"Morning Fog"...

Central Arkansas.
Photo # DSCF6889sqbw.

"Canopy Puzzle"...

Leaves in the trees with sunlight peeking through.
Trees in forest, Dancing Rabbit Trail,
Crowley's Ridge State Park, Arkansas.
Photo # IM7_3712bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

Red-winged Chaos...

What mere mortals may assume as chaos, these red-winged blackbirds actually have organized flight patterns, despite how this slow exposure photograph represents these winged creatures in flight.

Red-winged Blackbirds.
Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas.
Photo # KSA_6162.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Madison County Mandolins"...

This is another from my series of Paul V. from Madison County.
In this photograph, Paul V. is holding a hand-made Mandolin that he is making from a turtle shell. He has a number of these hand-made instrument projects around his shop.  I really like the natural light that's coming from his shop windows.

Paul V.
Madison County, Arkansas.
Photo # K03_3435cbw_sq.

"Nowata Church of God in Christ"...

 "Nowata Church of God in Christ"

As most of you know, I have a passion for photographing old homesteads, places, churches, schools, etc.  I hope to photograph them before they fall victim to the weather or other reasons.
This church was built around 1915 and abandoned around 1999.  It was constructed as the Second Missionary Baptist Church for the growing African American community in Nowata.  Over the years, the church has changed names.

I was able to speak with those who went to church there as kids and also own adjacent property. They had hoped to have saved the church once it was abandoned, but it's too far gone now.

Nowata, Oklahoma.
Photo # IM7_4248-56bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp.

"High Noon Harvest"...

The juxtaposition of the tree line (with cattle) and the lone tree on the right seemed to balance the photograph with the truck between them.  If the truck could talk...

1960's International Harvester BC-170 Truck.
Photo # IM7_4285-89bwm2.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Variety of Passion"...

The Gulf fritillary or passion butterfly is a striking, medium-sized butterfly. I was fortunate to get to photograph several of these over a long period recently, and I have the sunburn to prove it. (ha)
With many attempts, including this one, I tried to capture each side of the wings in a single frame, so you can easily see how stunning it is on both the dorsal (top) view and ventral (underside) view. The top view is a deep orange with black streaks, with the underside an amazing mix of colors and white spots. The top view has many cool facets that I will explain in more detail on future photographs, where I have captured more awesome detail.

Gulf fritillary (Dione vanillae).
Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas.
Photo # DSCF5980c16x9.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Nature's Pathways"...

I like how these trees seem to create a fork in the path, as if there's a path to the right that is inviting, but also that begs the question, what about left?

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas.
Photo # DSCF5785bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"The Queen"...

The Queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) is a stunning creature. If you can catch the sunlight on their wings, they become a spectacular deep orange. The white spots are mesmerizing as you look more closely. It's always a treat to photograph these creatures.

The Queen is a moderately large butterfly, with an average wingspan of approx. 3.2 inches. It is easily distinguishable from its relative the monarch by its darker brown ground color, and lack of stripes decorating the wings. It possesses a very tough and flexible chitinous exoskeleton, unlike most other butterflies. I'll be sharing more photos that depict this detail.

Taxonomy: The Queen is a member of the genus Danaus, which includes D. plexippus (monarch) and D. eresimus (soldier). It is of the family Nymphalidae of the order Lepidoptera. There are as many as eleven subspecies recognized.

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas.
Photo # K05_7851_16x9c.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Nature's Mix of Leaves"...

Trees in forest, Dancing Rabbit Trail,
Crowley's Ridge State Park, Arkansas.
Photo # IM7_3792bwb.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Cadron Dreams"...

There's just something about the trees in this park. They each have their own place in the landscape, as if they have their own message and story to tell.

Cadron Settlement Park is a 150-acre park maintained by the City of Conway, but owned by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. Cadron Settlement Park is 99 miles by water from Indian Territory, the end of the Trail of Tears Water Route.

Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # P1030403bw16x9m.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Pastel Sunsets"...

Enjoying sunsets doesn't always have to be focused solely on the sun setting. Dusk provides such a wonderful time of mix of atmospheric colors. On this particular evening, a rainstorm was moving in from the South (left) as the sun was setting in the West (right). The mix of cloud layers provides a deep sky of pastels. Hope you enjoy.

Color hues from this photographic may vary based on your monitor display.
View from historic Cadron Settlement Park, Conway, Arkansas. Arkansas River in the foreground.
Photo # DSCF5654-56.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Big Colors, Small World"...

There are times, I really slow down and study just a small section of nature in the woods. This photograph represents such a treat of colors in such a small space. You can see the green grasshopper near the center.  
Hope you enjoy.

Forest floor, central Arkansas.
Photo # K05_6445c.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Tiny Wonder"

This is the Sulphur Bee fly (Poecilognathus sulphureus). This is a tiny fly that resembles a bee, but only has one set of wings. It's only about 4mm (5/32") in size. It's color and transparent wings are what attracts me to photograph it so often.

Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # K05_6517-20c.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Canyon Pathways"...

Lower Antelope Canyon, AZ.
Photo # K04_3324bws_sq.
(c) Kelly Shipp

Celestial company...

