Page 12 – U.S. Pictures – Fine Art Photography Collections & More…

December 27, 2022December 27, 2022

Why Do I Spell Bill Swartwout Incorrectly?

I purposely typosquat my own “billswartwout.com” and “billswartwoutphotography.com” domain names to retain more website visitors.

First, let’s get this out of the way: I have a love/hate relationship with typosquatting. I love it because it’s a great way to get additional traffic to my website. I hate it because it’s often used by nefarious individuals to scam people. I do not do the “scam stuff” that gives domain squatting a bad name. OK, lets move on…

Our family has been here a very long time. The original Swartwout to come to the “new world” sailed with Henry Hudson and helped establish the trading post at New Amsterdam, today known as Manhattan. Brigadier General Jacobus Swartwout was the highest ranking officer in the Revolutionary Army in the state of New York.

jacobus swartwout homestead in swartwoutville, NY — The original homestead of Jacobus Swartwout in Swartwoutville, NY

My surname, Swartwout, is a difficult name – to pronounce and to spell. The second “w” is silent but no one knows. Couple that with the full website name(s) and it can easily be confusing.

I want to make sure that when people type in my domain name they are taken to my website. By “typosquatting” my own domain name I can do this. The name SWARTWOUT is often, very often, misspelled SWARTOUT – without the second “w” in place. There is, in fact, a variation of my surname that is correctly spelled that way. There are two more spellings, SWARTHOUT and SWARTWOOD, that are also variations of the “original” SWARTWOUT. But the most common error, by far, is to leave out the second “w” in the name.

swartwout coats of arms — The Swartwout Family Coat of Arms with spelling variations of the name.

Of course there is a town (actually a Hamlet, a VERY small town) of Swartwoutville in the state of New York.

Sign at Swartwoutville, ny — Welcome to the Hamlet of Swartwoutville, a Hudson Valley Greenway Community

Examples:

Link: BillSwartout.com –> BillSwartwout.com

Link: BillSwartoutPhotography.com –> BillSwartwoutPhotography.com

December 23, 2022December 23, 2022

The Head of a Sunflower

Sunflowers are an iconic symbol of summer, bright and beautiful – and more.

A sunflower’s sunny yellow petals seem to beam out a message of joy and happiness. But have you ever considered what lies at the heart of this flower? The head of a sunflower is a complex structure that plays an important role in the growth and life cycle of the plant. It is also remarkable for its intricate design and adaptability to different conditions. What lies inside the sunflower head are features that make it a uniquely incredible structure.

What exactly is the Sunflower Head?

The sunflower head is actually made up of many individual flowers. It is a pseudanthium, or flowerhead, consisting of many tiny flowers arranged in spirals around a central disk, with each flower facing outward. The disk is made up of the flower base, which includes a stalk and a peduncle. The flowers themselves consist of five petals and an outer ring of many toothed ray florets. Each petal has a green bottom half with a white top half. At the center of each petal, there is a dark brown to blackish spot. The only “downside” is that the flower has a fetid smell. At the base of the flower are five stamens with anthers that are yellow or white and hair-tipped. They are longer than the filaments. The fruit (the seed) is a follicle with five valves.

Sunflower seeds are a nutritional powerhouse, hidden inside the head of a sunflower. Not only are they rich in healthy fats and vitamins, but they are also a great source of edible oil. Sunflower seed oil is full of essential fatty acids and antioxidants that can help improve overall health. As an added bonus, this oil has a light flavor that won’t overpower the taste of your favorite foods.

sunflower face in detail — Face of a Sunflower

The most common type of sunflower seed used for extractable oil is black-oil sunflowers. These seeds have thinner shells than other varieties and produce up to 40% more oil per pound than any other type of seed available on the market today. The high yield makes them ideal for commercial production and use in processed foods such as crackers, chips, breads, cookies, sauces and dressings.

sunflower lost in the crowd — A sunflower lost in a crowd of sunflowers.

A sunflower is truly a work of art.

Each individual flower has its own stem and petals, though they are much smaller than traditional blooms. The center floret is larger than those around it and provides the famous yellow disc that we’ve come to associate with sunflowers. Every other floret produces a small black seed surrounded by thin bristles that help disperse the seeds when ripe and ready for sowing. It’s truly fascinating how Mother Nature can create such magnificent works of art!

Each sunflower image can be “clicked” to see more detail or you can click a link below to see even more choices…

Link to: Bill’s Sunflower Power Wall Art Collection

Link to: Bill’s Fine Art America Gallery

field of sunflowers — Field of Sunflowers on a farm near Roxanna, Delaware

December 18, 2022December 18, 2022

Yes, I am Still on Twitter

And I plan to remain tweeting as long as it is beneficial to my business.

There has been a lot of misinformation spreading around social media about the “demise” of Twitter after its acquisition by Elon Musk. I’m not seeing that demise at all. In fact, I am seeing increased engagement, fewer scam posts, fewer (obvious) bot posts and fewer misleading advertisements.

twitter screenshot for article — Twitter profile header as might be seen by a “follower” of my twitter feed.

However, many people are being led astray by the naysayers and meme posts on Facebook and other social media sources. Many of the people sharing, adding negative comments and bashing twitter have little or no first-hand knowledge themselves.

Here is a recent interchange I experienced on Facebook that illustrates the twitter-bashing that has become prevalent. I created a Facebook post asking people to head on over to my Twitter Photography Page and give me a follow (thanking them in advance).

Please hop on over and “follow” my (more general) Twitter Photography Page at https://twitter.com/Beachy (TIA).
- 5 comments
- 1) Commenter: you’re on Twitter? geez.
- 2) Reply: (to Commenter) – been there (started for business) back in 2007. Why “geez”?
- 3) Commenter: because Musk is a lunatic.
- 4) Reply: (to Commenter) – Evidently you are not a Twitter user – who can actually see improvements in the platform over the last several weeks. Sadly, you must be a believer of Facebook memes (which are mostly created by foreign bots).
- 5) Commenter: Oh please…resorting to personal insults? get over yourself.

I must apologize if that someone took offense, thinking I intended a personal insult. I actually believed the commenter was not speaking from personal experience. (And, somehow, I do not believe that person has any real Twitter experience. )

Well, anyway, I’ll stick with the platform and am even happy to subscribe (pay a few bucks a month) to be a “Verified” Twitter user (with the small blue checkmark). That small fee may help support the platform but, more importantly, it will also discourage the nefarious plague of demons (spambots and scammers) emanating from the depths of Hades. (Maybe Facebook should take note.)

Finally…

Twitter has been, and will remain, one of the marketing tools I use for sharing (and selling) my landscape/seascape photography. Why? Simply because it works.

If you are a twitter user would care to give me a follow on Twitter, click here: https://twitter.com/Beachy. Thank you.