Don’t laugh. I used to imagine myself a photographer. I took my camera everywhere. My favorite time for photography was while we were hiking in lovely parks or through zoos. My family would get annoyed with me because I would slow down our walks. But when we’d get home and I’d upload my photos and show them, they would often say, “Wow. I didn’t see that.” That’s what I like best about photography—it lets you zero in on something that only you might notice, and capture it forever.

I’m particularly fond of animals and had at one time started putting together a collection of my animal photos for a possible picture book aimed at children. I lost interest in it, so it never materialized. Perhaps one day I’ll work on that project again. Below is a sampling of my animal photos. Some were taken in zoos, some at Yellowstone National Park, and some in Custer State Park in South Dakota.