I am a West Virginia native who has always loved photography. I have studied it for many years. I recently turned my hobby into a business. I do event photography, senior and family portraits. I also have several home décor prints and items available for purchase. Some of my photos have been used for book covers. I hope to soon have an on line store at this site.
Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Spicebush Swallowtail 81020” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.
The afternoon sun hides it’s face behind a thickening layer of clouds and falls across the landscape as a soft glow. Small minnows gather in the shallow eddie as my creek trickles it’s way to the Gauley River. Off to my right a Grizzly Locust rattles his call on the edge of the yard. I perch myself on the edge of my bridge and look upstream wondering what I might catch in the lens. The clouds soften the light but they also hold in the heat and raise the humidity causing the air to transmit the smell of the water mint better. The inflorescence of the mint brings all the pollenators near the water. Tiny skippers of several types. Earlier a pale green cloudless sulfur butterfly performed it’s aerial dance as it passed by my window. I had hoped to catch up with it but as of yet it remains elusive. The breeze shifts gently and the smell of the mint is stronger. The movement just beneath the Sycamore seedling pulls my attention towards lower left and I am treated with the beautiful blue of the Spicebush Swallowtail in a rare moment of stillness. The peaceful serenity of the trickling water and pleasing aroma of mint combines with butterfly’s visual and and blends into a sustained moment of peace.
Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!
Tobook me simply reach out using theContact Pageand we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.
If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is
Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.
I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.
Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer
Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Red Tail Hawk 80620” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.
Even the wind dare not whisper his name as he sails silently over my mountain. The eyes miss nothing as he scans the forest for a twitch of the tail or the flick of a long ear. His talons are cocked and ready to snatch his prey. Even the most subtle earthbound serpent in the forest is vulnerable to the speed of his silent wings. The only clue I had to his presence was the disappearance of songbirds. As I gazed through my window the smaller birds suddenly vanished into the dense brambles borrowing their thorns for protection. When he took up his perch on my carport I knew that the best chance I had to capture his image was through the dirty window in the back of the house. Still, I had to try. As I lined up my lens with his permission and attempted to focus past the airborne pollen and new cobweb clinging to the glass he cocked his head my direction. I don’t think he actually saw me through the glass but he definitely knew that something moved inside the house. After a few shots I decided to try and ease my why outside for a closer photo. It’s been a while since I’ve practiced my weasel walk but my feet remembered the pattern. Stepping with the balls of my feet and allowing the foot to roll into place before shifting my weight would minimize the sounds of movement in the house. I made it all the way to the side door and he didn’t seem to notice. It was the click of the deadbolt that got his attention. Slowly I allowed the door open but with the sudden creek of the hinge the Hawk turned as if he were spring loaded. The gaze of his piercing eyes struck me with a perceived impact that raised the hair on the back of my neck. The eyes felt like they were attempting to burn through to my very soul as our gazes locked. For a moment I wasn’t really sure if he would flee or charge. Even the largest Red Tail Hawk is no match for a human but he does have razors on his feet and I have enough “cool scar stories” to last for the rest of my life. I slowly shifted the camera in order to raise it to my eye and he drew himself skyward and commanded the wind to carry him over the ridge. Before I could even focus he was just a little dot in the sky.
Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!
Tobook me simply reach out using theContact Pageand we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.
If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is
Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.
I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.
Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer
Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Mydas Fly 80420” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article. A the movement of a shadowy predator catches my attention at Kanawha Falls. I’d actually come here looking to see if the mushrooms I’d spotted in July were still around but they were gone. The creature moved again and at first I thought it was a Mud Dauber wasp but something was wrong with the flight pattern. It didn’t move like a wasp should move. It’s was at that point I began to suspect that I was being lied to. Mud Daubers are generally non-aggressive even when I’m close to their nests. Sometimes they’ll hover close and try to intimidate you but I’ve never had one actually land on me. Mud Daubers can fly in a curve but tend to prefer flying in straight lines. The dark insect before me now moves in curves and circles like a fly. Still, getting stung by any wasp isn’t really my idea of a good time. So I took out my long lens and zoomed in for a better look. The first thing that struck me was the club like antennae and an abdomen that wasn’t connected to the body by a slender waist. The insect looks like a robber fly but is huge compared to the robber fly. The distinctive reddish orange spots on the abdomen were also an identifying trait. This is a Mydas Fly. Image Titled “Mydas Fly 80420b” showing the iridescent blue sheen on the wings.
