A Sunset from Sunset Key
Sunset Key is a 10 minute ferry ride from the Key West mainland.
Teen Owl
A photographer friend called saying there was a Great Horned Owl just sitting on a wall. Expecting the owl to be at a far distance I grabbed an unnecessary powerful zoom lens and headed out. Well this owl was simply sitting 6' off the ground, in daylight and not at all frightened. I learned it was a young owl (clueless teenager) who didn't quite know how to act owlish. Anyway, we took a few eye level photos from 10' away with giant lenses and left.
Outside Zion
This is the Virgin River after it has left Zion National Park. Behind me is the deserted town of Grafton UT which has been partially restored by the Park Service due to its unique history.
Sunset Key
Standing on Sunset Key, which is a short 1/4 mile ferry ride from mainland Key West FL, I'm able to take some wonderful sunset photos from the beach.
Orchid
High Altitude Prairie
Located near Cedar Breaks UT the prairie at the 10,000 foot level is covered in wildflowers if the previous season received adequate rainfall.
Silver Bismarck
The palm, common in Florida, grows slowly to 30 feet or more...and each thick, fan-shaped frond can reach 10 feet in diameter.
Simple Sunset
Key West sunsets are wonderful and even the simple ones are nice if you throw in a couple palm trees.
Gunlock State Park
Located near Ivins Utah.
Scenic Drive
Somewhere along Hwy 89 between Cedar Breaks National Monument and Bryce Canyon National Park.
11,318 Feet
From here on Brian Head Peak UT you look over Arizona and Nevada. At the base is Cedar Break National Monument and in the lower left corner is Brian Head ski slopes. It takes a fairly sturdy vehicle to venture up here and at this altitude, combined with the awesome views they will literally take your breath away.
The Lone Cypress
The Lone Cypress is a Monterey cypress tree located in Pebble Beach, California. Standing atop a granite headland overlooking Carmel Bay, the tree has become a Western icon and has been called one of the most photographed trees in North America. Wikipedia
Great Egret
Great Egrets wade in shallow water (both fresh and salt) to hunt fish, frogs, and other small aquatic animals. They typically stand still and watch for unsuspecting prey to pass by. Then, with startling speed, the egrets strike with a jab of their long neck and bill.
Arizona Slot Canyon
Navajo Sandstone and resident
Prickly Pear Cactus
A beauty and a beast, prickly pear is beloved for its blossoms and feared for its vicious spines. Its yellow, red, and orange cup-shape flowers last just one day, but a large clump of prickly pears will bloom for several weeks in summer, providing delicate beauty among the thorns. If you break off an "ear" and simply push it into the ground it will grow roots allowing a new plant will form.
Point Sur
Point Sur Lighthouse is a lightstation at Point Sur 24.6 miles south of Monterey, California on top the 361-foot-tall rock at the head of the point. It was established in 1889 and is part of Point Sur State Historic Park. The light house is 40 feet tall and 270 feet above sea level. Wikipedia
Daylily
They get their name from the fact that each flower lasts only one day. I took these photos at the Boerner Botanical Garden in Milwaukee.
Egret
This is a Reddish Egret in the Florida Keys
Key West Squall Line
Coming in from the West produced big wind and rain.
Pacific Grove CA
I don't know what this plant is but the color and size really caught my eye.
Black-eyed Susan
Wisconsin
Key West Sunset
Evening Sky
Evening sail in Key West
Daylily
They get their name from the fact that each flower lasts only one day. I took these photos at the Boerner Botanical Garden in Milwaukee.
Dakota
This area of South Dakota was so desolate there were no homes or farms to be seen yet there was mail.
First Light
A rare snowfall in Snow Canyon (named after Utah pioneers Lorenzo and Erastus Snow) brought me up here before sunrise. The sun had just risen lighting up the top of this sandstone formation. By 11am there was no trace of snow here, except the higher elevation mountains.
What are you looking at?
Female Great Horned Owl in Utah. She was watching over her 2 babies which made it easy to find and photograph them in daylight.
