Wildlife Safari

There is a wonderful wildlife park in Halifax, PA named Lake Tobias. They have many acres where animals of all types range free.  Here are a few of them. The Scottish Highland is a favorite of mine. They have such charm.

Scottish Highland Charm

Bison

Emu

Little Pilots

Summer's little pilots

Dragonfly

Bee

Butterfly

Hummingbird Moth

Butterfly

Bumbling Along

The waning days of summer. I hear the sound of cicadas in the trees, feel the sun's warmth on my face and sit ~ taking it all in ~ an almost lazy content feeling as I watch from the porch, a glass of lemonade sweating sweetly in the heat.  There it is, the sound of a bumble bee bumbling along.  They land then appear to bounce from bloom to bloom until they find the right one to stay a while.  The lazy, hazy days of summer.  Enjoy them as they are fleeting. 

Backside bumble

The perfect stop

Staying a while

Enjoying the nectar

Random Picture of the Day - The Simple Things

Simple and sweet - that is the life I wish for. 

Lakeside birdhouse

A Message

When I began this blog it was a place for me to share my photos for anyone interested in seeing the world through my eyes. 

I never dreamed, not even in my wildest most fanciful dreams, that it would lead to invitations to display my photos in various mediums and sell them on various e-commerce sites.  To put myself "out there" is not easy for me. Friends are kind and while I care what they say, I often wonder if they embellish their enthusiasm. But the real test is to have a stranger, someone not worried about my feelings, rate my work. To actually BUY something of mine. Now THAT is the ultimate test - right?  

I don't ask anyone to buy my work. It makes me uncomfortable. I just hope you enjoy it and share that you like it. The fact that people ask to buy my pictures actually gives me such anxiety that I overthink the process. So when I can, I let the professionals take care of it through the e-stores now.  I have two sites where I sell my art - one for art prints (framed, unframed, canvas, etc) and as of yesterday an apparel line.  If nothing else, I am having fun being creative.  

Wish me luck ... and as always, THANK YOU for following my blog. 

Amy

To view my new apparel site- here's the link
 http://www.shopvida.com/collections/voices/amy-beste
To view my art prints site - here's the link
https://society6.com/amybeste

Summer's Charm

Summer's Charm

Mexican Rose (Portulaca)

Hydrangea

Tiki Torch Lily

Black-capped Chickadee

So darn cute,  they are curious about everything. The chickadee’s black cap and bib; white cheeks; gray back, wings, and tail; and whitish underside with buffy sides are distinctive. Its habit of investigating people and everything else in its home territory, and quickness to discover bird feeders, make it one of the first birds most people learn. 

Black-capped Chickadee

Summertime

Summertime ~ warm, alive, oh so wonderful. 

A single tree in a farmer's field.

Imperfect Perfection ~ Life in the Canyon

A long weekend spent in Texas would not have been complete without a few hours spent hiking in the Palo Duro Canyon.  A dry, dusty, prickly and thorn-filled place that has a raw beauty not seen anywhere on the east coast.  

The temperatures were going to get quite high the day we went, so we got there early in the day. After an evening deluge the night before, the trails were closed due to mud. However, there were plenty of side paths to explore.

 Hiking early in the morning has the advantage of seeing the rain drops still kissing the landscape.  They evaporate quickly so there is no time to waste when taking pictures.

  Here are just a few pictures of the imperfect perfection of life in the canyon. As always, through Amy's eyes.   

Years of drought, yet this tree holds on. 

Beautiful even when not whole.

Road runner out for breakfast

POTD (Picture of the Day) - Clematis in the rain

Spring's colors are always so vibrant.  Flowers are rain's gift to us. 

Copyright Amy Beste 2016

Thank you for your interest in my photography.  I would love to hear your comments! 

