5th Anniversary

Here we are at the end of our 5th year of publishing our blog. In those 5 years we've never missed a week of posting. Currently we have over 5,560 photographs online and are seeing over 450 hits a day and have visitors from over 200 countries.

After our twins were born, I all but gave up on shooting because of the cost of film and the fact that I became a stay at home dad. But with the twins grown and the ability to shoot digital, these last 5 years have proved to be my most productive and the longest time I've ever spent on one project.

Titled Space Probe this first photograph started out as just a shot of snow in the yard on a sunny day.

Another shot of the snow, this time presented in black & white.

Even on a cloudy day this silk flower stands out and adds color to an otherwise ugly day.

I created this image from a photograph of Dr. Pat Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the DiSepio Institute for Rural Health and Wellness on the campus of Saint Francis University. Pat was conducting a tour during the Center's open house. She is in the small labyrinth meditation garden at the Center.

To get the next three photographs of the Black-capped Chickadee I used a camera setup on a tripod. I focus on the sunflower feeder and move the camera to the side so that we only see the bird flying towards it. A high shutter speed allows me to capture the wings fully extended by stopping the birds in motion. All of this action occurs in less time than a blink of an eye or the beat of your heart.

f8 1/4000 ISO 800 147mm

f8 1/2500 ISO 800 271mm

f8 1/4000 ISO 800 300mm

Trying to see the flight dynamics of the birds is the reason that I show so many bird pictures on the blog. This Red-bellied Woodpecker has just taken off from the suet feeder.

It's very seldom that I see the woodpeckers feeding on the ground. With the warmer temperatures over the last few days, the birds are now cleaning up the food that was dropped off the suet feeder and been covered up with each new snow fall.

There are two good ways to tell the Downy Woodpecker shown here from the Hairy Woodpecker. The first is size and the second is the black bars that you see on the tail of this female Downy. Hairy Woodpeckers lack the tail bars.

Almost hidden behind a room full of consignment furniture at the Duncansville Antique Depot I discovered a 1920's Dixon Truck. Due to all of the junk stacked near it I was only able to get a few decent shots.

Minnie Mouse

Originally a photograph of a cheap plastic disco ball. I used PhotoShop to add a little more interest to the shot.



You'll only see this in Cambria County, PA along old Route 22 near Cresson.

I spotted this Corman Railroad engine sitting on a siding about a mile west of Cresson along Old Route 22.