JohnJ3B 💙🐱📷🌲⛵⚾🗽✒️

@johnj3b.bsky.social

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I'm an expat from Massachusetts, happily retired on the MidCoast of Maine. Photography, my Cats, the Red Sox & Bruins, History, and Fountain Pens soothe my heart and tickle my brain. All photos except reposts are my own © . Please no DM's.

Black & white image of Nicholas, a tuxedo cat who adopted me, and was with me for 11 years. He's laying atop the couch backrest (a favorite spot), his head & chin resting on a "tripod" of one rear and two front paws, a position he always favored.
A black & white image, in portrait orientation, showing a large, ornate water fountain with many streams of water falling from a circular section in the middle down to a pool of water surrounding the base of the fountain. In the lower left foreground, in front of the fountain, a man sits at a small round table stacked with shopping bags. From this distance he appears to be staring at a woman seated in the lower right foreground, who also appears to be staring back at him. The midday sun casts some strong shadows across the scene, but also illuminates the fountain's water streams, as well as the leaves in the large trees behind the fountain. I wonder if they ever struck up a conversation.....
A black & white image of the rocky Maine coast in the mid-afternoon of a Winter's day. The sun glistens on the wet rocks extending from the right edge and foreground, and also on the ocean close to shore. The scattered white clouds are backlit by the sun against the clear sky, and the dark tree line extends behind the rocks from the right to the middle of the scene. Shot with Fujifilm's Acros film simulation + red filter.
Yellow flowers fill the foreground in front of a rolling field of green grass and freshly cleared land, with a line of small dark bare trees silhouetted against the light brown earth. Further in the distance some farm buildings appear on the horizon under black smoke on the right edge, with the horizon stretching out in green to the left of the frame. White clouds cover the sky except for a blue patch in the upper right.
This is a black & white image of a cat resting atop the back of a chair, all in black silhouette against sliding glass doors, with the underside of a deck and some trees visible beyond. The image was taken with Fujifilm's Acros + yellow filter film simulation, combined with Kodak Tri-X 400 film recipe.
Color image of a Revolutionary War reenactment held in Millis MA in 2010. A small group of Colonials stands in the left foreground, muskets at the ready, gazing at the British line across an open green field. Smoke from musket & cannon fire hangs over the scene and against the green trees in the far background. Happy 4th of July to everyone at BlueSky!!!
The afternoon sun falls between the skyscrapers onto Boston's Old State House. Constructed in 1713, it is the city's oldest existing public building.
The sun settles into a small notch in a line of very dark, backlit trees, while illuminating the scattered thin white clouds above. A heavier, horizontal cloud is silhouetted just above the sun. The sun's rays flare out against the dark trees, and also reflect on the rippled waters of the Damariscotta River (an ocean inlet) in the foreground. Patches of pale blue-gray sky form a backdrop to the scene. The image was taken using Fujifilm's Classic Negative film simulation, combined with a film recipe know as Classic Cuban Negative.
The head and neck of a young male deer can be seen behind some evergreen trees, a hanging pot of red, yellow, & pink flowers, and a hummingbird feeder. As I took the photo, he was distracted by a neighbor's dog across the road, and soon sprinted away.
Black & white image of a river cruise boat moored to a quay on the River Seine in Rouen, France. The boat, on the right edge of the frame, is illuminated by a line of streetlamps on the left, with the illuminated quay in between. The river is still, there are no people to be seen, and a thin fog begins to form around the streetlamps. The scene, I think, is just waiting for Humphrey Bogart...........
This is a color image of the Boston skyline taken from World's End in Hingham MA. Some bare tree branches appear in the lower half of the frame, leafless and dark, but glistening in the afternoon sun. The blue & green waters of Hingham Bay, and Quincy Bay beyond, stretch out to the City of Boston in the distance, its hazy skyline appearing in the upper quarter of the frame in an opening among the branches. The sky is white, and I think that just emphasizes the beauty of the water here.
Black & white image taken inside a wooden covered bridge. The floor, side walls, roof, and supporting beams all lead to the small square opening at the far end of the bridge, where a single person is silhouetted against the white background of the entrance. The image was slightly cropped from the original.
