Best Pictures

I'm working on a new presentation.  The leader of a group that's invited me to share my stories and pictures of the Bucky statues on parade; covered bridges in the upper Midwest; and lighthouses asked if I had something else.  

She suggested it would be nice to see my favorite or best photographs and the stories associated with them.  I thought it was an interesting idea and agreed to share them this fall.

As a regular, or occasional reader, of this space, I need your help.  You might have favorites, and if you do, I hope you'll share what it is or what you remember about them.

I don't expect you to remember what day the blog appeared; I hope your description will narrow the search.  Keep in mind you can search the blog's labels, dates, or simply type in a word in the search box at the top of the page; then leave a comment below.

Here are a few I consider my best:

Doe and fawn cross White River, Noblesville, Indiana. 7/30/2011 dwm photo

I was taking pictures of Potter's Bridge in Noblesville, Indiana and went downstream a ways for a different angle of the bridge.  I was almost in the water, a dozen feet off the trail with camera in hand when I heard a splash.  When I turned, mother and child showed no sign of fear and kept walking.

A year earlier, we were at a park.  From a distance I noticed flashes of yellow and investigated.  There was a Tiger Swallowtail feasting on thistle in full bloom.  It allowed me to take photos for more than five minutes, sometimes from six inches away.

A Tiger Swallowtail butterfly at Eagle Creek Park, Indianapolis, IN. 8/14/2010 dwm photo

Whether it's a chance encounter with a deer, butterfly, or bridge; the biggest factor in great photography is timing.  June 10, 2010 we were driving around Putnam County taking pictures of their nine covered bridges.  

It was late in the afternoon when we got to the Rolling Stone bridge.  Just after 4:30 I walked inside.  It was exactly the right time as sunshine streamed in between the boards.

Rolling Stone Covered Bridge, Putnam County, Indiana.  6/6/2010 dwm photo

I've collected more than 100 covered bridges and 100 lighthouses over the last dozen years.  There are quite a few I like.

The most spectacular lighthouse I've seen is Split Rock on Minnesota's North Shore.  The men who built in the 20th century deserve the credit for this picture, I just took it.

Split Rock Lighthouse, Minnesota.  8/25/2021 dwm photo

Since we moved to Madison in 2012, two things became regular trips in a quest for a picture that has everything I look for in a shot.

One was the field of sunflowers at the Pope Farm Conservancy.  It became a victim of its own success as local roads couldn't handle the thousands of fans who came to enjoy a field of sunshine.  The flowers aren't planted there anymore.

 You can't help but smile when you encounter a field of sunflowers. Pope Farm Conservancy 8/16/17

The other is a journey during the coldest months of winter because that's when it's easiest to see Bald Eagles flying around the Prairie du Sac hydro-electric dam.  I lucked into a nice one in 2014 but the best shot yet came earlier this year.

 This is my luckiest and best photo, ever. 1/8/2022 dwm photo

I hope to gather two to three dozen pictures in a variety of categories before I put it together.  Your ideas are welcome and appreciated.