When out walking a trail, we are used to seeing things from a perspective of 5′ to 6′ above the ground because that is where our eyes are. As a photographer I am always looking for new perspectives on the natural world. One of my favorite perspectives is just a few inches above the ground.…

Several intense storm fronts moved through the area over a two day period recently. Each storm brought 75+mph straight line winds and over a dozen tornados with the last one. One of my primary volunteer duties with the IDNP is monitoring and reporting on trail conditions. So the day after the last storm passed I…

Poison Ivy, the trails at the Indiana Dunes National Park are packed with the stuff. I have hiked those trails almost 300 times in the last 5 years, and the type of photography I do involves getting down close to the ground. I am quite surprised that I have never picked up a rash from…

Bugs, or more correctly insects, are some of the most visually interesting and stunning creatures. Part of their beauty lies in the fact that we rarely see them up close where you can really appreciate them. They have become one of my favorite photographic subjects when out on the trails. Capturing good images of insects…

It is early summer and nature is active in the marshes. Here is some of what I saw on a recent hike on the Great Marsh Trail in the IDNP. Most people think of flys as ugly. I thing this Golden-Backed Snipe Fly shows otherwise. There are over 150,000 species of flys, of which the…

Pinhook Bog in the Indiana Dunes National Park is home to several different orchids and carnivorous plants. The bog trail is only open in conjunction with park ranger led hikes that happen throughout the summer. Typically they start at 8am on Saturdays meaning I have to get up at 5:30am to make it in time,…

Some highlights of the late spring flora along the Cowles Bog trail at the IDNP.

Look closely at the area down and to the left of the Bumblebee in the photograph above. You should be able to make out a number of tiny short lines. This is actually pollen that has been shaken free from the flower by vibrations from the wings of the Bumblebee. This is known as Buzz…

What is the value of taking photographs in the age of AI?  Why would someone spend thousands of hours hiking and taking pictures of the same trails over and over?  What is the difference between an image and a photograph? The answers to these questions are intertwined.  To be sure a photograph is a type…

… A Month Makes. I visit the same trails at IDNP many times through out the year. For many of these trails I have a tendency to take a few quick photograph from the same locations each time I visit. This gives me the opportunity to compare photos of the same location to see how…