Category Archives: Nature Photography

We expect this time of year to be filled with sunshine and ball games. But, as we can all see, this weather is holding up all the fun, especially for spring sports teams. After a quarter of a century with MSUM, Kyle Kopacek has never experienced an April quite like this one.

“This is one of the latest springs that we’ve had, and I’ve been here for 25 years,” said Kyle, MSUM’s Buildings and Grounds Maintenance Foreman.

Although the dirt fields are out of commission, the MSUM grounds crew is combating the difficult weather by tending to the turf football field. They’re doing whatever it takes.

“There was three feet of snow on the field when we went out there initially,” Kyle said. “It took us almost a week to get it all plowed off.”

Scheels field, and its pro-turf surface, has become the home for softball, track, football, and soccer in the recent weeks. The crew has portable equipment to create a makeshift diamond for softball games.

“Ever since we built Scheels field, we had a portable fence,” Kyle said. “We ordered that right away, and bases and everything we needed. As soon as we had the turf, we were ready to play softball on it.”

As the soppy season drags on, so do the hours for the grounds crew.

“We don’t have all that many people on our crew, and we also have the rest of the campus to take care of,” Kyle said. “We’re not only the sports crew. We got all the campus. So we’ve been doing a little juggling, but we’ve been making it.”

With the rain turning to snow tonight, games slated in the coming days are still tentatively scheduled.

“This weekend we’re supposed to play so we’ll see,” laughed Kyle. “It’s supposed to be cold, but we’ll see if they play or not.”

MSUM is set to host a pair of doubleheaders this weekend with MSU-Mankato and Concordia-St. Paul.

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Tom Sandoval fled Los Angeles to spend some quality time with nature amid continued backlash for his affair with Raquel Leviss – who’s currently seeking mental health treatment.

Taking to Instagram Stories this week, the “Vanderpump Rules” star shared several photos and videos of himself partaking in wholesome activities like hiking and archery.

In one selfie video, Sandoval kept a closed-mouth soft smile while rotating himself and the camera to show a massive waterfall behind him.

© Provided by Page Six

Tom Sandoval is enjoying a nature getaway as Raquel Leviss continues to seek treatment for mental health amid ongoing backlash from their affair.tomsandoval/Instagram





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The “Vanderpump Rules” star sat and smiled by a river.tomsandoval/Instagram





© Provided by Page Six

Sandoval also shared snaps of the scenery. tomsandoval/Instagram

Sandoval, 40, also appeared to be on some sort of nature walk at one point, as he shared photos of cacti and a trail lined with trees and blooming flowers.

Another photo showed Sandoval – clad in brown sweatpants, a navy T-shirt, Von Dutch hat and blue backpack – taking in the views of a river.

The cover band singer also posted a video of himself using a bow and arrow to hit a target. He appeared stunned when he actually did it, and a few onlookers cheered him on.

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The former bartender shared a video of himself trying out archery.tomsandoval/Instagram





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Onlookers cheered him on as he hit a target. tomsandoval/Instagram Follow Page Six’s coverage of ‘Scandoval’:

Sandoval didn’t reveal where exactly he’s enjoying his nature getaway, but several fans theorized that the cacti and mountains appear to resemble Tucson, Ariz. The Bravolebrity most likely isn’t staying at luxe wellness resort Miraval Arizona, since he recently put them on blast for “alluding” to either or both he and Leviss, 28, staying there.

“They claim to be a refuge for wellness and betterment, but that is obviously false. They’d rather feed into the negativity and spectacle that has engulfed my life,” he wrote via Instagram this week.

Meanwhile, Leviss has stayed off social media while seeking treatment for mental health at an unnamed facility, also in Arizona.

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Leviss has been seeking mental health treatment since news of her affair came to light. PageSix.com

“Raquel and her family decided months before the relationship was discovered that she needed mental health treatment and ultimately decided she would enter a voluntary facility for mental health counseling,” Leviss’ rep told Page Six last week.

The rep clarified she’s receiving “mental health and trauma therapy,” while a source noted that it’s a “long-haul program.”

