Category Archives: Photography

When a Chore Turns Into a Treasure Hunt

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Two deer standing in a sunlit grassy clearing surrounded by dense green foliage.

Rediscovering Hidden Gems in My Photo Archives

Dolphins swimming together at the ocean surface with their dorsal fins visible above the water.When I started The Great Photo Tagging Project, I was doing everything I could not to feel overwhelmed. My archives had grown to more than 10,000 photos, and most of them weren’t tagged. Any time I needed a specific picture, I had to scroll endlessly—unless I happened to remember the exact year and month I took it.

Take Hawaii, for example. I started traveling there in 2008 and went annually for years. I have hundreds of photos from those trips, but no clue which year a particular shot belonged to. Finding one specific image felt nearly impossible.

To make matters worse, I didn’t know about tagging when I began blogging. I’d find a photo, use it, and then toss it right back into the black hole of the untagged archives. So when I finally decided to tackle this project, it felt daunting.

The Slow March Through the BacklogA powerful geyser eruption sending steam and water upward, surrounded by grassy terrain and a forested backdrop.

At first, everything went smoothly. I was happily tagging away, and I made a rule: any new photo gets tagged immediately so I don’t add to the backlog. Somewhere along the line, though, the fun faded. Tagging became a chore.

Still, I was determined. I’d skip a day or two, then come back and knock out a page of 20 photos, slowly working my way backward through the years.

I’m currently in November 2016, inching my way toward the very beginning of the archive—January 2011. Some months are easy with just 10 or 20 photos. But then I hit a trip month and suddenly I’m staring down 300 images. Momentum? Slowed.

When the Chore Became a Treasure Hunt

But recently something unexpected happened. Without a car, I haven’t been able to get out and take new photos, so I’ve been relying on the archives. And as I started reviewing images in small batches, I began noticing things I’d completely missed before.

Treasure #1: The Puffin

Original puffin photo showing the bird floating on calm water before enlargement.I once waded through more than 200 puffin photos during post‑processing and somehow missed a gem. But while tagging, I enlarged one tiny puffin and—there it was—the iconic mouthful‑of‑fish shot I thought I’d missed forever. My first treasure.

Close‑up of an Atlantic puffin with a mouthful of fish, revealing details missed in the original thumbnail.

Treasure #2: Haleakala

The untouched Haleakala photo showing the raw volcanic landscape before post‑processing.I’ve always loved my Haleakala photo, but my artistic eye said it was a little flat. When I rediscovered it during tagging, I decided to give it a little post‑processing love. Suddenly it had punch, depth, drama. Treasure number two.

Vibrant, enhanced photo of Haleakala’s volcanic terrain with sharp detail and dramatic cloud formations.

Treasure #3: The Submarine Shots

The untouched shipwreck photo showing the quiet underwater scene before enhancement.Then came two photos taken from a submarine. Shooting through thick porthole glass isn’t ideal, but with a little editing magic, those images transformed from “nice memory” to “something really special.”

The transformed shipwreck image showing rich color, marine life, and dramatic underwater detail after post‑processing.

The untouched eagle ray photo showing the quiet underwater moment before enhancement.

Vibrant, enhanced photo of three spotted eagle rays swimming across the ocean floor, showcasing their patterns and graceful movement.

Finding Beauty in the “Ugly Ducklings”

Now I’m energized again. I’m not just tagging my inventory—I’m hunting for hidden gems. I’m looking for those overlooked, imperfect photos that just need a little love to become beautiful swans.

And honestly? I can’t wait to find my next treasure.

What about you? Have you ever looked at an old photo with new eyes and discovered a treasure hiding in plain sight?

 

National Wildlife Day- A Tribute

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A Tribute to the Creatures That make our wold a better place

Today is National Wildlife Day — a reminder of how much beauty and wonder lives alongside us. From deer in the Vermont fields of my childhood to the grizzlies, elk, manatees, and wild horses I’ve met on my travels, wildlife has shaped so many of my favorite memories. Here’s to protecting the creatures who make this world feel a little more magical.

A small herd of seven deer grazing in a lush green meadow, surrounded by tall grass and shrubs, with a young tree on the right. Several deer have velvet-covered antlers, and the scene feels calm and natural.

A large herd of elk moving across a grassy Wyoming field, with several bulls displaying antlers and a backdrop of tall, leafless trees. The scene captures the elk in their natural habitat during a late‑season gathering.

Grizzly 399 walking with two cubs across a rocky, grassy hillside in Wyoming, surrounded by early‑autumn trees with green and yellow foliage. The bears are moving away from the camera, showing the mother leading her cubs through their natural habitat.

A whale’s tail fluke rising from the calm blue water of Cape Cod Bay as it dives, with streams of water cascading off the edges and a distant sailboat on the horizon.

A seal lifting its head above the blue‑green water in Cape Cod Bay, mouth open in a wide yawn or call, with ripples reflecting around its partially submerged body.

