Architecture and Commercial Work 2/27/12
The unrelenting spring winds have kept me off the water for most of April but I have remained busy which has kept me sane. I had a few more architectural shoots, one a renovation of a downtown 1700s era apartment by Buz Morris and the other for Big Ass Fans-guess what they make. I also spent time shipping online orders for A Bird's Eye View of Kiawah (www.kiawahbook.com) and working with several new stock clients.
I just recently received this photo of my first billboard, an aerial used in the College of Charleston's Atlanta billboard campaign-fun!
The Swamp is Alive 4/16/12
After the wabler bounced off our window last week I figured the swamp must have a few as well. So I headed to the Audubon Swamp Garden to look for more prothonotary warblers and whatever other swamp things were around. The warblers were indeed there as were relatively cooperative wood ducks and all the other usual suspects.
Male Prothonotary Warbler singing his heart out at the Audubon Swamp Garden
Magnolia Plantation's Swamp Garden and a prothonotary warbler above the boardwalk
Prothonotary Warbler feeding on a caterpillar
A pair of Wood Ducks among the pennywort and duck weed
A Male Wood Duck lurks in the shadows of the swamp
Black Crowned Noght Heron patiently waiting for breakfast to arrive
A Green Heron with a large tadpole
Green Heron at the Swamp Garden |
Busy April 4/12/12
It's been a busy few weeks since we returned from Florida. I spent my days shooting and editing a bunch of architecture for architect and builder clients, fulfilling orders for A Bird's Eye View of Kiawah (www.kiawahbook.com), shooting assorted wildlife and fishing days and booking up the next couple of months.
Here are a few shots including a rare visitor to our neighborhood. We were taking it easy on Saturday morning, when there was a telltale thud on the window behind my head. I went out to the yard to see if the stunned bird needed assistance or a burial. I heard some movement in the bush below the window, then a little ray of sunshine flew out to our pecan tree and rested for a while to shake it off. It was a male prothonotary warbler which can be found in local swamps, but are rarely seen around town.
Prothonotary Warbler resting after flying into our window
Bathroom remodel by Classic Remodeling
Bathroom remodel by Classic Remodeling with saved dormer
Back Porch part of an addition by Classic Remodeling
 Seabrook Kitchen
 Addition by Morris Architecture
 One of five deer swimming across the Intracoastal Waterway before dawn
 Sunrise on the water in Hamlin Sound
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Spring Break 3/29/12
After delivering books to Freshfields Village and Kiawah last week, I loaded the car with camera and fishing gear, hooked up the boat, grabbed my girls and headed south. We spent 2 days shooting wildlife in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and 2 days fishing in the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons. We also logged a little beach time and stopped by the St. Augustine Alligator Farm on our way home for some reptiles and their fantastic wading birds rookery.
Manatee in Haulover Canal, Merritt Island NWR
Manatee Nose
Indian River Lagoon Boat Launch in Haulover Canal with many manatees
Spoonbills were plentiful and not very shy.
Roseate Spoonbill at Merritt Island NWR
Reddish Egret being uncharacteristically still
Reddish egret running after breakfast
Raccoon roadside
Raccoon walking through the backlit grass
Snowy Egret displaying at the rookery at The Alligator Farm
A lit up Cattle Egret briefly surveying the St. Augustine Alligator Farm
A Great Egret gliding to its nest
All the birds including this Tricolored Heron were displaying full breeding plumage
 Underneath the rookery, one big gator started bellowing then they all joined in, notice the water dancing off his back
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Kiawah Book Delivers 3/20/12
Drum roll please...the news I've been waiting to give is finally ready for the public! My newest project, A Bird's Eye View of Kiawah arrives today and I will deliver to stores this afternoon! A Bird's Eye View of Kiawah is a coffee table book featuring my photography of Kiawah's beaches, golf courses, marsh, wildlife and birds, and Karen Bacot's beautiful words and design. Find out more at kiawahbook.com and please like us on facebook to help us spread the word.
New Book Arrives! 3/9/12
My new book arrived this week! I wasn't sure when they were coming so was surprised when the box of my author copies showed up at my doorstep. Bug Off! Creepy Crawly Poems is my 16th book with poet/author (and my Mom) Jane Yolen and Boyds Mills Press. It's filled with all sorts of close-ups of bugs accompanied by great poems.