Both Leviss and Sandoval have been facing severe backlash ever since their months-long affair – dubbed Scandoval – was exposed on March 3.

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Sandoval and Leviss’ affair sent shockwaves through the Bravoverse last month.Instagram/tomsandoval1





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Leviss has stayed tight-lipped on her specific treatment.raquelleviss/Instagram

Sandoval’s now-ex, Ariana Madix, dumped him after discovering the affair just two days before the rest of the world found out.

Scandoval will continue to play out on the current season of “Vanderpump Rules.” Early suspicions amongst the cast aired during Wednesday’s new episode.

“Vanderpump Rules” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.

Madison Beer recalled some of the darkest experiences of her life during her recent appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, from the nude photos and video leaks to contemplating suicide.

The “Showed Me (How I Fell In Love With You)” singer was only 15 years old when she found out that a nude video of her leaked and was quickly spreading online. She said finding out about the ordeal was “unfortunately a memory” she’ll “never be able to shake.” She added that the episode has remained with her all these years later.

“It’s remained, so vividly to the point where I still, to this day, if I get a call in the middle of the night, I’m 15 again,” she said. “And I’m in my room and I’m finding out that this video is out there and it’s really scary.”

Beer said she is probably around 14 or 13 in some of the videos that exists. She explained that, as a young girl, there was a boy she liked from back home but was traveling to and from Los Angeles. Amid all the back-and-forth traveling, Beer says it’s when she started sending these videos of herself to the boy, whom she suspected was using an app to record the Snapchat videos she was sending him.

“I just didn’t think the person I was sending this stuff to would remotely ever think to do something like that because this was someone I’d known my whole life,” she said. “I was wrong.”

Beer, whose cover of Etta James’ classic, “At Last,” got Justin Biebers’ attention on YouTube in 2012, says she soon went into crisis mode and sought to do damage control. 

“And I knew in my bones that the second it was texted to me, it would end up on the internet, unfortunately, and I knew I couldn’t run from that fact,” she said.

Meanwhile, soon after finding out there was also a nude photo that had leaked, she got a call from a friend saying there was another nude video circulating on social media. Beer says she reached out to the person who posted the video and “begged them” to delete it. Instead, Beer says the person blocked her on Twitter.

Beer also spoke about experiencing sexual abuse when she was around six or seven years old by someone she says was around her frequently. She doesn’t mention who or the nature of the relationship, but the traumatic experience — coupled with the ordeal of dealing with nude photos and videos leaking online — led Beer to an even darker place.

She said that the summer of 2019 was when she finally started to grapple with the traumatic experiences in her younger life, and it all just finally caught up with her. She said she had so many thoughts crossing her mind and it was all too much.

“I started self-harming again, which I’ve been clean for a while,” she said.

Beer added that she felt as though the world would rather see her be dead.

“And so I did attempt twice and I’m really grateful that I was obviously unsuccessful, but I think people need to understand that it’s really serious and not something to joke about,” she shared. “My life was almost over. I almost died. I almost was dead because of all of this. And it’s a lot to comprehend. It’s a lot for me to think about. It’s a lot for me to accept that people made me feel that way. People kicked me while I was down and just did not give a f**k.”

Beer said she was 16 the first time she tried to take her own life. She says as much in her upcoming memoir, The Half of It, which hits bookstores April 25. In an excerpt obtained by People, the singer recalls in the book standing on her balcony and considered jumping off.

“I climbed over the edge of my balcony in LA and stood there, a million thoughts running through my head as I stared down at the ground, my eyes going in and out of focus,” she writes. “I don’t think I would have jumped. It was more about knowing that I could — that I had a way out if it became too much. Still, I lingered there for a long while, chilled by the fact that I wasn’t all that scared of being up so high.”

“My little brother found me and screamed for my parents, and as I climbed back over, listening to them all freak out,” she continues. “I was only confused why they were making such a big deal out of it. The thought of killing myself was so normal to me at that point that I had forgotten it wasn’t something everyone pondered on a daily basis.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

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A spring cleanup will take place Saturday at the Scarborough Marsh. Brianna Soukup / Portland Press Herald

There are plenty of ways for people in South Portland, Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth to honor Earth Day this weekend. A sampling of planned events follows.

