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# Mike Walker Photography

Mike Walker Nature Photography, Workshops

## Posts

- [blog](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?page_id=3360)
- [Skyline Drive](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3893) - Took my yearly fall visit to Shenandoah National Park. While the peak color has faded there is still a lot of colorful scenery. The park was busy with visitors as many took advantage of a nice fall day. The overlooks and hiking trail parking lots were filled with cars. Despite a government shutdown, the visitor
- [Shenandoah National Park](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3877) - A trip to Shenandoah's Skyline Drive in the fall season, is always worthwhile. Through the changes in elevation along the drive, the landscape is in various states of color change. I arrived early enough to avoid the heavier traffic that usually occurs during this time of year. Pull-offs along the drive provide some very nice
- [Visiting Local Parks](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3864) - This past week I made a couple of trips to Shenandoah National Park and Huntley Meadows Park, a Fairfax County park in Virginia. The weather was spectacular with lower than normal temperatures and humidity for this time of year. One of the few places in my area that I can see a Belted Kingfisher is
- [Huntley Meadows Spring Visit](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3831) - Made my first visit to Huntley Meadows Park this year. Found a lot of vegetation missing from previous years, but still enough for this nutria to have a hearty breakfast. There was a good compliment of ducks and geese on the water, including this nice mallard. While scanning the waters, I noticed a circling shadow
- [Everglades National Park](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3797) - My first visit to Everglades National Park....it's about time. The third largest national park in the continental U.S. Called the "river of grass", it is a protected ecosystem containing wetlands, forests, and wildlife. For bird photographers, it is a real paradise. I've posted some of the species found in the park below. The image above
- [Big Cypress National Preserve](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3791) - If you are visiting the Everglades, a trip to Big Cypress National Preserve is an absolute must. The landscape seems foreign to what you might typically expect in the United States. Massive Cypress trees growing out of the swamp, lush vegetation, plenty of alligators, birds, butterflies, and insects. You can spend many hours here, photographing
- [Back in the Fall - Great Smoky Mountains](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3787) - After a great trip to the Smoky mountains back in the spring, I returned in the fall with another group of photographers to explore the changes the season had brought to the landscape. The streams were running well after recent rains and the colors in the leaves were just starting to turn. The lower elevations
- [Visiting the Smokies](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3771) - Back again in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and wow, the bears were out! Certainly more bears than I had ever seen before in a single day here in the park. Many new cubs and getting to see them climbing trees and having a great time playing, was a special treat. The spring rain also
- [Back at Huntley Meadows](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3763) - After a looooong wait, filled with photography around the home and backyard, the time was right to travel again, even if only a local trip! It certainly felt great to be outside, photographing nature again at Huntley Meadows, a county park in northern Virginia. The turtles were out in force, including these red-eared sliders above.
- [Mono Like and Bodie Ghost Town](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3740) - Mono Lake, CA is often described as an alien landscape and just look at it, it's a perfect description! The alkaline lake with its limestone tufas are certainly not your normal landscape. It is a fantastic location for sunrise and sunset photographs. The photo above, taken at sunrise, is typical of the sights you see
- [Majestic Mount Rainier](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3729) - One of my favorite national parks is Mount Rainier in Washington. There is nothing better than getting up early to catch the sunrise light hitting the top of Mount Rainier in front of Reflection Lake covered in early morning fog. It is one of the great landscapes in this country. I was there in August
- [Visiting the Palouse](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3721) - Returning to the Palouse area of eastern Washington after a several year absence, I found many familiar views, some different views and some troubling views. The scenery is just as beautiful as ever, such as the view from Steptoe Butte, the highest point in the Palouse. It offers a view of the surrounding landscape of
- [Rennsport Reunion VI](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3708) - The Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI was held in September 2018 at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA. A four-day event full of historic and modern racing Porsches, past and present factory drivers, and thousands of Porsche fans. This was the second reunion I attended and I photographed hundreds of cars on display and out on
- [Remembering Iceland](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3637) - Back in late September, I traveled to Iceland for our annual photo workshop. A country that I have visited each of the last five years. I cannot think of any other location that offers so much to the landscape photographer. The terrain ranges from mossy to barren, from black sand beach to glacier covered mountains.
- [Wet and wild British Columbia](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3625) - Our JKPW workshop on Vancouver Island, British Columbia in late August was a wildlife focused thrill ride. We spent most of our time on the water, either searching for whales and black bears along the coastline or traveling to a First Nation area where grizzlies roam the streams and rivers in search of food for
- [New to Badlands](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3611) - My first visit to Badlands National Park in South Dakota was a real eye-opener. I had always pictured this park as a vast area of colorless, barren landscapes. What a wondrous surprise to discover beautiful vistas full of color and wildlife. The landscapes are quite breathtaking and the variety of wildlife rivals many other National
- [The White Horses of Camargue](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3583) - In southern France, in the Camargue area, one of the oldest horse breeds in the world roams the wetlands and marshes. I've always wanted to photograph these horses galloping through the water, an iconic image of this location. I had my opportunity in May and what an incredible adventure it was. Photographing a group of
- [South Carolina workshop](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3564) - Our JKPW South Carolina Beaches and Plantations photo workshop ended a few days ago. A talented group of photographers was on hand to capture images of the great landscapes around the Charleston, SC area. The photograph above was from one of our favorite locations, the Morris Island Lighthouse Inlet. This black and white image was
- [NANPA Annual Summit](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3555) - The 20th Nature Photography Summit was just held in Jacksonville, FL. Sponsored by the North American Nature Photography Association, the Summit is a gathering of hundreds in the nature photography community. It provides an opportunity to exchange information and techniques, learn about subjects such as conservation of our natural resources, composition design, weather watching, and
- [2017 Workshops!](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3546) - The 2017 Jennifer King Photography Workshops are filling up. There are some fantastic new locations that have been added this year along with some favorite locations that offer amazing landscapes for your photography. Locations like: Badlands British Columbia Mongolia Smoky Mountains Iceland Grand Tetons Palouse South Carolina Columbia River Gorge Arches & Canyonlands Valley of
- [Gift your photography](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3514) - Have you considered creating a photo calendar, or greeting cards or perhaps a photo book as a way to share your images with friends and family? These are great ways to provide unique gifts for birthday, anniversaries, and holidays and also a potential sales outlet for your art. I personally create a yearly photo book to
- [Zion in the fall](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3337) - Zion National Park is one of the great natural treasures of the Southwest. Majestic mountains, red rock walls, graphic sandstone hillsides, deep canyons, the Virgin River, colorful Cottonwood trees, Bighorn Sheep, Mule deer and more are all here. The view above is found at the end of the Canyon Overlook trail, a 1.1 mile hike
- [Incredible Iceland](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3329) - Our journey to Iceland this year was nothing short of incredible. The weather was perfect and actually untypical for Iceland as we saw little rain during our stay there. However there was no shortage of fantastic skies as this sunset over the lava field waterfalls called Hraunfossar, demonstrate. The sunrise sky over the Atlantic ocean
- [Hot time in the Palouse](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3318) - August is harvest time in the Palouse area of eastern Washington. It's also a dry and hot time. While in the area for our JKPW workshop, we saw the evidence of several fields of wheat on fire. In the image above, you can see the red in the sky from the flames in one field.
