California Canyon

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Just testing out Posterous.com and showcasing this photo. Enjoy!
Nathan T. Gross

Posted via web from Nathan's Posterous

Swainson's Hawks

This pair of Swainson's Hawks were perched and screeching for about 20 minutes; according to a colleague of mine, that indicates they had an eyas or fledging on the ground. Swainson's Hawks are also known as Grasshopper Hawks or Locust Hawks because their diet is not limited to small rodents but includes grasshoppers and dragonflies; this could would explain why they stayed for about a week, there is a large dragonfly population across the road from where they roosted.
The dark coloring of the male is unusual when compared with the majority of Swainson's Hawks.

Lightning!

I was lucky with my first roll of film of lightning, I took four shots that I have yet to duplicate, Check out my gallery for all the photos.

Fortunately, I never have been struck even though I tempt fate standing on open ground with a five foot metal tripod.
Contrary to popular speculation, lightning is extremely simple to capture on camera. You do not need a fast finger, all you need is a tripod and a camera that has a "bulb" setting or can be adjusted to keep shutter open for at least 10 seconds.
I like to leave the shutter open for about 30 seconds and adjust the aperture down if there is a lot of ambient light. I take a few test shots and point the camera towards wherever I think there will be lightning, release the shutter and then wait for lightning to strike.

Tiny Snake

I found this snake slithering into a hole on the riverbank, I caught it and told it that I needed a picture then set it down and I got one shot. The Western Terrestrial Garter Snake went into the nearby river then it warily watched me as I finished with the photos. In these photos the snake is about life size, if it was stretched out it might be six inches long.

A friend of mine suggested the snake looked like a pirate with the spot of green covering its eye.

Rainbow over Provo, Utah

A friend of mine requested this photo, I was happy to oblige and I think it turned into a rather nice scene.

Dragonflies, Damselflies and Spiders

I have taken a few pictures of spiders, so if you do not like spiders, I don't recommend my Bugs Gallery.

I recently found out the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly. For a long time I thought damselflies were young dragonflies.
Dragonflies are typically larger than damselflies and when resting keep their wings out to the side or pointed forward. Damselflies keep their wings back along their bodies and their eyes are clearly separated.

Old Photos

I was rummaging in my old film collection and came across some of my forgotten favorites. I hope you like them, if you want to see more check out this gallery.

This photo was taken on the north end of Mount Timpanogos. I really like this photo for the simplicity; its uncomplicated letting you wonder what's out there.

I was on vacation with my family near San Diego around Christmas 2005. This photo reminds me of an aerial photograph, perhaps of a Martian landscape.

This is one of my first "artistic" photos. No analysis, I just like it.

If you look closely this photo is actually upside down. I had to be patient with kids and coins making ripples but it was worth the wait.

Family Photos

I finally took some Family Photos!

I'm currently running a Family Portraits Special
Let me know what you think. Thanks!

Hiking

My wife and I went hiking yesterday, we started at the Kiwanis Park in Pleasant Grove.
The trail was more challenging than I remembered but worth the exertion. There were a few close calls involving a child and the river but we arrived at the waterfall intact.

I enjoy hiking because you see places where I would not normally go. Hiking reminds me why I take photographs, to show people how something as common as a leaf can be unique. For instance rain, everyone sees the rain and the mud but a closer inspection reveals an entirely different experience. While hiking I see new landscapes or views I've see before but have changed. Every moment is unique, I just try to capture the best ones.

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Enjoy!

Lacrosse

The Orem High School Lacrosse team recently won the State Championship. If was an awesome game, Orem played Skyview and the final score was 15 to 9. Here is the link to the complete photo gallery for the game: Lacrosse Photos

Update: I removed the lacrosse gallery and replaced it with various ports photos.