"The elephant mosquito"...

 
There are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes worldwide, with only 180 in North America. One is the Toxorhynchites rutilus septentrionalis, also known as the elephant mosquito, is one of the largest species of mosquitoes. Their wingspan is half an inch with legs that can overlap a U.S. quarter. Their feeding behaviors make them strikingly different from a typical mosquito. Both adult males and females are strictly nectar-feeding and so they do not have a role in the transmission of pathogens to animals as in other mosquitoes. Instead, their larvae are predacious and could potentially help curb the spread of common diseases via vector mosquitoes. Scientists near Houston, Texas are raising these mosquito assassins as a tactic against the common disease-spreading mosquitoes.


Location: Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # F2505771_169.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Gas Stop"...

WestRock Landing, Lake Maumelle, Roland, Arkansas.
Photo # IM7_6184acbw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

Spots...

 "Spots"

Wild, white-tailed deer (fawn), central Arkansas.
Photo # K08_2604sqbw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Vine Simplicity"...

Pine forest, Lake Maumelle Wildlife Management Area, Arkansas.
Photo # IM7_6352bw2.
(c) Kelly Shipp

Tender Moments...

 Wild white-tailed deer and fawn, central Arkansas.

Using vintage Zeiss Jena 300mm lens at f/4.
Photo # F2505243cbwsb.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

The Dancer...

 "The Dancer"
I enjoy the creative process during portraits. This is a concept that I envisioned before a portrait session with Lilith. She was awesome.

Photo # F2504034-54_dancer3a.
(c) Kelly Shipp

Recent portrait session...

 From a recent portrait session with Lilith.

 

 

"Small Dreams"...

Small dreams are just as beautiful as large dreams.

Woolly Hollow State Park, Arkansas.
Photo # KS1_1347-9cbw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Flight plan and Flaps"...

So what does one do when a flock of snow geese are all flying toward you? From this perspective, it does look like chaos. One always asks, how do they keep from flying into each other?

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas, 2012.
Photo # KS2_6085_169.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

"Non-Hwy Fuel - part 1"...

Nature consumes a GasBoy fuel pump outside of what used to be the Carden Bottoms school.
Built in the 1930's, this school was located in Yell County, not far from Petit Jean Mountain.

Carden Bottoms, Yell County, Arkansas.
Photo # IMG_6202bw2
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Dogwood bloom - Light & Shadow"...

 "Dogwood bloom - Light & Shadow"

Photo # K01_2306bw.

 

"Where time stands still"...

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas.
Photo # IM3_7878cbw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Waterfall Stairway"...

 

..

..

Woolly Hollow State Park, Arkansas.  May, 2009.
Photo # 9525_KS10026-38abwcs.
(c) Kelly Shipp

Lines and Shapes...

 

"Lines and Shapes"

Automotive design, headlight assembly, Porsche.
Photo # K05_9049bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Dancing Trees"...

 "Dancing Trees"

When we're not watching, do the trees dance?

Conway, Ar.
Photo # IM7_5449bw2.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"A Trifecta"...

It's not often that I'm able to experience photographing multiple species while looking through the viewfinder.  
At first, my eye caught the white-tailed doe in the foreground, but on a refocus attempt I noticed the seven turkeys in the background. In the end, I was very captivated by the trees in the background. For me, they are just as much as the subject as the others.

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas.
Photo # K07_5719-20_169cfbw1.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Small Wonders of the Deep"...

The movement of water can be quite mesmerizing, especially over time. This small group of waterfalls create an interesting disturbance in the water.

Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # F2502723-36bws3.
(c) Kelly Shipp

Lightning through the Trees, 4/4/2025...

 Lightning through the Trees, 4/4/2025

Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # K07_76-77bw169.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Lightning through the Trees"...

Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # K07_7437-510.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Timeless"...

Here's another photograph I created from a recent portrait session with Melissa.

Photo # F2502092cbws2.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Trees and Ghosts I"...

There's something mesmerizing about the tree in the center. The branches seems to spin outward from the center. As I was carefully photographing this panorama, a Ring-billed Gull flew across my frame.

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas.
Photo # K07_5913-16c3bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Vintage Nikon"...

Here's a photograph I created from a recent portrait session with Melissa.  My intent was to give this a timeless feel, almost as if this were a vintage Nikon advertisement.  

