Starting my 8th year

July 8, 2019 by Mike Powell

Thanks to a reminder from WordPress, I realized this morning that I am starting my 8th year with this blog. On July 7, 2012 I made my first posting “Blue Dasher dragonfly” and, as they say, the rest is history. According to WordPress stats, I have had 205,209 views of 3,177 posts. Some of those were re-reposts of blogs written by others, but I figure that I have written over 3,100 individual posts with well over 5,000 photos.

This morning I decided to share three of my all-time favorite photos—a singing Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus); a Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) on a frozen pond; and a close-up shot of a Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum ambiguum). I think that these three images taken together give you a good idea of my approach to photography.

I could not have made it this far on my journey in photography without the support and encouragements of so many of you. You have helped to make blogging part of my daily life. Thanks so much to you for enriching my life in a whole range of different ways.

I owe a special debt of gratitude to Cindy Dyer, my dear friend and photography mentor. She was the one who sat me down seven years ago and helped me with the mechanics of starting this blog. She continues to inspire me and to support me in both my personal life and in my photography. Thanks, Cindy.

What’s ahead? For the foreseeable future I plan to continue my adventures in photography. Having recently retired, I may start to venture to somewhat more distant locations, but mostly I anticipate more and more hours of walking around with my camera in hand, trying to capture all of the beauty of the natural world.

Posted in animals, Birds, dragonfly, Nature, Photography, wildlife | Tagged 7th anniversary, Agelaius phoeniceus, Blue-faced Meadowhawk, favorite photos, red fox, red-winged blackbird, Sympetrum ambiguum, Vulpes vulpes | 34 Comments

34 Responses

on July 8, 2019 at 8:39 am | Reply sloppy buddhist

Wonderful works Mike ☺️👍 always enjoy your posts and thank you for sharing ~ smiles Hedy
on July 8, 2019 at 8:47 am | Reply Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography

It’s amazing how that happens 😀. Congrats on sticking with it.
on July 8, 2019 at 9:29 am | Reply Linda Otterson

I have enjoyed your blog for most of those years. I look forward to the email and viewing it has become part of my daily routine. Thank you so much for sharing your photos and your knowledge. Happy Retirement!
- on August 2, 2019 at 9:54 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks so much. I am so glad to hear that you enjoy my posts.
on July 8, 2019 at 10:56 am | Reply Wally Jones

Congratulations on eight years! Since I only recently found you, I look forward to the next eight – and beyond.

I can see why these are among your favorite images. Outstanding!
on July 8, 2019 at 11:02 am | Reply kenneturner

Keep up the good work.
on July 8, 2019 at 11:03 am | Reply Michael Scandling

Congratulations! All three of these shots are wonderful. I have to say that the singing redwing with the steamed breath is rare indeed and really grabs my eye.
- on July 8, 2019 at 11:37 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Michael. That shot, which I originally entitled “Visible Song,” is probably my favorite shot of all that I have taken. One of the reasons I like it is the fact that it is an ordinary subject captured in an unusual way. Exotic subjects are cool, but I think it is even better when you can do something special with a common one.
  - on July 8, 2019 at 11:40 am Michael Scandling
    
    Absolutely agreed. That’s the prime reason for graphing the photons.
on July 8, 2019 at 12:23 pm | Reply Molly Lin Dutina

You bless us so! Thank you🌞👌😄
on July 8, 2019 at 12:56 pm | Reply Dan Antion

We seem to be on similar trajectories, Mike. I also started blogging in July, and I am getting ready to retire. I don’t remember when I started following you, but it’s been a long time, and I look forward to the bit of natural beauty you deliver each day. Whatever you do going forward, I’ll be looking forward to each post.
on July 8, 2019 at 1:40 pm | Reply tybeetabby

Congratulations on your anniversary and your retirement. I look forward to seeing more of your beautiful photos.
on July 8, 2019 at 2:31 pm | Reply Catwoods

Congratulations, Mike! Enjoy your retirement. Those are stellar photos!
on July 8, 2019 at 5:24 pm | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

Congratulations Mike. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long!
You beat me to retirement, I guess. I hope you have a great one.
- on July 9, 2019 at 6:37 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I have been on a trajectory toward retirement since my decision 6+ years ago to move from working full-time to working three days a week. For me, that extended transition time helped me to establish a work-life balance in which work did not dominate my life.
on July 8, 2019 at 5:28 pm | Reply myenchantingfloridalife

Wonderfully amazing photos! And congrats on7 years!
on July 8, 2019 at 6:46 pm | Reply rugby843

I’ve never seen a photo of a birds breath before, amazing?
- on July 9, 2019 at 6:42 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Since I took the photo of the “visible song” of the red-winged blackbird, I have seen some similar moments captured by other photographers. I think that the temperature, weather, and lighting have to coincide perfectly to create the conditions for this kind of photo. I don’t know for sure if other bird species do the same thing, but apparently male red-winged blackbirds really expel a lot of air when they are singing vigorously.
  - on July 9, 2019 at 4:23 pm rugby843
    
    I love them, grew up watching and listening to them. I think this photo is a National Geographic entry!👍🏻👌🏻✌🏻
on July 8, 2019 at 7:50 pm | Reply Eliza Waters

Happy 8th, Mike! You’ve got a great blog here. These 3 photos are outstanding and how unusual to capture a frosty bird exhalation!
- on July 9, 2019 at 6:50 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Eliza. I was amazed when I saw what you so eloquently called the “frosty bird exhalation” and was utterly thrilled when I was able to capture the moment with my camera. What’s especially cool for me is that the bird is a relatively common one and it reinforces my conviction that you don’t have to go to faraway places and see exotic creatures in order to capture pretty amazing images.
on July 8, 2019 at 8:16 pm | Reply Ms. Liz

Congratulations! With your mix of technical and creative interests retirement is a wonderful opportunity to fully explore the world and your interpretation of what you see. You’re gonna be busy 🙂
- on July 9, 2019 at 6:47 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I think that you have described me well, Liz. I find that I can relate to a large number of people because I can be equally passionate about both the artistic and scientific aspects of my passions. The only down side of having more free time is that I sometimes get backed up sorting through all of the photos I have taken.
on July 9, 2019 at 7:26 am | Reply Louella Lester

Congrats. Good for you. 🙂
on July 9, 2019 at 8:41 am | Reply joyroses13

Love that bird!!
Great pictures, always enjoy your posts and Congrats to 8 years of blogging and to retirement! May you have many happy days ahead!
- on July 9, 2019 at 12:13 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. I am definitely looking forward to having a bit more free time in retirement to do some fun things.
  - on July 9, 2019 at 12:32 pm joyroses13
    
    🙂
on July 9, 2019 at 11:55 am | Reply bestregardsfromfar

Wow congrats Mike! I absolutely love your photographs and take them in from behind my screen with great admiration. I hope your retirement will allow you fantastic journeys to remote places for even more photographs. You never fail to impress me, keep it up! 🤗
on July 9, 2019 at 6:34 pm | Reply nliakos

Happy anniversary, Mike! I love your posts and your photos.
- on July 10, 2019 at 7:03 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks so much for your kind words, Nina.
on July 11, 2019 at 7:47 pm | Reply sv-anui.com

Well done Mike! Always a pleasure to read your posts and learn
- on July 12, 2019 at 6:25 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Chris.
on July 11, 2019 at 9:41 pm | Reply Lee

Congratulations, Mike! That is quite an accomplishment. Thankfully, you never seem to find things to show us. Keep up the great work.
- on July 12, 2019 at 6:25 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Lee. Nature seems to have an inexhaustible supply of wonders to explore.