Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

I'm tired.

It's been about 10 days since I returned from my trek through Colorado, and I've scarcely had a moment to think. I've been volunteering all of my weekends at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival for the past six weeks. (No, not as the village idiot. I asked; they said I wasn't smart enough.) That, combined with regular work, has robbed me of nearly all of my time. Only in the last couple of days have I been able to begin the gargantuan -- and, let's face it, dull -- task of reviewing and editing all the photographs from the trip.

But, what a trip it was! In addition to my usual pursuit of landscape and wildlife photos and all that entails (getting up before sunrise, long hikes through the wilderness, long drives, etc.), I also shot my first wedding. I'll write more about my wedding experience next time. For now, I have one photo from the trip to show you.

This picture does a pretty good job of illustrating what I'm going through right now. It's a long, arduous trek to the top of Great Sand Dunes National Park, let me tell you. The wind was whipping, the weather stormy. But, despite the exertion involved, we carried on because it's all worth it in the end. So it is with me. I know that, despite the long hours that I will soon face behind the computer, once the photos from the trip are done, it will be worth it.

I call this one The Climb. Enjoy. I'll be back soon with a teaser from the wedding.

The Climb (large version HERE)

Close but no cigar.

Being that I'm still recovering from my hip injury, I don't do a whole lot of running these days. So, it's kind of funny being called a "runner-up". Yet, that is indeed what I am.

I ended up taking second place in that photo contest I mentioned last month. I really would've liked to have won, but placing in the top 5 out of almost 600 entries isn't too bad I guess. Plus, I did win a bit of cash, and that's never a bad thing. THANK YOU very much to all who voted for me!

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The Boudary Waters trip was a blast. The weather was much drier this year, and our campsite was one of the best I've ever seen. It was like a fairy tale.

Ironically, the photography conditions weren't as good as last year's trip. All of the sunrises save for one were obscured by dense cloud cover. The sunsets were't much different, either. And, much of the area we based out of was fairly burned out by a recent fire. Still, I did come away with some keepers which I will elaborate on below. Most importantly though, we all had a smashingly good time and enjoyed getting the heck outta the city. That, my friends, is priceless. (Cue cheesy Mastercard commercial.)

Coming Together

This was taken right from our campsite during the only half decent sunset we had. Look closely and you can see many different islands in the lake. We never tired of gazing out on this scene.

Loon Family

This mother and her young ones visited our campsite many times each day. I'd like to think they were fond of us, but I think it was the campsite itself that drew them in. Even the wildlife knew that our campsite was awesome.

Fixin' Dinner

Sure it's easier to use a portable cook-stove to make dinner, but it's not as fun.

Going My Way?

This Ruffed Grouse was more than a little curious.

Ready for Adventure

On the dock and ready to depart less than an hour after sunrise.

Two for the road!

Recently, I was looking through my digital negatives from past photography trips and managed to find a couple of "keepers" that I had overlooked previously. Since I'm leaving on another trip tomorrow, I thought it would be a good time to show those new-found beauties now, before I'm inundated with all the new shots I'll have from the trip.

Fire and Ice (larger size)

This first one is from Hawaii back in '05. We were lucky enough to be up the summit of Mauna Kea just after the area re-opened after a snowstorm. This is an abstract of the red volcanic soil and the wind-driven snow and ice that was interlaced with it.

Teddy Bear Nightmare (larger size)

This one is from my road trip through the western US last fall. It was taken in a Teddy Bear Cholla cactus garden near Joshua Tree National Park. Despite being extremely careful, I still got stuck by one of these little buggers. OUCH! It hurts more than you'd think. Hence the image title.

So, where am I going tomorrow? The good ol' Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. I should have some treats to show you when I get back. Let's just hope the weather is decent -- last year I thought I was gonna see Noah's Ark pass by our campsite. ^_^

P.S. If you haven't heard, I entered a local photography contest and made it to the final 10 out of almost 600 entries! The voting for the overall winner ends at noon, so if you're reading this in time, you could help me out by casting a vote for me (mine is the one that says "K. Lidstrom"). By the time I return from the BWCA, the winner will be revealed. Wish me luck!

