful.

EXPLORE DIFFERENT GENRES

Second, what is the theme of your blog? If it's quite specific, such as food around the world, consider the different angles you can take to tell the story of that food. What of the chefs, the building, where the food comes from? To illustrate, a typical food blog features the food and wine placed on their table: food photography. However, if you want to tell a different story and, again, offer a fresh perspective, start exploring different genres of photography. In order to photograph the chefs, one would want to dabble in portraiture or street photography. Furthermore, to tell the story of a restaurant with a history, consider architectural photography.

Night Changing the time that you shoot can completely diversify your portfolio and is more visually interesting.

Portraiture Portraiture helps blogger to pull readers into their story. See Using Human Elements for more information.

Architecture Architecture connects readers to where you are and the people who inhabit the location. Always tell a story.

Take Notes

Travel takes a lot out of us. As you shoot, remember to take notes of your experiences, especially as you move: one city contains any number of photographic features in different sectors and you may not realize you've changed locations. Take notes of your surroundings to make sure you aren't misleading your readers and especially in case you decide to make money with stock photography in the future. https://vimeo.com/286921266

Tell a Story

Telling a story requires creativity and a willingness to explore different shooting methods. For example, street photographers use a method called "shooting from the hip." Instead of shooting from a standing position, the camera is placed near their hip to not only give their photos a different angle, but the camera is less obvious. In this photo, I had visited a city with a couple of famous landmarks and decided to skip them entirely in favor of exploration. I later realized that this town had been devastated by an earthquake years prior. At first glance, this is just an archway with a window reflecting the sunset. I wanted to invite the viewer to look closer for the story, the acorns littering the ground, unkept foliage, cracks in the stone. It becomes quite clear that this section of the city hasn't been maintained by citizens in years.

Leave White Space

White space is empty space within your photo, perfect for banner backgrounds because it lacks 'business' against your font. Play attention to white space while you shoot. skeleton plans, open schedules

plan flexibly

The rewards for patience is often worth the story itself. Be patient if your sunrise isn't incredible. Stay another half-hour in case the rain lets up. Flexibility in photography means using the unexpected to your advantage. Planning a vacation and having an open mind is totally different from patience in photography. When you plan your locations, remember that the weather, people, situations are not always as expected. Use these 'problems' to tell a story.

Use A Human element

Thank you to CrossroadAdventure for the question! A human element adds relatability to your scene. First, let's observe an ice cream cone in front of a famous landmark. keep to your tone

Photographer: WeNeal's Photography and Retouching Alongside the right blog tone, this is a genuinely effective photo. Additionally, there is consideration for the framing and elements: they've gone with pastel nails and vibrant ice cream colors along with framing the fountain behind them. Coupled with the correct tone of a blog, this photo can be especially effective: it communicates a story in front of a famous destination and two people enjoying their cloudless afternoon. A human element also adds scale. Without the photoshopped man in the background would you look twice at this photo? A viewer has no concept of how large the driftwood and bushes are nor the rock in the background. Further, it was shot wide angle so scale is already an illusion. Placing a human element psychologically brings the viewer in. Simultaneously, a human element invites them to look again, even search for more easter eggs (hidden elements). This also means people stay on my website longer. My visitor retention skyrockets when I add something relatable. I have a lot to say about props: for more depth, Using Human Elements discusses more on the stereotypes of photography and how you should plan your own photos. Create Scale

Edit consistently

In addition to sticking to your tone, you should edit your photos within one blog post identically and within the blog itself, similarly. In the gallery below, two of the photos match styles. The other two were edited as I continued to learn and, as such, lack a cohesive style. Look specifically at the blues. The first and second photos were edited with the same saturation and hue of blue in Lightroom. The third has intense, saturated cyan and more rusty yellows. Finally, the last photo has darker blues and far less vibrant than the others. Much like the tone of your text, don't stray from a specific style in a single post.

get creative with props and people

perspective Change the angle. Crouch, look up/down, creative placement that isn't from a standing position

light Look for interesting light such as bokeh, light filtering through the trees, and soft reflections off glass.

composition Find interesting foreground and background placement where your subjects can interact.