A barn owl with a heart‑shaped white facial disc and dark eyes, shown in a close‑up view with soft tan and gray feathers, standing in an indoor educational setting.

European Barn Owl = photo credit Deb Neumann

An Atlantic puffin holding several small fish crosswise in its brightly colored beak, standing near the ocean with rippling blue water behind it. The close‑up view highlights the puffin’s vivid orange bill and striking black‑and‑white plumage.

Whether they walk, run, swim, or fly, our wild creatures enrich our world in ways we’re still learning to appreciate — from the deer of my childhood to the whales and puffins of my travels, each one a reminder that the wild makes life richer, brighter, and endlessly magical.

Florida’s Best- A WMEO‑9 SPECIAL REPORT- We Meow, You Listen

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Two cats sit behind a newsroom anchor desk labeled “WMEO 9,” with a microphone and papers in front of them. The orange cat and black cat appear as playful news anchors, set against a blurred cityscape and studio monitors.

🐾 WMEO‑9 SPECIAL REPORT- WE MEOW, YOU LISTEN

Hand holding a circular blue and silver “Best of Florida 2026” badge featuring the state of Florida icon, the Guide to Florida branding, and the hashtag #LoveFlorida, with the words “Drumroll Please!” above it.

ST JEAN CREATIVE DOES IT AGAIN — FLORIDA’S BEST PHOTOGRAPHER!

Banner (anchoring): “Good evening, viewers! Rumors have been flying, speculation rampant, and the suspense thicker than a furball in February. The question on every Floridian’s mind — who would win Best Photographer this year?”

Balboa (interrupting): “Banner, you’ve been pacing for days. You knocked over my treat jar twice waiting for the results.”

Banner: “Professional anticipation, Balboa. It’s called journalistic tension.”

Balboa: “It’s called chaos.”

🎥 The Story So Far

Last year, St Jean Creative Photography stunned the Sunshine State by taking home the top prize in the Best of Florida competition. The results for this year? Locked tighter than the treat cabinet. Until now.

Banner (dramatically): “It’s official! St Jean Creative has done it again! For the second year in a row, they’ve walked away with the top honor — Florida’s Best Photographer!”

Balboa (sniffing the air): “I smell victory. And maybe catnip.”

🌴 Why They’re the Best

Located in St. Petersburg, St Jean Creative lives up to its name — turning imagination into art. From weddings on the beach to Santa in the surf, from Hocus Focus Halloween magic to Dudeoir Valentine’s Day fun, they capture every moment with creativity and heart. Sports. Dance. Family vacations. Holiday thrills. Pets welcome too — even the dramatic ones.

Colorful collage celebrating St Jean Creative’s back‑to‑back Best of Florida photography win, featuring themed photoshoots including Halloween characters, youth sports, dancers on stage, Santa scenes, beach wedding portraits, and a Dudeoir Valentine’s photo, centered around a “Best of Florida Winner” badge with congratulatory text and the WMEO logo.

 

Banner: “Balboa, you’d fit right in their ‘Pets Welcome’ campaign.”

Balboa: “I demand my own photo shoot. With snacks.”

🏆 The Official Verdict

WMEO‑9 Newsroom confirms: St Jean Creative has officially secured the Best of Florida Photography title for 2026. A back‑to‑back win that cements their place at the top of Florida’s creative scene.

Banner: “Congratulations to St Jean Creative on another year on top!” Balboa: “And congratulations to me for surviving Banner’s victory dance.”

⭐ VOTE FOR ST JEAN CREATIVE — BEST OF FLORIDA 2027

Florida readers can cast their 2027 votes here: 👉 Guide To Florida

Voting is open now through July 28, 2027 at 11:59 AM

Banner: “Florida, let’s make it three in a row.” Balboa: “Vote. Do it for the art. And the cats.”

📞 BOOK YOUR PHOTO SHOOT WITH ST JEAN CREATIVE

Ready to schedule your session? Call 727‑317‑6765 to book your shoot.

Banner: “Family photos, holiday magic, sports, dance — they do it all.”

Balboa: “Tell them Balboa sent you. Maybe they’ll give me extra treats.”

🐾 WMEO Sign‑Off

“This has been a WMEO‑9 Special Report. Banner and Balboa reporting live from the newsroom — where the lights are bright, the treats are scarce, and the creativity never sleeps.”

Two cats sit behind a WMEO 9 news desk in a newsroom setting, with the orange cat and black cat posed like anchors above the text “Thank you for watching.

You may now resume your regularly scheduled scrolling

 

The Wolf Hollow Quest: Paused, Not Abandoned

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A group of five gray wolves resting together on a snowy forest clearing, with one wolf standing while the others lie in the snow.

