An image such as the one you see below, is often popular with viewers, but they will rarely appreciate the composition. Many probably think, a seven year old could place a rock form in the middle of the picture frame and snap. Maybe, but this image received as much compositional thought as many of mine that appear to be quite complex. My point when making this image, was color, shape, and to show how grandiose this formation is. Another aspect of my intent was very basic. It was to show adequately what this rock looked like. That is a part of landscape photography too. Sometimes the subject, the shape, color, texture and its natural artfulness is what you want to capture. If you accomplish your goal, that means you have at least enough “art in your soul”, to recognize art when you see it. That is the primary goal of photographic art. Knowing how to interpret subjects, whether that interpretation becomes literal or esoteric, in way which is honest yet artful.   

Some have suggested that this image is art. Maybe, but this is still art produced by God, and recognized and shared by a photographer that happened to be me. Because the composition seems a bit more artful, does not mean that it was still about recognizing what was in front of me.

That dreamy low angled warm but subtle light that you see above, was not created by me. I waited and hoped for it to occur, and I selected a shooting location and lens that would space out these legendary rock formations so each could be appreciated, but all in all, it was pretty much the same sort of vision and planning as was the case with the previous rock form

In many ways, this Aster with dew is similar to the first rock form image. I discovered and photographed some natural art, and shared with others that natural art in a way that I thought at least some would appreciate. Can I take credit for the any art if I did not create the subject or the scenario that I found it in, but was able to reproduce it in a photograph for others to appreciate?. No when it comes to the subject, but yes when it comes to the image. In general, we create photos not subjects. It is called, the art of photography, not rocks or flowers, although, those are among the subjects we  focus (literally) on.

I will add, it took some artful movements by me with my camera and tripod, to not knock the dew off of the flower.

Okay, I certainly cannot accept many accolades for composing wildlife images. I mean, they are animals they do what they do and you just try to make a photo of it, right?

I won’t take credit for the subject, or how they look or what they do, but I am more than willing to accept credit for where they are in the picture frame, at what split second I snapped the shutter, and how technically proficient I accomplished it all. The truth is, in the digital age it has become easy to get the subject and behavior in the field, and then compose the image when you get home. There have been  times in this era,  when I was in the field snapping images of wildlife, and I would switch to a shorter lens so I could crop to a variety of compositions when I was relaxing in front of a computer.

This Whitetail Deer doe, and male Brown-headed Cowbird, deserve accolades for the way they worked together as to provide me with a great composition. Still, vertical or horizontal?  A long enough lens was used to visually compress the  distance between the deer’s face, the bird’s body.

Okay, this male Northern Pintail was a great model. I take the credit for making the photos, and leaving room in the direction of the wake the bird left behind. I would have done it differently, pretty much the opposite, if he had been swimming with his body above water. In other words, leaving space in the direct he was swimming. With this dabbling pose, where he was no longer moving from left to right, I left room to show where he came from so to speak.

When I first began wildlife photography, there were photographers who would have never snapped the shutter on this picture. They would lament, why would you  make a picture where the bird’s face is not showing?

Photography, especially nature photography, is a nice business to be in, but it is a great hobby. The best!

A an old blog post from

I need to say that if you make comments on this blog, unfortunately I often forget to check for them.  I appreciate comments very much, but my brain cells sometimes do not “pack enough punch”, to remember to look. I have been known to notice a comment a year or two after the fact. Please do comment, and hopefully I will train myself to check about three times a week, which is generally about how often I write poss.

Hebrews 13-20,21
20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Have a great day,
Wayne