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livael.bsky.social
Liv
@livael.bsky.social
140 followers 130 following 42 posts
🏳️‍🌈🧡🤍💖🏳️‍⚧️ | She/Her | 32

I dabble in creative stuff (writing, graphic design, game design, photography), but don't have enough attention span to commit to any of them.
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livael.bsky.social
Yay ice!

#photography #nature #landscape #newengland
A portrait photo of an iced over pond on a clear winter afternoon. The close shore is visible in the foreground, green grass turning into dark rock, some of which is partially submerged in the ice. The ice itself is very thin and cracked in places, with small amounts of water on the surface further across the pond. Near the foreground the bottom of the pond is slightly visible through the ice, while further away it does a decent job reflecting the far shore. There is a small 4 story red brick building with checkerboard windows on the far side of the pond on the left. The rest of the far shore is covered in a variety of bare deciduous and green coniferous trees. The sky is a clear deep blue, fading to light blue near the horizon. A wide shot from the same spot as the previous photo. More of the grass in the foreground is visible, including a small sign that says 'Danger Thin Ice'. More of the pond is visible as well. While the red brick building on the left is still visible, there is also a much larger building on the right side of the image nestled among the thick trees slightly up the hill. It is five stories tall and much wider. The area in front of it is a mixture of several terraced levels held in place with red brick retaining walls, then an open grassy area before a drop to the iced over pond below.
January 19, 2025 at 8:41 PM
livael.bsky.social
A couple of recent photos from up on a bridge. You can actually see some ducks in the bottom left on the 2nd shot, but my photos focusing on them didn't turn out well.

#photography #nature #landscape #newengland
A portrait photo of a seemingly shallow stream receding directly back from the camera before disappearing around a bend on a late winter afternoon. The stream seems to be moving slowly and there are a number of rocks sticking out of the water. On both banks of the stream the ground is covered with dead leaves hidden behind bare brush. Tall trees with no leaves are scattered throughout, shooting up to cover most of the sky. The sky is partly cloudy, with vibrant blues showing in spots and the bright yellow sun near the middle right shining through the trees. Past the trees on the ground a red brick building can be vaguely seen on the right, and a small road with a power line on the left. A similar photo to the previous one, this image is more square and taken looking more to the left. It shows more how the stream splits on either side of a small island in the middle. The road is more visible. It's also possible to make out a few ducks in the bottom left. The sun is in the very upper right corner of this photo.
January 17, 2025 at 7:29 PM
livael.bsky.social
When I moved to New England I didn't know what to expect. In the back of my mind I knew about that stereotypical quaint northeast vibe, but I assumed that was just a media thing. It's not always that vibe up here, but I adore when I find it.

#photography #architecture #buildings #cozy #newengland
A photo of two buildings along a quiet street on a late afternoon in the winter. The sun is setting behind a third, barely visible red brick building on the right. The 3 story building on the left is a mixture of muted browns and reds with vibrant mustard yellow trim. It has a turret, a balcony, numerous small windows. The ground floor of the building is a book store with a display of books in the window. Past a narrow allow to the immediate right is a second 3 story building. Another New England style house with grey siding, dark shingles, and two chimneys. It has several balconies and a salon on the ground floor. Small amounts of snow are gathered along the many roof edges of both buildings and around the base of the three bare trees lining the sidewalk.The sidewalk immediately borders the street. Next to the building on the right is a small open area blanketed in snow with a couple of small trees.
January 15, 2025 at 9:50 PM
livael.bsky.social
A bit of a different one. It's not a good photo, but coming from a camera with almost no zoom I was happy I was able to get a shot like this at all. If the bird hadn't been backlit by the sun it might've been a solid photo.

#photography #nature #wildlife #birds #newengland
I don't know anything about birds, sorry. It's a photo of a bird of prey perched on the branch of a tree. There are several other branches and a number of twigs in the shot, all bare due to the season. The shot is backlit by a bright sky so everything is largely in silhouette. The details that are there are muddy.
January 15, 2025 at 3:27 AM
livael.bsky.social
Day 5 and the final day of ducks and geese. It's been fun. As I get better at photography and use less of my backlog I'll probably post more series like this. It's felt good to contribute to the good vibes I want this site to have.

