Vulture was shot while out with Randy from a long distance and cropped a lot.

Randy and I went out Thursday shooting and this is one I managed to get.

Here is a couple I got today while Jeff and I were out shooting.

Red-tailed hawk

I think this is a male and female Leaser Scaup. Top photo is the female.

I got this a couple weeks ago I wish it was sharper but I like the way he is looking through the feathers.

I was out at Gulf Island National Seashore Park today and spotted this man from Arkansas casting for minnows. I asked him if he would mind if I took some pictures and he told me to shoot away. Jeff Impey Photography

When an oak tree gets torn up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast we don't get rid of the trunk, we keep it's spirit alive by carving things into what is left after a storm tears off the main part of the tree. Here is an example of one of the trees that was ruined by Hurricane Katrina. We turn trash into treasure. You can find many of these sculptures along the beach but this is the only on that was painted instead of leaving it wood toned. This one is on the Biloxi town green across from the Hard Rock Casino on the beach. Jeff Impey Photography

Low flying Blue Heron. Jeff Impey Photography

This was a shot from last night of a White Egret at a distance of several hundred feet.
Nikon D7000 and Nikon 70-200VR F2.8 lens with a Nikon 2X 20E III teleconverter this was shot at the equivalent of 600mm. Jeff

A path to the Smokey Mountains. This was taken in Cades Cove near Gatlinburg, Tn.  by Jeff Impey

Black Skimmer

This black skimmer dropped right in front of me to bathe the other evening.  I was lucky enough that not only did it not flush, but continued to bathe.  I got this shot just after it dipped it's bill in the water the first or second time.



Bathing Black Skimmer

Nikon D300s, Nikkor 400 mm w/2x teleconverter, f/8, 1/1000th second, ISO 200, tripod, flash around -2 1/3 with better beamer flash extender, slight crop (but not much).

This is the Biloxi, Ms. Visitor's center decorated for Christmas. Jeff Impey

Blue Heron about to land on a pole out in the water. Jeff Impey

Low flying Brown Pelican from my outing this morning. Jeff Impey

I was out shooting in Ocean Springs today and Randy came driving up. There wasn't much going on where we were so he showed me a place in Biloxi that I shot this at on back bay.
Jeff Impey

Brown Pelican

An adult brown pelican from one morning this week.

My wife and I along with our boys and their families spent Thanksgiving week in a cabin in the Smokey Mountains and this was one of our nightly visitors that came by. Jeff Impey

This is just like it came out of the camera except for a slight crop and a re-size to be able to post it.

Brown Pelican

An adult brown pelican perched on a piling from one evening last week.

This is another image of the Biloxi Lighthouse decorated for veterans day.and Visitors Center with that special glow from the sunrise that morning.

"Magazine Cover" Kid's Soccer

And from shooting the Master National Retriever Club hunt tests, I went to shooting little one's soccer practice...  Even in the near darkness, the kiddos were MUCH easier to shoot than the fast-moving retrievers.

I mocked up a magazine cover for this one...

Nikon D3, Nikkor 400 mm, f/3.2, 1/200th second, ISO 4000, tripod, existing (low!) light, significant post-processing ;) .

Black Labrador Retriever at Work

I spent most of the last two weeks photographing the AKC 2012 Master National Retriever Club.  It made for some long days shooting and long nights downloading and backing up.  I ended up making 23,437 exposures!  YIKES!  Of course I still haven't even looked at all the files, but when I saw this one, I knew I wanted to share it...

Nikon D3, Nikkor 400 mm w/2x teleconverter, f/6.3, 1/1000th second, ISO 400, tripod, existing light, cropped for composition.

This is the Old Biloxi Lighthouse with the Biloxi Visitors Center in the background.
Jeff Impey

This is the Old Biloxi Lighthouse with the Beau Rivage Casino in the background.
Jeff Impey

This is the Old Biloxi Lighthouse with the Beau Rivage Casino toward the center of the photo. 

Jeff Impey

Ruby Fringeflower

I noticed this dew-covered ruby fringeflower blooming in our flower beds one morning.  I decided that I needed to photograph it, so the next morning I went out to do so.  Of course it was too windy.  So a few days later, I tried again, and got this shot that I really like.

Ruby fringeflowers are an exotic ornamental that are related to our native witch hazel.

Nikon D3, 105 mm, f/11, 1/30th second, ISO 1000, existing light, tripod, slight crop.

