Desert Bloom

07080007, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Desert Bloom. A cactus flower near Borrego Springs, California, on the western edge of the Sonora Desert Basin. Shot with a Nikon N80 and a Tamron 17-35mm f2.8 SP AF lens on Fuji Superia Reala 100 film.

Georgia Orchids

_DSC4393, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

An trio of orchid blooms at the Georgia State Botanical Garden in Athens, GA. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 50mm f1.8D lens.

Eastern Blue Bird

DSC_2315, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A female Eastern Blue Bird on one of our backyard bird feeders. Shot with a tripod-mounted Nikon D90, a Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED lens. The colors are "punched up" with some fill flash.

Twilight Woods

DSC_0321, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Woods at twilight in the Chattahoochee National Forest, near Desoto Falls. Shot with a tripod-mounted Nikon D90 and a Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 DX AT-X Pro lens.

Fall In The Smoky Mountains

72350011, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Fall Colors in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Shot with a Nikon N80, a Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED lens and Kodak Ektar 100 film.

Autumn Gourds

DSC_9647, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Gourds for sale at a pumpkin patch in Alpharetta, Georgia. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 DX AT-X Pro lens.

Reflections

DSC_9522, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Reflections in BeeBe Pond in Noank, Connecticut. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 AT-X DX Pro lens.

Great Horned Owl

DSC_7033, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A Great Horned Owl from the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell, GA USA. The Nature Center devotes a considerable amount of its resources to caring for injured birds of prey. All of the birds have injuries that prevent their release into the wild. The center cares for these birds and uses them in various educational programs. You can see the other photos from this shoot here. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 80-200 f2.8D ED lens.

Reflective Moment?

81430019, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

One of the great apes at the Atlanta Zoo appears to be in a comtemplative mood. Shot with a Nikon N80 and a Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED lens on Kodak Ektar 100 film.

Sleeping Lion

81420031, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A lion sleeps on a hot summer afternoon at the Atlanta Zoo. Shot with a Nikon N80 and a Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED lens on Kodak Ektar 100 film.

Backyard Chipmunk

DSC_4421, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Caught in the act. A chipmunk peers over the concrete pad at the base of our back porch steps. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED lens.

Black and White Pearls

Black and White Pearls, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Water droplets adorn a spider web in the early morning. Shot with a Nikon D50 and a Nikon 18-55mm f3.5 G lens.

Wild Daffodills

DSC_2751, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Wild daffodills in the woods along the Etowah River near Dahlonega, GA. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 50mm f1.8D lens.

Cattails along the Chattahoochee River

DSC_7352bw, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Cattails along the Chattahoochee River at the end of the fall. Shot with a Nikon D50 and a Nikon 80-200 f2.8D ED lens.

Alone in a Crowd

DSC_2864, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A solitary ring-billed gull stands out in a flight of black skimmers n the beach in Naples, FL. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED lens.

Competition

DSC_1619, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Pine Siskins compete for space on a thistle feeder. Pine Siskins are migratory and only appear in our area in the winter. Their summer range spans from northestern Canada through the midwestern and eastern United States. Shot hand-held with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 80-200 f2.8 AF-D telephoto lens. (DSC_1619)

Winter Rhodendron

Winter Rhodendron, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Rhodedendron in the snow on Brasstown Bald. Shot hand-held with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 50mm f1.8D lens. I also used the on-camera flash to fill in the foreground of the shot. (DSC_1330)

Backyard Predator

Backyard Predator, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A mature Coopers Hawk in our suburban Atlanta backyard. If you look closely, you can see the hawk's prey, a frog from the creek across the back of our property. Shot handheld with a Nikon D90, a Nikon 80-200 f2.8 AF-D telephoto lens and a Kenko Pro 1.4x teleconverter. (DSC_0802(1))

Rose at Sunset

DSC_3732crev3, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A rose from the Culinary Institute's garden. Taken at the Culinary Institute of America in St Helena, CA. Shot with a Nikon D50 and a Nikon 50mm f1.8D lens.

Fall Apples

11040007, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A truckload of apples waits for the crusher at a cider mill in Stonington, CT. Shot with a Nikon N80 on Fuji Superia Reala 100 film. (11040007)