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
Missouri
Amazing Technicolor Web
A detailed spider web glistens in the sunlight. The delicate strands of web, highlighted by the sun, reveal a stunningly beautiful, technicolor design.
On a recent hike through the woods at Weston State Park in northwest Missouri, I spotted this spider web, highlighted by a beam of light. To fully grasp the impact of this image, you must click on it to view the larger version on a big screen. (Or zoom in a lot.) The yellowish-green spider is
I did not adjust the color or saturation for this web. I merely reduced the highlights, pulled up the shadows and whites a bit and toned down the luminance on the green leaves.
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.
Touch-Me-Nots After a Shower
A light shower left droplets clinging to the vibrant, orange Spotted Touch-me-not flowers and its leaves. These tiny beauties were found in the woodlands of northwest Missouri.
The common name (Touch-me-not) is a reference to the seed pods popping open if they are touched, a characteristic which also explains two other common names – Snapweed and Spotted Snap Weed. The plant is also known as Jewelweed and Spotted Jewelweed.
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.
Dew Drop In
Nestled among green grass blades, creating a harmonious blend of nature and the arachnid’s craftsmanship, this spider awaits any unfortunate visitors.
This was taken on an early morning walk in the woodlands of northwest Missouri. I can’t remember if the water droplets resting on the web was from a light rain shower or heavy, morning dew. (As my title suggests, I’m leaning toward the dew.)
I did a bit of work trying to sharpen this image up, but could never reach the quality I was hoping for. It was a low light situation and an older camera that could only give me so much detail.
You can get a closer view if this image by clicking on the photo. When you do, a much larger version of this 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Tuliptree Blossom with Guest
A vibrant green tuliptree flower with a rich yellow center is in full bloom, surrounded by large, lobed leaves. Some sort of insect is nestled in the flower’s petals, possibly collecting nectar or pollen.
Also shown in this photo is one of the tuliptree’s cone-like seed clusters that sit upright on the branches. The tuliptree is one of the largest native trees in North America. It is a member of the magnolia family and has distinct tulip shaped flowers. The golden-yellow fall color of the tuliptree makes this an excellent choice for large landscapes.
I found this tuliptree in bloom while strolling the grounds at College of the Ozarks, just south of Branson, Missouri.
Getting this shot was not an easy task. The blooms are up in a tree, well above my head and reach. To get this image, I employed a monopod. I extended it the full length, set the camera’s timer and guessed at the focal distance. Then, after pressing the shutter button to activate the timer, I hoisted the camera above the bloom and waited for the “click” sound. Then I’d lower it to eye level and look at the result. It took about six or seven attempts to get the correct framing and sharpness.
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.
Clearly Defined
A black and white Idea Leuconoe butterfly is perched delicately on a leaf. The intricate patterns on its wings are sharply detailed. This butterfly species is also referred to as the paper kite butterfly, rice paper butterfly and large tree nymph.
This is another photos taken at the Butterfly Palace in Branson, Missouri.
You can see the great detail in the wings and body of this butterfly 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.
The Pause that Refreshes
This is one of the many waterfalls at Top of the Rock in Ridgeway, Missouri. (Near the Branson area.) The water flows over multiple rock ledges before it plunges into this pool, creating a very appealing and natural scene.
On a recent trip to the area we made our first visit to Top of the Rock. It is a resort area where they have a paved path through the woods and waterfalls and even a cave. You rent a golf cart and ride the course at your leisure. Very beautiful and quite enjoyable with lots of photo opportunities. This is a vertical panorama – combining three individual images to capture the full scene.
You can view a larger version of this photo by clicking on the image.
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.
This Side of Heaven
The Chapel of the Ozarks overlooks beautiful Table Rock Lake. It is an attraction and wedding venue at Top of the Rock, Ridgedale, Missouri.
The promotional materials claim this stone chapel rests at the highest point in Taney County, Missouri. The back wall of this chapel is a curved, floor to ceiling glass wall that provides a panoramic view of the lake and valley.
This is a panoramic image created by stitching two photos together to give you this wide view.
You can get a better look at the detail in the stonework by clicking on the image to open a larger version.
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 Delicate Dogwood
A cluster of delicate blooms from a dogwood tree growing in northwest Missouri. Some of these petal appear thin and nearly translucent. The dogwood captures the fleeting beauty of spring in bloom. (These blooms are long gone.)
To get a better view of the beauty, you can click on the photo and a larger, more detailed 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.
Home Tweet Home
This birdhouse has seen a lot of fledglings in its day. It’s also seen better days. Still, the abundance of days past and weathering have added to its character and charm.
This birdhouse hangs from a tree limb at my in-laws northwest Missouri homestead. Nothing spectacular about this image, but I find it soothing to look at. I love the weathered woodgrain, the grasses and twigs and the strand of wire keeping it together.
You can get a better look at the detail in the woodgrain if you 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Longing to Be Charmed
I’m not an expert, but I believe this is a common black ratsnake. Nearing the end of a hike through the woods, my wife spotted it first and I hurried to grab a photo. I didn’t get much before it quickly retreated into the brush at Bluff Woods Conservation Area in northwestern Missouri.
Black ratsnakes are non-venomous; they kill their prey by constriction. They’re best known for their color combination of a shiny bluish-black body undercoated by a whitish belly. They’re harmless to humans but they can startle you by their stealth and, often, large size.
To get a better, more detailed look at those scales and tongue (mostly a blur) 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.