On one of the mornings at Bosque del Apache, I noticed an unusually large snowgeese flock portending a spectacular take off. I was not disappointed and with the sky providing a perfect backdrop, it was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
A parent Clark's grebe feeds a juvenile on a late fall evening. Clark's grebe juveniles stay with their parents through fall during which they learn to feed. During this time the parent grebe ends up feeding the juvenile often.
A bison bull grazes early in the morning at Yellowstone NP. I liked the light created by the early morning sun, particularly the filtered rays through the pine forest in the backdrop accentuated by the morning mist.
An American white pelican in the process of digesting a carp. I observed the pelican holding on to the fish for well over an hour, during which it was continuously tilting its head and agitating its pouch. I like the dramatic pose enhanced by morning light.
Fall foliage reflects in the Bad River at Copper Falls SP. The resultant abstract is an impressionist painting-like image.
A trio of American white pelicans arrive at their feeding area These large birds nest inland but close to water bodies. They fish in small to moderately sized groups, often diving in unison. Here, I saw them arrive in small numbers to feed on carp trapped by a small check dam. I was captivated by the lighting, synchronous head angles and colors.
A typical south Indian breakfast consisting of dosas (crepes made of fermented batter), coconut chutney and coarsely ground spiced lentil mixed with oil.
I enjoy seeing and photographing tree abstracts, especially colorful ones such as these aspens. I liked the soft color palate in this image which to my mind, perfectly captures fall in the Mountain West.
Male Green Iguana in Breeding Colors
A magnificent green iguana in its breeding colors rests on the bank of the New River in central Belize. These grow to over five feet which posed a problem for me to frame it standing on a rocky boat.
Fresh peaches in one of Stockholm's many summer farmers' marker.
The Sun Sets on the Kaveri River
Sunset on the Kaveri river. A storied river, it sustained South Indian culture and kingdoms for several hundred years. Now, due to a combination of political squabbles, thoughtless usage and a prolonged drought/climate change, the river is dry for most of the year.
Apple Halwa (dessert) made of organic home grown apples, jaggery (unprocessed cane sugar), ghee (clairified butter), cardamom and cashew nuts
Interesting patterns in a riverbed in Southwest Utah created by rainfall the previous day. The landscape is made of red sandstone and white salt, which are seen in the image.
A group of WIlson's phalaropes feed on insects at the water's edge in the Great Salt Lake. Phalaropes are a polyandrous bird species and a single female will mate will multiple males. Unlike most other bird species, female phalaropes are more colorful than the males.
The center of the moth orchid flower. Orchid flowers contain both male and female parts, but depend on insects such as bees and wasps for pollination. Orchids attract these insects through a combination of shapes, fragrance and nectar. I wanted to highlight complex shapes and patterns within the bloom.
A back-lit rock formation provides an interesting subject with complementary lines in the walls leading the eye to the fiery glow at the top.
Vadais are a staple south Indian breakfast item made with lentil batter and deep fried.
An elephant seal pup snarls as it rests at Point Reyes National Seashore. I was visiting the area with family and came across a small group of the seals by the trail. It gave me some opportunities to photograph them at close range. The pup's relaxed demeanor suggested this was indulging in posturing and playful mock aggression.
Sandhill cranes land to join their feeding colleagues at a cornfield in the Bosque del Apache NWR. I particularly liked the dynamics in this image that conveys the social behavior of these birds as well as the chaos of feeding at end of the day before going to roost.
Sandhill Cranes Takeoff Abstract
A group of sandhill cranes take off past sundown to their roosting spot at the Bosque del Apache NWR. I was shooting long exposure panning shots and liked the combination of the cranes against the cornfield they were feeding on, especially in the evening light.
A moth orchid plant photographed in natural light. Orchids are predominantly tropical plants with very intricate structures. They have symbiotic relationships with various other species, mainly insects on whom they depend for pollination, and even a type of fungi which helps them process nutrients.
A narrow section of a red sandstone slot canyon.. Variations in lighting over even a short section of slot canyons accentuated by lines and rock formations give rise to eye-catching landscapes.
Western Spotted Orb Weaver Feeding on a Green Darner
A female western spotted orb weaver spider feeds on a green darner dragonfly caught in its web. My wife and I saw this dragonfly getting stuck in the web and the spider was on it in an instant. It moved away as I set up my camera, but came back in a few seconds once it realized I was not a threat. Spiders use different kinds of web materials for different parts of the web as well as tying up its prey as seen here.
One of the images I had in mind was an abstract of tree limbs in front of a full moon. The super moon provided an opportunity, but I had to be quick as the moon was rising fast across the trees.
Curious Black Howler Youngster
A curious black howler monkey youngster examines my camera at the Baboon sanctuary in central Belize. The monkeys at the sanctuary are wild, but somewhat acclimatized to human presence. Photographing them, though is more difficult, given their high level of activity and the low light in the forest.
A pronghorn doe feeds her young at Yellowstone NP. While the dominant buck was chasing away a rival, it was interesting to see the rest of the herd go about their normal activities. The soft evening light and surrounding sage brush prairie created a picturesque setting for the image.
Forest floor | Water beads on a fallen leaf | Sound of rain
Fall colors, muted light and bottom-up view create a classic waterfall image.
A hoverfly rests on a false sunflower blossom in Milwaukee's Riverside Park. Hoverflies look like hornets - a mimicry that makes potential predators avoid capturing them. The colors on the hoverfly are perfectly complemented by those on the dominant flower.
A juvenile bald eagle traverses across a frozen lake on a winter morning in search of food. Bald eagles feed mostly on injured birds or fish, sometimes stolen from more skillful fishing birds. In winter, they tend to gather in around frozen lakes and rivers, where breaks in the surface ice provide a source of fish. I noticed the eagle warming up on the lake a little earlier. Soon, it started to scour an area where there was a break in the ice sheet, for fish. I liked the scene presented by dark eagle framed in the open winter landscape.
Fresh home-made pizza with paneer (Indian country cheese), home grown basil, hierloom tomatoes and red bell-pepper paste.
