August 13th, 2018

Here goes another Yellowstone appreciation post...

I forget where exactly in the park these images were taken, but I believe they were somewhere between Old Faithful and West Yellowstone (I know, that's a big area). The image above is taken in the same spot as the image below, just turn 90 degrees to the right and I thought it was a very interesting point of view. This was the first time I really got to use my brand new (at the time) 70-200mm f/2.8L USM lens, so I wanted to put it to the test with some wildlife/landscape photography. The image above doesn't have really any significance, honestly I just thought it was pretty.

Two Bison grazing and dozing off. Just for the record, I was at a very safe distance from these two, especially the one on the left. Approximately 200 yards. I was so happy to be there. I sat there for probably about 20-25 minutes just firing away. I was just smiling from ear to ear the whole time. I think wildlife photography is something I would really like to get more into. Hopefully, you all will get to see more of these images.

August 9th, 2018

This post is going to be dedicated to my dog's, Maverick and Jax. I have a lot more photo's of Maverick than I do of Jax, due to the fact we've had Maverick a lot longer. Here are the stories of our pooches...

Maverick joined us October of 2017. When we got him when he was four months old and full of energy. We bought him from a breeder over in Ohio, very nice folks. He enjoyed his eight hour ride home back to New Jersey, most of it was spent with his head out the window, taking in all the smells. His first night with us was unfortunately spent in a crate, but he protested that movement by pooping in it that night. 

Over the next year, Maverick would give Amy and I so much joy, anger, and every other emotion that comes with owning a dog. When we had him fixed, he whined all day and all night, for three days straight. We were both on the verge of insanity but it was worth it.

This photo was taken with a fisheye lens. It didn't turn out exactly as I'd like but definitely isn't terrible for a lowlight, manual focus, fisheye lens. 

Maverick has a very independent personality. He has very selective hearing sometimes. But, he is the biggest sweetheart and he loves to give and receive all the attention he can get.

He is also a very energetic boy. He loves going to the dog park more than anything else in the world (except maybe food). He loves to be chased by other dogs and to play fight with them too. 

But at the end of the day, he just loves to snuggle with you, especially if you're laying down on the couch, than he'll hop up and lay on your feet. 

Maverick loves the beach. He loves to run up onto the waves and splash like a crazy pup. I think he can tell where we are when we get close to the beach cause he perks his ears and nose up when we start to smell the salty water and that ocean breeze.

This photo was taken at the Delaware Water Gap National Park. I think he looks super handsome with that bandana on. This was one of my most favorite trips that I've taken with him and Amy.

 And now for Jax's story... we found Jax on Craigslist (didn't think people still used that but somehow it worked out), and we instantly fell in love. The description that the people who owned him before said that he was a mix of German Shepherd and Siberian Husky. Jax is the biggest sweetheart. He is probably one of the sweetest dogs I have ever met. All he wants is to be loved and be pet all the time. He is so much more calm than Maverick it's crazy. But now that Jax is here, Maverick seems to be so much more calm, now that he has someone to play with and be around, when Amy and I aren't around.

August 6th, 2018

So, I've seen a lot of stories in the news lately about people getting a little too close to animals in Yellowstone Park. Honestly, I think it's ridiculous how people think they can take selfies or stand up to bison and expect not to get charged at. I've seen too many stories on people getting gored by bison, it's quite ridiculous. Anyways, this image was taken last year on our annual trip back home to Montana. It was Amy's first time in Yellowstone and my third time. This bison was one of about 50 or so crossing a bridge to get to another pasture. This car had stopped and was waiting for all the bison to pass, and this one pictured was the last one to cross. Not pictured were some Asian folks getting way to close for comfort. I really wanted to say something to them, but I knew if I had said something, I wouldn't be hearing the end of it. Yellowstone is one of my favorite places in the world. 

August 5th, 2018

Hello there, it's been about over three years since I've posted one of these, and I'm not all to sure why I'm doing it again. Maybe its because I just like posting images and being able to go in depth about them without any real scrutiny. I don't know. We'll see if I can keep this up.

 Taken about mid July of 2017, this cow was sitting in a pen, waiting to be hogtied by a cowboy. This was in Cowtown, New Jersey. This city is huge on rodeo, in fact, it has the nations title for being oldest standing rodeo. I couldn't tell you just how long but I think it said something about the early 1900's if I'm correct. Taken with my trusty Canon EOS 60D with a 70-200mm at F/2.8 lens.

This one also taken almost around the same time as the previous one, this is the violinist/guitar player for the band "Kansas." They've gotten pretty old, I know. Taken with the same setup as the previous image as well. 

 This image was taken at the base I am currently stationed at, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey. This was during the Power in the Pines airshow here. For those that don't know, this is the Air Force Thunderbirds. Circa 2016.

And, these are my two dogs that I now own. The one on your left is Jax, he's allegedly a Siberian Husky and German Shepherd mix, which I can see, but I think he's got a bit more in him. And the one to your right is Maverick. He is a full blown Alaskan Husky. Both of them are very stubborn but I wouldn't trade them for the world.

And last, but certainly not least, is my wife, Amy. Amy and I met via Tinder (I know how typical), around June of 2016. These last two years now, have been the greatest I've ever had, she is the greatest thing that has ever walked into my life. We started dating later that June and than got married August 15th of 2017. We're coming up on our one year anniversary and I see no sign of us ever slowing down or separating. She is the woman of my dreams and so much more.