- [A visit to Glacier](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3308) - Early August is a great time to visit Glacier National Park along the northern border of Montana. The Going-to-the-Sun road has been cleared of last winter's snowfall and you have full access to the entire park. One of my favorite spots is at the water's edge of Two Medicine Lake during sunrise. A lot of
- [Grand Teton Adventure](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3291) - I spent the longest days of the year (at least the longest amount of daylight...) in Grand Teton National Park where the weather was beautiful, the scenery spectacular and the wildlife was taking it easy. The early sunrise provided us a colorful sky over the famous mountain range at Jackson Lake. Our Jennifer King Photography
- [The Tuscany Experience](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3274) - I recently returned from our Tuscany Experience photo workshop which was shared with a great group of photographers and for many of them, their first visit to Italy. Tuscany did not disappoint with the hospitality of the people, the fantastic food and the light and landscape providing beautiful views. The weather also gave us dramatic
- [Spring in the Smokies 2016](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3264) - Each year, Jennifer King Photography Workshops takes a group of photographers to Great Smoky Mountains National Park to experience the spring season there. This year the group was treated to a lot of black bear activity as they start to fatten up on the new plant growth in the park after the winter season. In
- [Along the Coast of South Carolina](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3251) - Enjoyed a great workshop in the Charleston, South Carolina area in early April. We spent a good amount of time at the Boneyard Beach on Botany Bay Plantation where it seems you never have a bad sunrise. But there is a lot more in this area to photograph and we took advantage of our mornings
- [Photo fun in Utah](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3233) - Having the privilege of helping to show a group of photographers the wonders of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks makes me absolutely giddy. I have visited these parks many times but never tire of each park's ability to captivate the imagination, and for those who have not step foot within the park boundaries before, watching
- [February in Death Valley](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3224) - February is a great time of year to visit Death Valley National Park in CA. The temperatures are pleasant and this year, February rains created a temporary lake on the salt flat which provided a nice sunset reflection. You can also have some windy days here which help to shape the sand dunes and coverup
- [Magical Bryce Canyon](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3214) - Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah is one of those places you have to lay your eyes on, because it is almost unbelievable. The color in the rocks and if you are lucky, the color in the morning sky, is amazing. The incredible number of spires, hoodoos, formed by erosion are the most found anywhere
- [A trip to Zion](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3204) - I had an opportunity to travel to Zion National Park in late October and photograph some of the iconic features of the park. The highlight of a visit to Zion for many people is the hike into "The Narrows", a walk in, and along, the Virgin river as is runs through a slot canyon. It's
- [Iceland colors and skies](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3174) - Our 2015 Iceland workshop was bestowed with wonderful weather, a delightful group of people, and the always incredible landscapes that make this place a photographer's paradise. For example, take the image above of the often visited and photographed Seljalandsfoss waterfall, this was my first opportunity to see a sunset there and it was spectacular. The
- [Bodie / Mono Lake Workshop](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3161) - Our Bodie and Mono Lake workshop was a great success. We had wonderful skies and special after-hours access to the Bodie ghost town which included going into the old buildings and stamp mill which are normally closed to the public. The image above was at Mono Lake where large limestone structures, called tufas, stand around
- [Summer and fall in Mount Rainier](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3139) - Usually, mid to late August means summertime flowers covering the landscape in Mount Rainier National Park. This year however, summertime arrived about 8 weeks early and the flowers of summer have mostly departed the fields...mostly. There were still some blooms to be found but not only were there a few summer flowers hanging on, but
- [Lost and found...](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3127) - During my recent trip to Yellowstone, I was delighted to witness a wolf passing through a field and later that same day, watch a grizzly cross a body of water. With a 500mm lens attached to my camera in both instances, I attempted to grab some shots. For me, it is rare to see a
- [Spring in the Smokies](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3011) - Springtime in the Smokies is always a great time to photograph. During the recent JKPW workshop, we had perfect conditions. The streams were flowing, the green color of the trees was brilliant and the temperatures were pleasant. Even on top of Clingman's Dome, the winds were still for a wonderful sunrise. This year we photographed
- [Grand Teton National Park](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3041) - I returned again to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming in early July. It is a place unique in its combination of wonderful landscapes and variety of wildlife. The weather during my visit was a bit more challenging than usual, but it brought wonderful clouds in the sky and along the Teton range that you
- [Landscapes of Yellowstone](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3059) - Yellowstone National Park has its share of wonderful landscapes in addition to the variety of wildlife. Above are the intense colors of the runoff from the Grand Prismatic Spring which pumps out 566 gallons of water every minute. Below, early morning fog obscures the background from this grouping of bare trees. The constant steam coming
- [Charleston charm](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3004) - I had the great opportunity to visit the Charleston, SC area this month. It's a beautiful location, especially in the spring. The flora is bursting out everywhere and the warming temperatures makes you head straight to the great beaches. The image above was taken under the pier at Folly Beach as the morning sun climbed
- [Arches and Canyonlands](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2992) - Looking out my window at home, watching the snow fall, it's nice to think back to a couple of days ago when I was visiting Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in Utah with Jennifer King Photography Workshops. The weather there was surprisingly mild for February and it allowed for extended photography opportunities including some pleasant
- [Tuscany Workshop](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3021) - Our 2015 Tuscany photo workshop was a fantastic trip filled with great friends, food, wine and the spectacular scenery of the Tuscany landscape. Above, early morning fog drifts over the rolling hills around the Belevdere farmhouse. Below the sun sets over this well know group of cypress trees surrounded by spring wildflowers in Torrenieri. Our
- [Wildlife of Yellowstone](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=3050) - After visiting Grand Teton National Park, I headed north for a couple of days in Yellowstone National Park to look for wildlife. It didn't take a lot of looking as the animals were out and about. In one day, Bison, Elk, Wolf, Black Bear, Grizzly Bear, Eagles, Hawks and Coyote were seen. Yellowstone is the
- [Death Valley fall workshop](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2979) - Had a fun workshop in Death Valley National Park. November is such a great time to visit, the temperatures are in the 70's and the days are shorter so the sunrises are later and the sunsets come earlier. Photographing the Mesquite Flat sand dunes is always a special treat and something I could do everyday.
- [Iceland Autumn](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2913) - I had the good fortune to spend a couple of weeks in Iceland this fall and was thrilled by the spectacular color in the landscape. It was a great JKPW workshop with many opportunities to photograph waterfalls, glacial ice, rainbows and the amazing northern lights. It's cloudy and rainy quite often in Iceland but we
- [Colorful Death Valley](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2784) - Death Valley is surprising in the variety of color it offers. No matter where you are standing in this National Park, you will be amazed by the landscape. For instance, the sunrise in the image above, over the salt formations of Badwater Basin, the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below sea level.
- [Oregon re-visit](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2792) - I returned to the Oregon coast in late February to re-visit Bandon and to photograph around the Brookings area, which I had not visited before. The photo above is from an early morning on Bandon beach where we had great pastel light. The image below was taken on another morning when I came upon a
- [Charleston in the Spring](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2807) - Charleston, SC in springtime, is the place to be. Wildly popular with photographers, the area offers amazing beauty and color. One of my very favorites places to photograph in this area is Botany Bay in the Edisto Island area. This park has a 'boneyard' beach where dead trees stand against the ocean waves, until they
- [Activity in St. Augustine](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2813) - A weekend in St. Augustine, FL provided a ton of activity with busy nest building in the rookery at Alligator Farm Zoological Park. A fantastic opportunity to photograph different types of egrets such as the Little Blue Heron above. The St. Augustine area also offers some wonderful seascapes like the beach at Washington Oaks Gardens
- [Tuscany adventure](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2821) - Italy is a favorite place of mine for photography. I recently returned from the Tuscany region and the five towns of Cinque Terre on the west coast of Italy. The early morning sun lights up the sky over this Tuscany grove of cypress trees in the image above. Below is a photograph looking down over
- [Grand Teton Trip](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2835) - Enjoyed a fantastic week in and around Grand Teton National Park. Headed to Schwabacher Landing one morning and had wonderful light on the mountain range and a nice reflection on the water. Also spent some time on the other side of the mountains in Idaho to photograph the landscape and abandoned buildings there. The wildlife
- [August in Mount Rainier](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2853) - They say figuring out what week of August the wildflowers will peak depends on the snowpack levels... I think any week in August will give you a great display of color from the incredible flora that carpets the fields and meadows. Whether it's a view of Edith Creek or a look at the fog drifting
- [Palouse Country](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2844) - The Palouse region in eastern Washington offers some of the most beautifully unique farmlands in the U.S. The vast wheat fields stretch as far as the eye can see and the views from the top of Steptoe Butte are spectacular in their rolling patterns and graphic line and color formations. The Palouse provides a study
- [The Oregon coast](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2775) - Enjoyed some time along the Oregon coast and got to spend several days at Bandon beach with its fantastic sea stacks. Combine them with a great sunset and you have outstanding photographic opportunities! Traveling north along the coast, the sandstone formations at Shore Acres State Park are fascinating and very graphic. I had visited Cape
- [Smokies weekend](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2769) - I spent a wonderful October weekend in the Smokies of North Carolina with the Piedmont Photo Club during a workshop guided by Jennifer King Photography Workshops. The weather was perfect and the fall color was pretty decent. The early morning landscapes and mountain streams were great fun to photograph.
- [California Coast](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2764) - My trip to California ended on the coast and having the opportunity to once again visit Pfeiffer Beach in the Big Sur area and the arched rock formation that stands just offshore. Waiting for the sun to lower on the horizon, a wonderful orange glow was cast on the rocks along the beach. My trip
- [Yosemite](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2755) - On my recent visit to California, I returned to Yosemite National Park, a place I had not seen in over 10 years. My visit this time occurred during the recent Rim Fire which threatened the park and was contained by the heroic efforts of hundreds of firefighters. The smoke from the fire drifted into the
- [Eastern California](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2748) - In September, I spent 10 days in California, going from the eastern part of the state (Tahoe Lake, Mono Lake, Yosemite) then moving south (Kings Canyon, Sequoia) and finally heading to the west and the coast of the Pacific (Monterrey, Big Sur). It was my first visit to Mono Lake and the chance to photograph
- [Mount Rainier National Park](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2739) - Another fantastic workshop in Mount Rainier National Park where the light, mountains, flowers and water combined for beautiful scenery. The image above was taken as the sun set on the Tatoosh Range. The warm light was fantastic. The next morning, Mount Rainier looked magnificent in the photograph below reflecting in a small stream that feeds
- [Grand Teton NP](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2732) - I attended a JKPW workshop in Grand Teton National Park. The weather was hot but the morning and sunset shoots were spectacular. The iconic Teton range behind the Moulton barn on Mormon Row is a classic shot in this park. The morning sky provided great light on this scene. The daytime temperatures were in the
- [Incredible Iceland](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2681) - For a nature photographer, it is hard to beat the incredible scenery of Iceland with its majestic mountains, wonderful waterfalls, geo-thermal features and glacial ice dotted coastlines. My first visit there in late May gave me a taste of the landscape and left me wanting to return in the near future. The long days of
- [Spring in the Smokies](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2665) - Spring is one of the best times to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The new green leaves on the trees, the flowers blooming everywhere and the full streams from the winter snow and spring rains make for some wonderful photography. I probably spent the majority of my recent visit photographing the streams and waterfalls
- [Charleston, SC](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2649) - I recently returned from a great workshop in and around Charleston, SC, visiting locations like Folly Beach, Botany Bay, Middleton Plantation and the historic streets of old town Charleston. It is a fantastic area to photograph. The image above was taken in the morning before sunrise at Botany Bay where several trees stand offshore and
- [Death Valley](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2623) - My very first visit to Death Valley National Park was a total surprise. Whatever my preconceived ideas of this park were, they were totally wrong. I was shocked by the variety of color in this place. This was not the drab, vast wasteland I thought it was. It is a beautiful and exotic world where
- [St. Augustine weekend](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2601) - Just returned from a great workshop last weekend in St. Augustine, Florida. Three days of wonderful sunrises and sunsets, plus it wasn't too bad being in 70 degree weather! The shot above was taken in early morning, pre-sunrise light. The area was located just south of Marineland outside of St. Augustine. The shoreline along this
- [MacKerricher State Park](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2588) - The last day of my trip to Oregon and California started off at sunrise on the beach at MacKerricher State Park near Ft. Bragg, CA. It was overcast and gloomy at the hotel but by the time we arrived at the park, the skies looked promising but the light show that followed was totally unexpected.
