One of my favorite images-Trumpeter swan family
Friends, we have a few resident Trumpeter swans in Crex Meadows. This is one of the parents of seven (count em) cygnets. I was going to save this, one of my favorite images, to show you on father’s day but couldn’t wait. Must share the spring in the middle of winter, we have new snow today so looking for wild tracks will be possible. Unfortunately, i have to travel to the city to help my mother. Oh well there is always tomorrow. til Tomorrow MJ
Sego lily-fine art photography
Friends, the Sego Lily grows in the badlands of North Dakota among other places. When i examined this bud with my macro lens, i fell in love with all the colorful veining present in the unopened bud. When the flower opens, it has three white petals with magenta toward the centers. The root can be a food source when roasted. I know that the background is grainy, but i like it that way. This is my vain attempt at fine art photography, what do you think? til Tomorrow MJ
Winter Sundogs
Friends, Sundogs are rainbows formed when ice crystals are in the air. The hexagonal ice crystals act as tiny prisms and when falling vertically oriented appear as colored patches on both sides of a low-lying sun. The cirrus and alto-cirrus clouds may also suggest ice crystals and folk lore says that sundogs form when colder weather is in store. We saw this guy in the badlands of North Dakota so i included the grasses in the foreground to show the wind, that always seems to blow in ND. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Down
Friends, last summer on a trip to our seaport, Duluth Minnesota, we were photographing the giant lupines that grow on the bluffs over Lake Superior. Looking down at my feet, we found this Luna moth who begged for attention. These moths are very large with a wingspan of 4-4.5 inches and they only live for one week. I had never seen one in the wild so this made my day. til Tomorrow MJ
Blue doors-inspired by Mikki Senkarik
Friends,last summer, my husband and i had the opportunity to attend a painting workshop put on by Mikki Senkarik and Jack White. My husband is a painter (oils) and he enjoyed the demonstrations.I also loved watching Mikki paint, but I really enjoyed the opportunity to explore the Santa Fe region and photograph. Now Mikki paints lots of bright colored doors, adobe buildings and colorful flowers http://mikkisenkarik.wordpress.com When i saw this composition, i had to photograph the scene. Inspired by Mikki, this was the result, thanks Mikki for this perspective. Were it not for your paintings, I would have walked right by. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Down
Friends, thinking about both applications for the word, down. Down as immature feathers poking from the backside on this Pied-billed Grebe or down as the direction out of my car window.I guess both definitions apply in this image. This is a fall image as the lily pads are in a state of decay and the fall colors are reflected in the water behind this tiny bird. They dive for their food and hence are almost always wet. til Tomorrow MJ
Typical tourist photo
Friends, last summer we had the opportunity to travel the road on the south rim of Grand Canyon. Yesterday i showed you what the raven saw, but today i show you my view of the Grand Hole as i like to call the Grand Canyon. What a magnificent place, words cannot describe my wonder at the sight. I like this photo because the warm colors come forward and the cool colors recede, just like we are taught in painting classes. I shot this photo at f/16 but you can see the focus range ran out before the back wall was reached. til Tomorrow MJ
What the raven saw
Friends, even the raven appreciate viewing the Grand Canyon. He followed me as i moved along the path above the canyon, posing and calling for his comrades. I finally took his picture and he was quiet. til Tomorrow MJ
The mission doors
Friends, this mission near Taos,New Mexico was a challenge to photograph. I had a vision of how i wanted everything to “line up” but the first time we visited, the shadows were way too deep and nothing seemed right. We went back a few days later and i saw the composition that i wanted with the doors lining up and the crosses against the sky. Sometimes things have to incubate in my feeble mind before i can see “the magic”. Hope you like it. til Tomorrow MJ
Do not disturb-Bald eagle dinner
Friends, this time of year we see lots of bald eagles along the road, usually perched on a road-killed deer or in a tree alongside the road overlooking roadkill. They prefer fish but most of the water is still frozen and fishing is not an option. When they have found unfrozen dinner, they are reluctant to leave and are “sitting ducks” for the nature photographer. This one gave me the “eye” and i took his picture from across the road. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 