Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mark R. Courtney

@mrcourtney.bsky.social

430 followers 210 following 120 posts

Software developer, photographer, sometimes writer. Best when wandering in nature. Photos by me unless otherwise noted. Some prints available through https://photo.mrcourtney.com or by contacting me. Based in Southern New England

photo.mrcourtney.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · Mar 2

A moment of awkward self-promotion to mention that I sell prints of my photography. You can buy from www.markrcourtney.com or contact me there if something catches your eye.

You can also visit photo.mrcourtney.com to see my in-person events and find the places to follow my #photography.

A promotional image with the text "Mark R. Courtney Photography" and website address "markrcourtney.com" surrounded by five sample photographs: (1) a bank of fog and moored sailboats on the water, (2) an orange California poppy covered in water drops, (3) coastal water gently washing around small colorful rocks, (4) the flowering stem of a purple wild lupine, and (5) a brown bird splashing in golden-lit water.

1 5 31

Reposted by Mark R. Courtney

Lance @analogfusion.bsky.social · 2d

Morning in a Vermont field. I visit this spot nearly every time I come home, and it always fascinates me through changing light and seasons. #Vermont #MorningMist

Morning mist rises on a field with undulating green grass interrupted by lines of trees and taller plants.

1 5 41

Reposted by Mark R. Courtney

Lulu @luluinwa.bsky.social · 2d

Happy mushroom and fungus season! I didn’t have time to get out much this week but found these lil beauties in my yard.

Pixie cup lichen growing in the sides of a log

3 9

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 2d

Either a shy mushroom or a sly master of using forest materials for camouflage

#Mushroom #Fungi #FungiFriday #Nature #Photography

Ground-level photograph of a mushroom with a white stem and flat cap covered with dark leaves like it's trying to hide on the forest floor.

1 21

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 2d

Some turkey tail mushroom glamour pics

#Mushroom #Fungi #FungiFriday #Nature #Photography

Photograph looking down a tree trunk where a spot of sunlight illuminates the striped tops of a patch of curved mushrooms extending shelf-like from the bark.

Photograph from the side of flat mushrooms hanging out from the bark of a tree trunk. The mushrooms look slightly rumpled with sunlight hitting the tops and the undersides left in shadow.

Photograph of a swath of curved, striped mushrooms hanging along a tree trunk mixed with faded green lichen. The mushroom stripes are a mix of faded green near the trunk (close to the lichen color), brownish orange at the outer rim, and thin lines of dark purple to almost black running in between.

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 3d

Scenes from the forest today

#Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography

Photograph of a path through a patch of slender trees with side-lit trunks and green leaves higher up. Some lower greenery grows among the trees, and a larger, decaying stump sits alongside the path.

Photograph of a sunlit spider web from an angle. The classic concentric circular form is clear, but the light also illuminates the structure of additional webs surrounding it in various directions to hold the whole thing in place among the low tree branches.

Photograph of yellow leaves on a tall tree and blue sky overhead reflected in the still water of a mostly dry, rocky creek.

Photograph of a reddish-brown acorn and separate cap among dried, brown leaves on the forest floor.

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 5d

Some fun visual effects under-the-hood stuff here, and great to hear @tvaziri.com talk about work he clearly enjoys and how it can be part of a collaborative creative process.

Todd Vaziri @tvaziri.com · 5d

Vanity Fair asked me to talk about visual effects, and it was my great honor to show off some of ILM’s terrific work over the years.

Todd Vaziri on Vanity Fair VFX
youtu.be/ERKEsIzTFas?...

ILM's VFX Secrets Behind Star Wars, Transformers & More | Vanity Fair

YouTube video by Vanity Fair

youtu.be

1 3

Reposted by Mark R. Courtney

Maroochie @maroochie.bsky.social · 6d

Clouds on lily pads
📷🌿 #naturephotography
#MonochromeMonday

This is a photo of cloud reflections surrounding the lily pads.
iPhone 16 Pro

1 3 41

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 7d

Fish touching the surface
#Nature #Photography

Minimalist photograph of concentric circles rippling out over smooth water caused by a fish just below the surface.

Reposted by Mark R. Courtney

Charlotte Strawbridge @cstrawbridgeart.bsky.social · 7d

Crow sat and watched the first leaf fall. Autumn had arrived.
He thought how wonderful it was of the trees to give up their fading leaves, and even their golden ones.
The trees knew when it was time to let go.
So did he, he thought.
How beautiful it was to let things go.

#autumn #WhenBeastsSpoke

2 19 85

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 8d

Time for autumn colors

#Autumn #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography

Photograph of a hanging, yellow redbud leaf with some mottled brown spots. The leaf is backlit so the shadow of a twig behind it shows through and the whole leave appears to glow against the dark background.

Photograph of wet leaves on a vine growing along a stone wall. The leaves have turned a rich, deep red.

Photograph of ginkgo leaves hanging from a tree partway through their shift from green to yellow.

1 1 13

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 8d

Another from earlier this week, the beach with the hurricane-induced waves and wind cutting along the shore

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 8d

From earlier this week, the hurricane-induced waves on the Rhode Island coast

Reposted by Mark R. Courtney

JulieW67 @juliew67.bsky.social · 10d

#10minutesfromhome
#Eastcoastkin #UrbanGaze
Light and Shadows at Bolton Train Station

A photo from the platform at Bolton train station looking across to a wall opposite.
The brick wall has old white peeling paint and rust patches where metal is corroding.
Above are two old bridges/walkways that are creating interesting angles.
Sunlight from above is shining through from above creating a thin angular shaft of light to fall onto the wall

3 15 190

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 11d

Rhode Island surfers taking advantage of the Hurricane Humberto waves

#MeerMittwoch #SeaWednesday #Photography

Photograph of a surfer with arms raised riding up the ridge of an angular wave breaking behind.

