After Rtveli, Kakheti, Georgia

Rather forlorn-looking vines after the bunches of grapes have been cut off; and corn sheaves tied in cones - autumn has arrived in Georgia

Rtveli, Kakheti, Georgia, October 2009

Rtveli means "harvest (grapes)" in Georgian - a hugely important event in the country, especially in Kakheti, which grows most of the grapes, and where most of my in-laws live. Here, brother-in-law Zura and I are taking buckets of grapes to the press, which sends them to the huge clay kvevri waiting below ground. (Focus was a bit off on 2 of these as I'd forgotten to put the choice back from manual to autofocus on the camera, but never mind, it'll do for the blog.)

Tbilisi, Georgia

Do CDs really have that rainbow sheen you've seen in photos, or is it an illusion? No trick of the light here, as direct images show (though you can't prove easily that the effect is part of the photo, I suppose). Just playing with my camera in October.

Mtskhketa, Georgia

Insectophobes, beware! Today's images - of a praying mantis in Georgia's old capital, Mtskheta - won't please you. But it's a harmless creature at this size, its sharp forelegs little able to pierce my fingers as they do the other insects on which it preys.

Mtskheta, Georgia

Salt lake near Jvari Monastery, Lali's cousin Gio and I

Picnic at the salt lake

Tree with prayer rags at the Monastery

Mtskheta, Georgia

View from Jvari Monastery window to the confluence of Rivers Aragvi and Mtkvari

Jvari Monastery itself

A copy of Nino's cross of vine branches

Mtskheta, Georgia

Welcome to the first Moroccan visitor! Country number 118!

March this year, a trip with Lali and friends to the capital of Georgia from roughly 500 BC to 500 AD, the place where Christianity got its start in the country via Saint Nino of Capadocia. Here, the ancient Jvari (Cross) Monastery (6th century), overlooking the city from above. (The angels in the bottom shot, like all the stonework on the church, were defaced in ancient times, presumably by iconoclastic Muslims.)

Focus... Kakheti, Georgia

Happy Birthday Ang! I hope someone spends a few hundred billion $ on you today, have a blast, wish I could be there...

Notice, in the last shot, how the out of focus highlights echo the whole scene over and over?

More focus weirdness, Kakheti, Georgia

Moving water, grass, and the decision to see them differently. Oh, and keep that aperture wide open for minimum depth of field and so the out-of-focus highlights will be circular...

Welcome to the 2 newest blog visitor countries: the Palestinian Territory and Syria!

Wot in the world...?!, Kakheti, Georgia

... So a friend lent me her 70-300mm lens for the EOS for a few days. I was ready. Last post's bottom 2 Guinea-fowl frames were via this lens. So are today's crazy out-of-focus shots, which all occurred at or near the tiny bit of sunlit stream in the bottom shot. Put the lens on manual focus, establish an average manual exposure as well, and DREAM. Just water, and spiderwebs (middle shot).

Kakheti, Georgia

Guinea-fowl chick: A bird in the hand...

On the run from me at sunset

Preening

Relaaaax, dearie, the axe is far away yet

Kakheti, Georgia

Many-legged monstrosity in my coffee mug

Pomegranates

Shindi (must find out what they are in English: delicious)

Grapevines reflected in a 1950s USSR jeep's window

Kakheti, Georgia

Lali's sister's cucumber plot - SO much work for these veggies! (Staking out the lines which will support the vines.) + raspberries which snuck in out of order

Kakheti, Georgia

Outside Gremi Church

Gremi view/fat cow

Ancient crosses...

... on the wall of this 4th-century church

Kakheti, Georgia

Lali's dad spraying the grapevines

Garlic

Best-ordered garden I've seen in Georgia

Wall by the above garden's proprieters' daughter

Kakheti, Georgia

Impressive tree fungus, Lagodekhi Park

Guinea-fowl feet

Cracked paint window frame

Gas burner flame