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
Tree
Safe Space
This very young raccoon kept me in its view as I walked around the tree he was sitting in. The was the last of the siblings that were hanging around our yard for a couple of weeks last summer. This was the only one I saw climbing and I was surprised by how well it was able to get up the tree for how small it was.
To add to the adorable nature of this photo, if you look closely, you will a little dirt on the tip of its nose. They would spend most of their time with their noses buried in the grass, hunting bugs and grubs and who knows what tiny raccoons eat.
You might be able to see the dirt better if you click on the photo. 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Fine Forest Dinnerware
These pheasant back mushrooms were growing out of a fallen tree. They reminded me of a decorative dinnerware setting.
We found these (as well as other fungi) on a recent hike. They grow out of dead trees and stumps. The intricate patterns and coloration are the source of its name. They are supposedly eatable, but I’ve never tried them and wouldn’t know how to prepare them.
The tree these were growing out of was horizontal, lying flat on the ground, so this view is looking straight down. On an upright tree or stump these fungi tend to grow in a horizontal position, resembling a small, round shelf attached to the trunk.
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. 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.
Spring Coming On
The trees are starting to sprout leaves and the crops are sporting their spring-time green in this scenic view of rural northeast Wisconsin.
A couple of days ago I was grilling steaks in my driveway. I noticed the cool clouds filling the sky as the sun was slipping toward the horizon. I ran inside to grab my camera, flipped the steaks on the grill and hurried across the road to an adjacent farm field. I positioned myself to capture the sun behind a tree, standing in a field of oats. After snapping a couple of frames, I had to hurry back to those marvelous steaks on the grill.
If you look through my collection, you will find a number images featuring this same tree and the sunset. (The Wild Blue, Serene Sunset, Rural Sunset – to name a few)
You can view a larger version of this image by clicking on the photo. When you do, the image 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.
Tree Hugger
I love macro photography because it brings things that are small, and often missed, closeup and in sharp focus. It reveals the detail that we rarely have the opportunity to observe and enjoy.
This small butterfly was one of several I found mingling around the base of a tree in the woods of Missouri. It seemed like a gathering of old friends. Unfortunately, I was’t able to get a good shot of the group’s activity because, at the base of the tree, there was a good deal of tall grass that shielded my view. This momentary loner was kind enough to sit still long enough for me to snap its image. An online friend helped me identify this as a Hackberry Emperor butterfly.
By the way, the image you see here was flipped 180-degrees. When I snapped it, the butterfly was facing downward. I thought it seemed more natural and a little easier on the eyes to have it positioned upward.
There is much more detail to be seen in the larger version. To see it, 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.
Woodland Whites
The trees are coming to life after a long winter’s nap. They seem to do so with great deal of grace and exuberance!
These are the blooms from a flowering tree we spotted on a springtime walk through the woods. The delicate flowers were fresh and plentiful but, I’m sure, will be short lived.
You can get a better look at these blooms by viewing the larger version. Just 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.
Tree Dwellers
On a walk through the woods, I spotted this collection of mushrooms growing in the hollow of a large tree. I thought the colors, textures and just the oddity of mushrooms growing in a tree made it an interesting sight.
You can enjoy more of the details in this image by clicking on the photo. Another browser tab will open to a larger view.
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.
Tree Dwellers
It was a banner year for mushrooms in northeast Wisconsin. An abundance of rainfall seemed to keep them sprouting up to, and even beyond, the first frosts.
I thought it was unusual to see so many mushrooms growing on a tree trunk. These healthy specimens were found in the woods of northeast Wisconsin.
To get a better view, click on the photo and 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.
Fire Painters In the Sky
This image is a combination of stunning, natural beauty and a generous helping of digital magic. Let me share some of the details.
This is one of my earliest photos taken with my first decent digital camera. The camera a Kodak EasyShare DX7590 that I purchased to document my first trip to Liberia, Africa in 1995 . The DX7590 was a minor step up from a typical point-and-shoot camera with a whopping 5-megapixels. (Pretty impressive, in those days, for a small, consumer grade camera. My current camera provides 24-megapixels.)
This photo was taken in march of 2007. At home in the early evening, I saw the wonderful colors in the sky out my living room window. Of course, I grabbed my camera and dashed out the door.
I crossed the road in front of my house to be able to frame up the sky without any interference from the power lines and poles between me and the beauty. I included the dormant tree to add contrast and interest to the scene. I snapped several frames of the incredible sky with the trees and field before me.
If you haven’t guessed by now, the water you see in the foreground wasn’t part of the original scene. I added the water, digitally, after the fact. The lovely, rippling reflection of the water in this image replaced a barren farm field, mostly covered with melting snow. You can see a couple of the original images I took – with out the water effect – in this earlier post: Fire In the Sky
The farm field was dark and dreary, compared to the sky, so I thought it needed an upgrade. I had been trying out a trial version of software developed to add a water effect and thought the reflective quality of water might add more interest and color to the bottom of the image. In fact, I extended the bottom area of the photo, to fit more ripples in the view.
You can view a larger version of this photo by clicking on it.
Pink Pom Poms
While visiting relatives in Kansas, we enjoyed a stop at the Topeka Zoo. Along with the expected variety of animals, they had a unexpected collection of attractive flowering plants. I spotted the beautiful, unique blooms on this large tree and took a few photos. I later learned this is a Mimosa Tree (Albizia julibrissin).
Though it is revered for its beautiful and fragrant blooms, the mimosa tree is considered an invasive species. It was brought to this continent from China as an ornamental plant about 250 years ago. Like most invasive plants, it reproduces prolifically. The flat seedpods are numerous, tough and can remain dormant for decades, even over long periods of drought.
To view a larger view of this photo click on it.
Crooked Spine Pine II
This is another view of my Crooked Spine Pine – a true quirk of nature. (See earlier post: Crooked Spine Pine – 2013)
Like Jack’s magic bean stalk, this pine tree is growing in a spiral at Potawatomi State Park in northeast Wisconsin.
It reminds me of a natural example of a rule of composition known as the Golden Mean, Phi, or Divine Proportion. It was made poplar by Leonardo Fibonacci around 1200 A.D. You can learn more about it in an excellent article from Digital Photography School.
To view a larger version of this image, click on the photo.