Category Archives: nature

the mojave desert.

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there is nothing quite like driving through the california desert…especially with two fantastic friends who are also fantastic photographers. last week the photo road trip continued east from san diego into the colorado and mojave desert. every few miles we’d stop the car and get out to explore the incredible surroundings. this time of year the desert sun is warm and strong, but the air was so crisp and cool – it was completely amazing.

also, i discovered that i am pretty much in love with cactus – something i didnt really know until i stood in the center of a massive cholla garden…the prickly flowering cacti stretched along the sand as far as the horizon, where the desert floor seemed to rise directly into SNOW CAPPED mountains. incredible! there were also the fabulously photogenic ochillo cactus + the starkly beautiful joshua trees. not to mention fields of vibrant purple and bright yellow flowers everywhere, and the unforgettable blooming orange trees whose citrus gardenia scent permeated the air…ahh!

i simply loved the experience of just being in the middle of the blooming desert – once again completely awed by the beauty of nature. and lucky enough to have captured just a bit of with my camera.

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mk framed by the octillo cacti.

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kim seidl documenting the secret lives of flower underbellies.

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Filed under nature, photo road trip, photography, photojournalism, travel

gatorland!

while i was in florida i did something i haven’t done in almost 20 years…i went to gatorland!

gatorland is one of central florida’s quintessential tourist destinations – it’s just so florida. nothing fancy, just a bunch of lazy gators and tons of birds lounging about in their habitat. there are a few shows where they feature up close encounters with the animals, but mainly you wander around the relatively small park and check out the gators. for a few bucks extra you get a fistful of hotdogs that you can feed to the gators. honestly, the gators didn’t seem that into the hotdogs, but the birds sure loved them…oddly enough!

the first (and last) time i was at gatorland i was probably 8 years old – and my dad and uncle took me and my sister. i still have the polaroid from that day, sitting on a bench with a boa constrictor wrapped around my neck and a baby alligator in my hands. how brave i was! so when the woman asked if we’d like to have our photo taken with a gator during the wrestlin’ show – i said of course! and signed john and i up…aside from getting close with the gators, we also admired the stunning flamingos, macaws, turtles, and even llamas and goats in the petting zoo! a perfectly wonderful way to spend a sunday afternoon…

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check out our up close encounters!

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no day at gatorland is complete without trying a sampler platter of fried gator + gator ribs!

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Filed under animals, nature, photography

snow day.

dc officially got its first snow this week – after a full day (and night) of semi-serious flurries, the city lay quiet under a 3-4 inch blanket of snow…of course i couldn’t just sit inside – so i grabbed the 5D and hit the streets after dark to capture these stellar shots…

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Filed under dc, just for fun, nature, photography, photojournalism

snow beach.

spent a wonderful afternoon with two of my favorite people this weekend…my dad and i went to visit my sister and the beaches of long island…in the snow! yay for december! check us out on long beach – despite the bitter cold and snow flurries it was an incredible experience being on the beach in the winter. steam was swirling off the ocean as we ran along the shore, the sand and snow mixing underfoot with the abundance of sea shells…we weren’t the only brave souls beyond the icy dunes – there was a lone fisherman on the rocks, you can see him in the distance…such a beautiful day at the beach!

enjoy!

me +dad.
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my sister + my dad.
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me + jessi!
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Filed under family, nature, photography, travel

fall…finally!

it’s just starting to get chilly – really chilly – here in dc, and that means the leaves all around the city seem to be exploding in the vivid shades of fall. it’s easy to take it for granted, but the colors are simply spectacular…and i looove color!
these images are for my dad, who loves this time of year and keeps asking me about the weather and the trees…i know he will enjoy this as he continues to soak up the sunny florida weather and i start to fear a frosty winter!

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Filed under dc, nature, photography