Blonde Phase Mallard

Have you ever seen this duck before?  It's called a blonde phased mallard.  Not to be mistaken for an albino duck, this is a very rare find.  At least that is what I am told.  I got a tip from a buddy and sure enough it was there when we arrived.  I'd be lying if I told you that I had to trek far and deep into the wilderness to find this pretty lady.  Truth be told, she was hanging out in the park with a bunch of other feathered friends.  Only difference was that she was as white as can be.  I have also learned that this phase only occurs in the female, otherwise known as a hen.  If you look closely you'll see that her eye has no red in it all.  I'm no duck expert, but I believe albino critters typically have red eyes.  So there you have it, now you can tell your friends you've seen a blonde duck.  Cool Beans!

Boundary Waters Brilliance...

It's no secret that the BWCA in northern Minnesota yields a few spectacular photo opportunities for every visitor.  After a day of clouds, the sun poked its head out just before it set.  While a normal sunset would find my lens facing the setting sun, this caught my eye when I turned around.  The darkness of the clouds and the brightness of the setting sun shining on these trees made it the perfect contrast.  I guess I'll have to turn around more often to see what the sun is doing next time, or I'll just have to stay in the Boundary Waters and never return.  Ooooh, that would be a sweet idea!

Walleye Gold!

It's not too often that I get worked up over a picture.  Ok, well not enough that I am willing to admit it anyway.  I took this picture yesterday morning and I am still giddy with excitement.  I think the glow of the morning sun and the focus, angle and colors of this photo make it one of my favorite to date.  You may or may not agree, but when I look at it, I'm actually surprised that I took this picture.  I don't feel that I have the an "eye" for the shot like some people do, so it usually leads me to take several shots of one particular picture.  This time, I only took two, and I got what I wanted on picture number one, and erased number two.  I'm just so excited that I have to share it.  I feel that I finally hit the nail on the coffin for my perfect walleye release shot.  The low angle of the sun, the water dripping and the size of this above average walleye made it perfect in my mind.  I hope you enjoy it too!

Goose, Geese, Goslings...Whatever You Call 'Em!

This past Mother's day my family and I spent some time in the great outdoors.  Giving thanks to the one that brought us life, My sister and I surprised our mom and took her to her favorite place.  The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.  There we visited her favorite hide-outs around the property and took in all the sights and sounds from the blossoming plants.  While I took several cool pictures, I will try to save face and only share the ones that are slightly manly.  Sorry, no flower shots are going to make the cut.  This photo was the first family of gosslings that I have seen this year.  It just so happened that they let me come close enough for some cool shots.  I took a bunch, but this one is my favorite, plus I feel a family portrait is proper for the one Sunday a year known as Mother's Day.

Happy Mothers Day Mom!  I love you!

Morel Mushrooms

I've been bitten by another bug.  This time it's the morel mushroom addiction that is consuming all of my time.  Heck, I almost forgot that I have a boat wishing it were in the water.  I've been so busy hunting mushrooms that I have forgotten about almost all else.  But, it's been for good reason.  I've found the mother load!  Right now many of you are probably thinking..."hmmm, I wonder if he'll give me a few"...well, haha, think again.  These tasty devils are only around for a few days each year, and it will be over soon, if it isn't already.  In my hastiness to grab as many as possible the last few days, I have forgotten to take a moment to snap a few photos.  Yesterday I wrapped the camera around my neck and as luck would have it, I found the largest mushroom of the season.  This honker was huge, and posed for a few perfect photos.  P.S. if you want some of my extra shrooms, you have to act quick, dishing out my surplus at record speeds....

Topwater Muskie Baits...

Last night I took a few baits to the lake for some action.  Not in an attempt to catch a fish, but rather to catch the perfect pictures for a new project I am working on.  I am currently helping out a friend get his website up and rolling, and my goal was to get a few high quality shots of his lures in action.  I will show you the finished product when I launch the site, but for now, I can share a favorite shot from last night on the water.  This is a topwater prop-style muskie bait moving across the surface.  I'd say it looks tasty!

Ranger Boats Model...

I'm thinking this one might be worth a couple of bucks to Ranger Boats.  Haha!  Ranger Boats is my main sponsor and I thought I would give them a few clicks of the camera.  Well, I actually leaned over the edge of the boat last night and was very surprised to see this cool reflection coming from the side of my rig.  We had the most incredible evening on the water last night for our mens bible study, and during our catching and releasing of all kinds of panfish, the sun found its way to the horizon.  Thinking of unique ways to capture the sunset, this is what I came up with.  I think I will send it to corporate and see what they have to say...

