Monday, March 24, 2014

02/06/14 Winter Scenes & Wind Farms

A beautiful winter morning scene at a local wind farm outside Camp Grove, IL 

Over the last month, I finally had enough of the "cabin fever" that this brutal winter has caused. After another winter storm and yet another morning of sub-zero temperatures I decided it was time to find the will to venture out in sub-zero temperatures and grab some winter photos finally! It has been such a brutal winter I didn't even want to venture outside much of this winter even for photography. There's not much that keeps me from venturing outdoors, but Old Man Winter sure changed that this year. It was the snowiest winter on record in Peoria, IL and the 8th coldest on record. On that note, I've added a few photos as I "braved the elements" and shot some photos outside Peoria, IL of the winter scenes amidst the brutal cold below:

Fresh snow pack and deep blue skies...always a plus!
A cool winter scene in the middle of nowhere...
A majestic winter scene!
A frequent spot I visit for photography...
"Winter wind"
Snowplows busy on this particular morning and during this particular winter!
One of my favorite shots on this morning!
Some snow drifts...
A well set-up winter shot with a wind vane!
You've seen this bridge in past photos but not during the winter months...
Another snowy scene!
Some hefty snow accumulation here...
A cool winter perspective!
A winter portrait and evergreen trees...
Who doesn't like a white picket fence?!
Gotta love winter scenery!
Some good contrast here!
"Winter travels"
More winter scenery...
Another winter shot at the wind farm!
"Enter at your own risk"
A good shot illustrating an earlier heavy snow event...
Snow drifts and wind turbines!
Lots of icicles out there this winter...
Beautiful blue sky!
Lonesome tree and a winter landscape!
A small snow trail in the snow pack for a rabbit at my parent's house...
One more shot at the wind farm!
The snow depth was at 12" inches when I shot
this photo in February...good grief!

Hopefully, we are done with Old Man Winter for good! I'll be posting more in the coming months as spring severe weather begins across the Midwest as I get more and more accustomed to my new camera. Stay tuned.

01/22/14 More of Our Pets...

Luigi, one of my parent's cats on a winter morning in Kewanee, IL 

A couple months ago, I ventured home briefly to test out my new camera on some of our other pets. It had been quite a busy and long holiday season at work which meant I didn't have really any opportunities to head back home during that time-period. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to see the family and our pets during the short stay. I've added below some of my favorite shots during the trip back to my hometown of our pets below:

Taser, growing up quite fast...
Luigi, has always been a tough cat to photograph over the years, but I
got a few good one's on this occasion!
Taser, a close-up!
A rather neat portrait!
An aww kind of shot!
Taser is quickly becoming a big cat...
"Eye-catching"
Taser, eager for spring along with the rest of us!
"Looking to the sky"
Another cute shot!
Another cool shot!
Dad, got him his own Chicago Blackhawks jersey!

Our pets always have a large impact on our lives. Don't take them for granted and make sure you enjoy every minute with them as well. I'll be posting some winter photos soon as well. Stay tuned for that update.

01/08/14 Thunder's Photoshoot

Thunder, enjoying the warm indoors this past winter at my apartment in Peoria, IL

During this past winter, I was hard at work compiling some new photos of my cat Thunder at my apartment. All of these photos were shot with my Canon 5D Mark III I purchased late this past year. The more I use this camera the more impressed I am with its capabilities. I sure can't complain about how these photos turned out! It can be tough to photograph and specifically to set-up shots with pets. The best one(s) usually end up being quite random and shot on-the-fly so to speak. Anyhow, I've added my favorites I shot with my new camera over the last couple of months below:

He's such a photogenic cat!
Of course, he's a Oklahoma City Thunder fan along with myself!
He has grown-up so fast...
A well set-up shot with my Christmas tree in the background
creating a dramatic and colorful blurred background!
He loves watching and playing with snowflakes as they fall while looking
out the window and he sure had many of those opportunities during this winter...
"Curiosity"
A cute cat when he's not causing trouble...
Another well set-up shot, can you notice the blurred
tornado book cover in the background?
A tough shot to get...
Sun tanning!
Thunder, is still quite a playful cat for being a few years old now!
About to pounce...
Playing once again...
A nice close-up!
About to attack one of his cat toys...
Another neat shot!

Thunder, is definitely one photogenic cat. I'll be posting some more photos of some of our other pets I shot back home in another post in the coming days as well.