- [Seal Rock Wayside](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2508) - I just returned from an awesome workshop along the southern Oregon and northern California coasts, starting in Eugene, OR and ending in San Francisco, CA. One of the first stops along the Pacific was Seal Rock Wayside where we photographed the beach at sunrise. Things were off to a great start and I'll be posting
- [A walk through the redwoods](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2564) - A walk through a redwood forest is a unique experience. The coastal redwoods that range from southern Oregon to central California are the world's tallest trees, standing up to 320 feet in height. These images are from the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park outside of Crescent City, CA. This park contains some of the most
- [Bandon beach](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2551) - Bandon State Park in Oregon offers incredible landscapes featuring an amazing variety of sea stacks. It's just one of those places that makes you think of alien worlds. The morning that our workshop photographed there was very special. It included one of the most magnificent skies I have ever seen. Bandon beach offers enormous opportunities
- [Tidal pools](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2538) - Looking in areas marked as tidal pools on maps, we were coming up empty for marine life, but traveling along Highway 101 near the coast we spotted huge fins in the ocean which turned out to be a pod of Orca whales migrating south. We pulled over to watch them and noticed a grouping of
- [Thor's Well](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2527) - In the Cape Perpetua area of southern Oregon is a coastal rock formation known as Thor's Well. At high tide it is fascinating to watch as it fills with seawater, spouts and then sucks the water back down with each incoming wave. If has become a hot spot for photographers to catch the spectacle. The
- [My 2012 "Top Ten"](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2465) - Well, not really a top ten list but rather ten images selected from my photography adventures over this past year, in chronological order: Brown Pelican, St. Augustine, Florida Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy Mission San Francisco de Asis, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico Great Falls Park, Virginia Young Elephant Seal, Piedras Blancos,
- [Change in the air](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2338) - I traveled to Blackwater Falls State Park, WV this past weekend to check out the fall tree color. The trees have changed there as evidenced by the golden colored leaves dotting this view of Elekala Falls. There was also change in the air temperature there as the thermometer gauge in my car registered 23 degrees
- [Power in the Potomac](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2426) - A couple days after the devastating storm called Sandy moved up the east coast, I drove over to Great Falls, Virginia to photograph the Potomac River. The water level was high from the torrential rains. The river narrows down to a rocky chute in this spot and the scenery was quite dramatic.
- [Smokies color](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2349) - At the end of October I attended a 3 day workshop in the Smoky mountains, photographing the fall color. This was the first time I had been to the southeastern side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding landscape of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's an area with fewer crowds than the north
- ['Spring' in Mount Rainier](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2322) - After spending a couple of great days in the Palouse farmlands, Mount Rainier National Park was the next stop. Even though it was mid August, the wildflowers had just recently started blooming in this subalpine region, making it feel like springtime. Lupine, Paintbrush, Beargrass and Avalanche Lilies were popping out everywhere. Mount Rainier is a
- [The Palouse farmlands](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2307) - I visited the Palouse area of eastern Washington state recently for the first time. This area is famous for its farmlands, where thousands of acres are covered in wheat fields, beans, peas and lentils. The region is dotted with old farm buildings, trucks and tractors and has been growing in popularity with photographers over the
- [Moss Landing](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2290) - Moss Landing State Beach in California is a wonderful place to see a large variety of marine life. From the Sea Lions piled on top of each other sleeping on a pier, to Harbor Seals relaxing on the beach, not to mention Sea Otters and shore birds by the dozens. Moss Landing S.B. was
- [Unexpected bonus](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2285) - Traveling along the coast of California, searching for marine life, I wasn't expecting to be photographing horses, but a field of these beautiful animals on the property of the Hearst Castle near San Simeon was a bonus that couldn't be passed up.
- [Piedras Blancas rookery](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2279) - A little north of San Simeon, CA, is the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal rookery where thousands of elephant seals come to rest, molt, breed and give birth. The rookery is protected and has an observation area which is open year round for viewing these very interesting marine mammals. This time of year, many are in
- [Shooting the Pacific coast](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2260) - Photographing along the coast of California is a joy. There are so many amazingly beautiful landscapes and each scene can change so dramatically depending on weather and lighting conditions. Above, this view at the edge of Garapata State Park was under thick, heavy overcast conditions contributing to a sense of calm and mystery. While the
- [Lunchtime for a Sea Otter](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2255) - During my recent trip to the California coast, I was able to spend several hours watching sea otters. The one pictured above was at the Moss Landing State Park in the Monterey area. A fair number of otters gather there throughout the day and it is great viewing. Their day seems to be about 25%
- [California Workshop Workout](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2247) - I just returned from an incredible workshop along the central California coast which offered gorgeous landscapes and amazing wildlife. I had never been to this part of the country before and I was unaware that this area offers some of the most beautiful scenery the U.S. has to offer. The coastal cliffs are bursting in
- [Limiting your field of view](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1802) - Zion has many grand landscapes but during my recent workshop there, we concentrated on limiting the field of view to capture compositions of smaller scenes. This small waterfall above was just 30 yards from the main road and contained graceful curves and nice colors. A small section from another stream within the canyons of Zion
- [West Virginia images](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1844) - A few more images from a recent trip to West Virginia.... while I like the green color of a new crop of ferns, this black and white rendering brings out the graphic lines and symmetry of these plants much more effectively. (Thanks Jennifer K. for recommending this different perspective.) Below is the unusual scene at
- [Santa Fe, New Mexico](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2182) - I recently participated in a guided workshop within and around Santa Fe, New Mexico, and as the state motto proclaims, it is the land of enchantment. This area offers unique architecture, colorful details and national monument parks providing a lot of exploration opportunities (and of course, never-ending photography). The image above is of the San
- [EarthShots.org Photo of the Day](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2204) - One of my images from a recent workshop (www.jenniferkingphoto.com) in Italy of the town of Manarola was selected by EarthShots.org as today's 'Photo of the Day'. A very nice honor.
- [More Santa Fe](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2193) - I finished processing the last batch of photos from the Santa Fe workshop (www.jenniferkingphoto.com). The scene above was taken near an area where a number of movies and TV shows have been filmed. The evening clouds added some nice drama to this classic western scene. A street scene in the shopping district of Santa Fe
- [Sunday morning at Great Falls](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2216) - Thought I would take advantage of the early morning to head to Great Falls Park in Virginia before the heat of the day sets in. It was great being the first car through the entrance gate (but not the first photographer in the park!). Hope you enjoy these scenes from this Sunday morning....
- [Italy 2](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2168) - I returned in mid March from my second visit to Italy. On this trip I toured several ares in the central and northwestern areas of the country, including the Tuscany region and Cinque Terre National Park. The shot above is an evening image of the town of Manarola. This multi-colored town sits on the cliffs
- [Capturing water](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2164) - I'm excited to have an article published in the current (Spring 2012) edition of Nature Photographer magazine. It should be in bookstores now (if you can find a bookstore these days...). The article is titled 'Capturing Water' and it is a short primer on photographing streams, lakes, rivers. etc. and how to utilize different camera
- [Breakfast](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2157) - Just a perfect weather day here in northern Virginia. I visited Huntley Meadows this morning to see how the wildlife was enjoying the day and found that most were having breakfast. The female Red-winged Blackbird above was feeding off of the cattails and the Muskrat below was munching on the wetland plant life. But the
- [Winter in Florida](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2151) - Winter cold is gripping the local area right now, so I thought some images from Florida would be a welcome relief from the bitter weather. Specifically the area around St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States. The rock formations above, sitting on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, are known as coquina, created
- [Italia](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2069) - In early December, I visited Italy for the very first time. In a word, incredible. Most of my too short week there was spent in Rome, walking the streets and seeing the sights (such as the Pantheon above). The age of this city is mind-numbing. The Roman ruins, the dozens of ancient and beautiful churches,
- [Huntley Meadows 2011 Photography Contest](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2048) - The Friends of Huntley Meadows Park just held their 2011 Photography Contest and my image of a Barn Swallow above won 1st Place. I was also fortunate to have two other images selected, the female Mallard below was the 3rd Place winner and my photograph of the two Barn Swallows below won Honorable Mention.
- [Color and water in GSMNP](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2038) - The color in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in late October was really spectacular. Red, yellow, orange was everywhere you looked. The tree color was also present on and along the streams and waterfalls of the Tremont and Roaring Fork sections of the park with the rhododendron along the water holding onto its green leaves.
- [Great Smoky Mountains NP](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2031) - The fall color in Great Smoky Mountains National Park was brilliant this year. Everywhere you looked, spectacular views were the norm, including this stream in the Roaring Fork area, reflecting the tree color on the water. Early morning in Cades Cove displayed the fog along the mountains that give the Smokies its name. Mountain vistas
- [WV waterfalls](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2017) - I've been fortunate to visit Blackwater Falls State Park, WV in the winter, spring and fall this year, each visit bringing new opportunities to shoot the different falls in the area. The falls above are identified as Elakala Falls #2. It's a beautiful falls on Shays Run. Getting into the water and up close to
- [Shenandoah bear jam](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2022) - This youngster caused quite a bear jam on Skyline Drive when I was there a couple of weekends ago. Traffic was stopped with dozens of cars in each direction as this bear munched along the roadside for over an hour. Once past this 'roadblock', I headed to Big Meadows which which was blazing in color.
- [Dolly Sods](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=2004) - The Fall season in the Bear Rocks area of the Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia shows some spectacular color as the blueberry and huckleberry bushes turn a crimson red. A nice sunset above lights up the fields in green, red and gold. In the morning, facing the opposite direction, the sunrise provided an awesome,
- [Fall in West Virginia](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1995) - In early October I was in Blackwater Falls State Park, WV, where the fall color was just hitting peak. Starting the weekend before sunrise, there was a field near the park which was covered in early morning fog and as the sun rose, a nice golden color filtered through the fog, covering the field. The
- [Wildlife everywhere... continued...](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1984) - This final set of images taken this year in Great Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks are of the wide variety of wildlife found in these parks, beyond the bison, bears, and moose. There is much more here and plenty to see such as Golden and Bald Eagles (above) and Great Horned Owls (below). The most
- [Wildlife everywhere](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1976) - It would be hard to find another area in the lower 48 states of the U.S. with a higher concentration and variety of wildlife than the Great Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks. It is certainly my favorite area to photograph wildlife. From the iconic Bison above, to Moose and Pronghorn pictured below, this area provides
- [The bears of Yellowstone](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1961) - The Lamar Valley in the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park is known for its wildlife and one of the valley's most frequent visitors is the Grizzly. I was very fortunate one afternoon to see four of these bears in the valley within just a few miles. It really felt like "Grizzly central". One of
- [Elk Youngsters](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1951) - Stopping for a look at some of the geothermal features at West Thumb, I was treated to a small group of female Elk with a number of calves in the group. Headed back to the car to grab the 600mm lens and got some nice shots of the youngsters and the interaction with mom. The
- [Views of Grand Tetons](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1927) - One of the more popular places in Grand Tetons National Park to photograph in the early morning is this view of the Tetons off of Schwabacher Road. This morning was calm with a great reflection of the mountain range on the water. Another iconic view of the Tetons is photographing the barns located on Antelope
- [Great Fountain Geyser](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1935) - After spending the morning in Grand Tetons, I headed up to Yellowstone to watch the sunset at the Great Fountain Geyser located in the Midway Geyser Basin area. The show in the sky was awesome.