South Portland

The South Portland Land Trust is offering a number of programs this weekend. On Saturday, April 22, beginning at 9 a.m., people are invited to take part in the land trust’s annual Earth Day Cleanup event. Meet at Mill Creek Park or at the South Branch trailhead on Philbrook Avenue.

Saturday at 2 p.m., South Portland stormwater program coordinator Fred Dillon and members of the land trust will lead an informational walk along Trout Brook at the Trout Brook Nature Preserve, starting at the trailhead on Providence Avenue. Attendees will hear  about recent restoration work at the preserve.

For more information on those activities, and to register, go to southportlandlandtrust.org.

To close out the festivities, the land trust will host a nature walk at Dow’s Woods on Preservation Lane at 10 a.m. Sunday. Ecological landscape consultant Kelly Corbin will be on hand to guide attendees through the wealth of plant species in the preserve.

The Land Trust also has an online photo contest taking place throughout the weekend, with prizes from local businesses and organizations including Red’s Dairy Freeze and the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine. To enter, just tag @sopolandtrust in posts on Instagram and Facebook.

Scarborough

Maine Audubon will host its annual Earth Day cleanup at Scarborough Marsh from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, in collaboration with Friends of Scarborough Marsh, the Scarborough High School ECOS Club, and Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Meet at the Audubon Center, 92 Pine Point Road.

The Audubon is also partnering with Project GRACE to collect food donations, and those participating in the cleanup are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or store gift cards.

To sign up and learn more, visit maineaudubon.org.

Cape Elizabeth

The Cape Elizabeth Land Trust is hosting its third annual Community Cleanup through Wednesday, April 26.

Supplies such as bags and gloves will be available at the land trust’s office at 330 Ocean House Road. Residents can sign up for the areas they’d like to clean up online at capelandtrust.org.

For questions, call the land trust at 207-767-6054 or email [email protected]

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FREMONT, CA — When it comes to natural beauty, Fremont never disappoints — from the Bay to regional parks to city parks. Lee Vitale captured this photo and suggested the title, “Mirror image of beauty.”

Thank you for sharing your photo, Lee!

If you have an awesome photo of nature, breath-taking scenery, kids caught being kids, a pet doing something funny, or something unusual you happen to catch with your camera, we’d love to feature it on Patch.

We’re looking for high-resolution images that reflect the beauty and fun that is Northern California, and that show off your unique talents.

Email it to [email protected].

SAN LEANDRO, CA — While many people are driving to see California’s beautiful wildflowers, gardeners need only step outside into their own backyards to see lovely foliage and flowers. Miyo Burnett snapped this photo earlier this month. If you are trying to identify the plants, they are Borage and Pelargonium.

Thank you for sharing, Miyo!

If you have an awesome photo of nature, breath-taking scenery, kids caught being kids, a pet doing something funny, or something unusual you happen to catch with your camera, we’d love to feature it on Patch.

We’re looking for high-resolution images that reflect the beauty and fun that is Northern California, and that show off your unique talents.

Email it to [email protected].

Former Tom Brady teammate on Gisele Bundchen divorce: Tough to go the distance in this industry

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Gisele Bündchen is starring in another sultry ad campaign, just six months after her divorce from Tom Brady.

The supermodel posed for Brazilian jewelry company Vivara as part of their Mother’s Day launch.

In one video on their Instagram page, Bündchen sports a black dress with daring cutouts, accompanied by the brand’s gold accessories.

The caption, originally in Portuguese, says the jewelry is meant to “celebrate the woman full of attitude that exists in all mothers. They are jewels with delicate design, which remind nature and shine motherly love in its most radiant portion.”

APP USERS CLICK HERE

The company also highlights Bündchen’s status as a mom. 

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GISELE BÜNDCHEN LEANS ON YEARS OF CO-PARENTING WITH TOM BRADY’S EX BRIDGET MOYNAHAN TO GUIDE OWN DIVORCE

“Every mother is a stylish woman And @gisele can prove it. Here’s a spoiler of what’s coming to celebrate the most inspiring woman in your life,” teased another post.

