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
Favorite
Should Be A Postcard
The lighthouse at Algoma, Wisconsin stands in bold silhouette before a summer Lake Michigan sunrise. A glorious morning to photograph one of my favorite subjects.
This photo was taken in September of 2015 and has managed to go unnoticed on my hard drive…until today.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking on the photo. When you do, the boat on the right side of the horizon will be easier to see.
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.
Badlands Spectrum of Colors
This is one of my favorite views of Badlands National Park. This is a panorama of the Yellow Mounds section of the park.
I love the variety of the landscape – from the stripped, rugged rock formations in the background to the yellowish hued mounds accented with red shoulders, to the green valley with a creek bed coursing through it.
If you look closely, on the hill to the far left, you can see cars of park visitor on the road. To see that and other details in this image, click on the photo for a much 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Beginning Climber
This little rascal was an early climber. This is one of several baby raccoons that showed up in the yard of our rural home. We never saw an adult around. They were so young I was worried they were going to starve to death or wander out in the road and get hit.
If they weren’t sleeping under a bush in our yard, they were wandering through the yard; noses buried in the grass looking for bugs and grubs. Within a few weeks all of them seemed to have moved on. However, I did see one recently on security camera video at around 2 am, climbing down this very same tree and wandering into the farm field.
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.
Beware of Bruno – Prairie Guard Dog
Don’t miss the little guy on the mound. This prairie dog seemed to take an aggressive stance; preparing to defend his huge, fluffy friend in the background.
Of course, if you advanced on him, he would quickly dart into his hole. This is clearly not my greatest image but I share it because makes me smile. It was captured on our recent visit to Badlands National Park in South Dakota. This was actually taken at one of the entrances of the park where several Bison happened to be hanging out near the road – and, at least, one vicious prairie dog. It was late in the day.
You will see a lot more photos from the Badlands in the future.
If you’d like to get a better look at this one…and Bruno…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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
The Grand Overview
I was able to capture this spectacular view by being in the right place at the right time. This a view of the Cascade mountain range as the sun was setting (out of view, to the right), looking south from the Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in Oregon. The prominent peak in the middle is Mount Jefferson in Linn County. I was able to do a little hiking and sightseeing while in the Portland area for a conference in early October.
This is a massive file because it is about 9 individual photos all joined together to be able to capture the full panorama. It is hard to get the full benefit of this scene without viewing it on a large scale. You can see a full-screen version of this image (at least as large as your screen will allow) by clicking on the photo. 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Solitude On Bass Lake
The lake was smooth as silk just before a September sunrise. This is a popular lake in northwest Indiana.
Covering over 1,300 surface acres, Bass Lake is the third-largest natural lake in Indiana. This view is from the western shore of the lake.
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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
The Damsel Be Dazzled
The light danced on the wings of the damselfly while it rested on a leaf.
I saw a few of these damselflies flitting around an area along a trail we often hike. Every time they landed they were facing the sun. (Notice the shadow.) I spent a good deal of time snapping pictures, hoping to catch one sideways to the sun, to see more of the wing.
Well, as it turned out, the hint of sunlight on the ridges of the wings made a rather interesting view as well.
Damselflies are often mistaken for dragonflies. To help you know the difference, here’s some info I found at ReconnectWithNature.org.
Both dragonflies and damselflies are typically found near fresh water and are commonly seen during warm, sunny days. And while they share some physical characteristics, there are four ways you can differentiate between the two, according to Mother Nature Network.
EYES
Dragonflies have much larger eyes than damselflies. A dragonfly’s eyes take up most of the insect’s head, wrapping around to the sides of its head. Damselflies also have large eyes, but they are smaller than a dragonfly’s and there is always a space between their eyes.
BODIES
Damselflies are smaller than dragonflies, with bodies that typically range between 1 1/2 inches and 2 inches, while dragonfly bodies are typically longer than 2 inches, Wisconsin Public Radio reports. Dragonflies also have thicker, bulkier bodies, while damselfly bodies are thin like a twig.
WINGS
Both dragonflies and damselflies have two sets of wings, but there are some distinct differences in their wings that can help differentiate between the two. Dragonflies have two sets of similar-sized wings, but the hind wings become more broad at the base, where they attach to the body. Damselfly wings, on the other hand, are more slender and taper toward they base, where they attach to the body.
AT REST
While the wings of dragonflies and damselflies are a key distinction between the two, how they position their wings while not in flight further helps tell them apart. When not in flight, a dragonfly’s wings stick straight out, perpendicular to their body like an airplane’s wings. A damselfly’s wings fold back so they are in line with their body, giving them a more sleek, slender appearance at rest.
To get the best view and all the colorful details, click on the photo and 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
A Clear Calling
The vibrant color of a summer sunrise along with the wooden pathway to calm waters provide an irresistible invitation to the Lake Michigan shoreline at Selner Park Beach in Kewaunee, Wisconsin.
When I glanced out my window and saw the early morning sky – long before the sunrise – I thought it looked promising for a cool sunrise. I dropped everything to get to the lake shore and was able to capture a great batch of lighthouse sunrise photos. (Watch for future posts.) Just as I was packing up my camera (I was running late for an early morning appointment elsewhere) I decided to throw my wide-angle lens on and see what I could capture. At this distance, the wide-angle makes the lighthouse just a dot on the horizon but it captures a whole lot more of the sky, which was the goal. Framing up the wooden path in the foreground makes it all the more interesting.
This is the last shot I snapped that morning. This is actually an HDR image. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. To try to capture the full dynamic range of this scene I blended four separate shots at different levels of exposures (from light to dark). Without blending the images/exposures you would end up with either a normal looking sky and everything else in darkness or a normal looking lake and land in the foreground with a colorless, completely white sky. The camera is not able to adequately handle such a wide dynamic range on its on so a little processing magic is needed to get these results.
This is one you will want to view the larger, full-screen size. 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.
Youthful Vigor
Summertime is sunflower time in our area. We live near a seed farm that always has a few fields of sunflowers planted in our rural neighborhood. This year, they’ve planted sunflowers in the field that adjoins our home.
I finally got out to grab a few photos of the sunflowers. The variety they plant to produce seeds (as opposed to just bright, cheerful flowers) don’t last long in bloom. It seems like just a couple of weeks from first bloom to droop.
In this photo, you will notice, the main subject is in peak bloom while the others that surround it are already beginning to droop. This flower is a “late bloomer.” It also is not as tall or as big as its nearby rivals but, it is pretty.
You can view a larger version of this image by clicking on the photo. When you do, a near full-screen version will open in another 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.
Festival of Flights
Fireworks are a favorite, and fitting, way to end the evening air show at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture.
This is like a little slice of photographer heaven for me – combining fireworks, aircraft and long exposures. I almost didn’t get any fireworks shots on this trip because I forgot to bring my tripod with me. Thankfully, I was able to improvise a suitable camera platform by strapping my monopod to folding lawn chair. It was not a very sturdy/stable set up but, fortunately, there was no wind to speak of. Of course, I use a remote trigger when shooting long exposures to avoid even the slightest movement of the camera.
The blurring of people in this image was caused by their movement during the time the shutter was open; about 23 seconds.
As always, the best of this image can be experienced by viewing the larger, 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.