- [Old Faithful area](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1941) - The Old Faithful area in Yellowstone National Park displays continual geothermal activity. The photograph above is not of ground fog but rather steam from the superheated water that works its way to the surface in the form of hot springs and steaming fumaroles. Below, more steam with a backdrop of a rainbow which appeared after
- [Oxbow Bend](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1921) - I recently returned from a trip to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks. Incredible scenery and wildlife during the entire trip. On my arrival day, I had enough time to travel into the park to catch a gorgeous sunset at the Oxbow Bend Turnout.
- [ A great area](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1911) - The DC area is a great place to photograph nature. Despite the urban sprawl, there are a number of special places that provide great natural settings along with wildlife. You can catch a sunrise coming up at Great Falls park with the waters of the Potomac River rushing at you and then head over to
- [Mornings at Huntley](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1897) - On just about any summer day, you can see Barn Swallows frantically flying around the wetlands at Huntley Meadows in search of an insect meal. Occasionally they stop to rest and if you are lucky enough to be near a branch where they perch, you can spend some time taking a good look at these
- [Just when you think....](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1887) - After searching for two and a half days for a fawn and just when I thought I would being leaving Shenandoah National Park without seeing one, this little creature above was discovered in a thick blanket of ferns. Finally, I was able to reach my goal of this trip, to photograph a new born white-tailed
- [More from Shenandoah](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1877) - Continued searching for fawns in the fields on the next day of my trip to Shenandoah National Park, but none were to be found. No matter, there are plenty of other subjects to photograph here. Spent the evening up on Stony Man mountain to capture the sunset. Well after the sun had set, fog began
- [Shenandoah Weekend](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1869) - In early June, I spent a weekend in Shenandoah National Park with the primary goal of photographing the new born fawns around the Big Meadows area. There were a number of does in the meadows but finding a fawn proved elusive. However, the park offers plenty of other subjects to photograph, with a number of
- [Vote for my photo](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1861) - The World Wildlife Fund's Life Grows On photo contest is now open for voting. My image of Two Medicine Lake was selected as a finalist. Please help me win a trip to photograph polar bears by voting for this photograph each day through July 15th. THANK YOU!!
- [Huntley Meadows happenings](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1853) - I've been spending a lot of time at Huntley Meadows over the past couple of weeks. Each time I have been there, it has been hard to keep up with all of the bird activity. The birds didn't seem to mind all of the people activity and this led to getting some nice closeup photographs.
- [Blackwater Falls and Dolly Sods](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1837) - I visited Backwater Falls State Park near Davis, WV a couple of weeks ago. The streams were full and the waterfalls were magnificent. This is Elakala Falls #2 located near the Blackwater Falls lodge, one of a series of falls along Shays Run. Capturing this image required standing in Shays Run with a wide angle
- [Valley of Fire colors](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1830) - Valley of Fire, a Nevada state park east of Las Vegas, rivals national parks with its incredible scenery of rock formations and variety of colors. It offers a huge number of opportunities for the photographer, with its wonderful landscapes and its close-up scenery of graphical lines and shapes within the rocks. The multitude of colors
- [Images of Zion](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1821) - A few more shots from Zion National Park in Utah, showing some of the classic scenes of the park, it's canyon walls, waterfalls, cottonwood trees and plant life.
- [Washington's Pacific coast](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1771) - Olympic National Park is known for its coastal beaches featuring impressive sea stacks and shores lined with hundreds of huge logs washed up over many years. During low tides, tidal pools reveal urchins, starfish and other sea creatures. The photograph above is from Second Beach as the sun was descending over the Pacific ocean.
- [Zion](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1795) - Looking through my images form a recent trip to Zion National Park in Utah, I came across these three which are representative of the park. The horizontal and vertical line formations of the sandstone above are found throughout the east side of the park. The largest formation has the name Checkerboard Mesa. Along the River
- [One more outing in ONP](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1788) - I had just a few hours left to shoot in Olympic National Park. The weather was overcast with some occasional rain. I thought these would be good conditions for some stream photography so I headed back to the Sol Duc region to work the nice stream there. As I walked into the park, the few
- [Wildlife in Olympic](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1764) - Our next workshop location was in the Hoh rain forest but instead of shooting forest landscapes due to the sunny conditions, we were treated to some of Olympic's frequent wildlife. The Barred Owl above was exhibiting some unusual behavior. Our instructor, Art Wolfe, first spotted this owl standing on the ground in the full sun.
- [Sol Duc River](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1758) - Our first workshop shoot was in the Sol Duc River area of Olympic National Park. There are great streams and the Sol Duc falls here but the weather was sunny today, making some hard contrasty light conditions. I searched out some small scenes using a macro lens. The shot above is a group of tiny
- [The Hoh rain forest](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1743) - The enchanted forest....how else can you describe this place? It is truly spectacular. Old growth spruce and maple trees covered in mosses and ferns looking like the trees are wearing coats. Everywhere you look is a different spectacle. Below is a close-up look at the plant life covering these trees. On the way out of
- [Tongue Point](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1733) - Drove up to Tongue Point in the Salt Creek Recreation Area. It is a point of land that sticks out into the Straight of Juan De Fuca which is the body of water that separates the U.S. from Canada at this location. The point is known for its tidal pools and during low tide,
- [ONP - Marymere Falls](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1720) - This is Marymere Falls located near Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park in the state of Washington. It's a 90 foot cascade which flows into Barnes Creek. The hike to the falls goes through an old growth forest full of giant trees, mosses and ferns. I'm on the Olympic Peninsula headed to a photography
- [Quantico Creek](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1704) - I've hiked to Quantico Creek in Prince William Forest a number of times but have never gone very far past the first set of falls. I decided to follow the trail a little further this weekend and discovered that there are some great places to photograph on this trail. The rocks here are the same
- [A nice hike in Prince William Forest](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1691) - I had a nice hike this weekend in Prince William Forest along the Quantico Creek trail. While stopping to take a photograph of some of the early flowers that are coming out, a bug (I thought) jumped through my line of vision. When I made a closer inspection of the ground I discovered the
- [Gastropod housing market](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1685) - While walking along the narrow beach at the Occoquan National Wildlife Refuge a couple of weeks ago, I noticed large clumps of snail shells that have washed up on the beach. All empty as their occupants have headed to the big river in the sky, and now available for rent or as subject material for
- [APC](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1679) - Artistic Photo Canvas, a company that specializes in printing photographs on canvas, asked permission to print one of my images for display in their exhibition booth at the recent Photoshop World in Orlando, FL. While I didn't attend Photoshop World and can't verify whether my image made it to the display, it was still a
- [Color returning to Huntley Meadows](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1665) - After seeing all of the grey and brown throughout winter, it is so nice to see some other colors spreading through Huntley Meadows Park. This shot was taken as the sun was rising in the background. Speaking of colors, there is no duck more colorful than the male Wood Duck. This guy was perched on
- [Osprey Call](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1655) - A Spring snow shower ended early this morning and the clouds gave way to bluer skies as I hiked around Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. There is good Osprey activity going on now with a lot of nest building. The Osprey above was perched in a tree near a new nest and I was able
- [Sunrise at Great Falls](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1645) - Beautiful day here in Northern Virginia. The forecast for partly cloudy skies gave me the urge to get up early and head to Great Falls park to try some sunrise photos. The clouds were quickly moving off when I arrived but for a few brief moments, this group of clouds caught some nice sunlight.
- [Further evidence](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1627) - Further evidence of the approaching Spring from my visit last Saturday to Huntley Meadows park came in the form of increased bird activity. Great Blue Herons were back in numbers. I enjoy photographing GBH's because they offer so many different poses with their ability to extend, contract and contort their long necks. There was also
- [Wetlands activity](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1618) - New growth is starting to appear in the wetlands of Huntley Meadows park. I was there this past Saturday to check out the bird activity but soon discovered a lot more was going on. Wildlife was easily spotted throughout the park, such as White-tailed deer (below) and one of the subgroups of the Eastern Grey
- [Good signs](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1602) - There are plenty of signs of Spring in the area. Trees are budding and the birds of the season are starting to appear in greater numbers, although the scene above doesn't really provide any evidence of these signs. It is an abstract of a group of trees I found in the morning with the
- [Residents](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1595) - On a recent visit to Huntley Meadows Park, I found the regular cast of characters, including Green-winged Teals, Red-winged Blackbirds and Ring-billed Gulls (an immature below) who reside in the park throughout the year. There were other regulars like the Northern Pintail, Hooded Merganser, American Black Duck and plenty of Mallards and Canada Goose.
