Butterfly On The Camera

photograph of an orange butterfly on a camera by Doug Couvillion

During my Rivanna River float, earlier this summer, my Pentax went for an unexpected swim.  Clearly not what any nature photographer wants to happen but things don’t always go as planned.  Thankfully I saw the camera fall into the river and pulled it out before it had time to sink too far below the surface.  For the rest of the trip I was left shooting with my iPhone and had the camera out in the sun to dry. Continue reading “Butterfly On The Camera”

Eastern River Cooter

Photograph of an Eastern River Cooter on the Rappahannock River in Virginia

This small Eastern River Cooter was basking on a sunny log in the Rappahannock River as a paddled my canoe past it last July.  I don’t know much about the turtles of Virginia so I may have misidentified this one.

Corolla Sunrise

photograph of sunrise over the beach at Corolla, North Carolina

 

Sometimes being a morning person pays off.  I took this photo during a trip to the beach last August.  I noticed the cloud bank that night and thought it was a shame the clouds probably wouldn’t be there at sunrise.  To my great surprise, the clouds barely moved overnight!  I awoke before dawn and watched this amazing sunrise slowly transform into morning.

Grand Prismatic Spring I

photograph of the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park

As hot mineral water seeps out of the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park it leaves tiny layers of minerals.  The heat of the water provides an ideal environment for bacteria, which grow in colorful mats over the wavy mineral deposits.  The end result is an amazing display of color and texture.

Banded Hairstreak

photograph of a banded hairstreak butterfly on wild flowers

This little Banded Hairstreak was busily drinking nectar when I encountered it in a forest meadow.  I didn’t seem to mind me taking photos.  In fact, it didn’t even seem to notice I was watching it.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Happy

Photograph of a smiling woman cyclingCycling and photography are two of my favorite activities.  Both activities make me feel happy and alive.

On October 6 I visited one of the more scenic spots along the Tour de Richmond cycling route to try my hand at photographing cyclists in motion.  This photo really captures the speed and motion of cycling as I wanted to portray it.  I thought it fit in well with this week’s photo challenge because the cyclist looks really happy too!  Click on the photo to see a larger image.