I photographed this young female blue dasher dragonfly in Goose Island County Park in La Crosse County. It was in a spot I’ve dubbed “The Mayor’s Office” because during a late summer sunrise, several dew-covered dragonflies can sometimes be found there. I used a tripod-mounted camera and a close-focusing 100-400mm lens. The absolutely still conditions allowed me to use a technique called focus stacking. The image is a perfect example that shows in Wisconsin, you don’t need 12,000-foot mountain ranges or sweeping canyon vistas to find incredibly beautiful subjects in nature.

This image is quite special to me, because that bare oak silhouetted in the picture is no longer standing, making this shot irreplaceable. In early October 2024, I got a notification that the northern lights may be possible over the next few nights, so that night I shot straight over to this gorgeous bare oak tree in the Horicon Marsh. After two nights of nothing but stars and close coyotes, the third night finished off with some diffuse greens just before sunrise, but nothing too spectacular. I thought to myself, “what’s one more night without sleep?” and tried the tree one last night. Just before midnight I started to pick up a nice green auroral band spreading across the sky, and then all of a sudden, rainbow pillars of aurora emerged. Success!

I love that Wisconsin has so many hidden gems of natural areas. From the ocean-coast-like views of the Lions Den Gorge in Grafton to the sandstone wonderland of Levi’s Mound in Clark County. There’s pretty much everything you could want here, and we also get the rare opportunity to view these places in four very different seasons.

I climbed up Ferry Bluff in the early morning last October planning to capture the sunrise over the Wisconsin River when I heard the distant calls of sandhill cranes. I quickly switched out my landscape lens for my wildlife lens and photographed the flock as they flew below me. The fall color and fog that had risen from the Wisconsin River created a perfect backdrop.

I feel so fortunate that Wisconsin has so many beautiful parks that I can visit to witness nature’s beauty. Without them I wouldn’t have been able to experience this stunning moment.

Photography for me is a creative outlet that allows me to be inspired, sometimes by finding curious subject matter that allows my own interpretation and story line. Living in Wisconsin enables me and provides opportunities to do just that.

I went out for several days during last year’s deer rutting season and had the pleasure of photographing many does and smaller bucks. This particular day I caught a glimpse of this majestic buck, but he was too far away to get a good photo. He disappeared into the woods, and I figured I would never see him again. Then, shortly after the sun came up, he emerged from the brush right in front of me! I was so exhilarated, I almost forgot to take his picture as he walked straight towards me.

I love the thrill of going out into the Wisconsin wilderness because there’s always a chance of witnessing something breathtaking. Photography gives me a chance to share that with others.

When first seeing the ermine, it quickly darted off. I returned to the spot two to three times daily for at least a week in hopes of seeing it again. The day I took the photo it had just snowed previously and everything in the woods looked fresh and beautiful. After entering the woods, I saw it run and hide in the snow under some branches. I moved a little closer and waited. They tend to be a little curious. Sure enough, it popped out of hiding right where there was a patch of sunlight on it. I took the photo just before it ran off. That was the last time I saw it.

What I love about the nature in Wisconsin is that I’m always discovering something new. Every year I see birds I’ve never seen here before and never knew were around here. I’ve even seen birds not normally found in Wisconsin like the western tanager. In the summer I’ve noticed butterflies I haven’t seen for many years. The change of seasons is also something I love about Wisconsin.