- [Daybreak at the falls](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1573) - One last shot from this past weekend at Blackwater Falls... arrived before sunrise on Sunday, watching groups of clouds stream by overhead, hoping that when the sun came over the horizon, there would be some clouds behind the falls. This image shows the full falls at 57' tall and the huge frozen structures built up by the water
- [The snow ends](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1549) - This interesting ice structure stood between 5"-6" tall, constructed by dripping water from the overhead rocks, forming an ice stalagmite with a very graceful base. I liked the contrast between the smooth ice formation and the sharp-edged, colorful rocks surrounding it. The snow finally subsided in the late afternoon as we continued to photograph near
- [Winter at Blackwater Falls](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1526) - This is a view of the top of Blackwater Falls, the tallest and the most photographed waterfalls in West Virginia. During the winter this area sees a lot of snow and the cold temperatures freeze over much of the falls. This past Saturday, an unexpected snow fall added a few more inches to the season
- [Weekend in West Virginia](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1501) - I spent the weekend at a Joseph Rossbach workshop held in Blackwater Falls State Park near Davis, WV with a great group of folks (hi to Kate, Mark, Michelle, Rob, and Sue!). The photo above is an ice cave that Joe had found, formed by a wall of ice from melting snow running off a
- [Cold and warm](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1492) - It's been a tough winter just about everywhere in this country. I'm sure winter has some more in store for us but today in northern Virginia the temperature is above freezing and it feels pretty good to be outside. I took a walk through a local park and found that ice still has a grip
- [The Nature Conservancy Annual Digital Photo Contest](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1485) - I am honored to have my photograph of the Lea Valley area in Great Smoky Mountains National Park selected as one of 13 finalists in The Nature Conservancy's 5th Annual Digital Photo Contest. Being selected out of over 26,000 entries is pretty amazing. I hope you take the opportunity to view the other finalists, they
- [Cold flow](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1477) - Before leaving Swallow Falls State Park, I took a hike along Muddy Creek hoping to take some photographs that would represent the coldness of the morning and found the ice formations that build up near the flowing water to be a good illustration. Below is a closeup of the ice along the edges of the running water
- [Winter begins](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1434) - Winter began this week and we have seen some light snow here in northern Virginia and are expecting a little more in the next day or two. I have been taking it easy lately, battling the 'cold that will not die' but I ventured out briefly today to take some images of the leaves of
- [Winter at Swallow Falls](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1471) - Swallow Falls State Park in MD has an old growth forest that includes tall hemlocks. I tried snowshoeing for the first time, which allows you to get through the deep snow fairly easily and as our guide said, 'bushwhack a trail'. The forest was very quiet with just the sound of rushing water as we
- [Muddy Creek Falls](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1466) - I was invited to spend the last two days with my sister's family in the northwestern part of Maryland at Herrington Manor State Park. Just 4 miles from Herrington Manor is Swallow Falls State Park, where I took this photograph of Muddy Creek Falls, one of the largest in the state of Maryland at 53
- [Instructional eBooks](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1454) - It seems just about everyone has an interest in photography these days, and an interest in learning how to take better photographs. A number of very talented nature photographers have created instructional eBooks that can be downloaded on your computer at very reasonable cost. Below are links to some eBooks that I have found to
- [Closing 2010](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1446) - 2010 has been a great year, providing me many opportunities to continue learning about nature photography. I've been fortunate this year to photograph in fantastic places like Arches, Canyonlands, Shenandoah, Great Smoky Mountains and Zion National Parks, along with many other state and local parks. I wanted to put in one more day of photography
- [Duck season](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1406) - Entering the wetlands this morning at Huntley Meadows park, all seemed quiet. I was surprised to see quite a variety of ducks here, all too busy feeding to make much noise. There were large numbers of Canada Geese but also quite a few Mallard pairs (female above, male below). There were also Blue-winged and Green-winged
- [The day in Delaware](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1414) - My alarm clock rang early this morning because I wanted to visit a couple of wildlife refugees in Delaware. My first stop was at Prime Hook NWR to see the hundreds of Snow Geese that have arrived from the Canadian Arctic to winter here in the Mid-Atlantic. They took flight from the water soon after
- [Valley of Fire](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1379) - Our tour with Joseph Rossbach concluded this morning at Valley of Fire. We climbed up the rocky hillside to get a close-up view of one of the park's famous formations, Elephant Rock (it really does look like an elephant!). Then Joe led us to a lesser known area to view the fantastic patterns and colors
- [Court of the Patriarchs](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1278) - This morning we arrived at the Court of the Patriarchs to shoot the sunrise, along with photographer Ian Plant. The clouds lit up as if they were on fire for a few short moments. I was late to the spot and missed most of the show in the sky. Unfortunately, Ian had a slight misadventure
- [Heading to Nevada](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1357) - We decided to return to the Rimrocks and Toadstools area for this morning's sunrise shoot. I got low to the ground to frame one of the 'toadstools' using a hole in this weathered rock. The scene certainly took on the appearance of an alien world. We then headed to our last photography destination of the
- [Another full day...](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1323) - Another full day on the tour today starting with sunrise at the iconic overlook at Horseshoe Bend where the Colorado River (1,000 feet below the overlook) makes an almost 360 degree turn. The morning sun is just hitting the cliffs in the distance. Then it was off to walk through Upper Antelope Canyon for some
- [Page, AZ](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1316) - The area around Page, AZ has a number of the most unique landscapes in the country, some of which are underground. This is Lower Antelope Canyon. Access to the canyon requires squeezing through a very narrow slit in the earth at ground level and descending down steep metal ladders that are bolted to the canyon
- [Out of this world...](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1340) - As you turn off Highway 89 in southern Utah heading towards Arizona, if you look carefully, past the Coyote Buttes area, you will see a block of solitary white sandstone jutting up from the horizon. This was our destination for today, a place called White Pocket. It is a remote location requiring the right vehicle and a knowledgable
- [The Narrows and the Towers](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1291) - Today the schedule was to hike The Narrows starting before noon, but first, we arrived in the dark of early morning at the Towers of the Virgin to shoot the sunrise. The sky was cloudless this morning so we waited for the Towers to catch the saturated color of early sun light. After this session,we
- [Eastern side of Zion](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1305) - This morning we traveled over to the eastern end of Zion National Park in the area of Checkerboard Mesa, stopping to make a couple of images of this often photographed solitary tree that clings to the side of the sandstone. While driving in the area, Joe noticed something moving quickly in the distance. As we drove
- [The River Walk](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1268) - Today began a nine day tour with Joseph Rossbach to photograph locations in the Southwest United States. The tour started in Zion National Park in Utah and during this first evening we took a short hike on the River Walk to photograph the great color of the Cottonwood trees along the Virgin River. The color
- [Morning at Great Falls](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1260) - Last night, there was a very colorful sunset and I hoped for similar conditions at sunrise this morning at Great Falls park. I wasn't disappointed as the sky lit up just before sunrise while adding a little color to the Potomac River. After the sunrise show was over, I moved closer to river, coming across
- [Fall at Mason Neck](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1254) - I took a hike around Mason Neck State Park at the end of the day. Walking on the Kanes Creek trail I came across this great leaf and with the acorns nearby, the scene was a good representation of the season. There was still a lot of green in the woods but also some very
- [Just a glimpse](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1245) - Last week in West Virginia, the fall color was spreading fast but here in Virginia, it appears to be a much more slow roll out of color by Mother Nature. Today, a trip to Shenandoah National Park discovered pockets of fall color but the predominate color here remains green. Still, there are some pretty scenes
- [Fall color in gear](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1237) - The trees in this view from Blackwater Falls State Park near Davis, WV, show that the fall colors are in gear with many trees already at peak. In the northern Virginia area, the trees are still petty green and it looks like mid to late October before we see the big color change here. While
- [Checking the trees](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1232) - On Saturday evening I drove up to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park to see if the trees had started their change to fall color. It was still very green in the mountains but you can see the change has begun and likely will be in full swing by next weekend. Heading out of the
- [Morning at Huntley Meadows](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1224) - Just a very nice morning today in this area, nice temps and a clear blue sky. I drove to Huntley Meadows to check out the wildlife. There were already a number of photographers there shooting photos of a large group of Great Egrets in the park. I came across the Sandpiper above and grabbed a
- [GSMNP Day 3](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1195) - The group hit the road early for the hour and a half drive to Newfound Gap and the Oconaluftee overlook to arrive before sunrise. Below are two images from an overlook as early morning light first hits the mountainside. In the late afternoon we headed back into Cades Cove to photograph more of the cabins
- [GSMNP Day 4](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1205) - The workshop ended today with a morning shoot at an overlook off of the Foothills Parkway. The morning sunrise turned out to be spectacular as groups of clouds on the horizon interacted with the sun rays. After sunrise, we finished up the workshop at a nearby stream to work on water images. It was a
- [GSMNP Day 2](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1184) - Day two of the workshop put us out into the field on a bright sunny morning in Lea Valley and a chance to work on landscape images. There are a couple of things you count on in the Smoky Mountains, seeing White-tailed Deer and morning fog, which gives the Smokies its name. We also had
- [Great Smoky Mountains NP](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1175) - Today was my first day of shooting with the Tony Sweet workshop in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There were ten of us in the workshop along with instructors Tony and Susan Milestone. It was a great start to the next four days of photography in this outstanding location. The early morning rays of
- [Lazy days](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1159) - The lazy days of summer are here and the morning at Huntley Meadows seemed almost desolate. There were very few signs of activity in the park but there was a nice reflection of color in the water from the late summer trees. The most visible wildlife at the park were the numerous painted turtles catching
- [Early start](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1153) - The weather forecast calls for a great weekend, so I got an early start this morning in order to arrive at Great Falls park before sunrise. This allowed even lighting before the sun rose above the tree line. Once the sunlight hits the water, it becomes very contrasty and harder to achieve the 'cotton candy'
- [Shenandoah evening](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1144) - This evening I drove up to Shenandoah National Park to shoot some evening light photos. Along Skyline Drive there are thousands of wild sunflowers and other plants in bloom now. Even though the normal summer haze was covering the mountains and valley, the light from the lowering sun brought out the definition of the trees
- [Nice morning, few birds](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1138) - This morning's weather was very nice at Huntley Meadows park, but it seemed a lot of the bird population was on summer vacation. However, the park wasn't completely empty. There were a number of Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets doing some feather preening and the Gray Catbird above dropped by just close enough for
- [A visit to Meadowlark](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1130) - Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA features ornamental and native plant gardens. Even though the spring flowers are long gone, there is still lots of color to be seen here. There are also large gardens that attract many different types of butterflies, such as the Tiger Swallowtail below. The park also features plants found in
