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
Sony SLT-A55V
Bright Eyes
On a trip to Green Bay’s Botanical Gardens, hidden among the foliage, I happened upon this precious, delicate flower. I believe, among all the beauty of the gardens, this was the best image I captured that day.
It’s taken me some time to post this photo because it took a lot of work to present what you see now. What you don’t see, from the original, is a triangle-shaped shadow that ran from her eye, across her nose, to her lip – created by the leaf near her eye. You also don’t see the tripod and jacket on the ground that was protruding from behind her head. Obviously, this wasn’t a planned, posed shot, but an on-the-fly capture.
This is my friend, Lindsey. She has the personality to go along with those dimples and smile.
To get a better view of those bright eyes, just click on the photo.
Opening Scene
I was hunting for a sunrise on a Saturday morning in September. Never actually saw the sun.
Those light streaks along the horizon were a muted orange color…so, I knew the sun was out there somewhere, but it didn’t show it’s face for this shoot. The great cloud bank redeemed the morning and gave me several interesting images. A good example is the panorama I posted as Panorama Perspective.
This was taken at the beach in Kewaunee, WI on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
Click the image to see a larger version.
With All His Heart
This is my friend Bill. On Saturdays, when I can, I stop by to visit with him at a local senior care facility. Yesterday, for the first time in all my visits, I brought my camera along.
When I asked if I could take his picture, his eyes lit up, he smoothed his hair a bit, removed his glasses and asked for his horn. (It’s kept in a case on the nightstand next to his bed.)
Bill loves his family, he loves Jesus and he loves playing music. I believe he’s mostly self-taught. Because of his condition, he doesn’t play with the same proficiency he once did, but, as you can see, he plays with heartfelt passion.
While playing, his expression looks pained, but in reality, it’s the look of concentration – on breath control, notes, tone, technique… And, more than anything, you see the portrait of a man intent on persevering; a man playing with all his heart.
He gave a mini-concert that brought compliments and encouragement from the passing care-givers. (God bless them.)
Larger images of these photos can be seen by clicking on them.
Autumn Upshot
I enjoyed a walk through the woods just down the road from my house yesterday. After the long work week, the colors and the quiet were quite therapeutic. I took this among a stand of young birch trees.
Click the image to get a better view.
Sunrise Sedation
To me, the burnt-orange tone of this sunrise seems more appropriate for a sunset…like it’s the end of a day…when it’s time to dial down and relax. This image doesn’t inspire a bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed response in me.
So, as the artist who holds the copyright on this image, you have my written permission to view it as a sunset if that works better for you. I’m sure we could find a clinical study somewhere that proves a little self-delusion, at times, is healthy.
For the staunch realists of the world – that sun, peaking through the lens of the Algoma, WI pier light is, in fact, rising . Algoma is situated on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
On a side note: I’m always working to increase the number of regular visitors to this website. If this image appeals to you, please share it with friends. Thanks.
Keeper of the Lighthouse
This view of the Algoma, WI lighthouse was taken early in the morning. I believe the bird is a cormorant.
This was taken a good distance from the subject. To make the cormorant the focus of the shot required a pretty aggressive crop. There’s quite a bit of digital noise in the image. I decided I liked it and did nothing to diminish it.
Pretty Profile
It has been at least a couple of weeks since we’ve seen a hummingbird at our feeders. They’ve headed south for the winter…already.
This is one of the regulars that we will miss – a female ruby-throated hummingbird.
I like this photo because of the clear view of her pretty face and the blurred effect of her right wing. Also note the tiny strand of spider web dangling off the back of her head. Find out why there might be a spider web attached to a hummingbird. I detail it in a previous post – Click Here.
To see a larger version of this image, click the photo above.
The Beeline
Beeline (noun) 1. direct, straight course. 2. To move swiftly in a direct, straight course.
One of my “quests” this summer was to capture a bee in flight. They’re small, quick and errattic. Hard to catch in focus. So far, none of my efforts have come close to what I would deem, “successful.”
The image above is the best I’ve managed…so far…and it was by accident. (That happens more than I might like to admit.)
I was taking photos around a flower bed beside our house. While I was changing camera settings, I accidentally pressed the shutter button. A that exact moment, a bee happened to be zipping into the frame…and voilá.
If I were trying for it, I wouldn’t try in black and white, but looking at this, I really like the intensity it creates. The bee – with his straight antennae, trailing legs and blurred wings – looks like he is on a do-or-die mission and will not be denied.
To see a larger version of this image, just click on it.
To see more bee photos, check out the Bugs & Spiders gallery.
Kewaunee Lighthouse Fly By
At the end of the Kewaunee, WI pier, a couple of fishermen watch a flock of Canada geese fly by.
Click the image to see a larger version.
Botanicals
Here are a couple of the images I liked from my recent visit to Green Bay’s Botanical Gardens.
Click either photo to see a larger version of the image.
