WP Nature Photography

Santa Monica Pier at Night

2012-01-20T12:49:00.002-06:00

On a recent trip to one of my favorite spots in the world (California), I got to swing by Santa Monica and decided to head down to the world-famous Pier at night. The tide was out farther than I had ever seen...almost to the end of the Pier! This made for some unique vantage points for photography. Enjoy!

P.S. The wind chill here in the outskirts of the Twin Cities here in Minnesota was -27 degrees two nights ago. I think we should all pack up and go to sunny California!

It's Fall...again...

2011-10-20T14:46:00.000-05:00

Not to ruin anyone's day, but I thought that I'd point out that Fall is here and Winter is right around the corner. For some of you who live in warmer areas of the world, that might not mean much to you but for someone who lives in an area like Minnesota (myself included) it means a great deal.

I am personally not looking forward to all of the snow and cold, but as always it offers some nice photo opportunities. Here are some photos that were captured up on the shore of Lake Superior, right before the leaves started to change.

Reboot!

2011-10-11T17:02:00.001-05:00

Believe it or not, I'm actually going to start posting more. Seriously! This blog has been dead for a while but I'm "rebooting" it. I've had limited access to a desktop computer recently resulting in me ignoring my blog. Nonetheless, I have recently purchased an iPad which, to my joy, means that I'll have the Internet with me nearly at all times throughout the day. So...yeah. That means much more posting! So, welcome to the rebooted WP Nature Photography!

These two pics were taken on my recent trip to Poland ( which I'll be talking about in detail in upcoming posts).

Hey everyone!

2011-08-16T16:46:00.000-05:00

Okay, I admit it. I haven't posted in like, forever. Oops. BUT I have a good excuse! I just recently returned from an amazing trip to Europe. While on my travels I very rarely had internet access and never for a long enough time for me to write a post. However now that I'm back home in the States I'll start posting again regularly. This is obviously a place for me to post my nature photography, but I want to begin to spend more time writing about how YOU can improve YOUR photography. All in all, I had an incedible time on my trip but am glad to be back on Blogger!

The Night Sky

2011-05-14T10:42:00.001-05:00

Alrighty, so it has been a very cold and wet Spring. However there was a break in the rain one particularly wet evening and I had the chance to shoot some pretty neat cloud formations in the quickly darkening evening sky. It was quite a challenge as I needed to use long shutter speeds - up to a minute in length - to get the proper exposure. However, the wind would continue to move the clouds and trees so that everything was a blurred mess in the photos. Thankfully I eventually did get some decent shots and I will display a couple of them here.

Tropical Flowers

2011-04-30T13:21:00.001-05:00

I don't like rainy weather, and today it has been raining all day (bummer). My main computer - which stores my images - seems to be infected with some sort of serious virus (super bummer). The forcast shows that here in Minnesota we might be getting some more snow within the next couple of days (seriously? I thought that it was Spring). And to top off my list of reasons to be grumpy, the Twins lost again last night (where is Joe Mauer when you need him?). However I have still been enjoying a good day and, discovering that this blog has been seriously neglected for awhile, decided to post!

Anyway, here are some photos of some species of tropical flowers (these flowers in particular can be found in the rainforest of Southeast Asia). Which one is your favorite?

Grizzlies!

2011-03-04T15:58:00.001-06:00

Grizzly Bears are the second largest land predators in the world (the Polar Bear takes the cake for #1). Now don't get confused when you hear that "Brown Bears" and "Grizzly Bears" are the same thing. They are not the same thing...well sort of.
The Brown Bear is a species of bear, but there are three sub-species within that species - the Grizzly, the Kodiac, and the Eurasian - so they are technically the same thing. But not really, haha. If you were to just use "Brown Bear", you could be refering to any of the three sub-species. BUT if you want to be known for your vast wisdom and knowledge about bears then you might just want to use the correct sub-species name. So there you go! So the next time that you're in one of those "akward silence" moments with someone else, never fear! Just throw these nuggets of wisdom about Brown Bears at them and see if you can start an interesting conversation...I doubt that it will work, haha.

Don't worry, I'm still alive!

2011-02-21T11:57:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! I'm posting this message just to let you all know that I'm alive and well and plan on posting alot more in the near future. I havn't been paying much attention to my blog recently as I have been crazy busy (new job, lots of college classes, etc.). BUT my schedule will even out in the next week or so and now that there is a handy laptop which I can use I can be spending alot more time updating this blog. Thanks for sticking around!

-Wyatt

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-15T18:27:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I know that I'm a day late with this message but oh well. I hope that you all had a great day!

Sandstone

2011-02-05T18:34:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! I hope that you are all doing very well. Sorry for the delay of posting, life can sure get busy sometimes. Anyway, in Utah there are several world-famous National Parks, with the most popular being Arches National Park. Famous for its, well, stone arches it also is home to unique plant and wildlife species. I have posted about this park before showing photographs that I have taken of some of the most popular rock formations in the park (Fragile Arch, Balancing Rock, etc.). This post will simply show some photos of the rock itself: the beautiful and unbelievably smooth sandstone.

