IT'S ALL ABOUT THE JOY!

I am very happy to have guest blogger today. She is someone I admire for many reasons. She is smart, creative, kind, compassionate and she has put up with me for almost 25 years. Todays post is penned by my wife Phyllis, it is kind of  the second part of my Revere Beach to Kokomo post of Monday, but not exactly. Which describes Phyllis's and my personalities, we are identical, hmm but not exactly. Which make for an extremely fun and interesting life together.  I hope you enjoy reading about Phyllis's day/life as much as I have had living it with her.


While Jim and I drove through the Keys, I thought about the beach, my friends and my dad. In 1970, my dad and mom decided I should have a car for college. My parents both worked two jobs so we couldn't afford much but the paper showed some end of the year Ford sales for $1999, so we went. When we got to the lot, my dad and I looked at all the cars outside and even though they were nice, they didn't make my heart race. We decided on a dark navy four door and went inside with the salesman. When we stepped into the showroom, I saw this INCREDIBLY cool car. It was lime green with a black scoop called a Maverick Grabber. My eyes POPPED so wide, I almost fainted.


When my dad came back from the salesman's office, he handed me a set of keys. He said, "I know when we came here, we had a certain thing in mind, but when I saw your eyes light up, there was no way we couldn't make you as happy as you've made us."  He handed me the keys to the shiny green car and I started jumping around like a NUT!!. As soon as the car was ready, I drove to my friend, Ev's house. We picked up a few other girls, drove to Nahant Beach and parked near the changing building because that's where all the kids from Melrose parked.  My friends thought it was so cool for me to have a brand new car and I felt like the BIGGEST kid on the block.


We stayed at the beach all day running back and forth from the parking lot to the blanket, so other kids from high school could see the car. I talked and laughed with kids I never would have spoken to if the car hadn't been there to 'break the ice' and to this day, when I'm at the beach, I think of the freedom and joy of being young.


When Jim and I stopped to photograph these board sailers, I marveled at that same freedom and joy. Each time one of the young men I saw crashed through the surf or flipped off the ramp, I felt the exhilaration of being young again. Even as we age, it's vital to be a part of something spontaneous, exciting and fun. Since we took these images, I've added a few good years to my life. I hope it does the same for you!

                When I saw this image in camera, I wanted to yell, 
                                        "WEEEEEEEE"!

FROM REVERE BEACH TO KOKOMO!

I put a video of the Beach Boys singing Kokomo at the beginning of this posting. I suggest playing it in the background while you watch these young people enjoying their beach and maybe think back to your beach, when you were young and life was in front of you!. 


When we visited the Florida Keys last week we stopped and photographed a group of people board surfing. Phyllis and I photographed it without consulting with each other.  The only thing we knew was that we were photographing with two different focal lengths. Phyllis would be shooting with an eye toward the closeups while I would be looking more for wide angle images. Phyllis was looking to capture the action while I concentrated more on the relaxing atmosphere and beauty of this spot. We will post Phyllis' images on Wednesday.


If you are not familiar with the Beach Boys, they are called America's Band. They were formed in 1961. Their songs reflected a life style and youth culture of surfing, cars and romance. I remember when I first heard their songs, I instantly became a big fan. I was of that age, when that culture defined what the ultimate teenage life would be. Hanging out at the beach, in my case, would be Revere Beach in Massachusetts, pretty far from California but it had the ocean. My buddies and our girls were sitting on the wall overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, no surfing but still a great time in our lives. Born from an innocent freedom that I'm guessing most of us yearned for as we got older. Seemingly our only worries being if the girls we were sure we loved would go out with us. 


Many had problems at home but we didn't speak of them, especially not at the beach, with our buddies, on the wall looking out at the Atlantic Ocean. We just enjoyed the sun, girls and the Beach Boys on the radio of a passing car; getting a coke and a slice at Bianchi's or clams at Kelly's planning who we could get to buy us a six pack of Bud or for some of us Heineken beers, later that night!  Hanging out with our buddies on Broadway at night. A bunch  of us squeezing into a car to see movies ( yes plural) at the Revere Drive In, listening to the radio as we drove down Revere Street, who was better then us!!!  But it was the summer , the beach and our friends that stands out. Yes, life was good for those fleeting moments on the wall at Revere Beach. They formed memories that I still cherish. I truly hope Lou, Bill, Roger, Denise, MaryAnn, Arlene and Linda all remember and cherish them. too.


