Vacant Church

Spotted this vacant church awhile back, and was puzzled by why they would have left the statue.  Everything on the inside was gone, but this one statue remained for some reason.  The whole idea of a vacant church imparts a weird feeling to begin with, and it just seemed to me that there was something wrong with this whole scene.  So I very slightly warped the image, aligning the doors with the left margin, in order to impart the feeling visually.  I don't do alterations like this as a rule, but made an exception in this case.  I am pleased with the effect.

The last good beach day of the year.

A melancholy shot of my niece Kelly and her horse, Dailey, walking along the shore of Lake Michigan.

Rosy Maple Moth

As the title suggests, this is a rosy maple moth.  They are quite common here, and very pretty.  You wouldn't think that something this brightly colored would be known for its camouflage, but it is.  This type of moth loves to congregate in certain maple trees whose seed pods (those "helicopter" seeds which spiral down as a wing-like blade) carry the exact same rose and yellow coloring when they emerge.  If you look at this moth you can see that it is the exact size and shape of one of those maple seed pods, and in a tree covered with hundreds of thousands of them you can imagine how hard it would be to spot this thing.

9-11-12

Taken this morning, at the Fire Department in Sparta, MI.  Still pretty moving, even eleven years on.  To everyone who has my back, even though I may not think about it a whole lot, thank you.

A Difficult Assignment

In early January my friend Mike found out he had cancer of the esophagus.  When he told me, he asked if I was interested in doing a photo documentary of his experience.  I agreed, and took shots of him almost every week until he died, on August 15th.  This shot is part of that series.

Yes, another bird.

I have always liked birds, even as a kid.  They are so very unlike other animals in the way they think, and so varied in appearance.  This is a common yellowthroat fledgling, just out of his nest. 

One from the archives

Because it is so hot outside here currently, I am posting a previously unseen shot of a snow leopard getting a drink on what for her must have been an incredibly hot day (it was 80F that day).  She must have wanted that drink very badly, because she knew I was there the whole time and came down anyway.  She never took her eyes off me, and as soon as she was finished she made two 15-foot leaps straight up the rocks and vanished.

Grosbeak

A nice portrait of a rose-breasted grosbeak.  This is a juvenile male.

Two photos, two weeks apart

A robin's nest, two weeks ago, and then yesterday afternoon.  Man, they are some ugly creatures when they are little!  Hard to believe that in just a few weeks they will be fledged.  Summer is on its way!

Lessons in camouflage

I spotted this wood frog while looking for morels the other day. If I hadn't been specifically looking for things which look like leaves but aren't, I doubt I ever would have seen it.

Lots of good shoots coming up on my schedule, so stay tuned!

Yay Spring!

Not bad for manual focus. I like to practice manual focus handheld shots with tight focal planes (this one was just about 1cm) as it keeps me physically in the habit of maintaining solid basic shooting practices. It is easy to abandon things like proper form when technology makes it easy to get by without it. Technology fails though, and when it does you only have yourself to rely on. And my self is getting old enough to where holding stone still is not as easy as it once was, especially in awkward positions that shots like this often necessitate.

This butterfly is called a Longwing, btw.

Spring is just around the corner...

Hard to believe this shot was taken in the middle of February in Michigan. Not a flake of snow to be seen.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Smitten with the Mitten exhibition, especially those of you who braved the awful roads on the night of the reception!

For you local folks, as of tomorrow I will have eight images on display at the Howard Christensen Nature Center. They are located in the middle of the Rogue River State Game Area, NE of Kent City, about half an hour north of Grand Rapids. They are wonderful people, with just tons of nature-centered programs for both kids and adults.

I should mention that there will be an "Inspire Your Heart With Art" Art show there on Sunday, March 18, from 11-5. I heard this evening that there will be over 100 works of art displayed for this one-day-only show!

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

I think I have posted this shot on a previous incarnation of the site, but I ran across it today and thought I would post it again just because I have always liked it.

Update on Smitten with the Mitten Exhibit

There will be an artists reception on the evening of February 10, beginning at 6:30pm. All are welcome to attend, as this is likely to be one of the only times that most or all of the artists will be at the exhibit at one time.

I am also planning on being there on the 3rd, beginning at roughly the same time, but perhaps not until 7pm or so.

I am going to try being there each Saturday evening as well, for about an hour between 7-8pm or thereabouts. The exception is the 18th, when I will be out of town.

Reminder: Please do not contact the Louis Benton Steakhouse to inquire about the exhibit. They are the hosting venue, and can answer questions about their hours of operation, parking, directions, etc., but are unable to answer any questions about the Smitten with the Mitten exhibit whatsoever. Please direct those questions to the exhibit curator, at artasalifestyle [AT] gmail [DOT] com.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Smitten With the Mitten

I am pleased to announce that three of my photos have been chosen to be included in the "Smitten with the Mitten: Everything Michigan" Art Exhibition.

It runs February 3-29, in the Leopard Lounge at the Louis Benton Steakhouse in downtown Grand Rapids. Click on the link (for hours and directions only, they are unable to answer inquiries about the exhibit), and plan on making a visit to see some really beautiful work featuring our great state!

If you let me know in advance, I would be happy to make arrangements to meet you and your party there if my schedule allows, but as of right now there are no set dates/times when I will be in attendance beyond the opening.

I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to Mary Lou Anderson, who has generously offered to underwrite the majority of my costs associated with this event. Her support is greatly appreciated!

Barn in Early Winter

I've been meaning to post this one for awhile now, but have been busy with other things. I hope your new year has started off well, and I look forward to sharing more images with you in 2012!