I have lots more time to indulge my newly rediscovered passion for photography than I did when I was working full time, although I consider myself only semi-retired because I still work three days a week.
So far I am shooting primarily flowers and insects and am learning more and more about shooting closeups and macro shots. My friend Cindy Dyer, an award-winning photographer and graphic designer, has been teaching and encouraging me and helping me to improve the quality of my photographs.
I look at this blog as a way to share with others the steps of my journey into photography. I expect that there will be detours and side trips during this adventure but I genuinely believe that these aspects of the journey are more important than the destination itself.
Mike Powell 
Great blog and I have enjoyed reading your posts and seeing your great photos. Keep it up.
Thanks. As you can see I have been at it for only two weeks and am really enjoying it. Glad you liked it (and I love the fact that I am meeting all kinds of great people).
Mike, thanks for visiting my blog. I love to photograph nature too. At the moment, I do not have time to have any training in photography, but eventually I will take a few classes. Keep on the good work; I will check your blog from time to time to see the progress.
Thanks for your positive words. I have been looking through your blog and am amazed at what you have done with your garden (and the way you are able to do it relatively economically). I live in a townhouse and don’t have room for such a garden but am inspired by what you do.
Enjoyed your photos…brIngs a sense of peace looking through them. Thanks
Glad you like the photos (and peace is something we can all use).
Mike, I’m in Baltimore, would you be up for a photo safari one day in the MD/DC/VA area?
That sounds like a great idea.
I’m off on Fridays, so maybe something in September, late summer is a great flower/insect time of year!
Great. I’m off on Fridays too. I’m out of town the first week of September and then have a wedding to attend on the 15th.
Hi! I’ve nominated you for a Sunshine Award. If you’d like to accept you can find more information here: http://findingmindfulness.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/64/
I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but respectfully decline the award because of the requirements that come with it. Thanks.
Thanks Mike for stopping by 🙂 your photos make me smile as I too enjoy mainly flowers and nature photography although recently have had to challenge myself to capture other subjects!
What’s life without a few challenges? I’m trying to discover what I enjoy shooting and have dabbled in a number of areas including insects, flowers, reptiles, and birds. All of them have interested me in different ways. My biggest challenge, I think, will be to overcome my current inhibitions about photographing people!
I know what you mean! Other than family members/friends, I’ve been rather shy about taking strangers (as long as they don’t see me!) One step at a time I suppose! Just keep at it!!!
Hi Mike,
I have been following your blog for some time and you have some really nice photos. Therefore, I want to nominate you for this lovely blog award. If you are interested, you can see the rules of the award here.
Regards,
Liew
Thank you so much, Liew, for nominating me for this award. It means a lot to me that you put my name forward and that you enjoy my photos. However, at this time I must decline at this time, because I have a personal policy of not sharing too much of my personal life on=line. Congratulations as you get ready to graduate and good luck finding a job.
I see. It’s ok. Just letting you know that you have a really nice blog and very nice photos. Keep up the good work!! Thanks for the good luck!! 😀
You post a lot of wonderful photos, Liew, and I enjoy visiting your site regularly too. I especially like the wide range of your photographic subjects, including landscapes, people, and even yourself.
Thanks Mike. I enjoy your macro shots and the photographs of wildlife of yours. The mating grasshopper of your recent post was really awesome! Let’s us all do our best! 😀
Love your work and nominated you for One Lovely Blog award, I totally understand if you don’t want to ‘do’ all the stuff involved. I just wanted to let you know! 🙂
Carol, thanks for the compliments and the nomination. I am glad that you enjoy my photos. I’m still feeling my way along, trying to “find” myself as a photographer and as a blogger. As you anticipated, I am not ready yet to “do” the things that come with accepting the award. Thanks again.
Like your blog. I’am also into macro/close up photography… which lens do you use?
