Another Day at Work
Apis Workers' Party
Predator
Some of Your Beeswax
Sedum Bumbler
Look of Defiance
Chicory Bee
Bumbling Bees
Garden Cafe
Buzz By Here - To Infinity and Beyond
Pick Your Poison
Blind Side Attack
On a Mission
Honey Bee on Sedum
Covering the Cosmos
Center of the Cosmos
Three's a Crowd
Popular Spot
On A Pedestal
Big Harry Fireworks Display
To Impress the Girl
Different Perspective
Sweet Ride
Perfect Little Piggies B&W
Flipping the Light Fantastic
Festival of Flights
To the Crowd's Delight
Amish Go Round
Wondersome One
The Stars In Her Eyes
Tuesday's Child
Sleeper Hold
Considering the Next Move
Sugar and Spice
Front Porch Portrait
Caged Competitor
Early Adoration
Child In the Ligtht
Stroll Through the Weeds
Attention Grabbing
Eye Contact
On the Line
Eyes of Wonder
Rounding the Curve
Troubadours of Basin Spring Park
Down by the Creek
Sun Day
Catching Some Light
EAA Fireworks
Hear Me Roar
Bill Pevlor
Ugly Bug Feast
My camera and I spent a warm summer morning roaming the woods of northwest Missouri.
I found small clearing with some wildflowers, including a number of beautiful Queen Ann’s Lace. On one bunch of Queen Ann’s Lace I spotted a black wasp with distinctive white stripes. It was easy to see the bed of white.
Upon closer inspection, it was obvious the wasp had died there Then I noticed a smaller, ugly bug gnawing on it’s leg. It took some searching and help from a friend to identify it as an Ambush Bug.
I watched it for awhile and saw the ambush bug try to carry the wasp off, but seemed unable. I think the wasps legs were stuck in the flower bed.
I made it a point to check back the next day and couldn’t find any sign of either parties.
To see a larger version of any of these images, simply click on them.
Bold and Beautiful (monochrome)
Sometimes I like taking a favorite color photo and removing the color – making it monochrome – to see how the change affects the image. There are times when the B&W version is better…and times when it is not. This is a monochrome version of Bold and Beautiful. You can look and both and decide which you like better – color or B&W. I like aspects of both and would call this one a toss up.
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Angel’s Wings
This female Ruby-throated hummingbird was keeping an eye on me as I took her profile portrait.
Three things I love about this shot. 1) The sharp detail in the bird’s head. 2) The ghost-like blurring of the wings. 3) The little feathers on the neck that look like flecks of gold.
To see more of the detail, click the photo.
Boastful
This male, Ruby-throated hummingbird was showing off for me. I love it when the light hits their gorget just right and you get a flash of that iridescent, ruby-red color they derive their name from.
For bonus points…
gor·get (gôrjt)
n.
1. A piece of armor protecting the throat.
2. An ornamental collar.
3. The scarflike part of a wimple covering the neck and shoulders.
4. A band or patch of distinctive color on the throat of an animal, especially an area of brightly colored feathers on the throat of a bird.
Click on the image to see a larger image and those brightly colored feathers on the throat in greater detail.
Daisy in the Dark
One delicate bloom holding it’s own against the relentless, encroaching darkness.
This is a daisy growing wild in our yard. Of course, when I took the photo it wasn’t dark. The image you see is the result of “processing.” (For bonus points, compare this image with one I call Unassuming Charm.)
To see more of the detail in the petals, click the photo.
The Breakfast Club
During the few summer months at our rural Wisconsin home, it’s common to hear a distinctive humming sound. If you glance out the window, you’re likely to spot ruby-throated humming birds zipping back and forth, to and fro – competing for a few seconds at the best seat in the house.
I call this “The Breakfast Club” because this group – all females – were photographed around 6 am.
Click the image to view a larger version.
Popular Spot
Flowers are blooming and the bees are buzzing. This proved to be a popular spot in the meadow. Honey bees and bumble bees were frequenting this clump of purple spiderswort. It was early morning – maybe 6:30 (notice the dew still on the plants) – and they were already hard at it.
To get this shot, I put my camera on a tripod and simply focused on a colorful, well lit clump of flowers and waited. When a bee would enter into the scene, I would start clicking. The bees you see here are exactly how I photographed them…but they were never in the shot together. Since the focus and framing never changed, it was easy to combine the various bees from separate images into one.
To get a better view of the image details, click on it and a larger version will open in another tab.
Bold and Beautiful
These bold, big-as-all-outdoors flowers remind me of purple cone flowers. I’m not sure they are cone flowers because the petals don’t slope downward. I’m not an expert, I just appreciate the beauty.
These beauties were photographed in the center of the circular entrance to the Kraft Building at the Green Lake Conference Center, Green Lake, Wisconsin.
To see a larger version, click on the photo.
Enigma on Wings
I spent some time the other day taking my first hummingbird photos of the season. This is a female, ruby-throated hummingbird looking straight at the camera. The wings are just a blur.
To get this unique look, I took all the color out of the original image, added a bit of sepia tone and then a texture effect.
To get a better view, click on the image for a larger version.
Monarch of the Meadow
This monarch butterfly, sitting on the head of a cone flower, was stretching its wings in the early morning sun. I like the way the petals from the flower look like trailing streamers.
I was delighted to capture this image because butterflies have been a real challenge for me. Of all my attempts – chasing the fidgety creatures around with my camera – I’ve only been able to catch a couple of images I’ve been happy with. I just happened to catch this one early in the morning, not fully awake. I even had to nudge it to get it to open its wings.
To see a larger version of this image, click on the photo.