My voice took a hammering today with a 4-hour remote customer delivery and I can barely talk. Not a bad thing for those around me I guess. I have never liked my voice, but I have got feedback from training sessions that some people do - weird people I assume - I guess everyone has their kink.
When it comes to photography, I never have much of a plan but when I see something interesting, I try to capture it. I am far from a purist but one thing I do not do often, is manipulate the scene, I don't engineer it by moving things into a better position, I work with the cards dealt. There are lots of interesting things when you look closely enough.
Like this bug that apperently committed suicide by running headfirst into some lavender. I love the smell of fresh lavender and I planted these a few weeks back and they are doing really well. Hopefully, they will return next year. I will also plant some more.
As I have said before, flies are the poor man's bee, and they are actually quite beautiful creatures, in a grotesque kind of way.
I also tried to grab some bees flying as an after thought, and had limited success in the 39 seconds of trying before I lost patience. Well, the grill was heating so I didn't have much time.
Ladybirds are another favorite, but this one was a bit sleepy and was being boring. I like the idea of getting "epic" shots of the mundane and I am yet to really capture any, in my opinion. It is good to have a quest though.
Then three are some more flowers blooming, a few different type of roses, peonies, and a lone cherry getting some color, but I am guessing the birds will taste most of the fruits leaving bone for us. We have lost most of our strawberries feeding the wildlife.
The side of our house had rise bushes climbing the walls and would be covered in budding roses now, but we cut them away in preparation to paint and to protect the walls. Some plants look beautiful, but do a lot of damage.
The peonies have done well considering we transplanted them and next year should be great, but the rains have smashed them. Hopefully there will be some more on the way.
The session today was pretty intense and while I did my best, I don't think it was overly great. It wasn't lack of preparation or knowledge, it is just that some parts of the training is better face to face and four hours is a long time for anyone to sit in front of screen for a remote session. While not boring, it isn't a FPS game either.
What was good to have happen though is that toward the end, they were discussing what they will need to discuss in the way I wanted them to. Their job for the project is to design the solution their organizational will implement and that means being able to collaborate across departments to discovet, negotiate and streamline processes. This isn't easy across multinational corporations that haven't unified processes, but it is possible.
My job is to help them build the knowhow to be able to approach this as well as translate their needs to the consultants and engineers who will build their integration. It is challenging at times, especially since most I deal with aren't technical nor are they native English speakers. It is a good challenge though and as long as I frame the session well from the get-go, participants are pretty engaged and understand what is expected of them. It doesn't mean they necessarily agree with my approach, but for me, as long as they are able to participate well in the design phases, I am happy.
I am knackered though, so I am going to head to bed. I am writing this on my phone (where I cropped the images too) so excuse typos, and formatting issues. I will have a look over it in the morning to clean up with an edit of needs be. Til then, sleep tight and remember, flies must have a purpose too.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Yayks!!! You are a superhero for being able to sit through all that 4 hours of talking. :O
I personally, get exhausted just after 1 hour of teaching English online.
Not easy at all!
It is exhausting, but I am pretty accustomed to long sessions - I have done a few 7 hour sessions now too - they suck.
I have two days a month where I teach sessions for my company (now remote - was face to face) where I have 14 1-hour sessions in a row, each with people in different job roles who need personalized conversation - it is a long couple days.
How have you found the remote training during Corona?
!ENGAGE 25
Damn man! That sounds ROUGH!
Well it's alright.
Doable, but I prefer my classes to be in person where the real connections can happen. In real classes, the control over the students can be much easier, and you get to check on their progress more efficiently. But the online sessions are definitely better than nothing.
Yeah, remote is far from perfect, but for most of it, it hasn't been too bad considering I am training technical stuff and it can be a little dry - I try to have fun and create personal connections where I can. Most of the clients in the room will only meet me once there, so I try to leverage the contact I have set up the sessions with to create a better atmosphere with all.
Yeah!
Definitely it's a great idea to have some fun tricks here and there, to keep them going with you. :)
ENGAGEtokens.Yay on having lavender! ^^ Yours seems to be a different kind than mine. More deep purple and flower buds shorter. Bet the scent is divine!
My lavender has gone huge. I will probably soon do an update. But it's massive and only now starting to turn purple.
Hey and that fly is pretending to be a bee for sure xD
I am not sure what these ones are , but I think there are two main types sold here and these ones seem to have the stronger smell. They are only small, but will hopefully grow up big and stinky.
Looking forward to it. These were little ones I bought to test to see if they would grow in the soil . but I would like a garden bed full of them, one on either side of the house so the scent can drift in regardless of the wind direction.
!ENGAGE 25
ENGAGEtokens.What a wonderful post!
Great photos!
Have a blessed day.
So sorry about your dad’s passing, cling to the happy memories they will sustain you.
It will take awhile but the best thing you can do , is the tell with your daughter.
Tell all the good stories about pop, share pictures of him with her, it will help you heal.
My thoughts and blessings are with you and your family
Thanks.
