I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Maine on a couple of occasions and one things I always remember is how many seagulls there are along the coastal areas…and how big they are! I’m sure they can get so big because of the quantity and quality of fresh fish around but I’m amazed at just how big they can get, especially compared to the seagulls we see here in landlocked central Ohio.   The seagulls that you’ll find along Coastal Maine are easily 2x as big as their little cousins near me, who only get to feed from the smaller lakes, rivers, reservoirs and on the discarded food scraps from us humans.   By...

One of the most often used words in the language of photography is “Exposure”. Technically, exposure refers to the amount of light that reaches the imaging sensor while you’re making your photograph (or, for those of us over 20-something who remember when everything wasn’t digital, replace “imaging sensor” with “film plane”). Most commonly, however, when we use the term “exposure” were using it to describe a certain visual aspect of a photo.   Overexposure and Underexposure For example, you have probably seen the terms “Overexposed” and “Underexposed”...

Few things get the same kind of universal response as photos of baby animals so today I’m going to try for a good response with these photos of a baby elephant and its mother at the Columbus Zoo in Columbus, Ohio. The baby elephant in the picture is Beco (pronounced BEE-co) and he was born at the Columbus Zoo on March 27, 2009. Because baby animals at the Columbus Zoo (or any zoo) are such a big deal, when Beco was born the zoo held a contest and let people submit their favorite names for the baby elephant. Over 11,000 entries were received and the zoo celebrated in a big way by announcing the baby elephant’s name on...

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is consistently rated as one of the best zoos in the U.S. and is a point of pride for Central Ohio. Much of the zoo’s success is due to the work of former Director, and current Director Emeritus, “Jungle” Jack Hanna. The zoo is home to over 700 different species of animals and houses over 9,000 animals in total! Ready to meet some of them?   The Columbus Zoo sits on land adjacent to the Scioto River.  So, while not official zoo residents, seagulls like those in the photo to the right, are everywhere. That photo was actually taken several years ago, prior to a lot of the zoo’s recent...

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is easily one of my favorite travel destinations. It’s only about a six hour drive from home and has some of the best hiking and best scenery I’ve experienced in a landlocked National Park. There’s something green everywhere you look, lots of streams and waterfalls, colorful flowers and a lot of wildlife to see throughout the park (bears included!). A sunset view from Morton Overlook along Newfound Gap Road. Pentax *istDS. One of many flowing streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Pentax *istDS. Some beautiful scenery and photo opportunities can easily be found driving...