Archives
A Sample of Pop’s “Bee” Images

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

A Sample of Pop’s “People” Photo Collection

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

B&W

The Coldest Lonely

Lighthouse, Monochrome, Kewaunee, Cold, Ice, Fog, Lake Michigan
Sub-zero temperatures and open water create an interesting blend of ice, frost and fog around the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse and pier. Kewaunee is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan.

I took this photo from shore with a telephoto lens which makes the lighthouse appear relatively close to the shore. In fact, the Kewaunee pier extends hundreds of feet into the lake. Of course, the buildup of Ice along the shore also contributed to the closer-than-reality effect.

This is one of the images I captured back in the bitter cold of January, 2014. It was one of the coldest days I’d ever been out shooting. I thought a monochrome treatment would bring out the dramatic fog and cold, lonely feel of this scene.

You can get more of the crisp detail of this image by viewing the full-screen version. To do so, simply click on the photo.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

Sleeper Hold

Infant, Baby, Monochrome, Sleeping, Holding

There is nothing as peaceful as a sleeping baby. This little one seems comforted by holding the thumb of the one holding her.

I like this image because of the peaceful warmth it instills in me. I also love the contrast in size and age between the two hands. A great study in texture and tone.

This is an image featuring my wife and a newborn niece. A very sweet baby who was very cooperative…as sleeping babies tend to be.

You can get a larger, more detailed view of this image by clicking on the the photo. When you do a full-screen version will open in a new browser tab.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

Considering the Next Move

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Child Portrait, Monochrome, B&W, CandidWith the look on her face I can’t help but wonder, what was she thinking at the moment this photo was snapped.

This image was taken during an afternoon with family in Ohio. Our granddaughter was away from the group, exploring the surroundings at a park.  As you can see, I was keeping my eye (and focus) on her and snapping photos.

You can view a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking on the photo.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. (I’m not sure why you would want to purchase this one unless you were family, but I invite you to check out some of the others on this site.)  If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

Sugar and Spice

Child, Portrait, Baby, Toddler, Girl, Monochrome

What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice and everything nice. That’s what little girls are made of.

This is a portrait of one of our granddaughters.  We were blessed to have an opportunity to spend a little time with her and her parents recently.

Of course, whenever we have the pleasure of visits with any of the grandchildren, I usually try and grab a few photos. After this visit, as we were driving home, I told my wife I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to get any good photos of our granddaughter.  When I downloaded the day’s images to my computer I was delighted to find this gem.  This is the only decent image I captured of her on this visit, but it’s a definite keeper.

You can get a better look at those big, beautiful eyes by clicking on the photo. When you do, a full-screen version will open in a new browser tab.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

Evening In Duluth

Duluth, Minnesota, MN, Cityscape, Nightscape, Monochrome, B&W
The renowned Aerial Lift Bridge of Duluth, Minnesota is the prominent feature when overlooking the city at night. Well, anytime of day, for that matter.

This is an image I took from Enger Park, high on a hill overlooking the city.  I had scouted out a place to catch some good shots of the Duluth Canal area.  I knew they flood the bridge with lights at night and decided to try and capture the scene. It was a mildly-cool evening on July 16, 2017 and a bit breezy.

Now the rest of the story….  Earlier that day, my wife and I took a ride up the scenic coast to visit and photograph some waterfalls and lighthouses.  While working on shots of the Split Rock Lighthouse, standing on some rocks along the shore, my tripod-secured camera tipped over.  When it hit the rocks the lens broke off and went one direction, the camera went another direction and took a quick dip in the water.

I scrambled to grab it and believe I kept it from being submerged but it did get quite wet. Without the lens attached, the sensor area was open and had received some moisture.  I quickly did my best to dry everything. I don’t have cameras to spare…or the money to buy them…so it was a hugely, disheartening event. It put quite a crimp in the fun weekend we were having.

The more I examined the camera insides, the more water I could see.  With a soft dry cloth, I rubbed the mirror element.  I thought it was made of glass, and it may be, but it has some sort of plastic coating on it that I damaged. In the right light I could see a definite “L” like line.  The camera body, itself, was also jacked up.

Surprisingly, with another lens, I was able to get the camera to turn on and used it to take more photos there. It was having hiccups now and then – displays weren’t working right, occasional errors writing to memory, etc.  Still, I was happy it still showed life and was hoping it would dry out and function; albeit with some nasty scars.

It wasn’t until later, when I downloaded the photos to my computer that I could see the seriousness of the mirror damage I caused.  In a normal DLSR the mirror flips up, when you press the shutter, to expose the sensor to the image.  My Sony, mirrorless model, has a “translucent” mirror that reflects the image up to the viewfinder, but it doesn’t flip up to expose the sensor – the light actually passes through the mirror to the sensor. So any damage to the mirror will effect each image taken.

I’m sharing this long, sad, story to point out the flaws in the image I’ve posted here. You will notice the long light streaks on the right side of the bridge.  Those are a result of the damaged mirror. Also, the mushy bunch of lights just to the left of the bridge are from the damaged mirror.  The lights to the left should look like clear, individual dots similar to the dots inside the bridge frame.