Boca Chica
Boca Chica Key is about 20 miles from Key West. Behind me is the Naval Air Station. It's was a great place to walk because of this scenery containing mangroves and the Atlantic ocean. You can walk on the coral for miles while keeping an eye on the tides as some spots get quite deep during high tide. I tool this photo a few years before hurricane Irma completely changed this shoreline so it will be many years before the mangroves fill out again.
California Quail
California quail thrive in brushy areas where they have ready access to water. They need dense brush where they can escape from predators, but prefer more grassy, herbaceous cover to nest in. Seeds, grains, berries, and especially clover make up their diet. They can actually live without water if they can eat enough moist, leafy greens-but in the desert that is very uncommon. This quail is a species that is very adapted to living near mankind. They are a common sight in SW Utah even in people's back yards. In the springtime you might be lucky enough to spot a female leading a dozen or so chicks to a feeding area.
Ready to fly
Key West Wildlife Center rehabilitated hawk about to be released
Sunset Key
Sunset Key is a small 27 acre island with a hotel and individual homes. It is reachable by a short ferry ride from Key West. It was originally developed by the US Navy to hold fuel tanks but later sold to a developer.
Standing in one place, shoot right then left
On this rare snow covered morning I quickly set up my camera on the edge of a wash. I turned right and shot up the wash towards the Red Mountain that borders Snow Canyon State Park then turned the camera left and took another down the wash towards the Beaver Dam mountains. I spent the previous 2-3 hours in the park taking other photos of snow covered red sandstone, sand dunes and black lava. I had to move fast because in Ivins Utah snow like this only falls every couple of years and is gone in as many hours.
New Day Comes
Back on Pewaukee Lake
In a dark woods
In July (10,500 feet) went to Cedar Breaks National Monument for the spring wildflower bloom. Due to low snowfall and rain the fields were pretty sparse but walking through the trees there were many flowers of different types. This is an Indian Paintbrush.
Delphinium
Took this photo in my mother's garden in Wisconsin.
Springtime at Altitude
Near Cedar Breaks Utah. Aspens are still bare.
Determination
Walking through the Botanical Gardens in Salt Lake City on a day the air was thick with smog this one brilliant flower said "photograph me". In my home I print, frame and hang photos. I change them all out 1x a year as a form of redecorating. I happen to have this photo hanging on my wall and it's always an eye catcher when I walk by.
Big Horn Sheep
Valley of Fire Nevada
Navajo Lake Utah
Navajo Lake is a small lake in southern Utah at an elevation of about 10,000 feet. It is shallow, reaching depths of only 25 feet. The lake was formed by a lava flow across the eastern end of the valley. The lake drains into both the Great Basin and the Colorado River drainage systems through sinkholes in the lake floor.
Key West Sunset
These usually happen when I don't have a camera.
Great Blue Heron
Taken while visiting Horicon Marsh in WI. The wingspan can reach 6.5 feet.
Lillies
From my mother's garden in Wisconsin
Lake Powell AZ
Lake Powell was created by the flooding of Glen Canyon by the Glen Canyon Dam, which also led to the 1972 creation of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area,
a popular summer destination of public land managed by the National Park Service. This photo was taken from Observation Point. A couple feet in front or to my
right is a sheer 800 foot drop.
Predictably Curious
Taking bird photos at one of my favorite spots on Big Pine Key when I spotted this osprey a block or two away. As I was the only human in the area I knew he had to come check out me out. I changed the camera settings from long range to a few feet over my head and in about a minute it swoops in and makes 2-3 circles right over my head. Satisfied or just wanted its picture taken, it flew away.
Mojave Desert
Gold Butte National Monument covers nearly 300,000 acres of remote and rugged desert landscape in southeastern Nevada, where dramatically chiseled red sandstone, twisting canyons, and tree-clad mountains punctuate desolate stretches of the Mojave Desert. The brightly hued sandstone provides a stunning canvas for the area’s famously beautiful rock art. BLM
This remote area is a favorite of due to the colors and feeling of remoteness. By Park Service design there are no services and access requires a capable vehicle. There are these beautiful Joshua trees, numerous abandoned mines, ancient rock art and endless new discoveries.
