Steven Helmer Publications

I wasn't sure what the weather was going to be like today. It was foggy when I left, dreary later in the morning and, for a time, looked like it might rain.  The sun did come out though, so I ended up going for a walk at lunch. Here are some of the photos. It took me a few tries to get the green heron above. The sun was reflecting off the algae/water and kept washing everything out. Fortunately, it was too busy hunting to care I was there. I saw the egret from the far side of one of the ponds and spent a good portion of my walk trying to get close enough for a photo without scaring it. I didn't even realize there was a blue heron standing near it until I was taking the photo. I got this one while it was taking a drink from the creek. Not really sure what kind of berries these are. Just liked the pop of color coming up from the green over the water. ______________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous nature photos: Lunchtime Walk P...

I did get out for a walk today but didn't see nearly as much as I did yesterday in terms of things I could photograph. However, since there were still a pair of sandhill cranes hanging out by the pond, I decided to get some more photos of them. Here are a couple of them: _______________________________________________________________________ Here are some other bird photos: In Flight Some Heron Photos Bird Feeder Photos 11/10/2018 Some Bird Photos from Around the Yard

After several days of it either being too hot or too smokey to go for a walk, we finally have a reasonably decent day today. So, despite some concerns it might rain, I got out with my camera. While not my best outing photo-wise, I did manage to get some pictures. Here are a few of them: _________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous nature photos: Just a Couple Rabbit Photos Lunchtime Walk Photos (7/9/2026) Morning Walk Photos (7/10/2026) Morning Walk Photos 9/28/2017

I managed to get a walk in at lunch today, despite knowing the rain we had yesterday would make the trails muddy. As it turned out, they weren't as bad as expected but the parks department was out there mowing so there weren't as many photo opportunities as I would have preferred. I did, however, come across this robin hanging out in a puddle and snapped its photo. ________________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my other bird photos: Just a Random Bird Feeder Photo Front Yard Bird Photos Green Heron Photo Bird Feeder Photos 3/10/2018

I managed to get a quick walk in between rain showers today and, overall, it wound up being a bit uneventful with surprisingly few creatures stirring, including not many birds for some reason.  I did, however, spotted the green heron I saw yesterday (at least I think it is the same one) and got another photo of it. __________________________________________________________________ Here are some more bird photos: Heron With Breakfast In Flight Bird Feeder Photos 11/10/2018

After using it for several years and many, many photos, I finally pulled the trigger on a replacement for my Kodak AZ425. It was a gift from my wife, and I debated long and hard about the replacement decision as a result. However, the camera is starting to show signs of wear, the autofocus doesn't always want to work and the photos just aren't as crisp as they once were.  So, I decided to stick with the same DSLR design but go with a camera that is both new and has a few more functions, including Wi-Fi capability, while also remembering this is just a hobby and not something I can afford to spend thousands of dollars on.  That camera will arrive sometime in the next few days but in the meantime, I am still using my existing camera as much as possible, including a walk today. Here are some of the photos: _______________________________________________________________________ Here are some other nature photos: Lunchtime Walk Photos (6/2/2025) You Can't See Me, I'm Hiding ...

I didn't get out with my camera all that much this weekend, other than a few minutes to try out the tripod I bought. I did, however, snap this birdfeeder photo yesterday afternoon, just because my camera was handy when the bird landed. ________________________________________________________________ Here are some other birdfeeder photos: Bird Feeder Photos 4/28/2018 and 4/29/2018 Bird Feeder Photos 11/10/2018 Bird Feeder Photo Bird Feeder Photos 2/22/2020

It rained yesterday so I didn't get a chance to get out with my camera but made up for it today, even stepping off the trails a few times to see if I could get something unique. My Kodak AZ425 is starting to show signs of wear after years of use and I had a few early issues with the autofocus not wanting to focus on anything I was trying to get a photo of. However, I did manage to get some photos in spite of that (it may be time for me to thoroughly clean the lens and sensor again). I apologize in advance for the multiple robin photos. They were extra cooperative today and I took advantage of it. _______________________________________________________________________ Here are some other nature photos: Family Walk Photos 8/8/2017 Some Canadian Geese Photos Morning Walk Photos 7/26/2017 Lunchtime Walk Photos 4/30/2018

There is talk of bad storms again tomorrow, so I made sure to get out for a walk with my camera today, while the weather was nice. I didn't see a ton on the walk but did get some photos, including one of a baby turtle, which unfortunately scurried away before I could place something down (like a quarter) to show how small it was in comparison. Anyway, here are some of those photos:

It was a bit too "peopley" at the park today, limiting my ability to get any photos (though, on the plus side, I did get to pet a Pit Bull that came running over to me). On my way out of the park, however, I noticed this flock of pelicans flying around and was able to get a couple photos before they flew out of range.

Considering this is one of the very few spring days we've had that was both sunny and not super windy, I was a little surprised when there wasn't anyone else at the park when I was there. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I do like being able to get my walk in without someone being ahead of me and scaring off my photos. Here are some of the shots I took today:

I have wanted to get out with my camera for a couple weeks now, but the weather never seems to cooperate whenever I have time. Today wasn't any different but I decided to brave the chill, damp wind and darkened skies long enough to do a little photography, even if it was just in my yard. The photos aren't my best, I'm a little out of practice and always did struggle a bit when the light is limited. I am also experimenting a bit with black-and-white photography. No real reason other than it's a throwback to my days as a journalist (many, many years ago), when photos were taken in black-and-white 35mm and developed in a dark room. Anyway, here's the best of the bunch. Camera: Kodak AZ425

I repositioned my bird feeders yesterday, along with two of the trail cameras. The end result was nearly 2000 photos between yesterday afternoon and this morning. Here is a selection of them as a New Year's treat.