December - Individual Shots (20 Photos)
Individual photos taken in December. Not a part of any series found below.

2002/12/21 - Holiday Magic Nights (18 Photos)
Every year, Brookfield Zoo decorates with trees and lights between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Called Holiday Magic Nights, visitors get a chance to see the zoo after dark in a festive setting. We had free admission and parking passes which made for a nice, inexpensive time.

2002/12/05 - Xmas Lights (6 Photos)
A few macro shots of the lights that we put up around the opening between the kitchen and the dining room.

2002/12/03 - Night Snow (11 Photos)
We froze our asses off to get the following shots. Originally we wanted to capture the cool shadows being cast by the steam coming off the creek, but by the time we got outside, the steam wasn't rising as high, so this is all you get.

November - Individual Shots (7 Photos)
Individual photos taken in November. Not a part of any series found below.

2002/11/27 - Painting (7 Photos)
In the interest of trying to get back the pleasure I once found in photographing the ordinary, I present some shots taken while out doing my regular Wednesday night painting with "the girls".

2002/11/11 - Usery Park (14 Photos)
Usery Park is located in Mesa, Arizona. We didn't see any critters (except for the bees that kept following us), so it wasn't as exciting as I was hoping. That being said, I do love the cacti, though.

Mission Beach (18 Photos)
While we were in San Diego, we visited Mission Beach daily. I love the sounds and smells of the ocean.

2002/11/07 - San Diego Zoo (27 Photos)
The World Famous San Diego Zoo didn't get its name by sucking. Quite the opposite - it is really cool. I especially loved the pandas.

2002/11/06 - Sea World (44 Photos)
We visited SeaWorld first during our stay in San Diego. As noted by the number of photos in this series, I looooove dolphins and killer whales. When I was little my grandparents took me to Florida a few times and Sea World was always my favorite.

On the Road (17 Photos)
Photos taken from my Jetta as it was going 80 mph down the highway. If you put your mouse over each thumbnail, it will tell you what state the photo was taken in.

October - Individual Shots (20 Photos)
Individual photos taken in October. Not a part of any series found below.

2002/10/27 - Morton Arboretum (24 Photos)
We visited the Morton Arboretum today. I did very little post-processing to the photos in this series as I rather liked how "dark" some of them came out. My favorites are definitely the ducks.

2002/10/20 - Autumn Colours (11 Photos)
We visited two forest preserves early this morning since we weren't able to make it to the Morton Arboretum this weekend. Maybe we'll go next weekend, if the trees aren't dead by then.

2002/10/13 - LRS (15 Photos)
We went to The Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center today. Of course, this particular series might have been more appropriately named "Sunlight and Shadows". The fall colors are getting more impressive by the day while some of the flowers continue to hold on.

2002/10/12 - Cosley Zoo (13 Photos)
We went to Cosley Zoo today. The farm animals were easier to photograph without the restriction of bars, so that's what is featured in this series.

2002/10/11 - Chicago (13 Photos)
We were in the city again today, so I took a few shots from the car. We also spent about an hour at Lincoln Park Zoo, mostly in the farm which they completely re-did. It looks great.

2002/10/06 - Goebbert's (6 Photos)
We stopped at Goebbert's Pumpkin and Farm Market today and since I had my camera on me, I took a few photos.

September - Individual Shots (23 Photos)
Individual photos taken in September. Not a part of any series found below.

2002/09/28 - Forest Preserves (17 Photos)
You'd be surprised what you come across in a forest preserve. We visited two today; one in the morning in the southwest suburbs, and one in the late afternoon in the northwest suburbs. I love how we're both into photography now. Makes hunting for photo ops even more fun.

2002/09/21 - Willowbrook (13 Photos)
Another trip to Willowbrook Wildlife Center to try out the new camera and let Joe get used to his camera (my 885) as well.

2002/09/19 (10 Photos)
Several photos taken today. The first one was by our apartment; the rest were at a park near the Schaumburg library.

2002/09/15 » Spring Valley (31 Photos)
We hadn't been back to Spring Valley since our first visit on June 23rd. I wasn't expecting anything really worthwhile to photograph. Boy, was I ever wrong! The photos I captured today are some of my favorites ever.

2002/09/08 » I&S (17 Photos)
A walk around two neighboring towns - Itasca and Schaumburg.

2002/09/01 » Nature Center (5 Photos)
A few photos taken at the nature center. There wasn't anything really inspiring there today. Even the owls and hawks weren't around. Not sure where they were hidden but none of them were in their usual cages.