Photo # K07_6189sepia169a.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

Lunar Eclipse, 2025

 Unfortunately, we had a very cloudy night for the eclipse, so I wasn't able to get sharp photos of the moon in the conditions.
Lunar eclipse on a cloudy night, March 2025.  This was just as totality began, as you can see the bright rim light at the top fading away.

Photo # F2502459c3.

 

 

"Stormy Skies"...

A nice lightning show over Conway, Arkansas.

March 13, 2025.
Photo # K07_7061-7165bc.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Ghosts of the Cotton Gin"...

This cotton gin was built in the 1930's by Dick Hunt. While some farmers waited for their cotton, they would buy a 'soda pop' and candy from Mr. Hunt's store. You could buy a hamburger and coke for thirty cents.

Spending quiet time here gives you the feeling of immense history and culture from another time. At times, you can almost feel the presence of what once was.

You can read more from my original post here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyshipp/17084631990/in/album-72157629764922331

Heber Springs, Arkansas
Photo # IMG_1988-92bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Snow backs"...

White-tailed deer pause as the snow begins to fall.  Mom (right) brings the kids out to experience the snow.

Central Arkansas.
Shot with vintage, manual focus Zeiss 300mm f/4.
Photo # F2500955cbws.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

"Tests of Time"...

Navajo Nation Reservation, Monument Valley, Arizona.
Photo # IM7_0811cbws.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Sunset Flight"...

Two Canadian Geese fly to their roost at sunset. I was fortunate that I they were comfortable flying over me. I had just photographed this scene and had turned my back to walk and I heard them 'talking' to me, so I turned and was able to capture just a few frames as they flew over.

Beaverfork Lake, Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # F2500911b.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Spires and Rain"...

For me, this photograph could easily be the epitome of what you can experience in Monument Valley. You see open landscapes, impressive rock spires, you see constant changes in weather, and dramatic lighting.


Navajo Nation Reservation, Monument Valley, Arizona.
Photo # IM6aa_0261bw_cpr.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Wild Entanglement"...

Something immediately pulled me toward this tree. The more I looked, the more I could see. What may first catch your attention is the abundance of tempting vines hanging all around this tree. The crazy, stark branches may also catch your attention, but what you may not notice right away is that this is actually three trees joined at the ground (or likely one root that split into three trees).

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas.
Photo # F2500521-3bwb.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Great catch reflected"...

A Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) catches a small fish on the Arkansas river. You can see the minimal disruption of the water until the fish was caught.


Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas.
Photo # K07_5924cbw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Circle of Life"...

Navajo Nation Reservation, Monument Valley, AZ.
Photo # IM7_0879bw2.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Lions of the Canyons"...

You'll see me stating this quite often in my photographs of the Antelope Canyons, "There are faces personified in almost everything I see. Even as I viewed this scene through my viewfinder, I could see multiple faces extending from the canyon walls."  It may take a few moments, but if you look at this photograph long enough, you'll see a male lion and his mane on the left side of this photograph (facing right), along with what could be another to the right facing forward.  The canyons are special and I'm glad some are protected.

Lower Antelope Canyon, AZ.
Photo # K04_3108bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Solitude"...

Winter fog settles behind this tree that has dropped most of it's leaves. The detail in the branches and remaining leaves of this tree has really set themselves off from the background of the fog on this winter landscape. If you look closely, you'll see a sand trap behind the tree with a fading flagstick on the green behind. I thought of many metaphors from this photograph including the 'seasons of golf', 'the quiet game', etc.  I'm sure you can think of your favorite interpretation as well. Hope you enjoy.

Fog, Hot Springs Country Club, Arkansas.
Photo # DSCF7864abws
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Family Time"...

A white-tailed deer (mom on far right) brings her kids to breakfast. Daughter is far left and son is center. It has been fun to photograph this family over the years.

Near Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # K07_5417-2a_16x9bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Taking Flight"...

A female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) takes flight during the snow storm.

Near Conway, Arkansas.
Photo # Kaa06_4284_16x9a.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Nature's Stick Figures"...

I found this composition of reeds and their reflections in a small pond very interesting.

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas.
Photo # K06_1392bwsq2.
(c) Kelly Shipp