Mackinac Island It can be a cold endeavor standing still in the dark Mackinac Island is a small island near the bridge that takes you from Northern Michigan to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This is a very dark place, especially in the winter when I took this photograph. There are challenges with shooting photos at night […]
Adirondack State Park The few faint lights on the bottom are campsite lights along the water’s edge When you think of New York you don’t think of a dark place good for shooting astrophotography. However, Adirondack State Park in remote northern New York is an excellent place for shooting the stars. I took this photograph along […]
Acadia National Park You can see a shooting star in the top center When you live up north, summer is the best time of year to shoot the stars. The nighttime temperatures are bearable, and your camera batteries don’t cold-crash. I took this photo in Acadia National Park in Maine last summer while camping. If you look closely, […]
Saguaro National Park This meant feeling the heat of the sun throughout the day This photo was taken while on a hike in the east side of Saguaro National Park. The east side of the park has a trail called the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail. It spans 11 miles and proceeds slowly uphill from west […]
Big Bend National Park The Milky Way was so readily visible to the naked eye It’s been five years since I took this photo of the silhouette of an ocotillo against the starry night sky in Big Bend National Park. I have to say that despite taking astrophotography in several other parts of the country, […]
Northern Lights Forecast The sky went from a shade of green to a burst of red I’ve chased the Northern Lights for my entire adult life. Whenever I’ve heard a forecast that the Northern Lights might be visible near to where I am, I have attempted to see them. There was one night when I […]
Plume Thistles – iNaturalist In a home garden many people would consider thistles to be a weed I took this photo during a hike on the east side of Eagle Creek Park. This is the side of the park that does not get as much traffic. I think this is because you do not have […]
Desert Christmas Cactus – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The fruits will stay on the stem until winter This photo of a desert Christmas cactus was taken while on a trip to Big Bend National Park in southwestern Texas. This was a plant that I had never seen before, but I was immediately taken aback […]
Mason Wasps – BugGuide The abdomen is noted by three thin stripes The wasp pictured here is a pitted mason wasp. This is a solitary wasp that is found across the United States and southern Canada. It’s most common east of the Great Plains. Within the Euodynerus genus, it is the most common species. The […]
Spotted Scorpionfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern You can generally get very close because this fish trusts its camouflage Scorpionfish are masters of camouflage. They have numerous cirri covering their body (mainly head). Cirri are the fleshy appendages that are used for sensing and camouflage. This scorpionfish is facing to the right. The red eye in the top […]