Pops Photos
It Begins

The earth begins to stir to as the sun lights up the horizon. This is the pre-sunrise image I captured yesterday morning.
To get all this sky into one image I had to take three individual shots and then combine them
This was how I saw it and captured it from my backyard. These are the kind of colors I want to photograph near the lake and lighthouses for, but on a work day I can’t make that happen. Sometimes you have to settle for what you can get and know, some other day, it will be different. Where were these clouds and color last Saturday?
To view this image large enough to cover your screen from side to side, click on the photo.
Thick as Thieves

This seems to be an early autumn convention of Boxelder bugs. They’ve congregated at the bottom of a tree.
When it begins to cool down in Wisconsin, these bugs may form large aggregations while sunning themselves in areas near their host plant – usually maple or ash trees. I’ve also seen them gather in other odd places…the corner of a building, around a door way, etc.
They are harmless to humans but considered nuisance pests. When the temperatures begin to cool in the fall, they sometimes invade houses and other man-made structures seeking warmth or a place to overwinter.
People often mistaken them with insects known as Stink Bugs – a different species. However, boxelder bugs will release a pungent and bad-tasting compound upon being disturbed to discourage predation; this allows them to form conspicuous gatherings without being preyed on.
To get a better view, click on the top photo and a larger image will open in a new browser tab.
Homestead Fog
Red Velvet
Autumn Upshot
Wonder Leaf
Scarlet Barbs
Autumn’s Palette

I love the way the color and light were dancing among these leaves of autumn.
This is another shot taken while waiting to pick up my wife at her place of work. The earlier post – Fall Arrangement – was from the same shoot.
This looks even better in the larger version. Click the photo to see for yourself.
Cascading Sumac
Fall Arrangement

This is another image opportunity, made possible by having my camera close. I was picking up my wife from her place of work and while I was waiting for her to emerge, I decided to snap a few images of the colorful, changing leaves on the trees nearby. After a few minutes, she came out and, on my way back to the car, I noticed these leaves on the sidewalk . I knelt down, snapped a few frames, dropped my camera back its case and we were off.
I love the deep, rich tones of these leaves, accentuated by the drops that remained after a earlier light rain.