 "Full Moon and Saturn"
August 21, 2024.

Photo # K05_6392_6404.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Awareness and Patience"...

Life passes us by. We should stop and enjoy life more, but we should also be more patient. If we don't take that extra moment, we might miss something really special.
A fox squirrel looking across a field, unaware a butterfly is doing a fly-by behind him.

Photo # KS9_9955.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

"Afternoon Stroll"...

Two white-tailed bucks enjoying an afternoon stroll.

Near Conway, Arkansas
Photo # K05_4360_16x9bws2.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Post and Halo"...

 "Post and Halo"

Sometimes nature can surprise us, showing us something that we've never seen or experienced.  While driving through Kayenta, Arizona, I experienced a very brief snow storm at sunset, while the sun was shining. My experience first wanted to photograph into the sunset to capture the wonderful highlights of snow and sleet glistening in the setting sun, but as I spun around, I saw something unexpected. There was a strong, centralized illuminance of light just beyond this fence nearby.

You can see an interesting, tall tree trunk was being used as a fence post. If you look closely, you can also see brief, dark, vertical streaks near center, where the snow was captured as it fell during exposure. Another interesting observation of the light 'phenomenon', is how it almost resembles the shape of the bush in the foreground, almost as if it were bursting up from the ground as well. Slight underexposure accentuates the disparity of light in the storm near the area I was standing. This was photographed in the infrared light spectrum, which often provides views that our eyes cannot see in the visible light spectrum.

Was something being presented to me? Was this a updraft of wind during the midst of a snow at sunset? Was Mother Nature wanting to show-off her creative weather talents? Questions...


Kayenta is the only "township" existing under the laws of the Navajo Nation.
Kayenta, Arizona, February 2024.
Photo # IM7aa_0068-71bwg.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Bridal Veil Falls"...

Heber Springs, Arkansas. Spring, 2024.
Photo # K04_6991-7001cbw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Mushroom Shield"...

With all the rain and humidity lately, I've had opportunities abound to photograph many varieties of mushrooms. This set of mushrooms caught my eye with all of the texture, shapes and juxtaposition.

Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # DSCF4240-44qbwg.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Bell of Mushrooms"...

"Bell of Mushrooms"

When it rains in the summer, mushrooms abound. This one caught my attention with the wonderful, muted colors.

Photo # DSCF3790asq.
(c) Kelly Shipp

White-tailed fawn...

 White-tailed fawn enjoying a peaceful summer day.

Central Arkansas.
Photo # K05_3480sqbwsg.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

"Brothers", Study 1...

Here's one of multiple sequences of photographing these brothers sharing an afternoon grazing.
This is one of my favorites of the time spent with them so far.

White-tailed deer in a forest, central Arkansas.
Photo # K05_3262sqbwbs.
(c) Kelly Shipp
 

 

"Siblings"...

 "Siblings"

This is another from a series I've been working on. Hope you enjoy.

Photo # 0621_P1030069.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Special Moments"...

Occasionally, one is able to experience a moment in nature and you have one second to capture it. This was one of those special moments. I only have this one frame where the fawn greets her mother. The mother has twins, the other fawn was out of frame.

Near Conway, Arkansas.
Photo #K05_2894cbwsq2b.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Asia for a Day"...

This Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communis) is a herbaceous annual plant in the dayflower family. It gets its name because the blooms last for only one day. It is native throughout much of East Asia and northern parts of Southeast Asia. In China it is used as a medicinal herb with febrifugal, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and diuretic effects. Additionally, it is also used for treating sore throats and tonsillitis. Recent pharmacological investigations have revealed that the Asiatic dayflower contains at least five active compounds.
I was surprised to find these growing wild near my home in Conway.

Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # DSCF1555-58.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Flower Mystery"...

Here's another from my wildflower series that I've been photographing lately.
This one is rather mysterious that the out-of-focus flower blooms in the background look more like fog in black-and-white.
The small insect is the tiny Bee Fly (Diptera-Bombyliidae-Poecilognathus).


Forest floor near Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # DSCF0171-3bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Angelic Bloom"...

This is the Butterfly Pea (Clitoria mariana), which displays lavender-pink, pea-like flowers. It may be one of the most interesting and beautiful ivy blooms I have ever seen in the wild in Arkansas. It is a dense, evergreen, perennial twining vine in the pea family that is native to the southeastern United States. It's mainly a ground ivy, not climbing and I have often found it mixed with poison ivy, which is likely why I have just now discovered it - not one to hike in/around poison ivy. It is capable of fixing nitrogen in the soil.

I'll post a color photo soon. I wanted to show how stunning it is in black-and-white form first.
Forest floor near Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # DSCF1041-91c2bws2a.
(c) Kelly Shipp

Wildflowers...

 Wildflowers, Study 2.

Forest floor, near Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # K05_1937-48bw
(c) Kelly Shipp

Soft Light...

 "Soft Light"

Photo # P1030020bw.

 

"Something In The Air"...

A white-tailed buck pauses to smell the air.

Central Arkansas.
Photo # K05_2013cbw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Where Acorns Rule"...

