My youngest son Art stands maybe just a little too close for comfort during our recent 4th of July celebration. This year was extra special, my oldest son Gabe was home on leave. He is scheduled to deploy to Iraq at the end of summer so this was a very special time for us.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
BIRDS OF SUMMER 2007
Summer just doesn't begin for me until I see the pelicans. They seem to prefer to breed at Big Johnson Reservoir a few miles away, but always stop by at Carp Lake (aka The Pelican Pond) for the first couple of days.
I got some pictures late yesterday afternoon, and was delighted to see them still at the pond this morning, floating lazily over the misty waters. They were gone by this afternoon. During mating season the pelicans bills turn bright orange and the males will develop a plate on the top of their beak.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Colorado Renaissance Festival 2006
These are the pictures I used for my musical slideshows that were posted on Youtube. Once again I recommend that you view this as a slideshow by clicking 'View Larger' and selecting the slideshow option from the top toolbar.
COLORADO RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL 2005
'Tis the season... tis Renaissance season. Huzzah! I found these old pictures stashed in my AOL album and thought I'd post them. These are from 2005. We have been going to the Faire since 1999 or 2000 (not really sure any more) but I didn't really start taking pictures until 2004 (still have to find those ones) after I went digital.
For best results I recommend that you click 'View Larger' and then select the slideshow option.
Friday, May 4, 2007
FOXES PART 2
Who would have thought a chain link fence would be such a big obstacle when photographing something on the other side. Maybe its not the fence, maybe its just me. Either way, this is the best I can do thus far. Yes, I used my 300mm zoom. Nope, it didn't really help much. I need a bigger zoom!
Still, I have to admit that these pictures came out much better... no doubt due to the fact that they were taken while the sun was still high in the sky. The kits are getting bigger but still show no fear. They listened reluctantly to their mother when she barked out a warning. They ran immediately for the safety of their den between the pipes, but kept poking their heads out to investigate.
I haven't seen the father fox since the first day when he ran off before I could even raise the camera.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Ever Wary
A mother red fox warily watches me while her kit feeds on the carcass of a cottontail.
We have often caught fleeting glimpses of foxes in the residential area. Usually it was just a flash of orange out of the corner of our eye. Last night Steve was delighted to come across an entire family feeding near some pipes at a construction site. He was, as it often happens, without a camera so he called me and told me to be waiting when he got home.
The light was already fading but it was easy to spot the mother fox against the snow. 3 kits, their fur still dark, played near by. The mother instinctively moved off to a safe distance but kept an anxious eye on us as the youngsters continued to frolic, unconcerned by our presence or the clicking of my camera.
Sadly, but not surprisingly, the pictures were grainy due to the low light and and subsequent slow shutter speed. I was also forced to shoot through the holes of a chain link fence. Determined not to waste such a precious encounter despite the limitations, I lightened the picture up a bit and softened the edges to give it a painted effect. Hopefully I'll be able to catch the foxes out playing in the morning or afternoon when the sun is out and the lighting offers a better opportunity for decent shots.
Friday, April 13, 2007
MID-MORNING REPOSE
A bull elk rests after a long morning of bugling and sparring with other bulls. Apparently he was victorious as a dozen or so cow elk grazed contently nearby.
* Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
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This picture was originally posted in a test journal which was a trial attempt to update this photo blog. It didn't come out the way I had hoped (individual pages have an archieve column which throws off the setting of the photos and drops them to the bottom of the page), but I really REALLY liked the photos on the black back ground. Enter global photo community aminus3. I have been posting there since the end of March on my site "Colorado At The Speed Of Life". I invite you to take a peek there. You'll see some of my old favorites, and maybe a few new ones as well. I shall still keep this blog going because this is my home, my family and friend, but I really enjoy the interaction with the new global photo community. Check out the Community link while you're there. Photographers can feature a new photograph every day and some are just out of this world!
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