I guess my favorite color isn’t really a color. My favorite color is just light shining through the tree leaves. Evening light in the summer is the best, but any light will do. That being said, I have always liked the colors of fall leaves strewed on a forest path. I always find them to be such a nice random palette of color, texture, and contrast.
It is interesting what you find when you slow down a bit and look at the natural details around you. This is a neat rodent path that was running through tall coastal grass. It was probably made by an Amargosa Vole or some other field mouse. This was in a small grassy area on the top of a hill overlooking a rocky beach along the California coast. I like the structure of the path with the overarching tunnel. It’s evident that the path is used often. Not only is traveling the same path consistently a convenient way for the animal to travel through the grass, but the overhead structure probably provides some protection from being seen by predators.
Every winter when the weather turns cold for the first time in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Anna’s hummingbirds come down to stay in the lower elevation areas where the weather is milder. I photographed this flashy little male Anna’s hummingbird in a winter bare peach tree. I like that you can see pollen on its beak from a recent flower that it visited.
Theme: Flowers.
In the past, I have had a frustrating relationship with these cute little Botta’s Pocket Gophers. They can be quite destructive to gardens, lawn, and fruit trees. However, they are a native species, and they are important to the balance of the ecosystem, so over the years I have come to appreciate them as wild animals. Their short attention span makes them quite entertaining to watch; within moments they forget that you are nearby.
Click on the image to go to the video.
Clouds can give so much interesting perspective and depth.
I took this photographer as I was returning to the surface after a dive. I noted that it had begun to rain, and I liked the perspective of the raindrops hitting the surface as viewed from underneath. It was just a spontaneous image I took.
As a side note, I currently don’t SCUBA dive. I take all of my underwater photos while holding my breath and free diving. Free diving can be a lot more physically challenging, and dive time is very limited, but it is also a lot more free without all the tanks and other equipment.
I photographed this lioness in the Ngorongoro Crater in northern Tanzania. It was mid-day, and several lionesses of a small pride came very close to us to take advantage of some rare shade. They looked strong, lean, and healthy. I like all the subtly coloring in her fur.
P.s. The little flies seem to be attracted to any source of water or moisture.
Michael Fuchs Photography 