Another image of this exceptional white-tailed deer buck. The combination of the setting and the light filtering through the brush created a dreamy feel to this one, which I tried to enhance by shooting wide open.
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The light was already harsh when I had a very close encounter with this buck on my last day in the whitetail woods. He was tending a doe and was singularly focused on her, allowing me to observe from a close distance. I found myself lamenting the fact that the light wasn't better, but soon realized I was letting this ruin the experiencing of seeing a mature buck so close. At one point a smaller buck approached and this bruiser snort wheezed and ran him off. Once I finally got over what I had perceived as "bad light", I started to envision some images in my head that used the shadows of the forest to create something interesting. I was very happy with this one, where the canopy blocked most of the light and gave the impression of a beast lurking in the shadows.
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A spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) on the forest floor among decomposing leaf litter and emerging new life.
My first post of 2025 is of one of my all time favorite animals. I've been photographing spotted salamanders for so long that it can be challenging to find new ways to capture them. This is a 100% staged image. I found the animal under a log nearby and moved it to a nearby spot that caught my eye. My intention is to provide a glimpse of what it might look as a salamander moves across the forest floor from its upland refugium to a vernal pool during the annual breeding migration.
I wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2025. Happy New Year!
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Sayornis phoebe from North Texas.
I'm closing out 2024 with a longtime personal nemesis. Eastern Phoebes are very common in my part of the world, and any given day I can usually find several close to home. Despite this, I have long struggled to capture an image of the species I was happy with. That changed last month, while in pursuit of whitetails I came across this individual in a meadow full of little bluestem, and captured this small in frame image of it among the grass.
I hope all of you have a very fun, safe New Years Eve, and I look forward to what 2025 has in store.
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The sun's first rays catch an old whitetail buck in the forest. I first observed this buck in 2022 and estimated him to be at least 5 and a half. Though his antlers are a little wonky, he was still holding his own during the rut.
I worry that this image looks overprocessed, however I made only very minor adjustments. I got lucky when he stepped into a narrow beam of light only a minute or so after the sun crested the horizon and pierced the forest.
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