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An hour of Golden Light on the Equator


amazondk

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Yesterday I drove round trip from Boa Vista, Roraima to Rorainoplis some 300 kms to the south to check on our business.  On the return trip the skies were dramatic with the northern hemisphere equatorial winter storm clouds.  I could see off to the west that the sun would break through the clouds and that the light would be ideal for pictures.  It was about 4:30 PM or so when the sun started to appear.  Since sunset always is around 6:00 at this latitude, about 2 degrees North, the light is golden at this hour.  I was driving through an area where the mountains start to pop up out of the tropical plain.  In areas the forest gives way to savanna and the views are great.  And, as always the Buriti (Mauritia flexuousa) reigns as the king of Amazonia.  I stopped my car a few times and got out to capture the moment.  It is impossible to transmit the sounds, smells, and sights from a few pictures.  The toucans were calling in the rain.  Toucans always call a lot if it is going to rain.  Here are a few pictures of the moments in the golden hours of the equatorial day.

My rent a car at roadside.

Carontheroadatendofday.jpg

A few Buritis

Buriti3.jpg

A few more Buritis

Buritis1.jpg

A Buritirana

Buritirana-1.jpg

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

82331.gif

 

Click here to visit Amazonas

amazonas2.jpg

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Some more Buritis

Buriti5.jpg

Buriti2.jpg

An Euterpe precatoria - check out the termite colony on the stem.

aai.jpg

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

82331.gif

 

Click here to visit Amazonas

amazonas2.jpg

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A nice Oenocarpus bacaba and some Nelore cattle.

BacabaeBoi.jpg

A horse enjoying a bath and meal.

Cavalo.jpg

Palmsandmountains1.jpg

The nearby ranch house.

Farmhouse1.jpg

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

82331.gif

 

Click here to visit Amazonas

amazonas2.jpg

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I could not resist this picture from the bridge over this river.  I stopped my car and ran back to the bridge so as to not lose the light.  The toucans were calling out loud.  It was a wonderful moment.

RIO1.jpg

Finally the sun set over the Branco River.

RioBrancosunset.jpg

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

82331.gif

 

Click here to visit Amazonas

amazonas2.jpg

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Poetry in color.  

I appreciate you making the effort to capture the light, the result is vivid and dramatic.

Thanks.

Kim Cyr

Between the beach and the bays, Point Loma, San Diego, California USA
and on a 300 year-old lava flow, Pahoa, Hawaii, 1/4 mile from the 2018 flow
All characters  in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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Dear Don  :)

Like always the stills were all picturisque ! and all those still

can be used as postcards,perticularly the one with  a horse in it.

thanks & Love,

Kris  :)

love conquers all..

43278.gif

.

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Wonderful photos, thank you.

Happy Gardening

Cheers,

Wal

Queensland, Australia.

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Thanks everyone.  It was a great part of the drive.  Every once in a while one of those Kodak moments comes along.  And, if you have a camera it is a must to make use of it.  I love the light here due to its crisp character.  I guess it has something to do with the latitude.

dk

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

82331.gif

 

Click here to visit Amazonas

amazonas2.jpg

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Don,

Great pictures!  I love the light.  I am very aware of the light as my husband is a photographer and light is vital for that.

Sometimes here in the spring and fall, when I go out early to feed my horses, I notice the light as being really soft.  In the winter it is crisp.

Love the picture with the horse.  Mine would be there as well.  When we get a lot of rain, the water stands in one area of our yard.  They love to go stand in the water and eat the tender grass underneath.  And I wish I could hear the toucans calling the rain.  I have to get down there!

Palmmermaid

Kitty Philips

West Palm Beach, FL

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Don,

I know what you mean! I always enjoy watching the sky and the clouds here, because it's always changing and usually dramatic. An added bonus for living in a great place... :)  Thanks for the artistic photos!

Bo-Göran

Leilani Estates, 25 mls/40 km south of Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i. Elevation 880 ft/270 m. Average rainfall 140 inches/3550 mm

 

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Thanks for showing us those awesome photos. I can only imagine.......

Coastal San Diego, California

Z10b

Dry summer subtropical/Mediterranean

warm summer/mild winter

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The river on post number 4 is a place I drive by all the time and had never stopped to see just how pretty the spot is.  I noticed that the light was hitting the big tree to the left side of the river and had to stop for a picture.  I did not want to stop on the bridge so I parked on the other side and ran back hoping that I would get there before the light changed.  Fortunately I made it.  The tree is a samauma (Eriodendron samauma) one of the largest trees in the forest.  I love they way they look with their straight trunk and spreading full crown.  As I mentioned above there was a chorus of toucans calling.  

dk

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

82331.gif

 

Click here to visit Amazonas

amazonas2.jpg

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Great shots Don! I always enjoy your posts as they are so unique. The lighting really was perfect!!  :cool:

Dave Hughson

Carlsbad, Ca

1 mile from ocean

Zone 10b

Palm freaks are good peeps!!!!!

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Magnificent!  The lighting is unreal.  Does your camera record short video clips?  If so, you can capture the sound.  Some photosites now offer hosting of video/audio files.  I would love to hear the toucans!

The last photo is frameworthy.   I hope you always have your camera ready on your long road trips.  I enjoy seeing that part of the world.  Thanks.

C from NC

:)

Bone dry summers, wet winters, 2-3 days ea. winter in low teens.