Some plants in Grand Canyon National Park

2011-01-19T13:08:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! I hope that you are all surviving the winter just fine! I know that up here in "Minnesnowta" the winter weather can be a huge issue for traveling and what not. Personally, I am 100% ready for Spring.
Anyway here are some older photos that I took a while back at the Grand Canyon National Park. Enjoy!

Take advantage of the opportunities that zoos offer!

2011-01-12T15:03:00.000-06:00

As photographers, make sure to take advantage of the opportunities that zoos offer. Though its not nearly as exciting or rewarding as photographing wildlife in the wild (I've even heard of it as "cheating") they allow you to photograph animals that a lot of us will never even see in the wild. For example I took these photos at the San Diego Zoo of a Eurasian Lynx...a rare species of cat that is very hard to find - let alone photograph - in the wild. Yet I got these excellent "head shots" of this species.

Santa Monica Beach at Sunset

2011-01-09T20:40:00.001-06:00

If you ever get the chance to be in Santa Monica, California, make sure to stick around into the evening. Oceans provide stunning sunsets and its almost like someone flips off a light switch when the sun finally shrinks over the horizon...one moment the sun is casting its rays at the beach, the next moment its gone over the horizon, not to return until the next morning. Here are some photos that I got while visiting some relatives a while back.

Above: Gulls follow a boat in the sunset.

Below: Clam holes in the moist sand.

One last hunt for clams before the sun goes down.

A Gull watches the sun set.

A horse on a snowy day...

2011-01-08T16:51:00.000-06:00

It has been snowing alot (after all this is Minnesota) so I have been able to get some pretty decent shots of this "winter wonderland". A couple of days ago however I got some photos of one of our horses "Scotch", though this isn't exactly "wildlife photography" I liked the results so I thought that I'd share them with you.

Black-footed Penguin

2011-01-07T12:15:00.000-06:00

The African or Black-footed Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) are native to the coasts of southern Africa, with the most famous location being Boulders Beach near Cape Town. Standing over 25 inches tall, these large aquatic birds are quite popular in zoos and aquariums (I took this photos at a zoo in Washington).

A New Look

2011-01-06T23:51:00.001-06:00

Alright everyone. If you're reading this then you must be on my blog and if you have ever visited before you will have already noticed some massive changes.
First off, the new layout. This IS a nature photography blog and being able to display photographs properly - in my opinion - means that they are large enough to see in detail. Everyone will obviously agree with me. My old layout however didn't allow that, as my images had to be posted a very small size if they were to fit in the post column. This layout allows my images to be posted nice and big which makes viewing easier and allows for much great detail in the individual photos.
Also up near the blog title you will see tabs which go to individual pages of my blog ("About", "Contact", "Links"). This feature allows for a lot easier navigation (for example if you want to send me an email, jump to the "Contact" page and you'll be ready to go...no more scrolling around looking for stuff randomly placed on sidebars). I will update the pages with time and will add more in the future.
All in all I think that this new layout with lots of new features fits perfectly. My old one was several years old and was very outdated. This new one is great for displaying photography (the whole purpose of this blog) and is designed around making it a much smoother ride for you, the reader.

This upgrade is long overdue!

-Wyatt

Nesting Flamingoes and a Happy New Year!

2011-01-05T11:15:00.001-06:00

It feels like 2010 went by very fast, doesn't it? Oh well, 2011 is here and I hope that you all had a great New Year! I sure did as I got to get out and take some winter, snow-filled pictures, eat alot of great food, and saw the movie "True Grit" (it was very good, by the way). Anyway a couple months ago I went to a zoo that had a large flock of Flamingoes on display and I got the chance to photograph these extraordinary birds nesting! One of the newly hatched babies was - according to a zookeeper - only a couple hours old.

Hell Creek

2010-12-30T15:45:00.001-06:00

Near Jordan, Montana is Hell Creek, made famous from "The Hell Creek Formation" a section of land that is near the creek and has proven to be a gold mine for dinosaur fossils. Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex, Edmontosaurus, Pachycephaosaurus, Ankylosaurus, along with some marine animals (mainly sharks and rays) are some of the many fossils that have been unearthed here.

Glacier National Park's "Going to the sun road" Part 1

2010-12-28T16:03:00.002-06:00

On a recent trip through Montana I had the opportunity to travel through Glacier National Park, whom many consider to be one of the most scenic places on the planet. The "Going to the sun road" goes right through the park, and features the majority of the park's popular sights. These are some photos that I got along this road and paths branching off of it.

As you can tell, it was a very cloudy day.

Some of the rolling landscapes, high up in the mountains.

While I was far up on a path, it began raining freezing rain. I took off my jacket and covered my camera and ran (well, slipped) my way back down the mountain to the comfort of my vehicle. By the time I got there, my shirt and pants were completely soaked through.

The name, "Going to the sun road" seemed a little misleading (haha) since while I was there, the sun barely peaked out. The weather eventually got so bad that I had to leave, because the clouds were too thick to really see anything and the narrow mountain roads were becoming very slick, and I didn't want to end my day accidently driving over a cliff.

