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PJ Matthews Images, Chicago Photography, Chicago Images, Nature and Wildlife Photography and Images

Galleries

Raptors : For me, the raptors are the "Holy Grail" of my Illinois nature photography. Hawks are very intelligent, and have incredible eyesight. The Red Tail hawk has eyesight that is 8 times better than humans! They seem to see me coming from a distance, and rarely let me get close. The owls in this gallery were all photographed at the same location, and I'd like to thank Sue Fricia of I.B.E.T for helping me find them. They're the first owls I've seen up close, and were very rewarding for me to shoot! The Peregrine Falcons in this gallery are downtown Chicago natives and are seen frequently hunting at Montrose Beach on the lakefront!

Raptors

Egrets & Herons : So far, most of the shots in this gallery are taken at the same place. Lake Katherine is a nature center in Palos Heights, Illinois. It's a large lake with countless different species of birds there throughout different seasons. I found the Great Blue Heron on the west side of the lake, fishing in the shallow water, 2 days in a row. On the second day, I brought my tripod and set up the camera, and began to watch. Once the fish was spotted, it was just a matter of a couple minutes until it was caught and eaten! The Black Capped Night Heron was a rare find, also taken at Lake Katherine.

Egrets & Herons

Smaller Birds : Someone once said "Shoot first and ask questions later!" When it comes to Birding, this has become my MO. When I come home with a photo of a bird I've never seen before, I research it to find out what it is. A few years ago, a friend turned me on to all of the varieties of birds that come through the Chicagoland area each year. I never knew we had such a variety of incredible birds here! Yet every one of these images was taken no more than 25 miles from my suburban home. Never seen some of these before? Hey, neither have I! Take a better look...they're out there!

Smaller Birds

Larger Birds : Everyone knows there are Sea Gulls in Chicago, right? But did you know there are several different species of gulls in Illinois? For me, the gulls are fun to shoot in flight. They fly slowly, and are easy targets to get focused on and capture!

Larger Birds

Eagles 2009 : The following Bald Eagle images were taken on February 7th, 2009. I spent the day at Lock & Dam 14 in Iowa, on the banks of the Mississippi River. It was an incredible experience to see these birds flying, fishing, fighting, and eating. And yes, the colors on these are untouched, and exactly as they were that morning! Enjoy the show!! I did!!

Eagles 2009

Eagles 2010 : On February 19th, I took a day to visit Lock & Dam 14 in Iowa again. This was my second year there, but this time I made the trip later in the month. There were still 11 Bald Eagles to see, but the weather and lighting weren't as cooperative as they had been the year before. The clear skies and sun faded into clouds of grey shortly after I arrived. It was still an incredible experience to see these acrobatic birds in action, and to be this close to them. Enjoy!

Eagles 2010

Deer & Coyote : All of the images in this gallery were shot in completely natural surroundings. There are thousands of acres of woods in the south Chicago suburbs, home to countless deer and coyote.

Deer & Coyote

Mixed Flowers : Thanks for stopping by!

Mixed Flowers

Duck, Goose, and Swan : When I first started shooting wildlife, the first thing I noticed was the feather detail in other people's images of ducks. I never realized how amazing some of these birds looked up close. As a kid, you throw bread crumbs at them, and never see the real detail & colors they have to offer. As a nature photographer, I have a renewed interest in them. They make for beautiful framed prints, and enhance the decor of a room. They're among the most common of creatures, never having to go far to find one. And once I do, they're usually fairly cooperative. The Wood Ducks are of particular interest to me due to their incredible colors and unique look!

Duck, Goose, and Swan

Butterflies & Dragonflies : This is my only attempt at "almost Macro" photography. After seeing the results, and all of the detail on the face of a butterfly, I can now understand why some hobby photographers shoot bugs at life size. The yellow swallowtails were shot with Canon's 70-200 f/4L IS lens with a 25mm macro adapter attached. This is certainly not true macro, but a fantastic combination for overall image quality!

Butterflies & Dragonflies

Mixed Critters : I know...how cute, right? How can the same guy shoot Falcons and Bucks, and then aim the camera at a little bunny or squirrel? It's exactly that - the cute factor! They're almost irresistable.