Siler City, NC

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Cindy,

I do have the video feature on the camera, I will see what I can do to record some sounds.  The toucan call is a real soft but strong sound.  They say that the toucan calls in the rain.

dk

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

82331.gif

 

Click here to visit Amazonas

amazonas2.jpg

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On the trip down the same day I stopped to take a few pictures in the morning near the same place.  It was about 9 AM and the sun was quite strong.  This time of year the grass is getting tall and turns a golden color in the savanna lands.   It was not as dramatic as the trip home though.  

The lost mountains park area.  The mountain in the back is part of a national park.  But, like most parks around here there is no infrastructure.    The light is strong and direct already.  I love the sharp light of the equator.

Terraperdidiamountains1.jpg

Some more Buritis in the grass.

Daytimeburitis.jpg

While I was stopped taking the pictures a noisy flock of parrots flew over.  There are a lot of parrots in the area.

Parrots.jpg

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

82331.gif

 

Click here to visit Amazonas

amazonas2.jpg

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Don, some awesome photos!  Love the way you capture those precious moments of land, sky, water and fauna and flora.  They are moments that come and go so quickly and never again will it repeat exactly the same.  We are situated at an elevation of about 850m and have a great panoramic view of the ocean (ocean is about 1-mile downslope) and horizon below from our place.  I do appreciate all the different sunsets - some can be spectacular and no two are ever alike.   Keep that camera with you always on your trips around Amazonia.  Your pics are appreciated by so many here on this sight.  It's got to be the next best thing to actually being there in person.  I keep wondering what the flora might be like in and around those nearby mountains.  Apparently there are few areas that have access to those areas, right?  How close have you been to the Venezuelan border?  Ever thought of crossing to visit there too sometime?

Hawaii Island (Big Island), leeward coast, 19 degrees N. latitude, south Kona mauka at approx. 380m (1,250 ft.) and about 1.6 km (1-mile) upslope from ocean.

 

No record of a hurricane passing over this island (yet!).  

Summer maximum rainfall - variable averaging 900-1150mm (35-45") - Perfect drainage on black volcanic rocky soil.  

Nice sunsets!

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Al,

I am sure you have some great visuals where you live.  Actually some of the best sunset I have ever seen are in Great Falls, Montana, my home town.  The view of the eastern front of the Rockies at suset can be breath taking.  Here at our latitude the sun goes down real fast.  But, it can be equally as impressive.  Boa Vista is about 200 kms from Venezuela.  I would like to go into Venezuela to come back into Brazil at Monte Roraima.  This is the area known as the lost worlds.  I guess it is a great trip.  But, you have to hike quite a bit.  One of these days I will get up into some of the mountains in Roraima.  There are some beautiful areas.  I love driving through the country there.  A while ago I pulled off into the road in front of the mountain in frame 17 to see what the sign about the National Park there said.  There was a guy walking there so I stopped to talk to him.  He told me the whole story of the area.  His father homesteaded there and he raised his kids in the area.  He is known as Chico Rezador, or Chico the prayer.  Evidently he prays a lot.  He invited me to look him up and go out into the bush.  Maybe I will take him up on that sometime.  Only now is the federal government organizing the use of the Federal Parks.  Technically you need a permit to go into them.  In Roraima 70 percent of the land is locked up in Indian Reservations, mostly Yanomani, and Federal and State parks and conservation units.

It is a state with a very diverse ecological composition.  

I hope to get bak to Hawaii someday and see your sunsets again.

dk

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

82331.gif

 

Click here to visit Amazonas

amazonas2.jpg

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As usual, great photos Don.

Tampa, Interbay Peninsula, Florida, USA

subtropical USDA Zone 10A

Bokeelia, Pine Island, Florida, USA

subtropical USDA Zone 10B

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Don, all of your pics are so beautiful! I agree with what you said about the Rockies though! Growing up in Denver, I have experienced the sunrises and sunsets you are speaking of.....the colors are magnificent!

Sunrise and sunset are my favorite time of day!

Thanks so much for the beautiful photos!

Wendi

"I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees!"-Dr. Seuss :P

north central east coast of Florida

halfway between Daytona and St. Augustine

15 mi inland

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Fantastic photos Don, as always.   :D   Thanks for allowing us a glimpse of paradise.

Los Angeles/Pasadena

34° 10' N   118° 18' W

Elevation: 910'/278m

January Average Hi/Lo: 69F/50F

July Average Hi/Lo: 88F/66F

Average Rainfall: 19"/48cm

USDA 11/Sunset 23

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/queryF?MTW

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Zac,

Welcome back.  I haven't seen you around for a while.

dk

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

82331.gif

 

Click here to visit Amazonas

amazonas2.jpg

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Incredible photos! If it were in the US, a strip mall would be in place of that river!

Rick Leitner

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

26.07N/80.15W

Zone 10B

Average Annual Low 67 F

Average Annual High 84 F

Average Annual Rainfall 62"

 

Riverfront exposure, 1 mile from Atlantic Ocean

Part time in the western mountains of North Carolina

Gratefully, the best of both worlds!

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Rick,

Maybe instead of a strip mall it would be a Worlds Largest Alligator attraction.  When I drove from Fort Lauderdale to Tallahasse with my son in May  the change of environment was really quite noticable.  I have become quite used to the wide open spaces and lack of people and cars.  So, inspite of the poor roads the drive is always nice.  I guess paradise does not really exist, but at least I enjoy being where I am.

dk

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

82331.gif

 

Click here to visit Amazonas

amazonas2.jpg

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