It is time for some cool fall weather here in Tucson. Today’s forecast high is 95 degrees. So, to help motivate some positive changes in our local weather, here’s an autumnal closeup from Pennsylvania…
Nature Photography
Nature Photography: Birds Do It, Bees Do It…
You probably know that old song by heart. The one that goes, “Birds do it, bees do it, even sentimental fleas do it. Let’s do it, let’s fall in love.” Well, I’m here to tell you that the birds, bees, and fleas aren’t the only ones getting in on the action. The trees are doing…
Nature Photography: Save Penn Wood
I was a very lucky kid. One of my grade schools was set amidst an ecological paradise. I mean, this place had it all — tall trees, flowers, birds, and all sorts of furry creatures. The perfect place for a daydreaming, artistically-minded kid. I’ll admit to hearing more than a little bit of teacher flak…
Graphic Design: Butterfly Trio
One of my favorite types of graphic design: Designing with type, then combining the result with photography. Here is an example that came together on a promotional postcard for my studio…
Nature Photography: Rain, Rain, and More Rain
This just in: The Arizona Daily Star says, “The three-month period from June through August tied for the 16th-warmest and was the 40th-wettest summer on record.” The Star also notes a summer rainfall of 5.28 inches, which is 0.67 of an inch above normal. The Star is reporting the rainfall measured at the Tucson International…
Nature Photography: Fig Beetle
If you’ve ever been up close and personal with a cactus, you (ouch!) know that (yeow!) it takes a pretty tough critter to crawl all over one. Permit me to introduce you to the fig beetle. Not only does it like to do the cactus crawl, it also munches on them. This one’s chowing down…
Nature Photography: Misty Mississippi Woods
Southern summer mornings are misty times. The combination of airborne moisture and early morning light makes the piney woods into an eerie place. This is scene is from Caswell Springs, which is located near Wade, Mississippi.
Nature Photography: Green Fountain
A fountain that lacks a continuous water flow soon turns into an interesting biology lesson. I don’t know how long this fountain had been idle, but it was growing quite the crop of algae when I happened upon it with my camera… In addition to the algae, the standing water was attracting at least one…
Construction Photography: Katrina Plus Three
Just returned from another week of post-Katrina reconstruction in Mississippi. Although much appears to be back to normal, there’s still quite a bit of work to be done. Take, for example, this house. Almost three years after the storm (local people rarely call it Katrina), the owners are still living in a trailer. Since drywalling…
Nature Photography: Rain Revitalizes
Last Thursday, my part of Tucson received .70″ of rain in less than an hour. The water has had a chance to soak into the ground and revive the plant life, including this dinner plate cactus… March 2019 update: Oops! Looks like that photo went bye-bye when I had this blog redesigned. But, never fear,…
Nature Photography: Xeriscapes and a Prickly Pear Cactus Sunrise
Good landscape planning and design is one of those things that a lot of us talk about, and some of us even do it. But, here’s Martha from Reality-ville: I didn’t plan the design of my yard. I just made it up as I went along. And my forary into water harvesting was motivated more…
Nature Photography: Bird with a Large Beak
Okay, ornithology buffs, this one’s for you. I spotted this bird at Wildlife World (near Phoenix) in late 2006. Anyone care to identify him or her?
Nature Photography: You know it’s summer in Tucson when…
…your prickly pear cactus swoons.
Graphic Design: Tucson Travel Card
This one was created for a Creative Postcard Club assignment… We were given the task of designing a card that would promote our hometown.
Nature Photography: Spring in Tucson – Chuparosa Blooming, Cactus Budding
Spring’s just about to give way to the summer heat. So, time to catch the chuparosa blooms before they fade away… It’s been an especially good spring for new buds on the cactus. My prickly pear have been quite industrious…
Nature Photography: Swallowtail Butterfly
One of the many fluttering insects at the Desert Botanical Gardens’ Butterfly Pavilion.
Nature Photography: Goldfish Pond
The Desert Botanical Gardens’ Butterfly Pavilion is an enclosed structure designed to keep the fluttering insects in. The interplay of the the pavilion’s roof reflection and the pond caught my eye.
Nature Photography: Agaves
Agaves at the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona.
Nature Photography: Bee and Rose
Sampling a rose outside the Sun Bowl Amphitheatre in Sun City, Arizona.
Event Photography: Butterfly Pavilion
If you’re into fluttering insects, the Desert Botanical Garden’s Butterfly Pavilion is the place to be. Located in southeast Phoenix, the Pavilion is quite the draw for photographers, including my friend and mentor, Judy Vorfeld: Judy and I visited the Butterfly Pavilion this past Saturday. You can catch the Butterfly Pavilion exhibit between March 1…
Nature Photography: Spring in Tucson – Aloe in the Wall, Iceplant in the Yard
The aloe that I planted four years ago just can’t contain its enthusiasm. This bud is growing through a crack in my retaining wall… The iceplant is much more tame — except for the flowers…