Tuliptree Blossom with Guest
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
Animals
Siblings
On my way to an appointment, I happened to pass by a small pond in the city. I was running a little early so I stopped for a moment to snap a few frames of the new arrivals.
It’s hard to find anything cuter than newly hatched ducklings. These are your basic, wild, mallard variety babies. They just stepped out of the water so they’re still a bit damp.
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Fish Lips
The water was so cold, his lips were turning blue. This large, ancient looking catfish is resting in his favorite underwater shelter on the bottom of a freshwater aquarium display at a large sporting goods retailer.
Shark Tank
A large shark glides overhead in a tank at the Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium located in the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
There are several aspects of this image that I like. First, the ominous feel the shark silhouette evokes. Second, I find the the blue and green colors of the water calming – conflicting with the ominous feelings. Most of all, the light, beaming through the water. Who doesn’t like sunbeams? (Of course, all of the color and light is provided by effect lighting above the tank.)
This is the second shark image I’ve posted from this shoot. View the other HERE.
To view a larger version of this photo, click on it.
Uh Oh
This is an incredibly creative African animal display found at the Cabela’s in Kansas City. Yes, I know, it lacks an element of realism, but it was way cool.
On a recent trip there, while the rest of the family shopped, I had a good time taking photos of the many wildlife and marine displays.
To get an even better look, click on the image and a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
Hiding In the Brush
A bit nervous about our presence, this Addra gazelle seemed to think it had found a place to hide in the brush.
The Addra gazelle, also known as the Dama gazelle, is the largest and tallest of all gazelles. This one was photographed at the Topeka Zoo.
To view a larger version of this photo, click on it.
Freshwater Gar
A little synchronized swimming demonstration by two Freshwater Gar (or Garpike) in a marine display at Cabella’s in Kansas City. OK, they weren’t actually performing, I just happened to catch two gliding by, side by side.
According to Wikipedia: Gar bodies are elongated, heavily armored with ganoid scales, and fronted by similarly elongated jaws filled with long, sharp teeth. Their tails are heterocercal, and the dorsal fins are close to the tail. As their vascularised swim bladders can function as lungs, most gars surface periodically to take a gulp of air, doing so more frequently in stagnant or warm water when the concentration of oxygen in the water is low. They also appear to surface in fast-moving rapids. As a result, they are extremely hardy and able to tolerate conditions that would kill most other fish.
This was a difficult image to capture. The scene wasn’t as bright as it looks here. In order to get this shot at f/6.7 I had to kick up the ISO to 3200 and the shutter speed down to 1/20tth of a second. Of course, handheld with no flash through. I don’t think I’ve ever shot at ISO 3200 before. (Even in low light conditions, I try to keep the ISO no higher than 800.) If you look closely, you’ll notice the image is not quite as sharp as I’d like and there’s a bit of digital noise…but not enough to discard the image.
To view a larger version of this image, click on the photo.
Sneaky Snake
I call this guy, Sneaky Snake. I stumbled upon him on a walk through the woods of northwest Missouri.
On vacation I got to spend some time in the woods with my camera. As I mentioned in an earlier post, when I’m alone in the woods I like to walk slowly, stopping often to look around me, taking my time to spot anything of interest. It was at such a stop on a path that I noticed this snake in the grass. I really don’t know how I spotted it, it was so well hidden.
This was an unusual find for me because the snake wasn’t on the ground. It had coiled itself up on some of the stalks of grass, resting in its own stand, about a foot of the ground.
It sat motionless as I tried to move my camera into a position that would allow me to get a shot through the grass. After snapping a few frames, I decided to try and move some of the grass that was obstructing my view since the snake was holding steady, with only the a slightest movement of it’s head. Using a stick, I tried to part some of the grass nearest me. The moment a blade of grass moved the stake dropped to the ground and was gone. It was freaky fast. No way to follow it through the tall grass.
I have no idea what kind of snake it was. I’m guessing its overall length was about three feet.
This image is much more impressive in the large size. Click on the photo to see the bigger version.
Planking
This common red squirrel strikes an unusual pose. I think it looks like he’s “planking.”
According to Wickipedia: Planking (or the Lying Down Game) is an activity consisting of lying face down —sometimes in an unusual or incongruous location. The term planking refers to mimicking a wooden plank.
I saw this comical fellow on an early morning walk through the woods. When he saw me, he ran up a tree and hopped onto this board and reclined – remaining motionless as I slowly moved closer to take this photo.
Though humorous to us, I’m told this position is a defensive move squirrels often employ – to minimize their exposure to predators by attempting to blend in with the tree branch they’re on.
To get a better view, you can click on the photo and a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
Nice Kitty
I’m not sure the brush was thick enough to hide me from this tiger. Luckily, there was fencing between me and the brush.
I was able to photograph this magnificent animal on a visit to the Indianapolis Zoo.
To see a larger version of this image, click the photo.
Garden Kitty
This is our cat, Dory! She was hanging around while I snapped photos around our yard, so…
Actually, I say she’s our cat, but lately it’s not so clear. We’ve had her since she was a kitten. She’s an outside cat with a generous food plan and comfy place to sleep – previously on our back porch, now in our garage. Still, she has a tendency to disappear on a regular basis – sometimes for a few days, sometimes for weeks at a time. We figure she has another spot in our rural area that she considers her second home.
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