A Different Walleye Angle...

We've all seen that hero shot with a guy holding his walleye in the air and a great big smile.  I've taken a million of those shots, and will continue to do so.  Heck, it's the reason that we all fish for that almighty big one!  With that said, there are also other sweet pictures that I have seen taken, and it doesn't always have to show the smiling face of the guy that caught the trophy.  Sometimes I actually find it surprising how the picture that was taken on accident can sometimes be the best one.  When I took this picture, I was intentionally trying to keep the object out of focus to see what effect it would have on the overall picture.  It turned out to be one of my favorite of the trip.  What you are seeing is the release of a legitamate 10 pound walleye that my dad boated on the Rainy River.  Something about this pic made me choose it out of the group and I'm thinking I may try a few more like it. 

Sturgeon Beauty...

Many people would look at a sturgeon and say, "Man, that's an ugly fish!" I look at a sturgeon and say, "Man, that's a sweet fish!"  You see, if you have fished for sturgeon, then you will have an entirely different perspective on this cool creature.  Once you go through the battle that asks, who is hooked? You will come out with a love for this fish that doesn't 'fit in.'  In this photo, like so many others, I tried to get the action shot to bring you into the events as they really happen in real life.  Most of the glamour shots on the covers of magazines are from bass, walleye, muskie and other fish that 'fit the mold.'  I happen to think if others were to experience the adrenaline rush that comes with this guy - they'd have a different outlook, and maybe this too would earn its place on the cover.  Or, maybe not!

ATV Action...

Since the entire premise for our trip to Utah was to film ATV footage for Destination Polaris I thought I would get a couple of still shots of our riders in action.  This fella's name was Ceasar and he works for a company in Utah called Rocky Mountain ATV.  A first class operation in the ATV world, and one of our focal points on the trip.  We got a tour of their huge facility and when we were done, we went to their playground outside of town.  They call it West Mountain and it's where they go to test products.  Talk about a sweet deal for them!  They rode several machines while we were there and I managed a couple of shots that I'm willing to share.  This is one of my favorites because of the colors on the machine that really jump out, and the fact that he was flying at about 45 miles per hour and I got him to focus in pretty clearly.  I guess the action shots are a work in progress for me... like everything else!

Utah Critters...

While in Utah we were always on the look out for critters.  We classified a critter as anything that moves on its own.  Big or small, it didn't matter, it was a critter.  While there were Mule deer by the dozens, elk and even a few antelope too, my favorite critter of all was this teeny tiny little lizard that came out to sun himself in the spring heat.  I'm not sure what kind of lizard he was, but he resides about 25 miles due west of Castle Dale on the edge of a thousand foot canyon.  His surroundings are red rock, cactus and open desert air.  Since we have nothing even close to this in Minnesota, I was thrilled to get a few shots of this fella.  He was a good sport about it too and stuck around just long enough to give me a kodak moment.  Thanks to him I have another photo to share!

Ozone Kite Tours

Yesterday I shared a few photos from the summit of a Utah mountain.  What I didn't share with you was the insane guy we met on top.  Patrick was his name and he's on one heck of an Ozone Kite Tour.  Actually that's the name of his blog, and he basically goes kite skiing at some of the most insane places in the country, or world for that matter.  We just so happened to find the same mountain peak that he and his buddies were using for their kite skiing.  The shots that I took had him flying through the sky at roughly 10,000 ft above sea level.  The sun was setting and snow covered mountains covered the entire backround scene.  Does it get any better or more hard-core for me or them?  I think not!  I hope you enjoy some of the shots I was able to take that night on the summit.  I doubt I can ever repeat such an incredible scene of events.  I hope you enjoy these pics...

 

  

 

The Summit

I'm a bit of a whimp when it comes to heights.  Just ask my friends and family.  If it is heights, I don't usually like them.  It's something I've dealt with my entire life and I'm trying to get over my stupid fear.  In an attempt to get over my fear of heights, I scaled the side of this mountain and made it to the top, haha, just kidding.  I didn't physically climb it, but I did make it to the summit of this mountain to watch the sun set in a Utah minute.  As you can see, this particular mountain topped out just short of 10,000 feet.  Above is a view of the sign stuck in 5 feet of snow, below is a view from behind me overlooking mountains as far as the eye can see.  Pretty much breathtaking.  The only down side to this spectacular view was that I forgot to bring my wide angle lens and only had the zoom lens.  To put perspective on this mountain view is tough because these mountains are probably 75 to 100 miles away, but if you look closely at the bottom of the picture, you can see that somebody built a cabin on the top of this mountain.  This scene along with the sunset picture truly was a gift from God.  I have no other way of describing the beauty...