A color image of the Teton Mountain Range in the distance, behind a blue/gray haze. In the foreground is a recently cut hayfield with several rolled-up haybales awaiting collection. A strip of land with dark brush and low trees stretches across the middle distance, slightly higher than the hayfield but well below the mountain range. The afternoon sun is behind the range, casting the mountains in silhouette while illuminating the haze. The blue sky, almost white on the horizon, turns a deeper blue at the top of the frame. A few puffy white clouds drift across the mountains. Adding to the beauty of this scene was the absolute silence surrounding it....
Black & white image of a black cat sitting on a light carpet, her head turned back toward the camera with a pensive look.
A black & white image of snow-covered trees, with two empty Adirondak-style lawn chairs in the lower right corner, similarly covered with snow, and awaiting warmer times.....
A lone figure stands on the beach in the middle foreground, silhouetted against the sparkling blue-green Atlantic Ocean. A patch of blue sky stretches from the lower left to upper right, bordered by streaming/puffy white clouds. A small rocky island sits on the horizon, above the figure and in front of a distant cloud bank.
A color image of two deer standing in tall grass & ferns, their legs hidden, in front of a tree line. The adult female, looking very pregnant, stands on the right, while her young male is to the left. Both are staring directly at the camera lens. They grazed for a while, and eventually wandered back into the trees. The entire image, except for the two deer and some tall cattails, is a sea of green vegetation with some black shadows mixed in with the trees. The image was taken using Fujifilm's Velvia film simulation.
A black & white image of two office skyscrapers on High Street in Boston MA. The building on the right, known as the Keystone Building (99 High), is reflected in the more modern glass tower (100 High) on the left.
This is a black & white image of the upper facade and golden dome of Boston's historic Faneuil Hall, completed in 1742 (rebuilt in the 1760's) and often referred to as "The Cradle of Liberty". The name is often a mystery to pronounce (FAN-yull) if you're not from the area, and I'll always remember the visitor from somewhere in the Midwest (I think) asking me for directions to Fanelly Hall. I pointed her in the right direction, but didn't correct her......
This black & white image taken in Copley Square shows a woman sitting at left on some stone steps, having a bite to eat. Below her is a reflecting pool, and in the center foreground a round tub with flowers rises out of the water. The woman is in the shadow of a tree behind her, and behind the tree the sunlight falls on the square and St. James Avenue beyond, where the cars are parked. In the center of the image, on the edge of the sunken pool area and slightly behind the woman, statues of a tortoise and a rabbit stand in the sunlight, in frozen reenactment of their famous race, heading towards the woman. She is unconcerned, as is the pigeon strolling in the opposite direction on the steps below and in between the racing figures. The image utilizes Fujifilm's Acros + red filter film simulation.
An image taken from a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, one of the US Army landing beaches on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Low scrub and bushes fill the foreground, leading to a sandy strip of beach before the blue & green waters of the English Channel beyond. The scene is entirely in sunlight, but the horizon is shrouded in low fog, with streaking white clouds and blue skies above. A few tiny figures can be seen walking along the beach, giving some scale to the image.
This is a nighttime image taken from a boat moored on the River Seine in Paris, France. The Eiffel Tower stands in the distance on the right, illuminated from within with golden light, a bright blue beacon at the top shining into the night toward the upper left like a laser beam. The right foreground shows an illuminated quayside with some boats tied up in the middle foreground, and a river cruise boat on the right, bathed in golden light, passing under the Pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge.
A sailboat silently glides across the glistening blue sea on the horizon line. The sky is filled with thick white clouds and a few patches of blue, and some white sunlight streaming straight down, giving the entire scene a muted blue tint. Further out on the horizon, aft of the sailboat, the Cuckholds Lighthouse is silhouetted against a hazy island. Two other islands, closer & darker, sit to the right of the sailboat. Watching this scene, it felt as though time stood still while rolling forward, all at once. The image was taken utilizing Fujifilm's Classic Chrome film simulation, and was cropped to bring the boat a bit closer.
A black & white image taken underground at Boston's Back Bay Station. The view is of the next platform, and shows the station sign set against a dappled brick wall. A dim light fixture hangs overhead.
