SUNFLOWERS

Path Valley in Pennsylvania has some beautiful farms and mountain backdrops. My earlier post showed how green it is this year. This past weekend there was an addition - a field of sunflowers near the Long-Vu hill. The bright mid-day sun brought out the colors. The shots came out nicely even though it wasn't the optimal time of day to take the photos.

HUMMINGBIRDS (AND AN ANGRY YELLOW JACKET!)

HUMMINGBIRDS (AND A YELLOW JACKET)

Fall is just around the corner and animals are getting ready. The male hummingbirds are gone, leaving the females to keep feeding before that fly south. I was enjoying taking pictures of the hummers flying into the feeder when something strange happened. One of the yellow jackets that were enjoying the feeder took great offense at sharing it. The yellow jacket started chasing the hummer away every time it tried to get back to the feeder. Here is a photo that captures one of their standoffs, along with some others of the hummingbirds. 

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS ARE BACK!!

The end of summer brings back high school football and with it the time-honored ritual of packing your stadium to cheer on the local team as they face the adversary from that other town. Rivalries form and increase the excitement and intensity of the atmosphere. Our local team had their first home game of the season last night in one of their toughest tests for the season. The Friday night lights were shining bright, the fans were energized, the players fighting hard. Then it came to half time and a thunderstorm decided to add its own lights! The second half had to be played this morning - I guess we can call that Saturday morning clouds.

A big benefit of being a sports photographer is the opportunity to be at field level with a closeup view of the action. You almost feel like you are part of the action. Clearly, the nuances of facial expressions are easier to see as are the shouts of the players to one another. Lots of excitement. Here are some shots from the game. (Support your local team!)