Merry Christmas
Wishing you warm Holiday wishes and a Happy New Year!
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: artistic, bird, Merry Christmas, Nikon D800E, Northern Cardinal, photography, snow, winter
Category Archives: Photography
Fuji Meets Fox
When Cameron suggested we walk the White Nine yesterday afternoon at the Shenandoah Valley Golf Course, I couldn’t say no. It was a lovely, unseasonably warm November day, and there won’t be many more this year. So, I grabbed my Fuji X-T10, picked him up at school, and we headed out to the course. Surprisingly, we only saw two other players the entire time we were out, but, as it turned out, the wildlife was abundant. In addition to the resident […]
Categories: Golf, Nature, Photography • Tags: fall, fox, Fuji X-T10, FujiFilm, golf, photography, Shenandoah Valley Golf Club, Virginia
Fall Fun
We’ve enjoyed a few weeks of lovely fall weather here in Virginia, and Peppermint has ventured to the State Arboretum of Virginia regularly to run and play while I’ve had my camera out. While we were there on Monday, we met an impressive young man named C.J., who was visiting the Arboretum with his mother. Peppermint enjoyed the attention, and we walked together chatting about the Chestnut trees they’d come to visit and about the Ginkgos, some of which were […]
Categories: Nature, Photography • Tags: Arboretum, fall, Fuji X-T10, FujiFilm, Ginkgo tree, Nikon D810, photography, State Arboretum of Virginia, Virginia
Afternoon at the Arboretum
The falling leaves that floated outside my picture window today beckoned me to join them. How could I decline the invitation? The perfect autumn backdrop for nature and landscape photographers lies just outside my door here in Virginia in October. So, I ventured to the State Arboretum of Virginia and took a walk with Peppermint and the Fuji X-T10. It was the Fuji’s maiden voyage to my favorite local hangout, and, again, I was smitten with the results, even on […]
Categories: Nature, Photography • Tags: fall, Flow Mindfulness, Fuji X-T10, photography, State Arboretum of Virginia, Virginia
Leveling Up
Several friends and blog followers have recently asked me about my experiences in Sphere 2 of The Arcanum, so I wanted to take a moment for an update. I’m one of the fortunate apprentices who were selected early in the process of The Arcanum and then graduated from the Foundation and Sphere 1 levels with Master Laurie Rubin and into Sphere 2. Unfortunately, my Sphere 2 progress has been slower than I’d expected this summer and fall due to time […]
Categories: Black and White, Nature, Photography • Tags: artistic, black and white, Elk, Nikon D810, photography, wildlife, Yellowstone National Park
The Greenest Grass
Most of us have heard that famous cliché’: “The grass is always green on the other side of the fence.” Maybe because I’m a horse person, this particular phrase seems to regularly surface in my life. It might be when I watched one of my horses grazing in his paddock, with his head nudging the bottom board of the fence, edging way too close to a dangerous predicament as he searched for some elusive, tender blade. Or, it could be as […]
Categories: Horse Shows, Horses, Photography • Tags: Capital Challenge Horse Show, horse show, horses, photography, USHJA, WCHR
Falling In Love With Fuji
Thanks to Karen Hutton and her KHutt caption contest, I ended up receiving the FujiFilm X-T10 in time for my trip to Yellowstone National Park with the Find Your Focus Photography Workshop several weeks ago. It arrived from Karen in California, lovingly packed in its cushioned box, just three days before I departed for Montana. Initially, I had planned to take it with me in conjunction with my Sony A7 as my mirrorless bodies that would back up and supplement my […]
Categories: Nature, Photography • Tags: artistic, Fuji X-T10, FujiFilm, Karen Hutton, Laurie Rubin, photography, Yellowstone National Park
A Most Amazing Experience
It’s been a week since I returned home from the Find Your Focus Photography Workshop at Yellowstone National Park, and I’ve finally spent some time with my images today. It was one of the most amazing trips I’ve ever taken, and it was the first time I’ve traveled solely with others who share this same passion for nature and wildlife photography. I met some incredible people and made some very special new friends, and it was an experience I’ll long […]
Categories: Nature, Photography, Travel • Tags: Find Your Focus, Fuji X-T10, nature, Nikon D810, photography, wildlife, Yellowstone National Park
Late Summer
With summer winding down, I’m seeing more and more visitors that remind me that fall and winter aren’t far away. I’m glad I spent last weekend working in the yard and garden, because this week the spiders have come out in full force. Their webs cover the bushes, deck stairs and the front porch railings, where they’ve spun beautiful designs that seem to glow in the early morning sunlight. The spider above was in the process of weaving her web […]
Categories: Nature, Photography • Tags: artistic, butterfly, fritillaries, nature, Nikon D810, photography, spider, spider web, Virginia
Inspiration Abounds
There are days when you wake up and you just know something good is going to happen. I’m not sure why that happened to me today, but even when the alarm went off in the middle of a dream, I woke up feeling energized and happy. Maybe it was because I had a meeting scheduled with the contractor and designer who are collaborating on a renovation for us, or perhaps it was the conference call I had made with a […]
Categories: Photography • Tags: artistic, caption, contest, Fuji, Fuji X-T10, Karen Hutton, limerick, photography
2015 International Hunter Derby Poster
