New Mexican Mule Deer I spent Christmas 2007 in a canyon above Ruidoso, New Mexico, and celebrated the holidays with a bunch of mule deer and elk. Having grown up around whitetails, I must say that whatever mulies may lack in the IQ department they more than make up for with their uninhibited and endearing curiosity. The deer in these photographs are from some of the friendly groups that passed through the canyon often. I got to know a few of them on a first-name basis.
New Orleans 2007 New Orleans in the Spring! What could be better? It has been well over a year since Katrina struck New Orleans, and although the city still has a bit of a beat-up look, the people are as exuberant and colorful as ever. Much to be done, but the city will survive.
Minnesota October 2006 The weather was spectacular in Vancouver last month, but it was not so cooperative on this, my annual run to Northern Minnesota. Quite the opposite! Rain, snow, blizzard conditions, 45 mph winds, and some major fog. But anyone familiar with the tundra knows anything can and will happen in October. But in spite of the conditions, there's always great beauty in this wonderful country and, as you can see, October 2006 was no exception.
The Woods in Black and White There are three other sets of Minnesota October photography listed in this site's index, and all of those are loaded with color. But the early winter brought most of the leaves down just as I arrived this year, so I did the natural thing and shot some black and white, which is always good for the soul.
Lucie Does Minnesota Yes, this was Lucie's first trip to northern Minnesota, the first time she'd seen snow, her first opportunity to run in the woods, and her first exposure to cold weather. She scared up some deer, flushed a number of grouse, plowed some snow with her nose, and seemed to have a great and somewhat exhausting time.
Vancouver, British Columbia, is a city of two million people located in Canada's westernmost province. The downtown core of century-old red brick buildings and steel-and-glass skyscrapers overlook the sheltered harbor and busy waterways. With Victoria just a short ferry ride away, these two wonderful cities feature stunning mountain and ocean vistas, wonderful gardens, old growth forests, manicured suburbs, many kinds of beaches, and a population that would really rather be outdoors, thank you very much.
To get to the southern part of Vancouver Island's Pacific Coast, you start with a 90-minute ferry ride from Vancouver across to Vancouver Island. Then it's a two-hour drive down to Victoria. After you cross the city, one heads west down the coast. It's the Pacific Ocean on your left and solid forest and mountains to the right. About a hundred miles down the coast, you encounter French Point Provincial Park. That's where these photographs were made.
South Padre Island: The Beach South Padre Island is located on the southernmost tip of Texas. It is a coastal resort town on the Gulf of Mexico with five miles of seashore fun, shopping, dining and water activities. The island is also bordered by Laguna Madre Bay and is ecologically significant, with 34 miles of sand dunes, water birds, shrimp, and the best deep-sea fishing in Texas.
Lucie Beachdog on South Padre On Lucie's American Kennel Club papers, her name is officially listed as "Argir's Lucie B." People have asked me many times about the "B" and to what does it refer? Well, this little collection of recent photographs from South Padre Island, the only real beach in Texas, should provide a visual answer to that question. Yes, the "B" stands for BEACHDOG!
Lucie 2005 This dog is funny, she has a sense of when it's time to be silly, and she can do some really hilarious things. Her only bad habit is she never met a skunk she didn't want to chase. She's had more tomato juice baths than I can count, usually around midnight. Not my fave thing to do at the bewitching hour. Once she was reponsible for a whole fleet of Austin police cars rushing to my house, but I digress. Click on the button to the left to check out her candid snaps.
Touring Minnesota 2005 A lot of folks were involved in these gigs, too many to mention. Okay, I'll mention them. Besides Lonnie Knight, joining me onstage were "The Faders," James Lampley and Steve Smith, two of the finest harmonica players I've ever met, Billy Smith and Billy Steiner, Fred (my son) and Alex (his son) Argir, Chip Martin, Mark Demillo, and Chelsea Csargo. Hey folks, when can we do this again?
Texas vs. Kansas Longhorn fans have been waiting for this year for a long time. I mean, it's always a great experience being in the stadium and witnessing the spectacle, but this year the team is 10-0 and looking to take a shot at the national championship, so the place was rocking. This particular game was less than interesting from a football standpoint. It was, after all, 52-0 at halftime. But nobody in my section seemed bored. :)
Minnesota Fall/2005 Okay, here's another set of fall photographs from the Minnesota North Woods. I know I say it every year, but this was a gorgeous autumn, one of the best in years. I was in Minnesota to do a few gigs (Minneapolis, Mankato, Duluth, and Hibbing, all the biggies), but I'd never miss an opportunity to experience what goes on up here at this time of year. And yes, there were a few grouse, too. Tasty.
Texas Wildflowers 2005 I don't do a lot of floral photography, but the wildflowers in this part of Texas are so beautiful and so colorful that no photographer worth his salt passes up this kind of vivid opportunity. The intensity varies from year to year, and we really haven't had an outstanding year in quite a while, but even in the worst of years, it's a rewarding and worthwhile experience.
Minnesota October, 2004 This year was one of the most beautiful autumns I've seen here since I lived in these woods, which was in the early 70s. I don't know how much the color has to do with the weather conditions, and because I don't live here, I can't really comment on 2004's weather patterns, though my parents tell me it was a very cold summer and not a lot of rain. Whatever the reason, the woods were spectacular. They're always great, but this year was special. Good thing, too, because there were no grouse. None.
Grand Teton National Park, 2004 In 1943, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued a proclamation establishing Jackson Hole National Monument by authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906. The 210,000 acre monument included most federal land in Jackson Hole. In 1949 the Rockefellers donated nearly 33,000 acres to the federal government and in 1950, Congress passed legislation merging the Park and National Monument.
