Self taught photographer

Six months ago, Angela Marie didn't know much about photography. Especially nature photography. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic upended here normal routine she started waking before dawn to take photos of the wildlife near her home on Hauser Lake.

Section:Gallery

Thu., Dec. 17, 2020

Reflections are super fun to capture, albeit challenging. This is one of those wonderful unexpected moments when looking for water birds. Instead, I received a surprise visit from this little turtle at the Saltese Wetland in Libery Lake. Considered to be one of the most endangered species on the planet, especially since they don't reach maturity for 8-12 years, the turtle plays an important role in keeping lakes and wetlands clean.

Angela Marie
One of my favorite birds, the American Coot. They can walk on water! They have these amazing long loped toes that help propel them on the water as they require long running takeoffs. This beauty seemed to be taking in his gorgeous reflection while eating aquatic plants on Hauser Lake. You won't even believe what their babies look like.

Angela Marie
My mom's favorite bird (maybe they are all her favorites), a Gray Catbird, provided me with a brief beautiful moment. Somehow I was very happily able to get that split second of berry in beak before it went down the hatch. If lucky enough to have a Catbird in your backyard it will likely return for years from its wintering in Central America or Mexico. Their annual survival rate is roughly 60% but the longevity record is 17 years, 11 months. Birds work so hard. Wisconsin.

Angela Marie
Truly having a waxy look is the stunningly gorgeous Cedar Waxwing. What is extra special about this photo for me is the way in which the branches seem to mirror the bird's sharp-edged shape. This bird is certainly a looker :)

Angela Marie
Who doesn't love a chickadee-dee-dee? Put a cheerful, sociable Black-Capped Chickadee in the midst of bright autumn colored leaves and there's a happy lens moment. Most noted for their complex communication systems. They also have an open-door policy where other species join chickadee flocks—including nuthatches, vireos, warblers and woodpeckers. Listening and looking for chickadee flocks during migration can yield sightings of less common birds joining their flocks. Take at Hauser Lake.

Angela Marie
Telephoto lens on a macro moment with a tiny dragonfly. Morning dew droplets on this blade of grass showcase the blue greens and translucent wings of the beloved dragonfly. Hauser Lake.

Angela Marie
Wild moments in the sky with the eagles gathering in Coeur d'Alene. What can't be seen in this illusion of this fish randomly flying in midair is that there is another eagle above that dropped his meal for this photographed opportunistic eagle. Yes, he got it!

Angela Marie
The ultimate tree-topper in perfect light at Higgins Point, Coeur d'Alene. Catching light in a being's eyes is priority for me and hopes of clear, sharpness with each feather is the ultimate bonus.

Angela Marie
Same tree-topper eagle in Coeur d' Alene that gifted me a series of extraordinary poses as the eagle landed adjusting his feathers to gain balance.

Angela Marie
The Great Egret is just that. One thing about photographing large birds is that they are so large that they often shadow themselves. I had to pull my reach back to get this entire giant wingspan in the frame. Wisconsin marshland near Fall River.

Angela Marie
One of my favorite bird photography moments. The Green Heron photographed in the swampy area of my homeland; Wisconsin. I gasped out loud with delight when this small heron gave of his time. Turned out to be a penicillin moment.....I made a rookie mistake and didn't check my settings on my camera like a good pilot of their camera does before going out. Turns out after snapping over a hundred times I realized the ISO setting was going to make only a noisy photo at best. This bird gave me everything I could ask for....twenty something positions where he looked like a different bird constantly as if performing for me. I was crushed when he flew off and I realized my mistake. Somehow, the entire series of photos actually turned out much better than I could have anticipated. A rare occurrence! I learned a lot!

Angela Marie
Eighty-one miles per hour. Yes. Mergansers are among the fastest flying ducks. They sound like torpedoes in the sky. It's thrilling to see and hear. Tricky to photograph these mergansers landing between their speed and my distance kept in order not to stress them.

Angela Marie
Visiting Turnbull Wildlife Refuge always brings high hopes of seeing a moose. No matter how many times I have seen a moose, my heart stops in awe every time. Between the moose being immersed among leaves and making sure to give plenty of space, it was hard to gain clear access to her eyes. This split second victory made my day.

Angela Marie
Red-breasted Nuthatch taking in our early snow of 2020. If you think you hear the honk-honk of a taxi in your backyard it's probably a nuthatch. Must be quick on the take for a photo of these ever hard-working birds constantly lodging their food findings into a tree and hacking away at them. They are the only species that can walk both up and down a tree. Stinking cute. Hauser Lake area.

Angela Marie
Both of us stopped in our tracks, taking each other in directly eye to eye. This curious otter popped up out of a creek running parallel to the duck ponds I was photographing. He was so close I had to pull in my lens as much as possible. Check out those impressive webbed feet on the log. He vocalised in a way I don't know how to describe. We shared a private conversation, and he went on his way. Hauser Lake area.

Angela Marie
Fitting to the name of a group of otters out of the water are these four characters on a" romp". In the water they are called a raft. These river otters are always up to something and can provide wonderful stories for the camera. I fondly call them The Schusters. I swear in the next frame the leader with the fish said, "look over there!" as the other three fell for the oldest trick in the book looking back while the one with the fish got away having the fish all to herself. Hauser Lake.

Angela Marie
Speaking from the heart is this adorable and acrobatic squirrel in perfect lighting at Slavin Conservation Area.

Angela Marie
A desired photographic combo of a colorful little bird, berries, and spiderwebs. Elements combined for a fulfilling moment with this zippy Warbler in Wisconsin. The lens never seems long enough when it comes to small birds like this Blue- Winged Warbler (or maybe a Pine Warbler).

Angela Marie