As I photographed this generation of young people on their beach, I wondered what beaches they would have 40 years from now. Would there be beaches to enjoy? Would they find their beach, their happy, ultimate adult life? I hope so. If they do, I hope they realize it and take the time to enjoy it. It can be more fleeting as you get older.  I have been one of the lucky ones. I have found my beach, my girl, my wall and my happiness. I try to remember to enjoy it everyday, down here in Florida, close to Kokomo.

   Some just come to watch and maybe dream a little!!!

   
When these two were young was this their beach, if so what memories have they? Are they happy or wishing for another chance to surf the ocean? I hope they're happy. I wish them peace, happiness and love!

No matter what age you are, find your beach and be happy. Enjoy your life! It can be like a great bottle of wine; rich with flavor, containing beautiful shades of red, blacks, whites, yellows and it can provide great memories. But once the bottle is empty, it is just a glass container. Enjoy it while it is still full!!!

SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TODAY!!!

Good Morning everyone, today there are no pretty images, song lyrics  or tutorials. Yesterday my nephew Paul sent me an email, it was one of those that one person sends to all his friends and family. The kind I usually glance at and then delete. This one was different, this one I didn't delete. At the end when it asked the reader to send it along to others, I thought this would be the best way for me to send it to my friends and family.  Please take a moment to read and if you are inclined please pass it on, to your friends and family.  I have to admit I thought long and hard about doing this blog. This is not a political blog, it never will be, it is a spot for people to see the beauty in this world through our eyes. I wondered if this was the place to show this. I almost decided not to. Then I remembered two quotes that I have heard all my life. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" and   "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out --  Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -- Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -- Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me." The gentleman whom this quote is attributed to was Martin Niemoller. He was an ardent nationalist and prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last 7 years of Nazi rule in concentration camps. Someone to remember The world hasn't just become wicked...it' s always been wicked. The prize doesn't always go to the most deserving. Irena Sendler... In 2008, there was a death of a 98 year-old lady named Irena. During WWII, Irena, got permission to work in the Warsaw ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist. She had an 'ulterior motive'. She KNEW what the Nazi's plans were for the Jews (being German). Irena smuggled infants out in the bottom of the tool box she carried and she carried in the back of her truck a burlap sack, (for larger kids). She also had a dog in the back that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. The soldiers of course wanted nothing to do with the dog and the barking covered the kids/infants noises. During her time of doing this, she managed to smuggle out and save 2500 kids/infants.  She was caught, and the Nazi's broke both her legs, arms and beat her severely. Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she smuggled out and kept them in a glass jar, buried under a tree in her back yard.  After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived it and reunited the family. Most had been gassed. Those kids she helped got placed into foster family homes or adopted. Last year Irena was up for the Nobel Peace Prize. She was not selected. President Obama won one year for his work as a community organizer for ACORN and Al Gore won also -- for a slide show on Global Warming.

In MEMORIAM - 63 YEARS LATER Please read the little cartoon below carefully, it's powerful.  Then read the comments at the end.

It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War inEurope ended.

This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the six million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians  who were murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and humiliated!

Now, more than ever with some , claiming the HOLOCAUST to be 'a myth'.

It's imperative to make sure the world never forgets, because there are others who would like to do it again.

This e-mail is intended to reach 40 million people worldwide!

Join us and be a link in the memorial chain and help us distribute it around the world..

Please send this e-mail to people you know and ask them to continue the memorial chain. 

Please don't just delete it. 

It will only take you a minute to pass this along.. 

Thanks!

THE ANATOMY OF A CANDID PHOTOGRAPH

In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one of the definitions of candid is; relating to or being the photography of subjects acting naturally or spontaneously without being posed. Wikipedia describes candid photography as unposed and unplanned, immediate and unobtrusive. 

This past weekend, Phyllis and I spent a day on the Florida Keys. The Keys really excited me as a Floridian and a photographer. I can see us going back there many times. With its blue skies, white sand, great sunsets and shallow beaches, it is a great place for a photographer. This was not a planned visit. We found ourselves within a few hours of the it and decided to scout out the area. This is something we will do when we have not visited an area previously. 

We were there only a few hours and knew we would be coming back. The Keys are different than other areas of Florida. If you're expecting expansive picture postcard beaches for sunbathing, swimming and shelling, you'll find those on the 'mainland' but not on the Keys. But there are special tucked away places, little coves where sand has collected; easily missed spots of sand hidden among mangroves, not so long stretches of beach, small, man made, man enhanced, or by geological fluke, natural.

