Arkansas Wildlife Blog and Gallery
Buffalo National River and NW Arkansas
Shameless Self-Promotion Department
My framed wildlife prints are on display and for sale at a number of locations:
Jasper
Boardwalk Cafe/Arkansas House
Cliff House Inn
Point of View Restaurant
Jasper Chamber Gift Shop
Ponca
Lost Valley Canoe Store
Villines Store (Boxley Valley)
Low Gap
Low Gap Store
Compton
Compton One Stop
Harrison
Uncommon Grounds Coffee Shop
My framed wildlife prints are on display and for sale at a number of locations:
Jasper
Boardwalk Cafe/Arkansas House
Cliff House Inn
Point of View Restaurant
Jasper Chamber Gift Shop
Ponca
Lost Valley Canoe Store
Villines Store (Boxley Valley)
Low Gap
Low Gap Store
Compton
Compton One Stop
Harrison
Uncommon Grounds Coffee Shop
Best Upper Buffalo River Photos 2008
I take a lot of pictures, that is my job. I admit also to having a lot of pictures that are sitting on backup DVDs that might be better than anything I have processed. As much as I love taking pictures, I get real tired of post processing. Hours of grinding in Photoshop will never be my love. No doubt some of these could be improved by a little more care in post processing, but, what you see is what I got (so far). These are my favorite photos of 2008, with some notes.
Arkansas Bird Photos
Most ways I am not a bird photographer. I get bird photos because I am out digging around and one comes my way. Because this place is so alive, I get my share. Most of these came along because I was out looking for elk photos and the opportunity came my way.
Great White Egret on Boxley Valley Mill Pond #49303
I really didn't know what this bird was at first, they are pretty uncommon but known in our area. This picture is of the bird dancing along a shaky limb. To me the limb makes the picture, it reminds me of a Chinese painting with all the angularity of the limb. Wish I had had my new 5d MkII for this picture, but the old trust 5D did the job.
I really didn't know what this bird was at first, they are pretty uncommon but known in our area. This picture is of the bird dancing along a shaky limb. To me the limb makes the picture, it reminds me of a Chinese painting with all the angularity of the limb. Wish I had had my new 5d MkII for this picture, but the old trust 5D did the job.
Great White Egret Leaving Limb BW #49360
This was part of that same series, and I like it better than the one above. I interpreted this in black and white. I think it is effective because the angle of the egret's neck seems to extend the branch and it is counter-pointed with the limbs. This feels like a very formal picture to me. Perhaps that is why I neglected to clone out the sensor dust in the upper left hand corner. Anyone wanting a print of this will get a dust-free version. I promised myself in 2008 I would take more black and white photos, but I failed miserably.
This was part of that same series, and I like it better than the one above. I interpreted this in black and white. I think it is effective because the angle of the egret's neck seems to extend the branch and it is counter-pointed with the limbs. This feels like a very formal picture to me. Perhaps that is why I neglected to clone out the sensor dust in the upper left hand corner. Anyone wanting a print of this will get a dust-free version. I promised myself in 2008 I would take more black and white photos, but I failed miserably.
Great White Egret Landing on Limb #49297
This picture is my great missed shot of 2008. I just didn't get the focus right, but it was close. I shamelessly decided to grind on it in Photoshop with the paint daubs filter (or something similar) and kept it anyway. It looks like a pointillist painting, and kind of Chinese. For grins I entered it in a weekly contest and won with it. I was pleased to win, but on the other hand I had finished in the top ten and lost many other contests to out-of-focus puppies and babies and the like. Is the secret to shoot out of focus? If so, why am I not more famous?
This picture is my great missed shot of 2008. I just didn't get the focus right, but it was close. I shamelessly decided to grind on it in Photoshop with the paint daubs filter (or something similar) and kept it anyway. It looks like a pointillist painting, and kind of Chinese. For grins I entered it in a weekly contest and won with it. I was pleased to win, but on the other hand I had finished in the top ten and lost many other contests to out-of-focus puppies and babies and the like. Is the secret to shoot out of focus? If so, why am I not more famous?
Osprey on Boxley Valley Mill Pond #50,127
I don't remember much about this photo except that it was pretty lucky. This is probably as rare a bird as the egret, at least on the Boxley Valley Mill Pond. I have only seen perhaps three in three years. This one could be photoshopped better, but it is real sharp. I machine-gunned a series of pictures when this bird jumped off the limb. This is the only one that came out. I don't like sitting bird pictures, perhaps that is why I don't take many.
I don't remember much about this photo except that it was pretty lucky. This is probably as rare a bird as the egret, at least on the Boxley Valley Mill Pond. I have only seen perhaps three in three years. This one could be photoshopped better, but it is real sharp. I machine-gunned a series of pictures when this bird jumped off the limb. This is the only one that came out. I don't like sitting bird pictures, perhaps that is why I don't take many.
Sunrise Trumpeters on Boxley Valley Mill Pond #50342
This is my favorite bird photo of 2008. Better lucky than good seems to be my motto. I do recall this shoot very well too. I had been out looking for elk (again) and was totally skunked. The earth swallowed up the elk and satan himself was trying to destroy my career as a professional photographer (it seemed). At these times I get determined to "grind", my thought is "I am a pro, and pros always get something". So I stopped at the Boxley Mill Pond to line up a kind of Thomas Kincaid landscape, complete with etherial fog. The trumpeter swans were quietly preening and butt munching and at just the right moment, just as I got everything lined up, one decided to stretch. This just-in-time pose probably elevated this picture not only to best of the year, but placed it on my all time list.
This is my favorite bird photo of 2008. Better lucky than good seems to be my motto. I do recall this shoot very well too. I had been out looking for elk (again) and was totally skunked. The earth swallowed up the elk and satan himself was trying to destroy my career as a professional photographer (it seemed). At these times I get determined to "grind", my thought is "I am a pro, and pros always get something". So I stopped at the Boxley Mill Pond to line up a kind of Thomas Kincaid landscape, complete with etherial fog. The trumpeter swans were quietly preening and butt munching and at just the right moment, just as I got everything lined up, one decided to stretch. This just-in-time pose probably elevated this picture not only to best of the year, but placed it on my all time list.