Birds – Page 2 – Wandering Dawgs

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #358 – Live and Learn

July 29, 2025Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged Lens-Artists, Live and learn, Photo Challenge35 Comments

Tina’s challenge is Live and Learn. Tina reminds us of the importance of continuing to learn new things as we age. Here is her challenge: “Show me some of the things you’ve learned about photography or any subject you choose. Do you learn by doing as I do, or are you one who learns from classes, or online, or through working with others?”

I’ve never taken a photography class. I learn by doing and by experimenting and by making plenty of mistakes.

Some of the most important things I’ve learned in my photography journey is to always be prepared with batteries charged, space on the memory card, and a clean camera and lenses.

One of the most important editing techniques I have learned is how to crop. When we spotted this bear on the side of the road I didn’t have much time to frame the shot. I cropped the photo and edited the colors to achieve the final image shown here.

One of the reasons I keep participating in the weekly Lens-Artists challenges is because it helps me to learn new things about photography. These photos illustrate some of the photography tips and techniques I’ve learned.

The featured image uses a Bokeh technique. I learned from one of Sofia’s challenges that In photography, a Bokeh is the blurred or out of focus background in a photo. I frequently use this effect when photographing flowers.

When photographing wildlife, always focus on the eyes

I learned about Zooming from one of Anne’s challenges.

Fill the Frame

Leading Lines

Rule of Thirds

Last week Egidio took us Into the Woods for some Forest Bathing. I enjoyed all of the wonderful responses. Be sure to check back on Saturday, August 2 at noon Eastern Time when John will be hosting our next challenge.

Many thanks to Tina for this challenge Lens-Artists #358 – Live and Learn

For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.

Every Day is a Gift.

Sunday Stills – Feathers

July 22, 2025Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged Coastal Georgia, Egret, Feathers, Georgia on my mind, Photo Challenge, Sunday Stills, wood stork25 Comments

Terri’s latest Sunday Stills challenge of Feathers inspired me to get out and take a few bird photos early yesterday morning. The featured image was taken in January on Jeklyll Island, Georgia. The rest were taken yesterday.

Wood Stork in Coastal Georgia

Can anyone identify this little bird I spied on a high tree branch?

Many thanks to Terri for her Sunday Stills challenge Fine Feathered Friends

Every Day is a Gift

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #354 – Reflections

June 22, 2025Posted in Birds, Photography, SunsetTagged Lens-Artists, Photo Challenge, Reflections47 Comments

Anne’s challenge is Reflections. She shared many beautiful examples of reflections and also shared some good advice on how to capture a reflection. Thanks also go out to Leeanne Cole for sharing her tips and images.

I often find reflections in water. I’ll start with a gallery of birds reflected in water.

Reflections of Cypress Trees in Louisiana

Purple reflection of a bridge across the Mississippi River in New Orleans a few days before Mardi-Gras

Mirrors are a great way to photograph reflections even if you didn’t mean to get a reflection of yourself.

Thank you to everyone who responded to my first Lens-Artists challenge. The topic was stormy and I had a lot of fun reading all the responses and seeing all of the amazing stormy weather images from around the world. Next week Ann-Christine is leading the challenge so be sure to look for her post on Saturday, June 28 at noon Eastern Time. And as always, please remember that Every Day is a Gift.

Many thanks to Anne for this challenge Lens-Artists #354 – Reflections

For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #342 – Going Wild

March 30, 2025Posted in Birds, Butterflies, Photography, Wildflowers, WildlifeTagged Denali National Park, Everglades National Park, It's a Wild Life, Lens-Artists, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Photo Challenge, wildlife photography37 Comments

Let’s take a walk on the wild side with Egidio’s challenge “Going Wild”. I love being in wilderness areas and photographing the landscapes, wildlife, wildflowers, and birds I see there. For this challenge I chose images from my three favorite wilderness areas.

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is closer to my home than any of my other favorite wilderness areas. We have been there many times and always enjoy the wildlife and birds we see there. The butterflies on wild thistle in the header image was taken in the Okefenokee.

Young alligator in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Everglades National Park, Florida

We have visited Everglades National Park in Florida many times through the years. There are several entrances to the park with Flamingo being the most remote area. The Everglades is a bird lovers dream with many varieties all throughout the park. No matter where you go in the Everglades you are likely to see alligators.

Egrets and Spoonbills gathering in a pond near the Flamingo Campground in Everglades National Park

This alligator ignores the human invaders of his territory at Shark Valley in Everglades National Park

Denali National Park, Alaska

Denali National Park is the most remote wilderness area I have ever visited. I loved the feeling of being miles away from civilization while we were there. The scenery is breathtaking and the wildlife abundant. Most of the wildlife we saw was too far away for a good photo even with my telephoto lens.

Celebrating 12 Years of Wandering Dawgs

I started the Wandering Dawgs blog in March, 2013 as a way to document our 4 month RV journey from Georgia to Alaska and back. In the beginning, the only people who read my posts were friends and family. Today, I have blogging friends from all around the world! I recently celebrated the 12th anniversary of Wandering Dawgs! Many thanks to everyone who reads my posts and leaves me comments.

Many thanks to Egidio for this challenge Lens-Artists #341 – It’s a Wild Life

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #340- Portraits

March 20, 2025Posted in Birds, Photography, WildlifeTagged Lens-Artists, Photo Challenge, Portraits, wildlife photography39 Comments

Ritva’s challenge is Portraits. She says “Whether you choose to ask a stranger, do a self-portrait, take the portrait of a friend, family member, or acquaintance, or photograph animals and birds, the goal is to connect with another person or subject and tell their story through your image.”

I enjoy nature and wildlife photography and am not comfortable asking strangers if I can take their picture. I didn’t have to ask this young man to pose for a portrait. I was holding up my phone taking pictures of a Junkanoo Band from the Bahamas performing as part of a St. Patrick’s weekend celebration when he walked over to me and posed. He liked having his picture made!

I’m much more comfortable capturing bird and other animal portraits.

This bear and the female elk seemed to pose for me.

I will end with my favorite portrait of Blondie, our beloved Yellow Lab who was part of our lives for many years. She’s been gone since 2017. I still miss her every day.