Arizona - Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson AZ

[Sparkle]

Two things. I'm very disapointed in the photos I took. I'm going to take lessons from Liz. She manages to make you feel you are there with her. She takes overviews and long distance shots, while mine have too many pinpoints and closeups. So from now on I will try to do better. Second thing. Beth has a much better camera. Takes much better photos, but she always says she is too busy to post, that I can do it. So folks, how about getting on her case? I KNOW she has great Hummingbird shots for one thing.
Anyway, this was another one of our 2 for 1 deals, so we are getting our moneys worth for the Passport. This was my best shot of the Mountain Lion.


This is not a dead dog. It's a sleeping wolf.


Look at this face. How cute.


The eeeew room. I did manage to touch the snake with one finger. It felt like warm silk. Eeeeew!


The Prairie Dog Habitat. Have you any idea of how many of these I've shot?


And they were chubby! This looks like a bean bag.


I know it's Sunday. But this is the porn section. Lust was in the air.


Okay, on to study how Liz does it.

[Bethers]

Don''t you dare get on my case. Last night I took over my external drive to offer her any of my pictures. She didn't take them. So there. And she can honestly tell you that usually she reads the forum, does her emails, ups her pictures and makes her post - while I'm still working on business. As you all know, my blog is still in August - and that's my personal journal - which I really, really want up-to-date.

I didn't get as many good hummingbird pics as I would have liked, but do have a couple - will try to get Sparkle to borrow some and post them later - or I will if I get my work done.

By the way - I loved this museum - was here years ago - and it's only gotten better. Great way to spend 1/2 a day. Or longer. If I lived in Tucson, I'd be one of their annual supporters - and would be there often just to sit in the aviary or the humminbird house for awhile. I actually loved the aviary for the peacefulness and the wonderful birds so up close. Would be able to take a book, relax, and watch them for hours, I think.

Neat to see a javelina, also, since didn't see any up close when were in their territory. The animals are in great areas - so natural -

[mtngal]

I love the Desert Museum too. This first time I visited, my sister and I were walking down a path gazing up at the birds and walked right ON a huge snake crossing the trail! We both went straight up in the air and the poor gopher snake took off like a bullet. Needless to say we watched where we were walking (six 'w's!) after that.

[AlmostThere]

What a wonderful place.
Beth, I , too would love just sitting and relaxing amongst the birds etc. but every time I have been in an enclosed aviary I've gotten pooped on! I especially love the ones with all the different butterflies.
Thanks for sharing the pictures, Sparkle. You did good!

[avalen]

wow Sparkle, I'm gonna have to put that place on my "getting to know Arizona" list.
and I'm gonna have to google it too. Looks like a zoo, but "museum" in the title
makes me think the animals are taxidermy. Thanks for posting pics Sparkle.

[Sparkle]

No Ava, real live animals. There is a place here that we believe is all stuffed animals..gonna pass on that. We went to the Farmers Market today and everytime I took a photo I thought of how Liz would have done it. When I post you can all tell me if I'm up to scratch.

[mitch5252]

..

Here's a link to some Kodak tips - Top 10 tips and on the left, more subject specific tips.
I'm going to go read them myself!

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=317&pq-locale=en_US&_requestid=3365

..

[Liz]

Sparkle, I don't know what you're talking about...those are great photos. I especially like the perspective of the chubby prairie dog. You know I take hundreds of photos....a few of them are bound to be up to snuff.

[BirdbyBird]

The way I look at any of these pictures is someone is sharing with me places I haven't been I am learning about parts of the country and potential places that might be noce to find out more about. I appreciate "fine art" and "fine photography" but the overall purpose is to share imagines and information! You do all of that very well and thank you.

[Bethers]

See Part Two

[VickieP]

I enjoyed the pics Sparkle, you did good! I'm confused about why they call it a museum. So I looked up museum thinking that there were living museums too, but Wikipedia says- A museum is a building or institution which houses a collection of artifacts.

[bluepinecones]

I think your photos are great.
Even if they were not, I agree with Tina's comments and appreciate the sharing..

[Bethers]

Vickie, they had buildings with those, too Sparkle and I just took more pics of the animals, birds, flowers, etc. Oh, there is a cave in there also that was really neat. Could see a bat, but my picture of him wasn't worth posting.

[oregontocal]

A prairie dog that looks like a beanbag? Love the description!

[snowball]

Jean,
Larry is going to be so jealous of the picture of the cougar!!! we didn't get to see him that well they came out cause some unsuspecting squirrel ventured into the area that they are in...

not sure why it's called a museum but they are real live animals in as much of a real space as possible
you all will enjoy it immensely

and I for one totally enjoy your pictures!!!
sheila