A curved bridge at Lord's Park

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A bridge in Elgin, Illinois

Sometimes it's worth it just to stop everything and take that shot. I was driving along and by the side of the road I noticed this little bridge with the concrete steps around it, with careful and tasteful landscaping around it. I thought...I wonder if I can get a shot of it without the buildings in the background? Now I'm thinking...

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Botanic Garden path

This cobblestone path strikes me as surrounded on either side by lacy patterns of greenery and flowe...

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knot

For some reason the textures of the water in the background contrasted a lot with the coarseness of the roap, the smoothness of the metal it was wrapped around, and the wood of the pier....

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Sensory Garden

The sensory garden at the Botanic Garden is built around a big sycamore tree.  This picture shows one of the raised beds of lovely flowers of all types, scents and petal textur...

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Eyes

One might think "eyes" are easy to photograph. It's kind of like the idea of taking a picture of a white carnation. Sounds simple enough, right? As far as "eyes" are concerned, there are all kinds of eyes out there, including potato eyes. Eyes by themselves are extremely expressive. I saw a post of very theatrical eyes of...

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Mudge Bay, Kagawong, Canada

This one was taken on my way to Bridal Veil Falls.  It turns out the trip TO the falls yielded better pictures than the walk around the falls itself.  Bringing the camera everywhere is a mu...

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English Garden

This is another Botanic Garden shot; I couldn't resist including it in the collection of snaps I have he...

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A cold wet nose!

A big wet nose and sad eyes; that's what this dog has. The challenge is capturing him when he's moving around so much. Pet portraits can present a definite challenge and take a long time to produce good snaps...

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Great Blue Heron

This magnificent bird makes it home right outside my window.  Because it was about to rain, it stood quite still for quite some time, giving me the opportunity to take some quick shots of it with my 300mm lens.&nb...

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Canadian North American Indian woman

With some coaxing, I was able to get Gina to pose for this photo.  Asking people if you can take their photograph is not all that difficult.  What is necessary, though, and what I have to get more comfortable doing is to ask them to sign my model's relea...

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The secretive Green Heron

This bird is small for a heron, but on close examination, its colors are extraordinary. Double click on the image to enlarge.  Once you've seen it, click on the 'back' button to bring you back here. This appears to be a juvenile green heron because of its brown and white streaked neck, slight crest, and light-tipped wing coverts. ...

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Gay Civil Union

This was taken in June at Millenium Park where 33 civilian unions were perform...

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Downy Woodpecker

Downy Woodpeckers are very quick, almost as quick as a White Breasted Nuthatch, Goldfinch, or even a Black-Capped Chickadee.  At times I wonder if the world appreciates these creatures as much as I do, and at others I don't care because I'm continuing to practice taking shots in different scenarios and gaining more and more...

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Color Contrasts

This white egret standing on the boat launch against the darker water seemed a striking contrast.  Waterbirds are everywhere here, but they are not always obvious....

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A door and a shadow

It may seem somewhat monochromatic, but this is the side of one of the deteriorating buildings in Canada.  I just love the textures of old structures and buildings like this.  Espanola had some very rural areas with farmhouses that were very old, dilapidated and abandoned.  Some were burned out as though there had...

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A Canadian Sunset

Is a sunset photo worthy of submitting for a contest?  Aren't there more unique things to capture than a sunset? Sunsets can be stunning and there is a lot that can be done in digital editing programs to pump up the richness and intensity of the colors.  This one was slightly enhanced in Apertu...

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A beautiful face

This is a wonderful face for a portrait; full of character and lines.  It was taken inside a bar in the afternoon, while the patrons were playing pool.  He and his wife raise potbellied pigs in Espanola, Canada.  The dramatic natural light is coming in through the window, but the inside was dark.  I wasn't sure...

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Birds can help you improve

Might sound crazy, but taking photographs of birds is very helpful in terms of taking the shot before it gets away.  A photographer's response time needs to be fast and quick when taking pictures of birds, particularly when he's after a clear crisp shot.  A photographer needs a quick response time in many situations-in...

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The right moment

The right moment, the right light, the right angle, you have a snapshot of a captured moment.  Priceless.  Previously I talked about the Potowatomie Park Pavilion and how when standing at Boy Scout Island in the morning, the lighting wasn't the best to take a shot of the Pavilion.  This shot was taken that same morning...

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It's World Photography Day!

Today is the day that those interested in photography can celebrate it.  Photos trigger memories that may have been tucked away indefinitely.  At the World Photo Today website, they invite everyone to register on their site and share photos from August 19th to August 25th.  From their website, they also invite people...

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The right light

Lighting is important when snapping shots; the right light makes all the difference in the world as you can see with these two photographs of the same exact structure. I went out in the early morning and took a shot of this structure and then later that same afternoon. The morning shot shows the structure backlit, the afternoon...

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Hello, Alaska!

Someone or some people from Alaska always seem to be able to find me online and come over and take a peek. I appreciate that I have fans, but...this almost feels like stalking. Well hello, Alaskans, whoever you are! Come on down and leave a comment!...

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You don't need expensive stuff

Photography magazines and websites are always advertising that latest expensive invention that will take your photographer to the highest level. The problem is, that sales technique is just WRONG. If you're an amateur photographer, or even a professional photographer without a lot of money, you don't need it. Photography websites...

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Summertime offers snapping ops galore!

Just about everywhere you turn, there is the possibility for another great shot. And if you don't seize that moment, it will be gone in an instant, but not to worry, another opportunity for a great shot is right around the corner! The dog days of summer are getting shorter as the tires are rapidly squealing toward shorter fall...

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