Friday March 25, 2011 John Lampkin

Wednesday March 16, 2011 John Lampkin

John Lampkin pictures

This Scott’s Oriole male is singing his heart out to guard his territory near Kernville, California. Hey, spring is almost here and he and his sons will be doing it again very soon.

Four Long-eared Owls caused a bit of excitement in the birding community when they hung out near the Piermont, NY pier two weeks ago. Here is one of them. Wonder how it got its name…

In a remarkable coincidence, these Crimson-fronted Parakeets were courting on Valentine’s Day  last month in Costa Rica. Talk about positive thinking!

The image & comments above are from John Lampkin, an avid Nature photographer. @2011 John Lampkin. If you are interested in John's photographs, music or other artistic work, please visit his website.

Sunday March 8, 2011 John Lampkin

Tuesday February 22, 2011 John Lampkin

John Lampkin Message

John is enjoying Costa Rica this week and hopes you all enjoyed his puzzle.  However, if you feel like killing him for a tricky clue or difficult crossing, he has a special message for you.

Tuesday February 8, 2011 John Lampkin

Monday January 23, 2011 John Lampkin

Thursday January 13, 2011 John Lampkin

Sunday January 2, 2011 John Lampkin

Thursday December 23, 2010 John Lampkin

John Lampkin Photo

This photograph was taken by me at the climax of the lunar eclipse at 3:30 am this Tuesday. The fact that the eclipse occurred on the solstice makes it an appropriate image for the today's puzzle since the solstice marks the change of seasons. The weather cooperated in the Hudson Valley making this a once-in-a-lifetime experience to remember. Wow!

The image & comments above are from John Lampkin, an avid Nature photographer. @2010 John Lampkin. If you are interested in John's photographs, music or other artistic work, please visit his website.

Thursday December 16, 2010 John Lampkin

John Lampkin Photos

46A: ASSES: Chihuahua, Mexico

29D: NOSES: Key Largo - This one is a bit of a stretch, but makes a nice visual parallel with 46A. The diagonal is arguably the strongest line in art and I always keep a compositional eye on the lookout for ways to use it.

35A: LOTUS: Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis

The images & comments above are from John Lampkin, an avid Nature photographer. @2010 John Lampkin. If you are interested in John's photographs, music or other artistic work, please visit his website.

Sunday November 28, 2010 John Lampkin

Sunday October 24, 2010 John Lampkin

John Lampkin Trip Shooting of Water

(Please click on the photo to enlarge to a higher resolution.)

These images were shot from a speedy Boston whaler near Christmas Cove, Maine after Hurricane Earl blew by. Here, a sailboat looks like it’s being swamped by crashing waves:

Actually, it passed safely by on the other side of the shoal:

EIDER is common crossword fill. Here an armada of Common Eiders rides out the waves. Looks like fun, eh?

The Pemaquid Lighthouse appears on the Maine quarter, and is possibly the most photographed lighthouse in the states. I found a WATER puddle nearby to create this reflection shot in mid-afternoon, the day before the storm:

I went back very early the next morning to get some pre-dawn shots. The lighthouse blinks once every five seconds or so which means timing the shutter click carefully. This pic is nice, but the strong winds made a clear reflection like the afternoon before impossible. Guess I’ll have to visit again next year!

Note:

The commentary and images above from constructor John Lampkin. John is an avid Nature photographer. @2010 John Lampkin. If you are interested in John's photographs, music or other artistic work, please visit his website.

Friday September 17, 2010 John Lampkin

John Lampkin Travel Guide Images

These are some images from my travel guide about "El Chepe," the passenger train that runs for 390 miles through Mexico's Copper Canyon. Opened after decades of construction in 1961, the railway connects the Pacific Ocean with Mexico's central desert. The trains are kept spotlessly clean inside and out, so much so that the outside of the train can act like a mirror. I hung a few feet out of a window and snapped away. The result was hundreds of photographs of stunning reflections of passing trains and terrain during the nine-hour journey. Here are mercifully just a few. Please click on the photo to enlarge to a higher resolution.

The trip started just after dawn, so the headlights were still turned on.

Freight trains also use the same route. Here are some tankers coming towards us.

Here we pulled over to let one pass. One of the workers flashed the peace sign to me, but why was that other guy holding a pineapple? I will never know.

While the train stopped to take on fuel and supplies, we had an opportunity to buy crafts from the native Tarahumara, a word you will likely never see in a crossword. Here is tip #279 from my book which I haven’t written yet called, “Ten Tips for Improving Your Shots So That People Are Fooled Into Thinking That You Are a Better Photographer Than You Actually Are”: Tilt your camera at a strange angle.

Trains are romantic places to be sure. I staged this shot though. A couple was bickering at each other as they passed me in a vestibule. Seizing the opportunity to get an “Ah gee” shot while saving their marriage, I buttonholed them and physically pushed them together and encouraged them kiss while I snapped away. You can tell they weren't into it. Did this save their marriage? I will never know.

So here is the CABOOSE of a passing train. Looks just like all the other cars in the train. Why? We may never know. Such is life.

The commentary and images above are excerpts from John Lampkin, an avid Nature photographer. @2010 John Lampkin. If you are interested in John's photographs, music or other artistic work, please visit his website.

Sunday September 5, 2010 John Lampkin