#photography #nature #wildlife #birds #newengland
A portrait photo of ducks and Canadian geese in a pond and along the edge of thin ice on a late winter afternoon. This photo focuses more on the entirety of the pond. Geese float in the foreground and ducks and geese sit along the water in the mid to background. A number of bare trees are visible on the far shore with a building partially visible behind the trees on the left edge. The yellow glow of the sun in the clouds can be seen on the right edge behind a red leafed tree and reflecting off the water. A photo taken from the left side of the previous photo behind the line of ducks and geese on the ice. A large number of reeds dominate the foreground on the right, with geese floating on the water visible beyond them. A number of buildings and part of an amphitheater can be seen in the background past some grass and a few trees. On the right mid-ground a small part of a red bridge can be seen. The location where the previous photo was taken.
January 12, 2025 at 8:35 PM
livael.bsky.social
Day 4 of geese and ducks. Quack and/or honk.

#photography #nature #landscape #wildlife #birds #newengland
A photo of dozens of geese and some ducks in a pond on a late winter afternoon. The birds are congregated in 2 areas, half are floating in the foreground in the water, the other half are along the thin ice that covers most of the pond on the back left. The partly cloudy sky is refracting sunlight. The yellow sun is shining through a tree that still has some reddish leaves and reflecting off the water. More trees, some red brick buildings, grass, and leaves make up the rest of the far shores. A close up at a slightly different angle from the previous photo. This photo is taken at more of a downward angle and focuses on the floating geese and the sunlight reflecting on the water. The birds along the edge of the ice are still visible in the upper left hand corner.
January 11, 2025 at 6:31 PM
livael.bsky.social
Day 3 of ducks and geese, this time it's an only geese gathering a little further upstream.

#photography #nature #wildlife #birds #newengland
A gathering of over 50 Canadian geese relaxing in a stream on a winter day. The water has gentle ripples and is reflecting the far shore. Some tiny ice sheets are visible on the far side of the stream against the shoreline which is covered in brown leaves, some brush, and a few trees. There are some twigs along the bottom in the foreground, and the trunk of a tree on the right foreground. The trunk is covered in still green leafy vines. A similar photo to the previous one. The framing of this photo shows more of the far shore and more trees in the foreground with vines covering them.
January 10, 2025 at 6:45 PM
livael.bsky.social
Day 2 of the geese and ducks. A bit similar to yesterday's shots but I got so many I liked - one of my first times shooting with the Pixel 9 Pro. It's still not DLSR ofc, but at least distance shots aren't a post process disaster anymore.

#photography #nature #landscape #wildlife #birds #newengland
A photo of a largely frozen over pond on a winter afternoon. There is the edge of a tree trunk in the foreground and several buildings behind a tree line on the far side of the pond. Near the right side of the photo, where the ice has melted, several groups of ducks and Canadian geese are congregating; primarily geese in this shot. The sun is shining through the partly cloudy sky, creating yellow outlines on some of the distant clouds and reflecting off the thin ice of the pond. A close up of 6 Canadian geese from the previous shot. Most half their backs to the camera and half are laying down. They're along the line where the ice turns to water. On the far shore is some brush and a little bit of grass.
January 8, 2025 at 12:26 AM
livael.bsky.social
The era of geese and ducks has begun. I got a bunch of nice photos of this bird party a few weeks ago so I'll be posting some of those.

#photography #nature #landscape #wildlife #birds #newengland
A wide shot of numerous ducks and Canadian geese on a thin ice sheet in the middle of a lake on a partly cloudy winter afternoon. The ice sheet only extends about halfway across the lake and the geese and ducks are gathered in groups along the edge where the ice meets the water. The sun is shining through the clouds in the top left, creating a yellow halo around the edges of the clouds and reflecting mildly off the ice. On the far side of the lake is a thin line of bare trees, with several multi-story red brick buildings partially visible behind them. A close up of 4 ducks and roughly 7 Canadian geese from the photo before. The camera is angled down and zoomed in on them. Past them are the water, reflecting buildings not visible in the photo, and a small glimpse of the far shore littered with brown leaves.
January 6, 2025 at 9:01 PM
livael.bsky.social
I really loved the look of this building in the snow. It's an event venue.

