Looking back, looking forward

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

Some of my favorite photos from 2015 »

Looking back, looking forward

December 31, 2015 by Mike Powell

How do you celebrate the end of the year? Do you like to go out with a bang, with a big celebration and literal or figurative fireworks, or are you more pensive and reflective? I know that I am in the latter group.

My life this past year, both personally and as a photographer, has had some high points, but mostly it has been a year in which I have tried to find beauty and meaning in ordinary things. I have visited my favorite park over and over again, photographing some of the same species repeatedly. Patience and persistence have been my hallmarks and I have been rewarded with some wonderful photographic opportunities.

Somehow it seems appropriate that I end this year with a couple of images of this beautiful female Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) that I spotted in the cattails on Monday at Huntley Meadows Park. Red-winged Blackbirds are with us most of the year. They seem to come and go, but they are often there. The females are usually buried deep in the underbrush and are not seen as often as the more flashy and loud males. As you can see from these photos, however, the females are at least as beautiful as the males.

The blackbird’s body positions serve as a visual metaphors for my approach as I look forward to 2016—hanging on and occasionally looking back, but primarily looking forward with optimism to the future.

Best wishes to all for a wonderful 2016.

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife | Tagged Agelaius phoeniceus, Alexandria VA, Canon 50D, female Red-winged Blackbird, Huntley Meadows Park, new year, red-winged blackbird, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto | 8 Comments

8 Responses

on December 31, 2015 at 7:29 am | Reply Lyle Krahn

Wishing you more patience and persistence in 2016!
- on December 31, 2015 at 7:33 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Lyle, for all your support and encouragement. I do hope to increase my skills and maybe get some new gear, but I am convinced that patience and persistence will continue to help me even more–so I can always use more of it. Have a wonderful new year.
on December 31, 2015 at 7:58 am | Reply Dan Antion

Happy new year Mike!
on December 31, 2015 at 2:35 pm | Reply svtakeiteasy

Happy new year Mike, with all good wishes for endless photographuc opportunities and continued learning.
on December 31, 2015 at 4:10 pm | Reply kiaman2012/Greg

Happy New Year 2016!
on January 1, 2016 at 9:16 pm | Reply Charlie@Seattle Trekker

More gorgeous, and enjoyable photos…Have a wonderful 2016.
on January 2, 2016 at 1:32 pm | Reply Sue

I look forward to seeing what you tackle next in your photo journey — it’s certainly been enjoyable so far.
- on January 2, 2016 at 8:14 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks so much, Sue. Some photographers put together lists of subjects they want to shoot or places they want to explore. I have settled into a kind of routine in my blog and in my photography and want simply to make small improvements as I go along.