Southern Lagniappe: Nature Photos

Showing posts with label Nature Photos. Show all posts

Saturday, January 17, 2015

My Father's World

This is my Father’s world,
And to my list’ning ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world;
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas—
His hand the wonders wrought.

Those beautiful words from one of my favorite hymns have been an inspiration to me as a photographer to look for and appreciate and try to capture God’s grace and beauty … whatever the season.

And even in the dead of winter, God's grace and beauty embrace us.

You can find them in bare tree limbs, their silhouettes gracefully framing a picturesque river scene.

In the bright GREENness of ivy growing in the wild …

And in coppery leaves, stubbornly clinging to a twisted tree on the side of a road.

The leaves of magnificent old southern magnolias are as shiny-bright as they were in the summer ...

Rustling overhead, defying winter's icy breezes ...

While their massive roots gently cradle fallen seed pods below ...

The branches of twisted and gnarled cedars are heavy with beautiful clusters of blue berries.

Wouldn't they be lovely in a winter bride's bouquet!

God's grace can also be heard in water cascading over a fall in a winding creek ...

And as it trickles around the rocks along the water's edge.

And ...

"In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,

He speaks to me everywhere."

I hope you find God's grace in whatever the winter brings your way, and remember that no matter how cold it gets, or how long the days seem ... the flowers of Spring are quietly sleeping beneath their blankets of snow and leaves ... patiently waiting for God's "wakeup call. "

I hope WE can wait as patiently!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Photography with a Southern Accent

I am sharing my photography blog today, which is called Photography with a Southern Accent.

If you click on the link, you can see a collection of random photographs I have captured through the years (please be patient, it may take the pictures a few seconds to load).

I'll be out roaming with my camera today, and hope to capture some new and interesting pictures to share next time. I hope you will join me.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

The Laws of Nature

As I was driving through a residential area of Vicksburg one day last week, I glimpsed something sitting on an electrical line that was suspended over a backyard. I did a double take, and had to stop and back up to be sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.

Sure enough — sitting on the electrical wire was this big, beautiful bird:

Right after I snapped that picture (with my zoom lens), he flew down into the yard, and I managed to get one more shot of him:

About that time, I noticed movement in a tree in the back yard, and was delighted to see this little guy perched on a limb of the tree, almost completely camouflaged by the branches:

Isn't he adorable — just look at that sweet face!

I was so excited, and wanted to get closer to him, but there was a chain link fence separating us, so I had to be content with the pictures I could capture with my zoom lens. I couldn't wait to get home to see the pictures on my computer so I could identify the birds. I could tell they were babies because they weren't very "skittish," especially the one in the tree.

After Googling "owls" and "hawks," I found that the best description fitting "my birds," was the one of a hawk called a Cooper's Hawk.

The habitats of Cooper's Hawks range from deep forests to leafy subdivisions and backyards, so that would fit the ones I saw — but I didn't care for the rest of the description, which read:

Among the bird world’s most skillful flyers, Cooper’s Hawks are common woodland hawks that tear through cluttered tree canopies in high speed pursuit of other birds. You’re most likely to see one prowling above a forest edge or field using just a few stiff wing beats followed by a glide. They are sometimes unwanted guests at bird feeders, looking for an easy meal (and that doesn't mean sunflower seeds, folks!).

I shudder at the thought of that sweet baby hawk stalking other birds, but "survival of the fittest" is one of Nature's most cruel laws — and, as the saying goes, "The bird hunting a locust is unaware of the hawk hunting him.”

So, as Miss Scarlett said, "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."

Friday, January 14, 2011

Winter's Hidden Beauty

When you think of winter landscapes, what is the first image that pops into your mind?

Something like this, right?

I took that picture last February, during a very rare snowfall here in Vicksburg, but our winter landscapes don't usually look like that. Instead, from mid-November through February, they look pretty much like this:

I know that, at a glance, it looks rather drab and depressing — but if you look a little closer, you will discover that there's a lot more to the landscape than there appears to be.

Hidden in and amongst all that "drabness" are berries ...

And tiny dried flowers that look like little stars ...

And all kinds of interesting grasses growing along the fence rows, which, I admit, do look drab — until you get a closer look.

And if you look past the fence rows into the woods beyond, you might see remnants of Autumn scattered amongst the trees.

If the winter landscape where you live isn't a picturesque snow-covered meadow or country lane, don't despair ... just look a little closer, and I'm sure you will discover, as I did, the beauty hidden within Nature's winter colors.