Mixed Critters

Chicago Architecture & Scenery : Every photographer has a favorite subject. For me, that subject has always been the city. I grew up here, and have been admiring this city's architecture and skylines since I was a kid. I have boxes of old photos shot with Kodak Instamatics, 110 film cameras, and old manual 35mm systems. Chicago is a city that is constantly changing. Buildings go up, their names change, and slowly but surely the city evolves into something new. My goal with these images is to show the very best of Chicago, in what I hope is the most interesting light. A common theme in my city photos is the overall lack of humans. This is by design, and requires some very early morning shooting at times. All images in this gallery are high resolution, and are well suited to large prints! Enjoy!

Chicago Architecture & Scenery

Mixed Images :

Mixed Images

Updated: Feb 26, 2010 6:33pm CST

Links

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Updated: Nov 14, 2008 9:24pm CST

Prints

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Remodeling Projects : Thank you for visiting my Remodeling Projects Gallery. All projects shown were completed in the last couple years by Philbin Construction & Remodeling, where I am a Sales / Project Manager. This is my family's company, and most photos shown are representative of my designs and projects.

Remodeling Projects

Landscape, Scenery, and Abstracts : This is a gallery where I can give a home to some of my more random photos. I typically don't shoot landscapes, mainly because I live in northern Illinois, which is "less than scenic." Every once in a while, I'll see something unique, capture it, and it may end up here.

Landscape, Scenery, and Abstracts

Framed Web Pics : This is a gallery of digitally framed images being used on websites, forums, and other online applications. Feel free to browse this public gallery, but refer to the main galleries for prints of these images.

Framed Web Pics

Slideshow Favorites :

Slideshow Favorites

Updated: Feb 26, 2010 6:22pm CST

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Family Pics

People Photography : As little as five years ago, I could have counted the number of times I had pointed my camera at another person on 2 hands. I just never had any interest in shooting people. Having kids tends to force one into this type of photography, even if it is "kicking and screaming!" Over the past couple years, I have been reading books on lighting, composition, and other related techniques (did I mention lighting?) as they relate specifically to human subjects. It has proven to be the most challenging form of photography I have ever studied. Getting "that special shot" takes patience, planning, and good technique. I am now ready to share some of my work. I am also beginning to do this for others by appointment. Please contact me for details if you have an interest in some special images taken at the location of your choice!

People Photography

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Kirsten's Sunday Shoot

Ron & Jeneane Bennett's Wedding : WELCOME to your new wedding gallery! Please feel free to roam around and explore all the photos from your special day! Clicking once on a small photo on the left will bring it into the larger window on the right. Hover your mouse over the larger version and notice the possibility of seeing it even larger still. Click on "X2 Large" and see it close up. Click anywhere on the enlarged photo to return to this screen. When you are ready to order a print, click on the "Buy" tab just above the photo on the right. For small orders, you may then wish to then click "This Photo" and then head to the checkout. You will be prompted to note the size and finish you might like, and then you may arrange for payment and shipping. If you are placing a larger order, you may wish to click "Buy", and then "Photos In This Gallery" for the ability to purchase multiple prints. Always feel free to contact me (bottom of your screen, dead center) if you have any questions or need assistance. A few words about the printing process: Your order will deliberately be delayed by me for review. I will have the opportunity to look at the sizes you have chosen, and to ensure that any cropping needed will not affect the composition of the original photo. I will contact you if any changes must be made. Once your order goes in, it is professionally handled by a print lab. You have the choice of 2-3 finishes for your prints. The "Luster" finish is a glossy, long lasting, finish with incredible depth and clarity. The "Matte" finish has less gloss for a non-reflective finish. In some cases, I have made available a "Metallic" finish. This is best reserved for photos with excellent color qualities. The photos taken during the church service should not be printed in Metallic for best results. My labs and this site ensure your complete satisfaction with the prints. Please see the green "BUY PRINTS" tab at the top of the page for more information. A word on cropping: Digital cameras shoot in a native 4" x 6" ratio for print size, unlike film which was a different ratio. This means that enlarging the original size to an 8 x 10 print may result in portions of the image being cropped (cut off). This is a completely unavoidable occurrence. In time, frame makers will slowly change over to sizes that directly correspond to newer digital cameras. Until then, I will assist you in ensuring that your new prints will look as perfect as possible in the sizes that you order them in! And again, feel free to contact me for any assistance I may provide!! Thank you for coming, and for your orders!

Ron & Jeneane Bennett's Wedding

WELCOME to your new wedding gallery! Please feel free to roam around a ...

Updated: Feb 26, 2010 10:11pm CST

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