Why are there no 'real beaches'? The Keys have a spectacular coral reef, the only living coral reef in the continental U.S. running parallel along it lengths. The reef acts as a barrier to the waves coming in from the Atlantic Ocean preventing waves from pounding against the shoreline rocks, thereby inhibiting sand being made and its buildup. As a matter of fact many of the Keys' beaches are really tidal flats where sand has piled up and you may have to wade out quite a way to reach deep water.

As we were driving along we spotted one of these tucked away spots. Pulling into a small parking area, enough for maybe a dozen cars, we were lucky to find one empty spot to park. This is what we saw as we drove in and parked.

We saw a wonderful view of blue skies, turquoise waters, white coral sands and people para gliding.  When we are out like this 'hunting', Phyllis and I will usually have two different focal lengths on our cameras. This time Phyllis had her 18-200 zoom and I had my 17-55 zoom. We also do this when photographing an event like a wedding. This allows us to cover an event or area from both a wider angle and close up. 

Phyllis started concentrating on the para gliders and I started looking for landscapes and people images. I took a few images like the above one, getting my initial settings and trying to 'see' an image that intrigued me. Off to my right I saw this tree.

  

I thought maybe I could work with this tree; the blue skies, white sand and green/yellow leaves would help me create something.

That white that you see in the background is the coral sand/ rocks that are under the water. You can see the turquoise water farther out. I was figuring out what I could do; maybe a wide angle  showing the single lonely tree out on this beach? I was sure that it might work but I wasn't that excited yet.

Then a young man walked into my shot and sat down. Many times this would be a problem but not this time. As he sat looking out at the ocean and the para sailers, I thought this is getting me excited. Here we go; the lonely young man looking out at the sea, contemplating his life, where has he come from and where is he going; a man in the prime of his life sitting alone under lonely tree! Maybe just a silhouette, making him the every man!!

But then, there was a change in my story line.

 Here comes his family into the scene. Alright, this is good; not the lonely man but a couple and their child looking out at the ocean, maybe thinking about what the world has in store for their son.

But the story changed once more. The young child's real father called him back to where his family was sitting away from this young couple. Poof, there goes my family storyline.

So now we have two attractive young people on a white sand beach in Florida sitting under a tree looking out at the ocean. Okay, this is not bad, as long as she sits down next to him. Please walk over and sit down next to him Happily, that is what she did.

 Okay, now I wanted to catch a candid moment; an unplanned, unposed, unobtrusive moment in this young couple's life/day.

I always feel that a candid does not need to be a 'catch as you can' image. Sometimes you do only get that one shot before you're noticed or before something happens to take the scene away; a young women standing at a bus stop then the bus pulls up and she's gone. You had time for maybe one shot. Exposure might be okay, composition might be okay.

But sometimes you can stay in the shadows so to speak. Your subject is not aware of you at all or not aware that you're photographing them.  Okay I know this sounds a little creepy but I always do approach them and let them know what I was doing and offer them a few free copies. But only after I am finished. Here was a little of both I think. I had a pretty good distance between us and if they did see me, it would look like I was photographing the ocean and para sailers. I could take my time and get my exposure right where I wanted it and also try different compositions. Which is what I started doing. What about a view from behind them? Seeing what they are seeing as a point of view. It was not bad; a certain look but not what I wanted.

 
As more people came into their view, I took another shot. Again alright but not what I wanted. If you look at their body language, they are sitting together but leaning away from each other; taking away from the intimacy of the moment I wanted to capture.

So I moved back to their left, looking to capture a moment! On this next one I love how he is resting his head on his hand and with this composition they look closer more intimate. They really could be two young people looking out at into the sea, wondering about what life has in shore for them.

    
When the sailboat came into the image, I thought it was a welcome addition. Its presence helped build an island atmosphere. The breeze picked up and billowed her dress and I think it added to the feel of a warm tropical day, cooled by a gentle breeze.

I kept moving slightly, waiting to capture a moment, a memory.

    
Whenever I photograph moments like this I cannot help but add a possible storyline to it. In my mind I see a young couple in love on a beautiful beach together. But there seems to be something on their minds. Did they just meet and fall in love but now need to get back to their real worlds, maybe far apart from each other?
Did they just have an argument? Is he thinking of asking her some important question that will shape both of their futures? Or are they just trying to figure out where to eat tonight? I will never know and for my purposes it really does not matter. 


