One can be artful and still not produce art. Art is in our mind’s eye and
perhaps our heart and soul. The production and sharing of art requires
a workman like quality. Both art and artfulness are matters of
opinion. My opinion is, the three Facebook friends of mine who’s
images you see below, are artists with cameras. They are “artful
artists” if you will. They see it, they capture it, and they share it.

The venerable Art Wolfe is likely the most famous outdoor photographer
who has ever lived. Ansel Adams was incredible, but those large format
black and whites that he is best remembered for, while beautifully
mastered, did not tell enough of nature’s story as do those photographers who’s
images include macros and wildlife.  Not to mention indigenous
cultures. Galen Rowell, for whom I was happy to know, was becoming the
outdoor photographer/artist of the ages, when his premature death
robbed each of us of his future. It is Art Wolfe, who has lived on to
transcend them all. On every continent on earth, he has persevered to
share with us, his vision.

Below, we have an Alaskan Brown Bear, in the midst of a fishing expedition.

Everybody cannot travel as far, or last as long as Art, but the eye
and the heart of an artist, live on in other photographers as well.

Marina Scarr is one such photographer/artist. This low level view of a
young alligator is telling in many ways. It teaches us both about the
look of this creature, while artfully capturing the immediate
environment that it lives and navigates in, and it shows us how an
artist like Marina feels about it.

It is currently autumn and Tiffany Briley shares with us her
impression (Impressionistic ?) of what this fall season, means to her.
Those Birch (or Aspen) trees are surreal yet very real.  Well-done!!

The three images below are mine, and they were all made a long time ago. In no way
do I attempt to compare them to the art (and Art) above. They are
merely my visual, photographic take in three different circumstances,
no more, no less.

Autumn is a wistful, colorful, yet quiet season. There are many ways
including Tiffany’s, to make fall snap to our attention. My image
below required a wide lens (18mm), an open mind, and a willingness to
lay on my back in the midst of some wet leaves.

Dramatic light, colorful trees, and interesting perspective help.

My love for crawling around in prairies and forests has allowed me to
keep company with a lot of little critters. Mighty is not necessarily measured in size. Below we have a Milkweed caterpillar on what is likely, a
Milkweed plant.

After bears and alligators, a simple Mourning Dove is a pretty tame
subject. Just the same, the “hello there” pose, and the flattering
light make this old image worth sharing.

Have a great and artful sort of day,
Wayne