A very excited neighbor boy brought this to me one day and wanted to know if I wanted to shoot it. I went inside and got a good macro lens and started to set up next to a nearby boulder. The young man coaxed the mantis from the carrying stick onto the boulder and I began getting ready. To my surprise, it made a very nice pose, turned its head to face me, and just sat there patiently while I took readings and captured this shot.

extremely well manicured shrubbery in Japanese garden

although usually a moisture-loving plant, i found this one in Arizona. i think its roots must have tapped a nice hidden water supply.

along coast of Lake Michigan

I'm hiking across the inside of a volcano crater and loving the diverse assortment of mineral colours. every few minutes it seems like i enter a new alien world with unique soil and rock types. The distant base of the clouds are over a mile in elevation, and they peak around 8,500 feet – the camera is just under 10,000 feet to capture this beautiful and unique land.

Banyan tree silhouettes and reflections in Horseshoe Lake (southern Illinois) during sunset

One warm and misty afternoon, the sun peaked out for just a moment to generate one of nature's most spectacular events... a rainbow. With the exception of this beam of sunlight, the surrounding area was dim and wet. I immediately pulled off the road and started setting up to capture this colourful phenomenon touching down into a nearby field. By the time I was prepared, the intensity picked up and I captured the entire essence on film. The air was still very misty, but the vibrant bands of colour showed through quite well and really shows off a natural work of art.

cliff-edge walkway through the mountains and trees in Pennsylvania