Landscape
Touch of Teal
A darling wood duck stands gracefully on a moss-covered perch at the edge of a rippling pond. In my mind, the highlight of this image is that little patch of teal on the wings. Such an appealing color.
I grabbed this shot while walking through the zoo in Topeka, KS. This was at one of their small ponds outside; not in any kind of enclosure.
You can get a better look at this duck’s feathering and colors by clicking on the photo.
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Going for Gold
While hiking a trait to a waterfall in Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota, I spotted a patch of yellow wildflowers. The flowers were humming with busy bees. As I focused in on the bees, I noticed the orange area of their abdomen. While processing this image I did a quick internet search and learned these are orange-banded bumblebees. I don’t think I’ve seen this variety (Bombus ternarius) before. If you zoom in, you can see the legs of the bee covered with pollen from the flowers. You can learn more about this variety of bee at Bees Wiki.
For a larger, more detailed look at this image, 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 ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Roots of Modern Dance
A fallen tree with it’s gnarled, weathered, roots exposed makes an interesting but strange natural sculpture that contrasts with the peaceful, green forest setting.
This was found in Custer State Park in South Dakota. It’s one of those things that just caught my eye.
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 ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Rambling Wild Beauty
These delicate white flowers are a version of a Wild Rose. This plant was found on a hike through the woods of northwest Missouri. Don’t you love the pink bud?
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 ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
The Sausage Grinder
This is a creepy toy I spotted in the famous Pittock Mansion in Portland, Oregon. The mansion is now more of a museum and this was in one of the children’s rooms. The sausage grinder wouldn’t be creepy on its own, but set that clown next to it….yikes!
It’s a little disturbing to think little children probably had fun playing with these toys. It’s just evidence of how perceptions and taste and culture change over time.
If you care to, you can see a larger representation 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 ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Doc’s Nose
This is a close-up of Doc’s nose. Doc is the name painted on the side of this historic aircraft; a vintage Boeing B-29 Superfortress. If you look closely, you can just barely see a painting of Doc, the character the plane is named for from Disney’s animated movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
This is an HDR image (three bracketed shots) that helped bring out the darker, interior of the aircraft. I find the intricate glass on the nose and metal frame a very cool design. I also like the way you can see reflections of people and surroundings in the polished stainless steel body of the aircraft. The polished metal surface and unique design elements highlight the historical significance of the airplane.
You can read about the history of this plane and the story of its restoration here: The B-29 Doc Story.
You can see a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking on the photo.
Invasion of The Thing from Outer Space
This is a fireworks display in Manistique, Michigan on the 3rd of July of 2022. My wife and I were in the U.P. for a little getaway. While there, we took in the fireworks celebration on the eve of Independence Day.
The title might seem a bit “out there” but I look at this photo and just think it looks like some strange creature with tentacles is coming to attack this quiet village.
I find the tone and color combination in this image very appealing. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
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 ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Honorine Jobert Anemone
The Honorine Jobert Anemone is a delicate white flower with orange anthers surrounding a spherical green center (ovule). They bloom in the fall.
This particular patch was incorporated into the landscaping at the Pittock Mansion in Portland, Oregon. I visited there is October of 2022.
You can get a larger, more detailed view 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 ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Hanging Tapestry
An owl eye butterfly rests on a branch, displaying the intricate patterns and eye-like spots on its wings. To me, is a beautiful artwork of pattern and color – like a detailed tapestry. This is one of the many varieties of butterflies cultivated and displayed at the Butterfly Palace in Branson, Missouri.
You can get a better, more detailed look at this creature by clicking on the photo. (The pattern in the eyes is pretty of cool!)
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 ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Death Warmed Over
A turkey vulture is perched and poised, with outstretched wings, to dry in the sun after a dip in a nearby creek at Stockstill Park in Branson, Missouri.
I had just seen a dozen or so of these vultures in and around the rocky creek bed. My efforts to photograph them near the water didn’t go well due to the distance and the bright sunlight, making them seem more like dark silhouettes. And, of course, as soon as they spotted me, they flew off.
A little further on our hike I tried to approach the creek from a different direction, where the light might be better. As I made my way through the woods I came upon this and another vulture, holding their wings wide with their backs to the sun, to dry off from being in the water. If you look closely, you can see this one is still quite wet.
They held their pose and position long enough for me to get close enough to get a good shot.
You can get a better view of this big bird 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 ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.