This series is part of an on-going 26-week project entitled the ABCs of Photography in which I take a few photographs each week centered on on specific letter of the alphabet.

M is for Map - I took this photograph of a map while visiting the Health Professions Building of Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. I turned the corner to go down a hall and was confronted with this giant, wall-sized map. Naturally the first thing that popped into my head was this will be perfect for my letter M photograph!

This series is part of an on-going 26-week project entitled the ABCs of Photography in which I take a few photographs each week centered on on specific letter of the alphabet.

L is for Light at a Construction Site - While on-site for some construction photographs last week in Middletown, VA, both of these light fixtures happen to catch my eye. I think it was their unusual shapes and how they really illuminated a very low-lit and industrial area, not to mention the extreme contrasts of dark and light.

This series is part of an on-going 26-week project entitled the ABCs of Photography in which I take a few photographs each week centered on on specific letter of the alphabet.

K is for Kids at The Little Gym - Both of my children attend classes at The Little Gym in Winchester. For those of you unfamiliar with The Little Gym, they offer classes which help babies and children of all ages develop motor/sports skills, learning skills, following directions and socializing with other children. This past weekend my youngest daughter’s class held a “bring a friend” session in which my older daughter was able to attend and participate. The classes are really great for my kids as it gives them the opportunity to play and interact with other children their age (since we live in the country and not in a neighborhood). Since both of them had the opportunity to attend the same class, it allowed me to take some photographs.

This series is part of an on-going 26-week project entitled the ABCs of Photography in which I take a few photographs each week centered on on specific letter of the alphabet.

J is for Joharv the Cat - I will start by saying up front that I am not a cat person. Joharv is my wife’s cat and he came along with her as part of getting married. However, if I was a cat person, Joharv would certainly be the type of cat I would have. He is a breed of bengal and is one of the absolute most friendliest cats you will ever meet. He even knows how to do a few tricks (sit, up and fetch). The interesting thing about these photographs to me is that they seem to exhibit his “bengal” side…almost tiger-like in a way. He is a beautiful breed of animal…cat fan or not.

This series is part of an on-going 26-week project entitled the ABCs of Photography in which I take a few photographs each week centered on on specific letter of the alphabet.

I is for Invertebrate - This letter was a struggle for me. I thought of plenty of words…ice, iron, ink…but wanted to do something a bit more creative. The other day I was sitting at home thinking about all the unique animals in my house when our hermit crabs popped into my head. Then it hit me…Invertebrates. For those who do not know, invertebrates are animals without a skeletal structure. This includes crustaceans which the hermit crab is a species of. Our hermit crabs come from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Ocean City, Maryland. One neat little fact I learned while writing this post is that 95% of all animals on the earth are invertebrates. Interesting!

This series is part of an on-going 26-week project entitled the ABCs of Photography in which I take a few photographs each week centered on on specific letter of the alphabet.

H is for Hedgehog - Since my wife is a hedgehog breeder, I naturally had to use a hedgehog for my letter H choice. I jokingly refer to them as “hedgepigs” sometimes to get a chuckle out of my wife. They are in reality a very nice pet – easy to care for, quiet, clean and cute! They do require an environment that is at least 70-72º as this specific type of hedgehog is native to Africa and needs very warm temperatures. If interested in one prepare to be patient…my wife’s waiting list is over 8 months long!

This series is part of an on-going 26-week project entitled the ABCs of Photography in which I take a few photographs each week centered on on specific letter of the alphabet.

G is for Girls (My Girls!) - I’m a proud father, so any chance I get to show off my kids I’m going to do so . So you will understand the need to include my daughters in one letter of my ABC Photography Project. This past weekend I took their Christmas portraits and they did very well for a 3 year old and 19 month old. Of course there was some bribery involving candy canes (you will see evidence in the one photo below), but since Daddy is a photographer, the girls know to always say “cheese” when I have the camera pointing their way!

This series is part of an on-going 26-week project entitled the ABCs of Photography in which I take a few photographs each week centered on on specific letter of the alphabet.

F is for Forest - I knew that the letter “F” was going to be Forest when thinking about it last week, but having an unusual early winter snowfall served as an added bonus for this letter. I was presented with a whole new set of challenges while photographing in a snowfall (fogged up lens, water drops from melted snow, runny nose from fighting off a horrible cold), so it was definitely a learning experience. This forest is not that large (it sits right up on a hill near my house) but it is very pretty…especially during an early snow.

This series is part of an on-going 26-week project entitled the ABCs of Photography in which I take a few photographs each week centered on on specific letter of the alphabet.

E is for Eggs - Eggs…a breakfast staple at the Riddle house on the weekends usually served with home fries, toast, juice and coffee. At the suggestion of taking some photographs of eggs for the letter “E”, my wife immediately began whipping up a fried egg and boiling some hard boiled eggs.  I wish I would have had some eggs to photograph that my pet chickens use to lay (brown and blue-green shells), but I had to settle for the traditional white shelled variety.

This series is part of an on-going 26-week project entitled the ABCs of Photography in which I take a few photographs each week centered on on specific letter of the alphabet.

D is for Dog - Kira Belle Prancer. Devil Dog. Stinkibus. All playful names I have given to this black speed demon of a canine. A highly energetic breed of dog (Schipperke), Kira once lived with us until my parents took her in (long story short she didn’t do too well around little crawling babies and was highly over protective). Since that time, Kira has become a great dog around children. She now enjoys living it up near the Chesapeake Bay running through fields and swimming in the Magothy River. She is one of the most hyper dogs you will ever meet, but also one of the most loyal and protective.