Some seasons I see quite a few rabbits, others I don’t. This alert little guy was at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge just as we were walking the last bit of the trail. It stayed around just long enough for me to get a shot or two before it hopped away into the long grass.
Walking down toward the river one sunny day, I saw these flickers having their way with a bit of wood. Northern Flickers, a subspecies of the woodpecker family, love their wood and love to peck. A pair of flickers and they stayed around for quite a while offering me a lovely photo opportunity.
Remnants of an overnight stay. I go down to the river’s edge early in the morning, walk the perimeter and search for the details, the hints or evidence of recent activity. These feathers speak of the recent visit by a flow of Canadian Geese that took some respite before I arrived.
An old soul, or just come from a battle. Early morning, that intense eagle-eye focus. What does he see? What is he looking for? Watching for a mate, or for prey? Weathered by time. Like the lines in a mature person’s face, the raggedness of its wings tells a tale all its own. Strength, determination, survival. Aged, alert, sage, wisdom. So many words to describe this moment in this eagle’s journey.
Movement, action, sunshine, and a bird’s wing. Capturing a moment in time, a bit of su nlight caught in this bird’s wing as it preens. That curve, that tilt of a head, that fan of the wing. It’s just that moment that makes photographing such a joy.
A common merganser scoping out the low tide at Nisqually Wildlife. The the hairdo on these little guys, they are so cute to watch. The epitome of bad hair days or just plain punk style and ready to rock and roll.
Mistress Mary, Quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With Silver Bells, And Cockle Shells,
And so my garden grows.–Wikipedia
An old rhyme (1744), “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary,” which this photograph brought to mind. These pretty posies aren’t silver bells, but they are bluebells, and growing profusely in the spring. Looking forward to photographing wildflowers this year, hopefully in the not too distant future.
Textures, colores, curves, and shapes. The details of imagery. Like a turtle shell, bright and standing out from the dark background surrounding it. Details in nature are so intriguing to me. The only way to really discover it is to stand quietly for a moment. Listen, then slowly scan the area. Study the environment. Use the microscope and zero in. Maybe a color, maybe a texture, maybe just a very slight movement.
I feel like this is one of those half full/half empty, positive/negative images. Fenced in or fenced out. An image of protection either way. To protect someone or something from danger, to keep something dangerous from entering a place. And some might see it as a challenge to be met and to overcome. Subject to interpretation by the viewer.
I don’t have a fondness for defacements such as this on trees or otherwise in nature. But as a photographer, and as a writer, I am an observer. As a photographer I play witness and I document what I see. I try very hard not to disturb the environments I photograph. I walk carefully and I don’t remove parts of nature, leaves, roots, or otherwise, that might make the photograph less appeal. I photograph nature and the environment as I see it, not disturbed by my human hand, if at all possible. Mindful, is always a word I try to keep at the forefront of my thoughts as I photograph, whether it be in an urban setting where people are gathered or in a wooded, natural landscape.
TA Gallup Photography 