It's here!!

FINALLY! After what seemed like forever, my new camera finally arrived. I can't tell you how good it felt to have a camera again -- I almost cried when I saw it! I'm going to keep this blog entry short -- now that things are starting to return to normal, I want to spend more time taking pictures and less time talking about them. So, let's get on with it!

I thought the best way to break in the new gear would be to shoot one of my favorite subjects: butterflies. So, that's just what I did, and the camera performed flawlessly. I was able to capture several species that I hadn't seen before. Feast your eyes on these beauties, and remember that you can see these and many others in my Butterflies Gallery.

In the coming weeks, I have a Boundary Waters trip planned, among other things, so I should have more photos to display. Until then, take care.

A Paper Kite, also known as a Rice Paper butterfly or a Tree Nymph butterfly.

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An Atala butterfly, also known as a Coontie Hairstreak.

A Red Spot Diadem butterfly hangs beneath a coneflower.

A Dark Blue Pansy. (Not what I'd want to be called if I was a butterfly.)

A Malaysian Lacewing.

An Emerald Swallowtail.

A Julia butterfly.

A Cydno Longwing.

A Common Mormon. (Does that mean it doesn't drink coffee?)

I'm back! Let's catch up!

Whew! It's been about seven weeks since my last post, and things have been looking up. So, rather than starting with my usual incredibly witty jokes, I'm just going to dive right in and bring you up to speed. (I know, missing my zingers will most likely ruin your entire week, but you'll just have to carry on. Think happy thoughts!)

First off: my hip. I'm happy to say it's getting better all the time. I've been off of crutches for about a week now. I can't walk perfectly yet -- I still hobble -- but it sure beats the snot out of crutching. I'm still battling with my insurance company, but I *think* I'm going to come out on top. Famous last words, perhaps? We shall see in the coming weeks. They've won the battle, but the war will be mine, methinks.

Next: my camera. Nothing but positive news here. Unlike my health insurance company, my camera insurance company is being a total rock star and is replacing my ruined Canon 5D with a new Canon 5D Mark II!! It's on its way to me now. I can not WAIT to take it for a spin. Going from 12 megapixels to 21 (!) will be quite something. Not to mention being able to shoot HD-quality video. Perhaps I'll become a videographer as well? Oh, they're also replacing my ruined Canon 24-105mm lens. Not too shabby.

And now, let's get to the meat: the shots.

Last time, I mentioned a shot I took at Creque Dam. You will see that below, entitled, "Lost In Thought". Also, in my tree post from a couple months ago, I mentioned that I'd be posting a better version of that shot. And, voila, here it is, entitled, "Magic Tree".

Below those two shots, you will find a couple more shots from my Puerto Rico trip. These shots are just for fun, and can only be seen here on this blog post. They are not in my Fine Art Galleries.

Lastly, you will see a shot of an X-ray. Unlike the one I posted last time, this one is actually of ME. Yep, those are six titanium screws and a plate holding my hip together. Now, when someone tells me to "go get screwed" at least their comment will make sense. ^_^

Next time I post, I should have some images made with my new camera. Until then, take care!

"Lost In Thought" Click here to see and learn more.

"Magic Tree" Click here to see and learn more.

"Travellers Beware - Kaelly The Tonguer" (Only seen here.)

"Slice Of Life" (Only seen here.)

"My Hip X-ray" (Ouch.)

GIMMIE A BREAK! No, not that kind...

Hell.

That single word best sums up my last few weeks. Let's take it from the beginning.

After my last post to this photoblog on March 3rd, I finally started to kick my photography here in the Virgin Islands into high gear. I had a very productive shoot in the rainforest in which I stumbled upon a very rare butterfly hideout. Some Zebra Longwing butterflies were loitering in a small enclave and were unusually photogenic -- most of the time, butterflies in the wild are notoriously difficult to shoot as they never sit still for very long. These were incredibly docile and gave me what is probably the best outing I've EVER had shooting butterflies in the wild. Needless to say, I got some very nice images from the shoot.

