This morning, my "Death Valley" picture won Imaging Resource's "Photo of the Day". CLICK HERE to view Imaging Resource's Photo of the Day page.

This photograph was captured over a decade ago at Badwater salt pan in Death Valley National Park, California. Last week, I was practicing some newly learned post processing techniques and decided to revisit this photograph from the past.

This marks the 72nd time that one of my photographs was recognized by Imaging Resource as its "Photo of the Day". A photographer is limited to one winning entry per month, so this series of winning images stretches back more than six years. Click here to view all of the winning entries over the past few years.

Death ValleyImaging Resource's Photo of the Day for January 8, 2021

Each year, I create a book which compiles my favorite photographs from the entire year. However, 2020 has been a different kind of year in many ways. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, my travel plans for the year were canceled. My photography sessions were far fewer than in past years.

This year, I decided to do something different. The book is a collection of my favorite photographs from the past decade. The process of selecting the pictures to include in the book helped me relive so many remarkable experiences. It really has been an amazing ten years of photography.

You may CLICK HERE to view a full preview of this year's book. It's most effective to view the images with the pages of the book expanded to fill your monitor.

I use Blurb to create my books. I'm very pleased with the quality of the product--from the binding and paper to the image quality. Producing such a small quantity of books makes for a high cost per unit. I make these available for purchase at the base cost from Blurb. However, the book isn't intended for general distribution. I like to create one for my own records--and family and friends occasionally order books as well.

This is the 13th annual "A Look Through My Lens" book that I've created!

A Look Through My Lens

By Glenn Nagel

This morning, my "Office Reflections" picture won Imaging Resource's "Photo of the Day". CLICK HERE to view Imaging Resource's Photo of the Day page.

This photograph was captured last month at an office building near my home. I happened to notice the reflections--and went back home to grab my camera!

This marks the 71st time that one of my photographs was recognized by Imaging Resource as its "Photo of the Day". A photographer is limited to one winning entry per month, so this series of winning images stretches back more than six years. Click here to view all of the winning entries over the past few years.

Office Building ReflectionImaging Resource's Photo of the Day for December 22, 2020

This morning, my "Cell Block" picture won Imaging Resource's "Photo of the Day". CLICK HERE to view Imaging Resource's Photo of the Day page.

This photograph was captured last month at the Old Joliet Prison. I live less than 30 minutes from the Joliet Prison and have always wanted to go inside the walls of this historic structure. But, the prison was closed for many years. Now that it is open for tours, I joined a photography tour--which enabled me to spend four hours on the grounds with limited visitors. Best of all, tripods were allowed.

This marks the 70th time that one of my photographs was recognized by Imaging Resource as its "Photo of the Day". A photographer is limited to one winning entry per month, so this series of winning images stretches back more than six years. Click here to view all of the winning entries over the past few years.

Cell BlockImaging Resource's Photo of the Day for November 14, 2020

This morning, my "Hosta Leaf" picture won Imaging Resource's "Photo of the Day". CLICK HERE to view Imaging Resource's Photo of the Day page.

This photograph was captured earlier this summer. The plant lives right outside my front door!

This marks the 69th time that one of my photographs was recognized by Imaging Resource as its "Photo of the Day". A photographer is limited to one winning entry per month, so this series of winning images stretches back more than six years. Click here to view all of the winning entries over the past few years.

Hosta LeafImaging Resource's Photo of the Day for October 21, 2020

This morning, my "Bald Eagle" picture won Imaging Resource's "Photo of the Day". CLICK HERE to view Imaging Resource's Photo of the Day page.

This photograph earlier this year at the Howell Nature Center in Michigan.

This marks the 68th time that one of my photographs was recognized by Imaging Resource as its "Photo of the Day". A photographer is limited to one winning entry per month, so this series of winning images stretches back more than six years. Click here to view all of the winning entries over the past few years.

Bald EagleImaging Resource's Photo of the Day for September 2, 2020

This morning, my "Framed Cygnet" picture won Imaging Resource's "Photo of the Day". CLICK HERE to view Imaging Resource's Photo of the Day page.

This photograph was a couple of months ago at the Lake Katherine Nature Center in Palos Heights, Illinois. I was fortunate enough to see the baby mute swans (cynets) up close on two occasions.

This marks the 67th time that one of my photographs was recognized by Imaging Resource as its "Photo of the Day". A photographer is limited to one winning entry per month, so this series of winning images stretches back more than six years. Click here to view all of the winning entries over the past few years.

Baby SwanImaging Resource's Photo of the Day for July 16, 2020

Last week, I noticed several of these plants growing along a creek that I often walk by. I believe that this is called a Canada thistle. I'm told that it is considered to be a noxious, invasive species in 43 states. Basically, it's a weed!

In any event, I found the subject to be interesting. So, I removed this one small section of the plant and brought it home with me to photograph it.

I quickly set up a miniature "studio" on my kitchen table. The studio included a small piece of white foam board as my background. I lit the background with a tiny flash (the Nikon SB R-200):

I then lit the plant with a somewhat larger flash (the Nikon SB-900). I handheld the SB-900 and aimed it through a diffuser. Both flashes were triggered remotely by the Nikon SU-800. The light output of each flash can be set directly through the SU-800--which is positioned on the hotshoe of the camera (Nikon D850). The lens was the Nikon 200mm f/4 Micro.

Here is the final result:

Canada thistleCanada thistle in Orland Park, Illinois on June 20, 2020