- [Great Falls observations](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1123) - Today was a good opportunity to concentrate on small sections of Great Falls Park, on the Virginia side, and single out the pieces that best describe this park... the trees, the rocks and the ever changing flow of water. The layering of trees in the scene above caught my eye as the morning sun was
- [For the birds](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1116) - The brutal heat we've had in this area relented a little and I spent some time concentrating on getting bird images today. I watched this young male Wood Duck swim over and hop up on the log to take a close look at the Painted Turtle that was resting in the sun. The Great Egret
- [Staying home](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1109) - I stayed at home today to watch the hummingbirds that were making steady appearances at my two feeders. The light was just right to show off this male Ruby-throated's neck feathers which can appear bright orange to dark red depending on the angle of light. While hanging around in the backyard (in the 100 degree
- [Subject of interest](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1097) - Usually, I'm the one seeking out the birds, butterflies, dragonflies, etc. at Huntley Meadows park. Today, I was the subject of interest for this Red Admiral butterfly who spent some time checking out my 200-400mm f/4 lens, my tripod, my hat, me... It was a good day for more close-up photographs of the smaller creatures
- [Herrington Manor and Swallow Falls](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1086) - I was invited by my sister's family to take a ride up to northwestern Maryland to visit Herrington Manor and Swallow Falls state parks today. Herrington Manor is a nice park with a good size lake and cabins for rent. There is wildlife there and we spotted several young deer and a number of turkeys
- [The unexpected](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1057) - My goal today was to photograph the new fawns which have been born over the last few weeks at Shenandoah National Park. However, I didn't see any. Instead I saw a few things that were unexpected, like the guy above strapped to a large fan, gliding over the park. But most unexpected was my first
- [Steam rising](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1073) - You will almost always find steam rising from the waters of Great Falls park in the early morning. The mornings around sunrise are a great time to visit the park since there are few other visitors and you feel like you have the whole park to yourself. The early morning also allows the best water
- [Hot one](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1079) - The heat was turned on today here in northern Virginia. The water level at Huntley Meadows park was very low forcing some Green-backed Herons, like the one above, to search for food in limited areas. Luckily one of those areas was near the boardwalk allowing some close-up photography. There were a number of Killdeer searching
- [The chorus](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1063) - I visited Huntley Meadows today with my brother-in-law, Paul, and my nephew, Matt. We had a good time getting some photographs of a variety of wildlife including these barn swallows. This group above was a chorus providing their rendition of World Cup vuvuzela. Butterflies, dragonflies, frogs and turtles were also in abundance. The first creature
- [Winged things](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1048) - This Barn Swallow was conducting a little self-cleaning and wing stretching this morning before taking off to do some insect hunting. I was at Huntley Meadows once again and the park was buzzing with Dragonflies of various varieties. Below are photos of three different types often found here. On the way out of the park,
- [After the storm](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1041) - A hot day led to a powerful thunderstorm rolling through the area this evening and as the clouds started to break up, I thought there might be a nice sunset to photograph. I headed to Huntley Meadows and indeed the sky was spectacular (and the temperature was also pleasantly cooler). The scene above shows off
- [Visiting Huntley Meadows](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1027) - Dew clings to the edges of this blade from a Cattail plant growing in the wetlands of Huntley Meadows Park. The weather today was headed for hot and muggy so I arrived early at the park to beat the heat. Most of the marsh plants were covered in dew drops, including the Swamp Rose below.
- [Crowded morning](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=997) - This morning, the workshop group traveled to Mesa Arch for a sunrise shoot. Since I had been here two days ago, I concentrated on photographing the scenery around the arch like the rock formation above known as the Washer Woman. I think using black and white better defines the various layers in this image. Just
- [Marathon session](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1008) - With the workshop finished the day before, I had the whole day on my own. It was a marathon session starting back at the North Window at Arches National Park to see if a 'sunrise through the arch' would be a possibility. The sun made a gallant effort to peak through the clouds on the
- [Arches National Park](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=990) - The group set out this morning for Arches National Park to photograph sunrise through the arch known as the North Window. However, the early morning cloud cover prevented any chance of seeing the sun come up over the horizon. The cloud cover did start to break up soon after daylight and we were treated to
- [Dead Horse Point](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1002) - The sunrise location on this day was Dead Horse Point State Park, near Canyonlands N.P. The clouds, once again, had a part to play in hiding the sun from view this morning, but the clouds also offered a great backdrop to this Juniper tree with its graceful, sweeping curve. Dead Horse Point has fantastic, panoramic
- [Mesa Arch](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=982) - Since my workshop didn't start until this afternoon, I rose early (3 AM) to drive to Canyonlands National Park, the location for one of the iconic landscape photographs, the sunrise at Mesa Arch. It's known for the incredible glow on the underside of the arch from the reflected light of the sunrise off the surrounding
- [Moab, UT](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=972) - My drive into Moab, UT, for a photography workshop, passed by several of the well-known landmarks in the area, such as the rock formation above called Fisher Towers. In the background is part of the La Sal Mountains which dominate the landscape here. The workshop is concentrating on the landscape of this area as well
- [G. Richard Thompson WMA](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=959) - The G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area sits on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Northern Virginia. While this park is very popular for its hunting, each year between the end of April and the beginning of May, the park explodes with the blooming of Large-flowered Trillium. It is estimated that there
- [Bird watching](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=914) - A great weather morning with bright blue skies made it a good day to go bird watching at Huntley Meadows park. The bird above is an immature Eastern Phoebe. You can tell it's young because of the pale yellow underneath and buff color on its wings. Below, a pair of Tree Swallows were playing around
- [Getting green](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=953) - It's really getting green here in Northern Virginia. I took a hike in Prince William Forest Park today and the green of spring was just about everywhere you looked, along with the occasional flowering tree. Moss is clinging to rocks and tree trunks and small flowers and ferns are just starting to pop up, they
- [Blackwater Falls](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=935) - Blackwater Falls State Park near Davis, WV, contains a number of waterfalls within its 2,456 acres. Above, the park's namesake is the tallest (above ground) falls in the state at 57 feet. The dark water gets its amber color from tannic acid in fallen needles from trees. The park's streams (below) feed the falls which
- [Butterflies arrive](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=924) - Butterflies have started to appear in this area over the last couple of days. I was in Leesylvania State Park this morning and found several different types working the ground vegetation. The Zebra Swallowtail above was the most common species I saw, followed by the Skippers (below). Slightly fewer in numbers, the Whites (I believe
- [Powerful force](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=904) - A heavy rain two days ago raised the water level of the Potomac River through Great Falls. The river flows through a narrow opening here, causing a powerful force and some interesting images. The river crashes over the bedrock so furiously, it almost explodes looking like fireworks made of water. Up higher along the bank,
- [More from Shenandoah](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=898) - I just thought I'd post a couple more photos from my time in Shenandoah National Park this past weekend. There were so many nice photographic opportunities along the water upstream from Rose River Falls. Among the early bloomers this spring was the flower below, bursting out from the collection of last Fall's leaves. This flower,
- [The 'new' Fall](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=890) - The trees are now generating new growth in a variety of colors. It's almost like having a second Fall season, but these new buds will soon become the nice green leaves that will stick around until the 'real' Fall arrives. This photograph and the ones below were taken this morning at Huntley Meadows Park in
- [A morning in Shenandoah NP](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=878) - I arrived at Shenandoah National Park at dawn this morning and set up my tripod and camera with a 70-200mm lens to capture the sky and mountains before the sun appeared. There were lots of White-tailed Deer along Skyline Drive. Most of the deer don't mind cars pulling up alongside of them, they just continue
- [Whiteoak Canyon Falls](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=822) - During the winter, when trees are bare and grass is brown, it's a good time to concentrate on photographing birds and streams and waterfalls. This morning I drove to Shenandoah National Park to hike to Rose River Falls, but when I arrived at the park's entrance station I was disappointed to find the park road
- [Early start](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=865) - If you're not a morning person, and I'm not, nature photography can be 'challenging' at times. In order to get those sunrise and early light photographs, well, you have to get up before the sun does. When the place you are headed to is 125 miles away, you've got to get up really early to
- [Occoquan NWR](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=849) - Occoquan National Wildlife Refuge is a relatively new addition to the federal refuge system. Located in Woodbridge, VA, it was previously an Army research center from 1950 - 1998. Its life as a protected refuge has just been getting underway in recent years. This year, a bird banding station has been created. Above, a volunteer
- [Spring!](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=842) - Today's weather was glorious and a perfect start to the spring season. I spent the morning at Huntley Meadows park and the scenery and wildlife matched the weather. For example, numerous Wood duck couples were in the park shopping around for the best duck house availability. The male Wood Duck (above) is certainly the most
- [Spring preview](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=835) - Lots of rain and dark skies this weekend, along with the overall tough winter, has made me anxious for the arrival of spring. So, I present this preview of the spring season, courtesy of the floral department at my local grocery store...
- [Solitude](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=816) - This Red-shouldered Hawk has the nearby woods all to its self, soaking up some sun and surveying the wetlands below at Huntley Meadows park. Even though this hawk was enjoying some solitude, the park was full of a variety of ducks, including Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Hooded Merganser,Gadwall and Northern Pintail. Huntley Meadows is
- [Quantico Falls](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=804) - Prince William Forest, operated by the National Park Service, has a nice scenic roadway which loops through the park. The road has a dedicated lane for bicycles and people who just want to get outside and walk. The roadway was clear of snow but the trails were another story. I hiked to the Quantico Falls
- [Boiling cold](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=798) - The great thing about Great Falls is that it never looks exactly the same from visit to visit. I took the photo above this morning as the sun rose trying to capture the churning of the Potomac river as it races through the falls, almost looking like it's ready to boil. There is still quite
- [Bluebirds!](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=786) - I checked the backyard today and was surprised to see a number of Bluebirds at my feeders. Surprised because I hadn't seen a Bluebird in my backyard since 1991. I don't know if this is because of the snow on the ground reducing food supplies or if this is maybe a sign that Spring is
- [Late bloomer](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=780) - Being snow-bound, I took the opportunity to do some indoor photography. I have a Christmas cactus that is just now blooming and it gave me a good subject to work with. Using available window light along with a silver reflector, I photographed this bloom with a 105mm f/2.8 lens. I placed a dark grey floor
- [Snowmageddon](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=774) - To think that, back in early December, I wondered if this area would get any snow this season.... The second large snow storm arrived today dumping 20+" and was quickly dubbed "snowmageddon" and "snowpocalypse". Like most folks here, I stayed indoors during most of the storm but did venture out to photograph some of the
- [Wonderland](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=766) - Another 4-5" of snow fell here last night and created some wonderful scenery as snow covered every tree branch. It made the drive into work a pleasant one and I snapped a few photos along the way.
