05-14-12 Going To Seed

I've said before that a photographer can get you to look at things in new ways. Add a macro lens to the camera he/she is using and you really see things differently.It's hard to see a dandelion that's gone to seed as anything but beautiful when seen close up. But in a day or two, it will spread hundreds of seeds on the wind in an attempt to take over the defenseless grass in my yard. :-(

05-13-12 Wind Swept

This is an HDR photo I took on San Juan Island in Washington state.

05-10-12 Singled Out

05-06-12 Warped Reality

If this is too abstract, I'll tell you what you are seeing. These are water drops on the window that I look through when I am sitting at my computer. It was raining on Saturday and I was captivated by the look of the rain. I took several photos that focused on the rain drops but this photo is focused on the lens effect of the water drops.And, through the lens of the rain drops, you can see the mesh of the screen on the window and the grass and trees in our back yard. But it is all upside down because that's what lenses do. In fact, the lens of our eye turns the world upside down and then our brain turns it right side up again. The human body is a weird machine.Click here to see another version of the same subject with a different point of focus.

05-01-12 May Flowers

To set the record straight, calla lilies are not normal "May flowers" in South Dakota. These flowers were growing in the planter outside my aunt Betty's California home. They were planted by a neighbor as a gift to and remembrance of the memory of Betty. They are as nice a tribute as any, if you ask me.

Spring Blossom

Flowering crab apple trees are something we normally see at a distance and appreciate for the few days that they flower. This morning I took my camera a moved in for a closer view. And the quantity and coloration of these little flowers was truly amazing. I took about 120 photo, though most are very similar.About half way through my shoot, I realized that I was smiling and that I had been for most of the time I was taking photographs. I guess it's good to find simple joy in the beautiful things that Nature gives us.

04-14-12 Just Before Sunset

We don't have trees like this in South Dakota - at least in my part of the state. I think it is an oak tree and oak trees have a very distinct form of brachiation. The branches are twisted and, in my mind, gothic. I would have bare, twisted oak trees in front of my haunted house, if I owned one.This tree is about to leaf out and lives (happily or hauntedly?) on San Juan Island in Washington state.

Soft Hues

Reaching Out

I am resolving to try to re-invent myself as a photographer. Someday. But until then, here's another flower photo.

California Sunshine

It was a sunny day in southern California when I snapped this photo. But it wasn't warm. In fact it ended up being about 20 degrees warmer in our home town of Watertown, SD, on the same day. But the green houses aren't flourishing yet in our part of the world.If you are in Corona del Mar, and like plants and flowers, look up Roger's Gardens. It's a bit of a tourist attraction and well worth the visit.

Little Fuzzy Balls

I'm on a "fuzzy" kick and, for two days, a "fuzzy ball" kick. From a distance these cacti are cute. But seen close up we learn that looks are deceiving.

Big Fuzzy Balls