A color image showing a stone sculpture of a large fishhook with a very textured surface. Grass and rocks fill the foreground, and a small harbor is in the midground, a barge anchored in the middle of the frame with small boats behind and to the left side of it. Green trees line the opposite shore under cloudy skies. The setting sun highlights the right edge of the fishhook.
A nighttime image of the Boston Waterfront taken from a tour boat, showing the triangular-shaped Boston Marriot Hotel on Long Wharf, the Custom House Clock Tower just behind it, all surrounded by numerous office buildings illuminated by interior lights. Although not exactly a close match, this shot always reminded me of the "Beautiful Noise" album cover.
The image shows a German 1917 Fokker DR-I Triplane, painted red in the colors of German World War I ace Manfred von Richthofen, known as "The Red Baron", who flew a similar model in the war. The image was taken at the Owls Head Transportation Museum in South Thomaston ME.
Color image of a sailing sloop, heading straight for the camera and tilted slightly to starboard, on the sparkling blue waters of Rockland Harbor during a racing event. The blue sky overhead highlights some wispy white clouds over the green trees lining the far shore. The song "Sloop John B" originated in Nassau as a Bahamian folk song written in 1916, and has been recorded many times, the most famous being the Brian Wilson arrangement by The Beach Boys in 1966 on their "Pet Sounds" album. The sloop in the photo is named "Lady M", a rather symmetrical match for the song title, I think, for an entirely random shot.
A trio of street musicians playing horns and drums perform in the courtyard of Jackson Square in New Orleans, in front of St. Louis Cathedral (out of the frame on the left). Above the musicians stands a sign indicating that they are in a Church Quiet Zone. In the background at the edge of the courtyard stands a black wrought iron fence displaying the works of local artists. Several people are walking past on the left, showing various levels of interest.
A shop window displaying vintage /second hand/antique items, starring an old Royal typewriter (1940's?) and a porcelain duck (water pitcher?). Old hardcover books support an anonymous bust on the left, while vintage postcards & letters hang in the background. Succulent plants reach for the sunlight on the left, in between reflections from the street.
A wide angle black & white image of Monument Cove in Acadia National Park, showing the Atlantic Ocean on the right, massive granite block boulders in the foreground and then curving along the right into the center of the scene. Two mountains, Gorham Mtn. (left) and The Beehive (right) rise up in the distance, leading to Sand Beach in the center and Great Head headland on the right. Some wispy white clouds offset the darkened (blue) sky. The image was converted to B&W using Fujifilm's Acros + yellow filter film simulation.
An image taken from Sand Beach in Acadia National Park in Maine. The beach is in the foreground, the receding tide gently rolling back to the blue-green waters of the Atlantic Ocean on the left. The right corner of the beach is enclosed by the rising rock outcropping that lines Newport Cove and the Ocean Trail above. A silhouetted figure sits on a rock at the water's edge in the middle of the foreground. The blue sky above is laced with puffy white clouds stretched out horizontally by upper altitude winds, but the air was perfectly calm down on the beach.
A busy Parisian street filled with cars, busses, parked motorcycles, and pedestrians. The large, classical style Gare du Nord train station rises up on the left, with the French flag and several statues at the top of the facade representing destination cities throughout Europe. Smaller buildings line the right side of the street, dwarfed by the station's massive facade. The image was converted to black & white in Lightroom Classic.
The remains of ancient stone structures, a pueblo constructed by Native Americans on a limestone ridge along the Verde River (near present-day Clarkdale AZ) c. 1000 AD. This black & white image shows a series of intersecting stone walls leading up to a square building atop the ridge, where a lone figure looks out across the Verde Valley under heavy storm clouds.
Bare oak, maple, and pine trees stand in dark silhouette before scattered pink, orange, and yellow clouds illuminated from underneath by the setting sun, now just below the horizon. A soft, pale blue sky peeks out around the clouds.
I was still learning digital photography and the perils of using a wide angle lens pointed upwards, which makes vertical lines & objects tilt inward toward the center of the image, so aptly demonstrated here with the church tower on the right and the column on the left. Who strung those utility wires across the upper left corner? And what's that thing protruding over the upper right edge of the frame? Who took this picture???? Oh...wait...........
