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-A77V
Planking
This common red squirrel strikes an unusual pose. I think it looks like he’s “planking.”
According to Wickipedia: Planking (or the Lying Down Game) is an activity consisting of lying face down —sometimes in an unusual or incongruous location. The term planking refers to mimicking a wooden plank.
I saw this comical fellow on an early morning walk through the woods. When he saw me, he ran up a tree and hopped onto this board and reclined – remaining motionless as I slowly moved closer to take this photo.
Though humorous to us, I’m told this position is a defensive move squirrels often employ – to minimize their exposure to predators by attempting to blend in with the tree branch they’re on.
To get a better view, you can click on the photo and a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
I Am Seven, Hear Me Roar
Emma is seven years old and full of energy. On this evening, she had bouncing-off-the-walls energy.
This is an awesome image! Now, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not bragging on myself because it happened quite by accident – as awesome shots sometimes do. It would never enter my mind to try an set up a shot like this. Any serious photographer will tell you, there are those moments that you couldn’t have planned, couldn’t have set up, when all the planets are aligned and the angels are smiling upon you. That was this moment. Here’s how it came about.
I was outdoors, trying to capture a photo of some wrens entering/exiting their birdhouse. I was using a 300mm, zoom lens, to get a close-up, from a distance. I had just finished photographing the birds, because the day was ending and there no longer was enough light in the shaded area to get a good image.
About this time, folks showed up for a family gathering. Emma saw me with the camera and started hopping around me saying, “Take a picture of me!” I couldn’t take a photo of her because I had the long zoom lens and she was too close – I couldn’t even get the lens to focus at that distance. I told her she was too close, and if she would go a little farther away I could take a photo. Well, I meant she should move ten to fifteen feet away. Emma just heard, “farther away,” and took off running. My attempts to call her back never reached her ears and she finally stopped and turned around about 20 yards away.
The amazing thing was where she stopped. Quite by accident, she stopped in a spot where the setting sun was able to stream through an opening in the trees. Ten feet farther or closer and she would have been in the shadows. I remember being in awe at the way the light was hitting her. Thankfully I had the presence of mind to focus and shoot. Even then, I didn’t really think this shot would turn out so well…so sharp in the low light conditions. I have no idea of what she was saying to me.
For fellow photographers that would like the specifics: 1/90 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800, 300mm, handheld, no artificial light, manual mode.
To view a larger version of this image, click on the photo.
When the Deep Purple Falls
The Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse and pier are framed by an unusual sky as the sun rises over Lake Michigan.
The sky was an odd color…but I might have taken a little liberty with the processing.
Graceful End
The delicate dandelion blossom in its last stages. The dandelion, like other members of the Asteraceae family, has very small flowers collected together in a composite flower head. Each single flower in a head is called a floret.
It seems every photographer has a dandelion photo…and this is mine. They do make interesting subjects.
To see more of the delicate details, click on the image.
Hut Hut
A future football fan gets a unique perspective of the game in a life-size display at the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. It’s a fun place for the whole family, plenty to look at – especially for the true football fan.
See more of the details in a larger version of this shot by clicking on the photo.
Star of Bethlehem
These flowers serve as cheerful, early spring greeters at the entrance of the Algoma Public Library.
I did an internet search to identify them as Star of Bethlehem.
To view a larger version of this photo, click on it.
Engaged
Meet David, Michelle…and the jewelry box. When we met at a local park for their Engagement Photo shoot, they told me they wanted to include this jewelry box in one of the photos because it held sentimental importance to them.
The jewelry box cover says, “You are My Forever Love.” It was a gift from David to Michelle on the day he proposed to her. In fact, it was the jewelry box that provided the words. The box has an audio feature. It will record your voice and play your personal message whenever the box is opened. David recorded his proposal to Michelle and gave her the box as a gift. When she opened it…well, I didn’t get the details of that encounter, but the photo above tells you everything you need to know.
There was a moment as we were preparing that he opened the box and the message began to play. I quickly moved away so I couldn’t hear it. I don’t know if they cared whether I heard it or not but, to me, it just seemed too special, to private, a moment for young lovers, for her ears only.
To view a larger version of the portrait above, click on it.
For friends and family of David and Michelle, a gallery of all the photos from our session can be viewed here: GALLERY
Skyward Inspiration
The sky above Lake Michigan and the lighthouse at Kewaunee, Wisconsin had an inspirational feel to it, complete with calm, reflective water, the dramatic, yet warm, glow of sunlight filtered through textured clouds, a lone fisherman on the pier and a formation of geese high overhead.
This image was taken on a Saturday morning. I was glad to capture the geese flying though the scene, as it doesn’t happen often. (At least, not often enough for me.)
To get a better view of the finer details, click on the photo and a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
Spring of Glory
This beautiful flow of colorful tulips was photographed this spring at the West of the Lake Gardens in Manitowoc, WI.
To view a larger version of this photo, click on the image.
Shy Dove
I took my camera for a walk around the yard. It had been a rainy day and I thought I might get another perspective of the “normal,” since everything would still be wet.
While stooping down to take a photo of some bleeding hearts in the flowerbed, I saw something run from one clump of plants to another. It took some stalking to finally get a look at what had moved.
It’s a young mourning dove; very young and apparently too small to fly. I was able to catch this shot before it darted, again, into the brush. It must have thought it was hidden pretty well. I saw it again, the next day, hanging out with other birds, grazing under some bird feeders. When they saw me, the birds flew off…and this one ran for the safety of the flowerbed.
To view a larger version of this image, click on it.