The buzz, buzz, buzzing

A honey bee feeds on a dandelion flower growing in a pasture near Roseburg, Ore., on Thursday, March 31, 2011.  According to the United States Department of Agriculture, honey bees in the U.S. and Europe are facing a crisis. Symptoms that have been grouped together into what is called colony collapse disorder have caused beekeepers to lose 34% of their bee populations in 2010.  Researchers now believe bees have been weakened by a combination of long know factors, including parasites, viral diseases, and exposure to pesticides. 

 Check out my bee photo on Zuma Press Pictures of the Day.

Spring showers...

bring April flowers...a few days early. Fallen petals blanket the ground under flowing trees at River Forks Park on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 near Roseburg, Ore.

Wacky sandwiches

I had a yummy time making wacky sandwiches in my studio today.

Shot on spec and for stock use.

I think this is my favorite. It was going to be a lion, but it turned out looking more like one of our house cats.

By the end of the day some of the early creations were starting to wilt, but they look pretty nice all together.

It's the climb

Ribbit. Ribbit. My frog photo is in the Animal Tracks gallery on msnbc.com this week.

Rain, rain, rain

 Seems like it's been raining everyday for about three months.  The creeks, moss, and frogs love the moisture, but I could use some sunny weather.  My boots never seem to dry out this time of year.

A seasonal creek rushes down a mossy hillside in a forested area near our home in southwest Oregon on Sunday, March 27, 2011.

Being green

A one-inch-long Pacific tree frog climbs in grass near a pond on a rural farm near Oakland, Ore., on Saturday, March 26, 2011. Pacific tree frogs, which are also known as the Pacific chorus frogs, are the most common frog on the west coast of North America.

My closeup lens is stuck it the wide open position. I can still use it, but the depth of field (the amount in focus) is very shallow. Only a very narrow strip of the frog's eye and face is in focus.  It actually looks nice, but I need to get a  new lens. I purchased the broken one on eBay a few years ago.  It's about 25 years old and not worth fixing.

Eco-photos of the week

One of my photos from the gas station assignment in Yoncalla, Ore., made it into the Mother Nature Network Eco Photos of the Week gallery.  They picked it up from Zuma Press. 

 The Wall Street Journal also used one of the photos from Yoncalla in a story about words like OMG being added the the Oxford English Dictionary.

OMG! You won't believe the @#! gas prices in Oregon

Marell Grable, left, watches as attendant Brian Lengstorf gasses up his 1982 Ford pickup in Yoncalla, Ore., on Wed., March 23, 2011. The pricing sign at Jeremy McDaniel's gas station reads "OMG" and "@#!" .  Station owner McDaniel put up the joke prices after the recent spike in gas and diesel prices.  The sign also recently had the prices of "arm" and "leg".  The pickup took $128 worth of gas. 

Branding day

I spent the morning documenting branding day at a local family owned Angus ranch.

The family has been ranching on the same piece of land for four generations. Working together like a well oiled machine, the family moved their stock through the branding process.

Father and daughter work together to brand a steer.

Take your medicine little steer.

Having nice nails doesn't effect work with the branding iron.

The ranch dogs wait patiently till their herding services are needed.

Super Perigee Moon Over Rural Oregon

A perigee moon hangs in a cloudy sky over our farm in rural Douglas County near Elkton . The perigee moon appears large because it is at the closest point in the orbit's ellipse to the Earth.

I was setup to capture moonrise, but the clouds were thick in the east. Photos shot with long exposures on the cloudy night.

Zuma Press used one of my moon photos in their Pictures of the Day Gallery. 

I'm ready for my closeup

We seem to grow giant happy banana slugs here in Oregon. I found this slimy fellow today.

 The large air-breathing Pacific banana slugs are found in the Pacific coastal area of North America from Northern California to Alaska. They are the second largest land slugs in the world and grow up to 9.8 inches long.

Pictures of the day

Zuma Press used my crazy turkey chick photo in the Pictures of the Day gallery. I love the mixed light in this photo.

Raindrops keep falling on my shed

ALWAYS DRIP-DRY YOU WOOLENS: A sheep naps while keeping dry in a shelter during a rain shower  on a small farm near Roseburg, Ore., on Wed., March 16, 2011.

Cute and fluffy

Days old baby chicks wait to be sold at the Douglas County Farmers Co-op in Roseburg. The young chickens are sent via the United States Postal Service to the Oregon farm supply store from a hatchery in Texas.

The co-op has a waiting list for chicks.

Some of the chicks, which are not reserved, are on display under heating lamps in large metal tanks.

Oregon tsunami warning

A pickup drives near the beach in the community of Winchester Bay, Ore., during the tsunami warning issued on Friday, March 11, 2011. The area escaped any damage from the tsunami spawned by the massive Japanese earthquake. My photos are represented by Zuma Press.

The roads leading to the beach and some of the sand dune areas were closed due to the tsunami warning.

From a bluff near the Umpqua River lighthouse Josh Harms, Ryan Jobanek, and Brian Nelson look out as waves crash on shore.  The three were waiting for the tsunami warning to be lifted so they could ride their 4-wheelers in the dunes below.

A warning sign along Highway 101 in Winchester Bay.

A United States Coast Guard surf rescue boat enters the mouth of the Umpqua River near the community of Winchester Bay along the southern Oregon coast.  The boat was heading back to port after the danger of the tsunami had passed. A  tsunami warning was issued for the area following the Japanese earthquake.

Roseburg (and beyond) wedding photographer

I'm a wedding photographer based in Roseburg, Ore. With over 15 years experience as a photojournalist, I'll tell the story of your wedding day with my award winning style. Wedding photography packages start at $1100.  Check my website to see more. I still have plenty of dates available for spring, summer, and fall 2011.

Roseburg senior portraits

Now is a great time to book your senior portrait.  I'm available for senior portraits in Roseburg, Sutherlin, Glide, Canyonville, South Umpqua, or any town in or around Douglas County.  Travel fees may apply. Sitting fees start at $49 with print packages and online galleries starting at $69. Sessions available in studio and on location.  Check my website to see more samples of my style.

Sitting pretty

I found these lovely female red winged blackbirds on their pointed perch in a blackberry thicket near Roseburg, Ore., this morning.  They lack the flair of their mates, but they're still beautiful. The more colorful males were being shy and are just starting to set up their territories. Maybe I'll go back in a month or so to see the show.

Click here to see more of my animal and nature pictures. Reprints are available from the gallery. Click here to see my wedding, portrait, and commercial work.

Gas prices

The gas prices seemed a little high at the Jeremy McDaniel Auto Repair station in Yoncall, Ore., this morning.

Zuma Press used one of my gas price photos in their Pictures of the Day gallery. It's the picture just before Ben Affleck.

The Telegraph in the UK also used on of my gas price photos in their Pictures of the Day gallery.  They picked it up from Rex Features which is a partner with Zuma Press in the UK.

River otter

A spotted a pair of otters feeding along the shore of Ben Irving Reservoir near Tenmile, Ore., this morning.  I was kind of excited because I've only seen a few otters in the wild.  They swam off out of range before I could get a better photo. Maybe I'll go back and try again.