( by the way thanks for the comment on my picture of the poppy’s. I’m pretty new to blogging and was sidetracked and never thanked you)
No problem with the delay. Most of us have lives outside of blogging. Some of my macro shots are with a Canon 100mm macro (although a couple of them were made with a Tamron 180mm macro lens when a friend let me try out her Nikon when it was equipped with that lens). Many of my close-up shots were made with a telephoto zoom lens, a 55-250mm Canon lens. A lot of the time I can’t get close enough to the subject to take advantage of the macro lens. By the way, I’m “pretty new” to blogging too. I think I made my first post 10 weeks ago today.
Well, I asked you about the lenses because I’m looking for a good lens myself. At the moment I have a zoom and just a standard lens… on my old analog camera I had a macro converter and I really miss it these days.
Which of the lenses gets close enough?
beautiful photos!
Thanks. I am glad that you like the photos. I keep looking for new subjects and may have to change a little as the weather gets colder and there are fewer insects, flower, and birds to photograph.
They are great – I typically use photos as an inspiration for my artwork and yours are very specia.
Mike, I believe you were my camp counselor at Grotonwood. I am sure you remember me as we corresponded for years, but lost lost touch many years ago.
Debbie
Wow. Did you have red, curly hair? If so, I know who you are and will send you an e-mail. This is definitely a small world.
Well as I recall from those days your hair was a bit different too Mike…..love the blog BTW
Thanks, Patrick. I am glad you like the blog. I get a chance to write more and post more photos than on Facebook
I was stopped the other day by a couple of chipmunks looking for the photographer with the bubble gum, have you seen him lately Mike?
If they remember me, they must be chipmunks with gray beards!
Hi, Mike. I have nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger Award. 🙂 To accept the award, visit this post: http://atlantamomofthree.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/blog-awards/ Love your blog!
Thanks, Valerie. I really appreciate your desire to nominate me for the award, but I respectfully have to decline. I am not fully comfortable in meeting the requirements of acceptance. I’m glad you like my blog and hope to be able to continue to post interesting photos and stories.
Congratulations, Mike!
I have nominated your blog for the Blog of the Year 2012 Award.
The rules of the award are at
Well deserved! Enjoy 🙂
Thanks so much for thinking of me. I appreciate your desire to award me, but I must respectfully decline as I do not feel comfortable fulfilling all of the requirements for the award. Thanks again.
Hi Mike, I understand. The award is for helping bloggers, not for hurrying them 🙂
All the best for you, your photos and your blog!
Congratulations! I’ve awarded you The Blog of The Year Award, check it out here : http://lyndamichele.wordpress.com/about/
Hey, I love reading your blog and have nominated you for One Lovely Blog Award! Please check out my blog for details, post the award on your sidebar and spread the love to some of your favorite bloggers!
thank you very much for visiting my blog and for the follow. Your blog has been a favorite of mine for some time now.
I try to keep the number of blogs that I follow to a manageable number, but when I finally visited yours, I decided I could add one more.
Hi Mike, good news!
I am nominating your blog for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.
The rules of this blog award are at
Congratulations!
Thanks for your visit to my blog Mike. I just went through your blog and I must add I am very happy to have found your blog. God bless!
Thanks. I especially enjoyed your bridge photos. It sounds like you have a fascinating job that lets you see a lot of different places.
I hope you don’t mind but I have added your blog to my recommended blogs for people to visit. You can view the page here, http://ryanphotography.co.uk/recommendations/. If you don’t want your blog to be listed, could you drop me an email at brenr1958@gmail.com and I will remove it.
Thanks so much for your support and encouragement–I feel honored that you would recommend my blog to others.
You are welcome Mike,
I have nominated you for the sunshine Award. go to jeaninjackson.com for details
I have nominated you for sunshine and versatile award as i can’t stop loving your birds….(Bird photography)
Hey, I just discovered your blog and I think your pictures are great. For the past weeks I’ve been trying to photograph insects myself and it’s pretty hard! Of course I don’t have a professional camera so I suppose that makes it even harder to get a clear picture. I’m looking forward to reading/seeing more of your journey.