#photography #architecture #landscape #newengland
A very picturesque and quaint feeling red, green, and yellow building at the end of a drive. I'd say the style is western European, leaning more into the style of places like Denmark. It is a partly cloudy winter day with several inches of snow on the ground. There is still some snow on the sloped grey wooden shingles of the building. The building is three stories tall, but the sloped roofs cut into everything but the first floor. The main door is very rounded. A covered deck wraps around the left side of the building. There are some trees behind and to the side of the building. A few unlit Christmas decorations sit in front of it. The bottom floor is painted a muted clay red. The upper floors visible in the triangle of the sloped roof alternate between a dark pale green, more of the red, and a golden yellow.
January 5, 2025 at 11:35 PM
livael.bsky.social
Just some more water. Taken last summer on one of the warmer days.

#photography #nature #landscape #newengland
A photo of a lake on a clear summer day. The sky is a vivid blue, fading to light blue near the horizon. There are various trees and bushes with green leaves in the close foreground around the edges of the image. There is sunlight shining through the leaves on one tree in the upper left. The lake itself is blue, reflecting the sky and trees on the far shore. It has noticeable ripples running perpendicular to the camera. The far shore is a mass of green trees receding into the distance, rising slightly onto hills in some places.
January 3, 2025 at 9:03 PM
livael.bsky.social
Dormant vines in the winter. Photo taken last week.

#photography #nature #newengland
A photo taken at a left upward angle of the side of a building in the shade on a winter day. The building has a curved concrete ridge near the base and is made of red brick that is patterned around the green metal door in the bottom right, the circular window above it, and the several rectangular windows in the upper left. Vines, dormant for the winter, wind their way up two stories of the building. They are particularly thick in the bottom left of the phto. The vines create unique patterns as they interweave, with gaps around the doors and windows where it appears they have been trimmed back. A front facing photo of the building from the previous image. It showcases the thick vines near the bottom more, and gives a straight on view of their patterns.
January 1, 2025 at 8:53 PM
livael.bsky.social
Taken about a year ago. Lotsa reflections

#photography #nature #landscape #newengland
A photo of a lake on a cold winter day. The lake is perfectly reflecting the clear blue sky and trees. The far shoreline varies in distance across the image, being furthest away in the center right. The entirety of the far shore is heavily forested, a mixture of pine trees and trees without leaves. There is a small island on the middle right in the lake with a few trees on it. Some of the close shore is visible in the foreground, with snow visible on the right and some reeds on the left.
December 31, 2024 at 10:14 PM
livael.bsky.social
From late winter early this year. This was off the back of minor flooding from rain and melting snow. The water levels here had largely receded to normal, but in some places indications of where the water levels had been were still clearly visible.

#photography #nature #landscape #newengland
A pond on a clear winter day. There are bare trees everywhere, most on the far side of the pond, submerged in water. They form a dense forest. Close to the camera there is a bit of land visible on the left and a curved branch leaning out over the water. On the close right is a tall trunk standing straight and a portion of a trunk sticking out of the water at an angle. Both seem dead and have no branches. There are visible water marks on them a little ways up. The largely still pond is reflecting both the many greyish brown trees and the bright blue sky. Said blue sky is also visible above the treeline on the far side. A much wider view of the pond than the previous shot. The far shoreline is much further away. There is no land visible in the foreground, however the bare branches of numerous trees stick into frame on every side of the photo. The pond still reflects the trees and blue sky above, although the reflection grows darker, to almost a black, the closer to the camera it gets.
December 30, 2024 at 9:29 PM
livael.bsky.social
Japanese primrose planted along a trail. A really peaceful spot with the small brook running on the other side of the flowers.