I spent a few minutes observing their lives and documenting that time to the best of my ability. I created a story hopefully in each image. If you look at these images and feel something or add your own storyline to it then I have accomplished what I wanted with my photography.


The next three images are my favorites of the two of them together.

   
What is she pointing at? I have no idea but as soon as I saw her point, I took the image. It could represent her pointing to the rest of their lives together or a red boat. It really is up to what the person seeing this image, you, feels!

  
After awhile the young man got up and walked away. I actually spoke to him and told him I had taken some images and that I would have them on my blog where they could see them if they wished. I would send them a copy of the images if they liked them.

Now, I had this very attractive young women sitting alone and I started shooting.

Until this last image, I know they did not see me. I think she might have realized I was photographing her after this image was taken.  

This was the last image I made.

By the way, this beach was not that empty as you can see in the images I shot from behind the couple. Those people did not move throughout this whole sequence but I did choose to remove them in post production. It worked better for the story I was trying to convey with these images.

EXPLANATION OF LENS AND THEIR FOCAL LENGTHS

I have received some questions about which lens someone should buy. My advice is pretty consistent.  There are two factors that should influence your choice of lens. One is what are you going to be photographing with it? The other is what can you afford? If you're  someone who wants to shoot mostly landscapes that would mean you could buy a slower lens.  The speed of the lens refers to the widest lens opening or F stop (for those people who wanted to know what F6 & F9 discussed in the previous post).  

Lenses are always described with their speed, e.g., a 50mm f2.8 lens or a 70-200mm f4 zoom. The 2.8 and 4 are the widest openings for those two lenses. The faster the lens, the more light that can potentially come through it. Faster lenses let you photograph more easily at lower light levels, allows faster shutter speeds and slower ISO settings, makes autofocusing easier and faster for the camera and provides a brighter view finder in a D-SLR. In a zoom lens, the speed of the lens may change with the focal length (called variable aperture) such as a 80-400 with a 4.5 - 5.6 zoom. That means that at 80 the lens speed is 4.5 but it loses a stop speed at 400 at 5.6.

However, faster lens are more expensive, sometimes considerably more. This does not mean that they offer higher quality results. This is a very important thing to consider. In fact, if two high quality lenses are compared the less expensive, slower lens may beat the faster more expensive lens because it is more difficult for designers to maintain quality as the f/stop increases at the wide end. That said, the lowest priced variable apertures zoom lenses will generally not match the quality of the higher priced zooms or single focal length lenses. 

Faster lenses are also generally much heavier. Many  photographers have welcomed high quality ISO digital settings because they are now able to use slower lenses in the field.

If you are landscape photographer, you can save money by purchasing a slower lens and a tripod. You can shoot in lower light and still get great images. Needing the speed to stop action is obviously not an issue unless you are lucky enough to find a mountain that actually moves. (If you do please email me directions to it). On the other hand, if you are shooting wildlife, sports or your kids playing, you will want every bit of speed you can afford to insure you can "freeze" the action and avoid a blurry subject. You can also, in a "limited" fashion, use flash to help shoot in low light. We will discuss that on another day.

Today, we will be comparing five different lenses. A 50 mm, a wide zoom 12-24,  a moderate zoom 17-55, a moderate telephoto 70-200 and a long telephoto 80-400.  I've kept the setting on the camera the same for all the images. The post production was minimal; a little straightening of the horizon, (it was early morning before my coffee), sharpening and minimal noise reduction. I had to adjust exposure on some slightly due to their wider focal lengths including more of the bright sky. 

The images are all of the view of the golf course from my backyard. You're getting bored of seeing this golf course, aren't you lol? But it's close and at 7AM, that is a good thing. All lenses are the Nikon brand, the only brand I own. When you find a brand that you trust, you tend not to stray (although there are some very good lenses made by Tamron and Sigma and you might save a few dollars). Please do not comment or email me thinking I am dissing your brand, whatever it may be. I am just telling you about the brand I know and trust. If you are getting images that satisfy you with a lens made by Hasbro, then by all means keep using it.

The first image was taken with the 50mm. This is sometimes referred to as a normal view. They are great lenses for portraiture and some close up work although they cannot replace a good macro lens.