Stay tuned for more big book news coming soon.
More Bear Island Birds 2/29/12
With winter not really happening and the trees beginning to bud, I decided to get back down to Bear Island before all the birds head back north. I arrived just past sunrise and was greeted by a large flock of tundra swans and avocets backlit by the rising sun. After shooting the avocets for a bit, I moved on to look for ducks. Most of the ducks were pretty spooky, as hunting season just ended a few weeks ago, but I managed a few shots of some shovelers and other assorted birds.
On my way home I drove through Donnely WMA and found a group of very large gators to shoot. I don't think this pond would make a great swimming hole.
Tundra Swans at Bear Island, SC
An American Avocet feeding early in the morning in the ACE Basin
An Avocet backlit by the rising sun
A male Northern Shoveler
A Red-Winged Blackbird defining his territory, Spring is here
A Pied-Billed Grebe
At least 30 big gators gathered together in a pond in Donnely WMA
 The gators didn't worry much about me, but fled into the water when several F16s flew by
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Bear Island Birds 2/21/12
My daughters were out of school on Monday for Presidents day, so we decided to spend the last day of the long weekend shooting and viewing some wildlife at Bear Island Wildlife Management Area. The area is closed much of the winter for duck hunting, so I always try to get there to shoot soon after it reopens to the general public in February. On the hour long drive down I asked the girls (as I always do) what they'd like to see on our trip. Alligators as usual topped the list, and Caroline busts out with a black swan. Of course gators won't be a problem, but I explain to Caroline that there aren't any black swans, at least not wild and in the U.S. She sticks with it and we continue on.
Before we get to the entrance to Bear Island we've already seen several bald eagles, a few flocks of white pelicans and assorted other wading birds and waterfowl. We stop briefly at a few ponds on the way in and as we arrive at our first stop, there it is: a black swan floating in the middle of the pond. "Booo Ya!!!" was her response.
Backyard Feeding Frenzy 2/14/12
The birds have been feasting on the berries growing in the trees above our backyard. Huge flocks of robins and cedar waxwings swarm in and out in waves. My boat cover has taken a beating, but it makes a great blind. I shot a couple of rounds of the feeding, one from our upstairs bathroom window and one from the boat, tucked under the cover with the end of my 500mm lens sticking out the back.
Cedar Waxwing bending over backwards in my backyard
Cedar Waxwing taking a break from gorging on berries
This yellow-rumped warbler almost landed on my lens when he flew up to the window to check me out
A robin feeding on berries checks his balance with a flap of his wings
This waxwing took a short break before being chased off by the robin above
Two waxwings gobbling down berries, they would swallow 10 or 15 quickly before darting off |
Winter? 2/7/12
Let me begin by saying that after 30 real winters split between Massachusetts and Colorado, I was ready for a change and the Lowcountry's short moderate winters were exactly what I was looking for. However, this "winter" has been a little crazy. It's been regularly in the 70s and 2 days ago it hit 80. The azaleas in our yard started to bloom 2 weeks ago and will most likely be done before March. So, with all this warm weather, what's a guy to do...GO FISHING!!
Despite the tropical weather, the water remains clear and the redfish are schooled up in huge groups, but with mild water temperatures are much more inclined to eat then usual. So, I've been out a shooting a bunch with Captain Jeremy Mehlhaff (CharlestonShallows.com) stocking up on clear water images.
The first redfish of the day reflects the foggy sunrise
Captain Jeremy Mehlhaff of Charleston Shallows hoists a redfish in the fog
Releasing another fly caught redfish into the clear winter water
Redfish tailing over a shallow flat
A school of at least a hundred redfish
A river otter checking us out through the fog
Happy schooling fish
Joe Benton fights a Lowcountry Redfish with Captains Jeremy Mehlhaff and John Irwin
 Big redfish on a perfect winter day
Sunrise and lifting fog at low tide
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Everglades Anniversary 2/2/12
A year ago I was enjoying my first full day of my residency in the Artist in Residence in Everglades program. It was truly an amazing experience and privilege to spend 3 full weeks immersed in such an amazing place. Unfortunately I won't be able to return to the Glades in 2012, but I do have shoots scheduled in the Bahamas and Crested Butte, Colorado so I can't complain. I recently spent a little time going back through the 10,000 or so images and edited up a few in honor of the one-year anniversary.