Black and white image showing a closeup section of a chain link fence with dozens of small padlocks attached, many with names, initials, or dates noted. The rushing waters of a small waterfall can be seen through the fence. The image was processed with a Fujifilm film recipe based on the Ilford FP4 Plus 125 black & white film.
Our male cat Moxie, settled on the couch in perfect "loaf" position, pointedly staring off to the right and not at the camera lens. Image taken with Fujifilm's Nostalgic Negative film simulation.
A black & white image looking straight down into a cluster of green ferns.
The white waters of the Androscoggin River crash down through two openings of the Great Falls, flowing left to right under heavy clouds. Beyond the river lies the city of Lewiston, Maine. The river separates the cities of Lewiston and Auburn, where this image was taken from along the Auburn Riverwalk. This black & white image was processed using a film recipe based on Ilford FP4 Plus 125 B&W film.
Dramatic storm clouds, almost black at the left of the frame but lighter on the right, gather above two towering reddish/brown rock formations, framed at the bottom by short evergreens and desert scrub. This image was taken in Sedona AZ just as a thunderstorm arrived. You can almost see Richard Dreyfuss somewhere out there....
An open field with a few small birch & pine trees on the left, angling to the upper right. A few taller trees stand on the right, their tops angling down, with both tree lines leading to an opening in the fog shrouded distance, where much taller trees stand in the fog. The field is covered with low scrub and rocks. All of the elements combine to create a scene that evokes a sense of foreboding, I think. The distant opening leads to........?
A black & white view of Boston's Government Center, with the iconic Steaming Kettle on the corner of a building on the right. A scene from the movie "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" was filmed here (further into the image, in front of the flagpoles), with police detective Richard Jordan getting information from snitch Peter Boyle. The image uses Fujifilm's Acros + red filter film simulation.
The USS Pampanito, a World War II submarine that's now a museum ship moored at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco CA. The image was converted to black & white and processed so as to mimic a vintage 1940's photograph. Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster are aboard, awaiting orders to cast off. Seaman Seagull is on duty at the bow.
Some historical farm buildings stand in an area known as Mormon Row in Jackson Hole WY. The snowcapped Teton Mountain Range rises in the distance, and the scene is framed by a clear blue sky and a wide, flat expanse of dried, late-Summer prairie grass. Many outdoor scenes of the movie Shane were filmed in Jackson Hole, and Tetons play a memorable supporting role. Alan Ladd and Van Heflin are no doubt behind the barn, preparing to eradicate that giant, stubborn tree stump....
A very large pumpkin, decorated and painted blue to resemble an octopus during PumpkinFest, an annual festival held in Damariscotta ME. The beast rests on a large wooden stand in front of some people sitting at outside tables next to a local restaurant, his eyes gazing skyward, wondering who is going to devour whom......I think that's Kenneth Tobey in in the blue baseball cap....
A view of an ice-covered lake at dawn. The blue sky is reflected by the ice, except for a slit of open water in the center which reflects the pink glow of the early sunrise. The center of the lake is framed by very tall pine trees, and the woods on the far shore also have a pink, early morning glow. This was processed with Fujifilm's Velvia film simulation.
The Marshall Point Lighthouse stands in silhouette, pointing up to the afternoon sun directly over it. The sun's rays illuminate some wispy white clouds against a slightly darker sky, the ocean glistening behind the lighthouse and then darkening farther off to either side. An empty picnic table is dimly visible on the lawn in front of the rocks along the shore, the foreground largely darkened due to the chosen exposure.
A topiary camel stands in front of Rough Point, a Gilded Age mansion of Newport RI completed in 1892 by Frederick W. Vanderbilt. The most recent owner was the late Doris Duke (d. 1993), who actually kept two pet camels on the premises. The mansion is now a museum, open for public viewing since 2000 and owned by the Newport Restoration Foundation.
The ruins of Chateau Gaillard, a medieval castle built by Richard the Lionheart of England in 1196, looks down from a hill alongside the River Seine and the French village of Les Andelys. It changed hands several times during the Hundred Years War, being captured by the French for the final time in 1449. It's been unused since the 1500's and is now in an advanced state of disrepair, though a small section is still open for public viewing. It still holds a commanding view of the river and village, and it's easy to imagine invading armies having second thoughts upon gazing upon its walls.