Spring means Lilacs

Spring means the heavenly fragrance of lilacs in the air. I always look forward to these blooms, however, they are much more common in northern Utah than in the St. George area. But yesterday I spotted a small bush by the roadside and right in front of a block wall. I couldn't resist stopping to breathe deep and take a few photos.

Pink & Orange

Pink Blossoms in Snow Canyon

One usually goes to Snow Canyon to enjoy a beautiful landscape of red and white cliffs, black lava flows, cacti and other desert vegetation and critters.  But there is this one flowering tree that I look forward to photographing in the Spring.

Stay Positive!

Beautiful Spring!

Stay positive! When Spring comes to your neighborhood, walk outside and commune with nature. You can 'safely' smell a flower, feel the sun on your back, listen to the buzzing bees, look up into the beautiful azure sky..... and know that God is in His heavens.

Early Spring in Ivins, Utah

Every year starting about January 1, I eagerly anticipate the arrival of Spring!  This year, however, my excitement is tempered by the destruction and loss of life caused by both severe storms and the coronavirus.   Hope both end soon and we can more fully enjoy this beautiful time of year.

Snow Canyon in Winter

Snow Canyon, Utah In Winter

A great place for photography after a storm!

After the Storm......

Fire Lake

Ivins, Utah

Last Colors of Fall - 2019

Gunlock, Utah

The setting sun seemed to be saying to me, "Look, I'm spotlighting the last of these beautiful fall colors for you to enjoy today, because tomorrow they will be gone for another year."

Pals!

Penny - Watson

When it came time for family portraits during our Lake Powell family vacation this year, these two cooperated better than anyone else!!

Mesa Arch

 Mesa Arch

Canyonlands, Utah

Tourists and other photographers crowd around me in front of this smallish arch and wait quietly in the dark, some of us for many hours. Finally, we notice a faint glow on the horizon, and then the rim of the sun peaks up from behind the distant mountains.  Immediately the underside of Mesa Arch turns a brilliant fiery red.  Within a few minutes a slice of sun creeps far enough over the mountains to cast a soft hazy light that silhouettes the canyon and pinnacles below.   And finally, the sun makes a grand entrance and bursts into view, its light rays revealing the beautiful hues of oranges, corals, reds, rusts and browns in this awesome landscape.  I love living in Utah!  

Better Butterfly Photos

A few days ago I spent a couple of peaceful hours at the new Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving Point.  Butterflies are often hard to photograph for the obvious reasons.  They move quickly, they blend in with flowers and foliage, they're small and have tiny patterns, etc.  Below I've posted some of my favorite shots from the day along with some tips about taking better photos of these beautiful creatures.

1.  First and foremost, be patient and plan to spend a lot of time just observing and waiting.  

2.  Plan on taking hundreds, if not thousands of photos to get a few that you like and are in focus.

3.  Use any lens you have, however, for the photos below, I used a telephoto lens.  

4.  Look for a monochromatic background that coordinates and/or contrasts with the colors in the butterfly to make an interesting composition. 

5.  Fill the frame with the butterfly, (zoom or crop),  to show intricate shapes, colors and textures.

6.  Try to isolate the butterfly a good distance from the background and surrounding foliage to make it stand out.

7.  Coordinate the colors of the butterfly with a color in the background for a pleasing composition.

8.  Create a small depth of field that blurs the background so the butterfly is not competing with other objects surrounding it or behind it.  (Small f number.)

9.  Often we view butterflies from above, looking down as they sit on flowers or foliage.  Find different points of view, like this one that shows antennae and profile of head.

10.  Look for unique compositions that will be eye catching and interesting.

My goal was to make the butterfly in each of the above photos the focal point and subject of the images.  Below is an example of a photo that is alright but did not meet my goal  This is more of an environmental nature shot where the scene is as important as the butterfly.  It is not as impactful if the subject is the butterfly.

   

Rainbow Over St. George Temple

Rainbow Over St. George Temple

I was in front of the temple waiting and hoping for a pretty sunset, and looked behind me and saw this amazing rainbow. I was disappointed it wasn't over the temple. Then I realized if I hurried around to take a shot in the opposite direction from the back of the temple, I might see the rainbow. Sure enough, it was even more intense and beautiful! I don't think I've ever taken a photo of a temple with a rainbow.

Summer Beauties

I love flowers! 

And I love to find interesting ways to photograph and present them to show off their beauty, color and unique qualities. This time of year I have to get my 'flower fix' in before they disappear until next year.....at least in my little corner of the world.

In My Garden

In My Garden

BUG and BOKEH

BUG and BOKEH

Bokeh: In photography, bokeh is the aesthetic quality, size, shape, and intensity, of the blur in out-of-focus parts of an image, that is produced by the lens hitting a light source. Bokeh has been defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light". Avoiding compositions that will include bokeh, or looking for compositions that will purposely create bokeh, depends on the personal preference of the photographer.

Cedar Breaks Wildflowers - 2

Cedar Breaks, Utah

I'm sure landscape and nature photography lowers my blood pressure, as well as being a respite from the desert heat, in this case! Another image taken at Cedar Breaks, Utah.

Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah

Yesterday I needed a break from the desert heat of summer, and I knew just where to go. When we left St. George, the temperature was 105 degrees, (elevation around 2800 feet), and we ended up in Cedar Breaks National Monument where the temperature was 65 degrees (elevation over 10,000 feet). A 40 degree temperature change in a little over an hour's drive! Plus I get to see beautiful scenes like this! I love this little corner of Utah!!

Modern cameras and sophisticated editing programs make it possible to take photos in harsh, afternoon sunshine like this. Soft focus, contrast and shadows adjustments needed on these bright, backlit flowers.

Hibiscus Memory

My mom loved flowers and our backyard in California was always overflowing with many varieties of them. Usually Mom liked to keep flowers alive and growing outside, with one exception. At dinnertime, when we would always sit down and eat together as a family, she would pick one flower, usually a hibiscus, camellia or gardenia, and float it in a small bowl of water for a simple, yet lovely, table decoration. Sometimes the little things a mother does become a wonderful family memory!

Sunshine & Sunflowers

Sunshine & Sunflowers

Seriously, will anyone admit they don't like sunflowers!!

Sego Lily

Utah Sego Lily

The sego lily was chosen as the official state flower of Utah because of its natural beauty and historic significance. The soft, bulbous root was collected and eaten in the mid 1800's by early Mormon pioneers during a crop-devouring plague of crickets.

4th of July, 2019

Happy 4th of July From Tuacahn Utah

For those not familiar with Tuacahn, it is an outside amphitheater tucked in this beautiful canyon where they present live performances all summer.  Tonight's production was 'The Little Mermaid'

"And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I'd gladly stand up next to you
And defend Her still today
'Cause there ain't no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
--Lee Greenwood