Facebook

2010-12-28T15:44:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone! I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas! Just letting you all know that I'm on facebook, so if you have a facebook account, make sure to "Like" WP Nature Photography! Its a great way for me to get feedback...what you like and don't like about this photography blog. Have a great rest of your holiday season! -Wyatt

The Keel-billed Toucan

2010-12-22T09:42:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite bird species is the Keel-billed Toucan, with all of its bright colors and unique habits. Native to Central America and areas of South America, this fruit-eating bird can be over 20 inches long, with their brightly colored bill sometimes growing over 6 inches in length.

The Space Needle in Seattle, Washington

2010-12-21T11:33:00.001-06:00

Alright, I know that this is a nature photography blog, however we are going to take a very brief break from that. The Space Needle in Seattle, Washington stands 605 feet tall and was built in 1962 for the World's Fair that Seattle held that year. This world-famous structure has a viewing deck that wraps around the top of the tower and also has a restararunt at the top. It gives great views of the Seattle skyline and surround areas...which means great photo opportunities!

A section of the wrap-around viewing deck.

The harbor viewed from the top of the Needle.

The Seattle skyline as seen from the Space Needle.

Another view of the tower from the ground.

The Painted Canyon

2010-12-16T14:23:00.001-06:00

Painted Canyon National Park is located in Billings, North Dakota, near the town of Medora. It is part of the Badlands of North Dakota. On a recent trip driving out to the west coast, I stopped by and took some photos.

A view of the canyon.

A viewing deck in the park.

Some Waterfall photos

2010-11-14T21:05:00.001-06:00

In a recent trip to Glacier National Park in northern Montana, USA, I got the opportunity to photograph some of America's most scenic views. Though most photographers will spend all of their time in the park photographing the mountains, lakes, glaciers, and wildlife, I took some time to photograph a simple roadside stream. I have to admit that I am pleased with the results!

The water is very clear (and cold!) in the park's streams, as they are fed from glaciers and snow higher up in the mountains.

During the summer, lush mosses and grasses can grow along the streams.

Veterans Day

2010-11-11T16:25:00.001-06:00

I am proud to be a citizen of the United States, and I thank all of the Veterans who have served this Country. Thank you! God bless America!

The Jaguar! (Panthera onca)

2010-11-11T12:06:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite cat species is the Jaguar (Panthera onca). Native to Central and South America (as well as the very Southernmost parts of Arizona, USA) these animals prefer thick forest as their habitat but can also be found in wetlands and dry grasslands. These creatures are most abundant in Tropical Rainforests. Growing up to six feet long (not including the tail) and standing 30 inches at the shoulder, these large cats are quite amazing.

"Yucca brevifolia" The Joshua Tree

2010-10-26T10:35:00.001-05:00

Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California is home to some very awesome and unique rock formations and wildlife, however the most famous residents of this park in the Mojave Desert are the trees....Joshua Trees (Yucca brevifolia).

These amazing plants are native to the South Western United States but are not considered widely common outside of the park. They grow very fast for a desert plant, growing up to 3 inches a year.

These trees are pollinated entirely by the Yucca Moth, who lays her eggs inside of the trees flowers. These trees don't have a "normal" tree trunk as their trunks are made up of stringy fibers. This causes them to not have "growth rings" like other trees do, making it very hard to determine an individual Joshua Tree's age, however, some believe that they can live up to 1,000 years.

Koalas! (Phascolarctos cinereus)

2010-10-22T16:55:00.001-05:00

The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is native to the forests of Eastern and Southern Australia. A marsupial, the female will carry it's young (called a "joey") in a pouch after birth until the offspring will be old enough to fend for itself. These aboreal (tree-dwelling) mammals feed almost entirely off of eucalypt leaves and sleep an average of 18 hours a day. All in all, these are very fascinating creatures...and they are just plain cute!

Monarchs and Swallowtails

2010-10-21T11:31:00.001-05:00

I love photographing butterflies. Fortunately there are many different species where I live and my personal favorites (the Monarch and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail) are shown here.

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) which is shown above has a wingspan of up to 5 1/2 inches and usually is yellow with black markings. However, some females are black like this one.

The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a slightly smaller insect that the Swallowtail, with a wingspan of 4 inches or less. These creatures are usually orange with black marking but some individuals in Hawaii are known to be silver in coloration. Monarchs are famously known for their long annual migrations from the United States to Mexico.

Cylindropuntia bigelovii: "Teddy bear" Cholla

2010-10-19T10:29:00.002-05:00

The Teddy bear Cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) is a species of cactus native to the American Southwest and the Northern parts of Mexico. The name "teddy bear" comes from its very soft appearance but it is covered with extremely sharp spines, so the name is quite decieving. These plants can stand up to 5 feet tall and in May and June produce small fruits and flowers. These photos were taken in Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California.

