Great horned owl
A powerful, mottled-brown predator, it is often more than 2 feet long, with a wingspan often approaching 7 feet. It usually eats small rodents and birds but has been known to carry off larger prey. Adapted to desert and forest, the species migrates only when food is scarce. Audubon
I assume this young one is from a pair that nests on a ledge in a nearby canyon in Utah.
Front row for a sunrise
Pewaukee Lake Wisconsin
Black White & Bird
Florida Keys
Key West FL
Another beautiful sunset
Joshua Tree
Taken in Nevada at Gold Butte National Monument. This tree is about 10' tall and gets large white flowers when in bloom.
Key West sunset
Took my camera down to the water last night and as the sun was melting into the horizon these two boats nicely lined up for me.
Foggy fishing
Not being a fishing guy, I do admire their dedication to the hobby. Pretty much an early morning all weather sport that requires a large investment in equipment. It is similar to photography in that some days you catch a good one but most are just average.
Sunrise Key West
Old dock pilings on the Atlantic ocean side.
White-Naped crane
The white-naped crane is a large bird about 4 ft long, and 4.3 ft tall, and weighing about 12 lb, with pinkish legs, a grey-and-white-striped neck, and a red face patch.
It breeds in northeastern Mongolia, northeastern China, and adjacent areas of southeastern Russia, where a program at Khingan Nature Reserve raises eggs provided from U.S. zoos to bolster the species. Different groups of the birds migrate to winter near the Yangtze River, the Korean Demilitarized Zone, and on Kyūshū in Japan. They also reach Kazakhstan and Taiwan. Only about 4,900 to 5,400 individuals remain in the wild. Wikipedia
I took this photo while visiting the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin.
There should be music
Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's horizon. This morning twilight period will last until sunrise, when direct sunlight outshines the diffused light. Wikipedia
I think a colorful dawn like this, mirrored by a lake, should come a soundtrack composed by the famous John Williams.
Soft sunrise
Red Mountain Ivins Utah
A new day begins
Sunrise Wisconsin
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is a national recreation area and conservation unit of the United States National Park Service that encompasses the area around Lake Powell and lower Cataract Canyon in Utah and Arizona, covering 1,254,429 acres of mostly rugged high desert terrain. The recreation area is named for Glen Canyon, which was flooded by the Glen Canyon Dam, completed in 1966, and is now mostly submerged beneath the waters of Lake Powell.
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley is in Eastern California, in the Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. It is thought to be the hottest place on Earth during summer. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the point of lowest elevation in North America, at 282 feet below sea level. It is 84.6 miles east-southeast of Mount Whitney — the highest point in the contiguous United States, with an elevation of 14,505 feet. Wikipedia
For me it is one of those rare places where black & white photos usually work very well.
Key West Sunset
Barely shining through
Sunset last night with plane returning from Fort Jefferson National Park.
Utah sunset
Took this in Gunlock Utah
Double Rainbow
Wisconsin this past summer.
Ivins Utah
Ivins is a city in southwestern Washington County, Utah. It is a part of the St. George Metropolitan Area as a suburb. The population was 8,978 at the 2020 census. The elevation is 3100 feet. On the other side of these very red Navajo sandstone mountains lies Snow Canyon State Park.
Slot canyon
A slot canyon is a long, narrow channel or drainageway with sheer rock walls that are typically eroded into either sandstone or other sedimentary rock. A slot canyon has depth-to-width ratios that typically exceed 10:1 over most of its length and can approach 100:1. Some slot canyons can measure less than 1 metre (3 ft) across at the top but drop more than 30 metres (100 ft) to the floor of the canyon. Wikipedia
This Navajo sandstone canyon is in Page Arizona. The ideal time to photograph is between 10 and 2 when the sun is overhead to light up the walls.
Fly Fishing
Ospreys search for fish by flying on steady wingbeats and bowed wings or circling high in the sky over relatively shallow water. They often hover briefly before diving, feet first, to grab a fish. You can often clearly see an Osprey's catch in its talons as the bird carries it back to a nest or perch. I took this at an old quarry now filled with fresh water on Big Pine Key FL.
