Photobook 6: Wildlife

Post six of a series of photographs I am going to use in an upcoming photobook. All of the photos in this series were taken by me in Dauphin County Pennsylvania and its neighboring counties, between 2005 and 2008. Occasionally I will also post paintings based on my photographs. The artist behind these paintings is my friend, Karen Oudeman, from Gouda, the Netherlands.

This is the the section entitled Wildlife. In my time in Pennsylvania I have been lucky enough to see many various creatures. I have just very recently photographed a porcupine and elk in the upper part of the state, and have seen black bear there, as well as here near home. However, in this collection - I am only including area scenes - and I have not had the luck to catch a bear with my camera.

However, there are many interesting creatures - from deer and ring-neck pheasants to many types of insect. I love to go out on lunch breaks to local nature centers in the hopes of finding some "nature" and sometimes I am successful. :) I hope you enjoy this collection - it does not do justice to the many diverse species of animals and insects to be found in the area.

The text on the section introduction page reads as follows:

Central Pennsylvania has an abundance of wildlife. White-tail deer are very common in the area, and one of my favorite pastimes as a photographer is to stop and photograph a deer as it stops to look at me (but all too often it runs off before I get the camera in place). Other mammals, waterfowl, amphibians, and reptiles are fairly common in state forests and park areas such as Wildwood Lake in Harrisburg. In Powell's Valley, ringneck pheasants are a very common sight. Various species of insects and bugs may be seen, from common bees and butterflies to the saddleback caterpillar. This area is an animal lover's paradise.




























All images copyright 2005-2008 James A. Wheeler or Karen Oudeman.

Contact me at arkansawyer@gmail.com for information on obtaining copies of any of these prints or information on the upcoming 160 page photobook, which will be a "coffee table" style hardcover book complete with paper sleeve cover, initially priced around $60 - which to my cheapskate pocketbooks seems high until I compare the cost to that of eating out at a nice restaurant, which for a family can quickly exceed the cost of this book, and is quickly forgotten.

The series so far:
Photobook 1: The Story
Photobook 2: The Church
Photobook 3: Farmscapes
Photobook 4: Country Living
Photobook 5: Waterscapes
Photobook 6: Wildlife

I prefer my coffee black, thank you

Ever have one of those days?

It all started yesterday. I work in two places - err... I am employed by one employer who has facilities at two different addresses? Something like that.

After a meeting at my "normal" place, I went to the other one... I grabbed a coffee mug full of coffee on my way out the door. I downed it on the way over, and left the mug sitting in the cup holder of my truck.

Then last evening, I had to take the kids into town. Jeremy was going to scouts, and Kate was hanging out with me, walking down by the river, trying to find some pretty shots:

 

 

 

We did find the pretty pictures, got Jeremy and headed home...

And this morning, I got up and came into work. I pulled the McDonald's napkin that had been stuffed into my mug out and threw it away without a second thought. I rinsed the mug quickly, poured the coffee, and went to my desk.

I logged on the computer, sat sipping the coffee for a moment or two, thinking... This is pretty good coffee today.

Then I noticed it. Something stuck to the inside of my mug. As I looked, a sinking, queasy feeling developed. A bit of the lump broke away and drifted into the blackness of the coffee.

It's a good thing I have a heavy duty stomach and don't get sick very easily... because I KNEW what it was.





Rewind to last night again. We were a bit late, needed to eat, so I thought - we'll go through the McD's drive through.




As we neared town, Kate sneezed. When she did so, she pinched her nose shut. I fussed at her - you can (and she has in the past) hurt your ears that way. She said, "Well... it's better than the alternative." And I insisted it was not. So on came another sneeze. This time, the snot did fly.

I had Jeremy look in the glove box but I had nothing. My handkerchief I had left at home when I changed out of my work clothes. So when we got to McD's, I asked the drive-through person for extra napkins. Most of them ended up on the floor of the truck. But one, got stuffed into my mug.

err. Guess which one.

Photobook 5: Waterscapes

Post five of a series of photographs I am going to use in an upcoming photobook. All of the photos in this series were taken by me in Dauphin County Pennsylvania and its neighboring counties, between 2005 and 2008. Occasionally I will also post paintings based on my photographs. The artist behind these paintings is my friend, Karen Oudeman, from Gouda, the Netherlands.

This is the the section entitled Waterscapes. This is simply a series of photos featuring the Susquehanna River and other waterways in the Central Pennsylvania area. My daughter often asks, "Can we go down to the river?" For her, she likes to "explore" and find things washed up on the banks. For me, it's an opportunity to go take pretty pictures, and enjoy the sound of water running past. In the wintertime the sound of ice crunching and crackling is pretty neat, but any time of the year, along about sunset you can enjoy fabulous colors reflecting off the water's surface.

The text on the section introduction page reads as follows:

The Susquehanna River meanders from its roots in New York state through Pennsylvania into Maryland, eventually emptying into the Chesapeake Bay. Here in Central Pennsylvania, it is a very wide river, in many places shallow with islands here and there all along its length. During dry seasons, one can wade almost all the way across the river, but during wet seasons, flooding takes its toll on the river communities. In addition to the mighty river itself, there are many creeks and streams that start up in the mountains and make their way down to the river. All these waterways help lend a special beauty to the landscape and make it an enjoyable target for the camera year-round.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All images copyright 2005-2008 James A. Wheeler or Karen Oudeman.

Contact me at arkansawyer@gmail.com for information on obtaining copies of any of these prints or information on the upcoming 160 page photobook, which will be a "coffee table" style hardcover book complete with paper sleeve cover, initially priced around $60 - which to my cheapskate pocketbooks seems high until I compare the cost to that of eating out at a nice restaurant, which for a family can quickly exceed the cost of this book, and is quickly forgotten.

The series so far:
Photobook 1: The Story
Photobook 2: The Church
Photobook 3: Farmscapes
Photobook 4: Country Living
Photobook 5: Waterscapes
Photobook 6: Wildlife