Great White Heron in Florida Bay
White Pelicans wintering in Florida Bay
Young Sawfish in Whitewater Bay
Loggerhead Shrike in the Everglades
Alligator tail at Anhinga Trail
A few gator babies out of a group of well over a hundred at Shark Valley
A monarch rests on a resting gator at Anhinga Trail
A Red-Shouldered Hawk at Flamingo at sunrise
 A sunrise over the grasslands
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Resolution? 1/24/12
Does anybody really keep resolutions? So, I promised to post more, and it's been 20 days, I will really try to do better. I've been busy plugging away on a few book projects (both small and large), working with some new and old clients and getting out on the water to shoot with Captain Jeremy Mehlhaff and some new friends. Here are some shots from the last few weeks:
Happy New Year! 1/4/12
Happy New Year everyone! I'm sorry I've been so slack lately about posting, sounds like a good resolution for the new year. The end of the year was a blur of holidays, family visits and a lot of stock business and Christmas print orders. In the new year I received my copies of the new Eastern Fly Fishing Magazine featuring an article I wrote. The Top of the Lowcountry article is illustrated with 8 photographs and I got the front and back covers as well! Big thanks to Captain Jeremy Mehlhaff (CharlestonShallows.com) and Captain Newman Weaver (GTownKingfisher.com) for all their help with knowledge and modeling.
In the new year I hope to continue working with the great clients and friends I've gotten to know and to continue expanding my business into different industries.
Eastern Fly Fishing Magazine cover with Captain Newman Weaver
Eastern Fly Fishing Magazine Cover and article on the Top of the Lowcountry
Captain Jeremy Mehlhaff prepares to release one of the last tailers of the year
A redfish rips line off of an Orvis reel
Another fly caught redfish on a winter flat
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Fall Critters 11/16/11
I shot at Folly Beach a few times in the last week looking for a new monarch tree. If you hit it right during the fall migration you can find a pine tree near the dunes covered with monarchs huddled on cold mornings waiting for the sun to warm them so they can continue their long journey to Mexico. There were plenty of monarchs around but the temperature was a bit off both mornings I tried.
I also shot at the Magnolia Plantation Swamp Garden on a foggy morning yesterday. It's a transitional time there, a few ducks are in but it is pretty quiet. About half way through my walk, I was thinking it was going to be a bust. Then I heard a splash and saw some quick movements underneath the duck weed. What followed was a half hour of chasing an otter around the swamp. The light was pretty poor, but I don't get to see otters very often, especially cooperative ones. In my first minute or two of running up and down the path trying to keep up with the otter, I almost stepped on a little cottonmouth on the side of the trail. When the otter finally disappeared into the swamp, I went back to shoot the cottonmouth, who although a bit annoyed, was a willing model.
Migrating monarchs stop along Folly Beach to gain strength for the long journey south
Close up of a feeding monarch butterfly
This morning the flowers were empty
River otter in the duck weed at Magnolia Plantation's Swamp Garden
The otter couldn't resist checking me out each time he heard the shutter
Cottonmouth showing off his weapons and his namesake
Non-venomous water snakes have round pupils, if you're close enough to identify a cottonmouth this way, back up!
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Architectural Details 11/10/11
I had a shoot last week for Morris Architecture of a renovation to a big South of Broad property. I shot a few rooms in the downstairs guest quarters including some fun detail shots. Here are a few:
Architectural Detail shot of Livingroom Chandelier
Architect Buz Morris designed this kitchenette for the downstairs guest quarters
Tile detail in the kitchenette
Architectural detail of the mantle in one of the bedrooms
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Two Fishing Magazines 11/3/11
I received two
fishing magazines in the last two days featuring my photography. The first came via email, a tailing redfish shot in a gallery style online fly fishing magazine: Catch Magazine- www.catchmagazine.net. The second showed up with the snail mail this morning, the small piece I mentioned last post that I wrote and shot on Kiawah Island Fly Fishing for Eastern Fly Fishing Magazine.