The Mydas Fly buzzed me a few times and flicked it’s a few times in an effort to convince me that I was about to be stung. I called it’s bluff and moved a closer. It charged me and pulled away st the last second.
Most likely it’s there simply to lay eggs in the rotting log. It needs to do this because it’s babies are predators. The larvae actually resemble the Graboid monster from the movie Tremors. The maggot has an armored head with powerful looking jaws and it hunts beetle larvae. There’s actually over 400 species of Mydas Flies and some lay eggs in the soil instead of wood. Because they hunt destructive grubs they’re being studied as a natural control on pests.Image Titled “Mydas Fly 80420c” showing the “claws” on the hind legs.
My internet research says that the adult Mydas Fly is also a predator. A closer look at the hind legs shows that they are built like the front legs of a preying mantis. The claw structure is pointed forward suggesting that the a Mydas Fly overtakes it’s pretty in mid flight. There’s actually controversy in the scientific community about the feeding habits of Mydas Flies because they have been seen pollinating and eating nectar. I suppose that nobody has considered that they might be omnivorous.
After a few minutes I decided it was time to leave the Mydas Fly to go do Mydas Fly things in peace. Perhaps at some point I’ll be able to photograph one with prey and put an end to the controversy.
Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!
Tobook me simply reach out using theContact Pageand we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.
If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is
Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.
I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.
Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer
Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Heal-all With Flea Beetle” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.
How small is small? When you’re less than 1/8 of an inch long planet earth is a vast gigantic jungle. Even the tiny pharaoh ant dwarfs the little guy in tonight’s feature image. To give you the scale the Heal-all flower spike that he’s on top of is only about an inch long so he’s far smaller than 1/8 of an inch. When I spotted the little guy I was reminded of a poem I heard in grade school.
“If you missed me it’s not my fault.
I’m only the size of a grain of salt.”
I have to wonder if that because he’s so small if he can even perceive me as another life form and not some celestrial event like an eclipse. The tiny little bug is a flea beetle. But big trouble comes in small packages.
Experienced gardeners will know what the irregular shaped holes in the leaves of their crops mean. One flea beetle exploring a wildflower is kinda cute but 1000 of them one your favorite salad vegetables can be maddening. Especially if you have strong feelings about chemical pesticides on your food. Encouraging predators into your garden is always a good thing. Braconid Wasps and Tachinid Flies larvae both feed on flea beetles but I found it hard to believe they’d be able to host on one this small. However, a quick internet search revealed a tiny wasp even smaller than the beetle in tonight’s feature image. Plants like yarrow and Queen Anne’s Lace are generally considered to be weeds but they do attract parasitic wasps that are beneficial in the fight against garden pests like the flea beetle. Plants like mint seem to repell flea beetles as well as other pests while attracting pollenators
The tiny world is a dangerous place but aside from its shiny armor the flea beetle has an active defense. Their secret weapon is Maulik’s Organ. An organic spring built into the hind legs that is cocked and when released sends the flea beetle sailing through the air as if fired out of a cannon!
Some flea beetles are actually beneficial insects themselves. Depending on the species. They seem to be selective in their food choices and the plant they host on. Some will eat the weeds right out of your garden and never touch the plants you want to grow.
The little flea beetle in tonight’s feature image eventually decided that it didn’t like my presence and with a flick of it’s hind legs performed a disappearing act to rival any on stage. One second it was there and the next it was gone.
Image Titled “Heal-all Spike 71020”.
Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!
Tobook me simply reach out using theContact Pageand we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.
If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is
Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.
I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.
Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer
Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Wood Sorrel 81020” and was taken just for Forage Friday. All of the photos found on my blog are my original work and are available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.
Please remember that Forage Friday is only intended to be a conversation starter and all of the information is presented as trivia.
