WELCOME TO THE MICROWORLD!

I am pleased to begin sharing another way I really enjoy seeing our natural world. These days, many folks feel there is little left to explore. They feel there are none of the great romantic “blank areas on the map” that so enticed earlier generations of explorers. While there are certainly fewer unexplored spaces, there is a way that everyday folks can explore the natural world without traveling to the ends of the earth. I have long been thrilled by the adventures and excitement that Mother Nature shares in the microscopic world. Over the years, I've enjoy exploring many “MicroWorlds” with my students as they appreciate the “WOW Factor” of the seemingly invisible world all around us. While most Blue Lion Blog readers know that I treasure my African safari experiences, I have the ability to go on a different type of safari most every day! I deem my safaris under the microscope “MicroSafaris” as we get to explore all sorts of microscopic creatures who can appear with no predetermined script. For 21^st century students who have the digital world at their fingertips, seeing these “unknown” critters changes how they look at their worlds and opens up a new found sense of creativity and possibility.

Over the past few months I have gotten to know the dedicated folks over at EXOLABS (www.exolabs.com), a Seattle based startup. They have created a wonderful iPad based camera that is designed to work with any microscope. After having worked with other less successful microscope cameras/software, their FOCUS microscope camera is the tool I have long sought to help share my passion for microworlds with you. Over the coming months I will be creating a series of MicroSafari videos to introduce you to various denizens of the microworld. Following that, we’ll begin to expand our exploration as we head out to see differing microscopic ecosystems and how their micro citizens go about their “little lives”

I chose this first video because it’s the microscopic creature most folks are familiar with – AMOEBA!  If you’ve ever looked through a microscope in school then you probably got to see these blob like protists. Here I have been able to capture them in both real time and time-lapse video to give you a uniquely exciting view.  Enjoy the view and please feel encouraged to share this video with a young person in your life! 

2013 Blue Lion Year in Review- My #1 Photo of 2013!

With this post we finally arrive at my top image of 2013! While many of you probably expected my top image of the year to be something from my African safari, this image was by far my most "viral" image of the year. From the moment I posted it, it received lots of attention as far as total views, shares on Facebook, as well as Retweets and Favorites on Twitter. Without a doubt, it was THE favorite of the Blue Lion Pride during 2013!

If you missed earlier posting in the series just click on them below! 

PART 1   ~   PART 2   ~   PART 3   ~   PART 4   ~   PART 5

#1 - Malay Lacewing Butterfly ~
Texas Discovery Gardens  Dallas, TX

I took this image last spring at the fabulous Texas Discovery Gardens (TDG) in Dallas. It is a male Malay Lacewing butterfly. This species is found in tropical Asia - most commonly in Indonesia. The beauty of this amazing species speaks for itself and I know I go back to the TDG regularly in hopes of seeing this species as well as other closely related allies. Butterfly houses are a wonderful resource for nature photographers  as they usually possess licences to host exotic species of butterflies and moths that  most of us would never have a chance to observe due to both geography and timing. The TDG has the ability to host hundreds of different species at different times of the year depending up on supplier availability. As such, every time I go to visit I get a different "show" of species! In addition, butterfly houses need to have a collection of nectar producing flowers for the adult butterflies to feed upon. This benefits nature photographers because we then get to see and shoot some beautifully exotic flowers. If you've never been to a butterfly house ( or even if it's been a while) go ahead and look up your local one and spend a few hours there - it should be a special time to savor the intricacies of Mother Nature!  

If you are interested in more details about the Malay Lacewing, this post from the Butterflies of Singapore is a great resource! 

If you'd like to purchase this image for yourself or as a gift, please click the PURCHASE LINK to order your preferred size. As a reader of the Blue Lion Blog - I am offering a 20% discount on any purchase you make after reading this -- just enter the code BLOGREADER when prompted during your checkout! 

Thanks for visiting the Blue Lion Blog. Once again I appreciate your support! Here's to a fabulous 2014!

2013 Blue Lion Year in Review- Part 5 of 6

Welcome to PART 5 of my 2013 review! This post will take us down from #5 in the countdown to #2 - My image of the year will be unveiled tomorrow here on the Blue Lion Blog! 

For this year’s review, I have selected 30 images that represent a combination of my personal favorite shots as well as my most widely viewed images on my website (http://www.bluelionphotos.com), social media such as my Facebook page and my Twitter account (@BlueLionPhotos).

 I hope you enjoy this journey through my photographic year – I welcome your comments below as I savor getting to know how my images impact you the viewer! Each of the images is viewable and available for purchase by clicking on the image here, which will take you to my website. 

If you missed earlier posts in this retrospective series just click the links below! 

PART 1     ~     PART 2     ~    PART 3     ~     PART 4

ONWARD! 

#5 ~ Leopard Stare ~ Ngala Game Reserve, South Africa

#4 ~ Cheetah Portrait ~ Ngala Game Reserve, South Africa

#3 ~ Lilac Breasted Roller ~ Ngala Game Reserve, South Africa

#2 ~ Waterhole Sunrise ~ Ngala Game Reserve, South Africa

2013 Blue Lion Year in Review- Part 4 of 6

It's time to dive into the TOP TEN from 2013! This post counts down images #10 down to # 6. The ranking of my top ten is calculated by the response of Blue Lion Pride members on social media to these images over the year. As always, I am interested in YOUR thoughts about my images -- which ones excite you and which ones make you say "Meh"?  
If you missed ,y earlier installments -- do not fret you cam see them at the links below! 
PART 1     ~     PART 2     ~     PART 3

HERE GOES! 

#10 ~ Sable Antelope Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Glen Rose, TX

#9 ~ Climbing Leopard ~ Ngala Game Reserve, South Africa

#8 ~ Blending In ~  Ngala Game Reserve, South Africa

#7 ~ Perching Julia Longwing ~ Texas Discovery Gardens, Dallas, TX

#6 ~ Aplomado Falcon (captive) ~ Hagerman NWR, Sherman, TX

Thanks for visiting! Please feel free to share my images with your friends on social media! Your support is very much appreciated! 
Once posted, just click to see PART 5 !

2013 Blue Lion Year in Review- Part 3 of 6

In this post, we will wander from photo # 15 down to the edge of my top 10 images of 2013. This collection features images from my South African Safari as well as local shots and even my favorite Civil War reenactment shot of 2013. Enjoy and make sure to visit back tomorrow for images # 6 through 10! If you missed previous posts in this countdown, you can click on them here: PART 1, PART 2.

# 15 ~ Spotted Hyena Snarl ~ Ngala Game Reserve, South Africa

# 14 ~ Snowy Egret Hunting ~ Hagerman NWR, Sherman, TX

#13 ~ "FIRE!" ~ Battle of Fort Richardson, Jacksboro,TX

#12 ~ (Not So) Graceful Giraffe ~ Fossil Rim , Glen Rose, TX 

#11 ~ Reflective Heron ~ Hagerman NWR, Sherman, TX

Once I post the next installment in the countdown, you can click HERE  to see it! As always I am interested to hear which of my images speak most loudly to you individually! Feel free to tell me in the comments below!