Species: American Avocet | Location: Belmar Park, Lakewood, CO, USA, USA
I was just in this park this morning as the avocets have returned to Belmar Park where they will raise their young. The time they are here seems so short. They are one of my favorite birds to photograph as they are so elegant in both their beauty and behavior. This avocet was feeding. They use their long bills to scoop up insects, larvae, etc. from the lake bottom. They stay in very shallow water. Their young are on their own from day one, so they have to quickly get up to speed on feeding and surviving.
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About The Photographer
I guess I've always been "artsy" to some degree. Early on in life I was primarily involved in pottery and painting. I was blessed enough to have won several awards in these categories over a short time. But, that was yesteryear. Career aspirations took precedence over the arts until recent years when I picked up a beginners camera and started shooting away. I found that my love of nature and hiking became the inspiration for capturing images along the way. Now, I'm more excited than ever to be enjoying these passions, not only recreationally, but in a philanthropic way as well.
I am not a graduate of any art school. I have taken classes in the arts, but, I am largely self-taught. If I'm not seeing what I want in my images, I learn how to fix it. Photography is a very subjective art. What I find fascinating may make the next person feel totally indifferent. Keeping that in mind leads me to focus on learning as much as I can about wildlife behavior as well as nature in general. I offer my images in the passionate hope that wildlife and nature, in all its' forms, will be an enduring source of fascination, understanding and respect for my viewers. Beauty exists right outside your door. I love trying to show what is interesting, beautiful, and unique about all of it.
