FletchJr Photography

FletchJr Photography Professional Photographer for all occasions, specializing in dog, cat, equine & other Pet Photography

Can beauty still emerge when your original plan falls apart?Dawn arrived in unpredictable silence along the Sunshine Sky...
05/14/2025

Can beauty still emerge when your original plan falls apart?

Dawn arrived in unpredictable silence along the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier. After a week of stormy forecasts and moody skies in Tampa Bay, this morning felt no different. The wind raced across the pier, salt mist brushing against my face as I parked near the end, unsure of what angle I’d find. I wasn’t allowed to use my drone—the pier is technically part of a Florida state park—so I had to work with what was in front of me. And with the wind whipping in, even flying from a legal distance wouldn’t have been safe.

A few fishermen were already settled in, their lines cutting into the waves, headlamps glowing like scattered fireflies in the dark. I found a quiet corner near the edge, set up my tripod, and quickly realized I was farther from the bridge than expected. My wide-angle lens wouldn’t do—this would be a job for the telephoto.

As the sun began to rise off to my left, streaks of amber and blush lit the clouds while the bridge stood in radiant defiance—pillars glowing red and white like keepers over the bay. The longer exposures captured the stillness the wind tried to steal. I shot quickly, praying for clarity in the frames. The lights wouldn’t stay on forever, and once the sky grew brighter, they began to disappear into the day.

I lingered as the bridge dimmed and the sun climbed. A cheer broke from the fishermen nearby—someone had landed a four-foot catch. Smiles passed between strangers. That’s when I knew this morning wasn’t about a perfect photo. It was about being there, fully, in the messy beauty of it all.

https://jrfletcherphoto.etsy.com

Have you ever felt like the weather was testing your resolve?It had rained on and off all day. I came to Lake Monger hop...
05/13/2025

Have you ever felt like the weather was testing your resolve?

It had rained on and off all day. I came to Lake Monger hoping to capture something rare—one of those quiet, powerful bird moments people don’t believe until they see the photo. But the Western Australian skies weren’t interested in cooperating. With each downpour, I huddled beneath a different tree, clutching my gear, checking the time, knowing my ride was on the way.

Lake Monger, known locally as a beloved birdwatcher's paradise tucked near the bustle of Perth, had fallen quiet. Then, in the soft light of late afternoon, as the clouds broke ever so slightly, two iconic Australian pelicans coasted in across the water like silent sentinels.

Just when I was sure I’d missed my chance, one of them flapped its massive wings and landed delicately on a half-submerged rock, meters from where I stood. Wings wide, droplets still clinging to feathers, it struck a pose that stopped me. In that single moment—bird balanced, light softened, water rippling—it all came together.

This photo was more than just luck. It was a reward for enduring the discomfort, the delays, the doubt. Photographing this majestic bird during that fleeting break in the storm reminded me that the most powerful shots often wait for those willing to linger a little longer.

https://jrfletcherphoto.etsy.com

When the trail turns impassable, do you keep pushing forward?I could hear every crunch of gravel underfoot as we abandon...
05/12/2025

When the trail turns impassable, do you keep pushing forward?

I could hear every crunch of gravel underfoot as we abandoned the van and hiked the final half-mile in the blazing late-day heat of the Moab desert. The road had defeated us—its sharp rocks and axle-cracking dips proving too much for our rented van. The warning signs and GPS confusion only added to the sense of unease. But I trusted our guide, and I trusted my gut that this would be worth it.

The land opened up at last. Before us lay the potash ponds—an otherworldly splash of aquamarine, indigo, chartreuse, and tangerine in the middle of the fiery red Utah desert. They shimmered like spilled paint across the rugged landscape, framed by the buttes of Canyon Country, known as “Red Rock Wonderland” for good reason.

But getting the perfect drone shot wasn’t easy. The Utah sun washed out my monitor screen, and my battery was already dwindling. I flew close. I flew low. But it all felt too small. Too flat. Then I pushed the drone farther, into the wide-open sky. And when I turned it back to face me—there it was. The sweeping majesty of Moab’s surreal fusion of nature and industry, captured in a fleeting moment.

With just seconds left before the drone returned home automatically, I held my breath, dialed in the settings by instinct, and hit the shutter. Click. Caught between the wild and the precise, between beauty and tension—I got the shot.

https://jrfletcherphoto.etsy.com

̇neartphotography

Can a failure to reach one goal open your eyes to a hidden gift instead?I was ashamed of how much I’d let my health slid...
05/10/2025

Can a failure to reach one goal open your eyes to a hidden gift instead?

I was ashamed of how much I’d let my health slide. My body carried 160 extra pounds, and every step on the trail to Corona and Bowtie Arches outside Moab felt heavier than the last. The Utah sun beat down on my back, and I watched as my group moved on without me. I couldn’t keep up. Camera gear strapped to me, lungs heaving, I stopped, defeated.

Still, I sent my drone ahead, desperate to reach the arches some other way—but without a good vantage point, I gave up on that too. I turned back alone.

And then it happened. Just before the trailhead, a shimmer off to my left caught my eye—a calm bend in the Colorado River. The buttes glowed in the low sun, and cotton-candy clouds hovered above, their reflections painting the water with perfect symmetry. The air was silent but for the occasional buzz of a bee among the rabbitbrush, and I stood there in awe.

Launching my drone again, I captured a moment that wasn’t on any itinerary, and certainly wasn’t the one I thought I’d come here for. But somehow, it was better.

Here, where the La Sal Mountains keep watch and the river once carved paths for ancient peoples, I learned something: grace often meets us where we feel least worthy—at the bottom of a trail we couldn’t finish, with a camera pointed at a river bend we hadn’t meant to find.

https://jrfletcherphoto.etsy.com

̇neartphotography

05/10/2025

40% off sale for the month of May!

And keep checking back because we’ll be adding one new print per day during the entire month!!

https://jrfletcherphoto.etsy.com

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Nashville, TN

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http://www.getpetpics.com/

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