Snow Melt
This stream is at about 9,000-10,000 feet near Duck Creek UT which is between Bryce Canyon National Park and Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Spring Firework
Took this, amongst others, in my mothers Wisconsin garden.
Mirror
Based on the light sometimes I have to leave the shutter open to capture more light. This one took 6 seconds which had the added benefit of smoothing out the already flat lake.
Calf Creek Falls
Calf Creek is a perennial clear stream that descends 126 feet into a pool. It’s located in Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. During the 6 mile hike you’ll pass two granaries, beaver dams, and a mighty pictograph on the wall opposite the canyon, to name but a few sites along the way.
The power of Irma
September 2017 Hurricane Irma made landfall in an area 20-50 miles north of Key West as a Category 4 with 140mph winds with recorded gusts of 180 on Big Pine Key. About a month after the storm passed I visited this area on Long Beach Road. This home received the 5' water surge plus wave tops relentlessly pushing until it broke through the house. Everything in the home was swept into the mangroves behind me.
Zinnias
Clematis
Near Zion
Outside of Zion National Park this serves as a background for the abandoned town of Grafton. At the base, and reason for the towns settlement is the Virgin river which carved the landscape here and created Zion Park a few miles away.
Mesquite
Rugged road through some Joshua trees with Mesquite Nevada way off in the distance. Not quite sure if I'm standing in Arizona or Utah because all three states are at this location, pretty close together. Beautiful spot to be for sunset due to the light and silence.
First light on a rainy morning
Wisconsin sunrise on a rainy morning.
Colorado River
Over my right shoulder around a bend is the Glen Canyon dam holding back Lake Powell. This is downstream from the dam with the river about 750 feet below me. You may be able to make out a boat about 1/2 way into the photo to give you an idea of scale.
Bird of Paradise
Desert Bird of Paradise. Can grow as tall as 13 feet as a shrub or trimmed to a tree shape.
Hurricane Irma
September 2017 Hurricane Irma made landfall in an area 20-50 miles north of Key West as a Category 4 with 140mph winds with recorded gusts of 180 on Big Pine Key. About a month after the storm passed I visited this area on Long Beach Road. I walked the entire road and beach and the silence amplified the destruction.
Cosmos
Boerner Botanical Gardens
A Close-up
There was enough cloud, fog and Canadian fire smoke to create a natural filter allowing me to take this with a very powerful lens without my camera and eyeball melting. If you are seeing this on a larger device screen you'll even be able to clearly see a sunspot on the right side above trees. I take quite a few photos, especially sunrises and it amazes me that a photo can easily capture trees 5 miles away with a sunspot 93 million miles behind them. This is the kind of stuff that makes this an enjoyable hobby.
Black Crowned Crane
Black Crowned Cranes are found in eastern Africa, centered in Senegal and Gambia. I took this at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo WI.
California State Route 1
State Route 1 is a major north–south state highway that runs along most of the Pacific coastline of the U.S. state of California. At 656 miles, it is the longest state route in California, and the second-longest in the US after Montana Highway 200. Wikipedia
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are renowned for their large, showy flowers. Wikipedia
This was taken in my mothers Wisconsin garden.
Sky fire
Sunrise in Wisconsin with very low clouds resembling fire on the horizon.
Morning Sun
Walking through a farmers market bunches of cut flowers can make for a concentrated frame of color and shape.
Hurricane Irma
September 2017 Hurricane Irma made landfall in an area 20-50 miles north of Key West as a Category 4 with 140mph winds with recorded gusts of 180 on Big Pine Key. About a month after the storm passed I visited this area on Long Beach Road. Hard to grasp the force of the storm. Most homes along the street looked similar to this one.
1880s
South Dakota
In the back row
I love taking sunset photos in Key West. Sometimes I think I have enough but I'm always proven wrong because every sunset is a little different from all the others. For this one I'm sitting on a beach on a plastic lawn chair, camera with a big lens mounted on a tripod between my legs. I just Googled something like best sunset locations and Key West seemed to be on everyones top 10 list. Every evening there are 10-30 boats carrying their paid customers out for a front row view while I'm sitting in the back row hoping they will partially block my view.
