Closer to Wild Photography

Closer to Wild Photography Amateur Nature & Wildlife Photographer
Bringing nature just a little closer, one photograph at a time.

Lifer #400!!! 💯💯💯💯🎉People sometimes ask me if I'm a photographer who likes birds or a birder who takes photographs. I s...
08/03/2026

Lifer #400!!! 💯💯💯💯🎉

People sometimes ask me if I'm a photographer who likes birds or a birder who takes photographs. I say I'm both - just not always at the same time. This weekend, I was the latter.

I wouldn't normally share crummy photos like these, but I'm really excited to make this milestone. Persistence paid off when I finally caught a fleeting glimpse of my first Black Tern. I was so excited that I blurted out my big news to the first people I saw. Luckily, they happened to be birders as well - visiting from Virginia - so they understood my enthusiasm.

As is usually the case, my photos from a first-time sighting are sub subpar, but they're good enough for documentation - which is all the birder in me really wants.

Black Tern
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
August 2, 2026

In honor of , some of my favorite birds from around the beautiful !
07/27/2026

In honor of , some of my favorite birds from around the beautiful !

Despite my best efforts, Life Bird #400 continues to elude me. In the meantime, I still enjoy photographing some of the...
07/27/2026

Despite my best efforts, Life Bird #400 continues to elude me. In the meantime, I still enjoy photographing some of the 399 already on my list. Like this Common Loon. They may be common, but here in NJ it's rare to see them in their striking breeding plumage.

July 14, 2026
Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park, Maine

I did get my Maine sunrise!
07/20/2026

I did get my Maine sunrise!

Another bucket list item checked off: Puffins! I was surprised by how small these guys are - not much bigger than a Mour...
07/18/2026

Another bucket list item checked off: Puffins!

I was surprised by how small these guys are - not much bigger than a Mourning Dove or pigeon. The Atlantic Puffin spends the winter on the open ocean, coming ashore to breed on islands in the North Atlantic - including off the coast of Maine.

July 13, 2026
Petit Manan Island, Maine

My bucket list is a little shorter after getting to photograph the Milky Way in Acadia National Park this week thanks to...
07/18/2026

My bucket list is a little shorter after getting to photograph the Milky Way in Acadia National Park this week thanks to Acadia Photo Safari & Workshops! You might say it was a stellar experience! 🌠

July 16, 2026
Acadia National Mark, Maine

📆📷Day 1 with no camera. After months of worsening elbow (and now shoulder) pain, I'm putting myself on a 10-day camera h...
07/01/2026

📆📷Day 1 with no camera.

After months of worsening elbow (and now shoulder) pain, I'm putting myself on a 10-day camera hiatus to rest and rehab before my Acadia trip.

To stave off withdrawal, I'm going through photos from past trips - like this one from Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge last year.

Tens of thousands of Snow Geese overwinter on the lakes there, gathering together to roost for the night. A spectacular sight to see!

One of the challenges of taking so many photos is that I rarely have time to get through all of them before I've got new ones, so I'm trying to look on the bright side.

December 4, 2025
Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge
New Mexico

When I went out shortly after dawn this morning to look for a rare bird that had been reported in the county, my hope wa...
06/24/2026

When I went out shortly after dawn this morning to look for a rare bird that had been reported in the county, my hope was just to hear it. The Least Bittern is notoriously elusive, hiding in thick reeds and grasses in marshes or at the edge of lakes. I never thought I would actually see it - let alone photograph it!

I've only ever seen this bird once before, and that was in Florida. Happy to have it for my state and county list!

Least Bittern
June 24, 2026
Rosedale Park, Pennington, NJ

This little Kestrel seems to be contemplating its first foray out of the nest and into the world. American KestrelHunter...
06/22/2026

This little Kestrel seems to be contemplating its first foray out of the nest and into the world.

American Kestrel
Hunterdon County, NJ
June 19, 2026

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