A Bug's Life

Found this red centipede crawling up on a rock right next to me while I was trying to photograph South River Falls this year. It made me wonder about what a bug's life must be like and how they manage to survive as a species in all climates ranging from the arctic cold, to the warm tropics.

Cascade of Silk

This picture was taken at the base of South River Falls in Shenandoah, VA. South River Falls is one of the highest waterfalls in the Shenandoah valley. The fall is 83 feet high and just one of most beautiful places I have ever seen.

(Especially in the fall season when all the leaves are changing color.)

Getting to the waterfall is definitely not easy.

It is a 3.3 mile (5 km) loop hike to an overlook above the falls. There is also a rocky, 1 mile (2 km) round trip spur trail that goes to the base of the falls. Even though the distance to the fall does not sound like much, the steep climbs and leafy terrain makes the hike a rather difficult one.

Midnight Ride

This was a tough shot. What made it so difficult was that I was taking it from the back of a moving SUV and that I used a rather long exposure.

The combination seemed to work very well and gave it the effect I was looking for. I love the smooth texture of the road in this one.

A touch of Flare

Just experimenting with some lens flare here.

Candy Cane

Another one to add to the lighthouse series. Used a polarizer when taking this one, which is what gave the sky that darker bluish/purplish tint. This one would make a great postcard.

Notice the bird in the enlarged version of this picture.

Patriotic Flame

So I bought two HUGE boxes of fireworks this year for the 4th of july. After spending $250 on fireworks, I was expecting explosions that would blind and deafen me for days to come. I must say, I was pretty disappointed with what I found when I opened up the boxes and got them all lit up. A very weak display of fireworks for the price.

Nonetheless, they made for some great shots. This is a picture of one that was called "atomic tornado"...Ha!

Lady in red

Saw this lady bug crawling around my basement the other day. As pretty as she looked, I just had to make sure I took her back out into the back yard, so I picked up a piece of paper from my printer and scooped her up to take her outside. It just seemed like a perfect photo opportunity so I picked up my camera and began clicking away. The longer exposure and bright flash helped maintain the white background.