Cee’s fun foto challenge: Three items or the number 3

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 that my 2014 nature photography calendars are available for sale on my online Zazzle store.  All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist at the same time (me!). I appreciate all referrals through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course your blog or website. Save 10% off my 2014 photo calendars (choose between five different themes) and up to 60% off on other products. Enter code HOLIDAYCOUNT at checkout; code valid until November 21, 2013, midnight.

Today I’m participating in Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge to show photos featuring featuring one item or the number one. You can click on any of the photos below to view them in a slideshow format for a larger view.

If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe and receive nature photography updates a few times a week.

A Word A Week Challenge: Lines

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 that my 2014 nature photography calendars are available for sale on my online Zazzle store.  All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist at the same time (me!). I appreciate all referrals through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course your blog or website. Save 10% off my 2014 photo calendars (choose between five different themes) and up to 60% off on other products. Enter code HOLIDAYCOUNT at checkout; code valid until November 21, 2013, midnight.

Today I’m participating in the A Word A Week Challenge. This week’s theme is “lines”.  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.

For this “line” photo theme, I decided to use a few random photos I took recently, displaying the various aspects of fall in San Diego. I love the fall foliage of the sycamore tree captured in the right light. You can clearly see the lines running through every leaf of the tree.

A word a week photo challenge: lines of a Sycamore tree leaf
A word a week photo challenge: lines of a Sycamore tree leaf

The warm weather here means we get a lot of blooms in the fall, like this purple bougainvillea. Bougainvillea trees always seem to grow new branches at random heights and directions, creating a disorganized web of lines.

A word a week photo challenge: lines of a bougainvillea tree branches
A word a week photo challenge: lines of a bougainvillea tree branches

Finally, check out the many, many lines of this pink powder puff bloom. Can you guess how many lines that would be?

A word a week photo challenge: lines of a pink powder puff bloom
A word a week photo challenge: lines of a pink powder puff bloom

White pelicans in San Diego

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 that my 2014 nature photography calendars are available for sale on my online Zazzle store.  All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist at the same time (me!). I appreciate all referrals through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course your blog or website.

If you visit San Diego and take a stroll on the beach, you’ll probably see a number of pelicans flying above the ocean, or riding the waves. These are brown pelicans, who stick to the sea water and don’t venture inland. We’re lucky to have attractive weather in the winter, not just for the tourists, but also for the migrating birds. One of the birds that migrates down south is the white pelican, and this guy hangs around fresh water like rivers and lakes.

This weekend I was lucky enough to spot not just a few, but 13 white pelicans gathered together on one pond. I was even luckier because I had brought my camera with me. Unfortunately, it was getting close to noon and the weather was a bit cloudy so the lighting couldn’t have been worse, especially on the windy, reflecting water. So even though I was able to get close and take a lot of pictures, only a few of them turned out OK.

Oh, look, a duck flying right in front of that pelican as I was taking its picture. Dude, get out of the way!

Duck flying in front of white pelican
Duck flying in front of white pelican

Ah, that’s better. A few cormorants are tagging along.

White pelicans in San Diego
White pelicans in San Diego

You see the many reflections in the water? It made for very cool patterns, but it also created tons of random shadows on the pelicans and my photos came out either too light or too dark. Better luck next time!

White pelican on water
White pelican on water

Macro Monday: bees on pink powder puff flower

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 that my 2014 nature photography calendars are available for sale on my online Zazzle store.  All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist at the same time (me!). I appreciate all referrals 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.

With the year-round blooms we get in San Diego, bees are busy every day. We’re lucky to enjoy colorful flower and tree blooms even when winter is approaching, which helps me greatly since it means I can take new photos every week.

Here are a few busy bees on a pink powder puff flower. The many bees on that tree weren’t happy to have me so close to them, so I had to give up after a few minutes, but I managed to get a few decent shots before I left.

Macro Monday: bees on pink powder puff flower
Macro Monday: bees on pink powder puff flower
Macro Monday: bees on pink powder puff bloomMacro Monday: bees on pink powder puff bloom
Macro Monday: bees on pink powder puff bloom
Close-up on a bee on pink powder puff flower
Close-up on a bee on pink powder puff flower

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Layers

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 are available for sale on my online Zazzle store.  All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist at the same time (me!). I appreciate all referrals through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course your blog or website.

Today I’m participating in the WordPress weekly photo challenge and this week’s theme is “layers”. You can click on the photos below 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 enjoy the many layers of petals on a rose, especially when the petals themselves are layered with dew drops or raindrops.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Layers of white rose petals
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Layers of white rose petals
Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Layers of pink rose petals
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Layers of pink rose petals

The orange protea pin cushion flower has a spectacular set of petals that go from layer to layer.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Layers of an orange protea pin cushion
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Layers of an orange protea pin cushion

I love the dripping layers of pine tree sap on the tree bark.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Layers of pine tree sap
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Layers of pine tree sap

Check out the colorful layers within that tree sap.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Layers of colorful pine tree sap
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Layers of colorful pine tree sap

And how about the beautiful layers of the Fourth of July fireworks?

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Layers of Fourth of July fireworks
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Layers of Fourth of July fireworks
Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Layers of Fourth of July fireworks
WordPress weekly photo challenge: Layers of Fourth of July fireworks