- [Looking down](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=752) - Lately I seem to be fascinated with taking photographs of objects found on the ground. With a fresh layer of snow here, my attention is drawn even more to these artifacts that have been left behind by the fall season. The white background really helps focus my attention on these objects. Maybe I spend a
- [More snow](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=745) - Snow has been a rare occurrence in this area over the past couple of years, but not this year. Another snow storm has arrived and it presented a nice chance to take some photographs at a local park near my house. The park has a couple of trails through the woods where I took these
- [Hunting for images](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=729) - I visited Mason Neck State Park today not knowing that it's duck hunting season. With the sound of guns blasting in the background the only 'wildlife' I saw in the park were the plastic decoys floating near the duck blinds. So I hiked through the park to do some hunting of my own (for images).
- [A little warmer](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=700) - We've had a couple of weeks of below freezing weather here but today warmed up to the 50's. It was a good chance to spend a few hours back in Great Falls Park, VA. I was hoping for some nice sunrise sky color but the cloud cover prevented that so I worked on capturing shots
- [Waiting around](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=714) - I spent this morning at Huntley Meadows Park. There was a layer of ice on the wetlands near the boardwalk, but in the distance there was open water and that is where just about all of the birds were hanging out. I could see Mallards, Pintails, Mergansers, Shovelers and maybe a Teal or two through
- [Anniversary](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=693) - Today marks one year since I started this web site. I originally created this site as a personal motivator to get out and take a lot of photographs and it certainly has been that. While I want to continue with the quantity, I also want to concentrate on improving the quality of photographs so I
- [2009 Favorites](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=654) - I've taken a lot of photographs over this past year and have spent a lot of time with photography, including attending seminars, workshops, lectures and field trips. It's been a ton of fun and there is still much for me to learn about nature photography. I've been fortunate to have received some incredible instruction this
- [After the storm](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=647) - Today the snow had stopped and the sun was shining, but the storm that passed through yesterday left some new scenery, like the snowy drifts above reflecting the light from a setting sun. Before the sun had set, the backyard was once again a center of local bird activity in search of food. Another day
- [Record setting](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=637) - A history-making snow storm hit the Mid-Atlantic states today dumping between 15"-20" of snow in my area of Virginia. The snowfall made my backyard feeders very popular with the local bird community. I spent several hours watching and photographing these hungry visitors. There was a good variety of birds, from Blue Jays (above) to Cardinals,
- [Cone close-up](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=626) - A wet and rainy day provided me the chance to catch up on post-processing some photographs and updating some photography web sites I belong to. It also gave me the chance to play around with a White Pine cone I brought inside from the backyard. I spent quite a bit of time and utilized a
- [Good birding](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=615) - Today was sunny with cloudless skies and a trip to Huntley Meadows park offered some good birding. Among the large number of Canada Geese were several pairs of Hooded Mergansers (one of the males is shown above). Also seen were Mallards, Blue-winged Teals and several female Northern Shovelers (photo below). There were plenty of other
- [First snow](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=611) - The first snow of this winter season arrived here today so I made sure the bird feeders had something available. When the snow covers the ground, the birds seem to hit the feeders first. Sure enough, the suet feeder brought some woodpeckers into the yard including the Downy above and the Red-bellied below who is
- [Composition](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=604) - After several of days of wet, foggy, overcast weather, the sun finally popped out today and so did the wind, gusting up to 40 mph. With this much wind I wanted to experiment using long exposures on large bodies of water. I headed to Mason Neck state park along Belmont Bay to see if I
- [Conowingo eagles](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=593) - This morning I drove up to the Conowingo Dam site located on the Susquehanna River in northeastern Maryland. It was my first visit to this site which is known for its large population of Bald Eagles. The dam is part of an electricity generation plant and when the turbines are in operation, fish are sucked
- [Rail Rally](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=587) - A number of Rails continue to prowl the wetlands at Huntley Meadows park. I saw several two weeks ago here and the one above was in the same area today. It looks like a King Rail but I thought the one I photographed during my last visit was a Virginia Rail. Take a look at
- [Fall color continues](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=583) - I can't remember the last time when the fall leaves have been as colorful or as long lasting as this year, at least here in northern Virginia. Even though most trees have dropped their leaves, there still remains a few trees that are holding on to their color and the leaves on the ground are
- [A good start](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=489) - The workshop got off to a great start as we headed to Moss Glenn Falls. The falls are a popular tourist site, located just a few feet off a main road. We may head back here if there is a hard rain to see the change in the falls. The rest of the day we
- [Sunny Sunday](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=569) - A bright, cloudless morning today provided a good opportunity to photograph birds, so I drove over to Huntley Meadows park. I found the usual inhabitants, like the male Red-winged blackbird above and the male Cardinal below. Also seen today was a less frequent visitor, in the image below. It appears to be an immature Virginia Rail
- [Droplets](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=563) - I wanted to photograph as much of the fall color as possible this year. It's been such a great color year in the east, but today's misty, overcast and breezy day made me take a closer look at the ground and the leaves that have already fallen. I noticed many were covered with water droplets
- [Sunny morning](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=469) - This young Wood Duck is settling in for a rest in the morning sun after a thorough feather cleaning. The side lightning shows off the texture of its feathers along with the iridescent blue coloring and their red eyes. The small Bull Frog below is also catching some sunshine. Bull Frogs can grow up to
- [Prince William Forest](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=549) - A nice weather day prompted a drive to Prince William Forest, which is adjacent to the Marine Corp. base in Quantico, VA. The fall color is just hitting near peak there. The scene above is on a trail called Quantico Cascades. The sun had not yet reached down to the stream so I had good
- [Passing storm](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=541) - Storm clouds threatened all day and finally the rains came in the afternoon. Just before sunset the rain stopped and the clouds started to break up. I drove down to the local marina to check out the scene and took a few photos before darkness set in. The trees in this area are having a
- [Fall in New England](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=482) - I'm in Vermont for the next couple of days attending a photography workshop. Before the workshop started, I went out this morning to get a glimpse of the scenery. The trees are changing into their autumn colors with some areas around here almost at peak color. The streams are full after several days of rain, that will make the
- [Fall leaves](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=530) - A rainy and breezy weekend made staying indoors sound like a good idea. I decided to stick close to home and experiment with some images of leaves that had been knocked down over the last couple of days. I searched the front yard for different compositions and found a couple of nice, colorful choices, using
- [Wet feet](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=514) - This morning wrapped up the photography workshop in Vermont. Once again, fog has hugging the landscape as we headed to Brandon Gap on Rt. 73. However, we decided to pull off the road to catch the dramatic clouds that were happening around us. When the fog lifted a little, the hillside scene above appeared. The
- [Day 3 like day 2](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=508) - Day 3 of the workshop started much like day 2....with a lot of fog and wet weather. We drove to Lefferts Pond adjacent to Chittenden Reservoir in the Green Mountains and found the scene above just before sunrise. After sunrise, the fog lifted and the morning turned sunny, revealing the surrounding landscape. Before leaving this
- [Fog and water](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=500) - Day 2 of the workshop started early and in a light rain. Driving up a hillside our workshop lead, Joe Rossbach, spotted a nice composition of trees in the morning fog. Later in the afternoon, we searched for covered bridges and found one near a grist mill which was fed by by a large stream
- [Morning in SNP](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=474) - The alarm went off at 5AM this morning so that I could make the drive to Shenandoah National Park to catch the sunrise. The first east-facing overlook was 10-12 miles from the entrance and I made it there with about 2 minutes to spare before the sun appeared above the horizon. It was a great
- [The king makes an appearance](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=464) - This morning was heavily overcast and almost chilly at Huntley Meadows park. When I was here six days ago, the park was sunny and bustling with life. Today, there seemed to be more humans than wildlife until someone at the park spotted a King Rail foraging for food. The rail didn't seem to mind the
- [Cardinal Sunday](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=458) - Cardinals are one of my favorite birds. You most often see the image of the male cardinal which has the familiar bright red coloring. The female cardinal above, and the immature cardinal below, don't have the flashy color but are still handsome birds. The immature has yet to develop the red-orange beak of the adult.
- [D.C. evening](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=449) - This evening was one of those rare summer occasions when the humidity is low and the temperature mild. A perfect evening for walking along the National Mall, and many people were taking advantage to visit the monuments. I knew there would a good opportunity to catch a full moon rising in the east and behind
- [Beauty(?) and the beast](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=440) - Dragonfiles of varying size (the one pictured above is a Blue Dasher) were swarming all over Huntley Meadows park this morning. There are over 5,000 types of dragonflies around the world, I saw about 20 or so different types today. They have large compound eyes and four wings that move independently, allowing them to hover
- [Turtle talk](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=429) - Last week a lizard, this week an Eastern Box Turtle appeared at my house. This fellow was cutting through my yard when it encountered the fence line. After a couple of attempts to fit through the space between the fence boards, it decided a better course of action was to bury itself under a pile
- [Great Falls sunrise](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=349) - I wanted to catch the sunrise this morning at Great Falls Park on the Virginia side. I arrived at the park at 5:25AM only to find the gates to the park locked. I wasn't aware that the park didn't open until 6:00AM (but a lesson learned). Once I was able to get into the park,
- [My neighbor, the skink](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=418) - The American Five-lined Skink (AKA blue-tailed skink) is one of the most common lizards in the eastern U.S., but sightings in my neighborhood are pretty rare, so I was surprised to open my front door today and see this guy (gal?) standing outside my door. I went back in and grabbed my camera and when
- [New visitors](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=408) - This morning, Huntley Meadows park had a number of youngsters around including female Blue-winged Teals and the juvenile Green-backed Heron above. I watched this heron for over an hour as it successfully found meals in the wetlands on a pretty frequent basis. Also in the park were numerous varieties of butterflies and dragonflies such as
- [Multiple exposures](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=392) - It hit 95 degrees today and I was in Mason Neck State Park looking for subjects to photograph. Not much was stirring so I decided to head into the woods (and out of the sun) to practice some techniques using the available features of my camera. One of the features allows for multiple exposures to
- [Photo Walk](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=361) - I participated in the second annual Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk today, joining over 30,000 'walkers' around the world who got together in groups up to fifty to spend a couple of hours walking around and taking photographs. Our group got an early start, meeting at 5:00AM near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. We
- [The backyard](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=385) - I've been spending the last couple of weeks photographing in my backyard. It certainly saves on gas. My backyard is no national park, in fact my house sits on less than a tenth of an acre. It's a tiny piece of land, but you hang a couple of bird feeders and plant a few flowers....