This is an alligator that I spotted out in the Gulf Island National Seashore Park in Ocean Springs, Ms.
Jeff Impey

Last week's Nutty outing

Semipalmated Plover

I found this cooperative semipalmated plover on the weekend before Isaac came to visit.  I need to get back out & shoot some more birds, but have been too busy.

Semipalmated Plover
 

Nikon D300s, Nikkor 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/200th second, ISO 320, beanbag, existing light, slight crop.

Bad Hair Day?

I got this snowy egret shot yesterday as it tried to dry out between the repeated thunderstorms...

Nikon D300s, Nikkor 600 mm, f/11, 1/320th second, ISO 200, beanbag on truck window, existing light, slight crop.



Snowy Egret Drying Its Aigrettes

Fall Toad

Well, it's still only July, but the late summer/early fall wildflowers are starting to bloom, and the leaves are changing color...  (Well, the leaves on at least one stressed black gum anyway...).

This southern toad was hopping around the yard when I got home yesterday, and the moss and leaves looked so nice that I had to get out the camera & lay on the wet ground... ;)

Southern Toad on a Bed of Moss with Fallen Black Gum Leaves

Nikon D300s, Dine 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/200th second, ISO 800, handheld, exisiting light, slight crop.

Fire-bellied Toad

Here's a shot of a fire-bellied toad from last week. 

I put the little guy on a mirror with some black foam core supported over the mirror to give me a black background & reflection, and then I lit it with a ring-flash.

Fire-bellied Toad on a Mirror

Nikon D300s, Dine 105 mm, f/22, 1/25th second, ISO 800, tripod, ringflash as main light, slight crop.

This is a waterfall in Dogwood Canyon just South of Branson, Mo.
Jeff Impey

After  watching the Gator Boys wrestling show for the third time I was convinced that I could wrestle an alligator. After getting some valuable tips from the Gator Boys stars, Paul and Jimmy I mustered up my courage and set out to wrestle a real live alligator. After a lengthy struggle I was able to get the subject to submit to my will and I proceeded to secure his mouth for safety just like they do on TV. Below is a picture with me and the wild beast. I can now mark this off of my bucket list of things to do before I die. Wrestling an alligator is now officially checked off. Jeff Impey

Fourth of July Fireworks

The fireworks shows to celebrate our nation's declaration of independence were just great earlier this week.  I hope that all of the folks shooting & enjoying the fireworks took a moment to reflect on what we were celebrating and the immense sacrifices that have been made for our nation to prosper for so long.

Biloxi Fourth of July Fireworks - shot from a barge near Deer Island

I know some of the rest of y'all were out & about with cameras, so post a few of yours too!

Gator Boys at the Gulf Coast Gator Ranch

I sure enjoyed seeing the other photographers last Saturday when we went to photograph the Gator Boys at the Gulf Coast Gator Ranch.  For me, the conditions were tough with the bright light and crowded venue.

The Gator Boys did a great job of providing factual information about alligators during their show, and it was interesting to watch the film crew do their jobs as well.  When the videographers were between me and the action, I figured that I'd picked a pretty good light angle...  And since I couldn't see through them, I tried to get some shots showing the whole thing - Gator Boys & crew, film crew, & crowd...

I went back for another show in the afternoon & got on the opposite side from the film crew...  I sure wish that I could have been inside the chainlink fence too!

My 5-year old daughter is a HUGE Gator Boys fan, and she got this portrait of Jimmy Riffle using one of my old D-70 bodies with a kit lens...

And my wife got a neat "alligator in habitat" shot out in the marshlands while we were there...

I went back Sunday morning and  took these. This gator was not going to have anything to do with this show and after being dragged out of the water to the demonstration area jumped up and said "I ain't doing this" and took off and went back into the pond. The same thing happened with two gators and the third one cooperated with Jimmy. They said today that there were about a dozen gators and one crock in the pool. The front end of the gator actually came off the ground when it opened his mouth and jumped at Jimmy.

A couple more to take a look at. Jeff

Some of the group made it over to the Gator farm this weekend to see Paul and Jimmy from the Gator Boys from Animal Planet. Other than almost passing out from the heat we had a good time. Paul and Jimmy are both very friendly and were willing to talk with people and have their pictures taken. I would like to give Curtis and Allen from the Gator Farm a big thank you for inviting us to come and take pictures.

I shot these while in the Ozarks on vacation last week in Branson, Mo.
These shots were taken on a Nikon D90 with a Nikon 70-200VR F2.8 lens. I had my Nikon D7000 with a Sigma 17-50 F2.8 on it for the closer shots but these were taken with the D90 combo.
Jeff