January: Backyard Birds

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Once again, a new year calls me to bravely begin my #YearInReview, namely a pilgrimage through my past year’s photographs to pull out one image a month that helps me tell the story of my photographic year. It takes bravery because I don’t always like what I see and I don’t always have much to choose from! Nevertheless, it has been a valuable exercise, so hear goes. I begin by breaking a rule. For January 2024, I will post multiple photos because I love the diversity of birds I sometimes have in my backyard. January is prime time–especially if there’s…

#Humility #AdventWord

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What is more humble in all creation than the sparrow? When humans are not trying to shoo them away from our feeders for “serious” birds, or otherwise treating them like a nuisance, we tend to pay them little mind. The Bible uses the sparrow to make a point about God’s extravagant attention to even minor, inconsequential details–like sparrows. Sparrows are small, commonplace and nondescript. Or so we think. Until something happens that draws our attention to them in a new way. For me it was the snow and ice storm of February 2021 that grounded dozens of hungry birds in…

Creature Encounters

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I can’t think of much that is more gratifying than an up-close and personal encounter with one of the scores of amazing creatures with which we share this planet. I use hashtags to identify themes in my photography, so go online and search for #CreatureEncounters. You’ll find more of my fave works. Recognize, of course, that when I say “up close,” I am speaking relatively. I never was very close to the osprey and its prey in Angel of Death. But our encounter extended for a 15 to 20 minute period as I followed the bird clutching its prey from…

Catching up…

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Some years start out slow. This one did. Then all of a sudden I have images in three shows and haven’t said a word bout it. So here goes. “World Untamed”–what a super show theme! Right up my alley, don’t you think? Marin Society of Artists is hosting the show in their Virtual Gallery from March 30 through May 30. You’ll be able to see the show here. Many thanks to juror Paul Kratter for selecting my work. Urban Osprey was a natural to submit to this show. The very civilized telephone poles in the background put in high relief…

December: Birds & Blooms

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I shoot lots of both! It’s a fitting way to end this special edition of #YearInReview, giving you a glimpse of my world for the past two years. December 9, 2022 – The older I get the more I prefer the dead and dying flowers. That’s not at all a morbid thought. Truly, it’s not. I love so much the shapes they take as the petals dry: twisted, crinkled, yet graceful. Their colors reach a peak of intensity. Their age spots dignify them. May I age so beautifully, eloquently. December 26, 2023 – Goal achieved: An American Kestrel (Falco sparvarius)…