I’d like to begin today with two spectacular images from two superb photographers

First we have this provocative mood inspiring image of an African Leopard quenching its thirst, at the edge of light. I have ashamedly lost the name for this contributor to my Earth Images group on Flickr Photos, but the link below will take you to his portfolio.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/25822171@N06/

Secondly we have a “delicious” image of the ocean surf at sunrise or sunset from Deborah Sandidge who is a Facebook friend of mine.

There’s a lot of mood in today’s guest images. Mood is a good thing in image making!
https://www.facebook.com/debsandidge

Below are couple of my own images. Given the power of the images above, I probably should have posted something more spectacular, but this is what jumped out at me.

A picture is a picture.

Photos of rare subjects like the White-fringed Prairie Orchid directly below, and a common thistle blossom below that, are worlds apart to some people, yet are equal to other people

Photographic subjects, and what they represent, and how important they are, may not be the same for every photographer or viewer. I admit that when I captured the endangered and rare (obviously) orchid I was much more excited to “put it in the bank” so to speak, than the thistle. Just the same, the actual act of capturing the image of the thistle was equality important and just as fulfilling while I went about the procedure of creating the picture.

Notice that with the thistle it was likely a bit breezy. I say that not because there is any sort of motion blur here, but because my depth of field, or f stop used, was very shallow. Maybe f 5.6 or so. The exif data is missing on this one. Still the photo worked out okay.  My focus is on the most important part of the flower. I might also suggest, that I may have used shallow depth of field because the background was bothersome, and this f stop rendered it soft and unobtrusive. There is much to ponder even when you create an image of a single flower.

Make every day count & God Bless
Wayne