Rachel Bender

Backyard - Purple Flower - Taken when we moved in - it's kind of an unusual flower, which appealed to me. Don't ask me what species it is though. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.

Backyard - Daisies - Or something very like them, anyway. They're about five inches across. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.

A flower growing out by the koi pond, taken in early-evening sunlight. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.

Backyard - White Lily - We have a koi pond, but as I have yet to take a decent picture of the fish, here's the next best thing: a water lily rising above the surface. Taken during a cloudy day. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.

Goslings 1 - Don't they look like they're posing? Also, thank goodness for the zoom function, or their mother would have eaten me. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.

Goslings 2 - Quite possibly the most photogenic goslings ever, judging by how this turned out. Of course, it's hard to take a bad picture of baby animals. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.

Garden 1 - Lady's Skirt - Actually, it's a hibiscus the size of my face, but I thought this shot was unusual enough to be interesting. Most flower pictures brazenly show off the sex bits, but with this one you just get a little peek. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.

Garden 2 - White Hibiscus - ...or I'm told it's a hibiscus, but the plant it was on was so different that I'm still skeptical. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.

Garden 3 - Rose - For various reasons, I was obligated to post this picture. I adore the blossom's color. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.

Winter Street - Winter does wonderful things to the sky, even in Ohio where this was taken. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.

Winter Branches - You can't go outside with a camera after a snowfall and not take a picture of snow-covered branches. Really, try it sometime. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.

Zoo 1 - Tattered Butterfly - Taken at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. Our hearts went out to him. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.

Zoo 2 - Lioness - Taken at the National Zoo in Washington DC. It's blurred, yes, but artfully so.

Zoo 3 - Red Panda on Bridge - Taken at the National Zoo in Washington DC. I like red pandas better than giant pandas for some reason - anyway, look at this guy. He's like a big fluffy plushie. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.

Zoo 4 - Red Panda in Tree - Taken at the National Zoo in Washington DC. This was the only picture of a red panda in a tree I managed to get where they weren't hiding their faces. Shy little critters, I guess. All pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.