Rosewell UFO museum

A movie prop depicting an alien is on display at the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, New Mexico on Dec. 27, 2010.  Many UFO enthusiasts believe an alien spaceship crash landed on a ranch near Roswell in 1947. The UFO connection draws tourists to the small southern New Mexico town.

I think this little guy believed he was looking at the real deal.

Alien bottles for sale at a shop near the museum. 

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I also have prints of many of my animal and nature pictures available here.  

Favorite people pictures of 2010

I'm wishing a great big "Happy New Year" to all of the wonderful people who let me into their lives to take pictures in 2010. 

Favorite nature photos of 2010

2010 was a huge.  I left my comfortable life as a newspaper photographer and started up a small photo studio in Roseburg, After 19 years as a photojournalist at newspapers in Oregon, Montana, and Pennsylvania I'm now my own boss.  My animal and nature photography is represented by Zuma Press.  I also offer limited edition prints directly from the studio.

In the spring I traveled to the Gulf of Mexico to cover the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

My photo on National Geographic website

Check out my photo on the National Geographic website. Sign up and vote for your favorite photo...http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/daily-dozen

New Mexico is so beautiful!  The light is amazing.

Christmas in New Mexico

 Snow fall in the Taos Plaza on Christmas Eve Eve.  Taos, New Mexico was settled by Spanish settlers in 1616.  The plaza is a popular tourist destination with many art galleries and shops.

I'm on vacation in  New Mexico with my family. 

Sometimes I like to see the world in black and white.

Taos Pueblo

 I visited the Taos Pueblo in Taos, NM today.  The pueblo is considered the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States and is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The pueblo is considered the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States and is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Wood crosses and the ruins of the original San Geronimo Church stand in the graveyard at the Taos Pueblo. The church was build around 1619.

Photo Safari

An emu takes a close look at a car driving through the Wildlife Safari wildlife park in Winston, Ore., on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010.  The park features a drive-thru area with hundreds of free roaming animals.  I love shooting at Wildlife Safari.   I always seem to come away with a couple of fun critter pictures

A captive western screech owl looks out of an enclosure  at the Wildlife Safari wildlife park in Winston, Ore., on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010.

Zuma Press year in pictures

Check out the Zuma Press 2010 Year in Pictures.  Amazing work.  They use one of my photos from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Christmas photo booth

We had a great time with the photo booth at the Toys for Tots toy drive at the Manor House in Roseburg last night.  My new holiday backdrop worked great. The portable and open photobooth makes a fantastic addition to any special event.  Check my website for rates.

My son Alex goofs with Santa

Some subjects seemed unsure of Santa and needed a bit of encouragement.

Santa photo booth

I'll have my photo booth set up for pictures with Santa at the Manor House (3400 NW Edenbower Blvd) in Roseburg from 5-7 p.m. tonight. Free pictures if you bring a toy for Toys for Tots. Sadly, I won't be portraying Santa.

Spawning salmon

A wild Oregon coast coho salmon swims upstream while spawning in a creek near Glide, Ore., on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010.   The salmon, which are near death after their journey to the small creek from the Pacific Ocean, will spawn and die.

I don't have an underwater camera, so I used a submerged aquarium to get this shot. The water was a bit cloudy, so I didn't get many usable photos under water.

 I met a fisheries biologist a few days ago who told me about the spawning coho salmon.   Some of the fish were very near death but their spawning instinct was still strong.

A salmon sends up a rooster tail as it heads upstream.

With shredded fins and near death, a salmon rests in a shallow area of the creek. 

Nice to meet you

A small creek rushes down a mossy hillside to meet the North Umpqua River near Glide, Ore., on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010.  Nikon D3s, .3 sec., f/22, Nikon 80-200mm lens at 200mm. Check out more of my nature photos here.

Making waves

Small waves create an interesting pattern on a pond in Roseburg, Ore., on Monday, Dec. 6, 2010.  Check out more of my animal and nature pictures here.  Prints are available from the online gallery or from the studio.