Tailing Redfish photo featured in the Blue article in Catch Magazine: www.catchmagazine.net
Kiawah Island article I wrote and shot for Eastern Fly Fishing Magazine |
I are a writer. 10/28/11
I received my first check in the mail yesterday for writing, so it's official, I are a writer! It was for a small piece in Eastern Fly Fishing Magazine which will be followed by a feature article soon and several more in the next year with EFF and Southwest Fly Fishing Magazine as well. I guess it's about time as I am the last one in my family to be published. We all must find our own path. So with these articles in mind, I've been out shooting more fishing to accompany them and for other commercial endeavors. Here are a few shots from the last couple of weeks on the water.
Kiawah Island Marsh at high tide
An early morning thunderstorm passes just offshore
Tailing redfish on a calm flat
When the tails aren't up in the air you
have to look for more subtle signs
 Captain Jeremy Mehlhaff admires a nice tailing redfish before release
This tailing redfish swam to within a foot of the boat before spooking
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A Quick Folly Beach Shoot 10/19/11
The weatherman called for rain, but the sun rose and the sky was filled with perfect puffy clouds. So I grabbed my gear and ran down to Folly Beach to take a little walk and shoot whatever there was to shoot. I walked to the north end by the Morris Island Lighthouse passing through fields of yellow flowers. I tried for a specific butterfly shot I've been thinking of for a while but they were not cooperating. Once at the beach I shot some lighthouse shots and some abstract macro stuff before rounding the corner to the marsh side. There, I shot the swarms of fiddler crabs and a surprisingly cooperative peregrine falcon.
A Dead Tree Frames the Morris Island Lighthouse
The Morris Island Lighthouse from the North End of Folly Beach
Bubbles on the beach
Butterly photo missing something
Folly sea oats and the Cooper River Bridge
One brave fiddler crab stays to protect the masses
 A peregrine falcon flying over the North end of Folly Beach
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Rainy Days and UPS Surprises 10/12/11
We've had what feels like weeks of rain but in reality it's been five days or so that I have not been able to get out and shoot. No matter how busy I am too many days at the computer make my back hurt and I get extremely stir crazy. Two deliveries at the end of the day helped to lift my spirits though. First, I received a beautiful coffee table book from clients Shope Reno Wharton Architects. An image from a Kiawah shoot I did for them last spring is prominently displayed in the forward. Next a box of my mother's new book of poetry, Things To Say To A Dead Man arrived featuring my photography on the covers.
It's always nice to have a coffee table full of your own work.
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Another Schermer Pecan Shoot 9/30/11
I had another shoot
this week with Stitch Design Co. (stitchdesignco.com) for Schermer Pecans. We did another round of product shots of the new packaging Amy and Courtney designed for them and again, may have tasted a few in the process.
Roasted and salted pecans by Schermer Pecans with a recipe and an antique nutcracker
Schermer Pecan Packaging shoot at Stitch Design
Family cookbook with pecans
Shermer Pecans' new giftboxes
 Chocalate covered pecans-YUM!
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Yorktown Files 9/26/11
I received the
selects from Patriots Point for the Yorktown shoot last week and was able to finish up editing all the master files. Here are a few more from the shoot:
USS Yorktown Aircraft Carrier at Dusk
 Sunset from the South Pier at Patriots Point
A close up shot of the USS Yorktown
Sunrise on the Flight Deck
The USS Yorktown at Sunrise
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Bugs and Ponds 9/12/11
I spent a few days recently shooting for my upcoming bug book and a short story project on ponds. The challenges included finding honeybees and tricking frogs. As it turns out most of the bees you see around here are carpenter bees, bumblebees, yellow-jackets and different wasps as well. But I managed to find a few eventually and got the shots I needed. I found a few frogs at some local ponds but was looking for a shot of one on a lily pad and they were not cooperating. So I returned the next day with my flyrod, cut the hook off a big dry fly and teased the frog up on to a pad for his closeup.
June/July/August 2011 |
A flock of coots spooking at the sight of one of the eagles
Michael Murphy on a shoot for Bass West USA TV
Another fine 60 degree January day in the Lowcountry
Grasshopper hanging on a stem on Wadamalaw Island
Frog after chasing a "fly" on to a lily pad
