Spicebush Swallowtail

One of the most beautiful subjects ever in front of my lens, this spicebush swallowtail caterpillar was simply begging me to photograph it. I can’t recall ever seeing anything like it.

Wildflowers

These wildflowers have been absolutely everywhere lately, and I took a picture of these near our driveway last week. I thought they were really pretty.

Who Knew…

…that fungus could be so attractive? I thought this was a really pretty rock, despite the fungus that was engulfing it.

Eastern Collared Lizard

I took this photo back at the beginning of summer before I really became interested in photography (I’ve only been serious about it since July) or even had a nice camera. But even then, I still enjoyed taking pictures as you can see here. I thought this was such a beautiful lizard, and I took as many shots as possible. In fact, this particular shot was shared on the photo page of my favorite magazine’s website. I’m still hoping to get one of my pictures published by them one day!

Blue Bird

I really like this picture. I believe it may be my new favorite bird shot.

The World’s Largest Potato

Okay, so it’s not really a potato; but I didn’t lie about its size. This boulder takes the prize for the biggest rock I think I’ve ever seen (if you don’t count the one that it’s sitting on.) Pretty cool, huh?

More Elephant Rocks

On perhaps a more peaceful note than yesterday’s picture, here’s a shot that’s a little less scary. I didn’t have necessarily have to put my life in jeopardy to get this shot *sarcasm*.

Arachnophobia – Extreme Photography

This afternoon I was out in the yard looking for various insects and whatnot that I might photograph when suddenly I heard my sister scream and call my name. I made my way in her direction, and when I got there she proceeded to explain that she had seen a big spider underneath a rock. Assuming it was just your average arachnid, I flipped over the rock to see what I might find, not expecting anything too spectacular. I was very wrong.

Underneath that rock was a Black Widow spider, which is extremely venomous. But, because I love my viewers so much, I risked my life and limb to photograph this deadly creature. Yes, that’s right: I did it for you. I didn’t run away, or even stomp it into an eight-legged pancake; I captured it, brought it into my home, and took this picture – all that you might know what a Black Widow looks like.

"Wheat"

 

Okay, so it's techinically not wheat, but I didn't know what else to title this post. Plus, it's not as if the average Joe would be able to tell the difference (like me). :-D

There is a river…

This is a picture from our trip to  Mina Sauk Falls. It’s not in this particular shot, but I was standing just a few feet away from the tallest waterfall in the state of Missouri. It’s an absolutely beautiful place. Of course by the time you finish the three mile hike to get there, I would consider any place that you can actually sit down and rest to be beautiful. :-D

By the way, my photo store has now moved to Etsy. Be sure to check it out here.

Turtle

 

As you can see, this little guy was just fine with having his picture taken. :)

My New Logo

So what do you guys think of my new logo? I just finished working on it this evening, and I couldn't wait to start using it! Also, do you like it being bannered at the top of my page, or should I figure out a new place to put it?

Elephant Rocks

 

Last week I was privileged to visit Elephant Rocks State Park. As the same suggests, this park is the home of enormous rocks – some much bigger than elephants. You can see a few of them in the distance, though these are like pebbles in comparison with some of the others I’ll be showing you in the future. Stay tuned!

Hang Glider?

We were sitting in the middle of a beautiful glade – birds singing, the wind blowing. It seemed like we were the only ones within 100 miles when, all of a sudden, somebody came flying by in this little contraption. It looked like a mix between a hang glider and a small airplane, with a fan attached to the back of it. I’ve never seen anything like it. All I know is that it looks amazingly fun!

 

 

These flowers really caught my eye because they were all facing directly toward the sun. I really like both versions of this shot, so I thought I’d go ahead and upload the two of them. Let me know what you think!

And God Saw That it Was Good

Wow. I just got back from a camping trip (our last one this year), and I was completely amazed by God’s creation. I have nearly 300 pictures to sort through, and many of them will end up here on this blog. This is the first of some  great shots that I plan to share with you over the next couple months.

By the way, you’ll notice my new layout allows you to rate each picture (underneath this text). This lets me know what resonates with you personally, and therefore I will be able to post pictures that you are sure to enjoy! In other words, be sure to vote!

Peace






 Last night we watched the movie Faith Like Potatoes (you'll have to watch it if you want to understand the title). Ever since then, the Lord has been showing me how much faith is related to peace, and vice-versa. If we want to have peace, then it is necessary that we have a strong faith in God. Anyway, I was working on this picture I snapped Friday, and I realized it was an ideal opportunity to convey the message of what God has been teaching me lately. I hope you enjoy!

