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Slowly but surely through constant effort, I am getting better at getting the bird shot. Here are some new attempts for bird shots.

Gabe’s planning on doing all the Early Bird Criterium races this year, and here we are for the first mentoring and racing session. A bit of warmup on the rollers, and it’s off to the start of the race. It’s a good sized field, and I’ve tried to pass on the key advice Gabe will need today. The pack wound up getting shredded when a really fast Spokesman guy took off the front. After a couple of laps between two packs, Gabe dropped to the second pack and finished a strong first. Outstanding job Gabe! ...

This past year has been one of progress and growth for me at least. I have learned so much in this year alone that it is astonishing to me; from photography, to my writing, to my schooling I feel I have grown. Instead of taking the time to look back on all the wonderful things that have happened this year I want t o take the time to move forward. People linger far to log in the past and as part of my growth I hope to live in the now instead of what has happened. I want to tell everyone to take advantage of the life you are given and don’t waste a second. Now is the time for growth, it does not matter if you are young or old, it is the time to grow. So soak up in your roots the wonderful memories of the past and spread out your branches with the growth of new memories and new life.

Gabe’s racing season gets off to a start with the San Bruno Hill Climb. There’s plenty of rain and cold threatening as usual, but fortunately there’s a somewhat sunny pocket just for the race. Warming up is a trick at this race, but we’ve got the tent and rollers that do the job nicely. It’s too bad the long line of starting groups cools him down completely before the start. I know Gabe is nervous with national champions and older kids in this race, but he’ll do his best. I think he was happy with his result of 22:20.7 for the day. ...

Before we ever got into Yosemite National Park we spotted this coyote perched on top of a mossy rock framed by branches. He seemed so peaceful siting there, he didn’t even seem to mind me watching him. He looked very healthy for a coyote. He looked so fluffy and welcoming, I really would have liked to pet him if he wasn’t a wild animal. So instead I just enjoyed his beauty from a safe distance. ...

Sun beams are an amazing thing, the mood created by sun shining through the craggy branches of a tree is haunting in its beauty. Like the claws of some old creature trying to snuff out the sun but it cannot succeed in blocking out the light from the sun. To stand in the sun’s beams and just bask in the glory that is the natural world is the closest a person can be to enlightenment. When you stand in the light shining between a monsters fingers, what will you find in the sun’s revealing eyes? ...

Snow is such a magical thing, I wish that I had gotten to go to the snow more often as a child myself to experience the wonder of snow. Like this little girl, dancing and running in the snow. There is such innocence in just playing around in the snow. She and her little brother where running around just having fun with each other by the ski lift. It is refreshing to know that people, whether just children or not, can appreciate the innocence that nature provides.

No sunset is ever the same, even just one sunset can be portrayed in a thousand different ways. As a photographer it is your job to take something normal and everyday like a sunset and transform it into something new and exciting. I try to do this as often as I can because I sure do love sunset pictures.

One of the most difficult and frustrating shots for me is trying to get good pictures of birds. It drives me crazy trying to get a good bird shot because they are very hard to get. Birds are always high up in trees so if you can get close to them it is a ridiculously bad angle on the bird and therefore a worthless shot. Sometimes you get lucky and the weird angles work like in this shot of a bald eagle I got in Michigan where the angle from underneath is actually really nice because it gives an inside view of the eagle’s body. However, most of the time it just turns out flat and boring as you get a picture of the birds butt. And no one wants to see that. If the bird isn’t up in a tree seemingly miles away from you, then it is at a good level angle. Sounds good right? not really because it flies away as soon as you get to an acceptable distance from it to be able to take a decent shot. You think you are blessed with a good level shot of the bird but as you stealthily creep closer to where the bird is to get the shot, it gives you that I am watching you look, then flies away before you can get the shot. Devious little creatures i saw, very devious. They know exactly what you want and tease you with their beauty just to take it away. That is so frustrating when you think you got lucky but it just flies away. I can’t tell you how many miniature hissy fits I have had over trying to get bird shots. Let me just say to all those people who get amazing bird shots out there, first of all I envy you. Second of all you must be photography gods or extremely lucky because for me at least it is near impossible to get bird shots. ...