#photography #nature #flowers #newengland
Daytime in a forest. Early summer. A long line of pinkish purple flowers running from the front left to the back right of the photo. The flowers are grouped in clumps at the top of each tall, thin stem. The stem reaches down to many broad leaves at the base of each. The edge of a dirt trail can be seen to the right of the flowers. Through the flowers to the left a brook can be glimpsed running along side the flowers. Beyond that is a small gradual hill with various green trees scattered along it. Assorted brush and undergrowth are present as well, including a fallen, decaying tree trunk near the middle background. Bits of sky can be seen through the trees.
December 29, 2024 at 7:24 PM
livael.bsky.social
Mt Tom in Massachusetts in the winter, about 5 miles away. It's not the biggest mountain, but the rest of its range is separated by the Connecticut River so it sort of stands alone. Its unique profile makes it very recognizable.

#photography #nature #landscape #newengland
A photo of a distant mountain on a winter day. The foreground is dominated by a black, somewhat fancy streetlight. In the midground are numerous bare trees. Among the trees on the left are the tops of several buildings. The leftmost of them has an octagonal green and white dome. In the far distance is the shape of a mountain through a slight haze. It is visible along the length of the background with subtle variations in height before dropping off steeply on the right side of the photo. Several radio towers are visible on the right peak. The sky is hazy and has a slight yellow tinge from the setting sun somewhere to the right.
December 29, 2024 at 1:58 AM
livael.bsky.social
Merry Christmas, happy first day of Hanukkah, and happy pagan appropriation day (one of many)!

#photography #nature #landscape #winter #christmas #newengland
A panoramic shot of a stream on a winter afternoon. There are a couple of inches of snow on the ground. The stream winds from the back left to the middle foreground, then to the right edge before cutting back left out of view. Despite the temperature, the stream still flows steadily. Gentle rapids are visible throughout much of it. The stream is dark in color, but reflections are visible to varying degrees throughout. There are footsteps in the snow leading to and away from the camera on both the left and the right. A variety of trees are scattered throughout the picture: there are a few clumped on both the left and right mid ground, several on the far shore of the stream, and there is a small forest leading up a gentle slope in the background. Some trees are still green while most have lost their leaves. In the back right a small red bridge is slightly obfuscated by the trees, arcing gently over the stream. In the middle across the stream are several picnic benches with a thin layer of snow on them. The sky is cloudy and a pale blue, but sunlight is illuminating the clouds.
December 25, 2024 at 7:29 PM
livael.bsky.social
Wintery river photos from February of this year. It's funny, some of these I look at and remember being really cold on the day - frozen face and all that. But this one I just remember the sights.

#photography #nature #landscape #newengland
A photo of a river bend from the shoreline on a partly cloudy winter day. Much of the bend is covered in a thin sheet of ice. The far off areas where the current is strongest are the only areas without ice. In the foreground are bare trees reaching out over the ice and several branches stuck in the ice. There is ground visible on the left foreground covered in snow. On the far side of the river are many brown bare trees on gentle hills. The sky is visible in a break in the clouds near the center of the photo and is a bright blue. A photo of a river on a partly cloudy winter day from up on a hill. The bottom third of the picture is the sloping hill going down to the left. It is covered with snow, moss, and twigs. A mixture of evergreen saplings, brush, and a variety of trees are scattered across the slope. The river is visible through the trunks of the trees, largely flowing but with what looks like a thin ice sheet on the far right of the photo. The far shore is forested with bare trees and snow is visible on the ground between them. The sky is covered with wispy clouds, a light blue visible behind and between many of them.
December 24, 2024 at 7:01 PM
livael.bsky.social
Opossum.

#wildlife #nature #animals #newengland
a profile full body close up of a cute opossum standing on some grass with its head facing the camera and slightly down. It has a pink nose and toes. Its coat is a mixture of grey, black, and white, with a white face and black ears.
December 23, 2024 at 2:52 AM
livael.bsky.social
Some pictures of flowers I took this past late spring. I spend most of my time hiking in forests so I don't see much like this.

