I found that this crane, with its clearly defined lines and shapes, looked very graphical against the sky and white clouds. Something that is very distinct and with a form like a large mechanical piece of equipment versus the soft, flowing, ever-changing forms of the clouds. Once I saw these in monochrome, I knew that it was an interesting contrast. I walked by these cranes and saw them every day for a few years as some highrises went up in my neighborhood; now that they are gone, I am glad I took the moment to photograph and appreciate how they looked.

This magpie is a builder; the branch represents a simple piece of construction material to build his nest. These birds are known to be quite intelligent, and it is evidenced even more in how they construct their nests. Unlike most birds, many will build domed nests as opposed to open-topped nests. Moss and mud hold the branches and other materials together, and it will often take several weeks to build. I think when you really start to learn and observe what wildlife does to maintain their day-to-day operations, you can really appreciate how similar to humans they can be.

I enjoy looking at the fine details of these tiny starfighters. Each one a hand-painted masterpiece. I enjoy working with them and find that they are the best quality tiny ships I can find of any of the ones I have seen over the years. They also tend to be more pricey; even the smallest ships go for about $25. It has taken some time to build up this collection, but for me, they are worth the fun.

Flowers can be quite beautiful to look at in full bloom. I can almost smell these ones, as I remember catching a whiff of the aroma walking by is what caused me to pause and turn around. That moment made me appreciate that they were only here for a short time and that I needed to take the time to capture their splendor so that even years later the memory of that aroma comes back.

This lone little bird was on my lawn. I have seen them before, and they seem to come around once per year. It spent quite a bit of time foraging around. I was able to observe it for about 15 minutes, waiting for it to get a bit closer to the light so I could get a better view. It briefly touched where the sunlight was, and I was able to get a bit more detail.

From cosplayers to plainclothes people to police officers, everyone loves a cosplay parade! With so many different elements to pop culture, it's a great time for people to come and celebrate it all. When you think how many decades and generations of people have grown up with things like Star Wars and Batman, it really does bring out the big kid in everyone being able to have a taste of this in real life.