I would like to take a brief moment to give my monthly Earth Images “state of the blog” address.  I promise I won’t interrupt any previously scheduled blogging. While I have complained from time to time that Earth Images does not have as many readers as I would like, the truth is that the viewership remains fairly constant.  It is clear that photo “how to” articles and posts in which I comment on nature photography and nature photographers are the most popular.

The most consistently read post on earth Images continues to be Composition 101, All About Rules.  Cloudy Day Landscapes has reached number two.  Both of these posts come up easily on internet searches.  The Thoughts Behind Pictures articles as well as The Natural Observer pieces are next followed by any of the Today In Nature Photography Posts.  More of Ron’s articles on wildlife are getting good viewership as well. Many of the above mentioned articles were published well after our first 5,000 visitors.  Fact tracking like this helps me to know what the public wants.

Knowing what kind of posts are the most  popular, I have of course written today’s post from the perspective that is the least popular.  It is a good thing that this is no longer a business.

Nature photography is just like any part of life. One of the most valuable tools you can have is a thorough knowledge of yourself.  It will produce less wasted energy, less frustration and many more great images.  I am not saying that you should not try everything, only that success comes to those who value and understand themselves, not to those who want to be like others.  We are all unique.  You are “one of a kind”.  Use it to your advantage.

The pictures below were made at Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado.  I have never before shown the second of the two.  I was making my way around (by car) one of the most beautiful canyon drives I have ever seen.  I was doing my best considering it was almost midday (light) and I had made all of my pictures within 300 feet from my car.  I saw an opportunity to create one of my favorite types of image.  I love to combine the obvious with the abstract.  I checked to see if I could bring my intent to reality by changing lenses or making a slight adjustment in my position. No way.  I packed my gear and began my hike. The walk was only a half mile or so but it meant I would have to pick my way through the brush, and edge my way along the rim of the canyon.  Pursuing that sort of adventure (within reason) was a part of who I am. It pays to know yourself. It would not be a hike for everybody, even though (as usual) I was very careful and took the safest way to my spot.  Due to physical reasons, 2008 saw the end of such hikes but it is still who I am, and from within my mind I hike the forests, mountains and deserts on a daily basis.

I enjoy making pictures that tell stories and at one time in my life, I also profited from it.  I have no issues with creepy crawly things or spiders, so when I found this Goldenrod Crab Spider beginning to consume a fairly large beetle, I was excited to say the least.

I also enjoy making pretty pictures of butterflies and had been on a long dry streak of making butterfly pix.  A few feet from the spider sat as pretty of a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly as I could ask for.  Should I get the picture of this very active butterfly while I could, or make my spider/beetle pictures while they were both still in the same picture frame?   The little man inside of me, gave me the answer.  I would rather tell the story than make another butterfly picture.  Of course a secondary part of who I am loves to make a wide variety of images every time I go out.  When I follow that little man (me) inside, I am often lucky. The Swallowtail stayed long enough for me to accomplish both goals.  The spider however, quit in its attempt to consume the beetle shortly after I finished my pictures.  I knew who I was and I made a decision.  I was rewarded with both images.

I was being entertained at a Lake Michigan harbor filled with Horned Grebes, Red-breasted Mergansers, and Greater Scaup.  Now clearly the grebes and mergansers are the more spectacular of these three water birds.  They are also two types of birds that I enjoy and have photographed before this occasion.  Still after a handful of pictures I could not help but turn my attention to the scaups. I was particularly happy because there were some females close by.  Scaups and Goldeneye Ducks have always provided me with a lot of artful behavior.   I finally set my sites on one female and she did not disappoint me as she made constant dives in front of my camera.  Finally she surfaced with a mollusk of some sort and in the process, made my day. I knew that I would not be happy unless I turned my attention to the plain old scaups and forget about those colorful cousins.  It often pays to not do what others would.

I had a question the other day from a friend who wondered why they no longer see any political, or social commentary from me, either on this blog, or in other locations on the web.   I think the question was posed because of what is happening here in Wisconsin.  I have intentionally stopped my political commentary on this blog, and have never really commented on the various social media outlets.   I have however been very active in making political commentary in other locations.  You would have to literally kill me to make me stop commenting on the things I believe in. I have just decided to spare those of you who visit this blog, who are here to celebrate nature, photography and life.

Enjoy this wonderful day