We have told her already about it and while she doesn't fully understand the finality of death, she does know that "nothing lasts - like dinosaurs" - she loves dinosaurs. There will be plenty of stories shared in the coming years and I think more will be remembered over time. :)
Thanks for stopping by.
!ENGAGE 25
ENGAGEtokens.So you are like a one person think tank that get the engine to turn over and start running, sounds like a great job. You suckered me into trying to find a dead bug in all the green of I think mint leafs, then I saw the next picture, I think that falls under deceptive headlines. LoL
I've always heard that the second year after transplanting peonies is when they really take off, so they should look great if they do not need to be moved again next year.
It is a bit of fun at times, other times the job is crappy like any other :)
No dead bugs in the mint, but doesn't mint look great in photos? :D
I am hoping the peonies we moved won't be needed to move again, but there is one that we haven't yet (it was a hidden surprise) that has done really well.
!ENGAGE 20
ENGAGEtokens.I loved all the images, especially the one of the flies. They were beautiful and perfect. Just like flowers, everything takes time to bloom and sometimes things don't turn out the way we imagined or planned. People may not like flies, but they too have a place in the world. There are not only flowers and bees, there are a variety of elements with which we must live. And you sure did a good job. Have a good night and a good sunrise, @tarazkp
I have heard some people talk about if they could, they would get rid of mosquitoes - but I wonder what would happen to the ecosystem if that was actually done. I missed the sunrise, that is at about 4 in the morning at the moment :D
!ENGAGE 20
ENGAGEtokens.Amusingly @donnadavisart just recently commented in one of our conversations that she doesn't like her voice and doesn't think anyone does XD (it came up because I said I thought she would make a great narrator)
The iridescence on flies is really nice. I guess the flies could look nice as well if you like that kind of thing xD And as much as I try to appreciate their pollinating ways and the niches they fit in any given ecosystem they still annoy the hell out of me in summer.
39 seconds hey you timed it? :D
Maybe we all dislike our own voice to some degree - I have heard a couple people say they like mine (unsolicited) - but it has always been a big issue with me - as I have somewhat of a lisp - more so when tired :D
they put in a little effort and cleaned themselves up a bit, perhaps combed their hair, some lipstick.. :D
I rounded up to 39. ;D
!ENGAGE 25
ENGAGEtokens.Pretty Fuggin' awesome 39 seconds in my opinion.
Photos are much easier on my
tiredknackered (lol) brain after a long day of cussing & dodging cars.Thanks.!
Why dodge? you are bigger - just honk and if they move, good for them :)
Manipulating a scene should only happen when there's no much of an environment to explore with. Though truth be told, with a good photographer manipulating scene photos could be mind blowing, but nothing is as beautiful as a picture taking in it's natural and purest scene. These pictures are beautiful....and it's nice getting the picture of the bug in the lavender.
I like to search around for the shot, rather than move stuff to make the shot - it might make some of my photos crappier :D
I agree
Thanks @freedompoint!
I find it incredible that you still got some awesome shots without any form of manipulation or adjustment. I absolutely love larvender, there is something royal and regal about it. Maybe the purple hue. I can't help but imagine what your garden would be like in reality.
I do some post-edits if I have time, but these are pretty well as shot. The lavender smells great :)
Oh wow. It's absolutely fabulous. I know how long it takes me to get a good shot. Probably why I don't have a lot of pictures.:-)
Some really decent macro shots there mate, good work.
Cheers. I find it hard to get a great deal of detail or the focus quite on the eye, but it was windy - so that is my excuse :D
Oh yeah... that is why dedicated macro pros get up 5 AM to be shooting at 6 AM, there is less wind at that time for some reason and there is also morning dew that covers plants and insects with brilliant droplets that look magic in the shots. Insects themselves are still sleeping mostly so it is much easier to approach for the shot.
I loved all the images, especially one of the flies. They were beautiful and perfect. Just like flowers, everything takes time to bloom and sometimes things don't turn out the way we imagined or planned. a; do pics with bees pollinating 3
There weren't that many bees around yesterday and the few there were, were furry bumblebees - I prefer the sleeker ones :)
well everyone has its own taste but natural beauty is what one makes feel like living
Looks like a lovely place! :)
Manipulating a scene should only happen when there's no much of an environment to explore with. Though truth be told, with a good photographer manipulating scene photos could be mind-blowing
Flies are very pretty once you get some close up photos..Insects have their charm. Lavender must smell divine and also the peonies. Gosh I love peonies😍
A vocal relax time seems in handy now, it must feel rather uncomfortable to talk for a straight 4 hours.
!ENGAGE 20
Wow, that is a great sentence. Taraz has a handsome appearance and excellent intelligence. I always admire your wonderful sentences.
Nature is not divided into good and evil, beauty and ugliness.
Only humans divide nature into good and evil, beauty and ugliness.
Your thoughts are similar to China's Lao Tzu.齊物論,胡蝶春夢.