az | kritterspix

Grand Canyon: North Rim

Posted on August 8, 2016August 8, 2016 by kritterspaw

Grand Canyon has been on my mind. I wrote a blog about the exciting new publication of my friend, Dave’s new book, A Year in the Grand Canyon…. https://kritterspaw.com

It reminded me of our own trip with Dave to the Grand Canyon, and camping at Crazy Jug Point, so I thought I would reminisce and resurrect some of my favorite pix.

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We were fortunate enough to benefit from Dave’s amazing knowledge of the Grand Canyon, as he shared his special spots with us and we chattered around the campfire.

It was a fantastic and memorable time. Hey, Dave… We should do it again! Can you fit us into your busy schedule?

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John and I often go out to the Mogollon Rim for dinner, sunsets, and in search of a bear. I would so love to get a photo of a bear. Little did we know when we sat down to dinner this evening we would get more than we bargained for…. dinner and entertainment.

For whatever reason, we decided to have dinner in our dining room. So here we were enjoying a lovely meal, chattering about our day, when we looked out our window and saw a bear on our front concrete pad. This ‘little guy’ was standing on two feet getting into our bird feeder. OMG! It’s a BEAR! He was maybe 30 feet from us. OMG! It’s a BEAR! Holy cow, errr BEAR!

We watched him (or her) from the comfort of our window until he just sauntered off toward our neighbor, where he again stood on two feet and got into their bird feeder. Finding them both empty he cruised down to our neighbor down the hill, hoping to find more success.

“Quick, call Pat! I’m grabbing my camera” … and with that I was chasing this bear through our neighborhood.

He didn’t go far. He found Pat’s feeding trough just right as he lied in it and wallowed, shoveling food into his mouth.

These pix aren’t going to win any awards, but OMG! It’s a BEAR!

Elk babies

Posted on July 8, 2016July 8, 2016 by kritterspaw

I’m thrilled to report… the elk babies are back! It’s that time of year. Here on the mountain June / July brings babies. Baby chipmunks, bunnies, wood ducks, heron’s, fawns, and elk. If we’re lucky we get a glimpse of them.

On days that I get to see these beautiful animals and witness nature at its finest, it’s a GREAT day! I feel so very fortunate to live in amongst these many animals… and be able to have such great photography fodor. I just hope I can do them justice.

Rim Pix

Posted on May 23, 2016May 23, 2016 by kritterspaw

We have been trying to capture the Mogollon Rim. While it is a drop dead gorgeous landscape, it is so vast it is hard to capture. But we’re determined to build a collection of photos that do it justice. So be prepared… this is not the first, nor will it be the last post on this topic.

It has so very many faces, both in terms of blue blue skies… and storm clouds on the horizon. It’s got gnarly trees and craggy ridge lines. It has endless personalities with tons of character.

For us, it’s our all time FAVORITE place to have dinner. I don’t know what it is, but we’ll pack up a dinner and head out to the rim… and the food always tastes better. The scenery is surreal and of course, the company always fantastic.

And when we’re lucky… we even get visitors (of the furry kind). Last week we saw a bear. Too far away to photo, but a bear nonetheless. For us… that was a thrill.

May Day Snow

Posted on May 6, 2016May 6, 2016 by kritterspaw

When I wrote about Snow showers in my kritterspaw blog (here), I thought it was our last snow storm of the year. Phoenix, 2 hours south has already seen 90F days. Well, in the week since then Phoenix has seen 100F days, the calendar has rolled over to May, and we got another snow storm. Much to the delight of our visiting San Diego friends, we were treated with a magical day on the rim of light snow, fog, and cool weather conditions. The weather made for interesting photos and a great day.

We managed to grab an opening in the snow fall to stop for a glorious picnic as we watched the snow melt off the trees like pouring rain.

As the fog rolled in, the weather just got more mysterious, and along with it the photographic opportunities.

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While you couldn’t see the rim well, it brought an otherworldly eeriness to our outing.

It truly was a magical day. So glad we were able to enjoy it, and share it with friends.

