"Water Fog"...

Why is it that the heavier water is, the lighter it seems?
Water is fascinating to experience in its many shapes, forms and textures.

Photo # K01_7127bw2.
(c) Kelly Shipp

Oak Wild...

Most don't know that trees are among the largest organisms on our planet. Yet with over 60,000 species of trees, they can be individualistic. Notice the crazy-fun growth of the branches of this tree. The branches and limbs are all over the place, having fun in its own way. The leaves are lit by the sun setting on the horizon, as if popping like popcorn.
Enjoy trees while you have the chance.

Photo # IM5_6739bw
(c) Kelly Shipp.

Trees of Leaves...

 

"Trees of Leaves"

This is one of many from my leaf projects, where I seek out natural (undisturbed) arrangements of leaves that are appealing to me and have a strong, central leaf that resembles the tree it came from.
Hope you enjoy. Comments welcome.

Private property,Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # IM5_7132bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp

Porsche Carrera GT - sepia sketch...

I found it interesting how the lines and personality of the car design changes when color and other distractions are removed.  This supercar has a different personality in this simple, sepia sketch.

Photo # K01_3491_00001sepia.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"Big Flakes"...

Snow can be so mesmerizing. It seems the larger
the flakes, the quieter the snowfall becomes.


Photo # 1028_KS10316b.  February, 2010.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography

'Color and black-and-white"...

 This is the male Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus).

These chunky birds use their stout bills to eat seeds, fruit, and insects.  They spend most of their time out of sight, in the treetops. Their song isn't too different from the American robin.

Adult males are black-and-white birds with a brilliant red chevron extending from the black throat down the middle of the breast. Females and immatures are brown and heavily streaked, with a bold whitish stripe over the eye.

Photo # KS8_9263.  
Location: central Arkansas.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

 

 

Red-shouldered Hawk...

 Juvenile Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

This is a medium-sized hawk, even though it's in the Buteo genus which is usually the larger hawks. It's diet is very diverse, including small mammals, snakes, lizards, birds, crayfish, mice, large insects, and occasionally fish.  This particular bird was finding worms to eat.

Photo # KSA_0199bwc.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography

Eastern Meadowlark...

 Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna).
These birds are a treat to see up close and experience their song.

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, AR.
Photo # KSA_8530c.  
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography

"String Theory 3"...

Plants can be impressive how they grow. Some see this as chaos, but one physics definition of  chaos is a dynamical system that is extremely sensitive to its conditions. Nature created this chaos from order.

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas.
Photo # IM5_5285bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography

"Light Traffic"...

The dance of light, shadow and bird traffic play visual dances on the fresh snow.

Photo # IM5_6542bw7. February, 2021.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"Tan-striped"...

 

Running through the fresh snow, this White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) is the tan-striped morph. Notice the broad eyebrow, behind the eye, is tan, not white.

The White-throated Sparrow comes in two color forms: white-crowned and tan-crowned. The two forms are genetically determined, and they persist because individuals usually mate with a bird of the opposite morph. Males of both color types prefer females with white stripes, but both kinds of females prefer tan-striped males.

Photo # K02_3345_00001ac.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"Contrast and Shadow"...

For some, reeds and flowers come and go.  Yet, when you add snow and soft sunlight, you have an impressive mix of high contrast and soft shadows.  The sun was setting late afternoon but was softened by the high clouds of the oncoming winter storm. If you look closely, you can see the long, soft shadows of the reeds and flowers flowing to the left. It's not often that I'm able to mix high contrast, texture, and soft shadows into a single photograph.

Reeds and flowers, snow storm, February 2021.
Photo # IM5_6521asc.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography

"Paths of Change"...

Even though the water from these waterfalls all came from the same source, they each made their own path resulting in their own unique result in the world. The same applies to each of us. We may all come from the same DNA, but each of us has our own life experiences, based on our own paths in life, which shape our results in this world. Best wishes to your results as you find your own path.

Woolly Hollow State Park, Arkansas. January, 2012.
Photo # KS1_3158bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography

"Through the Trees"...

 

While creating some abstract work, I didn't notice the light coming from the other side of the trees until I viewed these results.

Forest, central Arkansas.
Photo # IM5_6198bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography

 

"Territory Dance"

This is my airbrush version of my photograph of two Great Blue Herons having a territory dispute at Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge.
I welcome feedback.


Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas. December, 2020.
Photo # K02_0916_00001bc_arbrc.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography

"Line of Sight"...

This pair of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) seem to be in each other's line of sight as they search the horizons for prey.

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas.
Photo # K02_2052_00001cbw.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

 

"Air Brakes"

A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) makes a semi-graceful landing on a frozen pond at Holla Bend NWR.

Photo # K02_0792_00001ac.
Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, AR.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography