08/01/12 Summer: 2012

Summer blooms before the 2012 drought

took hold over the last few months in Peoria, IL

This summer, I have been able to capture many beautiful displays from good ole' Mother Nature over the last few months. Even with the persistent drought in-place Mother Nature has sure provided some beautiful photos for myself. Many of the photos below are from earlier this summer before the severe drought conditions had kicked-in. I visited a local nursery (Hoerr Nursery) in Peoria, IL to capture many of the photos below. I also photographed a local wind farm as well. With the on-going drought it has been a tough year to get severe weather or a drop of rain for that matter. Therefore, I've concentrated on many other aspects of photography to make the time pass so to speak this summer. I had a tough act to follow after last year's collection. Anyhow, many of my favorite photos I have shot this summer I have posted below:

One of summer's beautiful displays! (macro-lens)

I'm a big fan of pink...FYI ladies...

 When I took this shot I new it would be "one" of

my favorites pretty quick!

 Another beautiful shot!

 One of my favorite locations as of late at a local wind

farm outside Camp Grove, IL...

 This one turned out exactly how I wanted you could say!

The wind farm near sunset...

 An insect shot (macro-lens)

 The crop-duster is back. I also photographed

him last summer seen here...
(Canon 70-300mm telephoto-zoom lens)

 More beautiful colors...

 A wind farm portrait-shot!

 Another stunning display from Mother Nature!

Blistering summer heat with many days above 100°F...

 The first of many shots I shot of a hawk this

summer at my parent's house...

(Canon 70-300mm telephoto-zoom lens)

 An odd color configuration on this Petunia!

 Bout to get "dusted"!
(Canon 70-300mm telephoto-zoom lens)

 Tulips!

 An epic shot you could say! (macro-lens)

 Low sun-angle providing some nice color

at this wind farm!

 Fly "like" an eagle...
(Canon 70-300mm telephoto-zoom lens)

 A summer sunset!

 Beautiful colors!

 A feather from an owl or a hawk?

 Crop-duster nearly shaving off a

little bit of the tree-line...
(Canon 70-300mm telephoto-zoom lens)

 Talk about an assortment of colors!

 Look at that wingspan...
(Canon 70-300mm telephoto-zoom lens)

 A rosebush...

 The sun setting on a blistering hot summer day!

 A "colorful" wind farm...

 Another favorite!

 By far the best! Click to enlarge...

(Canon 70-300mm telephoto-zoom lens)

 Another personal favorite!

 Myself, enjoying an evening of photography and
of course I had to wear my Oakley's...

 An amazing hibiscus...

 The Escape with the "bubble-cam" 

aka Mesodome...

 Sweat bee enjoying the afternoon!

 Our pool open for business...

 A rosebush close-up shot! (macro-lens)

 The nursery full-of-colors!

 More insane scenes...

 These were gone pretty quick thanks to the drought!

 A scorching summer sunset on August 2nd...

 Crop-duster in-action!

 One last close-up...
(Canon 70-300mm telephoto-zoom lens)

 Struggling cumulus trying to break

through the head dome!

 More beautiful summer blooms!

 Getting setup for an evening of photography...

 Bubbles!

 These guys were hungry...

 More of Mother Nature's stunning colors!

 The sun starting to set on the drought-stricken landscape...

 More crazy colors!

 Another good shot!

 Summer sunset at a local wind farm...

 A bee! (macro-lens)

 Roses are red...

 Doesn't that make you want to take a dip?!

 Hard to imagine these were "cooked" months

ago because of the drought...

 One of the few rainy days provided this photo-op!

Another awesome shot!

 The wind farm yet again...

 Another cool shot!

 Talk about a fiery flower!

 More good stuff...

 A nice portrait-shot!

 Wind farm with a lake-breeze boundary in the distance...

 Lady in red?!

 More of Mother Nature's magic...

 Some hot pink here!

 A nice observing angle helped this photo! (macro-lens)

 A rose, yet again...

 The heat is on...

 A tree randomly in the middle of this wind farm...

 A brief shower provided a nice photo-op here...

 Quite an array of colors present!

 Sprinkles don't help much during a drought...

 One last photo of summer's best!

That ends this large post. It has been a good summer for photography which has kept me quite busy during the drought here in central Illinois. I'll update if any interesting weather hits the local area and I find some more time for photography over the next month. Until then...