It was great fun to arrive at the 2015 International Hunter Derby Championship in Lexington, Kentucky, last month and see that the United States Hunter Jumper Association had selected my images of Brunello and Liza Boyd for this year’s limited edition poster. This was a particularly challenging event to photograph in 2014, because just as the top horses and riders were set to return to the show ring the rain went from a sprinkle to a deluge. Thankfully, I had […]
Categories: Horse Shows, Horses, Photography • Tags: Brunello, horse, horse show, International Hunter Derby, Liza Boyd, Nikon D3s, Nkon D810, photography, USHJA
Fun With Rocky
It’s hard to believe how quickly the summer has flown by! I’ve been home just two days in the past month or so, and Cam and I counted 11 states I’ve visited since the school year ended. Most of my travels were for work, but I did find time to enjoy 10 days in Michigan, where we rented a cottage on Lake Charlevoix. As much as I’d hoped the Internet connection would be strong as I planned the trip to […]
Categories: Dogs, Photography • Tags: dog, kayaking, Michigan, Nikon D810, photography, swimming, water
Afternoon at the Feeder
It was a busy day at the feeders, and an American Goldfinch even flew in for a quick drink and bath during a break in the action as the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds paused to rest. With more than a half-dozen birds tussling over the three feeders on our deck, you might think there’s a limited supply at hand. But, thanks to the recent news on the dangers of excess sugar in the diets of human beings, there’s plenty to spare in […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: american goldfinch, bird, bird feeder, nature, Nikon D810, photography, ruby throated hummingbird, Virginia
Happy Hummingbirds
After returning from New York on Monday night I finally managed to get the bird feeders cleaned and refilled today as well as the bird bath. The Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds seemed to truly appreciate the extra attention and spent time flying around my head while I sat on the deck tonight. They didn’t even seem to mind the click of the shutter as much, and if I stretched my imagination a bit I might even think it was their way of […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography • Tags: bird, nature, Nikon D810, photography, ruby throated hummingbird
Scenes From Saratoga
Saratoga in the summer is a revered place in the Thoroughbred world, and I was finally able to experience this New York city first-hand last week when I traveled to the Skidmore College Saratoga Classic I Horse Show. I spent the week learner judging with veteran judge Julie Winkel, an amazing horsewoman from Nevada. As an apprentice judge, part of my training is to spend time observing and learning from those more experienced, and I was fortunate to also sit […]
Categories: Horse Shows, Horses, Photography, Travel • Tags: horse, horse show, New York, photography, race horse, racetrack, Saratoga, Sony A7, Thoroughbred
Peppermint Flies
After five days of cold and rainy weather, Peppermint finally got out side to stretch her legs yesterday with a walk/run in the Arboretum. She enjoyed “chasing” the birds above her as we walked, but I don’t think they were too worried. They would just look down on her and chatter. The tree swallows even dive-bombed her on occasion, but she was so happy to be outside that I don’t even think she noticed. After a chilly and rainy start […]
Categories: Birds, Dogs, Photography • Tags: Arboretum, bird, dog, Jack Russell, Nikon D810, photography, tree swallow, Virginia
Bird Survey Morning
For the fifth year, I’m volunteering with the Virginia Working Landscapes program and conducting bird surveys. From mid-May to the end of June we’re surveying two fields in The Plains, Virginia, where we document the birds we see and hear for a certain amount of time in specific areas in a 100-meter radius. Each year I find my skills in identifying birds so much more improved. In fact, whenever I walk the dog or sit out on the deck, I’m […]
Categories: Birds, Nature, Photography, Scenic • Tags: artistic, bird, field, Paris Valley, photography, Sony A7, sunrise, Virginia, Virginia Working Landscapes
Springing Into New Adventures
Last week spring seemed to finally arrive in full strength in Virginia. It was great to smell the lilacs in bloom in the yard and feel the warm caress of a southern wind blowing on my face as I hiked the trails behind our house with Peppermint. This particular spring also rekindled my creative inspiration as I was invited to join Sphere 2 of The Arcanum with professional photographer and artist Robin Griggs Wood. After graduating from Spheres 0 and […]
Categories: Flower, Nature, Photography • Tags: artistic, cohesive, flowers, green, macro, Nikon D810, photography, spring, The Arcanum, Virginia
Soccer Season
The high school soccer season is well underway, but due to my travel schedule and the wet spring weather, my opportunities to photograph the games have been limited. But I did make it to yesterday’s game, when Clarke County traveled to Front Royal, Virginia, to play Warren County. It was a tough match up, and the JV team finished in a 0-0 tie. No goals were scored, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t action for me to follow! In fact, […]
Categories: Photography, Soccer, Sports • Tags: Clarke County High School, Nikon D810, photography, soccer, sports, Virginia
Golf Course Photography
One of the biggest challenges I face on the golf course isn’t usually the errant lies of my golf balls. Instead, I have difficulty focusing on the shots with the club versus the shots with my camera. This dilemma was particularly evident when we traveled to Arizona last week. We played three courses in Mesa, Scottsdale and Tempe, and it was amazing how much wildlife joined us on the fairways and greens, especially as the cooler evening temperatures arrived. I […]
Categories: Birds, Golf, Nature, Photography • Tags: Arizona, birds, Desert Cottontail, finch, Gambel's Quail, golf, Greater Road Runner, hawk, Jack Rabbit, photography, Red-Tailed Hawk, Sony A7
Tricia Booker Photography 