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Damp Defenses

A close-up of saguaro spines covered in drops of rain on January 7, 2024. Originals: _Z729811.NEF to _Z729855.NEF

One of the many nice things about my leave of absence this winter is that if we got a gentle rain I could step outside and soak it in, instead of driving home in it or even worse coming out at the end of the work day and seeing it had rained while I was trapped in the bowels of the building.

📷: Nikon Z 7II | Nikon 105mm macro
🗓️: January 7, 2024

The Pupil, A Master

A great horned owl sits in a round opening in a large boulder at McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale, Arizona on April 20, 2024. Original: _A679192.ARW

Ensconced in the cliff face looks to be the skull of a leviathan that once swam in long dead seas. One day I noticed a pupil in the empty eye socket, the pupil a master, waiting for night to fall. I started bringing my telephoto lens on our walks and one day caught the pupil stepping into the light, my favorite wildlife picture in a long while. Bear and I shared a little laugh wondering how many times we walked past not knowing the unseeing eye watched us from on high.

📷: Sony A6700 | Sony 100-400mm | Sony 1.4X
🗓️: April 20, 2024

The Royal Court

A close-up of the flower of a cactus (species unknown) on August 28, 2022. Originals: _ZFC9606.NEF to _ZFC9701.NEF

This cactus only blooms at night so you have to be quick to try and catch them before they close up for the day.

📷: Nikon Z fc | Nikon 105mm Macro
🗓️: August 28, 2022

Same Spirit, Different View

Massive saguaros grow beside the Granite Mountain Loop Trail in McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale, Arizona on April 7, 2024. Original: _Z728173.NEF

Whether walking Ellie in our old Portland neighborhood or hiking with Bear in the desert, I value quality but compact and light camera gear so I can keep my focus on our time together rather than photography. I love the mementos of these treasured times, even if you don’t see Ellie or Bear in the picture, I do. If the spirit behind why I take pictures hasn’t changed, the view certainly has.

📷: Nikon Z 7II | Nikon 24-200
🗓️: April 7, 2024