The relentless August sun glares down on the meadow and sweat rolls down the young hunter’sface. He breaks open a rotting log to find the fat grubs just under the bark and places them in a rawhide box which he carries to the edge of a pond. A simple gorge hook made from a splinter of turkey bone is threaded through the grubs and tossed into the pond. It isn’t long before there are 4 decent sized sun fish are landed and a willow rod is threaded through the gills. The youth secures them in the shallow water at the pond’s edge and starts his fire. Clay is collected from the small stream feeding pond along with a trailing three leafed plant with tiny yellow flowers. The plant has bean-like pods that are not much larger than a grain of rice and the whole top is gathered. By now the small campfire has burned down to embers and the young man tests the heat by holding his hand over the pit until it’s uncomfortable. The fish are dressed out with a stone chip that’s five times sharper than a modern scalpel and stuffed with the tart plant. The fish are then packed in the clay and carefully buried in the hot pit. The youth has several of these plants left and nibbles them to quench his thirst as he Leisurely completes his camp tasks. He notes the time by counting hand widths between the sun and the horizon. The fish should be done cooking by now and he opens the pit up again. The Clay has baked into perfectly sealed containers that slow cooked the fish. The sour herb imparted a lemon flavor to the meat that rivals anything found in a modern day restaurant. The youth chants a native blessing over his meal and thanks the creator for the bounty of the land.
Image Titled “Wood Sorrel 71020b” showing the color difference between the herb and the rest of the grass.
One of the first plants most kids learn how to forage in the Appalachian Mountains is Wood Sorrel. My guess is that it’s also true for the rest of the world because there are 1,810 species that are found worldwide including some cultivated varieties that are sold as shamrocks around St. Patrick’s Day in Spring. However, true shamrocks are Trifolium species ( clovers) while Wood Sorrels are Oxalis species. Both plants are edible but the Oxalis is far superior in flavor. As foreshadowed by the fiction story in tonight’s post Wood Sorrel has a sour flavor that’s likened to lemon but I’ve found it to be more like Sweet-Tarts candy. One YouTube channel referred to them as “Nature’s Sour Patch Kids.”
Wood Sorrel is excellent in salads and as a flavoring on meats as well as in soups. Nutritionally Wood Sorrel is rich in Vitamin C and boasts to be richer in bioavailable iron than even spinach. The vitamin C available from from one serving (1 cup) of Wood Sorrel provides 106% of the recommended daily intake. It’s for this reason that Wood Sorrel was used to treat scurvy in the old days. Additionally it supplies the same percentage of vitamin A. There also seems to be a multitude of other vitamins and minerals including small amounts of zinc and copper.
Image Titled “Wood Sorrel 71020c”.
Other medicinal values include gargling the juice for sore throat and mouth ulcers, as a compress for anti-inflammatory effects and as a digestive aid. Which brings us to the obligatory notes on oxalic acid. All throughout all of reference materials we find dire warnings of the high content of oxalic acid. It’s “Sorta true”. The whole family of plants is named for the high amount of oxalic acid which among other things can lead to kidney stones and if you get enough of it there is risk of kidney failure. The as if you eat too much spinach or too much broccoli. We can also add kale to this list of plants that contains “dreadful” (sic) oxalic acid. So if your doctor or nutritionist has advised that you avoid green leafy vegetables then perhaps you should also avoid the Oxalis family.
For a more in depth look at oxalic acid and nutrition I’m going to refer to one of the better videos on YouTube.
Wood Sorrel is actually something that I enjoy but it’s not something that I eat massive amounts of. It’s best used as an accent herb along with other forage plants like violet, dandelion greens and chicory or as an addition to a garden salad. The zesty flavor helps offset greens that are a little on the bland side.
As a last little tid-bit I did encounter several people making Wood Sorrel lemonade that sound very intriguing. They simply made a light colored tea and sweetened to taste. Due to the mineral content of the plant my guess is that it’s pretty high in electrolytes as well.
Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!
Tobook me simply reach out using theContact Pageand we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.
If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is
Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.
I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.
Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer
LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 