I’m not really a wildlife photographer – but every now and then, I’ll pull out a long lens and see what I can do with it. The problem is, I tend to be uninspired by typical images of animals… the old “bird on a stick” shot fails to excite me. So, I try to capture images that are a little bit different. Not just your standard portrait of the creature… but something that gives the viewer a little bit more. Let me see if I can show you what I mean.

This stork was sitting on the edge of a narrow waterway – and although he was beautifully posed, he seemed a little lost in the tall grasses behind him. But I noticed that his reflection was just right. The brilliant blue sky was reflected in the smooth surface of the water, and it made a perfect background. Doesn’t he seem to be lost in thought?

Reflections came in handy when I took this shot of an alligator, too. The clouds and sky were reflected in the water, and the alligator seems to be skimming across a watery sky.

Adult storks seem to be 100 years old – because of their bald heads and wrinkly faces, I suppose. I think of them as knobby-kneed old men dressed in dusty, old-fashioned overcoats. So, I went with that. I converted this image to high-key black and white, and let the background blow out just a bit… as in an old photograph. This is a portrait of the very distinguished Grandpa Stork, who seems to have misplaced his top hat and cane. Ain’t he an old sweetie?

Well. This one speaks for itself I guess. Captain Jinkies here, decided to get all goofy in front of the camera. I have a whole series of images of these beautiful mountain goats… but this is the one that stands out. Go figure.
 And how about this little dude? I love these tiny little birds – and this one caught this big old fish and was trying to find a way to get it down. It wasn’t going to work – but it sure was fun to watch!