Unique camera angles and nature photography

2010-10-16T22:13:00.001-05:00

Some people think that "unique" camera angles and nature photography don't mix. I beg to differ. Though you will see alot of nature photography with directly horizontal and vertical framing, I challenge you to explore other options. You may be very pleased with the results.

I'm back!

2010-10-16T00:30:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone, sorry that I havn't posted in a while, I've been on a vacation. So to start things off again here is an image that I captured of a colorful Mushroom in Northern Minnesota about 2 months ago.

Also, it appears that the layout for this blog doesn't load correctly if you use "Firefox" as your internet browser. Any other browser should work fine. Just letting y'all know.

Full Moon

2010-09-27T15:52:00.001-05:00

Astrophotography anyone? I love it! Photographing the night sky is one of my favorite things to do (though it takes alot of patience because you need long shutter speeds in order to capture enough light for a photo). Here is a photo that I took a couple nights ago when we had a Full Moon.

Two beautiful backyard birds

2010-09-21T21:54:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple of very beautiful birds that are native to the Eastern and Central U.S. during the summer (they migrate to South America for the winter). They are frequent visitors to birdfeeders...I actually took these photos right in my own backyard here in Minnesota.

The top photo is a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) (with this photo you can't really tell, but the bird's chest is bright red).

The lower photo is an Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) which is one of the few bright blue birds on the planet.

Meerkats!

2010-09-19T22:58:00.002-05:00

Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) are small mammels (members of the mongoose family) native to the Kalahari Desert and South Africa. They primarily eat insects but will also consume small reptiles, plants, and eggs. They live in large groups - up to 50 members - and live in "Meerkat Cities" which are complex chains of tunnels that they dig. Another cool thing about these guys is that they are completely immune to the very powerful venom of the scorpions in the Kalahari Desert.....unlike people.

Computer issues...SOLVED!

2010-09-17T21:55:00.001-05:00

I'm happy to say that the computer issues that I have been having over the past couple of weeks have been, for the most part, taken care of so I'll be able to return to my usual posting routine. Thanks for sticking around everyone!

A Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao).

A male Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

A Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis).

Computer issues......Part 2

2010-09-14T23:06:00.002-05:00

Alrighty folks, computer technology can be completly annoying sometimes...this is one of those times for me. The computer issues that I'm having are being delt with, but its taking a while. In the next couple of days (perhaps even tomorrow) I'll be able to access my camera files and put up some more photos. Thanks for sticking around!

An Indian Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus).

Computer issues

2010-09-02T21:25:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone, sorry that I haven't posted for a couple of days. The computer that holds all of my images has been down and I'm having a hard time getting it up and running again (hopefully it will be working in the next couple days). For now, here is a photo that I already had saved on a seperate computer.

This is a Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla). This photo was taken at a wildlife park.

"Cradling the sun"

2010-08-29T16:13:00.001-05:00

These photos are ones that I took a while ago but have never posted. In the one above, I positioned the camera so that a "Y" shaped tree branch would appear to have the sun resting in it. The lower photo is a shot of the sunset that evening.

Thank you Crocodile Hunter!

2010-08-28T12:05:00.000-05:00

I love reptiles and have a special fondness towards crocodilans. As a kid I was obsessed with Steve Irwin's "The Crocodile Hunter" t.v. show and that is where my love towards these typically large semi-aquatic animals began. Though I have yet to photograph wild crocodilians (Everglades anyone?) I love to photograph them in zoos and animal parks. These photos are of Crocodiles.

What is a Bonobo?

2010-08-27T11:32:00.001-05:00

What is a Bonobo? Alot of people don't know the answer to that question. A Bonobo (Pan paniscus) is a species of great ape that is native to the rainforests of Central Africa. Also called "pygmy chimpanzees" these small apes are very fascinating and (of course) are awesome to photograph.

Camels taking a bath

2010-08-24T13:59:00.001-05:00

I took this photo at a zoo of some Bactrian Camels (Camelus bactrianus) enjoying a swim (it was very hot that day!).

The American Toad

2010-08-23T17:48:00.002-05:00

The American Toad is one of the most common amphibian species in the U.S. They come in all sorts of colors and are medium sized (4 inches). Here are some photos that I took of some of these amazing little creatures.

1,000!

2010-08-21T12:44:00.000-05:00

It has come to my attention that this blog has now been visited over 1,000 times and has been viewed in over 100 countries! This is huge, considering that I started it as a way to share my photos with family and friends. It has definitely grown! Thanks to all of you for you support!

The Grand Canyon

Northern Minnesota Coastline

2010-08-11T13:19:00.001-05:00

The Eastern side of Northern Minnesota borders the largest freshwater lake in the world - Lake Superior. During a recent trip to that area, I got to spend lots of time photographing the coastline. Enjoy!

A panorama of the rugged coast.

Pine and Fir Trees grow right out of the face of the rock.

Waterfalls are present where the many rivers flow into the lake. This is the upper section of "Gooseberry Falls" (I've posted photos of this same section of the Falls before).

Wildlife is common in the forests that stretch along the coast. This is a White-tailed Deer.

A river flowing into Lake Superior (the lake is directly behind the sandbar in the center of the photo).

