The Pacific North-wet.

We had over 8 inches of rain during March of 2012 here in southwestern Oregon.

The seasonal creeks and rivers are running full.

At least all the rain makes everything green.

Trying a new technique with a little directional fill flash.

American Profile cover story

I shot the cover story for the April 1-7, 2012  American Profile magazine. It was a really fun assignment which I shot last year for this week's Easter edition of the magazine.

Waterlogged livestock

A wet calf and cow stand in a waterlogged farmer's field on a ranch near Elkton, Ore., on Friday, March 30, 2012.  A series of wet weather systems are predicted to hit the area over the next few days.

A calf shakes off some of the rain.

Cheesed off

I made this a few years ago while working for a newspaper to illustrate a story about graduation pictures.  It's kinda goofy.  I was thinking about being "cheesed off" at all of the rain we've been getting recently and this photo came to mind. We're on a flood watch again through Sunday.

Just peachy

Rain soaks peach blossoms in the small orchard near our home in rural western Oregon on Friday, March 29, 2012.  I hope it stops raining long enough for the bees to do some pollinating.

A small fly takes shelter inside one of the rain soaked peach blossoms.  Shot with my Nikon D3S, AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens, and 36mm Kenko extension tube. 

Rodent control

One of our domestic cats kills and prepares to eat a wild gopher it captured in a field near our country home in rural Douglas County near Oakland, Ore., on Wednesday, March 28, 2012.

It's a cruel world.

Making tracks

A couple of my recent photos are on display in this week's Animal Tracks slideshow on msnbc.com.

I've been working with msnbc.com for a while.  A couple of years ago they put together a video talking about their Week in Pictures galley.  They interviewed me in the piece and show a couple of my pictures.

Forest spiders

Howdy!  A waving jumping spider climbs on a fern frond deep in a damp forested area of rural Douglas County, Ore., near Oakland on Tuesday, March 27, 2012. 

 

Jumping spiders are solitary are generally ambush predators. They have highly developed eyes and are considered to have the best vision among invertebrates.

A longer legged spider climbs on a nearby fern.

The (not so) deep

A male Pacific tree frog ribbit's his mating call in a pond in a forested area near Roseburg, Ore., on Sunday, March 26, 2012. 

Inspired by James Cameron's historic descent I submerged my camera over 2 inches deep into the pond last night. No camera has ever gone so deep into this body of water.  I used an Ewa-Marine underwater housing which I recently picked up on ebay.

Bug's life

A hoverfly feeds on pollen from an early blooming dandelion in the yard of a home near Roseburg, Ore., on Saturday, March 24, 2012. Hoverflies are harmless despite their mimicry of more dangerous wasps and bees.

Waiting for The Hunger Games

Thirsty Work-Teens wait in line for a midnight showing of The Hunger Games at a movie theater in Roseburg, Ore. About 30 teens and young adults were in line at the theater to catch the first showing of the much anticipated movie.

 

 

 

 

Morning stretch

It's a morning stretch for a red-winged blackbird near Roseburg, Ore., on Thursday, March 22, 2012.  Early spring is the time male red-winged blackbirds stake out a territory before the females arrive for mating.

Fowl weather

A Canada goose is beaded with rainwater as it stands near a pond in Roseburg, Ore., on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. The area has been drenched by several recent wet weather systems.

Running on water

Plum trees are reflected in a flooded orchard as a yellow Labrador retriever named "William" chases a stick near Elkton, Ore., on Sunday, March 18, 2012.  A series of wet Pacific storms have soaked the area over the last few weeks.

I shot a similar photo a few weeks ago, but I like this one better.  What do you think?

Spring flowers

The sunset colors the sky behind two freshly picked daffodil blooms on a farm near Roseburg, Ore., on Sunday, March 18, 2012. The mild wet winter of western Oregon allows daffodils to begin blooming in early March.

The photo agency I work with highlighted one of my flower photos in their Pictures of the Day gallery.

Salamander flower

Today's critter is an ensatina salamander. The ensatinas are a group of lungless amphibians found along the Pacific coast of North America from Southern California to British Columbia. They breath through their skin. This one stood perfectly still for about 10 minutes while I photographed him.

What's for dinner?

Sometimes I can't help but make a silly little video...

The eating of the green

It's my photo, via zumapress.com, in the Weekly Animals gallery on NYPost.com.  It looks like the slimy fellow is getting an early start on his St. Patrick's Day eating.