BEST CAMERAS FOR BLOGGERS

Until I am blue in the face: the camera does not contribute to the artistry of photography until the mind behind it understands how to use their camera as an intended tool. However, some cameras do make layman lives easier. Here is what I recommend for different types of bloggers - thank you to Dancing Pandas for the question! Cheap powerhouse: Canon G7 X Mark II

This is my vlogging camera, nearly four years old and is still kicking after moving around the US and overseas multiple times. Not only is the camera itself small and lightweight, the batteries and chargers are as well. It takes gorgeous photos, has stabilization for video, and a wide range of automatic features, such as timelapses and night photography. For the layman and especially for the price, this camera is a dream. Compact DSLR: CANON REBEL T6

My first DSLR camera was the Canon Rebel T2i, my first truly daunting purchase. The T6 is a better camera and less expensive. It takes quality photos and has features like wifi connectivity, creative tools like HDR, and great autofocus. It has similar power to more expensive cameras without the weight and complexity, although the crop censor is something to consider. The Rebel line continues to impress. ACtion Camera: GoPro Hero 7 BLack

The GoPro is a huge contender. For action without quality sacrifice, 4k video, voice commands, automatic HDR photography, timelapse and hyperlapse photography, wifi-enabled... I envy you if you've got this mounted. I can't wait to see what they do next: GoPro created one smart camera for any situation I could dream of finding myself in. The best part: it's relatively cheap compared to any other cameras on this list. Best mirrorless: Sony A7 II

Although there is a newer Mark III model out, I think it has an overwhelming amount of bells and whistles. This version remains one of the best mirrorless, lightweight cameras on the market. It is able to automatically shoot simple, automatic photography but the moment you decide to really get into shooting, it also comes ready with professional features. It's the middle ground between professional and hobbyist. Phone photography: Samsung Galaxy S10+

At the end of the day, the best camera is the one you have with you. Camera photography is no joke. Samsung's Galaxy S10+ features a wide angle lens (equivalent to 12mm) and crazy manual control you usually only get from a paid app otherwise. This also means control over your focus. Want dreamy backgrounds? You got it. Insane zoom? Comes standard. It also takes full 1080 60FPS video for that extra bang for your buck. BEST DRONE: DJI Mavic Air

If you don't have a drone can you even come to the photographers' table these days? DJI has made droning more accessible than ever through their Spark and Mavic Air. I recommend the Air specifically for professional bloggers as it is lightweight and compact, contains a wealth of features (timelapse, tracking, full HDR, even filters!), and comes with everything you need to get started. Quality drone photography and video? Look no further. DJI Mavic Air. If you want more of me or my work: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Art Industry Read the full article

#Adobe #tutorial

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photoddgrapher · 5 years

Photo

Ahoy Mateys!

I am brand new to this platform. I just signed up because I recently started following a Youtube Channel called Photo Assignments. That group started about 3 years ago and I am just starting out today. In the introduction of the Photography Assignments Channel, Ted Forbes (The Art of Photography) suggested that we sign up for a Tumblr account. So being a good student, I decided to follow his lead.

I am a sailor and I enjoy taking photos. My wife Jojo paddles Hawaiian outrigger canoes and our dog Lulu is starting her own blog and that is why you’re going to be witness to a mish-mash of all kinds of stuff in this Tumblr blog. I also author a few other blogs, so I will be treating this space as my laboratory, testing ground and/or staging area until I am comfortable enough with the platform to actually publish a blog with it.

I’ll give you a little background about my photography. I have been taking pictures since I was 5 or 6 years old. I remember my very first camera, a Kodak Brownie that my father gave me. I would shoot black and white photos while traveling with the family every summer throughout my childhood. From then on I recall going through a series of Kodak Pocket Instamatic cameras that took those super easy-to-use 110 film cartridges. It wasn’t until I got into High School when I would own my first 35mm SLR Camera (again a gift from my parents).

That 1st SLR was the infamous Pentax K-1000. Boy, that camera sure did make me feel like a grown-up. I was so stoked to have finally made it to the big leagues that I started taking my photography to the next level. I even set up my own personal photo lab in one of the bathrooms of the house. Truth be told, that was just way too much work and pretty expensive for a kid in high school. I think I dabbled in the darkroom for only a few months because it was so much easier to just drop off those film canisters to the photo store and wait a week to have the images professionally developed. That darkroom stuff was fun for a while, but way too much work.