August - Individual Shots (12 Photos)
Individual photos taken in August. Not a part of any series found below.

2002/08/31 » Backyard (10 Photos)
It's interesting what you can find in your own backyard. Or in this particular case, my future in-laws' property. (The feather in the 5th photo was much smaller and caught in a very thin spider web. I cropped the photo to preserve the detail of the feather).

2002/08/30 » Nature (15 Photos)
Some "nature" shots. Hey, what else can you call them? There's a nifty little blue dragonfly in there too!

2002/08/29 » Nikon 5700 (6 Photos)
A few select shots taken with my new Nikon Coolpix 5700 digital camera. Still getting used to the differences in this camera and my trusty Coolpix 885.

2002/08/25 » Insects, etc. (6 Photos)
A few insects and dandelions found at a nearby park.

2002/08/24 » Chicago (15 Photos)
Selected photos from our visit to the city today. I've been playing around more with custom settings, so if anything seems a little weird, that's why. Also included is my first ever panorama. Although I used locked exposure, the sky is way over-exposed on the left side of the photo. Live and learn.

2002/08/22 » Flooded (6 Photos)
Lots of rain today caused the creek by our house to flood. I had a hell of a time finding a way to get to my apartment as it was seemingly surrounded by flooded streets. I had to take photos; the reflections in the water are cool.

2002/08/18 » Brookfield Zoo (36 Photos)
Brookfield Zoo's annual butterfly exhibit is breathtaking. I included my favorites as there were too many to upload. I also took photos of some big cats, an elephant, a giraffe, and more.

2002/08/17 » Schaumburg (24 Photos)
Joe found a cool man-made pond in Schaumburg, Illinois where they rent paddle boats. It was too windy, so we walked around. We came across some nice gardens with plenty of insects, including butterflies, to photograph. Joe took the spider photos.

2002/08/11 » Geneva Lake (11 Photos)
Some photos taken at Geneva Lake which is located in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Confusing, I know.

2002/08/10 » O'Hare Planes (5 Photos)
Since we live so close to O'Hare International Airport, I decided to try and get a few shots of some planes. I was messing with the contrast in-camera, hence the dull greyish color on the first shot.

2002/08/04 » Willowbrook (22 Photos)
A return trip to Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. After today, I think I've overcome my fear of bees. (You'll see what I mean). Also of note - Joe took one of the photos of the frog as well as both spider shots.

2002/08/01 » Ducks (11 Photos)
The duckies are growing fast! They were eating some bread the neighbor left out, so I grabbed my camera. Then Joe grabbed some bread to get them to come a little closer. I used my telephoto lens too.

July - Individual Shots (40 Photos)
Individual photos taken in July. Not a part of any series found below.

2002/07/28 » Froggies (8 Photos)
We went to the nature center to drop off my photos for their contest, and went for a short walk where I came across a few frogs. Aren't they cute?

2002/07/21 » Chicago (12 Photos)
An early afternoon trip to 'Old Town' in Chicago for lunch and the first showing of Lovely and Amazing (which was good, by the way) at Sony's Piper's Alley theatre.

2002/07/20 (28 Photos)
A visit to a little cemetary, a corporate pond for NEC, and Spring Brook nature center. I'm feeling snap-happy, what can I say?

2002/07/14 » Willowbrook (29 Photos)
Located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Willowbrook Wildlife Center is a wildlife rehabilitation center that has more animals housed than any other nature center I've visited in the area. I wish I had brought my telephoto lens and tripod. I definitely will next time!

2002/07/04 » Fireworks (47 Photos)
Fourth of July fireworks show in Oak Lawn, Illinois.

June Favorites (45 Photos)
Includes photos from two visits to the Spring Brook Nature Center in Itasca as well as a trip to downtown Chicago, and a visit to Spring Valley (another nature center).

May Favorites (18 Photos)
Most of the photos from May were taken in our new neighborhood.

April Favorites (7 Photos)
I didn't take many photos in April since I was busy with packing and moving to a new town, but here are a few of my favorites.

March Favorites (14 Photos)
Includes shots from when it snowed, and a few random things here and there.

February Favorites (20 Photos)
A visit to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park (Chicago) as well as a visit to St. James, which is a subject of speculation in 'Chicago Haunts' publications.

January Favorites (9 Photos)
A trip to the northside of Chicago as well as Lincoln Park Zoo.