Aquarium creatures

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Remember my 2014 nature photography calendars (choose between five different themes) are still available for sale. Look in the left sidebar on my website for the most up-to-date discount coupon code. All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist (me!). I also appreciate any referral through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course your blog or website.

Here are a few photos I took during a recent trip to a local aquarium. Aquarium exhibits are poorly lit to enhance your underwater experience, but the darkness is often the cause of blurry pictures. I haven’t mastered this type of photography perfectly, but I still wanted to share a few of these interesting water animals. Remember you can click on each photo for a larger view. If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe and receive nature photography updates a few times a week.

Here’s a giant Pacific octopus. You’ve got to love those big suction cups.

Giant Pacific octopus
Giant Pacific octopus
Suction cups of giant Pacific octopus
Suction cups of giant Pacific octopus

The crab with the longest legs (up to 10 feet long!) is the Japanese spider crab. All I can say is, yum!

Japanese spider crab
Japanese spider crab

The coconut crab earns its name from its ability to crack a coconut shell with his pincers. And it does eat the coconut meat too!

Coconut crab
Coconut crab

Undersea anemones are cool looking and this one was very, very red.

Red anemone on aquarium window
Red anemone on aquarium window

Finally, sea jellies are so interesting to look at. They constantly swim underwater, grabbing food as it floats by. All that without a brain. Wow.

Sea jelly
Sea jelly
Sea jelly
Sea jelly

The real green heron

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Remember my 2014 nature photography calendars (choose between five different themes) are still available for sale. Look in the left sidebar on my website for the most up-to-date discount coupon code. All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist (me!). I also appreciate any referral through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course your blog or website.

Last week I put a photo post together on a green heron. The problem is, it wasn’t a green heron but a black-crowned night heron. I don’t even know why I thought it was a green heron since I’ve shared photos of a green heron before and it looked nothing like this one. Anyway, I apologize for the mistake but maybe it was a premonition for what happened this past weekend. Green herons in San Diego happen to be in decline, so they’re not that easy to spot. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to spot one at the San Diego Zoo, hanging around one of the exhibit ponds. Local birds are excellent freeloaders at the zoo: they know where to find free food in all the right places.

So here it is, the REAL green heron. It’s smaller than the black-crowned night heron, probably the size of a raven. Remember you can click on each photo for a larger view. If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe and receive nature photography updates a few times a week.

Green heron in San Diego
Green heron in San Diego
Green heron looking for fish in the water
Green heron looking for fish in the water
Close-up of a green heron in San Diego
Close-up of a green heron in San Diego

Travel theme: Illuminated

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Remember my 2014 nature photography calendars (choose between five different themes) are still available for sale. Look in the left sidebar on my website for the most up-to-date discount coupon code. All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist (me!). I also appreciate any referral through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course your blog or website.

Today I’m participating in Where’s My Backpack’s Travel Theme photo challenge. This week’s theme is “illuminated”. Remember you can click on each photo for a larger view. If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe and receive nature photography updates a few times a week.

I love how the morning sun illuminates the sky slowly through the trees behind my house. Sometimes the light can be yellow when the sky is covered with gray clouds.

Travel theme: Illuminated golden sunrise in San Diego
Travel theme: Illuminated golden sunrise in San Diego

Other times, the sun illuminates the whole sky at once, making the blue bolder than ever.

Travel theme: Illuminated sunrise with blue sky in San Diego
Travel theme: Illuminated sunrise with blue sky in San Diego

I love how the sun shines down on water and can brighten up a whole ocean.

Bright sun shining on the Pacific ocean waves
Bright sun shining on the Pacific ocean waves

I enjoy photographing the reflections of light on small water ripples, especially when they include colorful reflections of the surrounding bushes and trees. If you’ve ever seen liquid mercury, this water almost looks like it, doesn’t it? I have more photos of the ducks swimming in this pond and I hope to share them soon.

Reflections of light and tree leaves in pond water
Reflections of light and tree leaves in pond water

At night, artificial light can illuminate our dark surroundings to make them more friendly. I love Christmas lights and this is probably the brightest Christmas light display I saw this past holiday. Now, that’s illuminated!

Bright Christmas lights: Rudolph and the reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh
Bright Christmas lights: Rudolph and the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh

Macro Monday: colorful orchids

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Remember my 2014 nature photography calendars (choose between five different themes) are still available for sale. Look in the left sidebar on my website for the most up-to-date discount coupon code. All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist (me!). I also appreciate any referral through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course your blog or website.

Today I’m taking part in the Macro Monday photo challenge. You can click on each photo for a larger view. If you like what you see, I encourage you to subscribe so you can enjoy the new photos I post a few times a week.

I took pictures of these orchids a few months ago and just discovered them on my camera’s SD card. I hope you enjoy these bright colors in the middle of winter.

Macro Monday: purple orchid
Macro Monday: purple orchid
White orchid
White orchid
Yellow orchid
Yellow orchid

A Word A Week Challenge: Yellow

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Remember my 2014 nature photography calendars (choose between five different themes) are still available for sale. Look in the left sidebar on my website for the most up-to-date discount coupon code. All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist (me!). I also appreciate any referral through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course your blog or website.

Today I’m participating in the A Word A Week Challenge. This week’s theme is “yellow”.  I encourage you to click on each photo to see a larger view. If you like what you see, please subscribe to this blog to receive updates of the new photos I post, usually 3 to 5 times a week.

Yellow is definitely not my favorite color to wear but I find it beautiful in nature. It expresses energy and happiness anywhere you see it. Here are a few examples of my favorite yellows used by Mother Nature. Hopefully they can bring you a little ray of sunshine on this cold winter day.

A word a week: yellow plumeria flowers
A word a week: yellow plumeria flowers
Yellow Celosia flowers
Yellow Celosia flowers
Yellow rose about to open
Yellow rose about to open
Bright yellow sunflower
Bright yellow sunflower
Yellow poplar leaves in the fall
Yellow poplar leaves in the fall
Bee on yellow cactus blooms
Bee on yellow cactus blooms
Yellow lemon on a lemon tree
Yellow lemon on a lemon tree
Yellow lily
Yellow lily