The lasts time we saw a female wood duck, she was challenging a turtle who was looking for a sunny log to relax on. Clearly she won, and here she gets to enjoy her space, keeping an eye on the brood nearby.

June 12, 2022. Nikon D850 (FX sensor), Tamron 100–400mm at 300mm, f/6, 1/350, ISO 64.

Prints in newly fallen snow, a reminder that the nature preserve isn’t just a Summer haven.

December 22, 2010. Nikon D90 (DX sensor), DX 18–105mm lens at 105mm (35mm equivalent: 155mm), f/20, 1/250, ISO 500.

As Spring reopens the world, a bluebell brightly advertises its wares to pollinating passers-by.

May 10, 2014. Nikon D7100 (DX sensor), 105mm Nikon macro lens (35mm equivalent: 155mm), f/16, 1/500, ISO 400.

Back in my very, very failed songwriting days, one of my less awful attempts was about the pleasures of long, long legs. I never thought it would apply to a heron, and I think “pleasures” is stretching it one way or another, but they’re pretty long, and it’s one of the best full-body photos I’ve taken of a heron.

July 12, 2025. Nikon D850 (FX sensor), Tamron 100–400mm at 400mm, f/6.3, 1/800, ISO 180.

Did you know that terns can screech to a halt in mid-air? Neither did I. This one showed up in a photo published here some time ago carrying off the koi that it had just spotted in this picture. I really love that form as it sets up its dive.

April 22, 2018. Nikon D7100 (DX sensor), 70–300mm Nikon zoom lens at 300mm (35mm equivalent: 450mm), f/5.6, 1/3,200, ISO 100.

Zoom in a bit on the bottom of those antlers and you’ll see it more clearly… there’s a lot going on there that maybe shouldn’t be going on there. Maybe it makes no difference — y’got me. It’s a pretty decent photo of a buck, but I hope it wasn’t about to star in “The Walking Dead, Deer Edition” or anything like that.

January 8, 2023. Nikon D850 (FX sensor), Tamron 100–400mm at 400mm, f/8, 1/90, ISO 560.

As long as neon is on my mind: Wandering the streets of Paris one Winter night with a friend, I was quite taken with the sight of a few takeout restaurants almost indistinguishable from a strip that could be in any city. Paris is magical to me and I hope to return — truth be told, I’d love to find a way to move there — and this little frame is a good reminder that it’s a city where a lot of people live and occasionally just need some quick takeout for dinner.

January 2, 2010. Canon PowerShot SD850 IS, focal length 18.6mm (35mm equivalent: 105mm), f/5, 1/8, ISO 200.

Today we’re back to the neon sign museum hidden behind locked doors that I got access to as part of a promotional event by Nikon. I took a couple of photos of this Piggly Wiggly sign from far enough away that you could see the sign reasonably normally, but once I realized there was a reflective surface behind it, I liked the idea of getting both the sign and its reflection at a sharp angle. It worked nicely, I think, and I like the glow from the blue tube above the sign as well.

May 22, 2025. Nikon Z5 II (FX sensor), Nikon Z 24–50mm f/4-6.3 at 50mm, f/11, 1/100, ISO 640.

I published a cropped version of this photo a couple of months ago that zoomed in on the expressions of the turtle and the momma mallard, as they silently negotiated their interest in sharing a fallen branch in a pond on a sunny day. Here’s the full story; mom was very intent on making sure her brood had all the space it needed to enjoy the afternoon. Her “go no further” expression worked.

June 15, 2024. Nikon D850 (FX sensor), Tamron 100–400mm at 400mm, f/6.3, 1/350, ISO 100.

in the heat of Summer, the freshly grown needles on a fir tree are so thick and fragrant I can remember that scent 16 years later.

July 25, 2010. Nikon D90 (DX sensor), 105mm Nikon macro lens (35mm equivalent: 155mm), f/16, 1/125, ISO 640.

I’ve mentioned pareidolia, the tendency for people to see faces or familiar objects on random things, here before, and I love this example, as a hungry robin leans in to examine a berry that it’s already taken a nip from. It’s shaped like a head and has an ear, an eye, a nose, and a screaming mouth. What more do you need to evoke terror as you realize something descended from dinosaurs is about to eat you?

November 23, 2019. Cropped from a larger image. Nikon D7100 (DX sensor), Tamron 100–400mm lens at 400mm (35mm equivalent: 600mm), f/6.3, 1/1,000, ISO 400.

Chicago is renowned for its architecture. I think this may not be a reason why, but I also think it’s the kind of touch that makes you want to look at buildings even in off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods.

June 14, 2008. Canon PowerShot SD850 IS, focal length 23.3mm (35mm equivalent: 140mm), f/5.5, 1/200, ISO 80.

A cup of water, a towel, two guitars, and an amplifier shining in the stage lights: The show’s over, folks. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here. There’s nothing like a night of good live music, and that’s why I love this photo.

June 8, 2008. Canon PowerShot SD850 IS, focal length 14.3mm (35mm equivalent: 86mm), f/4, 1/60, ISO 200.

Here’s another photo taken with my Nikon F5 on Amber film with my close-up lens. I really, really like the sharpness of that top bud on the onion and the way the focus slowly fades. The hornet looks a little odd, but different film emulsions are tuned to give the user various results, and since this was one of the first rolls of film I shot, I may have been unaware of that. It’s still the kind of shot that makes me happy, from the flower on the left to the negative space on the right.

July 20, 2024. Nikon F5, Amber D100, 105mm Nikon macro lens, ISO 200, other exposure information unrecorded.

Most of my trips the past few years have been from Chicago to either Austin or Minneapolis, but in the Fall of 2025 I visited friends in Boston for a few days. I scheduled an afternoon flight — my love of window seats has been well-documented on this site — and it turned out that my flight took off in the middle of the afternoon and landed well into the evening a time zone east. I had about six hours of different types of daylight in three, including a gorgeous sunset at 33,000 feet. I sure love window seats. I think flight attendants have gotten to the point where they quickly spot me as That Guy Who’s Tuned Out While He Stares.

September 18, 2025. OnePlus 12 cell phone, 6mm focal length (35mm equivalent: 23mm), f/1.6, 1/33, ISO 640.