New photography exhibit at Southern Branch Calvert Library

Six of my photos are now part of a display at the Southern Branch Calvert Library October through December 2025.  The library contacted me last year to ask about a solo exhibit, but I thought it might be nice to offer it to our whole camera club.  There is so much talent in our club.  The exhibit is spread around 3 small private meeting rooms, 1 large meeting room and the front hall, so it took a little longer to set up than most of our previous exhibits with only one room.  So stop by and let the art inspire you.  We are always looking for new camera club members (smccc.org). The library website is https://calvertlibrary.info/about-us/locations/southern-branch/

Library

Front hall

Flower Still Life

I enjoyed playing with still life after buying flowers at the local farms.  Sunflowers are challenging because they wilt very quickly and the flowers face downward.  Lavender was easier, and it lasts a long time.

Sunflowers photographed from below to see the disk florets in the middle. (I had to look that one up!

Lavender

St Mary's County Fair 2025

 Just a few fun photos from the County Fair Last week.  I was a volunteer for the Photography Exhibit as in many past years, only this year I did more organization behind the scenes, trying to get additional volunteers so the exhibit was run smoothly.  Fortunately, extra unexpected people showed up to help at the last minute too.  I think they all did a great job!

I didn't have time for a lot of creative photos, but tried to get a few shots of my favorite exhibits.

Flower Exhibit

                                                    Clydesdales

Goats

Chicken chef

Ferris Wheel

Bubble vendor

Goldpetal Farms sunflowers

 I visited Goldpetal earlier in the season late in the day for some pretty sunflower and zinnia photos.  I stayed for a rainbow and sunset.  I wasn't in a very good position for the rainbow and the sunflowers were super high at the time, but I did what I could.  There were some really interesting tall clouds that day too. 

Sunflowers in the Zinnia garden

sunflower bud

Striped sunflowers

Cool clouds

Different angle for a bee photo.

Swallowtail butterfly

Allens Fresh Run

 I visited Allen's Fresh Run to see the birds in July.  (I am still catching up with some of my posts.  There were reports of an unusual visit by Roseate Spoonbills, but unless you were an experienced kayaker who knew how to avoid being stranded during low tide, the distance was sometimes very far.  I found that there were quite a few other birds around too, but mostly at quite a distance even with a very long lens.  One of the days, I even saw the sunset too.

Great Blue Heron

Osprey

Roseate Spoonbills

Juvenile Bald Eagle with wires

Snow Hill Park and Beach, St Marys County, MD

 I visited Snow Hill Park after driving by and noticing that the renovations were done and it was open again.  They added some fun hammocks, a location for events, a nice playground and a nicer picnic pavilion since I was last there.  There are plans to put in restrooms, hiking trails, a motorized boat ramp, a nature center and more parking in the future.  I expect it will eventually be a quite popular and crowded park.

Enjoy my photos of the current park.  See my blog post from July 4th 2022 to see some older features of the park.  The big curvy tree is still there, but the covered boathouse is gone.

These guys loved having their photo taken.

Nearby pond

Sumac?

Restrooms that will be replaced later.

Coralroot or Common Soapwart