Photograph of a surfer riding down the face of a breaking wave with another choppy wave rolling in behind.

Photograph of a silhouetted surfer riding along the face of a long wave breaking behind.

Photograph of multiple silhouetted surfers with only upper bodies visible as they wait in the water for a good wave. A large wave breaks behind them, a bit too far for them to catch and ride.

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 11d

Spent some time just hanging out with this rock and watching the waves break on it

#MeerMittwoch #SeaWednesday #Seascape #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography

Photograph of a large, angled rock with a big wave breaking on it and fanning out around all sides.

Photograph of a large, angled rock with a big wave breaking on it from the side and mostly surrounding the rock in a curtain of water mirroring the rock's shape.

Photograph of a large, angled rock with a big wave breaking on it with a splash angling up along the rock's slope.

1 5

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 11d

More details of the waves hitting the Rhode Island coast from Hurricane Humberto today

#MeerMittwoch #SeaWednesday #Seascape #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography

Photograph of a long, green-tinted wave with the top starting to curl and fall with a windswept spray.

Closeup photograph of a green-tinted wave beginning to break.

Photograph of a rolling wave collapsed into foaming layers.

Photograph of a wave rolling as it breaks, part already a foaming mass and part a smooth curl.

1 2

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 11d

Ventured to the coast today to check out the waves hitting the Rhode Island shore from Hurricane Humberto

#MeerMittwoch #SeaWednesday #Seascape #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography

Photograph of large waves crashing as they approach shore with the wind causing spray to spread from the tops.

Photograph of large waves foaming and crashing as they near shore.

Photograph of a seagull on the beach backed by a large, foamy crashing wave.

Photograph of the surf rolling in with a few larger waves further out and framed on the bottom by out-of-focus round beach rocks.

1 1 10

Reposted by Mark R. Courtney

Matt @jmh53.bsky.social · 12d

#AlphabetChallenge
#WeekNforNights #Photography
#BlackAndWhite

Two street lights illuminate an empty, foggy street at night. Rays of light filter through some trees.

2 14 140

Reposted by Mark R. Courtney

Sophie Carr @sophiecarr.bsky.social · 13d

A few more photos from yesterday's woodland wander.

#Hockeridge #ChilternHills #LocalPhotography #CanonR6II #Berkhamsted #AwesomeFoursome

Light shafts coming through the trees. Three dark trunks and lots of backlit green leaves, with red leaves on the forest floor.

A backlit cobweb with the sun blurred through leaves in the background, and an autumnal leaf on the cobweb, which is attached to the side of a tree.

A path covered in brown pine needles surrounded by green ferns and small trees, with the brown trunks of redwoods above.

1 17 130

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 14d

Ran across a plethora of mushrooms this morning after some recent rain

#Mushroom #Fungi #FungiFriends #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography

Photograph of two mushrooms in the dark soil under a pine tree, one larger with a domed, faded-yellow cap with spots and the other barely above ground with just hints of yellow in the cracks of the mostly unopened cap.

Photograph of a small mushroom with a rounded cap speckled with spots, the stem appearing thick compared to the cap but the whole thing dwarfed by thin blades of grass reaching over it.

Photograph of a short mushroom with a creamy-yellow cap and spots rising up through gravel and small, brown spruce needles.

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 14d

Tired leaf
#Nature #Photography

Photograph of a leaf on a redbud tree turned yellow and mottled brown and with a dark, ragged edge all lit brightly in spots by dappled sunlight. A few accompanying yellowed leaves hang nearby. The leaf looks decidedly worn and ready for the end of the season.

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 15d

This critter has taken to hanging out in a cozy spot under a bush near my office window and only gets slightly annoying when I dare to venture out into its yard. (I thought it was my yard, but that glance informs me that I was clearly mistaken.)

Photograph of a rabbit, young but nearing adult size, lounging under a bush with spots of sun breaking through to light its fur. Its head is flopped on the ground and it seems comfortable though it watches the nearby photographer warily.

Mark R. Courtney @mrcourtney.bsky.social · 15d

Some kind of symmetry
#Photography

Photograph looking straight at a shiny, silver double hook mounted on a white wall. The top of the hook, long shadow of the lower hook, and a glinting reflection opposite the shadow form the points of an imagined triangle centered in the frame. The slanted light through the nearby window -- the cause of the hook's shadow and glinting reflection -- creates an additional triangle of brightness on the wall, offset and angled against the imagined centered triangle.

Reposted by Mark R. Courtney

Tim Osborne Photography 🍁 @timosborne.ca · 20d

Made a quick trip to the mountains on the weekend. Spent some quality time with this Hoary Marmot who was quite happy to pose for photos. #wildlife #marmot

A Marmot sits on top of a rock. Green and yellow colours can be seen behind him.

A Marmot sits on top of a pointy rock, looking out into the distance.

4 22 230

Reposted by Mark R. Courtney

Art SilverGlass ~ Sophie Grunnet @silverglass.bsky.social · 20d

Happy Hobbit Day 🥓🍅🎆

Photo of a stack of little wooden Hobbit doors I made a few years ago.

Photo of a postcard with a Hobbit door on (also made by me)

1 10 56