In college, I managed to destroy a Canon AE-1 which I loaned to a friend to take on a hiking trip. When I got the camera back, it was all sticky and completely ruined. Apparently, there was a leaky fruit punch container in the same backpack that he was carrying my camera around in. I learned early on not to loan gear to friends, unless it was something I could afford to lose. Luckily for me though, that little hiking faux pas was my chance to upgrade my AE-1 to the AE-1 Program which came out that same year (1981). I never got to thank my friend because I guess I was still a bit angry about having to spend $700 that I didn’t have to replace my camera (I think I had to work an entire summer for that single purchase). I would hang on to that new AE-1 Program for over 15 years. To be perfectly honest, I may still have it in storage somewhere, but I’m thinking it may have gotten sold at one of our last moving sales.

Fast forward to the digital age of photography. Those original DSLRs were frankly too damn expensive for a hobbyist. I would have to wait. In the meantime, I must’ve owned at least a half-dozen point-and-shoots. I can recall owning Olympus, Fujifilm, Canon, Panasonic and Sony gear. None of these were really serious cameras. They were handy dandy gear that could be tossed into Jojo’s purse or my backpack (these were before the advent of the phone cameras widely used by most folks today). I think I started buying these bad boys from the time that 1.3MP was the most typical resolution. Today, my iPhone’s camera is almost 10 times as sharp as those early digital cameras.

A fairly long time had passed since I owned a “real” camera and I had never before owned a Nikon. So, in early 2015 (February), I was lucky enough to win all 4 quarters of the Superbowl pool and ended up $400 richer than I was pre-game. I decided to get myself an entry-level DSLR. I went to Costco and saw that the Nikon D3300 Kit was priced at $499.99. That’s $100 over budget, so I decided to wait. One day I was shopping at Sam’s Club and noticed that they had an open box of that same kit and the price was right at $400. Voila! I was able to get into a DSLR at no cost to me (so you could say I lucked into it).

In the summer of 2015 I was asked to chair the Transpac Honolulu Photography Committee. For those who don’t know, the Transpac is a Trans-Pacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu which is held every other year. At that time, I was on the Waikiki Yacht Club’s Board of Directors serving as the Rear Commodore for Power and was very involved with all things WYC. I took over the committee and have been chairing it ever since. One thing that serving in this capacity brought to my attention was how much I needed to improve as a photographer. I was surrounded by professionals and I was merely taking snapshots whilst they were capturing some of the most exciting images imaginable. Action shots of racing yachts from the water, from the sky, you name it and they were capturing it. It made me feel amateurish, mainly because I was.

This year, I’ve decided to up my game. I purchased a second hand Nikon D5500 on Craigslist and decided I would start improving myself as a shooter. I took a lot of Transpac photos again this summer and I decided I wanted to shoot my wife’s Na Wahine O Ke Kai Outrigger Canoe Race from Molokai to Waikiki (41 miles). The first time she did the race was 2014 and I didn’t have the gear. She skipped a few years, and when she did the race again in 2018, I was the Commodore of the Yacht Club and I was away on the Mainland at a function hosted at St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, so I missed the women’s Molokai race last year. This year, I wanted to capture the event in photographs, mostly for her to show what a truly challenging accomplishment the race is. I took a lot of shots this year and you may be able to find some of that work if you search SmugMug and Facebook. I still want to improve my skills which is why I’ve decided to start these Photo Assignments on Youtube.

I know that this was a really long post for my first Tumblr post, but I wanted to introduce myself by letting you know a little bit of my background and more importantly, why I am here. I’m not sure where I’ll be taking this, but at least I have posted something of a brief history along with what I hope to achieve with this social media space. Wish me luck. It is my intention to share without reservation, so I hope you all enjoy seeing my process from day one... Aloha!