Utah Trout Action...

A few days ago I was lucky enough to be sent to the beautiful state of Utah on a work related project for one of our television shows called Destination Polaris.  Utah is a beautiful state and definitely something everyone should witness at least once in their life.  During my stay, we traveled to several parts of the state and came across some unbelievable photo opportunities.  Since our goal was to shoot video and not still photography, we only spent a minimal amount of time with our digital cameras in hand.  With that being said, we still got some pretty sweet pics.  As time allows, I'll sort through my album and share some of my favorites.  This photo was just outside of the town called Nephi.  It's about an hour south of Salt Lake City.  We were driving through a mountainside and came across some open water at an elevation of about 4,500 ft.  This gentlemen was fly fishing and the scenery around him was beyond stellar.  I don't know if he caught any fish, but I do know that I snagged one heck of a sweet shot of his fishing spot.  More to come...

Reflections...

If there is one interesting angle that I need to spend more time on, it is how to use water.  Some of the coolest outdoor photos that I have ever seen have in some way, shape or form, a good use for water.  Whether it is a reflection in the water, flowing water, or just a part of the photo, water can offer many unique aspects to a picture.  Since I'm learning on the fly, I tend to become frustrated with my water shots and continue to try something new.  One thing I do know for sure, reflections can sometimes look better than the real object.  Here's a reflection I saw at the waters edge the other day.  It's a rather boring photo without the reflection, but the clouds and cattails that show up in the water make it something that catches the eye.  At least it did for me, maybe you too?

Spring Goose Fight...

Maybe it's because they are so darn loud and obnoxious, but I'm sure you are all aware that geese own all bodies of water during the spring.  Yep, the government owns nothing, landowners get nothing, the property actually belongs to the geese, all of it!  At least you would probably think this way if you took a stroll around any pond during the spring mating season.  One of the most obnoxious and yet interesting mating habits are from our resident geese.

Once a male locks up with his mate, they lock down their prime nesting area, and if another goose comes anywhere near her or his land, it's going to get real serious, real fast.  In fact, in the bird kingdom, it might be one of the most interesting battles.  They will attack, and they get physical.  Snapping, hissing, honkey and biting, all while in full flight or running.  It's something to behold, and my curiousity brought me to a pond the other day.  As you can see, I got a view of a goose that got too close to another man's turf.  Glad it wasn't me getting chased...

Ruffled Feather...

Turkey season is almost upon us.  If you were lucky enough to draw a tag then I'm sure you are getting quite antsy right now.  For Mike and I, since we didn't get drawn this year, the only chance we'll have is to take our bow and arrow and chase the over-sized bird at the tail end of the season.  Otherwise, we'll have to do our hunting with the camera instead of the gun.  We gave that a try this weekend and it was nearly as rewarding as the hunt we are use to.  The only down side was that we didn't get the close-up encounter that we wanted with Mr. Gobbler.  Instead I got a shot of what he left behind.  I can see that hunting with the camera will be a new passion of ours for quite some time.  Stay tuned for the epic Tom Turkey shot coming soon....

Carp in Skinny Water...

Mike and I cured our spring fishing blues by casting our crawlers off the banks of the flooded river.  A spring time tradition that you can read all about in my journal, that gives some incredible photo taking opportunities.  I took a few different shots throughout our fishing excursion, but I love this one the most.  This is a picture of the first fish we landed that day, and as he release it back into the water I had the perfect light and the perfect angle.  Not to mention the added character that the weed growth offered in the shot.  I guess you could call it texture.  I like it, I hope you do too!

Mississippi Sunset...

What would a weekend of fishing be without an epic sunset?  Of course I grabbed the camera in an attempt to capture the colors as they fell upon us.  This is a view from our walleye haunt.  As you can see, we weren't the only fisherman in the neighborhood.  I've never met these characters and I didn't ask their permission for the shot, but I suspect they will never know.  Hope you enjoy this one...I know I did!

Mississippi Release...

The previous picture was the open water that I found last week.  The excitement that I had over it came from knowing what I could catch out of that open water.  Over the last 3 days I snuck out at least once in the boat each day and managed to catch and release about 100 walleyes.  The weather was unbelievable and the fish responded by opening their mouths.  It was hard to put the rod and reel down at times, but every once in a while I managed to take some cool photographs for my album.  I really like this one - I hope you do too!