The Essence

"The Essence"

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

I normally do not photograph people, as my passion is nature and wildlife. But, while walking on the Grand Cayman beach, I found beauty in the serenity of a lady enjoying the nature around her. It is the essence of what I felt while on my Caribbean vacation. I am ready to go back!

Location: Grand Cayman Island

Fishing the Easy Way

"Fishing the Easy Way"

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

This great blue heron fished the easy way. Nick the fisherman caught a fish and tossed it to the heron so I could take a photograph.

Location: Photo taken during the Alabama Coastal BirdFest at the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.

Miss Me Yet?

"Miss Me Yet?"

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

It makes me sad when the hummingbirds leave each fall. A worker from the Garden saw a hummer October 15 at the Garden. That is a record for the hummers leaving the Garden since I have been keeping track in 2011. At least they are sticking around a little longer. 

It does give me something to look forward to during the LONG cold winter:) 

Location: The State Botanical Garden of Georgia - Athens, Georgia

He Calls Them by Name

"He Calls Them By Name" 

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

The Milky Way was an amazing sight to behold when I photographed the stars last week. I loved being able to look at it with my naked eye.

I looked in one direction across the open field and saw where the Milky Way was just above the trees. I followed it with my eyes until I was looking across the field in the opposite direction where it dipped below the horizon.

What is even more amazing is the Lord calls each one by name!

"He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name." Psalm 147:4

Andromeda Galaxy

"Andromeda Galaxy" 

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

A member of our Athens Photography Guild (APG) asked if anyone would be interested in coming to his house for a star party. He has an observatory at his house with several telescopes to observe the night sky.

I went Wednesday night to his house and was able to photograph the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). I was amazed seeing all the Lord had made!

This photo is of the Andromeda Galaxy also called M31 or Messier 31. I was so excited I was able to photograph a galaxy. One can see this galaxy with the naked eye.

It is the closest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way and contains an estimated trillion stars. It is much larger than our own Milky Way and is 2.5 million light-years away.. If you can’t imagine how many stars this is, the Milky Way contains 200-400 billion stars.

The dark bands visible to the top left are bands of dust. The dust blocks the light from the stars behind them.

My camera was piggy backed to his telescope and the scope matched the movement of the earth’s rotation so during the long exposure the stars did not streak.

Setting: Nikon D800 + Nikon AF-S 80-400mm, 30 seconds, f/5.6, 12800 ISO, 320mm

Junk Food Please!

Junk Food Please! 

Judy Royal Glenn Photography 

I did photograph animals besides birds while at the Alabama Coast BirdFest. This particular day, our group stopped for a lunch break while we were on Dauphin Island. 

We had a sack lunch packed for us and we ate at the picnic tables at a small park. This little guy wanted some of my lunch. I tossed him something healthy....lettuce. He turned up his nose. He did enjoy the bread and M&M cookies and took them to this branch and ate them!

Location: Dauphin Island, Alabama 

Dew Bee

"Dew Bee"

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

I was on an expedition at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia to do my yearly documentation as to when the hummingbirds leave the Garden. An immature male hummingbird is there as of today which is a tie for last year's final hummer departure. 

I was able to photograph the hummer, but my favorite shot from today goes to this sleeping bee. I love seeing the dew on his body, especially his eyes.

I had to stand on a borrowed bucket to get high enough to photograph down on the bee, but even then I held my camera in the air and tried to look through my LCD screen to photograph him. I normally do not put the subject in the middle of my photo, but hey.....I'll take what I can get while standing on a bucket:) 

Location: Athens, Georgia

George

"George" 

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

This is George the resident great blue heron on the beach at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge in Gulf Shores, Alabama. This photo was taken while I was at the Alabama Coastal BirdFest. 

When I first got to the beach, I saw George off in the distance next to a few fishermen. At first glance, I said out loud, "Is that real?" He was a very large heron, and I did not know if it was a decoration. 

George also wanted the shrimp on the line of the fisherman just like the willet. The fisherman threw George a shrimp to eat and then caught a fish and gave it to George so I could photograph him.

Tug of War

"Tug of War"

Judy Royal Glenn Photography 

I am at the Alabama Coastal BirdFest this weekend and having a blast! This willet was playing tug-of-war with a fisherman's line.

Location: Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Gulf Shores, Alabama

Flowing

“Flowing”

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

Saturday, my husband and I headed out to photograph waterfalls. There were so many striking images to view, but this one is one of my favorites. I was a little safer this time and sat on a handrail instead of standing on it. I even had my husband stand beside me and hold onto me as I focused on my equipment and getting the shot.

I used a six second exposure to capture the milkiness of the water flowing over the rock. What are we letting flow over us? As for me….God’s love and strength.

Location: Anna Ruby Falls near Unicoi State Park in White County near Helen, Georgia

Got Ya!

"Got Ya!"

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

I lay on my stomach and waited for this fiddler crab to come back out of his hole. Someone may think I was hurt, so I folded my legs up behind me and wiggled them. The things I do for a photograph:) 

Location: St. Simons Island, Georgia

Teardrop

"Teardrop"

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

My eye was drawn to the drop of water on this leaf. I could not figure out why I was so drawn to the image before me, but photographed it anyway. 

I loved the highlight coming into the drop of water. I also love the patterns in the dark horseshoe shape. The drop of water looks like a teardrop.

 Location: The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

In Spotlight

"In Spotlight"

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

Yesterday, I met again a fellow photography friend to shoot at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Before she got there, I found a little grasshopper relaxing on a large leaf plant. I took several "normal" shots then photographed the grasshopper backlit and in silhouette.

Location: Athens, Georgia

Under the Dock

"Under the Dock" 

Judy Royal Glenn Photography 

I went to the marina on St. Simons Island, Georgia to see what I could find to photograph. I saw a few barn swallows diving in and out underneath the dock, so I walked down the ramp, to get closer to the birds.

I found this particular bird perching on the pipes. 

It did not take long to find its nest full of babies which was not far from its perch.
 Location: Morningstar Marinas, St. Simons Island, Georgia

Red-billed Streamertail Hummingbird

"Red-billed Streamertail Hummingbird"
Judy Royal Glenn Photography

Paul and I enjoyed our trip to Rocklands Bird Sanctuary in Anchovy, Jamaica. It was my favorite part of the whole cruise. 

The red-billed streamertail hummingbird is Jamaica's national bird. 

We were given little bottles of sugar water and the hummingbirds were accustomed to the bottles and would feed from them. This red-billed streamer tail hummingbird landed on my husband’s finger to feed.

I enjoyed feeding them too!

I took this video of the hummingbird feeding. The speed of the video was slow as the lighting was dark, but I love watching its wings in slow motion.