Bird's Eye Gallery
Fine Art Photography of the Natural World
Micah "Doc" Daugherty
Witness the World of...
LANDSCAPES
Every day when I walk out the door I am in awe at the beauty that God has created for us to enjoy. Throughout my travels I have been blessed with the opportunity to breathe in some of the most beautiful landscapes that He has created. From mountains and deserts to the seas, every topography is unique in its own way. Through my lens I have captured some of those visions from around the U.S. and the globe, and brought to this to you in this portfolio of fine art photography.
Fire In the Sky
Shooting "Fire In the Sky" and seeing it in print was the quintessential moment for me and my journey to landscape photography. Snow was dumping in the Grand Tetons to the east as I saw the sun setting to the west, lighting up the sky with vibrant hues of yellow, orange, and red. I needed a subject for the foreground and as we passed by this old shack, I knew what I needed to do. This landscape was shot "somewhere" in Idaho.
Igloo Creek
Creativity is necessary when creating photographic art. As we descended from the glaciers of Mount Rainier in Mount Rainier National Park, I noticed the many streams created from melting snow had carved through the deep snow banks lining the foothills of Rainier. I hopped down by one of the streams to see what appeared to be a tunnel carved through the snow bank. The sunlight shining through the snow created a variety of color. I couldn't resist the chance to create beauty. Thus, "Igloo Creek" was created.
Kyoto Dream
During our trip to Asia several years ago, we had the opportunity to visit Kyoto, Japan. One of the places that I most wanted to visit was the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. We planned this visit out for early morning before the crowds began to visit this beautiful and peaceful site. As I set up for the shot, I paused to listen to the rustle of the bamboo as a light breeze flowed through the grove. Peace and serenity... this is a bonus to shooting the beauty of our natural world.
Skylight
Colorful sunsets are always a favorite. This sunset at 10,000 Islands, near Marco Island, Florida and part of the Big Cypress National Preserve, did not disappoint. The key to creating beautiful sunset photography is moisture in the air. When the air is heavy with humidity or at the end of a stormy day, the colors in the sky as the sun sets will be amazing. Here, I allowed the sun to set completely over the horizon to capture the silhouette of the trees over the water, and their reflections. The colorful beams of sunlight shooting from the horizon was a bonus!
Evanescence
After driving through a deluge most of the day along the Gulf Shores of Mississippi and Alabama, the rain stopped and the storm moved off to the west. I wasn't expecting anything special, but how wrong I was! As the sun began to set, I could see a rainbow of colors on the horizon. I knew that I needed something to provide structure to the image. As we crossed over to Dauphin Island, Alabama, these old pilings came into view. Through a swarm of mosquitoes aroused by the torrential rain, I set up to create one of my most iconic pieces of fine art photography, "Evanescence."
Picture Perfect
It was a beautiful, but breezy, day in Maine. The Portland Head Lighthouse (featured here) in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, is presumed to be the most photographed lighthouse in the U.S. From this "Picture Perfect" image, one can see why.
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Yosemite
Yosemite National Park in California is one of nature's stunning displays of landscapes in the U.S. This park really has it all... mountains, babbling streams, waterfalls, forests, wildlife, and great hiking trails. Everywhere you turn there's another postcard scene to take in. This image of Yosemite Valley says it all!
Illusion
Like "Igloo Creek" (featured above on this page), this stream of glacial water has carved its way through a snow bank, creating the "Illusion" of a grand river flowing through a chasm of ice.
Creating an image such as this is truly a one-in-a-million shot. Mount Rainier National Park is another one of those parks that everyone needs to explore and take in its grand beauty.
Mormon Row
I decided to keep the train rolling with fine art photography featuring landscapes with beautiful mountain backdrops. Here we see the T.A. Moulton Barn near Jackson, Wyoming, with the snow-capped Grand Tetons in the background. Should you decide to visit Jackson, check out "Mormon Row" and Grand Tetons National Park. And don't forget to take time to visit Yellowstone as well. The South Entrance is about 1-1/2 hours north of Jackson.
Reflections
Switching it up a bit... I head back to Florida at Myakka River State Park near Sarasota to bring you "Reflections." After a long day shooting wildlife in the park, I caught this view out of the corner of my eye. The water was so still that it created a perfect mirror image of the setting sun and sky above.
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Taking In the View
On one of our trips to Europe, we visited Lake Como in Northern Italy after spending a few days shooting some beautiful landscapes in Switzerland. I saw this Cormorant perched on a piling and "Taking In the View" of the lake and mountains. After shooting this image, I sat at the water's edge and did the same.
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Alpine Mist
Zermatt, Switzerland is an amazing small village perched high in the Swiss Alps. In fact, the only way you can reach Zermatt is by train. Waking up early to head to the glaciers near The Matterhorn (featured here), I wasn't expecting this view from the room. The sun was still below the horizon, but it was enough to create an amazing pre-dawn glow with The Matterhorn as the focal point.