Key West Postcard
Great White Heron
Sky on fire
Another brilliant key West sunset.
Roadrunner
Usually hunts by walking rapidly, looking for prey, then making very rapid (15 - 20 mph) dash forward to catch prey in its bill. May leap straight up from ground to catch insects or birds flying over (has been seen catching hummingbirds this way). They are primarily carnivorous but will eat cactus fruit and some seeds.
Glad I was home
And I did not do any color enhancment.
Harbor Shower
Small shower moving over the Key West harbor.
Up-close sunset
Standing on the beach last week photographing a Key West sunset the sky looked wild as the sun moved below the horizon. I had a strong lens on the camera so I just zoomed in close and this is what the camera saw.
Unusual One
This is an unusual sunrise and the reflection in the lake really enhances it.
Dawn color
Nice color and clouds mirrored by Pewaukee Lake Wisconsin.
Egret
Reddish Egret in Big Pine Key FL
Iguana
An herbivore, originally from Central, South America and the Caribbean, the iguana is a large species of lizard. Large in size, males usually reach up to nearly 5 feet in length. With sunny skies and sub-tropical temperatures, it’s no wonder that iguanas have found another home in the Florida Keys. It’s believed that the first iguanas to find themselves in the Florida Keys were stowaways on several ships bringing fruit over from South America.
Florida Keys
Reddish Egret turns to pose.
Setting sun
Glad I had my camera for this one.
Ready to rumble
American alligators inhabit most of the southeastern United States. They live in freshwater rivers, lakes, swamps, and marshes. There are an estimated 1.25 million in Florida alone. Alligators can grow up to 800 pounds and 13 feet long on average.
Light Painting
Pewaukee Lake WI
Smiling for the camera
Walking along the harbor in Key West he must have seen my camera so it surfaced for a photo, not really but it appeared that way. Manatees never leave the water but typically come up for air every 5 minutes. When it is resting, the aquatic mammal can hold its breath for up to 20 minutes. When it is exerting great amounts of energy, it may surface as often as every 30 seconds.
Simple Sea Grass
Walking on the Florida Keys reef at low tide in 4-10 inches of water one...
Water Lily
Boerner Botanical Gardens in Milwaukee. This lily is a Nymphaea.
Busy Bee
My mother in Wisconsin has quite the elaborate perennial garden. Every summer I really enjoy taking photos of the color, structure and sometimes the wildlife.
Look Up
Standing at the bottom of a slot canyon in AZ about noon. The sun lights up the sandstone but blocks the bright sun making for interesting photos.
ISO50 Leica 35mm f/16 8 seconds.
Refueling
Enterprise
One very cold morning we drove over the mountains you see in the distance. Here in Enterprise NV it's flat endless hay fields. This sunrise was beautiful, lighting up ground fog/haze and the vegetation picked up the sky color as it was frost white. My fingers froze working the camera quickly to capture this.
Low Flow
Took a long hike to find a waterfall shooting horizontal out of a crevasse. It was more of a drizzle due to rainfall but the scenery was pretty.
Rudbeckia
If this is correct it's also called a Black-eyed Susan. I took the photo in Wisconsin.
Key West
Land of wonderful sunsets.
Argentine Giant Cactus
Argentine Giant Cactus - I took this photo in St George Utah in early May. Flowers are 8-10” wide. They bloom at night and only last one day.
Angry Skies
My usual serene sunrise setting is upset about something.
Melting Sun
Rolling Lake Fog
Wisconsin
Road to Canyonlands
Outside of Moab UT is Canyonlands National Park. This 340,000 acre park preserves a colorful landscape eroded into numerous canyons, mesas, and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. (Wikipedia) While driving through wide vistas I will sometimes shoot with a camera close to the pavement which can make for an interesting photo.
White Pocket National Monument
Very remote Utah location
Pine Valley
Pine Valley, at the head of the Santa Clara River in the Pine Valley Mountains Utah.
