Backlit Fern Frond

While on our Blogger Family Photoshoot I noticed Amy shooting some ferns whose fronds had begun to change colors. After she finished I took my turn shooting and selected this single backlit frond.

I wonder if she captured a better image than I

The Family Photo Bloggers

Chad’s vacation provided the opportunity to get our family of photobloggers together. Plans were made to meet up and do a few group shots followed by a hike to an old abandoned homestead in the nearby mountain. With Chad (the photog blog) living in Florida and Amy (Ash’s Eye) two hours away this was a rare opportunity that could not be missed. Of course the photo could not be complete without my brother Willard (The Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer).

If you are unfamiliar with any of them please click their blog name for an enjoyable visit.

Changing Attitudes

As I was about to hop the guardrail to capture some fall foliage I happened to notice this water snake lying in the leaves and rocks.

Growing up as a Farm boy I learned about the good and the bad animals. Good animals were comprised of livestock along with wild animals used for food, commonly known as game. The list of Bad creatures was fairly long and included any wild animal or bird that may kill a chicken such as skunks, opossums, raccoons, foxes, hawks, owls, and weasels along with most types of rodents and any other wild animal with no obvious useful purpose. At the very top of the Bad Animal list were snakes.

Snakes of all kinds were to be loathed, detested, and killed on sight. Was not the only possible reason God created such a loathsome creature was to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden? Besides doesn’t the Bible say “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”? Killing snakes fulfills our part of this ancient curse and on occasion a poisonous snake, given the opportunity or sufficient provocation will certainly fulfill his end of the bargain.

As I maneuvered for a close up shot my hand dropped to the rocks. Choosing a couple of pea sized pebbles I gently tossed them toward the snake to bring her into “Battle Position”. At the toss she made one quick strike and then assumed the position I was looking for. A few moments later she quietly made her escape into the creek a few yards below, never understanding that she was in absolutely no danger and that her reaction was exactly what I was looking for,

Another

“Country Capture”

Vivid Colors of Evening

A partly cloudy evening provided me with this warm spotlight effect. My interest was drawn by the contrast between sun & shadows with remnants of an old shed providing the left frame.

Lonely

In Search of Color

Following the magnificent sunrise I went in search of autumn foliage. Although by the calendar we have entered autumn, we are currently in the midst of an unusually hot dry spell. Our daytime highs have been hovering around 90 degrees with no measurable precipitation since late August. Combine this with the gypsy moth damage we experienced back in June and we have the perfect recipe for a lack-luster fall.

While walking along an old forest road the vivid colors and textures of these leaves illuminated by the morning sun shining through them caught my eye. The strong natural backlighting provided me with another “Country Capture”

Above the Clouds

Saturday morning found us socked in with heavy fog so I headed to a mountain top hoping to catch a stunning sunrise.

Poke Berries

Pretty as Poison

Please Welcome Willard

Welcome my Big Brother Willard to the blogisphere

Willard has been a dedicated wildlife photographer for over thirty years. I joke about his photography being “Antler Oriented” as many of his photographs are of deer and elk but in honesty he will not pass up the beautiful butterfly or a great sunset. Today Willard predominantly shoots HD video but his trusty old Canon 10D continues to be used to shoot stunning stills during his days afield

I could go on and on about his life long obsession with photographing wildlife but instead I will allow Willard to tell you all about it. Please visit Willard, The Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer, and take a moment to say Hi.

Amish Self-Checkout

I was surprised to find this Amish Produce stand unoccupied

Upon closer examination I found this to be a self-service facility

The Amish businessman appears to trust the public with his produce,

But Not His Cash