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The Matterhorn
Giving a double-dose of The Matterhorn, this beautiful image couldn't be more perfect. We really got lucky for the few days we spent in Zermatt, as The Matterhorn is usually covered by clouds and the peak is rarely visible. I took advantage of the visibility and created several great images of this beautiful mountain during our time there.
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Angry Sky
It was NOT the greatest travel day in France. The rain just kept coming, but it let up long enough to capture this image of the "Angry Sky" above German's Gate in Metz, France.
Savanna Sunset
Living in Florida, there aren't too many places that I haven't been, especially for opportunities to shoot wildlife and landscapes. Myakka River State Park makes another appearance with another amazing sunset image. The scattered trees amongst the field of golden grass reminded me of scenes from the African Savanna... minus a lion or giraffe.
Shipwrecked Sunset
The Wreck of the Peter Iredale, located in Fort Stevens State Park in Hammond, Oregon, was a great find for us on one of our adventures in the Northwest U.S. The Iredale ran ashore in 1906 while trying to navigate through thick fog into the mouth of the Columbia River. None of the crew were lost... in fact, the water was so shallow that they walked to shore. Over the years this shipwreck has deteriorated a bit. So if you want to see a piece of history and maybe a "Shipwrecked Sunset", I'd advise doing so before the Iredale disappears.
Pier's End
Although this image isn't full of color like many others that I've featured, I like it because of my use of leading lines of the pier to this old boathouse. "Pier's End" is a historical site and well-worth visiting when in this area of the Oregon Coast. And while you're here, check out the Tillamook cheese factory not too far from Garibaldi. They produce really good cheese and GREAT ice cream!
Delicate Arch
I added this image of the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park in Moab, Utah as a sign of things to come. The Southwest U.S. is one of my favorite areas to visit, and some of my best fine art photography has been from this region of the U.S. There's just something about the desert that is so appealing to me.
COMING SOON! A page dedicated to the Southwestern U.S. that showcases some of my iconic wildlife and landscape photography of the region.
Cannon Row
If you want to take a step back in history, visit the Valley Forge Historical Park in Pennsylvania. On these historic grounds is where President George Washington and the Continental Army took refuge during the winter of 1777-1778. As the British occupied Philadelphia, Washington and his army camped here. Throughout the park you will find the houses where the soldiers slept and many cannons lined up waiting to be fired.
Prairie Skies
Beneath the "Prairie Skies" of Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas sits the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse. This one room building was completed in 1882 and operated as a K-12 school until 1930. These schools were commonplace for children of settlers heading west to build new lives in America's new frontier.
The Forest
One of the most memorable adventures we had was our 3-day trip to Patagonia, Argentina. We stayed in a ranch home on a plateau and every day we rode out on horseback with the gauchos to explore the area, herd cattle, and take in the breathtaking scenery. Each day was a full 8-10 hours of riding with designated stops where we could take a break to eat and imbibe on local Argentinian wine. At one stop, I walked around taking in the sight of the strange "monkey trees" when I noticed this dilapidated shack that had been consumed by "The Forest."
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Moonrise In Dakota
This was a random image that I ran across while doing some needed clean up. However, I do remember it well. This was a shot that I took on our road trip through the Dakotas several years ago. We started out in the early morning on our way to Theodore Roosevelt National Park when I saw the windmill off the side of the road. I stopped to shoot the shot, not realizing that the MOON was rising... Yes, this IS the moon! Sometimes we photographers "get lucky" with some of our work.
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Frigid Waters
I know... compared to some of the others, this may seem like a "boring" image. However, this winter scene was shot in sub-zero temperatures at Yellowstone National Park. The temp was -22 F when we trekked out to the park to shoot some fantastic wildlife images. For me, I really enjoyed shooting in this weather... although I can't say that I would "voluntarily" do it again. The scene itself is very serene... snow, a flowing creek, mountains in the background. I couldn't ask for more.
Scattered
Once again, this a very "random" opportunity and I took advantage of it. I was standing on the patio of Osprey Point Golf Course in Boca Raton, Florida, waiting to be called to the first tee. A rain shower had passed by not long before the sunrise. As the sun peaked over the horizon, the streaking storm clouds combined with the colors of the rising sun offered a great opportunity to shoot a very interesting "Scattered" image of the sky. This is what embodies fine art photography... being at the right place at the right time.
Tranquility
Rounding out my portfolio of landscape photography is a sunset image that I shot many years ago in Key Largo, Florida. I was set up and prepared to shoot an amazing and colorful sunset over the water when a sailboat drifted into the frame. I waited for the perfect moment to center the boat in the photo as the sun creeped slowly towards the horizon. This was a moment of peace and "Tranquility" for me.