Monarda
From my mother's garden in Wisconsin.
Maraschino
Pewaukee Lake WI
Fall Aspens
Up around 10,000 feet near Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Please
To my right there were a couple fishermen cleaning their catch. Now and then they'd throw some scraps to these guys.
Water Power
In a 50' deep slot canyon in Kanab Utah. The very smooth sandstone walls, clean sand floor and 12" log trapped 20 some feet in the air is why they advise staying out of narrow canyons when there is rain anywhere within 100 miles.
Pacific Coast CA
PacState Route 1 is a scenic highway that runs along most of the Pacific coastline of the U.S. At 656 miles (1,056 km), it is the longest state route in California. Wikipedia
Key West Sunset
Big sky Utah
I took this in the general area of Bryce Canyon National Park. The 120 mile route from Bryce to Capital Reef National Park is a beautiful trip with ever-changing scenery.
A mix of things
Rain, clouds, trees and a full rainbow.
Sunset Key West FL
I used a very wide lens which makes the palm trees look like they are bending towards the center.
Water lilies
Water lilies, are beloved for their colorful and exotic-looking blooms, but they are more than just pretty plants. They also contribute to pond health. By covering the water surface, they shade the water and keep it cooler, which helps control algae that thrives in heat. Water lilies also shelter fish from birds of prey and filter out excess nutrients to further inhibit algae growth. When temperatures warm up in summer, water lilies' showy flowers open in the morning and close at night.
Leucospermum
Saw it at a farmers market in So California. The guy had buckets of the most exotic cut flowers I've ever seen.
Sunrise Wisconsin
Black-eyed susan
Quiet Color
It requires clouds for a memorable sunrise or sunset but some sunrises need very little to emphasize the changing color bands as it makes its way closer to the horizon.
One Season Ends
Boating season ends but the light show continues.
Brian Head Peak
Brian Head Peak overlooks Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah. At 11,312 feet it has an alpine subarctic climate. With a mean annual snowfall of over 29 feet it is one of the snowiest inhabited (88 people) places in the United States.
Sandhill crane
This is a species of large crane in North America. Their large wingspans, typically 6-8 feet, make them very skilled soaring birds, similar in style to hawks and eagles. Using thermals to obtain lift, they can stay aloft for many hours, requiring only occasional flapping of their wings, thus expending little energy. Migratory flocks contain hundreds of birds, and can create clear outlines of the normally invisible rising columns of air (thermals) they ride. Wikipedia
This is a family here in WI with their newborn.
Pastel morning
Looking about 10 miles East on Pewaukee Lake WI.
Northern Utah
On a road trip to Park City
Cayo Hueso
Key West (Spanish: Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it constitutes the City of Key West. Wikipedia
Spring Green Wisconsin
Took this on a visit to The House On The Rock in Spring Green WI, which is also where Taliesin, the 600 acre estate of architect Frank Lloyd Wright is located.
Fragrant water-lily
Took this at a botanical garden in Milwaukee. It was an overcast day making the water look almost black which is a nice background for the lily to show off its color. Its found in permanent slow moving waters throughout North America where it ranges from Central America to northern Canada as well as Brazil.
Patience
Sun rising through a low layer of fog creates some interesting light. This was taken on Pewaukee Lake in Wisconsin.
Argentine cactus
Argentine cactus blooms throughout the day and night with spectacularly large 8" flowers. While the blooms only last 36-48 hours, they are splendid enough to attract eager pollinators during the night, which include bats and moths.
White Hibiscus
Soft red and white in the shadows.
This dawn should last all day
Front row seat silently watching someone paint with spray cans on the other side of a huge pane of glass.
Double lake sunrise
Interesting clouds can form 50+ miles away over Lake Michigan due to warm air over colder water.These clouds catch the first light of the dawn like a theatre screen, and reflect this light to the ground which is again reflected in the calm 10 miles of inland lake water I'm photographing over here in Wisconsin.