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abandon-places · 5 years

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Goodbye

Hi, this is op here. Not really sure how to start this post. But here's a backstory:

I started this blog in 2012 when I was a senior in high school with no job, no money, no car, nothing. Just kept on saying to myself that one day ill go to these places and take pictures and give a little backstory on these places. Now I have take have taken some pictures of my own but some of these were just in walking distance. So these past 7 years have been a struggle but this past year things have been getting better but slowly.

In 2015, I still hadnt made any big improvements in my life but hating every minute of it. Because I wasn't doing what I wanted to do yet. I was making very little at a job I didn't want. It wasn't enough for what I wanted to do. Like 40 dollars every two weeks. And just unhappy because 40 isn't nothing.

Fast forward to 2018. After working three dead end jobs and my dreams not getting anywhere. plus dealing with anxiety and depression. I decided to make strides in my physical and mental improvement. I quit my job and used my loan money to buy a camera but it was a point-n-shoot and didn't give me the quality images that I wanted.

Fast forward a couple of months later, I was working at a resturant and made enough money in a few months to put a down payment on a car and started traveling to places around my state. However I have some insecurities about the camera I was using because it wasn't mirrorless or a dslr. After I was done with those payments I eventually had to leave the resturant environment.

After that I was working another retail job which is the longest job I've ever held down since graduating high school. In still currently working there and the money is okay. In March, I've come into a little bit more money. A school loan of $4500 and then my income tax of $360. So just recently I bought a dslr camera for 400 dollars.

Tumblr was fun in my mid-late teens and early 20s. However for the past two years I haven't been as frequent on any of my Tumblr blogs. This blog started as a photography/ urbex blog but I haven't been frequent on it since 2016. People are still reblog my posts even some of my original photos are still getting notes. Which is wild because when I took those photos I was still using my galaxy note 5 and my LG optimus. Also they are pretty bad if I can admit that. (Note to any future photographers, just because the photo is clear, doesn't make it a good photograph.)

Also, I'm approaching 25 I want to see myself grow as a photographer I want to start making money doing what I love and not hold back any longer with these dead end jobs. I know I can be much more than what I am. I'm finally graduating from university this fall I want to try and buy a old rv to start roadtripping by 2020. I want to start living life.

Which brings me to my final paragraph, I will no longer be using this blog. I won't deactivate it until January of 2020 but y'all can still view it and reblog from time to time. I will still go on these wanderlust urbex trips but I will be moving to bluehost to start my blog which will probably start mid July. It will mainly be about my off road adventures, urban explorations, and tips on how to find these places without getting caught. I will link it once I get the blog up and running.

Until then, thank you and I hope you enjoyed abandon places.

#abandon #abandoned #abandoned places #new jersey #photography #urban #nj #urbex #urban exploration #urban exploring photography

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dansnaturepictures · 4 years

Photo

7 of my favourite pictures to take in the past week

Old Winchester Hill view*

Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly at Old Winchester Hill**

Another Old Winchester Hill view***

Autumn leaves out the front****

Berries at Lakeside*****

One of my favourite birds the Great Crested Grebe feeding its chick at Lakeside******

Heart and dart moth in the living room*******

(In order of appearance in this photoset)

I have to first say that the last week was perhaps my most packed with photos of all time. Between Sunday 9th and Saturday 15th August I took or as I like to call it produced as I take different versions of the same photo when out and keep the best or don’t keep ones that don’t work out and that in total 174 photographs, averaging 24.85 per day. Extraordinary for me on a week I worked albeit from home most of it as I do currently, but actually this probably makes it my highest yielding week of photos ever and its been heading that way for a while with how many I now take forward of my photos. This all made, if I wanted to, saying my favourite photo taken this week hard. If I quote or reply to one of my tweets with that photo for me in on my Twitter Dans_Pictures nowadays I have to have a theme to link it to of the week, this week beside the sheer amount taken there were too many; a week of moths, a week of insects/macro photography headlined by butterflies at the start, a week of increased bird photos for this time of year there was so many. So then I decided to do one of my picture context posts I sometimes do usually on a Sunday morning about my favourite photo from the week before saying what I liked about it, how it came about and any other relevant thoughts, but in truth whilst I had one photo particularly in mind there were lots of candidates without blowing my own trumpet of what I liked best. So I instead decided to bring seven together, so effectively meaning I had on average a real standout picture per day even if some of these were taken the same day to each other. Not to say the the others were poor days as there were so many I overlooked. And below about each, I say a little bit.