Cancer screening PSA

Here are a few photos I shot for a cancer screening PSA.  Check out The Cancer You Can Prevent  website to learn more about the importance of being screened for colorectal cancer.

Shake it off

A wet pigeon shakes off rainwater during a downpour at a city park in Roseburg, Ore., on Thursday, March 15, 2012. As is typical in the Pacific Northwest this time of year, the area has recently been hit with a series of wet weather systems.

My photo on PETA website

One of my photos is on the PETA anti-fishing website. I actually love fishing, but they do make some points about overfishing, and the dangers of fish factories. I'm assuming they paid for use through my photo agency.  I'll know when I get my sales report next month.  The fish in the photo died from natural causes while spawning in a creek in western Oregon.

Cute chicks

A worker places a handful of newly arrived day-old chicks under a heat lamp at the Douglas County Farmers Co-Op in Roseburg, Ore., on Wednesday, March 14, 2012. During early spring, the co-op gets weekly shipments of chicks sent by overnight express from a hatchery in Texas.

A Rhode Island red chicks look out from a cage at the Douglas County Farmers Co-Op in Roseburg, Ore.

Banana slug on the move

 A large banana slug slimes its way through a rain soaked pasture on a farm near Roseburg, Ore., on Monday, March 12, 2012. The Pacific banana slug can grow up to 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) long. At full speed they can move 16.6 cm (6.5 inches) per minute.

A little clover snack.

It's my photo, via zumapress.com, in the Weekly Animals gallery on NYPost.com.  It looks like the slimy fellow is getting an early start on his St. Patrick's Day eating.

Songbirds beware

A domestic cat named Sweetie climbs in a crab apple tree while hunting for songbirds near a farmhouse in Oakland, Ore., on Saturday, March 10, 2012. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, domestic cats kill hundred of millions of migratory songbirds every year.

Steelhead fishing on the North Umpqua River

An angler fly fishes for steelhead on the North Umpqua River near Glide, Ore., on Friday, March 9, 2012 The North Umpqua River is recognized as one of the best steelhead fishing rivers in North America.  A 33.8 mile stretch of the river was designated as wild and scenic by the United States Congress in 1988.  In this area only fly fishing is allowed.

A bridge casts a shadow on the blue-green water of the North Umpqua River.

Bait casting is allowed below the wild and scenic section of the river.

Feeding Hawk

Perched on a utility line, a red-shouldered hawk feeds on a rodent along a highway near Roseburg, Ore., on Tuesday, March 6, 2012. About 75% of the red-tailed hawk's diet consists of rodents. They are also known to feed on other birds, reptiles, insects, and carrion. 

Shot with my 600mm f/4 and 1.4x teleconverter.  At the moment of the photo the hawk is getting ready to fly off to a nearby tree to finish eating his meal in peace. 

Water dog

A yellow Labrador retriever named "William" wades in a flooded plum orchard on a rural farm near Elkton, Ore. on Tuesday, March 6, 2012. Recent rains have soaked the area.

I got my feet wet on this one, but I think it was worth it.

Pacific tree frog video

Check out this little video I made of the singing Pacific tree frogs at a pond near my home in Oregon. When they're in full song the sound is amazing.

Newt Crossing

A rough-skinned newt pauses while crossing a country road near Elkton, Ore., on Saturday, March  3, 2012. The rough-skinned newt produces a particularly potent form of toxin.  It's been reported that one rough-skinned newt contains enough toxin to kill 17 people if it were to be evenly divided and eaten. The rough-skinned newt is found in primarily coastal areas of western North America from central California to Alaska.

Yes, I moved him/her to the side of the road after taking a few pictures.  Anyone who has been watching my blog for a while will notice I seem so shoot a lot of critters crossing this road.  It's just in my nature to look for creatures while I'm driving.  Maybe someday I'll get a shot of bigfoot on the road.

The newt stood perfectly still for about 3 minutes while I was shooting. Maybe he figured I wouldn't see him if he didn't move.

 My newt photo was picked up by msnbc.com for their weekly Animal Tracks gallery.

Studio photos on acrylic

One of my clients recently gave me a sheet of amazing reflective black acrylic. We hope to shoot some of their products on the material, but in the mean time I decided to try a test shoot with some of my son's toys.

 I'm a commercial, wedding, portrait, and nature photographer in Roseburg, Oregon.  I have a small studio in downtown, Roseburg.

 Check my website to see more of my work.