Thanks. I have been shooting regularly for a year now and encourage you to shoot as much as you can and experiment along the way. In the winter I mostly photographed birds, but now that the insects are back, I’ve been photographing a lot of them. Don’t worry too much about the equipment you have (my DSLR is about seven years old). It’s nice to have a macro lens, but not essential. Good luck in your photo adventures and don’t be afraid to ask questions of me or of other bloggers. Most of them are more than willing to share their experience and give tips on how they got the results that they did.
Hi , Everyone is nominated!!!!!!Chuck(ing) the rules from my side
You can either pass it on according to rules or totally deny the award….
Visit: http://tvhookedfigures.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/everyone-deserves-an-award/ , To understand the procedure or all the way ignore everything if not bothered with the award
I am happy to have found your blog, Michael, and I’d like to know what part of the country you live in.
I live in Northern Virginia, just outside of Washington DC
Wow, we are neighbors! I live in Montgomery County. (I asked because I am interested in where the animals in your pictures can be found. And how nice that I might see them myself!)
Many of them can be found at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria. I also shoot a fair amount in Green Spring Gardens and Cameron Run, also in Alexandria. Only rarely do I venture farther out.
Most of my pictures are taken at Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg. But I am no photographer, just someone who likes being out in a natural setting with a little camera. I love your blog.
Thanks. I am not a professional by any stretch of the imagination, but I am gradually starting to think of myself as a photographer as I learn more and grow more comfortable with my camera.
Someday (maybe when I retire?) I hope to get a good camera with serious zoom and telephoto capabilities. Right now, I am using a 7-year-old Fuji Finepix. It’s been great but it’s just not able to do what I would like to do!
Hi Mike, thanks for visiting and for the “Like!”
You’re quite welcome. I am usually curious to check out the folks who have visited my blog.
Beautiful shots! Do you need a macro lens for close up shots? I am still very amateur, but haven’t found the opportunity to learn about better equipments!
You can get pretty close with normal lens, usually within about three feet or so. You don’t need a macro lens, especially at the start. A lot depends on what you want to shoot and it’s good to shoot a lot to get a feel for what you like. Macro is needed only if you want to get really close or shoot tiny subjects, like some bugs.
Hi, Mike! Do you have an e-mail address for “Alan the Macro Man?” Thanks! Walter
No address for him I’m afraid.
[…] Mike Powell […]
Congratulations, dear Mike!
I have nominated your blog for the Blog of the Year 2013 Award.
More about this nomination is at http://aristonorganic.com/2013/11/20/blog-of-the-year-award/
Thanks so much for thinking enough of my blog to nominate me for the award. At the moment, I am not comfortable in filling all of the requirements to qualify. Thanks again.
my pleasure, just keep up the good work 🙂 *Brigid
I’ve nominated you for a ‘Blog of the Year 2013’ Award- many congratulations!
You can see your nomination at http://onmyfrontporch.com/2013/11/21/blog-of-the-year-award-2013/ and find out about the award at http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/blog-awards-2-/blog-of-the-year-2013-award/
Congratulations!
Thanks so much for thinking of me and nominating me for this award. At the moment, I am not comfortable in meeting all of the requirements for the award. I appreciate your support for my blog and my photos and am honored that you thought enough of it to put me forward. Thanks.
Mike I think you have an exceptional eye for wildlife. You seem to have really good results with waterfowl as the subject, too. My question is, why not capture some images of loons? They are beautiful and impressive birds; their habitat includes remote mountain ponds and lakes in New England which are not that hard to get to. I know of a good prospect in Vermont, for instance….
Thanks. I’d surely enjoy photographing loons, but for the moment haven’t traveled to any spots where they are to be found–mostly I shoot within about five miles of where I live. At this time of year, New England can be problematic weather-wise, but I may check and see if I can find some loons closer to home.
Hello Mike! Beautiful photographs – will be stopping by more often! Happy clicking! Regards.
Thanks so much. I try to post a variety of nature and wildlife photos as often as I can (chronicling my adventures of discovery in the natural world with my images).
Hey Mike,
Is that a Robin or Bluebird on that last post on Pearl St?.There are a lot of Robins in our area, but the birds I saw looked more like Bluebirds.
