I was driving through the tiny town of Pulaski Iowa (population 260) on Iowa Highway 2 when I spotted this old gas pump, so I stopped to take a picture. I wanted exaggerated colors so I tone mapped the image using Photomatix software. This is my favorite image for June 21.
This is our beloved dog, Sunny. This is one of my two most favorite photos for this date, and one of my all time favorite images of Sunny.
It was so hard to pick a favorite photo for this date. I had so many to choose from. There are about 3400 images in my “favorite photos” folder. Evenly distributed throughout the year would mean an average of 9 photos per date. But some dates have a lot more and some a lot less (or none). June 11 has 25 photos.
I was leading my annual June photography workshop in Northern Michigan and we were on a night photography field trip. It was a gorgeous night. At just the right time we were able to catch the edge between twilight and night with the planet Venus and stars over Lake Michigan. This is one of my two most favorite photos for this date.
Two great egrets got into a territorial fight over a favorite feeding area. The upper egret is coming down at the face of the lower egret with his feet. The lower egret barely got out of the way in time. This is one of my two most favorite photos for this date.
A friend decided I might like digital photography and loaned me a point and shoot digital camera. This is one of my first digital photos. My daughter and I were at LoDo’s in Portage Michigan, a restaurant that is named for the LoDo area (lower downtown) in Denver Colorado. This is my favorite photo for June 7.
Trail Ridge Road is open as of today, but with some precautions and some phone numbers to call to check on unexpected closures. The official announcement follows.
Vassanta on the shore of Lake Michigan with a beautiful sunset. It doesn’t get much better than this. This is one of my two most favorite photos for June 3 and one of my all time favorite sunset portraits.
Royal Arches, North Dome, and Washington Column from Stoneman Meadow. Yosemite National Park. California.
Summer is the most popular time to visit the national parks. With so many to choose from, where should you go? Which national parks will provide the best photographic opportunities in the summer?
Pika, Rock Cut, Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
What are the best national parks to photograph in the summer? Here are my choices, grouped by state from west to east. This list includes the favorites I have been to and want to go back to again, plus the ones I haven’t seen and most want to photograph.
Bishop’s Bog in Portage Michigan is one of my favorite nature preserves in southwest Michigan. There is almost always something interesting to photograph from spring through fall.
I was surprised to learn that there is a Confederate Civil War Cemetery in Columbus Ohio, so I went late on afternoon to check it out. Over 2100 confederate soldiers are buried here. More information is at the Camp Chase link below. This is my favorite photo for this date.
May is the time of year to photograph birds feeding their young. A pair of cardinals built a nest in a bush right by our front porch. This mail ;anded on the porch with food in his mouth, looked at me, and then went inside the bush to the nest to feed his young. This is one of my two most favorite photos for May 25.
Hallie and I were creating portraits and this is one of our favorites. To get this subtle reflection, Hallie is on top of a grand piano. We went with a non-traditional pose. This is one of my two most favorite photos for this date.
At the end of a photography workshop we were on an afternoon and evening field trip near Glenn Michigan. This is my favorite photo for this date.
My photography workshop was out for an afternoon and evening field trip and we ended the day at Holland State Park. Jupiter (upper center) and Venus (lower and to the right) were shining brightly in the western sky. It was a beautiful evening. This is my favorite photo for May 16.
Every years in May, thousands of tulips bloom around the public library in Portage Michigan. I was there to make the most of it. This is my favorite image for May 14.
May is wildflower heaven in southwest Michigan, and I had several places I would go in search of photos. Trillium Ravine Nature Preserve is one of them.
I was watching a movie of a presentation by Dewitt Jones, and in the course of his presentation he talks about photographing dandelion puffballs. He finally lays down on the ground and shoots a puffball backlit by the sun.
There is nothing quite like working with a beautiful model. I like working on stairs in soft light. This is one of my two most favorite images for this date.
A look at my “favorite photos” folder for May 1 tells me May 1 has been a great day for photography. I have picked three most favorite photos for this date.
Wild in Captivity, an article at Outdoor Photographer by Melissa Groo, is about the ethics of photographing wild animals in captivity.
After four days in California doing the family history thing (see the prior articles in this series), I had a change in plans. The next leg of my family history trip had to be postponed to a later date, which meant I had two extra days to do whatever I wanted. I decided to take the two extra days and go back to southern Utah.
I was at Whitefish Point in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It is a favorite place for birds to migrate across Lake Michigan in the spring and fall so it is also a favorite place for bird watchers.
It got up bright and early and looked outside. It snowed overnight. I was thrilled. Following some excellent advice from a photographer who has spent a lot of time at Bryce Canyon, I went to Sunset Point, not Sunrise Point. This is one of my favorite photos for this date and one of my all time favorite photos.
This article is going to feel at lot like a travelogue – because it is.
It was late in the afternoon when I arrived in Moab Utah, and even later when I drove in to Arches National Park. I just kept saying “Oh, Wow!” and and driving around taking pictures.
Big Bend National Park is one of my favorite places on the planet. That was a big surprise to me since I prefer mountains, pine scented air, trout streams and high mountain lakes. Deserts are not my thing. But I fell in love with Big Bend on my first visit.
This alligator is memorable to me because it decided I would make a tasty lunch. Good for the gator. Not so good for me.
I practice my wildlife photography skills at a variety of excellent zoos near the places I have lived. This fine eagle was at the zoo in Oklahoma City. This is my favorite photo for April 17.