Next is the12-24 lens set at 12. You can see how much more is included in the image. This can be good or a bad thing. You do need to watch out for distortion on each side of the image almost a bending in effect. I use this lens for some landscapes and during wedding receptions. Images taken during the reception can be fun and include lots of the guests dancing from a different perspective.  You can also see that there is something on the grass but it is a little small to know what it is for sure.

Next is the 70-200 2.8 lens. It's one of my favorite lenses and it's also a versatile lens. I use it for portraiture, wildlife, intimate landscapes and during the wedding ceremony in low light; especially in low light when a flash is not allowed.

Now we come to the 80-400 lens. It's a little slower but if you're shooting at a high ISO in bright sunlight, it will perform really well  for you. It's a really good inexpensive (I use the term loosely)  400 length zoom and a great lens for wildlife. You should always use your legs to get as close as you can then use the zoom to be selective. The one caveat to getting closer with your feet is safety, not only yours but also the animals. If you're in a national park and you decide you want your wife to take a picture of you feeding Yogi the bear, then all bets are off. That is when Darwin's theory of survival comes into play. So remember, I am not saying to shake Yogi or Smokey's hand. In this image it is quite easy to see that we have been seeing the golf courses maintenance staff at work.

The last lens is one I use a lot, it's my 17-55 2.8 zoom. I use this for environmental portraiture, some nature, some wildlife (when I am close enough to the subject) and it's really good for candid street photography, especially when you master shooting from your hip. This was shot at 17mm.

So we have a real simple comparison of five different focal lengths lenses. If anyone would like me to explore any particular lens in a little more in depth, please just comment on which lens it might be.

If people would like to submit their own images for a critique, I would be willing to have a day where I critique a few images. Let me know!!

HUNTING FOR GAME IN MY BACKYARD

 Before I start todays main topic I want to thank everyone for the great feedback  on yesterday's blog. I especially want to thank Sweepy Jean for her wonderful poem. I also want to thank everyone who follows us we reached 200 followers yesterday. Who would ever think that 200 people from all over the world would want to see my images and read my writings. Amazes me!!!
 While I am in a thanking mood I cannot forget to thank Alpana      ( kind of like Cher, only her first name is needed) she honored me with the Awesome Blogger Award. Up until now the only person who said I was awesome was Phyllis lol. Okay now on to our BIG GAME HUNT


Most nature photographers' dreams are to visit Africa and photograph the lions, tigers, elephants  and other big game. I like many others might never get there but I still think of it, wondering what it would be like; to see a sea of gazelles running across the open landscape or a pride of lions hunting. 


I saw one of those travel channel programs that featured Africa the other day. It was early morning in Florida, the temperature was moderate with the hint of a warm day coming. I stood out on my screened in room looking out at my backyard and the blooming flowers in our garden. They are hibiscus and I just planted them. Phyllis and I really love the color and delicate looking flowers of this plant. I went out to get a better look at them. 


A few plants had new blooms on them. One is a red variety and the other yellow. The two flowers do not really look like the same plant but they are both a hibiscus. While I was admiring the colors of this flower, something moved quickly in the back of my garden and caught my attention. When I saw what was jumping around, I was not surprised. It was one of the lizards that live in our yard. There are many all over the property. You see them in the gardens, on the driveway, the lawn and the house itself. They are actually of the variety Brown Anole.

 I laughed and thought, wait a minute, here is my big game hunt right in my backyard! I literally ran back into the house to grab my camera, my trusty 70-200 VR lens and my tripod. The anole had moved as I feared but that was good for now, the hunt was on; I the big game hunter and this little anole playing the part of the cunning lion. Okay I have a very active imagination but it was early morning, I already had written my blog (fed the monster) and I needed something to keep my interest :). Besides, you know what my motto is ABS.


At that moment, I wished that I had one of those pith helmets and safari clothes that I would see Marlin Perkins wearing on all those travelogs TV programs in the 1960s. Actually, Marlin stayed safe in the TV studio while Jim Fowler actually went in search of lions and tigers. I remember Marlin, from the safety of his TV studio prodding Jim to go see what made that bush move. 


"Go ahead Jim, why don't you walk into the underbrush and see if that large angry lion in still there. Oh how I wish I could be there with you!" I always thought Jim had a look on his face like he was thinking,  "Well, get off your ass and come out here. I don't mind sitting in the cozy studio". I always wondered in Marlin had found out that Jim was fooling around with Marlin's wife and this was his way of getting rid of him.  "OK Jim, I have heard that rhinos like having their chins scratched, why don't you find out?" Jim would have this look on his face like he wanted to scratch Marlin's chin with a bullet.