Some Insects...

2010-07-31T20:30:00.001-05:00

Photographing insects can be very fun and challenging...especially the ones that have quick escape routes (such as those that can fly, hop, etc.). Nonetheless, I love macro photography so I love shooting these little guys.

Happy June everyone!

2010-06-07T12:08:00.001-05:00

This first photo was taken directly after a thunderstorm. It is a close up of a Fir Tree branch. (Note the "upside-down" reflections in the water droplets)

This next photo, a panorama, I took during sunset over a lake. I think that you will agree that it is quite beautiful.

Singing Northern Cardinal

2010-03-03T23:21:00.001-06:00

Here is a photo that I took recently here in Minnesota of a male Northern Cardinal. He was busy singing so I managed to get a couple photos before he flew away. I slightly cropped this photo. Enjoy!

Winter, Winter, and more Winter...isn't Spring here yet?

2010-03-02T13:11:00.001-06:00

I'll be honest. Winter isn't my favorite season. Here in Minnesota, it gets WAY too cold for my liking. However with the cold can come some great photo opportunities (snow, seasonal birds, etc.) so I try to get out and photograph as much as possible in this giant outdoor freezer. Here are a few photos that I took a couple weeks ago.

Some Pine Tree branches covered in snow and ice.

A male Northern Cardinal. (Note that this isn't a seasonal bird species here, we have them year-round)

Some snow close-up.

Sunset

2010-02-28T19:58:00.000-06:00

Here are some photos that I took recently after a 35 degree day melted most of the snow off of the trees.

I love photographing sunsets and I hope that you enjoy these photos!

Happy 2010 everyone!

2010-01-06T12:16:00.001-06:00

Wow, I can't believe that this decade is already over! It seems that it wasn't very long ago that it turned 2000....anyway, I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas and great New Years! Here are a couple winter pics that I scored in my backyard. This freezing weather is crazy!

Amur Tiger

2009-12-16T21:01:00.002-06:00

This is a beautiful photo that I captured of an Amur (Siberian) Tiger at the Minnesota Zoo. I think that the digitally added sepia color tone adds alot. They are such majestic creatures!

Remembering Summer...

2009-12-15T16:50:00.001-06:00

Happy Winter everyone! Sorry that I havn't posted in a while, the Fall/Winter scedule caught up with me, eating away my time. Anyway, before I enter into many posts displaying photos of Winter I thought I would have one last Summer post. These three pictures were all taken this past July outside of the Twin Cities here in MN. Enjoy!

Depth of field!

2009-11-18T11:01:00.001-06:00

Every time I take pictures, I love toying with depth of field. Depth of field is, in a nutshell, how much

detail you have in the background of your photo. It can be controlled through f/stops (I'll have a post on those later). The first image was taken with a small f/stop and the second with a large f/stop. Which do you like better?

The great photography trick known as "Panning"

2009-10-27T16:04:00.001-05:00

This photo was taken one evening of one of our horses "Patches". They were both running around one of their pastures and I thought that I would try to get some photos.

In order to show movement, I slowed the shutter speed down to1/50 of a second. I wanted everything in the photo to be blurred except for his head, so I did the wonderful photography trick known as "Panning". How do you "Pan"? It is actually very simply and easy. Simply hold the shutter down halfway allowing the camera to focus on your subject (in this case, Patches head) and follow your subject with your camera for a few moments then push the shutter down all the way and take the picture. It has a great effect!

Bald Eagle

2009-10-21T21:36:00.001-05:00

At the Minnesota Zoo, they have a bird show. After the program one day, there was a trainer holding a Bald Eagle up on the stage as people filed out of the stadium. Most people walked past but I thought it was a great opportunity to get some photos of our national bird. I'm glad I stuck around, see for yourself!

Bald Eagle facts: The Bald Eagle is a large bird, with a body length of 28–40 inches, a wingspan of up to 96 inches, and a mass of 5.5–15 punds; with females being about 25 percent larger than males.

Louisiana Purchase

2009-10-20T19:09:00.002-05:00

On this day in history - October 20 - in 1803, the U.S. Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase. The land purchased contained all of present-day Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, parts of Minnesota that were west of the Mississippi River, most of North Dakota, nearly all of South Dakota, northeastern New Mexico, the portions of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. Thats about 23% of the territory of the United States today! And it was all for a mere $15 million!
Such a huge accomplishment is worth taking a moment and thinking about how lucky we are to have this land within our borders today. So many unique and exciting places can be found on this land, and it is a place where many Americans live (I included). So lets take a moment and be grateful for this!

Shamu!

2009-10-20T16:08:00.002-05:00

Alot of people know who Shamu is, the lovable Orca that resides at every SeaWorld Adventure Park (yes, there are several Shamus). About a year ago I went to SeaWorld San Diego where I had a chance to photograph the Orca during the "Believe" show (one of the shows that the Orcas put on). Enjoy!

Note: the first and last photos in this post were cropped.