And the Winner Is...

Congratulations to Squeaks, the winner of my contest for a free photograph! As you can see, the winner was decided by using a random number generator, and entries 3 & 4 belonged to Squeaks. Squeaks, I've already contacted you about your prize, so be sure to get in touch with me as soon as possible about that.

To those reading this, please be sure to check out Squeaks' two blogs: Hidden Doorways, and The Minstrel!

In closing, I plan on having more contests in the future, so be sure to let your friends know about DNP. The sooner I get more followers, the sooner I'll host another contest!

Four New Inspirational Pictures!

''The flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand."

"My speech shall distill as the dew."

"My ways are higher."

I wasn't planning on posting any new pictures until next week, but I've created some great new inspirational pictures that I couldn't resist sharing with you right away. I apologize if the watermarks are an eyesore for some, but it's a standard precaution in the photography world when posting one's pictures on the Internet. Anyway, please drop a comment and let me know which one is your favorite. And don't forget, you have until Tuesday to enter for a free copy of any picture of your choice (see my below post)!

*CONTEST* - Win a Free Photo!

As a huge fan of free giveaways myself, I thought it would be fun to host my first ever blog contest. So that is why I am going to be giving away one free 4x6 print (of the winner's choice) to one lucky person by way of a drawing. You'll receive a free photo and free shipping; all you have to do is enter! And to make things even more interesting, I've created three different ways to enter. You can enter once, twice, or even three times depending on how badly you want to win. Here's how it works.

1. First of all, follow me! Then, help spread the word about Dakota's Nature Photos by posting about this blog and contest on your own personal website/blog. If you do not have one of these, you can post it on your facebook page instead (please send me a screenshot). Please use my above logo if possible. THIS COUNTS AS ONE ENTRY.
2. Using the code found on my sidebar, embed my button on your blog. THIS COUNTS AS ONE ENTRY.
3. Finally, if you complete Step 1, be sure to tell your readers to follow me and to let me know that you referred them by commenting on this post. FOR EACH NEW FOLLOWER THAT IS REFERRED BY YOU, YOU WILL RECEIVE ONE ENTRY.

After completing steps 1 and/or 2, be sure to comment and let me know you entered. Also, please include a link to the page where you posted/embedded. As for step #3, I will enter your name when I recieve a comment by the person you referred.

If you are the lucky winner, I will contact you either through the blogosphere, or e-mail if you have it visible on your profile. You can then let me know which photo you would like (once again, photos marked with an asterisk are not available), and I'll get it in the mail to you as soon as possible. As a side note, the photos on my sidebar are also available. Your prize will be shipped in a cardboard photo mailer to prevent bending.

The contest will run through 5:00 CT on September 14, so be sure to enter before then! Good luck everyone!

The Simple Things

 

When looking for good photo opportunities, it's very easy become so caught up in looking for a bald eagle tending its nest, a turtle crawling through the leaves, or a fascinating flower that you miss some of most simple, yet beautiful, aspects of nature. Today we went on a hike with some family around a lake near their house, and I was able to get some pretty neat shots of things that were by no means extraordinary, but their simplicity is what made the picture so unique. I hope these pictures will remind you to be thankful for even the seemingly insignificant things in life, because it is often through these things that God shows us how amazing He truly is.

New Picture and Blog Button

Until I began photography, I had very little interest in flowers and whatnot. With that said, I know the names of only a very small number of flowers such as roses, daisies, etc. Thus, I cannot give you much information as to what kind of flower this is, other than that it is some sort of wildflower. Once again, please comment if you can identify it.

Also, you may have noticed that I now have a new blog button on my sidebar as well as the code for you to embed it on your own site. If you've enjoyed my photos, please put in on your page, and then be sure to comment and let me know so I can go and see!

Behold the Tree

Something about this tree sparked my interest, and I took a few pictures of it it before continuing our hike. Though I really like the angle, the picture still doesn't convey how enormous this tree really was. What do you think?

"And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand."
                                                                               -Luke 21:29-31

New Look

After spending a long time trying to get everything just perfect, I've finally finished the new look for my blog. Thanks to google's new template designer, I was able to upload my own background image and all that good stuff while still keeping the general layout that I had before. I'm open to any suggestions, so please feel free to let me know if you have any ideas.

White-Tailed Deer

I was excited to get this shot of a white-tailed deer. As you can see, she knew I was taking a picture and so she didn't stay around too much longer after this shot.