#photography #nature #flowers #newengland
A picture of flowers blossoming on several branches of a Flowering dogwood. The flowers have 4 curly petals, fading from light pink on the outer edges to white in the centers. Many of the flowers are in the close foreground. There is green grass, several trees, and a cloudy sky visible in the background. A picture of numerous white azaleas in bloom. Each blossom has 5 white petals that fan out and up around the multiple long central stamen. The dirt of the ground is visible behind them. A photo of several branches of bright red azaleas. Other than dirt in the background, numerous types of other plants are visible including a willow tree.
December 21, 2024 at 10:00 PM
livael.bsky.social
Some more from Quabbin a year ago. These are from earlier in the day and higher up at an overlook. The reservoir used to be a valley with a town in it. They bulldozed the town and redirected the Connecticut River into the valley temporarily to make it.

#photography #nature #landscape #newengland
A wide shot of a vast landscape on a winter day. There are a mixture of green and bare trees in the lower foreground. The reservoir itself is visible in two separate sections in the photo, separated by a length of land running horizontally across the image. Both the middle piece of land and the far shore way in the distance are heavily forested with a mixture of evergreen and bare deciduous trees. The shadows of the sun can be seen across the distant hills. The water is a bright blue and the sky fades from pale blue to near white at the horizon line. A very similar photo to the previous one. The angle is slightly different where you can see more of the water but there's less sense of scale.
December 20, 2024 at 8:49 PM
livael.bsky.social
Quabbin Reservoir from December 2023. One of the most beautiful places I've been in New England. Sorry again for the weird Pixel 6 mushy details. I'm looking forward to revisiting a lot of these places again with a better camera.

#photography #nature #landscape #newengland
A massive lake on a clear winter day. There is green grass leading up to short brown brush bordering the lake in the foreground. The midground is Quabbin Reservoir, the water is a light blue and has large ripples across it. On the far side of the lake is a series of hills covered in a variety of green and brown trees. The hills are far enough in the distance the shadows of the clouds across the landscape can be clearly seen. A massive lake on a clear winter evening. There is some sort of berry bush in the bottom right of the foreground, several small vines twist in front of the photo. Just beyond that is a rocky shore that immediately gives way to the massive blue lake with large ripples. The sun is setting somewhere off to the left, casting long shadows across the distant hills on the left and creating a yellow glow on some other far hills separated on the right. The two sets of hills are separated by part of the lake that recedes much further into the distance. The sky fades from a light blue to a pale yellow near the horizon line.
December 19, 2024 at 8:32 PM
livael.bsky.social
A bit of a change up from the nature photos. Early this year I took a trip to explore the campus that Emily Dickinson briefly attended. Having spent my whole life in the south, it was so cool to see a college with such beautiful older architecture.

