two female bears resting on a sandbar in the middle of a lake (Aleutian Islands).

an up-shot of the large clusters of dates on this Phoenix dactylifera in Kauai

a couple of tiny frogs taking a nap on a tree branch

This dusty miller plant would look right at home as an underwater sea plant on a coral reef, but is actually a nice terrain-based plant with velvety-soft leaves.

the exotic blooms on this particular tropical vine last only a day. After just missing a couple of openings, a gardener friend and I was pulling shifts going to check on it's status twice a day. Finally, late one morning, the magnificent passiflora opened to display it's unparalleled details. Immediately, I load up an excessive amount of gear so that nothing would warrant a second trip and spent several hours more than adequately capturing the moment on film. As the day progressed and the sun started getting low, the entire wonder began to close only to fall off the next day; but on film it lives on.

a fresh and perfect bloom of a yellow, white, and pink variegated rose

cluster of Dendrobium orchids in China rain-forest

a picture-perfect passage between cliffs in southern Illinois