On Monday afternoon my family and several other members of our church went to Kartchner Caverns State Park in Benson, Arizona. In the heat of the afternoon desert, most of the critters were out of sight. But the tour of the cave was incredible. "The park is located west of the north-flowing San Pedro River. Long hidden from view, the caverns were discovered in 1974 by local cavers, assisted by a state biologist who helped in its preservation."

It's time again for our annual visit to Tucson, Arizona for our Fellowship's International Bible Conference. Our first morning, I arose at 4:45 AM (without an alarm clock) and made my way to Sweetwater Wetlands Park for a couple of hours of nature photography before Sunday morning church service.  

I made a second trip in the heat of the day on Wednesday afternoon. Most of the birds were keeping staying in the shadows, making some real quality shots dificult. Still, quite a refreshing experience to be in a totally different world than the southeast. Sweetwater truly is an oasis in the desert.

Tuesday evening, June 11, 2019 - just taking in some relaxing bird watching in my backyard. I'll take a rest whenever I can get it! 

Pickney Island National Wildlife Refuge... what a wonderful place! Every time I vacation on Hilton Head Island, I have to make at least one visit to the refuge. Our second morning, while the ladies went to the outlet mall, I spent six hours hiking the refuge. The first bird I spotted was the main bird I had hoped to see - a Painted Bunting. 

Pickney Island, located on the bridge between Hilton Head Island and the mainland,  is 3.8 miles long and 1.75 miles across its greatest width. It consists of several habitats including salt marsh, tidal creeks, forestland, brushland, fallow fields and freshwater ponds. 

While birding the beaches of Hilton Head Island, my eyes were constantly trained toward the sky. However, I really needed to be looking down! The beach was covered with Cannonball Jellyfish throughout our week long visit to the Island. Never before had I seen so many jellyfish, and so large, washed up on the beach on prior visits. 

In addition to the jellies, there are other reasons to look down as you walk. The beaches of Hilton Head Island are used by Loggerhead Sea Turtles for nesting as well. You'd hate to step on a cute little hatchling! 

We took a week-long family vacation to Hilton Head Island. I made it out to the beach with my camera for several sunrises and sunsets. ​I was amazed at the numbers of huge Brown Pelicans soaring through the air. They frequently flew with the wind, just off shore, sometimes only a few feet above the water. On their return flights against the wind, they typically stayed several hundred feet inland, crusing above the rows of hotels. 

Saturday, June 1, 2019 - Going down for a dive! I spent my last morning trying to capture the Pelicans diving into the ocean. 

Every May in Georgia we enter a new season. It isn’t just “spring”, but a repeating phenomena called “kitten season”. The numbers of tiny kittens that enter the animal shelter totally sky-rockets. All winter long, adopters are looking for kittens, but none are to be found. But in kitten season, cats are looking for adopters, but not enough are to be found. The only way to keep all these precious kittens alive is to have a high turnover of adoptions and rescues.

Getting shelter shots of the kittens is fairly easy. I like to use a 40mm macro lens so I can get pretty close to them and shoot in the lower light conditions inside the shelter. Those little puff-balls with long whiskers are usually irresistible to potential adopters!
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But taking photos isn’t enough. People have to see them! This requires a whole lot of internet marketing. I run a website for the shelter where I shoot, but that isn’t enough. To keep up with the numbers we really have to put these kitties out there. So we turn to social media as well as a few national pet adoption websites. And you never know, perhaps someone checking out blogs on a stock photo website will fall in love and adopt too! 

"Piper" was a pretty pittie that was picked up by a Walton County Animal Control officer in Georgia on May 20, 2019.  Good news: she had a microchip! Bad news: her owner said he probably wasn't going to come claim her. She had just been adopted from an animal shelter in a neighboring county but ended up in another shelter. But hopefully she'd have a third chance of finding a good home. 

"Basil" was a sweet, older Anatolian Shepherd mixed breed dog that came into the Walton County Animal Control shelter on May 20, 2019. She was a stray, and without a collar, tag or microchip, her owner couldn't be located. 

She was a calm dog, which usually makes photography easier. But she was camera shy. She just didn't want to look at me whenever I raised that big, scary camera to my face. When I tried my trick of tossing a dog toy in the air, instead of looking and perking up, she cowered and moved away. I don't know for sure, but perhaps she'd had people throw things at her in the past. 

Unfortunately I was pressed for time and only got one decent shot of Basil. But in the photo, the depth of soul in her deep brown eyes really shined through. She was a gentle girl, and a favorite of mine in the shelter at that time. 

It was a wild Walton morning! I made my morning drive so I could do a bit of early morning birding. The fun started before I even made it to work with an owl perched over Jacks Creek. Then on my walk before starting the work day, I spotted the two beaver on the upper retention pond. And before heading into the office, I heard two Cuckoos cuckooing in the trees and managed to draw one out for a photo with a bit of playback. 

Five hours. That’s the power of a photograph. “Carmen” went from a twice homeless pup and into the arms of a loving home in five hours through pet adoption photography.

Most of us became photographers because we love photography. We love to document our trips, capture photos of wildlife, make memories that last forever. We love the satisfaction of social media comments and compliments. And we love the gallery sales and stock uploads.   But how about something else to fall in love with?... finding new homes for unwanted pets!

This sweet senior Chihuahua’s elderly owner had gone blind and could no longer care for her. So she was given to a new home. But not long after taking her in, she jumped out of their car and couldn’t be found. She was later picked up by animal control when some firefighters found her wandering the street. When her new owner saw her posted online, they called the shelter, but had decided they wouldn’t take her back in.

Carmen got a quick photo session in my homemade photography studio inside the shelter that I normally use for cats. Her quirky expression got her some immediate attention and adoption applications. The sun had not even gone down for the day and she was already adopted into a new home.
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Photography is satisfying. That is why we are photographers. But find an even higher level of satisfaction by occasionally donating your photography skills to your local animal shelter! 

​“Big Boy” was a handsome pitbull terrier mix that was surrendered to the Walton County Animal Control shelter in Georgia on May 10, 2019. Big Boy got his outdoor pet adoption photography session on May 14, 2019. 

​“Annette” was a stray dog that was turned in to the Walton County Animal Control shelter in Georgia on May 11, 2019. She was a happy girl, full of life and energy. Annette got her outdoor pet adoption photography session on May 14, 2019.