But I digress. You regular readers of this blog know I do that sometimes. Back to the Anoles in the darkness of my garden. Well actually, it was a bright sunny day but darkness works better at building suspense. I could hear the jungle drums in the distance  (far in the distance) as I went on my hunt for the dangerous anole.


Anoles are long slender, brown lizards; males reach 20 cm (in) long, females are smaller. Males have yellowish spots on their backs and an orange to pale yellow, white-edged dewlap or throat flap. They were introduced to Florida from Cuba and the Bahamas and are now found throughout the state. They are reportedly not poisonous or aggressive toward humans. But surely these mean looking creatures could not be trusted. I thought maybe I should have Phyllis out here sitting in our jeep holding our rifle and then realized that we don't actually have a rifle or jeep. 

I decided to brave it and continue on in search of the elusive brown anole. (This sounds better then saying I stood in front of my garden and gazed around the plants looking for this lizard.) Then their it was hiding out on the stub of a long dead palm tree.

 
As you can see from the brownish spots on its back, it is a male and from head to the tip of his tail about 8 inches. This was actually my first picture of him. The image at the top came later when I started making images and not just getting my settings. If you look at the shadows on the anole's far side, you can see that the sun was low in the sky and strong. I was hoping that he would move to a better location but when working in the jungle (okay your backyard), the creatures/ critters really do not take direction well.


He was not moving and I waited. He then jumped onto the branch of a neighboring plant and I took the images that you saw earlier in this post. At first, he was in deep shadow but I waited and then he moved and his upper body was in the sunlight. I took this image just before he once again ran/jumped away into a large bush. I should mention that in all the anole images I was no closer then eight feet.


I lost sight of him for awhile as he traveled deep into the bush. As I was waiting, my attention once again went to the hibiscus flower. I was near the red one. I really love these flowers! I started thinking about where I could stand to make the image I saw in my mind. You see, there were shadows falling on it but when the sun came out from behind the clouds, it created a great mixture of shadows and highlighted areas while keeping the background darker. I took my first image at F6 but realized I wanted to darken the shadows and especially the background so I changed to F9. This gave me a larger depth of field and also affectively darkened the areas I wanted darken.

AT F6

At F9

Then I saw it the anole was back !!! He had come out closer to the light. Maybe he was stalking me??? Looking for food?? Well, maybe he was just looking for the warmth of the sun. Whatever reason, I was getting another chance to bag my game. I waited till he peeked out from behind a leaf into the sunlight.  As I was looking through my lens, I saw the action I had been hoping to capture: the movement of the throat flap.

Sight is very important for most lizards, both for locating prey and for communication, and, as such, many lizards have highly acute color vision. Most lizards rely heavily on body language, using specific postures, gestures, and movements to define territory, resolve disputes, and entice mates. Some species of lizard also utilize bright colors, such as the iridescent patches on the belly of Sceloporus. These colors would be highly visible to predators, so are often hidden on the underside or between scales and only revealed when necessary.

The particular innovation in this respect is the dewlap, a brightly colored patch of skin on the throat, usually hidden between scales. When a display is needed, the lizards erect the hyoid bone of their throat, resulting in a large vertical flap of brightly colored skin beneath the head which can be then used for communication. Anoles are particularly famous for this display, with each species having specific colors, including patterns only visible under ultraviolet (UV) light, as lizards can often see UV.

    

The lizard then jumped onto this branch which allowed me to capture this full body image with just enough sunlight to highlight it. He then went back into the center of the bush and I knew the hunt was over. The sun was rising and the big game would be resting, watching for predators. That and Phyllis was calling me into the house so that we could leave to go on a trip for provisions. (We needed to go to the supermarket down in a strip mall here in Florida).

As I was getting ready to end the big hunt, I saw the hibiscus from another angle. I moved my tripod down a little and shot head on, onto the flower. I think this angle highlights its pistil and stamens.

I picked up my equipment to leave when I walked by the double  yellow hibiscus plant and naturally I had to take at least one image.

This hibiscus is the same species as the red one but looks so different. I really like it.

Well that's my big game hunt!! It's over for now but maybe I will go on another hunt soon and if I do, I will bring back my trophies and share them with you.