*The week started in the midst of a heatwave at Old Winchester Hill in the South Downs where we had a stunning wildlife and landscape walk. We come once a year these days to see particular butterflies and they are there because the meadow and grass here are booming with colour and life. I just simply had to take landscapes and show what I was seeing on an incredible height-of-summer day, and I simply had to show you the vibrant meadows. And this picture does this for me which is why I like it. On Sunday I produced 40 pictures so instead of tweeting them all and clogging my profile 10 of them I included exclusively in my blog as I do in such common circumstances as this now and this one was tweeted so its the first time I’ve posted it on Tumblr, as is the case for photos **, *** and ******* in this post.

**The photo I had in mind for the post. This was whilst not the only the main butterfly we went to this place to see and did getting it as a year tick. The visit was all about this butterfly, and it couldn’t have gone better for it. Within minutes in the rich grassland we spotted this small, subtle but clearly marked butterfly and were feeling incredible. I’d seen one before this one. And then attention quickly turned to getting a picture of it with my macro lens that I use for butterflies to get closeup. I had never photographed this butterfly what I would call really well in terms of my butterfly pictures so all I wanted was something, anything, picture wise to show what it was and allow me to remember it. I was in for a real treat as I saw this one landed and as I said in my blog about the trip a week ago tonight I took little safety shots snapping it from afar in case it as it very likely could flew off. Then I was in my element as I was standing right over the butterfly, but I felt I couldn’t really get down onto it nicely without my prominent shadow scaring it off. So on a hot day I just got down on the floor and eventually almost lied there giving me the ability to move myself in the right position to take photos and get really close up to it. A marvelous thing for me and my Mum to do on the hottest of days. And I really liked this image. With my new (as of January) macro lens what it is good for it gave me I felt that quality and detail of the butterfly so much so that I compared it to my spring Green Hairstreak photo at Magdalen Hill my best butterfly picture with this new macro lens so far and one of my best ever butterfly photos. But this one also played to my senses. I think the colour of the butterfly, markings as well as the way the sun is hitting it makes it to the eyes what a sweet drink such as apple juice (a coincidence that I am drinking this as I write) does for the taste buds. It just gives me a real ripe and celebration of life feeling. And for me this is an ultimate summer image in a sense, one of my best butterfly moments of the year.

***Another of my standout landscapes from a set I was so happy with from Old Winchester Hill. What struck me when there and when reflecting of what was one of my best days of the year for wildlife and photography this week was that Old Winchester Hill is one of the most beautiful places in Hampshire. It reminded me of thinking this in the early days of us visiting here from 2009 onwards I believe before we knew what butterflies it held. The meadows are brilliant but what I like about this image is it sums up this rural beauty spot aura of Old Winchester Hill for me because what makes it that is those stunning views afar over the South Downs. I think this image shows the varied aspects of that well, but also still features a bit of the meadows that adorn and support the life of this incredible place.

****A big theme of this week also were the autumnal leaves and other autumnal characteristics at home and further afield mostly to the backdrop of the hot and very sunny weather. I just loved photographing this, and this Tuesday shot a tree turning autumnal out the front to the backdrop of the bright blue sky is my favourite such image. I just love the glow and flavour and light it shows and it makes me appreciate it and feel very pleasant. Its the multi-colour that makes it so the fact some leaves are still the summer green adds to it well. It reminds me very much of a picture I took of some autumn leaves in August 2013 at Bath that were up against a blue sky. One of my best ever images, one that when I used to pick photos of the week and year from my photos I named my colour, water and macro (What I would go onto refer to as my minority subjects) photo of the year. It was one of my first I think real great autumn leaves photos within my standard of photos and down the years I’ve taken more and more. But nothing ever matched it for me one with the aspect of it up against the blue sky with the sun shining right on it and two with so many different coloured leaves until this one on Tuesday which made it very satisfying to take.