Tufted Red Squirrel

Posted on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016 by kritterspaw

redleapPS cropi.jpg We get a lot of squirrels and chipmunks. There are not unusual around here. But we get these tufted eared squirrel occasionally that are very striking looking. I originally thought that they are Kaibab squirrel, but Kaibab squirrels are known for being primarily in conifer forests in North Grand Canyon. So either these little guys are lost… or they are just garden variety tufted ear squirrels. Our visiting squirrel is likely a Abert’s Squirrel which is the variety found in South Grand Canyon.

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Either way, this little guy has gotten pretty comfortable here, and comes to visit occasionally. Whatever family they belong to, we’re happy to have them visit and pose for my photos. Smile, you’re on Kathy’s camera. :)

Whether to Weather

Posted on April 7, 2016April 7, 2016 by kritterspaw

My friend, Maureen, recently asked me which is better – gray skies or blue.

Hmmm. As in all things… it depends.

I love the dark clouds of an oncoming storm. It adds such great interest to a photo. Gray clouds are an entire different matter. They can create a washed out dull photo. In those situations it may be best to just cut the sky out of the photo altogether and enjoy the absence of a gray washed out sky.

Blue sky on the other hand can be very harsh and lend no interst to the sky… no drama or interest.

It’s as they always say … dawn & dusk are the best.

Those times yield the best low lighting on your subject casting a nice soft glow.

Weather can yield the best photos. Dark, bloomy clouds add depth. But if it’s just gray and overcast it can create a bad photo day. Watch for the weather. Embrace it, and take advantage of the weather… it often adds more than less.

Slot Canyons

Posted on April 6, 2016April 7, 2016 by kritterspaw

Slots canyons are a landscape that is reminiscent of the desert southwest. They are completely unique to Arizona / Utah area. It’s not like they are common in Florida or Maine. They are canyonesque shapes and textures that are unique unto themselves.

Here in Arizona they are common through the Indian Reservations… which unfortunately makes them expensive. But there are other less accessible places to enjoy them, though they do require knowledge, agility, and a hike to get there.

They also require, if you’re so inclined, finesse in capturing them photographically. Slot canyons are an illusive subject matter with their sandstone form and varying light. They represent an abstract challenge to capture visually.

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For me, they are difficult to capture. Maybe because I tend to photograph tangible subjects like wildlife and landscape. Photographing something abstract takes imagination. You must see the shapes, contours and contrasts without washing out the colors. It’s also technically difficult because the poor (dark) lighting conditions require a tripod … and a cloudy white balance setting promotes the orangey hue. Pity I don’t have more opportunity to practice.

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The Study of Elk

Posted on February 12, 2016February 12, 2016 by kritterspaw

As with anything we are passionate about, and aspire to do better, we must practice and study. Learning from masters in the trade that have come before us is a good way of learning. As such, I have been studying from my photography masters and reading their advice and wisdom. Joe McNally, as a photo journalist, cites the key is to capture ‘gestures’. Whether it’s in the expressions, the actions of the individuals, or the drama as it unfolds. No doubt, Joe didn’t have elk in mind when he offers this advice. But the same is true.

Just as ‘a picture tells a story’, so do the movements and expressions of my subject… and in this case, our elk. Their territorial nudges, tender nose kisses, or ‘banter’ between themselves all convey emotion and interest.

I’ve been fortunate enough to get a lot of elk photos… but with the astute advice of a photography master… my photos can become better, more poignant, and tell a better story.

Spring comes early

Posted on February 11, 2016February 11, 2016 by kritterspaw

We’ve only lived in the mountains with the snow for a few years (4 years this year). So we are still trying to figure out the weather patterns and such. I have no idea how you know when the snow is over, and Spring is on the way. But then neither do the weather forecasters.

We got our last snow just last week, on Groundhog Day of all things.

But since that snow, the animals have been coming out of hiding. We have seen deer and elk in the community, in the forest, and on the roads.

As I type this, I’m watching this little bunny hopping around our front yard looking for food. The chipmunks and squirrels are active… and the birds are coming back. The ground is alive with blue jays and the occasional yellow bird even.

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Yesterday we saw several wasps and bees make their first appearance.

We may have another dusting of snow still this winter… but it sure seems like the animals know something the rest of us don’t… Spring is coming.