That sure looks like a bluebird to me, judging from the coloring, the bill, and the eyes (though I am certainly not an expert in identification).
Thank you.
Hey Michael – Great images of the bees; Would you contact me directly via the email address I just sent? Have questions re: use of one of the images. Thanks Cyndi
Thanks. I haven’t received an email yet and will check to see if my spam filter grabbed it. You may want to send it again.
Thank you for following my little blog. I’ve not tried to take photos of insects before, but I can only imagine that it takes quite a bit of patience. I enjoyed reading through your posts and I look forward to seeing more.
Jimmy, I was very impressed by your words and photos as they were featured by Leann Cole in her blog and decided it would be great to watch your progress as reflected in your blog. I started getting more serious about taking photos almost two years ago and found a blog to be a wonderful creative outlet, a place where I could express myself in my prose and in my images. My most recent images have been mostly insects, but a few short months ago the were mainly photos of birds. We dabble in different area of photography much of the time, but I noted that we both have subtitles on our blogs that speak of our journeys in photography–I really like that metaphor for what we are trying to accomplish, sometimes heading for a specific destination, sometimes wandering aimlessly, just enjoying the scenery.
Hi Mike – I’ve been enjoying the photos as well as your comments. I’m learning a lot already, so – thanks. Any and all tips and advice are greatly appreciated. My Canon Ti3 is getting a workout these days.
Thanks. I’ve finally reached a point where I feel like a photographer, though I am definitely still one who is learning all the time. My best piece of advice is to shoot a lot and figure out what works and what you like.
Nice blog and great photographs!
Thanks. I’ve been blogging for a bit over two years now and find it to be a great way to express myself in writing and through my photographs.
Photography sure brings out the beauty in us with the help of the lens. You should show and tell your gift during the Weekly Photo Challenge.
What a great mix of images. I can relate to your comments about expressing yourself and exploring through photography. I am now following you eagerly!
Chris
Thanks for choosing to follow my blog and for your encouraging words. I have always admired creative people, but never really considered myself to be creative. Photography has allowed me to express myself in a new and different way.
Loved seeing your work on Leanne’s blog. This looks like a great place to come. 🙂
Thanks. I probably should update the “about me” page of my blog, given that I wrote it more than two years ago when I launched the blog. I think that I have evolved since then both in my photography and in the way I do my posts.
We started at about the same time. I’m devoting so much less time now than I did when I got started. Blogging has opened doors, and I have to spend time in several rooms! Love your site, and I’ll be back for more lessons.
hi Mike – thanK you so much for following our adventures in sailing and photography! Have followed your blog for a few months as a result of Leanne’s introduction! We have bird watching in common, a challenging pursuit! Chris
Found you through researching spider silk. Look forward to reading more! Molly D.
Sir, Could I use your photograph Daylight Moon to go with a poem of me in a local paper. If so, could you send me a large copy. This is my email adress: willemkurstjens@gmail.com and this is the poem. The language is Dutch. Thank you very mucht and best regards, Willem Kurstjens
OCHTENDMAAN
in memory of e.e. cummings
’s ochtends vroeg in de trein door het kale land
met de bleke marmeren maan en de bleke lucht,
die steeds bleker en doorzichtiger wordt
het wordt eb in de wereld, de duisternis
trekt zich terug in de wasemende grond en legt
de syntaxis van het landschap bloot
hoe de huizen, wegen en bomen zich verhouden
tot de koplampen van de vroege tractoren
en een vlucht zichzelf corrigerende ganzen
de zon pelt de bomen uit de schil
van hun omgeving en toont ze één voor één
nat en naakt in hun zwarte velours
een kraai vliegt de top van een boom in en kiest positie
en ik zit hier maar en kijk en maak mijn hoofd leeg
Let me see if I can find the image and if I can, I would be happy to send you a larger image. All I would ask is that you include an attribution line that indicates that I am the one who took the photo.
You have wonderful blog. And great photographs! ❤
Thanks so much.