Key Deer
Big Pine Key has a population of Key deer. The Key deer is an endangered deer that lives only in the Florida Keys. It is a subspecies of the white-tailed deer. It is the smallest North American deer.
Birches
Slot Canyon
In Page AZ there are some fine slot canyons on the reservations. Some have relatively easy access but some require negotiating ladders and steps. When the sun is high in the sky the Navajo sandstone lights up in different shades of red and golds. It's hard not to take a good photo in these canyons as long as you have a camera that allows lots of light to enter as it's rather dark at these depths.
Quaking Aspen Forest
Photo was taken near Park City Utah. The leaves quake or tremble in light breezes and turn a brilliant yellow in fall.
Dry Stream Bed
Joined a photography club in Utah. One morning in White Pocket National Monument, Charles the club leader, yelled to me "look down" which I did but saw nothing but bare sandstone. I looked at him and again he yelled "just look down". So I pointed the camera in front of my feet and took a photo. He later explained most photographers are always looking up or out for a subject and walking past the down. From that day on, some of my (IMHO) more interesting photos are from also looking down.
Key West Sunset
I use a strong telephoto lens it brings the sun closer making it appear large. This is only possible if there's adequate cloud/haze coverage combined with a dark filter on the lens otherwise the intensity of light overpowers the lens, camera and eye.
Zinnias
Zinnias are one of the easiest flowers to grow because seeds require only basic garden preparation to sprout and the plants flower in just a few weeks; they can flourish with very little fertilizer and still produce flowers.
Foggy Morning
Above the cloud bank over Lake Michigan and through the fog.
Red Mountain
The city of Ivins in Southwest Utah is located about 100 miles from Las Vegas. The centerpiece is Red Mountain which is the ever-present backdrop for Tuacahn Center for the Arts, Snow Canyon State Park and the art community of Kayenta.
Sea nettle
I took this photo of a sea nettle by simply shooting through the glass tank wall at the Monterrey Aquarium.
A sea nettle hunts by trailing 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, where the jelly eats its meal.
Bobcat
They have short tufts on the tips of their ears and “bob” tails, giving them their name. Adults may weigh 12 to 30 pounds. They are solitary and mainly active at dawn and dusk but can sometimes be seen during the day. The main prey for bobcats are rabbits which there are an abundance of. I took this photo in our yard in Utah.
Low Ceiling
Near Duck Creek Utah at roughly 10,000 feet. Aspens, perfect clouds, river and lava field make for a nice landscape. Leica SL ISO 50 72mm f/11 1/125
Brian Head Peak
11,300 feet overlooking the town of Brian Head (out of sight) which is the highest year round occupied city in the USA. From here one can see Utah, Nevada and Arizona. Straight ahead the red scar is Cedar Breaks National monument. I drove up here in July and there were still snow drifts along the "road".
Sky sun water Art
Every morning is so different. Because it's dark at that hour I will leave the shutter open for as long as a minute to let what little light there is, soak into the camera's sensor.
Draft Horses
Taken on a Wisconsin farm.
Chinese Aster
Rich Color
WI Sunrise...color like this is extremely rae
Rose with visitor
I wonder if it smells really good to the bee?
Phlox
Wisconsin
An interesting photo
This photo file is 87MB which means crystal clear resolution. When uploaded to this site you are looking at 106KB. Though not very sharp you can still make out those dark spots on the sun. The sun is so bright it overpowers a camera like our eyes if you try to look at it. In this rare case there was just enough cloud/haze that it could be easily photographed but not strong enough to hide those dark areas which are sunspots! Anyway, I think that's pretty amazing that we can see them in this photo.
Foggy Sunrise
Used a long lens to pull the island closer in this very foggy, golden morning light in Wisconsin.
Perfection
Not sure what it is but the colors are striking. This was in my mothers Wisconsin garden.
Lillies
Florida Water Lillies
Death Valley NP
These are the sand dunes with mountain range in the background. I took this on a bright sunny day with a black and white camera. The deep blue sky becomes grey black but lightens where the white sand reflects the sunlight upward.