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
Fixin’ to Bloom
In photography, sometimes lighting is everything.
This is simple Queen Anne’s Lace. It is just beginning to open up to that flat base of tiny white flowers.
The lighting and color of the background are what make this a worthwhile post. The light was provided by a rising sun. The background is a simple concrete wall – the foundation of our home.
This kind of lighting is why the times around sunrise and sunset are called the “Golden Hour” in photography.
To see a larger version and more detail, simply click on the image.
Father Son Brunch
This is a father and son pair of Eastern Bluebirds. The son hatched this spring. The father seems to be eyeing the son’s table manners as he downs another mealworm.
We’ve been providing a small amount of mealworms for the bluebirds every morning. Every morning, I wake up the loud singing of male bluebird.
To see a larger version of this image, click on it.
Her Best Side
This little beauty – a female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird – seemed to be posing for me. If you look closely, you can see the very tip of her tongue protruding from her beak. I think she was trying to be sassy without me noticing.
Coming In
A lone boat heads for the harbor of Algoma, Wisconsin after a morning of fishing on Lake Michigan. The combination of sun, sky, lake and boat provide plenty to keep the eye and the mind busy with this one.
If you have a large monitor, you may be able to view a larger version of this image by clicking on it.
Garden Svengali
This butterfly struck a perfect pose for this portrait shot. He was a handsome specimen. Still, I’m not sure which I find more interesting, the butterfly or the flower he is perched on.
Rabbit in the Clearing
On an early morning walk though Missouri woods, I came across this gentle woodland creature in a clearing. It watched me for a short moment before hopping on its way.
To view a larger version of this photo, click on it.
Whiskers
This American Robin was working frantically to fill her beak with grass. I thought it made a comical site. Obviously, somewhere there was a nest to be built.
According to Wikipedia, the American Robin “…is one of the earliest bird species to lay eggs, beginning to breed shortly after returning to its summer range from its winter range. Its nest consists of long coarse grass, twigs, paper, and feathers, and is smeared with mud and often cushioned with grass or other soft materials.”
Though one of the earliset to build its nests, this robin was gathering nesting material at the end of June. Maybe it was starting its second effort of the season.
To view a larger version of this image, simply click on the photo.
Hands Lifted High
This is an example of unusual light creating an unusually lovely image. This sparse bunch of Phlox were being illuminated by the muted light of very low sun in the early morning.
There were Phlox bunches filled with many more blooms, but the cool color of these few caught my eye.
Get a better look at a larger version by clicking on the photo.
Ugly Bug Feast
My camera and I spent a warm summer morning roaming the woods of northwest Missouri.
I found small clearing with some wildflowers, including a number of beautiful Queen Ann’s Lace. On one bunch of Queen Ann’s Lace I spotted a black wasp with distinctive white stripes. It was easy to see the bed of white.
Upon closer inspection, it was obvious the wasp had died there Then I noticed a smaller, ugly bug gnawing on it’s leg. It took some searching and help from a friend to identify it as an Ambush Bug.
I watched it for awhile and saw the ambush bug try to carry the wasp off, but seemed unable. I think the wasps legs were stuck in the flower bed.
I made it a point to check back the next day and couldn’t find any sign of either parties.
To see a larger version of any of these images, simply click on them.
Bold and Beautiful (monochrome)
Sometimes I like taking a favorite color photo and removing the color – making it monochrome – to see how the change affects the image. There are times when the B&W version is better…and times when it is not. This is a monochrome version of Bold and Beautiful. You can look and both and decide which you like better – color or B&W. I like aspects of both and would call this one a toss up.
Click on the image to see a larger version.