- [Taking a breather](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=380) - Backyard squirrels have a bad rep in my area due to their constant consumption of the expensive bird feed that everyone puts out. All sorts of technology is utilized to make feeders "squirrel-proof". Personally, I like squirrels for their persistent, problem-solving abilities that usually defeat human technology. This morning I found this guy on my
- [Hummers](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=373) - Hummingbirds arrive in my neighborhood in late May - early June. This male Ruby-throated was perched near my hummingbird feeder which has seen steady visits from a number of males and females this year. Some of these birds are more tolerant than others of the shutter noise from my camera, such as this male. Others,
- [New arrivals](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=353) - Arriving early morning at Huntley Meadows, I found the water level of the wetlands to be very low right now. This allowed access for this White-tailed Deer, to areas that are typically under water. It was another good morning of wildlife watching at the park. I saw a number of deer, a cottontail rabbit, dragonflies, snapping
- [Patience](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=340) - Spent this morning at Huntley Meadows park. I was lazy and arrived at the park later then usual, and I figured things would be very quiet. Boy was I wrong, as the park was very active with plenty of things to see and photograph. Snakes, turtles, egrets, herons (Great Blue and Green-backed), swallows, ducks, geese,
- [Rainy Day in Shenandoah](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=328) - This is the time of year for fawns and I hoped to get some photos of the new arrivals in Shenandoah National Park today. The early morning drive up did not look promising, weather-wise. The dark grey clouds appeared to be building up and the radio called for heavy rain. When I arrived at the
- [Sheep and Elk and Bears, Oh My](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=260) - Quite a first day...we saw Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Elk and Black Bears along the road. The ram in the picture above, wearing the stylish tracking collar, was digging a hole in search of antifreeze. Biologists guess that they are looking for sodium but no one knows why the antifreeze doesn't appear to harm the
- [Nature Photography Day](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=317) - The North American Nature Photography Association designated today as Nature Photography Day, encouraging people everywhere to use a camera to explore the natural world in a backyard, local park or other nearby place. Since we are close to Father's Day, I photographed this male House Sparrow who was helping out Mom with the feeding chores
- [Many Glacier](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=278) - This morning, we drove to the Many Glacier hotel area overlooking Swiftcurrent Lake. Again, we were blessed with still water and magnificent weather. This view is right on the hotel grounds. While we shot images from the lake, Moose's son, Jake, spotted a female Grizzly with a cub crossing the mountain side to the right
- [Montana Landscape](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=270) - We left at 4:00AM for a drive to Two Medicine Lake to catch the sunrise. A full moon and perfectly calm water greeted us which enabled some outstanding reflections. The photo above was taken a little after sunrise. In the early evening, the clouds were rolling in and we took a drive north to follow
- [Missed and gained opportunities](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=298) - On the last day of Boot Camp, we once again drove into the east entrance of Glacier, looking for both moose and bear. We had seen a moose and calf a couple of days ago but it was too dark in the early morning for photography. We also had reports of bear activity in the
- [Never a dull moment](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=291) - Today, we drove into the East Glacier entrance of the park under overcast skies. Along the roadside was a small group of White-tailed Deer which tolerated our physical presence for a short while. As we continued to search for wildlife along one side of the road, I turned around to find a rainbow directly behind
- [Glacier National Park](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=256) - Today, I traveled to Montana to attend Moose Peterson's Wildlife Photographer Base Camp, a 5 day workshop to be held in and around Glacier National Park. The workshop is based in St. Mary which is on the east side of the park. Driving from the airport, you first encounter the west side of the park.
- [Race for the Cure](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=248) - Today was the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure in Washington, D.C. I participated in my fourth walk, joining thousands of fellow participants and cancer survivors on the National Mall. Before the 'race' started, the crowd was entertained by a number of speakers. A surprise was in store as Vice President
- [A lot going on](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=222) - Huntley Meadows was bursting with activity today, with Osprey on the hunt for breakfast, muskrat gathering plants, young Mallard and Wood Duck families trolling for food. Also, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Green-backed Herons, along with great numbers of Goldfinch, Grackles, Bluebirds, Phoebes, Swallows, Flycatchers, and on and on. The place was buzzing and the
- [Tony Sweet Workshop](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=230) - I attended a flower photography workshop by Tony Sweet and Susan Milestone today at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. I was there 2 weeks ago and the number of flowers blooming has increased dramatically, so I was able to put into practice what I had learned from Tony and Susan. Tony uses a wide variety of tools,
- [Belmont Bay](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=124) - This is a picture taken at sunset looking over Belmont Bay from the shoreline at Mason Neck State Park. Just out of frame to the right in the distance is the I-95 highway. The park is a well known habitat for bald eagles (I observed 5 adults and 1 immature eagle during my 2 hours at the
- [Youngsters](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=215) - This time of year the parks are full of youngsters, like this painted turtle catching some morning sun. After a week long soaking in rainy weather, even the turtles are happy to get out of the wet for awhile. An update: I spotted the Hooded Merganser again but with only 3 youngsters in tow.
- [Visiting Meadowlark](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=219) - A heavily overcast day made a visit to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA a good idea. The even lighting brought out the best in the ferns and flowers, although most of the plants have not yet blossomed there. Another couple of weeks should bring on a great show. Still, the grounds are a great
- [Summer-like](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=211) - It hit 95 degrees, creating a very summer-like day (although thankfully without the normal summer-like humidity in this area). The flowers appear to be enjoying the spring heat spell, including these azaleas, which seem to burst out overnight.
- [Showing off](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=206) - Huntley Meadows was so good yesterday I had to return today, joined by my brother-in-law, Paul, and my nephew, Matthew, who is studying photography in high school. The park was a little more subdued this morning but the male Red-winged Blackbirds were still very active and putting on their display of colors for the ladies.
- [Mom and the kids](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=200) - Watched the sun come up at Huntley Meadows this morning. This park in northern Virginia is one of the premiere birding spots in the area and there is always a crowd of photographers who benefit from the great show put on by the locals. This morning, in addition to the Great Egrets dancing and Osprey
- [Cherry Blossom Festival](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=197) - One of the perks about living in the DC area is the yearly trip down to the Cherry Blossom Festival. Today's visit included perfect weather and thousands of fellow tree-watchers. The blossoms did not disappoint.
- [Evening view](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=191) - A storm rushed through providing some dramatic clouds and a colorful early evening view as the sun set in the neighborhood. The nice light lasted only a few minutes as the sun was already below the horizon.
- [Change of season](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=183) - Spring has arrived and so have flocks of birds to the backyard feeders. Today I had Northern Cardinals, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Juncos, Black-capped Chickadees, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Starlings, White-breasted Nuthatches, Tufted Titmouse, Mourning Doves, Downy Woodpeckers and American Crows all grabbing seed from my feeders with a few American Robins stopping by for some ground feeding. More images from today are at
- [Learning weekend](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=179) - A snowstorm last Monday and six days later, 80 degree temps.... the weather was great for this weekend's Meadowlark Nature Photography Expo in Vienna, VA. On Friday, I attended the presentation by keynote speaker, Bruce Dale. Bruce has had over 2,000 pictures published in National Geographic and about as many stories to tell. Then, there were
- [As predicted](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=166) - Mother Nature didn't disappoint the snow-lovers in the area as a storm produced a large amount of snow, as predicted by the weather forecasters. The snowfall, however, couldn't hide the small buds on the trees that are marking the end of winter.
- [Great Falls workshop](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=113) - I attended a photography workshop put together by Joe Rossbach. The workshop was 2 hours of presentation followed by about 3 ½ hours of shooting at Great Falls National Park. Although I’ve been to the park many times in the past, I usually stick around the viewing platforms overlooking the larger falls. On this trip,
- [Before the storm](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=149) - A prequel this morning to the arrival of the largest snowfall this area has seen in a couple of years has sent the neighborhood birds and squirrels into a serious search for food as evidenced by the numerous tracks in my yard. The weather forecasters here are predicting a sizeable snowfall along the east coast from this
- [Enjoying the warmth](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=88) - A very un-winter-like day with temperatures in the upper 60's had many folks headed outside to enjoy the warmth. This preview of spring was also enjoyed by a flock of ring-billed gulls. These particular gulls were soaring directly over the reflecting pool in front of the U. S. Capitol as they waited to descend on another
- [Chasing a sunset](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=27) - Using HDR for a settng sun in wetlands
- [The last thing this world needs is another blog about...](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=1) - You know.... photography. Have you searched for photography-related blogs? It makes me wonder if I am the last person on earth to start one. Many current blogs are actually very informative and provide outstanding instruction and then there are some which are not quite as valuable. I have a feeling this one will be more in the
- [Brrrrr.....](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=13) - Frost forms on window
- [Geese aplenty](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=18) - Photographing at Huntely Meadows in the winter
- [Seeing history](https://mikewalkerphotography.com/?p=21) - Movie and images from Obama inauguration

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