Black and White, 2004 Culled from points north, east, and south, the primary theme here might be TREES. We've got your river cypress, a birch, a weathered lakeside tree, trees growing out of a skyscraper in Manhattan, a forest across a lake, and a bunch daisies growing on a forest floor. Wrapping up this monochromatic, arbor-oriented set of visuals are a couple from South Padre Island, always a good place to find driftwood.
Greetings from Austin, Texas, which was founded in 1839, and is named for Stephen F. Austin, the "Father of Texas." It is sometimes called the "City of the Violet Crown" (from an O Henry short story) or the "Live Music Capital of the World," which it is not, or "Waterloo" (the name of original settlement that became Austin). It is located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country in South Central Texas at longitude: 97°75'W and latitude: 30°30'N at an elevation of 597 feet. This wonderful image is not a postcard, but a photo of a mural on a building wall in South Austin (78704). The creators' names are in the upper right corner.
The Pedernales River in Pedernales Falls State Park, Summer 2004 Located along the banks of the scenic Pedernales River, the park's main attraction and can be viewed from a scenic overlook at the north end of the park. In this area, the elevation of the river drops about 50 feet over a distance of 3000 feet, and the falls are formed by the flow of water over the tilted, stair-step effect of layered limestone.
Owen Lake, Minnesota, 2004 A smattering of photographs from yet another beautiful Northern Minnesota summer, including several good shots of a mother loon with her pair of 6-day-old chicks, one of whom insists on riding on her back. And she doesn't seem to mind if the little one camps on her back, or if I take multiple photographs of this unique mode of water transportation. Hey, everyone gets along out here.
Yosemite National Park, California, 2004 Yosemite is not possible to describe in words. But a few glances at these shots of Yosemite Falls (the tallest in North America), Bridal Veil Falls, Half Dome, and the surrounding area should provide a hint of the beauty that is the Yosemite Valley. Why don't I live here?
South Padre Island, Texas, 2004 South Padre Island is the only real beach in Texas. It's a long distance from almost anywhere, but the weather and food are worth the drive. On Super Bowl Sunday, the first day of February, it was 83 degrees! And don't get me started on the freshness of the seafood...
The Badlands, 2003 The Badlands is a geological anomaly and a breathtaking one at that. Located in the southwest corner of South Dakota and formed by centuries of lava-containing waters, this beautiful but somewhat desolate area looks more like another planet than a national park. And what's up with that Springsteen song?
The Black Hills, 2003 The Black Hills area is surely some of the most beautiful and friendly terrain on the North American continent. Once Indian country, it's now a magnificent patchwork of many different and well-kept state and national parks. Here's a glance at some of that beautiful land.
Black Hills Mountain Goats, 2003 These are the wild, wooly goats living in the mountains that surround Mt. Rushmore. They're quiet and jerky and athletic and slyly observant. They are, after all, goats. Wild white goats running free in the mountains. Hey, things could be worse. And, if you happen to be a goat running free on government property, skip the lichens, it's gravy city.
Black Hills Prairie Dogs, 2003 One can spend many hours hanging out in a prairie dog town, watching these guys react to their surroundings, do their version of "the wave," and scamper from social group to group like left-wing do-gooders on a mission. They have no qualms about hassling photographers either, and they can be quite vocal about it. But, bottom line, there's not a more charming animal anywhere.
Black Hills Bighorn Ewes, 2003 I enjoy photographing Bighorn ewes. They're really funny, quite clannish, and can be almost friendly if not disturbed. After spending just a little time with a herd, one can almost sense their delicate interaction and constant communication. Sometimes I get the feeling that they are more amused by me than I am by them.
Black Hills Bighorn Sheep, 2003 Bighorn Sheep herds generally consist of two groups of animals, the rams in one and the ewes and lambs in the other. This is a set of ram pictures. (The ewe and lamb images are elsewhere), see above. The Bighorn ram's horns curl almost in a complete circle and may weight as much as the rest of the skeleton, up to 32 pounds! Hefty.
Black Hills Bison, 2003 Herds of American Bison populate the various state and national parks that are the Black Hills, roaming freely as they did here for centuries. Being close to these massive animals truly is a memorable experience, to hear their sounds and observe their interaction is really very special. And I don't mean that in a Dana Carvey sort of way...
Black Hills Antelope, 2003 Pronghorn antelope are beautiful and graceful creatures, and in the setting of the gorgeous Black Hills, this is a golden photographic opportunity. Pronghorns are shy, and with the grassland visibility, it takes some patience and savvy to close to them. No prob.
Minnesota Autumn, 2003 Autumn, for me, is time for the annual trek 'home' to northern Minnesota for the legendary rites of fall, when the birch turn to gold and the maples crimson and every living animal suddenly realizes that it's time to gather some food and make some babies, as it won't be long before the endless winter blows in. Here are a few images from this year's season.
The Indianapolis 500, 2003 I've wanted to go to the Indy 500 for many years, so it was a real thrill to finally experience this American phenomenon. Although most of the drivers are not the household words that the participants once were, the machines are works of kinetic art, and the energy of such a massive audience is beyond description.
Maine, 2002 Under chilly and swampy conditions, yours truly finds his way into the backwoods of northern Maine in search of the elusive North American moose. Mission accomplished.
Texas, 2002 A varied collection of odd photographs from Central Texas taken in 2002, usually on my way to unrelated events. These images include a variety of animals: deer, possum, llama, my golden retriever Lucie, and a boatload of San Antonio tourists.
Copyright 2007
By Fredy Argir
eMail Fredy