northern arizona | kritterspix

Da Bear

Posted on August 7, 2017August 7, 2017 by kritterspaw

When we moved up north, I think we had seen a grand total of 2 bears in our entire life time in the wild… and those were pretty fleeting and far away (except that one in Alaska – OMG, but never mind that!).

Since we’ve moved here we have seen 5 bears on the rim alone, including that one we found getting into our bird feeder on our front deck as we looked out our dining room window while having dinner! But this one, we saw yesterday on the rim, was the biggest and best yet. He stood on a log and looked right at me, as the light lit up his side.

Awesome!

Best of 2016: Second Cut

Posted on March 24, 2017 by kritterspaw

My Best of 2016 post, posted ….here and Honorable mentions …here, have been such a huge hit they have even inspired a Best of 2016: Restaurants post … here.

Many have asked if these are your Best of 2016, what kind of photos didn’t make the cut? So, by popular demand… here are a few that didn’t make the ‘Best of’… the Second Cut, as I call them.

1. Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia

2. Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia

3. Cape Breton Eastern Shore, Nova Scotia

crwn clsPS_IR.jpg 4. Mt. Hood, Oregon

bodegarays cloPS.JPG 5. Bodega Bay, Northern California

mapldrop vertPSi.JPG

6. Fall on Mogollon Rim, Northern AZ

mosslog long2PSi.JPG 7. Maple Drop, Mogollon Rim

8. Burnt Art, Mogollon Rim AZ

9. Snow Burst, Happy Jack AZ

10. Toadstools, Utah

smoked treePSi.JPG 11. Smoked Tree, Mogollon Rim AZ

12. Harris Beach, Northern CA

13. Lake Powell, AZ

This is been such a fun exercise for me… it’s actually made me feel better about my photos.. so thanks for all the likes and comments. What I have found most interesting has been the differences in people’s taste. Some liked some of my Honorable Mentions better than my Top 10 picks… including my husband, who liked some of my Second Cut (didn’t even make Honorable Mentions) photos best. And that… is what makes it so difficult to choose ‘Best of’, because depending on your tastes or moods of the moment, one might pick different favorites.

Next up, I’ll collect a Best of Animals post to highlight all the amazing animals we saw in 2016.

If you didn’t see the original posts that this is a sequel to.. check them out here, here… AND here.

Feel free to choose your faves… I love to hear what people think. :)

Snow Animals – Continued

Posted on January 29, 2017 by kritterspaw

I’ve said it before, when it snows, the animals come out… and we love it.

We’ve had quite a few deer doe moms and babies… and an assortment of young bucks.

We’ve even had the occasional elk, who have been pretty elusive lately.

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.

sc dave clos_Ssi.JPG

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?

dave camps.JPG

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.

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.

red tree liei.JPG

red tree turni.JPG

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. :)

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.

j beam lookPSi.JPG

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.

owlfar hortPSPSi.JPG

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.

Antelope Canyon

Posted on October 22, 2015 by kritterspaw

Horseshoe Bend

We have been to Antelope Canyon Slot canyons maybe half a dozen times over the years. The first time we saw the beams of light and had the place virtually to ourselves… that was quite some time ago (decades). We have seen the crowds increase, but never such as we saw this past weekend.

Yikes! What a ZOOOOOOO. I would never go back. They pack so many people into the canyons that it’s just not fun. It’s bumper to bumper people, and you can hardly get a photo in. It’s a money factory… they pump through 400 people an hour in the short distance in Upper Antelope Canyon. We found it absolutely disgusting. It was on and off raining all weekend. We were fortunate enough to go during a reprieve from the rain. The next day it was driving rain… and they were loading up the buses come rain or shine… no matter that there would be no sunshine, decent photo opportunities, and miserable muddy conditions. How unfortunate that nature has become such a tourist attraction that they can hold your credit card hostage with no consideration for the personal experience.

Having said that, our friends from the U.K. had never seen it and had made the special request to see this marvel… so we went. We shot up, and got shots devoid of people, which really doesn’t tell the story.