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
One Minute Sunrise 07-20-17 – Video
This is a timelapse video of a sunrise over rural Kewaunee County, WI. This sunrise was captured behind my house on July 20, 2017. I began recording in the dark of dawn; before sunrise.
It was a windy morning which, as you can see, gave a lot of motion to lower level clouds. I put the camera on a tripod behind my house to protect it from shaking by the wind. One minute of video represents an hour of actual time.
I recently picked up an inexpensive video camera, in hopes of using it to for capture timelapse photography. It’s a different genre of art and I have a lot to learn.
Frog Days of Summer
On a pleasant summer day, hiking through the woodlands of Northeast Wisconsin, we found this frog chillin’ in a small creek. The sparse sunlight, filtering through the trees, seemed to highlight the frog and made it an interesting scene. I rather like the blueish reflections on the water.
We were hiking on the trails of Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve, in Brown County. I used a 250mm telephoto lens to get close enough to this critter without scaring him away. Even then, I had to crop this image quite a bit to get a good view of the frog.
You can get a better view, as well, by clicking on the photo, when you do a 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.
Summer Jubilation
The day lilies are abundant this year in Northeast Wisconsin. These are a couple of specimens found in our front yard.
Every year we have a clump of day lilies that bloom around the utility pole in the front yard of our home. This year, will all the rain we’ve had, they are putting on quite a show.
You can view a larger version of this image – with more detail – 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 for digital purchase and licensing options.
Where There’s Smoke
A lot of smoke from previous bursts added a dramatic effect to the sky for this cluster of fireworks at the annual Independence Day celebration at Kewaunee, WI.
As I mentioned in my previous post, the weather was very pleasant – in fact a perfect night on the lake shore – but there was little air movement. What little air movement there was, moved toward us from the direction we were viewing the fireworks. As a result, the smoke from the fireworks hung in the air and, as you can see here, obstructed our view at times. Still, a great time was had by all.
You can view full-screen 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 for digital purchase and licensing options.
Color and Chaos
The rockets red glare and the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that the spirit of Independence Day was alive and well in Kewaunee, WI. This well attended fireworks show is part of Kewaunee’s annual celebration.
The weather was wonderful for enjoying an evening with friends on the shore of Lake Michigan. For the photographer in me, I could have used a bit more of a breeze at our backs. That would have cleared the smoke away better, giving us an unobstructed view of the color and chaos.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this photo by clicking on it. If you’ve never zoomed in to a clear, fireworks photo, you should give it a try.
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.
Some of Your Beeswax
I was able to capture a close-up of couple of honey bees as they feasted on some old honeycomb.
One of our sons has become a beekeeper. On a recent visit to his homestead in Ohio, I snapped a number of photos of his bees working over some old honeycomb he had set out for them. It was a great opportunity to grab some macro views as they were docile, content and, seemingly, oblivious to my presence. I will post another image or two from this shoot sometime in the future.
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 for digital purchase and licensing options.
Fuzzy Stump
This tree stump has hair! What looks like redish hair sprouting from this decaying stump is moss sporangia. The forest is full of these tiny life forms this time of year.
I’m always intrigued by these tiny plant structures, often found while walking through the woods. On a recent hike, hunting mushrooms, I spotted this collection growing from the moss on a stump. A small stream of sunlight was filtering through the trees to illuminate the spot. I also like the cocklebur stuck in the moss near the top of the stump.
You can view a larger, more detailed, version of this image by clicking on it.
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.
Spring Coming On
The trees are starting to sprout leaves and the crops are sporting their spring-time green in this scenic view of rural northeast Wisconsin.
A couple of days ago I was grilling steaks in my driveway. I noticed the cool clouds filling the sky as the sun was slipping toward the horizon. I ran inside to grab my camera, flipped the steaks on the grill and hurried across the road to an adjacent farm field. I positioned myself to capture the sun behind a tree, standing in a field of oats. After snapping a couple of frames, I had to hurry back to those marvelous steaks on the grill.
If you look through my collection, you will find a number images featuring this same tree and the sunset. (The Wild Blue, Serene Sunset, Rural Sunset – to name a few)
You can view a larger version of this image by clicking on the photo. When you do, the 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 for digital purchase and licensing options.
Sandhill Crane in Profile
The stately Sandhill Crane is a common sight in the farm fields of rural northeast Wisconsin during spring.
As I’m typing these notes, I can hear the loud, unmistakable call of the Sandhill Cranes interrupting the early morning silence around our rural homestead. I can’t see any, but they are out there.
This is the second of two Sandhill Cranes that appeared in my yard a couple of weeks ago. Take a look the first image and the story behind it, titled “Crane Down.”
According to Wikipedia…
The sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis) is a species of large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird refers to habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska’s Sandhills on the American Plains. This is the most important stopover area for the nominotypical subspecies, the lesser sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis canadensis), with up to 450,000 of these birds migrating through annually.
Adults are gray overall; during breeding, their plumage is usually much worn and stained, particularly in the migratory populations, and looks nearly ochre. In flight, their long, dark legs trail behind, and their long necks keep straight. Immature birds have reddish-brown upperparts and gray underparts. These cranes frequently give a loud, trumpeting call that suggests a rolled “r” in the throat, and they can be heard from a long distance. Mated pairs of cranes engage in “unison calling”. The cranes stand close together, calling in a synchronized and complex duet. The female makes two calls for every one from the male.
You can view a full-screen 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 for digital purchase and licensing options.
Front Porch Portrait
Occasionally I have the opportunity to photograph people. This is a favorite capture from a high school senior portrait shoot.
Portrait photography is challenging. Since I don’t do a lot of portrait work, it challenges me to think outside of my normal landscape/nature photography box. Sure, much of the technical and creative aspects are the same, but putting a person in the frame, as the focus of the image, requires a different thought process.
I would focus more on people in my photos if it weren’t for my greatest challenge in portrait work – scheduling. (Remember, photography isn’t my full-time employment.) I can take photos of sunrises or flowers or bugs whenever I have a spare moment. I just grab my camera bag and go find something pretty or interesting. To do a portrait shoot, requires planning and cooperation with others – date, time, location, weather, etc..
You can view a larger 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 for digital purchase and licensing options.