Lightening-struck tree

2009-10-19T16:35:00.001-05:00

This tree was near the Grand Canyon...and as you can tell, its pretty charred. The reason for this? Lightening! The Grand Canyon sees a lot of lightening in and around it (people have been hit there before) so seeing this wasn't exactly unusual.

Grand Canyon

2009-10-18T23:01:00.001-05:00

The Grand Canyon is my second favorite National Park that I've ever visited (sorry, Yellowstone grabs the #1 spot on my list!). Since no words can describe how it feels to look out over the Canyon, hopefully a panorama photo might help... (click on the picture to expand)

Heres a little guy (I believe it is a Fence Lizard) that was sunning himself on a log next to the Canyon. I only got a couple of photos before he darted away. Also, if you look at his neck, he appears to be shedding.

"Weathered"

2009-10-18T15:06:00.003-05:00

Like in my previous post, this photo was taken in Joshua Tree National Park in southern California. I love this photo for the weathered branch in the forground and the snowy mountains in the background, thus I like to call it "Weathered".

Despite Joshua Tree being in a desert, when I was taking this photo it was a mere 30 degrees f...thanks to the altitude and a very cold day. It is somewhat funny, the first time that I was ever in a "true" desert it snowed...enjoy!

Fun fact about mountains: In the U.S. in order for a land mass to qualify as a mountain, it must stand 1,000 feet tall or more. However if it is only 999 feet, sorry it is just a hill. (500 feet or below and its a knoll.)

Skull Rock

2009-10-17T12:26:00.003-05:00

Joshua Tree National Park in southern California has some of the most strange rock formations in the world. My personal favorite is "Skull Rock". Check it out!

Flamingos!

2009-10-17T01:06:00.002-05:00

Almost anyone will agree that Flamingos are one of the most interesting bird species there is - if not one of the most interesting animal species (seriously, how many animals can you name that are pink?). Their unique body shape and habits add to the plethora of weirdness that this bird has, making it a distinct favorite for zoos and animal parks to house. The following photos were all taken at the San Diego Zoo.

Duluth

2009-10-16T12:52:00.005-05:00

Duluth is one of Minnesota's larger cities, residing on the coastline of Lake Superior. It is world-renowned for having the most active freshwater port in the world.

A Sea Gull in flight.

The famous Duluth lift bridge (sorry for the bad photo).

A memorial.

One of the many ships which come in and out of the port. Some of these ships can be over 1,000 feet in length.

One year!

2009-10-09T21:51:00.003-05:00

Today marks exactly one year since I started this blog...and I must say that I am very surprised. It started out as just a link that I e-mailed to relatives so they could see my photography in one convenient location. Not so anymore! It has grown to a surprising size and has been viewed in, as of this posting, 33 countries spanning 5 continents! Thank you so much for helping make this happen!

I snapped this photo while my little brother played on our swing set.

Can you see the baby Northern Prairie Skink hiding in this old wooden plank?

Sunset!

Fall colors

2009-09-27T11:54:00.002-05:00

As a nature photographer, it is obvious that I enjoy fall for its colors. Here in the upper midwest we get quite the color show in the season just before winter. Here is a tree on our property that always brings out some great colors. I took these photos last year, for this tree only started to change about a week ago. I can't wait to photograph it again!

WP Nature Photography improvements

2009-09-25T11:27:00.005-05:00

If you've been to WPNP before then you will notice that there have been some changes when it comes to the layout of the page. Well after some html work we have a third sidebar (on the left) along with some cool new "gadgets" to play around with. This blog's popularity is growing right now, and I feel that I have to say thank you to everyone who has been around since this sites beginning, nearly a year ago! Also, I encourage you to go into the archives and look at some "older" posts for there is plenty of stuff there to entertain you if your new. Enjoy!

"Herps"

2009-09-23T17:27:00.005-05:00

Reptiles and Amphibians - also known as "Herps" or "Herptiles" by their ever growing group of fans are some of my favorite animals. They tend to get a bad reputation (especially snakes) but I personally find them very fascinating. Therefore, I love to photograph them.

The Northern Prairie Skink is a small lizard (their max. size is about 7 in.) native to the upper midwest of the United States. They seem to be everywhere on my property so I tend to get some good shots of them, despite their lightning fast movement and skittish behavior.

A Grey Treefrog. This little guy has been living in a crease in our grill cover all summer long. Every time I grill I move him over to a nearby bush. By the next evening he is back in his little "fort" where he will stay until I move him again. This picture was cropped for better detail.

As you can probably tell, this picture doesn't look like it was taken outside in the deserts of Pakistan. But thats where these little geckos - Leopard Geckos - live. However this little guy is the latest addition to my captive herp collection. Look at those colors!

Every cloud has a silver lining

2009-09-22T12:59:00.003-05:00

Fall is here! I hope everyone had a great summer!

Well here are some older photos of mine (about a year old) that I found while looking through my camera's computer program. Also, I urge you to look through the archives and check out some of my older posts since there is alot there so check it out! And remember...every cloud has a silver lining.

