As is generally the case when I mix my own pictures on this blog with
those from other photographers, it is the guest images that are
featured.  Among other reasons, I do that because those pictures are
usually more current than mine.  I cannot however speak much to the
technological aspects of images made by others, and I certainly am
absent of knowledge of the motivating factors that drove the
photographers to choose the subjects they chose, or to creatively
interpret them in the fashion that they did. That’s why I include my
own pictures as well.

This first image came from my Earth Images group in Flickr Photos.
Patrick Kavanagh is a super photographer and I was certainly
captivated by this simple and elegant image of a Bee-eater. Less is
often more in photography and Patrick always gives us plenty with his
clean and simple images.

Mike Moats is one of photography’s best known macro artists and this
flawless image of a feather (one of my favorite subjects), speaks well
to his personal style. This photo came from his Timeline on Facebook.

Great job as always!

Gary Ellwein is one of those image makers that I often describe as
“having a good eye” for subjects and for photographic treatments of
those subjects.

This is the John Day Fossil Bed National Monument, Painted Hills Unit,
Oregon. Gary’s panoramic, abstract crop caught my eye immediately. I
have never been to John Day but there are certainly characteristics
that remind me of The Badlands of South Dakota. I would have had a
blast at this location.

Another great job Gary!!

The remainder of today’s images are mine and I will begin with my own
abstract rendition of you guessed it, The Badlands of South Dakota.
There is nothing quite like roaming around with camera and tripod, and
seeing what you can see. I mean what you can “really” see with your
eyes, your mind, and your heart.

I have had a long term relationship of love with the art is the
silhouette.  This old film image was made at Arches N.P., Utah. The
rock on the left is aptly named Balanced Rock. I think it is fair to
say that there have been a silhouette or two created of this form
before I got there, but I was happy to have gotten my own opportunity
with it.

Color is a photographic subject (for me) in and of itself, but when I
can catch some variance in color as well as tone, and include some
movement in an image, I am pretty much set.

This sunrise is of Lake Michigan and was captured a few miles from my home.

I have seen hundreds of coyotes in my life, but alas, I have only
photographed a few. I have some images of this species which are no
doubt better than this one, but it remains a personal favorite of mine
just the same. He is doing what coyotes do best and that is hunt. I am
of absolutely no consequence to this critter and that is just how I
like it.

Waterfowl were always my favorite type of birds to photograph. They
often put on a show for the camera and as is in the case below, wing
stretching is one of their most photographic habits.

The top photo is that of a male Northern Shoveler and the other is of
a male Red-breasted Merganser.

When I look through my bird photos, I am astounded by just how often
it is, if they are looking or moving to one side or another to me, it
is almost always to my left. Of course I could digitally flip the
picture but I see no reason.

This close-up of a young Barn Swallow is in keeping with that anomaly
of “ the left direction only“.

Yet another “left-leaning“ bird. I included this one because while
like every bird photographer, I spent a good deal of time and energy
getting close to my subjects, every image need not be a close-up. I
found this young Great-blue Heron taking a stroll across a mudflat in
2008.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and wildlife subjects (yes they
are wildlife) like spiders always got plenty of attention from me when
I was creating images.
I made this one with my trusty 105mm Nikon Micro lens with an aperture
of f 13. That was just enough depth of field to cover the spider and
the dewy web immediately around the spider with focus. It did however
leave the part of the web that is closer to the camera, soft. That was
not my choice but a necessity. None the less, to me, it works better
that  way as we are given a tunnel effect which leads our eyes to the
tack sharp spider. I was sort of being creative out of necessity you
might say.

Happy Trails,

Wayne