Egret
The largest of the white-colored wading birds in Florida, the great egret is frequently seen in wetlands areas and along waterways.
Garden color
Found this beautiful feature walking through a botanical garden.
Sea Nettle
Those tentacles are a sure sting. A sea nettle hunts by traling those long tentacles, covered with stinging cells. When the tentacles touch tiny plankton, the stinging cells stick tight and paralyze prey. From there, the prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and finally to the mouth. I took this photo in the Monterey Aquarium and the text came off their website.
Old World Wisconsin
Old World Wisconsin is an open-air museum located near Eagle, Wisconsin. It depicts housing and the daily life of settlers in 19th-century Wisconsin, with separate areas representing the traditions of different ethnic groups who settled in the state. Costumed interpreters portray the occupations and chores of typical settlers of the time.Wikipedia
Orchids
Walking around experimenting with my black & white camera I took this photo of deep blue almost purple orchids growing in deep shade.
Sunset Key Sunset
Daylilies
Daylilies are popular, easy-to-grow, low-maintenance perennials that are tough, long-lived, and tolerant of neglect. They bloom profusely, though individual blooms only last a single day, and varieties number in the tens of thousands. Daylilies grow from fleshy roots, unlike true lilies that grow from bulbs. gardendesign.com
Indian shot
Canna indica is commonly known as Indian shot. Canna indica has been a food crop cultivated by indigenous peoples of the Americas for thousands of years. Wikipedia
I took this photo at the Boerner Botanical Gardens in Milwaukee.
Joshua Tree
It is native to the arid Southwestern United States, specifically California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. Based on growth estimates this 8 foot tree is 150-200 years old. If it survives the rigors of the desert, it can live for hundreds of years; some specimens survive a thousand years.
Another Day
Another beautiful sunset sail in Key West FL
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Cedar Breaks National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located in the U.S. state of Utah near Cedar City. Cedar Breaks is a natural amphitheater, stretching across 3 miles, with a depth of over 2,000 feet. The elevation of the rim of the amphitheater is over 10,000 feet above sea level. Wikipedia
Foggy Sunrise
Wisconsin
Two Pots of Gold
Pine Mountain Utah
Dazzling Sunrise
Wisconsin Best
Monsoon Season Begins
The desert just woke up … The air smelt of creosote, and the distinctive olive-green bush with oily leaves was filled with bright yellow flowers. Wildflowers and a barrel cactus, withered and dry a few days ago, were blooming… dragonflies and birds filled the air, lizards, quail and roadrunners scuttled on the ground, a jackrabbit hopping across the trail, and a cardinal, with its bright red plumage flying by. Sunset brings bats, the sounds of frogs and the howl of coyotes. The desert awakes…
Silent Color
Sunrise over my favorite Lake in Pewaukee Wisconsin
Shallow Water
Walking on the reef at low tide. The depth here is just a few inches which reveals water plants.
Joshua Trees in Gold Butte
Gold Butte National Monument is located northeast of Las Vegas and south of Mesquite. The monument protects nearly 300,000 acres of desert landscapes featuring a wide array of natural and cultural resources, including rock art, sandstone towers, and important wildlife habitat for species including the Mojave Desert tortoise, bighorn sheep, and mountain lion. The area also protects historic ranching and mining sites such as the ghost town of Gold Butte. Wikipedia
Pine Mountain Utah
Fog Frame
This sunrise is nicely framed with fog.
It’s real
I am fortunate to be able to get so many beautiful sunrise photos. And if the water is smooth......ah....reflection bonus.
Outstanding sunrise
What a beautiful beginning
Doubler
Ivins Utah
Garden Fireworks
Took this in my mother's garden.
Great Blue Heron
The white form of the Great Blue Heron, known as the "great white heron," is found nearly exclusively in shallow marine waters along the coast of very southern Florida, the Yucatan Peninsula, and in the Caribbean. They hunt both day and night and can live over 20 years.
Hibiscus
Squall
This one sent a strong message to the boaters that day.