Spring's Renewal

It's Spring...the renewal of life.  A time for babies. The first picture shows that goslings are abundant at the lake. This was one of two families in a cove. The second picture is of a  Mallard. There must be a nest nearby as this is just off a farm field. The final two pictures are of a gosling that was separated from it's mother and siblings. It cried out and kept trying to find it's mother. Separated, it tried to join another family but seemed to be rebuffed.  Mom heard it's cries after a while and went to collect him with the other seven goslings in tow.  It was hard to watch not know if there would be a happy ending. 

Out for a swim with mom.

Staying nearby as the female was sitting on a nest.

Cries of panic as this gosling got separated from his mom and siblings.

Looking for mom, but she was out of view. 

All pictures are copyright 2016 Amy Beste. 

Close Up

I decided to "look small". To see the things I normally don't see. What do I miss as I simply walk by, not noticing the miniature world around me? 

What I found was beauty in miniature form.  Using my macro lens - a gift for my birthday - I captured these sweet overlooked blossoms. 

All images are copyrighted by Amy Beste 2016 and are available for sale through my store or by contacting me directly. 

New Tricks for an Old Dog

Digital photography and software have opened up a whole new art form.  I come from a family of artists and yet I cannot draw a straight line.  It is so bad that if you draw a straight line and ask me to cut it with scissors, I couldn't do it.  

Photography has become my creative outlet.  I see pictures in my head all the time so having a camera to capture what I see has become a passion.  To then edit and manipulate the photos to create art has been a new adventure.  

There are times that I can't capture the true beauty of the object. The photo is just not sharp enough or the lighting is wrong.  Maybe I am a little late and the flower I am trying to capture has started to brown, wither and die.  I can take the photo and play with the colors to create a new way of seeing the object. 

It is a learning process and I learn more each time I try.  Here are a few of my pieces of "art" for lack of a better term.  It is interesting how folks have shared with me that they love the picture, but they need it in different colors to match their decor. We all have our likes and dislikes.  I have to be true to myself and create what I see as uniquely me.  However, I can make it uniquely you by going back and changing the colors when needed.  

Thanks for looking and feel free to comment. I would like to know what YOU think too. Art is highly personal - I hope I made something that made you happy. 

All photos are available for purchase. Feel free to order through the Society6 site (upper corner of blog) or by contacting me directly. Some pictures are also available as wall clocks, pillows, mugs, laptop covers and more. They can be printed on paper, canvas, metal or glass.  

Copyright 2016 Amy Beste

Copyright 2016 Amy Beste

Copyright 2016 Amy Beste

Copyright 2016 Amy Beste

Thank you for looking!!!

Dogs!

Dogs - mankind's best friend.  

Digitally painted from photos, this is Mercedes showing a few of her moods.

 Silly and playful to curious and calm.  

Today she enjoyed a trip to the lake where she met dog lovers like me.  

Magnolia's Afloat

Magnolia's floating on water in a bird bath.  The bottom photo is a true photograph. The top photograph was changed and made to look like a painting.  I hope you like them. 

All photos are copyrighted and can be purchased, simply email me. More "artwork" is available through my store at https://society6.com/amybeste.  Thanks again for looking!

Great Horned Owl

This Great Horned Owl was brought into a rehab in 1994 with a damaged right wing.  The surgery was unsuccessful so she has been living at the Rehab Center and now educates the public about her kind.  I hope to get similar pictures in the wild.  

All pictures are Copyright by Amy Beste and available for print at reasonable prices.  

Click Images to Enlarge

Palo Duro Canyon - Texas

Having the good fortune to travel to Texas twice in a six month period, the difference between years of drought and abundant rain is evident in the following pictures.  These photos were taken in December, 2014 and then again in June, 2015.  The landscape was transformed with wildflowers and green spaces.  Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the USA. This little piece of it is at the far north end near Canyon, TX just south of Amarillo.  

All photos are copyrighted by Amy Beste. Prints are available for purchase and pricing, while reasonable, is dependent upon size and shipping costs. 

Click on image to enlarge.