*****Berries have also been a big point of my autumn sightings, perhaps my most prominent year for noticing various berries from summer into autumn this year. And I’ll never forget photographing these on Wednesday and seeing them. As I walked into the woods south of the bowl area my eyes just sailed over to this bright, prominent red on the floor. I simply had to go over and take a look, and I was thrilled to see these berries on a low plant when I did. It was a divine shade of my favourite colour red. With my macro lens on I could not resist a photo of these berries and I was pleased with how this came out. One of my most unique and memorable pictures this year I feel. It came in a strong theme of red this week, as in a lovely Facebook photo group I’m in ‘A Moment in Time’ their theme this week was photos showing red and I loved putting this and others for the walk and this week as I photographed stuff accordingly almost in for it.

******As I said a week in the season where birds are of less variety and about less I saw and photographed an increasing amount which was very pleasing supporting all the other wildlife I saw. I had many candidates for this post actually for birds. My birds of the past few weeks really have been one family, the Great Crested Grebe pair with their three adorable chicks at Lakeside Country Park beside where we live. I have had multiple goes at taking photos of them now, charting their journey so far and slight growth. I have always loved seeing this species one of my favourite birds here what a key moment in my whole birding and wildlife journey seeing them here for the first time aged 10 was. But its perhaps only the situation we’re in that I’ve been able to come over here so often to follow them this year that I’ve really connected to the family and I feel so lucky and amazed to have them so close. This photo I enjoyed taking. It was nice to watch the chicks in the binoculars and so close I could see them with my naked eye and see the adult coming in with a fish looking great on its own. I then got the camera ready and waited to pick the right moment to snap as their beaks came together and I just about managed it with the fish shown. Something I’d not always managed to time right these past few weeks with either my DSLR or bridge camera. I find this image interesting and pleasant to look back on. Like the autumn leaves it made me reminiscent of a past photo a 2015 shot of a Coot putting food into its chick’s beak at RSPB Radipole Lake which my Mum ended up printing on a mug for me as a present. So very pleasant memories.

*******Finally one taken too late on Friday evening to appear in the blog then so another Tumblr exclusive now. A massive theme this hot week with evenings drawing in so with windows being left open and light glaring out in a good time of year for it anyway was that many moths have come into our house and I’ve photographed most with my macro lens. This was the peak moment, with four in the living room this Heart and Dart, a new moth for us paraded nicely around and landed right behind the telly. I got my macro lens and managed this picture. What I liked about it was that macro quality again I feel for me. Its one of my best moth photos this year and ever I think. I didn’t just compare it to my favourite moth pictures with this lens so far this year, but the butterflies too. The moth interest is a side interest coming alongside the butterflies over this past decade but I photograph butterflies more so my butterfly pictures are generally better. In the end it didn’t quite compare to the Green Hairstreak and co or even my Scarlet Tiger moth at West Wood in July as the light in our house is no match for the natural sunlight. But in order to make this picture, I think it came close.

I hope for another great week ahead even if the weather has now changed and I wish you all the same. I am sorry my social profiles have been so packed this week! But thank you so much for your wonderful continued support again. This week certainly brings a build up to excitement in a very summery way for me, as instead of the Bird Fair that we would in every year since 2007 be heading to the brilliant Rutland Water we are using the Friday and next Monday I have off to go to Devon in the hope of seeing a Dipper and whatever else. I am looking forward to hopefully seeing some of the virtual Bird Fair though browsing through the events made me nostalgic of all the usual feelings I get when planning our days at the fair in a normal year.

I am of course happy that the Bird Fair was cancelled this year it was the right thing to do in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and it simply would not have been safe to hold it especially given its international scope and it was an informed, correct, timely and sensitive call from the organisers. I hope the virtual events raises as much for the fundraising of the valuable projects it supports for Bird Life International. Whilst away in Devon I have no idea if they’ll be wi-fi or how good it will be in the cottage we’re staying in so I may have to post photos and blogs when home. I am excited to go to another part of the country I hold very dear. The Dipper would have been a target in our postponed June North Wales holiday so its very much a nice option of somewhere to perhaps try and salvage something to enjoy this lovely long weekend we have ahead once I get to Thursday. I hope you all stay safe and enjoy the next week.

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