I spent about 20 minutes cruising the internet yesterday looking at pictures,  mostly on Google Plus and Facebook. I stopped not because there were not enough fine images to view, but there were almost too many. Not only did I suffer, if you can call it suffering, too much visual overload, but too much overload of all the senses that our eyes and brain are connected to. A sensory overload. Maybe even an overload of talent. I am very fortunate that my days competing in the world of professional photography, are in the past. There’s not just a magnitude of technical talent and good equipment, but there is whole bunch of creative energy and artistic talent as well.

We start today with the venerable super star Frans Lanting. This image was made in Antarctica, and if the incredible abstract patterns of blue ice were not enough, those tiny little penguins just right of and below center make this a “super shot”. A tiny piece of reality in the surreal world. Well-done!!!

Another one of yesterday’s super stars who continues at the top today, is Jim Zuckerman. Jim wrote one of the first photography books I ever owned. He photographs just about everything on the planet including that which is made by man and man him/herself. His methods range from wonderfully contrived to natural. I do believe, Jim is the broadest based teacher of photography found anywhere, and one of the most successful.

This super close-up of a Costa Rican Crowned Tree Frog is dripping with detail. I would bet knowing Jim’s work, that this is not just a lucky encounter in the wild, but a set up shot of a captive animal, but you must admit, he is good.

This assortment of shells and a Starfish, was created by middle America’s best known macro specialist Mike Moats. Mike is a full-time teacher of close-up photography and is connected with Tamron lenses. He might be the most popular seminar-workshop teacher today, as I have never heard a complaint from anyone attending an event where he has been featured. One of photography’s nice guys.

There’s more than one way to shoot a close-up. Long lenses and cropping can make for some spectacular “in your face” pictures and you can count on Colorado photographer Dan Walters to create his share. This is a male Common Goldeneye duck with a crawfish in his mouth. Look at that pair of wild, expressive eyes.

I have stood at this spot in Dead Horse (such a name) Point State Park, Utah, but unfortunately not in this light. Kurt Budliger made this beautiful picture and we are fortunate he did.

Long before I traveled to locations like this, my visions of such places came from images in magazines and calendars by photographers like David Muench and Carr Clifton. The world is fortunate that their legacy is being filled by image makers like Kurt.

I could not resist this amazing black and white image made at Melbourne Beach in Florida by Deborah Sandidge. She is the master of long and/or multiple exposure skies that are anchored by am immobile land or seascape. The mix of wispy and solid, of traditional and surreal, is always intriguing to me. Hopefully, you too.

I love bringing you great photos from great photographers. I of course realize, that if I can find these sort of images you can too, but hopefully it is nice for someone to find them for you.

Often I think my time to write about and share photography, is or at least should be, over. Whether they are great pictures from top photographers like you see above, or my own rather “tired” pictures, there is a limit to what can be said. If I haven’t said it all, I am certainly getting close. For the time being, I will continue to mix what I write about, and give the readers of Earth Images some variety.

Over 1,000 posts and counting..

May God Bless,                                                                                                                                               Wayne