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Bündchen shares two children with ex-husband Brady, Benjamin, 13, and Vivian, 10.

The couple finalized their divorce in October of last year after 13 years of marriage.

Since then, she’s continued working, appearing on the covers of Vogue and Vanity Fair, among other work.

She’s also been quietly reflective on her social media.

© Photo by Lexie Moreland/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images
Gisele Bündchen has been sharing inspirational messages on her social media since her split from Tom Brady. Photo by Lexie Moreland/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images

© Matt Winkelmeyer
Giselle Bündchen and Tom Brady met in 2006 and were married in 2009. They have two children together, Benjamin and Vivian Lake. After being married for 13 years, Brady and Bündchen announced that they were getting divorced in 2022. Matt Winkelmeyer

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Boris Eldagsen tells El Reg why he did it

A photographer selected as a category winner of this year’s international Sony Photography Awards has rejected the prize, saying his entry was actually generated using AI.…

Last year, Boris Eldagsen began creating images for a collection he named Pseudomnesia, a combination of the Latin words pseudo and mnesia that essentially mean fake and memory. He entered an image from this collection into the creative open category in Sony’s photo contest, a piece titled The Electrician in December 2022. He did so without disclosing the snap had been produced with the help of text-to-image tools, since the terms allow the use of “any device.”

Eldagsen described the images in Pseudomnesia as “imagined by language and re-edited more between 20 to 40 times through AI image generators, combining ‘inpainting’, ‘outpainting’ and ‘prompt whispering’ techniques.”

Three months later, the organizers informed him he had won the creative category. Eldagsen said he then admitted to the competition’s organizers his picture had been generated using machine-learning software, and that he wanted to use the competition to launch a public discussion on how the technology was impacting photography.

Though photographers use all kinds of software applications in their work, to retouch, filter, crop, and so on, where do neural networks fit in that stack; are they acceptable tools; and where’s the line in the sand that they cross if they are not acceptable?

Interestingly enough, competitions may allow or even welcome the use of artificial intelligence, and it’s photographers who are uncomfortable with the rise of this kind of computing.

“Right now for me, it is more important that the public debate I hoped for has become international and is in full speed,” he told The Register. “I want to thank the photo community for this.”

Eldagsen said he wants to differentiate photography from realistic AI-generated images. “Can they be in one museum under the name of photography? Will this be good or bad for photography? It is complex, this is why we need to talk about it,” he told us.

He said officials ignored his requests to discuss his situation, and kept him as a winner. He confirmed to us he was rejecting the prize, which included $5,000, Sony camera gear, and a trip to the photography exhibition in London. 

“Thank you for selecting my image and making this a historic moment,” Eldagsen wrote on his website, “as it is the first AI generated image to win in a prestigious international [photography] competition. How many of you knew or suspected that it was AI generated? Something about this doesn’t feel right, does it?

“AI images and photography should not compete with each other in an award like this. They are different entities. AI is not photography. Therefore I will not accept the award.

“I applied as a cheeky monkey, to find out if the competitions are prepared for AI images to enter. They are not. We, the photo world, need an open discussion. A discussion about what we want to consider photography and what not. Is the umbrella of photography large enough to invite AI images to enter – or would this be a mistake? With my refusal of the award I hope to speed up this debate.”

After Eldagsen’s stunt became public, officials scrubbed his entry from the Sony Photography Awards and removed his image from the exhibition.

It’s not the first time AI-generated artwork has won a competition. Last year, Jason Allen won the top prize of $300 for his Midjourney-made image at the Colorado State Fair’s fine art competition, causing much controversy.

“We were looking forward to engaging in a more in-depth discussion on this topic and welcomed Boris’ wish for dialogue by preparing questions for a dedicated Q&A with him for our website,” a World Photography Organisation spokesperson told The Guardian.

“As he has now decided to decline his award we have suspended our activities with him and in keeping with his wishes have removed him from the competition. Given his actions and subsequent statement noting his deliberate attempts at misleading us, and therefore invalidating the warranties he provided, we no longer feel we are able to engage in a meaningful and constructive dialogue with him.” ®