About me...

You FOUND me! This is my new blog site. It is a place for me to give my images a purpose. I post them and tell their stories. I also sell them! I make 5x7 notecards and have been known to send them out as fine art. 

That's the down and dirty but here is a little bit about me. I graduated in the mid 1980's from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Photojournalism. After three years in the NAU Athletic Department I went back to school, became a teacher, and ended that 27 year career in 2018. In 2014 I was fortunate to join Arizona Highways Photography Workshops as a volunteer. Their final workshop will be in December, 2023. I photograph what I do and where I go. I like traveling light, shooting on the go and capturing images most folks just walk by and don't even notice. 

My target audience is you, the common person. I'm not interested in reaching out to the top tier of photographers in the world. I want to inspire the everyday camera owner, be it a phone, point and shoot, mirrorless, DSLR or full frame,  who wants to take better pictures of their family, friends and places they visit.

I look forward to hearing from you and reading your comments, especially if they inspire you to grab your camera and use it on your own life adventures.

Thank you for letting me share my images with you!

 

Shadows

The representation of shadow, and especially of cast shadow, is as old as art itself, for according to classical writers art was born when the outline of a human shadow thrown onto a wall was first traced out in order to capture it in the form of a silhouette. 

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The Agave Plant

 There are around 200 species of Agave, but only about 30 have been cultivated for commercial use. Most of these are from Mexico, although they occur in the southern United States and into South America. Plants are characterized by forming rosettes of fleshy (succulent) leaves which have a sharp point or spine terminally. The leaf margins may be smooth or spiny.

Read more »

New York City Murals

The word mural is a Spanish adjective that is used to refer to what is attached to a wall. The term mural later became a noun. In art, the word mural began to be used at the beginning of the 20th century. In ancient Roman times, a mural crown was given to the fighter who was first to scale the wall of a besieged town. "Mural" comes from the Latin muralis, meaning "wall painting". This word is related to murus, meaning "wall".

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Coyote Hawk turns THREE!

Our beloved Coyote Hawk turns three at the end of this month. We drove her home from Southern California on November 29, 2021. It has been three years of wonderful adventures with 227 nights spent inside and more than that parked at people's homes and sleeping in THEIR beds. She has been a wonderful investment. 

Read more »

Pelicans

Pelicans are my favorite birds. They do so many  cool things. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before swallowing. 

Read more »

Meanwhile...at the Wetlands

The other day I took the long lens out to our local wetlands to see what was up. Per usual, it did not disappoint. The red-winged black birds were out in force. 

Read more »

Para...chutes and gliders

This week I'm continuing with the transportation theme Air. I was going to make it about hot air balloons. However, I have SO many images that need to be gone through that I got overwhelmed and settled for the Parachutes/Paragliders theme instead. Enjoy.

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Helicopters

This is the beginning of a monster series based on the keyword: Transportation. It covers Air, Land and Sea. I'll begin with air and hit on helicopters, planes and hot air balloons. 

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Snowshoeing

On Sunday January 7th, 2024 Flagstaff, AZ had a one foot snowstorm. It began snowing early in the morning and didn't stop until nearly sundown. It by far is not the largest single day snow event but it added enough snow to the previous storm's five inches to allow us a lovely jaunt into the forest on our snowshoes. Flagstaff, Arizona is one of the snowiest cities in the United States, with an average annual snowfall of 102 inches. The snowfall is heaviest in January and February.

Read more »

Mailboxes

I like taking pictures of mailboxes. They mostly look the same but often times are different enough to create a pattern. I love patterns. In gathering images for this post I began to wonder...where did the mailbox come from? In an effort to keep this a quick read I won't go into the complete evolution involving the Pony Express and the telegraph machine. You're welcome. 

Read more »

White Tank Mountain Park

In mid-December we did a quick two-night trip to White Tank Mountain Park in the west valley (Phoenix metropolitan area) with a friend. We experienced a sensational sunrise as well as a magnificent hike and wonderful conversation. Here are a few iPhone snaps of our trip.

