BoneFish Photography

Reminder: flip your calendars today! March is here! 🗓️

If you have my BF 2025 calendar, this image “Lightkeepers” is your view for March. 🧡

This image was captured a few years back during a long weekend adventure on the Central California coast, a first for me. Having grown up back east, where the coastline is an endless chain of sandy barrier islands, I had no concept of mountains meeting the sea. Until this trip. The rocky coastline and towering cliffside vistas of the west coast are a stark contrast from its eastern counterpart. After a day of driving up and down the Pacific Coast Highway, stopping off at a few small coastal towns, hiking some trails up on the rocky bluffs, and observing various types of west coast wildlife, we found ourselves on a trail with views of the Piedras Blancas Light Station as the sun was setting. It was a mostly overcast sky, but a soft golden orange light painted the clouds and the water's surface, silhouetting the lighthouse. We shared the view with a flight of Cormorants as they preened and gazed over the glowing, rugged coastline. At this point, we had to turn around and hike back out before it got too dark. The trek back to the car was accompanied by this soft golden light, which seemed to sprinkle a little magic on everything. The perfect way to close out the trip. The Golden State, indeed. ✨

I recently upgraded to a 500mm lens and took her for a whirl down at the Jupiter Inlet. Here’s a sampling of the bird buddy images I captured while out there…

Snowy Egret, juvenile Gull (unsure of species), adult Ring-billed Gull, Ruddy Turnstone, and Sanderling.

I feel so excited to have made this long-overdue, big-girl addition to my photography toolbox! Can’t wait to capture more with her! 🤓📷

I am super delighted and proud to announce that my Gulf Fritillary image won FIRST PLACE in the North American Butterfly Association (NABA)’s 2024 photography contest! 🏆🥳👏 This image is currently printed on a full page of the Winter 2024 edition of the American Butterflies magazine! Ahh! This feels like a “pinch me” moment! 😅🦋

It’s no secret that butterflies & pollinators have had my interest for quite a few years now, and I’ve learned a lot on my journey as a pollinator advocate (though I still have plenty more to learn!) I wouldn’t have been able to learn as much as I have about butterflies if it weren’t for NABA’s educational resources. From species identification to supportive native habitats, butterfly counting programs, and garden certifications, the work and impact of this organization is far and wide. So to have one of my butterfly images deemed a winner and published by NABA, I can’t help but feel overjoyed and thankful. 😌🙏

One of my biggest goals is to work with nature to bring joy, curiosity, and wonder to other humans, in hopes that in cultivating an awareness of & connection to the natural world people will have more of an interest in taking care of and protecting it. And now more than ever nature and her critters need us to pay attention, speak up, and take action.

As pollinators, butterflies & moths are critical to our shared environment. They are indicator species that give us early warning of environmental peril, as well as serving as a key link in the food chain. NABA is dedicated to the conservation of butterflies and their habitats. This organization envisions a future where wild butterflies thrive in healthy habitats, none are threatened or endangered, and all people can enjoy observing them in nature.

So, if you are looking for an organization to follow and/or donate some funds to, if you would like to learn more about butterflies & their habitats and ways you can help in your yard and community, look no further than the North American Butterfly Association 🦋