Thanks, James. Part of the fun of photography for me is to shoot things I don't normally photograph in my "business". Macro photography; landscapes; wildlife. These keep my artistic eye exercised.

For that shot, I had to lay on my belly while avoiding a few mounds of fire ants that were convinced there was a large meal on their doorstep . I like that shot, too.

For me, it's important to try to stretch myself by shooting things that aren't my main bag. People portraits have always been difficult for me but I'm getting better because I'm relating to the subjects better -- including babies that have suddenly decided I'm kinda cool. Must be my Santa Claus stage of life .

I also shoot still lifes, abstracts and weddings to try to improve on my skills in those areas. And the more I do in those areas, the more I expand my vision for pet photos. For me, photography is a way of seeing the world and my world has to be bigger than just what I shoot for income.

Jim