Photographer's Spotlight

I am very flattered to announce that Greg Kiser has chosen to feature me in this month's Photographers Spotlight.  Greg is a very talented photographer who shares not only his beautiful images...but his extensive knowledge and advice.  The interview centered on what brought me to this point, and where I'd like to go in photography.  So, if you're interested in reading a bit about what makes me tick as a photographer please click here.

I know anyone with a serious interest in photography, or who enjoys seeing beautiful photos will love Greg's blog Photo Trek.  I hope everyone will hop on over and put Greg on their alert list. You won't be disappointed. 

If you are here for the first time via Photo Trek...WELCOME.  I hope you will leave a comment and introduce yourself.  I also hope you will enjoy what I have here to share and will come back and visit me again.

Thank you Greg, for the privilege of being featured in your spotlight, and for everything you share with us.  You are are wealth of knowledge and an inspiration to all.

Pelicans

 

This is my final entry of Florida photos.  I believe each day, I had an opportunity to photograph pelicans.  Pelicans fascinate me.  They're just so interesting to watch.  I love how they fly, I love how they glide above the surface of the water like a stealth bomber, I love how they fish, I love how they interact, and I love how pensive they can look.

And, I can't see one without thinking of a funny story that Martha once shared about her husband and a pelican.  Perhaps, I can entice her to tell it again...

My sister-in-law, who is a native Floridian, compares enthusiasm over pelicans to a non midwesterner driving through Indiana and suddenly exclaiming "CORN!"  Personally, I think they're much more entertaining than corn....but that's just my opinion.

I can't help it....they're comical and regal all at once.

So, I saved all my pelican photos for one entry.  I'm still waiting to get a photo where I capture one diving (dropping like a rock) into the water to catch a fish. 

Adventures in Florida

On my last day in Florida with my sister, we went to the Guana Tolomato Matanzas Nations Estuarine Research Reserve. (say THAT five times fast...)

 

What an incredible place.  I wish we had known more about it and gotten there sooner because this was somewhere I could easily spend a day.  I'll be back, I'm sure.  It is the host location of the Florida Birding and Foto Fest.  I won't make it there this year, but I'm already planning to get there next year.

We walked through a maritime forest then along a huge beautiful marsh.  I took pictures of birds for a while and just marveled at where I was.  As we started to walk on, I noticed something across a ditch, about 20 feet away from me.  I thought it was a tire.  Before I said anything to Busy, I stepped back and looked again.  By god....it was an alligator!  That's something this Hoosier girl turned New Yorker doesn't see every day.

I felt a short rush of panic, there was nothing between us and the gator but a bit of water and a little incline.  Busy was so excited...she's lived there over a year and not seen one yet.  So, of course we took pictures.  I knew my family wouldn't believe me if I didn't.

 

 

 

Wow!

I'm very flattered to learn that the photo from the previous entry was selected for first place in the AOL Community Photo Challenge.  There were some wonderful entries posted and it's so fun to share with those of such talent.

If you haven't already, please stop by and see the work of the other participants.  Links to all the entries can be found in the comments section at the challenge website.

Thanks to the judges for this recognition.

March Into Spring

 

Well...it's nowhere near spring out here on Long Island.  I wish I were out finding those reassuring signs of renewal.

In PA, I had all my favorite haunts.  I knew just where to find the first snowdrops, bloodroot and mayapples.  I could find wild columbine, pussywillows and ferns.

Unfurling ferns are one of my very favorite signs of spring.  I knew of one large patch that I noticed one day along the side of the road when I was out for a walk.  It became an annual photo stop and I spent a couple of hours there each season. 

This year, I'll be on the hunt for new locations here in NY.  I hope I'm lucky enough to find a local bed of ferns.

Please be sure to visit the other AOL Community Photo Participants here.

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Dolphins

On Sunday, my brother offered to take us out on his little boat for a couple of hours.  It was another gorgeous day...a bit cold on the boat but nice none the less.  We went out on the Atlantic Ocean which was very calm.  We puttered down to the pier at Jacksonville Beach.  On the way back to the marina, we spotted dolphins.  Not just one or two...but a pod of at least eight and maybe more.  We stopped the boat and were able to enjoy watching them for about 30 minutes.  While none of these photos are particularly artistic....it was a special opportunity for me to be close to the animals and just observe and try to photograph them for a while.

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Cumberland Island

I just returned from a trip to visit my sister in Jacksonville Florida. It was a wonderful few days of sunny days and sightseeing.  I have tons of photos I'd like to share, but I'll try to keep it to a manageable number.  I'll break them up into groups by days to give me time to review, edit and organize them.

I arrived on Thursday and Friday we took a trip to Cumberland Island in southern Georgia.  We drove from Jacksonville to St. Mary's, Georgia then took a 45 minute ferry ride to the island.  The island is accessible only by ferry and the only cars allowed on the island are park service vehicles and the personal cars of the few permanent residents. 

The island was home to the estate of Thomas Carnegie and the ruins are still there today.  But more engaging than the ruins is the variety of environments we saw in the small area we wandered.  We walked a very small portion of the island....as much as time would allow.  Upon return, I might rent a bicycle in order to see more of what the island has to offer.

In just a couple of short miles we walked through marine forest draped with spanish moss, marshland, arid dunes and finally arrived at the expansive and pristine beach on the Atlantic Ocean.  What a sight....beach as far as we could see and no other people anywhere.  We had lunch on the beach and walked for about 90 minutes before we saw another soul.  It was incredible.

We did see wildlife though.  The island is inhabited by feral horses...descendents of those brought by the Carnegie's.  There were shorebirds to photograph (one of my favorites) and to my surprise....armadillo!

Enough background....here are the pics!

The path through the maritime forest....this is the start of the walk from the ferry landing to the beach.

Our walk took us through marshes, dunes, and finally....to the beach.

 

From the Carnegie ruins....

More shorebirds...

We saw the wild horses on the dunes near the beach.  Later, as we started back, we heard the horses barreling toward us.  Seems the males were after a mare.  They ran past me on the dunes with about a foot to spare, which was a little startling.  But, the photo op was really special.

 

They headed straight toward a stream that was feeding the marsh, and one plopped down to cool off.

Can't forget the armadillo....

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