Flowers

2009-09-21T13:39:00.002-05:00

"April showers, bring May flowers!" In many cases, that saying isn't true. Here are some flowers that didn't bloom for me until very recently, with Fall right around the corner.

The night sky

2009-09-20T10:08:00.002-05:00

I have yet to meet a person who doesn't like to look up at night, and see all of the constellations dotting the sky. After all, everything we look at is on this world except for when we look up into the vastness of outer space.

The Big Dipper.

The moon through some trees.

Zoos!

2009-09-19T13:26:00.001-05:00

In the down economy people are less likely to travel very far for a "vacation". Therefore, there has been a nation-wide uptick in zoo and museum attendence as they can provide a unique experience without the distance a usual vacation would have.

So here are some pics from zoos across the country that I have taken in recent months...

Out of the Garden

2009-09-01T21:37:00.008-05:00

With summer coming to a close, I decided to do a post of some shots I got this year, right out of my own backyard. Wether its insects or flowers, please enjoy!

Astrophotography

2009-06-06T22:08:00.005-05:00

What is Astrophotography? Astrophotography is a special kind of photography that involves making photographs of astronomical objects, such as the moon, sun, planets, galaxies, nebulas, etc...this involves taking photographs through a telescope (special gear is needed).

Tonight we have a full moon but it is unfortunately raining right now where I reside so clouds currently cover up the sky. However, here are some images I got of a Waxing Gibbous moon, several nights ago. I varied the shutter speeds to get a variety of brightness in the moon. Enjoy!

A quick lesson in shutter speeds.

2009-05-29T16:07:00.006-05:00

By changing the shutter speed in between shots you can get a wide range of colors, brightnesses, detail, and the overall "mood" of the picture. For an example check out the three images of some Birch Trees (Betula lenta) below.

Some new photos...

2009-03-25T16:29:00.009-05:00

Here are some photos that I recently took while I was on a walk near my house.

Sylvan Lake

2009-02-28T21:11:00.013-06:00

Sylvan Lake (which is known as the "crown jewel" of Custer State Park) in South Dakota is an amazing place. Its unique rock formations and endless pine forests creat a wonderful landscape...which is great for photography!Some of the amazing rock formations around the Lake. A female Mallard Duck swimming on the Lake. Some more rock formations. A waterfall that has carved itself into the face of one of the countless, truely massive, rock formations that encircle the Lake. A Butterfly resting near the shore. A photograph of how crooked the trail that travels around the Lake can get. For some visitors, this part of their journey makes them quite uneasy!

Fun fact about Sylvan Lake: The Lake was featured in the 2007 film "National Treasure: Book of Secrets". In the movie it was supposedly right behind Mount Rushmore. In reality however, it is 5 miles from the monument.

Some photos taken on a very frosty morning

2009-01-28T11:56:00.008-06:00

Here are some photos that I captured a while back on an extremely frosty morning. Thanks for looking!

Just trying out the video option...

2009-01-27T11:27:00.003-06:00

This video was taken several years back of one of our horses, "Patches", running around in one of our pastures. I would like to mention that this was not taken by me, but by one of my sisters. I am using this video as a lab rat...and if it works, I'll stick some videos that I have taken of the natural world on here. Enjoy!

The Sun and a frozen lake

2009-01-26T11:22:00.002-06:00

These pictures were taken this past April of the lake behind our house during sunset when the ice was just starting to melt off the water. Enjoy!

Some Winter Photography

2009-01-22T13:52:00.005-06:00

I really don't like this time of year. Its mainly the cold that I have problems with, but the icy roads and annoying snow storms aren't my favorite either. However with snow and ice on the ground, you can get some unique photo opportunities. Here are some photos that I have captured this past month (Jan 2009) outdoors in the cold. =)The tip of a piece of grass with the sun in the background.A Japanese Macaque (Macaca fuscata) at the Minnesota Zoo.

One of my ever useful sisters agreed to "pose" for this winter shot. Some Pine Tree branches. A close-up of a Pine Tree branch with the sun in the background. One of our horses, "Patches", rolling in the snow.

Birds

2008-12-17T23:21:00.001-06:00

Well, here is a post on our feathered friends the birds. All of these images were taken in Minnesota. A cardinal.A female pheasant.This picture, along with the one beneath it, were taken on a very foggy morning of some canadian geese flying overhead. An american robin.
A chickadee.A female pheasant taking off into the air after being startled by me. This picture gives you a good look at what a pheasant flying through the air is like - chaotic.

Some plant pictures - part 2

2008-11-11T18:48:00.002-06:00

Here are some plant pictures that were taken this past summer in MN...

Taken in "soft light" a young plant struggles in its search for sunlight in the undergrowth.

A lily.

An apple tree branch in bloom. A bright, blue sky serves as a background.

Some new pine tree branches emerging from their "casings".

The tip of an apple tree branch.

This picture of a jagged-edged leaf is somewhat over-exsposed.

White isn't the only color flower you get when an apple tree blooms.

Our moon...

