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
Winging It
Something you don’t see every day…unless you’re talking about the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
This is the high-flying duo of Gene Soucy (pilot) and Teresa Stokes (wing walker) that flew to the delight and amazement of airshow spectators on Saturday, August 3, 2013.
Though I live less than two hours drive from Oshkosh, I’d never been to an EAA AirVenture – an annual aviation convention/extravaganza. I decided this would be the year. Amazing doesn’t begin to describe the experience. I was blessed to be there on a perfect day, weather wise, and was able to snap a number of great photos. (Watch for future posts.)
If you’d like to know more about the daredevils in this photo, visit their website: http://www.genesoucy.com.
To view a larger version of this image (I highly recommend it), click on the photo.
In Praise of Yellow
On a recent hike through the woods, I was delighted to find a variety of wildflowers. These are some of my favorites from that day.
The one flower seems to be raising a hand in praise of the creator. (Or, maybe just hoping to get noticed.)
To view a larger version of this image, click on the photo.
Winged Warrior Memoirs
This photo speaks of a bygone era of air combat. The blue jet in the center of this image is a Grumman Tiger F11. This one sports the markings of the US Navy’s Blue Angels. It was flown by the Blue Angels in their 1968 season.
Alongside the Tiger, you’ll see a MiG-15 (black) and MiG-21 (silver) – all on display at the Combat Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas.
I won’t take a lot of space here to detail the distinguished history of these aircraft. Instead, let me direct you to the Combat Air Museum’s website where they have a great deal of information on these and other classic warbirds they proudly display…
http://www.combatairmuseum.org/index.html
(Select “Aircraft On Display” from the menu on the left.)
To see a larger version of either image, just click on it.
Bodacious!
My wife’s flowerbeds add a variety of shapes and colors to our yard. These bold, red lilies seem to be in their prime and showing off.
It pays to view this image in the larger size. To do so, simply click on the photo.
Four and Twenty
Those who follow my work know, I photograph a wide range of subjects. I capture, photographically, the things that capture me. This is one of those images. I was just working in the yard and noticed the way the birds on the power line were sitting, almost perfectly spaced, even on the line the angling down to the insulator.
You can view a larger version of this image by clicking on the photo.
Shuttlecock
The shape of this cosmos, in the processes of opening up, reminded me of a badminton shuttlecock. Of course, it’s the back-lighting that brings a richness to the color and texture of this simple wildflower.
To view a larger version of this flower, click on the image.
Impersonating the Sun
The full moon took on a color more like the sun as it began its rise over Lake Michigan, behind the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse and pier.
The two people on the pier near the bottom left corner are fishermen who were packing it in for the day.
To view a larger version of this image, click on the photo.
Heads Up
Two Sandhill Cranes are up to the necks in wheat. This wheat field is in southern Door County, Wisconsin.
Sandhill cranes have always presented a challenge for me. They seem to be very shy and quick to take off when I try to get close. These two required a creative, persistent approach. Here’s how it happened.
Sara, my wife, and I were on a weekend getaway in Door County. We were heading to Peninsula State Park for a day of hiking through the woods. On the way Sara spotted these guys in a wheat field that we passed. We decided to go back an try to get a shot. I pulled over and we switched positions, so Sara was driving and I was free to take the photos. The plan was to approach the field at a relatively slow speed…but not too slow, so the birds wouldn’t get spooked. I would try to focus in and snap a few frames before they caught on and disappeared.
The first pass was a resounding failure. The movement made it hard to find and focus on the birds with my zoom lens and my exposure settings were way off. We turned around and tried it again. This time I had the right exposure but the birds sensed something was up and were on the move. Their heads were bobbing up and down in the field, always in a different spot than the last. Sara remarked, it reminded her of a Whack-A-Mole game.
We approached slower and even stopped as the birds headed for the brush at the edge of the field. Before they really took off, I got a couple of decent shots. There were actually 4 or 5 of them in the field, but with their concealed movement and head bobbing, I was never able to catch more than three in any shot. This is the one I liked best.
To get a better, more detailed view, click on the image.
Morning Blush
Of all the photos I have of local lighthouse, I’ve never made it up to Sturgeon Bay to visit their lighthouse. Last weekend my wife and I were on a little getaway in Door County so Sunday morning, I got up well before sunrise and found my way to the lighthouse.
This is an early shot before the sun broke the horizon, when the sky first began to blush behind the Sturgeon Bay, WI lighthouse, on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
To view a larger version, click on the photo.
Plum Rose
A floral beauty. The delicate placement of petals and the plum color captured my eye.
To see a larger version of this image, click on it.