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
Pops Digital
Two’s Company
The prize of every springtime mushroom hunter – the elusive morel. These morels were found in the woods of northeast Wisconsin.
We haven’t had much success in our search for morels this year. This is the best of what we did find. They are pretty small. With the hot, dry weather we’ve experienced recently, the window of opportunity may have closed. We’ll see.
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Thrice As Nice
Every spring I am drawn to the beauty and simplicity of trilliums in bloom. These were photographed on a recent hike through a wooded area of northeast Wisconsin.
If you like the trillium blooms, thank an ant. Ants are the ones who spread the seeds of the trillium plant. Ants gather the seeds and transport them away from the parent plant because they are attracted to the elaiosomes on the seeds. After learning this interesting fact I had to look up “elaiosomes.” Turns out, elaiosomes are fleshy structures that are attached to the seeds of many plant species.
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Show Me Your Wonder
The beach at Kewaunee, Wisconsin is the perfect place to catch a dramatic scene as the sun rises behind their lighthouse and long pier.
This was a great morning to be on the beach with the sky providing a nice show and a few sunbeams. Not many were at the beach to experience it; just me and a young couple cuddling with themselves and their smartphone.
This image is actually a panorama – where I “stitched” two photos together to include more of the scene than is possible with a single frame. Usually, my panoramic images are pictures that are joined side-by-side. This image is comprised of two images stacked, one on the other. With my camera in “landscape” orientation I took a photo of the lower half with the lake and the beach and then a photo of the upper half with the sun and clouds. Together they give you the taller, “portrait” orientation image you see here.
Of course, the final image is nearly twice the size and resolution of a normal photo, giving you more detail. To see that some of that detail, click on the photo and a new browser tab will open with a full-screen version of this image. Then, to zoom in, click on the full-screen 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 for digital purchase and licensing options.
Fine Forest Dinnerware
These pheasant back mushrooms were growing out of a fallen tree. They reminded me of a decorative dinnerware setting.
We found these (as well as other fungi) on a recent hike. They grow out of dead trees and stumps. The intricate patterns and coloration are the source of its name. They are supposedly eatable, but I’ve never tried them and wouldn’t know how to prepare them.
The tree these were growing out of was horizontal, lying flat on the ground, so this view is looking straight down. On an upright tree or stump these fungi tend to grow in a horizontal position, resembling a small, round shelf attached to the trunk.
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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.
Sprig of Spring Beauty
These very tiny, delicate flowers are known as “Spring Beauty” and “Siberian Squill.” Their formal name is Scilla Siberic. They are some of the very first flowers to appear in the spring.
I often capture a view of these flowers from a small bunch that bloom in our flower bed at home. This year, I was slow on the trigger and missed our home bloom. The blooming only lasts a few days. I was fortunate to find this single plant at a local park.
Scilla Siberic is native to southwestern Russia, the Caucasus, and Turkey. Despite its name, it is not native to Siberia.
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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.
Mesmerizing Morning Blues
Just before the sun would breach the horizon, the Algoma, Wisconsin lighthouse, pier and harbor was bathed in wonderful blue hues. I’m glad I was able to capture the sky’s reflections on the calm harbor waters. I got several good shots from my visit that morning.
I decided to try to catch the sunrise in Algoma – about 12 miles from my home. Although I started out early, I thought I was going to miss the best part of the morning light. I got out of bed at 4:30 am, looked at the sky and decide to try it. By the time I got my gear packed and hit the road it was 4:50. As I was driving and watching the sky, I thought I was going to miss it…or at least get there just on time and have to scramble to get some good shots. The sunrise was at 5:24.
I was able to get to the harbor, grab my tripod and backpack of gear and ran out to the pier. Before I left home I had checked an app I use to determine the best location for getting the sun to line up somewhere close to the lighthouse. I knew just where I needed to be…on the pier. The optimal point was a little further down the pier then where this shot was taken, but I stopped on my way there to snap a few. This was the second frame I shot, so I should be posting more from this morning in the near future.
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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.
Three Amigos
I found these vibrant daffodils brightening up a small park in rural Kewaunee county, Wisconsin. This is a positive sign that spring has finally sprung in our neighborhood.
Near Bruemmer Park and Winter Park, on Kewaunee County’s highway F, is a small log cabin. In front of this cabin is a boulder with a bronze plaque that is dedicated to the achievements of Ransom Asa Moore; dated 1929. The plaque states, “As superintendent of schools of this county and as agronomist, and a builder of the Short Course in Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin, this tablet is placed near his birthplace and where in 1881, he first taught school.”
In this humble park area, there are a variety of daffodils that dot the park grounds in early spring. I usually try to make sure I stop by each spring to capture some of the beauty. There are other flowers that bloom through the summer, as well. I’ve used it as a setting for portraits in the past.
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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.
Praise from On High
The bright, morning sun and a congregation of clouds created a dramatic scene over the Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse and pier; located on the western shore of lake Michigan.
When I woke up, I saw promising clouds in the sky and made my way to the lake shore to catch the sunrise. I got some good shots as the sun made its assent but decided to hang around a bit longer to see if the sun would produce a few sunbeams once it got higher in the sky. As you can see, the wait paid off.
I decided to make the image monochrome because I believe the subtle contrast between light and dark are easier to detect when you are viewing the monochrome tones, as opposed to multiple colors.
This image was captured from Selner Park. Normally I get my shots from the beach but this shot was taken from a slightly elevated position – about half-way up the stairway from the parking lot to the upper level of the park.
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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.
Bringing the Heat
The sun was proving it was a force to be reckoned with. It seemed to be burning through the clouds to make itself the prominent feature of this seascape scene.
This, of course, is the lighthouse and pier at Kewaunee, Wisconsin; on the western shore of Lake Michigan. This is sunrise view from June of 2014.
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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.
Springy
When the daffodils are blooming, you can be confident spring has sprung. I found these delicate beauties at a local park on a cool but bright spring morning.
This is a image that is worth viewing the larger version. If you have a large monitor you’ll see more detail in the petal’s texture and flower centers. To see the full-screen version, 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.