cmouli

The hard work and dedication it takes to take gorgeous shots like this are best appreciated by people who have deep passion for photography - thanks for sharing. The very first time I saw a composition like this was years ago when I opened a book on landscape photography by our "guru", John Shaw. Beautiful shot!

Thanks, Lalit - for useful inputs. This was taken past sunset - but the light hitting the Soldier mountain peaks (great, you remember names of these wonderful places!) was still bright due to snow cover in the peaks. I have several more shots - before and after - the "peak" light show started! I will have to look at them again and will remember your inputs, when I do. This past year was one the best Camas show ever! Missed you.

American Black Vulture: Taking this shot required enormous patience. However, I have to say that the "vultures" patience helped me - as they waited using their keen eye sight and smell in search of any available carrion in the vicinity. As they moved around, I waited patiently with my camera focused in a composition that I wanted to get - with the boken of blue (water from the lake) in the background and green/yellow grass in the foreground. As they came to rest in the ground with legs hidden in the grass, it was time to press the shutter. Vultures, as a birds of prey and scavenger, are commonly misunderstood as dirty since they practice urohidrosis to cool themselves (using their urine to cool their legs). However, they serve and important role in the ecosystem by clearing off carrion and preventing spread of disease due to decay of dead animals. This value was widely recognized in ancient civilizations and these birds were treated with the respect they deserve. Comments welcome.

I saw this squirrel near our home, few days ago, playing in the fresh snow that had fallen overnight. It was running around really fast – but when it approached me, he hesitated at first and ran away. I stayed, still – for a long time! It seemed like eternity - but he returned with a dry maple leaf and approached close to me. Carefully placed it in the snow and started covering it. Chubby little guy got used to me and was not afraid anymore of my presence! I took this shot when he was admiring his work. I didn’t realize it then – but when I zoomed in, I noticed that I had taken a self portrait – through reflection in his eyes! That’s the way I like a “selfie”.

Michael, I am glad you realized that there was no cloning or post-processing here! I am always intrigued by bird behavior and it took me a several hours of patience to get this shot. Snow geese in very large numbers arrive near my home town towards end of March. When they see a bird of prey in the skies above, they all rise up simultaneously and take to the skies to confuse the hawk or eagle above. When the predator leaves, they circle back and get to the marshland. Few geese take their time to walk patiently along the rim before jumping into the marsh. It is generally chaos - but when you see "order" like this, it is time to press the shutter! :-) Thanks for your comments.

Comments welcome.

Took this shot in Fruita, Capitol Reef, Utah. It was an incredible feeling when, after late evening showers, clouds cleared up a small portion of the sky to let sunlight illuminate the old barn and the cliffs. It took hours, waiting for the right light, but it was well worth it. Comments welcome.

Late evening light - pink in the sky complementing the pink Camas wildflowers - near Fairfield, Idaho.

I had to wait for a long time to get closer to this Black-Necked Stilt in Bear River Migratory Refuge, Utah. When it took a dip and emerged from the shallow water, it created a ripple that encircled the bird - exactly the kind of symmetry I was looking for! Comments welcome..

Snow geese marching in line before entering a marsh land near Parma, Idaho.

Redfish lake in Idaho at dawn with the day's earliest light hitting the Sawtooth mountain peaks.

Nice colors and reflections. Sharp image.. thanks for sharing.

Grebe kiss - in Bear River Wildlife Refuge, Utah. Comments welcome.

Backlit Sabal Palmento leaf. Comments welcome.

Lava flow ripples in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park & resilient vegetation.

Isolated cove in Big Sur, Pacific Coast. Twilight illuminating McWay falls - directly into the Pacific Ocean. Comments welcome.