Acadia National Park is 110 years old today. The photos in this article were taken by me in Acadia National Park, October 2017.
Category Archives: Photographs
How To Photograph A Parade
Lady Liberty times 5.
Every year I photograph our local 4th of July parade for the local newspaper. Here are some tips for photographing any parade.
4th of July Parade Photos, 2026
4th of July Parade Photos
Individual photos follow. Click on any photo to see a larger version.
Independence Day!
Several of my ancestors fought in the American Revolution, including three sets of fathers and sons, but I know the most about Elijah Wadleigh, my 4th great-grandfather (1757-1800). I have a copy of his diary in which he describes the day to day events of his involvement in the war.
The Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
From the Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776. Written by Thomas Jefferson (1762-1826). 3rd US President (1801-09).
To see an engraving of the original and George Washington’s personal printed copy, go here.
The entire text of the Declaration of Independence is after the page break.
Happy 4th of July!
4th of July Parade Photos, 2025
4th of July parade collage in chronological order. Individual photos follow.
Every year I photograph the annual 4th of July parade in Lamoni Iowa. In addition to the 14 “selects” I share below, I discuss the equipment I use, the number of photos, and at the end of this article I describe what I look for when I photograph a parade. “Selects” is a newspaper/magazine word for the best photos (the photos selected) out of all the photos created. An editor working on an event article might say to a photographer, “Send me a dozen of your selects”, so the photographer would send 12 images out of all the photos that were created at the event.
Connor
Connor
Connor is a fine violinist who lives back east. I was informed months ago that he wanted me to do portraits of him playing the violin when he was visiting in Iowa. I wanted just the right kind of light to shoot outside. We had day after day of harsh, bright sunlight. Finally, on his last full day in Iowa we had the light I wanted.
Lamoni High School Baseball Photos
Lamoni High school baseball game vs the Seymour Iowa Warriors. Drew hits a single.
On an increasingly drizzly Friday, June 26, the Lamoni High School Demons played the Seymour Warriors. Lamoni won, 13-0. The JV game was called at the end of the first inning due to the rain. The JV score was 3-3.
Click any image to see a larger version.
162 Years Ago Today: Abe Lincoln and Our First “Public Lands”
Last Light on El Capitan. My first trip to Yosemite Valley, December 30, 1990.
What a great idea! It started with Abe Lincoln, 162 years ago today. He was the first President to create “public lands” and it started with Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove.
Ava
One Photographer and Eleven Outdoor/Travel Writers Pick the Best National Parks for Summer
Last Light on Mt. Rainier
Summer is the most popular time to visit the national parks. With so many to choose from, where should you go? Which national parks will provide the best photographic opportunities in the summer?
The Best National Parks to Photograph in Summer
Pika, Rock Cut, Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Which national parks are at their photographic best in the summer? Here are my favorite choices, grouped by state from west to east, plus one Canadian province.
A Day at the Ball Park
Blaze hits a double for an RBI.
I went to a middle school baseball game to get a few images for the Lamoni Iowa newspaper. Lamoni won, 10-3.
“National Nature Photography Day”
June 15 is “National Nature Photography Day”, so here is a collage of nature photos. Most of them were captured in our national parks. The day was founded in 2006 by the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA).
Today is Flag Day!
June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress declared that the flag of the new United States, “be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” More stars have been added as more states joined the union. Flag Day began in 1861 to support the Union during the Civil War. President Woodrow Wilson made it an official holiday in 1916.
Favorite Photos, May 2026
Lamoni High School track meet at Graceland University. Lamoni wins the women’s 4x200m relay.
Favorite Photos, April 2026
Sunset, Lake LaShane
Big Boy No. 4014 On A Cross Country Tour
Big Boy No, 4014 visits Tama Iowa, June 1, 2026.
Big Boy No. 4014 is the biggest operating steam locomotive in the world. It is on a cross country tour from Wyoming to the east coast and then back across the country to Colorado and back to Wyoming. It is massive at 133 feet long and weighs 1.2 million pounds. That is 44 1/3 yards, nearly half a football field in length.
An Eagle Almost 3 Football Fields Away.
Google Earth Pro. The yellow line measures the distance from me in my car to the tree with the eagle’s nest.
Why would a photographer take a picture of a barely visible eagle that is 284 yards away? Because it is there!
Princess Diana by Patrick Demarchelier
Patrick Demarchelier was also one of Princess Diana’s favorite photographers. This image was created in London in 1990.
Cindy Crawford by Patrick Demarchelier
Demarchelier was one of Cindy Crawford’s favorite photographers. She posted two photos they created together as a tribute to him after his passing. This is one of them.
Video: Patrick Demarchelier, Fashion Photographer
The Devil Wears Prada was on TV last night. In the movie, Amanda (played by Meryl Streep) is the particular and tough as nails editor of RUNWAY magazine. She tells Andy (Anne Hathaway) her clueless new 2nd assistant to “Get Demarchelier”. Andy has no idea who that is. A few seconds later, Emily (Emily Blunt), the very with-it 1st assistant, holds up the phone and says “I’ve got Patrick”. I am a huge fan of Demarchelier’s work. He is one of the best of the best. This video is about Demarchelier.
How To Pick Your Best Photos
Contact Sheet. Catherine Ursillo by Al Gruen.
Contact Sheet by Al Gruen is an interesting and worthwhile book. It is about picking your best photos from a contact sheet. (And it also works for picking your best digital images.) In the darkroom you can lay all of your negatives from one roll of film on top of a sheet of photographic paper. You expose the paper and develop it and you have miniature photos of all your negatives on one piece of paper. It is called a contact sheet. An example is the image above. You can look at the little photos with a photographer’s loupe (a kind of magnifying glass) and pick your best images to make enlargements.
Colorado Fall Color Travel and Photography Guide – 2026
Headed for Colorado this fall (or any other time of year)? Welcome to my complete Colorado fall color photography and travel guide with 133 photos, 18 maps, and over 100 pages of information (if you print it all out). I cover some of the best known fall color locations in Colorado, and most of these locations look great any other time of year. Spend anywhere from two days to two weeks exploring the beautiful Colorado Rockies at a gorgeous time of year.
Today is Earth Day!
There is no Planet B. Protect the one we have!
Happy Birthday, John Muir!
John Muir
Today is John Muir’s birthday! He was born April 21, 1838. He had a profound influence on how Americans viewed our wild lands and his influence led to the establishment of many of our National Parks and other protected lands. He was nicknamed “The Father of our National Parks”.
Here are photos from some of my favorite national and state parks along with quotes from John Muir.
Photos: Lamoni Middle School Track Meet, April 14, 2026
Lamoni Middle School track meet at Graceland University.
Photos: Living Art Studios Dance Recital
Dance Recital, Living Art Studios
At 7:00 pm Saturday evening, April 4, the parking lot was already filling up with cars for the 7:30 pm dance recital. People were arriving early to get a good seat.
Pelicans at 318 Yards
Pelicans on Lake LaShane this morning. April 9, 2026.
Last night I was photographing these pelicans under cloudy skies. The images just didn’t “pop”. This morning I had a 30 minute window with sunlight on the pelicans before the clouds again moved in. This is the full uncropped image, resized for the web.