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White Horse Lake

Last summer we spent the night at White Horse Lake near Williams, AZ. It was a quick overnight and we hadn't been there in over a decade. We brought paddle boards and a friend. The goal was to do an evening paddle and watch the full moon rise. Mission accomplished. All I brought was my phone as a camera. Here is what I captured. 

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Shadows

The representation of shadow, and especially of cast shadow, is as old as art itself, for according to classical writers art was born when the outline of a human shadow thrown onto a wall was first traced out in order to capture it in the form of a silhouette. 

Read more »

The Agave Plant

 There are around 200 species of Agave, but only about 30 have been cultivated for commercial use. Most of these are from Mexico, although they occur in the southern United States and into South America. Plants are characterized by forming rosettes of fleshy (succulent) leaves which have a sharp point or spine terminally. The leaf margins may be smooth or spiny.

Read more »

New York City Murals

The word mural is a Spanish adjective that is used to refer to what is attached to a wall. The term mural later became a noun. In art, the word mural began to be used at the beginning of the 20th century. In ancient Roman times, a mural crown was given to the fighter who was first to scale the wall of a besieged town. "Mural" comes from the Latin muralis, meaning "wall painting". This word is related to murus, meaning "wall".

Read more »

Coyote Hawk turns THREE!

Our beloved Coyote Hawk turns three at the end of this month. We drove her home from Southern California on November 29, 2021. It has been three years of wonderful adventures with 227 nights spent inside and more than that parked at people's homes and sleeping in THEIR beds. She has been a wonderful investment. 

Read more »

Pelicans

Pelicans are my favorite birds. They do so many  cool things. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before swallowing. 

Read more »

Meanwhile...at the Wetlands

The other day I took the long lens out to our local wetlands to see what was up. Per usual, it did not disappoint. The red-winged black birds were out in force. 

Read more »

The Eclipse...and MORE!

Yes, the eclipse was cool and all but our trip was about SO much more than the sun. We began in New Mexico at El Morro National Monument. It is an outcropping of rock with a spring at the base of it. Travelers for centuries have been stopping there because of it's natural spring. Etchings on the wall date back to Ancestral Puebloans, Spanish conquistadors, and American settlers. 

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Hot Air Balloons

To begin the hot air balloon segment I'm going to divide it into three sub catehories; Hot Air Balloons, Racing Balloons and Hydrogen Balloons. To begin with, the history of hot air balloons dates back to the 18th century. The first successful human-carrying flight technology was the hot air balloon. The first untethered manned balloon flight in the world was performed in Paris, France on November 21, 1783. Balloons used for passenger flights today were developed in the United States during the 1960s.

Read more »

Para...chutes and gliders

This week I'm continuing with the transportation theme Air. I was going to make it about hot air balloons. However, I have SO many images that need to be gone through that I got overwhelmed and settled for the Parachutes/Paragliders theme instead. Enjoy.

Read more »

Helicopters

This is the beginning of a monster series based on the keyword: Transportation. It covers Air, Land and Sea. I'll begin with air and hit on helicopters, planes and hot air balloons. 

Read more »

Snowshoeing

On Sunday January 7th, 2024 Flagstaff, AZ had a one foot snowstorm. It began snowing early in the morning and didn't stop until nearly sundown. It by far is not the largest single day snow event but it added enough snow to the previous storm's five inches to allow us a lovely jaunt into the forest on our snowshoes. Flagstaff, Arizona is one of the snowiest cities in the United States, with an average annual snowfall of 102 inches. The snowfall is heaviest in January and February.

Read more »

Mailboxes

I like taking pictures of mailboxes. They mostly look the same but often times are different enough to create a pattern. I love patterns. In gathering images for this post I began to wonder...where did the mailbox come from? In an effort to keep this a quick read I won't go into the complete evolution involving the Pony Express and the telegraph machine. You're welcome. 

Read more »