#photography #architecture #newengland
The ceiling of the Williston Library at Mount Holyoke College. I apologize in advance, I don't know architectural terms; I tried to look some up to help describe stuff. The room is long and the photo is taken at one end, pointed up. It is two stories tall, not including the cove vaulted ceiling. The room itself is painted a shade of white, with dark wood trim in numerous places. Multi-pane windows that curve at the top are visible on the side and end of the room high on the walls. The ceiling angles up on either side and meets in the middle along the length of the room. The rafters, a beautiful dark wood that matches the trim are cambered. They're tiered arches that start at the walls and reach to the middle of the ceiling with vertical beams decoratively placed throughout. Additional dark wooden crossbeams run the length of the ceiling both vertically and horizontally. There are carved wooden angels halfway up each rafter on both sides. Chandeliers with round lights hang at regular intervals from the rafters on either side of the room. Some bookcases can be glimpsed at the bottom of the photo. On the left side of the photo against a wall is a small balcony made of the same dark wood with stairs leading up to it. There is a 1 story domed alcove partially visible on the right wall halfway down. It has floor to ceiling windows in it. A photo of the front exterior of Mary Lyon Hall at Mount Holyoke College on a sunny winter afternoon. Various barren trees can be seen on the edges of the photo in the foreground. Long shadows of bare trees are cast across the surface of the building by the sun. The building is very old (by American standards) and made primarily of a reddish brown stone. Moss can be seen growing on various areas of the structure, in some places up to the third floor. The roofs are a mixture of a green - possibly copper - and dark shingles. Two distinct parts of the structure are visible in the photo. The left half is roughly 4 stories tall, a flat face with the triangular peak of the roof in the center. There is a small, tall turret placed symmetrically on either side. There are several windows and numerous stone details on the structure, but a circular segmented stained glass window in the center stands out the most. The right half less ornamented. Another 4 story section with a triangular peak is on the very right. There are square windows of varying sizes placed symmetrically on each floor. The front entrance to the building is visible in the form of an arched opening in the structure. Between these two structures is a clock tower that stands one to two stories taller than the rest. The clock sits near the top, with a sharply pointed green roof jutting out from it, along with a small turret on each corner. At the bottom of the image a mesh green fence can be seen, evidence of planned renovations. A different angle of Mary Lyon Hall from the last picture. This photo is in portrait and centers on the clock tower, with the edges of the other 2 halves still visible. More of the grass in front of the building is visible, as well as the entirety of the green mesh fence. The exterior entrance of a building at Mount Holyoke College on a clear winter day. The building is made of a lightish brick of varying reds and browns. A sidewalk with green grass can be seen leading up to a wide white stone staircase. The staircase leads to the arched entrance in which a dark wood door is visible. The building itself is 2-3 stories tall. The entrance is flanked on either side by taller octagonal turrets with crenelations at the top. They have several windows scattered along their height, seeming to correlate with a spiral staircase in their interiors. The face of the building between the turrets has a rectangular section of 10 separate rectangular windows with rounded tops directly above the entrance. There is ornamentation around them. Above that is more ornamentation. The top of the face sits slightly lower than the height of the turrets. The line of the top is an odd shape, with indentations on either side reminiscent of the turret crenelations and a rounded protuberance in the exact center with a spherical ornamentation at the very top. The roundness of the center top edge of the building face stands in strange contrast to the otherwise harsh angles of the rest of the architecture.
December 18, 2024 at 7:20 PM
livael.bsky.social
I went late last year to a wildlife sanctuary with the hopes of seeing beavers. I didn't manage to see any but I got to see a bunch of their handiwork. Their trail marker sabotage was really amusing.

#photography #nature #wildlife #beavers #newengland
A close up picture of a fallen tree in the winter. The ground is scattered with the leaves and moss. The trunk has been cleanly chewed through near the base on both sides. The rest of the trunk is fallen to the side across the trail. A blue trail marker can be seen on the trunk. A heap of wood shavings are scattered around the base of the tree. A vertical photo of a wildlife trail during a winter day. Numerous barren trees can be seen in the distance. The trail turns into a boardwalk immediately after the tree in the left foreground, which is the focus of the picture. Said tree has been gnawed on, over halfway through, at the base. The tree still stands for now. It has a yellow trail marker on it. At the base are numerous wood shavings scattered up to several feet all around where the tree has been gnawed. A photo of a reedy pond on an overcast winter day. The pond, visible only on the right half of the image, is largely frozen over with a thin sheet of ice. The background is a mixture of reeds on the far edge of the pond and numerous barren trees past that and on the left. The focal point of the photo is a beaver lodge on the left side of the pond in the foreground. It is a construction of various branches and twigs that come to a gentle point at the middle, sloping more gently on the pond side. It sits among various bare saplings on the close edge of the pond. The narrow reserve trail wraps closely around the lodge, leading into the distance.
December 17, 2024 at 6:15 PM
livael.bsky.social
Found this old barn while on a hike near the beginning of the year. It had a super cool vibe to it.

#photography #nature #landscape #abandonedplaces #newengland
Afternoon on a winter day. The sky is fairly cloudy but not overcast. There's patches of snow on the ground among yellowed grass. A line of bare trees can be seen in the distance. A very old wooden barn dominates the photo. It is very long. The front of the barn is in the right foreground and stretches to the left into the distance. The slats of the barn are a mixture of dark brown, light brown where the wood is more protected, and some grey and very faded blue. The doors of the barn hang slightly at an angle and don't seal properly. There are some small holes in the barn that appear pure black. Various plants, vines, and bushes are wrapped around the length of the barn; entwining in, out, and up the entire structure. All of them are barren of leaves.
December 16, 2024 at 8:03 PM