Recent Notes

Galleries

Sometimes, I Cheat

In general, I have a sort of a “fair-chase” ethos about my photography. No posed subjects, no half-frozen insects (a great way to get them to sit still), etc. Sometimes, however, I have to ask myself, “what’s the task at hand: do I want a photo, or do I want a...

The Pennant Hunt

We have seriously entered dragonfly season north of the ridge, and the last two days have produced two of my favorites, the Pennants. There are four species of Pennants recorded from Pennsylvania. Of these, two are found in our mountains: the Halloween Pennant...

Orchard Orbweavers

The body of knowledge, in my humble opinion, is morbidly obese. That said, I think I may have found something to add. I will gladly share the blame with an artistic mentor who frowns most sternly on taking shots of natural subjects with unnatural (flash) light. She is...

On Triumphant Wing

I have been watching a small local colony of butterflies for the last five years. In 2007 and 2008, they thrived, but in 2009 there came a flood. I had but little hope that the colony would survive. Still, as Alexander Pope said, “Hope springs eternal in the human...

Missing the Yellow Warbler

For me, the most compelling creature to attempt to photograph is a wood warbler. The Americas are blessed with these little bits of feathers. Nowhere else on the planet has them, but we do. The United States is home to at least 53 species, and more than thirty of them...