When early summer approaches, I seek out micro worlds involving mushrooms. Surprisingly, there are approximately 14,000 species of mushrooms. I took my time and searched for several hours to find this scene. Rain was about to begin and mosquitos were swarming all over me. I had to pause every few minutes to pull them away from this scene. Nothing was contrived in this scene, the acorns were actually where you see them in front of this tiny mushroom. I could have moved elements, but I wanted the scene be to captured as nature wanted it.
Hope you enjoy.

Forest floor, near Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # DSCF3647_BR8S4a.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Landing in Another World"...

The temperature was about 20 degrees when I arrived before sunrise. It was as if I had landed in another world.  After creating a few photographs of the sunrise, I turned around to see my own shadow (and tripod), so I captured that moment.

Monument Valley floor.
Navajo Nation Reservation, Monument Valley, Arizona.
Photo # IM7_0344-46bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Water Expressions"...

A fast-flowing stream creates a visual perspective on how the water dances with the light.
I had a special guest also enjoying the flow of water. A damselfly is watching from a perch on the tree.

Woolly Hollow State Park, Arkansas.
Photo # DSCF1473bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Being Yourself"...

Lightning Bugs (Fireflies), as they are often referred to, are dancing mid-air at the edge of a forest in central Arkansas. You'll want to view this full-screen to see them better.

Central Arkansas.
Photo # DSCF1633-2441.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Love Roots"...

There are times when you're out in nature and you come across an interesting shape. These roots display an interesting heart shape.

Woolly Hollow State Park, Arkansas.
Photo # IM7_3117-22bbw2.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Stunning Microburst"...

 

"Stunning Microburst"

I've been known as a storm chaser for many years but in this case, the storm was chasing me.  As I was driving around Utah, I kept seeing this storm in my rear view mirror. Finally, I decided to stop for a while and watch the storm approach. To my surprise, I witnessed an impressive microburst. A microburst is a localized column of sinking air (downdraft) within a thunderstorm, usually less than 3 miles in diameter. You can see this below the cloud, almost appearing as a mushroom shape.

Bluff, Utah.
Photo # IM7_2105-133cbw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Layers"...

A long road to somewhere.
Somewhere in Utah.

Photo # IM7_2089-90bw
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Lady in the Wind"...

 "Lady in the Wind", vertical

This vertical perspective provides you a visual of the height and depth of the space inside the canyon.

Lower Antelope Canyon, Page, AZ.
Photo # K04_3636.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Shadows and Sand"...

Sand on Monument Valley floor.

Navajo Nation Reservation, Monument Valley, AZ.
Photo # IM7_1258cbw2.
(c) Kelly Shipp

A daylily dream...

 "A Daylily Dream"

This micro view of a daylily really caught my eye as it appears to be exploding from the center. The further you stand from the photograph, the more pronounced it becomes.

Photo # DSCF0331-3sbw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Branches in Silhouette"...

Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # IM7_2636bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Eta Aquarids meteor"...

This years' Eta Aquarids meteor shower was a challenge due to all the rain and clouds during the shower peak.  Fortunately, I was able to capture one nice meteor on the peak date.  Hope you enjoy.  

Photo # K04_9771ac.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Another World"...

Canyons provide such an other-worldly perspective, it forces you to stop and wonder.

Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona.
Photo # IM6aa_0214bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

"The Grotto"...

The Grotto is a nice half-way oasis on the Seven Hollows Trail at Petit Jean State Park.
This trail is about 4.5 miles in length and forms a loop so you don't have to backtrack. Hiking during the wet season is the best time to experience nice streams along the way, as well as a nice waterfall at the grotto. I've hiked this trail several hundred times over the past 30+ years.


Photo # K04_9326bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Distance in Perspective"...

This is another perspective of the popular scene in the movie "Forrest Gump". Not only do you get the feel for the open distance of the highway, but you also get a feel for the wide expanse of Monument Valley.

Route 163, Near Monument Valley, Arizona.
Photo # IM7_0989-92bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Ear of the Wind"...

Ear of the Wind is a 134-foot-tall arch located in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.
This photo, with people included, shows just how large this monument is. The reason you don’t see any pictures from the other side of the arch is that it isn’t visible; the arch opens upward, which is why it is called an ear.

Navajo Nation Reservation, Monument Valley, Arizona.
Photo # K04_4684-89h.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

"Solar Eclipse 2024"...

This is during the totality of the 2024 solar eclipse. This one was a longer exposure to capture more solar flares. If you look closely, you can also see solar flares at around 10:00, 4:00 and 6:00 (clock positions), with the largest at 6:00.
 
(c) Kelly Shipp
April 8, 2024. Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # K04_8424-8430c.

"Heavenly Beams"...

Clouds rolled in over central Ouachita Mountains on the day before Easter.
I've photographed many panoramas like this one, but I found the number of beams of light astonishing on this day.
Even on the cloudiest day, the light from the sun can easily be as beautiful as a sunny day.

Ouachita Mountains (central Arkansas; Mt. Nebo is just right of center of this panorama).
Photo # IM7_2479-2488bw3s.
(c) Kelly Shipp