The Wolf Hollow Expedition Is Back on Hold

I’ve been exploring my options to visit Wolf Hollow. Wolf Hollow is a wolf sanctuary located in Ipswich, MA. It was conceived in 1988 and became a state‑ and federally‑licensed 501(c)3 non‑profit organization two years later. Wolf Hollow opened its gates to the public in September of 1990.

Discovering a Sanctuary Close to Home

I first became interested in Wolf Hollow when I was searching for a place to photograph wolves. I’d been to Yellowstone, where tourists sometimes get lucky enough to see wolf packs in the wild. I wasn’t one of the lucky ones. I’ve seen gray wolves in zoos — they always looked so sad — but I still haven’t captured a photo that reveals the true wolf essence.

I heard of a sanctuary in New Jersey, but weather interfered with that trip, and then life got in the way. Closer to home, I learned about Wolf Hollow.

Transportation Troubles and the GoWithGuide Detour

Their website doesn’t provide ticket pricing, so I’ll need to do more research. Since Wolf Hollow is located in Ipswich, transportation is a challenge. I contacted GoWithGuide and was given the name of a Salem‑based guide. I emailed him with what I was looking for, but he chose to pass.

At this point, I think I’ll need to plan a car‑rental day.

Weather, Timing, and the Photography Challenge

As much as I hate the cold, I also think winter might be the best time for photos. With overcast skies, the lighting should be soft, and the wolves’ winter coats should be in full glory.

Checking on Wolf Conservation Status

I was concerned about the status of the sanctuary, since there seems to be a lot of turmoil in the conservation world these days. The Endangered Species Act is being slowly stripped and downgraded by the current administration. But my research showed that despite years of political back‑and‑forth over wolf protections, gray wolves are currently listed as endangered in most of the United States, including all of New England. Sanctuaries like Wolf Hollow continue to play an important role in education and conservation.

A February 10, 2022 federal court ruling reinstated ESA protections for most wolf populations after a previous nationwide delisting attempt. The 2026 USFWS update confirms that this protection remains in place.

Putting the Trip on Pause — Not Canceling It

So once again, my quest for a wolf portrait has to be delayed — but I’m not giving up. I’m just sidelining it for a bit until I can get all my ducks in a row.

More Reality Behind the Shot- The One that Almost Got Away

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A small Atlantic puffin floating on calm gray-blue ocean water, holding several silver fish crosswise in its colorful beak.

Red fox kit Monday afternoonFinding Gems in the Tedious Work

This photo‑tagging project can be tedious, but every so often it hands me a little miracle. That special shot I thought I’d missed.

I’ve been digging through older folders — the ones full of “not bad, but not good enough” pictures I skipped over during my first sort — and I’m finding gems I never appreciated at the time.

Why I Take So Many Photos

When I’m out on a photography excursion, I take tons of pictures. Way more than anyone needs. Birds and animals don’t pose on purpose, and sometimes I’ll see “The Money Shot”… only for the lighting to shift or the subject to wiggle out of frame. It’s hard work, but it’s also exciting. My adrenaline spikes, my heart races, and I’m basically running on pure wildlife‑photographer joy.

The Not‑So‑Fun Part: SortingBreaching Whale

Then I come home, load 200+ images into Lightroom, and the real work begins. I do a quick pass to eliminate the truly blah or out‑of‑focus ones, narrowing it down to the handful worth polishing. This part isn’t fun, but I do get lost in the art of “imaging.”

Why I Keep the “Almost” Photos

The good news? I rarely delete those second‑tier pictures. Time changes my perspective, and sometimes one of those “almost” shots ends up being exactly what I need for a post.

And that’s how I found him — my little puffin with a beakful of fish.

 

 

Award Winning Photo from the Internet

The Inspiration Behind the Shot

This photo earned an international award years ago and was one of the inspirations behind my puffin photography trips. If you do a Google search for puffins with fish, the web is full of these photos. On Machias Seal Island, I saw puffins returning with their catch, but the best I managed was a mouthful of shrimp. That was my last puffin trip.

Shrimp, Its what’s for dinner

A Foggy Day, a Rocking Boat, and a Forgotten Puffin

But while reviewing older shots from the Egg Island tour — yes, the foggy day on the rocking boat — I found a picture I’d kept only because it showed how tiny puffins look in the vast open ocean. This time, though, something caught my eye. A tiny detail. A shape.

It wasn’t so much “How did I miss that?” as “How did I see it now?” Sheer luck, maybe. Or just the magic of looking at a photo years later with fresh eyes.

Zoom… Zoom… Zoom

I zoomed in. And zoomed. And zoomed.

There they were. Fish.

My little puffin had a mouthful of fish after all.

Polishing the Shot That Waited for Me

I sharpened, cleaned up the color, and cropped the heck out of it. It will never be a gallery‑sized 16×20, but a small 5×7 will work beautifully. And sure, it would never pass even the first round of a photo contest — I had to zoom in way too far — but I don’t care.

I love my little puffin. I thought this was going to be “the one that got away.” Turns out he was waiting for me all along.