Valentines Day with Orchids

What better way to celebrate your love for others than with orchids?   The Cleveland Botanical Gardens is currently hosting there annual orchid show:  Orchid Mania

Last weekend, the gardens were opened for photographers to come in and enjoy photographing the beautiful flowers with tripods.    This is an annual tradition for my camera and myself.   It is a treat to enjoy nature photography with color and a short sleeved shirt in February!!!

If you are in the Cleveland area, make sure to take the time to visit the gorgeous flowers.

Thawing Snow

This has been a roller coaster winter ride.   After a week of very cold and snowy conditions, mother nature gave us a massive thaw for a few days.    Temperatures well above freezing combined with rain and melting snow.

The combination of warm temperature and rain can form beautiful fog lifting from the melting snow on rivers.    A true breath of fresh air during a cold winter can really inspire the photographic eye.

While out enjoying the morning lifting fog, I was greeted by a timid coyote, a pack of deer and this handsome hawk in a near by tree.

I think this is a red tailed hawk.   Within the foggy trees, the atmosphere really allows the beautiful bird to stand out.    After capturing a few shots for myself, it decided to hunt elsewhere and flew off.

This allowed me to continue to enjoy the beautiful foggy morning in a flood plain near the river.