Wheel Bug

The wheel bug is a most fascinating insect.  I just recently learned of this insect and had a chance to photograph one last week.  The bug is named for the wheel-like appendage on its back.  It is a member of the assassin bug family and as such eats other insects.  Note the piercing proboscis that delivers a venom to its victims.  Its bite is said to be more painful to humans than a bee sting.  It is considered to be a good bug to have in a garden in that it eats other insect pests.   

 

 

 

Wheel Bug

Identical Twins

Earlier this year I photographed a set of presumably identical twins (see blog post of March 29, 2013), starting what has sort of become the year of identical twin photography for me.  During the summer my wife and I got together with our son Ken and his family in Colorado.  Ken’s wife Roxie is an identical twin and her twin sister, Risa, lives in Colorado.  So while we were all there I took some pictures of the two of them.  Last week while in Virginia, our daughter coordinated a photo shoot with friends of hers that are also identical twins (Annie and Mesia). 

Risa & Roxie

 

Annie & Mesia

Hummingbirds

Using two flash units dialed down to 1/64^th power (to shorten the exposure time to around 1/50,000^th of a second) I was able to freeze the motion of these hummingbirds that I photographed on a recent trip to Utah.  The photos show a Rufous Hummingbird and a Black-chinned Hummingbird.  More details on how to photograph hummingbirds can be found in the bird photography book that I authored for National Geographic (National Geographic Photographing Birds).  

Portraits

Recently, I have made portraits of a number of delightful people.  These include the Bethany and Kari (twins), Mirko (Ukrainian), Keith, and darling little Annalisa. 

Dominican Republic, Guatemala, & Honduras

A trip to the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Honduras provided plenty of picture-taking opportunities.  In the DR, my wife and I stayed with my sister who is currently living in Santo Domingo.  We visited Lake Enriquillo, where I photographed crocodiles and iguanas.  On the other side of the island we went to Samaná to watch whales in an area where the whole North Atlantic population of Humpbacked Whales winters. 

On the second portion of our trip, we visited Mayan ruins in Tikal, Guatemala and Copan, Honduras.  We spent additional time in Guatemala’s old city of Antigua and on Lake Atitlán (which some scholars believe could be the Waters of Mormon).  Picture-taking opportunities included significant cultural spots, interesting flora and fauna, and the colorful people. 

Here is a sampling of photos from our trip.

Dominican Republic

Crocodile

Ricord Iguana

Humpbacked Whale

Coatimundi

Spider Monkey

Tikal

Copan

Guatemalan

Lake Atitlán

Helping Reach The Children Charity

I have teamed up with Reach the Children to help bring much-needed health and other humanitarian services to needy people in Africa.  The charity’s current programs include education (general skills, AIDS prevention, and health), micro-enterprise, orphan care, water & agriculture, and community empowerment initiatives to help people help themselves (http://reachthechildren.org/).  Through the end of the year, all of the proceeds from on-line Amazon sales of my book I Love Rochester New York book will go directly to the charity.  And a full 100% of donations to this Rochester-based charity go straight to the organization’s programs in 13 African countries.  Making a donation will never be sweeter.  Get some books for holiday gifts and help make life better for others.

To order the book go to: http://www.amazon.com/I-Love-Rochester-New-York/dp/0615505139/ref=?ie=UTF8&m=A2FVSQDGQBEV04.

Stony Brook State Park

Fall in New York is a delightful time as trees take on their often-brilliant red and yellow hues.  This year my wife and I returned to Stony Brook State Park, one of our favorite Fall destinations in New York State.  Again, we were not disappointed.