The distortions were not so noticeable on the camera’s screen when viewing bright, daylight images. It’s painfully obvious with the night scenes. This could have been a very nice image and, I’m sure some will still like it, but I’ll always focus on it’s flaws. I debated with myself whether to post it and, of course, I decided to. I thought it would be interesting to see if anyone would comment on the flaws…who picked up on them without reading the details of this post. I wonder how many people might think it was some artistic effect.

As far as the camera goes, I had to replace it.  I believe it would have cost more to repair than it was worth.  I purchased the same model camera body (Sony A77) from a seller on eBay for half what a new one would cost. I had hoped to upgrade soon, but this unexpected expense will delay that for awhile. I was also able to order a part to fix the lens that was broken.  It was a lot harder to repair than I thought, but I got it done and it’s working perfectly.  It was a favorite lens, so I’m glad I didn’t have to replace it.

You can view a larger, more detailed version of this image – flaws and all – by clicking on the photo.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

Brooding Virtue

Tulip, Flower, Monochrome, Macro

This is a white tulip.  By converting it to a monochrome image, it becomes a moody collection of light and shadow, texture and form.

I’ve been working on tulip images that I shot a couple years ago.  This was a nice macro shot of a white, tulip bloom. It was a nice image, in color, but I thought it became a much more interesting image in monochromatic form.

You can view more of the finer detail by clicking on the photo.  When you do, a new tab will open with a full-screen version.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

The Bright Dark of Night

City, Night, City Lights, Milwaukee, Riverwalk,
In the deep dark of night, the city waterway reflects lights of life. This is a view along the Riverwalk in downtown Milwaukee, WI.

This is an image I captured a couple of years ago. A photography friend from the Milwaukee area took me to some great spots for some night photography. I was looking through some of the shots I took that night but never got around to processing. I thought this one was worth a little effort.

I had posted another image from this taken the same night from this same area, in color, awhile back. (See Big City Serenity) This one, in monochrome tones, has become my favorite of the two. Take a look at the other one to see which one is more appealing to you.

To get a better view of the fine detail in this image, click on the photo and a larger version will open in a new tab.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

Caged Competitor

Baseball, Baseball Player, Fence, Sports, Portrait
The season may be over, but this is one baseball player who remains serious about his game.

This is one of my favorites from a recent “senior portrait” shoot. Baseball was an important part of this young man’s high school career so they wanted some photos of him in his uniform.

The basic idea for this shot (ball player looking through the fence) was brought to me by the subject’s parent who saw a similar shot on Pinterest and wanted us to try it. During the shoot, we made a quick trip to a nearby, small town ball field to grab a few shots. I believe the version she showed me was in color but, while I was working on it, I thought a gritty, monochrome style would best suit the players mood.

There are a lot of things that make this a favorite for me.  First, the general mood of the shot. You can easily imagine a story behind this image. (In fact, several stories.)

I also like the detail of the ball, glove and uniform. Don’t miss other interesting touches…like the bruises on the player’s elbow (An element that adds to the story), the tufts of grass on the unkempt infield, the way the light poles and the wisps of clouds frame the photo.  (I wish I would have thought to throw a bat on the field in the background.)

The one aspect I question…  Is the fence too distracting?  Of course, it’s important to this scene, but  I think it is almost too symmetrical around the facial features. I didn’t try to get it that way, it’s just the stance he took.  I think it might seem more natural if the fence didn’t intersect right on the bridge of the nose and chin.  If it was just offset a little to one side or another it might seem more natural, less posed.  Of course, now I might be just nit-picking.  What do you think?  (If it didn’t occur to you before I mentioned it, than it is just me being the nit-picky perfectionist.)

You can view a more detailed version of this image by clicking on it.  When you do, a larger version will open in a new browser tab.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

Click for Purchase Options

Strolling Through the Weeds

Boy, B&W, Monochrome, Portrait, Child,
A young boy, with a contemplative look, strolls through the tall grasses and weeds of an rural farm field.

I don’t often get to shoot photos of people, but when I do, it tends to be close friends or family. I just don’t have the time in my schedule to set up portrait sessions and the work of post processing. In this case, I got to spend some time with this three -year-old cutie – my grandson.  Just the two of us took a little walk in the country…with my camera, of course.

I wasn’t really intending to grab a shot of him.  We were just out for a stroll while Papa (what he calls me) looked for interesting things to photograph. We looked for birds and pretty leaves, talked about, walked over a dry creek bed. The perfect subject eluded us.

It was a tough time to shoot – mid day, under a bright sun.  I didn’t find much that caught my eye. So, naturally, on the walk back I turned the camera on the most interesting thing I could find.

Because of the overpowering contrast created by that bright sun, I thought the best treatment for this shot was to convert it to a monochrome image. I think it turned out well. In fact, one of my all time favorites. (Of course, that’s from the Grandpa in me as much as the artist.)

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

Click for Purchase Options

Star Power – B&W

Flower, Monochrome, B&W, Azalea, Garden

This exceptionally colorful flower takes on a whole different persona in black and white. Take a look at the full color version and compare the two: Star Power

When comparing, be sure to view the large size by clicking on the photo.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

Click for Purchase Options