Even better, my assistant and I had an incredible shoot at Creque Dam, a very special and rare body of water right in the middle of the rainforest. I created some beautiful, moody compositions in which some last minute, blood red clouds cooperated beautifully and put the images over the top. I came away with what I feel might just be the single best image I've EVER gotten in St. Croix in all the years I've been shooting here.

Furthermore, we had scheduled a photo shoot of something I'd always wanted to do: a sunrise shoot at the secluded Jacks Bay where I was going to do both some landscape shooting as well as some model/swimsuit stuff (no, not of myself, silly).

In short, things were going spectacularly. And then came Hell: Monday, March 3oth.

Most of the day was great. I sailed my boat to beautiful Buck Island National Monument and had a very fun, relaxing day. But then, on they way back to the dock, my dinghy suddenly took on water and ruined my camera. Yes, my Canon 5D. Yes, the very same camera that had JUST gotten repaired from water damage only a few months ago. Dear God, why me?!

Well, the worst was over, right? Wrong. Oh so unbelievably, horribly and utterly wrong.

Later that same night, a mere couple of hours after the camera incident, I was running down the steps of my house, when I fell, dislocated and fractured my left hip! Sweet Jesus, I have never felt so much pain in my entire 33 years. I literally laid there screaming in excruciating pain for 30 minutes until the ambulance arrived. I spent 14 days in the hospital, completely bedridden and unable to move my left leg. Two hospitals on two different islands, two surgeries, two cat scans, several X-rays, and a crapload of painkillers later, here I am, back home on St. Croix. I will be in crutches for the next 6-10 weeks. I will be returning to Minnesota at the end of April.

Until then, I will unfortunately not be able to post my latest photos. You can be assured that sometime in May, I will be back in business and will have them posted here. Please don't worry about me. I am keeping a good attitude, and am thankful that I have health insurance and that it wasn't my neck or back that was broken. I am slowly on the mend and will be up and running before you know it.

Before I go, I wanted to keep with my tradition of always posting at least one picture. This is a photoblog after all, right? Here is a picture of an injury roughly similar to mine, courtesy of howstuffworks.com. I know it's not a photo that I took, but given the circumstances, I think you'll understand and give me a pass this one time.

Thanks for reading and take care.

Tree-mendous!

I love trees. No, I'm not a "treehugger" (although my friends would probably say I look and smell like one), but I do have a great respect for them. "Respect? Huh?" Yep, you heard me: respect. Didn't your mom ever tell you to respect your elders? Well, if mom was right, then trees deserve oceans of respect. They live a heckuva lot longer than we do, and some of them, like the bristlecone pines in the western US, are the oldest living things in the world, many being well over four thousand years old. (I bet the Vikings still had a crappy quarterback even then.)

But it's not just their long life that deserves respect. Trees do an incredible service to the entire planet by converting carbon dioxide, a harmful greenhouse gas, into life-affirming oxygen. Furthermore, they provide habitat for a plethora of life forms, as well as building material and a heat/fuel source for people the world over since time immemorial. And, who hasn't had fun in a tree house at one time or another? Or swung from a rope tied to a tree limb and leapt into the water?

By now I think you get my point: trees are pretty darn nifty, and I love 'em.

For a photographer though, especially a nature photographer, there is another, even more beloved aspect of trees: they way they look. They are among the most photogenic subjects in nature. Browse through the gallery of just about any nature photographer, and you will see images of trees. Ansel Adams? Yep. Jim Brandenburg? You betcha. Marc Adamus? Naturally. And yours truly? Of course!

So you can be sure that I was tickled pink when I (or rather, my assistant) spotted this tree in the rainforest of St. Croix, in the US Virgin Islands. I had driven right past this tree countless times, but never did it look like this. For some reason, its bark displayed colors that I've never seen in any tree. Maybe it's something in the air? Beats me. All I know is that it's probably the most interesting tree trunk I've ever seen. I spent quite awhile trying different compositions and waiting for the lizards to stop in the right spot. This shot is the best of the bunch. I'm not posting a larger version to my main galleries just yet, because I plan on returning and getting an even better shot. I'll post the results when I'm done.

Till then, take care. And go plant a tree. ^_^