Yellowstone in the Spring

Yellowstone National Park is always an amazing destination, but in the Spring it is truly an exciting wilderness adventure. Nowhere in North America can you find a more concentrated and diverse assortment of wildlife, and all within the boundaries of our nation's premier national park.

As a wildlife photographer, I have visited the park on numerous occasions and have never been disappointed. No matter what time of year you visit, the park delivers incredible photo opportunities. But, if you want to see the spectacle of natures renewal, the birth of just about everything, you need to come to the park in early spring. Late April and throughout the month of May the park is alive with newborns. It's one of the most exciting times to see nature at her best. Bring along your binoculars and long lenses, and sit back and enjoy the show. It's like no other on earth.

Rainy Days

Like so many others, I sometimes look out my studio window at the falling rain, and I think about the things that the rain is going to prevent me from doing. I think that is a natural reaction for many of us. But, as I have grown older, I am becoming increasingly aware of the beauty in the world that remains around us, even as the rain falls.

Today was one of those typical Spring mornings, where the showers arrive early and the clouds block the sunshine from hitting the gardens. It was one of those mornings, where the rain was a gentle falling shower that evenly soaked the yard and the flower gardens. Instead of locking myself in for the day, I went to the patio garden, opened the french doors, and sat listening to the rain and watching my birds come to the feeders. I find a peace and tranquility that comes on such days, and beauty as well.

Since I had my camera already set up, I decided to scan the garden and just see what I might find. What I found was a world soaked in raindrops and a beauty that inspired me to do fun things today. I hope you all enjoy the Lilly.

Where Have They Been?

This has been one of those years, where we have not seen many hummingbirds. It is not all that unusual, as they seem to run in cycles. Some years we are overrun with them, and others not so many. This Spring has not been a good year for them here in eastern Tennessee, but it looks like a few have finally started to arrive. They are, of course, very difficult to photograph, but that's the challenge and the fun of trying to capture them.

A few years ago, a nice lady approached my wife and I and offer to send us some seeds of a plant that she sworn would attract hummers. So, shortly after, we received a small packet of seeds, which we planted in the garden. Turns out she was right. Hummingbirds love the honeysuckle trumpet vine, and it has proven to be one of my best photo locations.

Fire in the Hole

I think as an artist, it is imperative that we step out of the box occasionally and look at the world with fresh eyes. Real art, I believe, is always evolving, moving away from one thing and taking a journey to a new and different place. Sometimes those trips can be unsettling, but ultimately I think they take us to a higher place.......a place we needed to see.

It's Not Just the Gulf in Trouble

It's not just the Gulf in trouble with leaking oil. I took this picture here at one of our local marinas, where oil from the boats leaches into the lake everyday. No one seems to be bothered by this, even though the lake is the water source for the city of Chattanooga and the surrounding area. I am saddened by the lack of interest people have in their own backyards. Wake up folks, we are destroying this planet. Our local birds and our fish are being attacked too!

Gallery Show at Bill Shores Gallery in Chattanooga

This evening was the opening of my show at the Bill Shores Gallery in Chattanooga. For those of you wishing to see the show, it will remain in the gallery thru June 30. I hope you will stop by and see all of the new images and perhaps add one to your home.

The First Day Out

My backyard can only be described as a baby bird nursery. Over the past several years, we have carefully planted all sorts of things to attract birds, and they have certainly come to enjoy the surroundings. This year we have an amazing number of birds that have decided to nest in the yard. In the past few days, I have found several young birds fledging the nest and exploring the world around them. The adults, of course, keep a close eye on them. feeding them continuously, but these little guys seem to be having fun bouncing around the yard. I hope everyone enjoys the photo.

Sometimes We Forget It's Not the Tools

Like a child, who has just broken his new toy, I have been miserable since my Sony A900 crashed last week. Admittedly, I have been pouting over the tragic loss of my trusted 24 mega pixel picture machine. In fact, I have been downright awful about my plight these past several days.

So, this morning I decided perhaps a haircut might just help me rid myself of the blues, and get my life back on track. In fact, I thought I would just take my wife and her friend out to breakfast, and then get my haircut, and then........go do some shooting. I pulled out one of my older DSLR cameras, and threw it in the car. I had no idea where or what I would shoot this morning, but I knew in my heart that this was going to be the only medicine that could help.

After a wonderful breakfast, and a decent haircut, I said "goodbye" to the girls and off I headed for the morning adventure. Within a few minutes, I came upon a beautiful Magnolia tree in full bloom. This looked like the perfect place to start the day. I reached in my camera bag, and pulled out my old camera and exited the car, all the while, scanning the tree for the perfect blossom.

Within a few minutes, I saw a flash of red moving through the branches, and I could feel my heart start to beat faster. The thought of capturing yet another Cardinal in amongst the Magnolia flowers was all I needed to start this boy's blood pumping. And then......there he was. Directly in front of me stood this incredible specimen, and he seemed to be checking me out as much as I him. Starring at each other, I started shooting, making sure to adjust my exposure and focus as I moved sideways to get a better angle. Never knowing whether you will get 3 sec.s with a bird or maybe 10 mins. , I quickly began a series of rapidly fired exposures, bracketing each shot by a third of a stop.

Amazingly, in just a few short minutes, I had completely forgotten about my broken Sony A900, and had once again become close friends with this old camera. It was like to dear friends coming together at a reunion. It was like I had never left it.......and ashamed of the fact that I had forsaken it when the new guy showed up in my bag. The old camera forced me to think carefully about each shot, checking exposure and framing and composition. The old camera, which has no extra pixels for cropping, made me do it right ........the old way. Maybe we all could benefit from taking a few steps back once in a while.

Today's Winner

This evening, as I sat having my dinner, I happen to look outside and see this Bluebird enjoying his bath. Although I thought I would never be able to catch the shot, I jumped up and grabbed my camera, and I very carefully opened the door onto the patio. To my utter surprise, this little guy just ignored me and continued with his bath. I started shooting and captured this image before he finished. Sometimes it pays to give it a try!