2008-11-10T21:37:00.002-06:00

Is a one picture post allowed on here? I hope it is since that is what this post is going to be. I took this picture this past March - so it was a while ago - and recently cropped it, something that I usually don't like to do to my images. When I saw the result of cropping it I had to post it here, with no "WP Nature Photography" words over it to obscure the details, to show a photograph of our moon that I didn't know that I could capture. Look at those craters!

Santa Monica Beach

2008-10-27T21:55:00.003-05:00

Alrighty, I havn't done a post in a while (due to laziness...sorry) so this one will be kind of long. All of these images were taken on the Santa Monica Beach in California. Enjoy!

A sailboat with a wave crashing against the shore.

A "Sandpiper" on the Beach.

Some water rushing along the shore...fast shutter speeds allow images like this to be taken without much being being blurred.

A bee...these little insects are everywhere on the beach - apperantly washing up on the shore - and are usually covered by sand, resulting in people stepping on them. I did this and it wasn't much fun...at first I thought that I had been stung by some extremely venomous sea urchin or something - but it was only a bee. =)

Just some bubbles on the sand.The Santa Monica Pier in the afternoon.

A gull wading in the water.
Some more bubbles...though this may sound weird, bubbles are actually very fun to photograph. They are constantly changing, forming, and dissapearing...becoming a very unique subject.
A Sea Gull feeding on who knows what in that pile of washed up sea weed, taken at an angle.

A wave. Once again, a fast shutter speed allowed this shot, freezing the water droplets in the air.
A gull and it's reflection.
Some water rushing up onto the shore.
The Santa Monica Pier at dusk.
Some water leaving the shore.
Gull foot prints in the sand.
A Sea Gull most likely feeding on a crab.
A rather bad picture of the ferris wheel on the Pier. The lights on this ride would do some amazing things...the most incredible one that I saw was the shape of a dolphin jumping over the center of the ferris wheel.

Some Macro Photos

2008-10-19T00:11:00.003-05:00

Here are some macro shots - also known as "close up" shots. These were all taken this past summer in various places in Minnesota.

A Bumble Bee.

The center of a flower.

A water droplet on a leaf.

Rose petals. Very pink!

A Damesel Fly.

The center of a flower.

A Monarch Butterfly wing.

Lake Superior...a photographer's dream

2008-10-15T16:57:00.004-05:00

I truly believe that Lake Superior is a dream location for any nature photographer. From the wooded shorlines to the the rocky coasts to the lighthouses to the lake itself, it seems that there is a never ending supply of photogenic subjects. Here are some pictures that I got when I was there this past September. All were taken from the MN border.

Gooseberry Falls is a fantastic place. This picture was taken of only one of the many sections to the falls.

Another photo of the falls.

One of the countless paths near the shoreline.

A close-up of the rock texture along the shoreline.

A wave chrashing against the shore.

A panoramic shot of Split Rock Lighthouse overlooking the lake.

In the Moab

2008-10-14T15:00:00.003-05:00

The Moab Desert--which is located in the American south-west--is full of amazing places to photograph. I was there recently, so here are some of the "trophies" that I collected.This is a small shelter/viewing area and the path leading up to it at a rest stop in Utah.The same shelter.The view from the shelter (I used my telephoto lense to get this shot, hence the trees).Aha, the entrance sign for Arches NP(sorry that its crooked-I was really excited to get inside)...the rest of these images were taken in the park's boundries.One of the countless fascinating rock formations in the park.The "Balancing Rock" formation.

The "Balancing Rock" formation from a different perspective.

The "Balancing Rock" formation with some dramatic clouds.

A good picture that shows the main rock texture within and around the park.
The "Fragile Arch". The park's most famous "resident".

The "Fragile Arch" up close.

Now I thought I would add, for humerous reasons, that when I was in the park I had a choice to see one arch--which is ridiculous since there are over 2,000 arches in the park. I narrowed it down to either the Fragile Arch or the Wall Arch...well I chose the Fragile Arch. Unfortunatly, on August 5, 2008, only a couple weeks after my visit, the Wall Arch collapsed...needless to say, I am a bit bumed that I didn't choose to see and photograph that one. I even distinctly remember my dad saying, "Oh, we'll see it next time." Bummer.

Some anuran pics...

2008-10-13T19:57:00.004-05:00

Anura...that is the scientific name for the frogs and toads. So heres some pictures that I got in MN recently of a couple little amphibians. This is a Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)

This is a Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)

This is an American Toad (Bufo americanus)

And this is another Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)...actually its the same one that is above. =)

Some Plant Pictures

2008-10-12T15:40:00.002-05:00

First off, thank you for looking at my recently started blog. Anyway, this first picture was taken in South Dakota near Lake Sylvan.

This next picture is of some leaves in Minnesota.

This picture was also taken in Minnesota.

Sunset through a pine tree branch in Minnesota.

Welcome to my blog

2008-10-09T15:34:00.003-05:00

Hello, and welcome to my new blog! I am looking forward to sharing my nature photography with you, and I hope that you will enjoy it.

These flowers were taken along Needle's Highway in South Dakota.

This seagull photo was taken at Santa Monica Beach, California.