BUDS

YELLA’ & NEON LEON.

When these beauties were captured, I had just started graduate school. Nature photography was still a hobby at this time, so I was shooting with my Canon PowerShot SX420. I used the PowerShot on my spring break and graduation trips in Europe with Rita. When I reviewed those photos from my trip, I was not pleased with how pixelated some of my nature photos were. I knew if I wanted to make nature photography a profession, I needed to upgrade to a DSLR or a mirrorless camera, but I wasn’t in a rush because I had other priorities to focus on. This revelation slightly discouraged me from wanting to take pictures, but I decided to visit a lake to get some nature shots anyway.

I remember seeing butterflies, so I walked over to capture them, but I was instantly drawn to the dragonfly. I zoomed in with my PowerShot and couldn’t believe the clarity of the dragonfly’s body and wings. For a second, I thought maybe I could be a professional photographer with this camera. Then I remembered how pixelated my pictures from Europe were, and thought BUDS would resemble them once they were on the computer. When I put them on the computer, they didn’t resemble the pictures from Europe; I was hype.

NEON LEON became my favorite picture. I was so proud of myself for getting such an awesome shot, and I was so grateful for Leon’s patience with me. I knew I had to include his portrait in my nature portfolio. YELLA’ wasn’t my most favorite picture because it appears slightly too pixelated for my liking, but the amazing lighting from the sun made the overall picture super dope. Additionally, my mom really likes YELLA' so for me, that alone makes her portrait a masterpiece.

Just like with SWAN, I didn’t know if I wanted to include BUDS in my picture book because this life lesson is more of a reminder than a lesson. However, I couldn’t not include NEON LEON in my photobook. I’m amazed at his portrait every time I look at it. And I felt bad about including Leon in the book and leaving out Yella’, so she made the cut as well.

So, when I captured the beauties at the lake that day, I was given the simple reminder that animals are beautiful and colorful creations from God. I know I’ll never understand why these little creatures are so beautifully colored, so I’ll just keep admiring their beauty and capturing amazing pictures. Enjoy this video of some colorful creations.

Life Lesson:

· Animals are beautiful and colorful creations.

How I Apply it to My Life:

· I love analyzing animals and admiring their beautifully specific color schemes.

Song:

· No song for this post!

SLIDESHOW: Pictures of me at Lake Raleigh. Pictures of colorful animals.