Home Outtakes
Here we are, barely two weeks before Christmas, coming to our final Lens-Artists challenge of the year. As is our tradition, today we focus on photos we did not include in any of the challenges or other posts I created. My Lightroom catalog shows I took nearly 20,000 images this year. Out of those, approximately 15% were shot right here at home. Nature dominated the photos I made this year — no surprise there, you know. So, here are some home outtakes.
I opened with a photo of the light snow we got in mid-January. I am standing just outside our backyard fence for the shot. Selecting what I’d include here was very difficult. In the end, I decided to stay at home and feature only a few photos. I do not want to overwhelm you with lots of scrolling.
Red-shouldered hawks continue to frequent the area. They often take breaks on some tree branches near the fence. Since I use burst mode to shoot wildlife, I was able to capture this image of the hawk’s nictitating membrane. If you don’t know what that is, think of it as a bird’s eye windshield wiper. This transparent or translucent membrane helps clean the eye, protects it from debris, and provides moisture. This membrane moves horizontally.
Here are other shots made from our backyard.
When I looked across the pond and saw another Great egret sunning, it was the fall colors and the egret’s reflections that caught my eye in the image above. Now, this next image was a big surprise for me.
How do you think this scene played out? I’ll tell you. As I sat on the deck, a Cooper’s hawk flew and took a break on the fence. Coming from the left in its carefree ways, a squirrel started moving closer. I did not think this would end well. When the squirrel finally saw what was up ahead, it stopped in its tracks. There was a short moment frozen in time. The hawk’s look was all the squirrel needed. The squirrel jumped down to the yard and lived another day. The hawk completely ignored it.
To close this gallery, I share an image from yesterday. After my meditation, I noticed several Blue jays flying closer. They were coming to one of the bird baths we have in the backyard. One after another took turns taking a bath. I have several other shots in this series, but that is the subject of a future post, hopefully.
Whatever holiday tradition you celebrate, I hope you will enjoy it and share it with people you love. It is the spirit of the season. Thanks for all the beautiful photos you shared this year, and especially, the ones for Ann-Christine’s Holiday Fun challenge this week. It was touching at times, but it always showed plenty of fun.
The Lens-Artists team will return on January 3, 2026, with our best photos of 2025. For now, don’t forget to use the “lens-artists” hashtag in your posts to help people find your wonderful challenge entries. Please see this page for more information about the Lens-Artists Challenge and its history.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Blue Jay, Cooper’s Hawk, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Landscapes, Lens-Artists, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Squirrel, Teravista, Texas, and Wildlife. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
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amoralegria
Fotos fabulosas, Egidio!
Egidio Leitao
Muito obrigado, Katy.
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography
These are wonderful, the last one for some reason was the one that spoke to me, even though all deserve a praise and appreciation Egidio
🥰
Egidio Leitao
That’s interesting to know. Thank. I liked that bird photo, too, and should show the whole series.
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Dawn M. Miller
Your bird images are next level!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for these kind words, Dawn.
I. J. Khanewala
That shot of the squirrel and the hawk is a keeper. You got the perfect moment
Egidio Leitao
Thanks. It turned out to be a fun moment with no accident happening.
Dawn M. Miller
Love this glimpse into your world.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Dawn. It was my pleasure.
Leanne Cole
Wow you took a lot of photos Egidio, I have no idea how many I took. Okay, I just looked and I think we will say no more. lol I hope you have a great time over the silly season. See you in the new year.
Egidio Leitao
I see you were surprised by your numbers, too. See you around. Thanks.
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Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the link, Vicki.
norasphotos4u
You have an awesome back yard!!
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Nora. We are so happy we got this house.
Leya
Love these, Egidio – and most of all your encounters in your own backyard! The squirrel story and the bath – how great to just sit down and enjoy nature at its best❤️. Wishing you Happy Holidays and all the best for the new year!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the note and holiday wishes. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Pamela Zmija Photography
Merry Christmas Egidio!
Egidio Leitao
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Pamela Zmija Photography
Thank you!
pattimoed
Wonderful images, Egidio! Your nature shots are exquisite. I’m so glad you joined LAC!!
Egidio Leitao
Patti, thanks so much for your compliment. It continues to be my honor to be a member of the LAC team.
Tranature - quiet moments in nature
Beautiful photograps Egídio and the wildlife near your home is truly amazing! Wishing you a blessed festive season as well and a very happy New Year 😊🎄
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for your warm wishes and feedback. Have a joyful holiday season! As always, thanks for the feedback.
photobyjohnbo
Egidio, I can’t get enough of your wildlife photos. Wonderful captures, especially the hawk!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the support, John. These words here are wonderful.
PR
What wonderful captures! Happy Holidays Egidio 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Thanks so much, PR. Happy holidays to your, too. Thanks for writing.
Pamela Zmija Photography
Beautiful images Egidio, I am in awe that some of those birds were in your back yard, that is truly awesome!!! LOL What was going through that squirrels mind hahaha 😉 Merry Christmas!!!
Egidio Leitao
Pam, many thanks for your compliment. Every day, when I sit on the deck in our backyard, I count my blessings that I can see such Nature’s beauty so close. That squirrel gained a new life after that event. Merry Christmas!
Pamela Zmija Photography
He would be thanking his blessings LOL! You’ve got a great spot!!!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Pam.
Terri Webster Schrandt
Hi again, Egidio, here is my link to your post. Thank you to you and the entire L-A team for hosting these weekly challenges!
https://secondwindleisure.com/2025/12/14/sunday-stills-monthly-color-challenge-festive-red-and-green-feeling-the-joy-of-advent/
Egidio Leitao
Terri, thanks for the feedback and link to my post. I’ll see your entry right away.
Steve Schwartzman
Regarding your photograph of the blue jay in rapid motion, we might modify the saying “Actions speak louder than words” to “Actions speak louder than details.”
Egidio Leitao
LOL That is true. I photographed it again yesterday. This time, it was better that several shot had his eye in focus with the rest of the body showing plenty of motion. Another post will come in due time.
Toonsarah
You live in a beautiful place and with some wonderful creatures sharing it too! My favourite among these excellent shots are ‘Fall reflections’ and ‘Splish splash’ 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Sarah, I am so happy I have all this wildlife and scenery at my doorstep. I feel blessed. Thanks for the feedback.
Sofia Alves
Wonderful photos, Egídio. The Red-shouldered hawk and the last one are the favourites this week 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Sofia, thank you so much for the feedback. I’ll need to do a post with that Blue jay. Yesterday, I caught it bathing in the bird bath again.
Sofia Alves
Wonderful!
margaret21
Oooh. Thanks for giving these images their 5 minutes of fame! All good wishes for Christmas and 2026.
Egidio Leitao
Margaret, thank you for always encouraging me and writing. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.
Ana
Great post, Egidio! I was really drawn to the image of Fall Reflections, well done. Happy Holidays!
Egidio Leitao
Ana, that capture revealed itself in my viewfinder. I was going for the egret when I noticed the reflections were more interesting. Thanks. Happy holidays!
Vicki
What a wonderful selection, Egidio.
Such great bird images and so well focused. (I’m totally envious of your back yard and your opportunities to shoot bird-life up close, but I shouldn’t be as a short 10-15 minute walk is not so bad from my own back door).
Thank goodness that squirrel noticed the Cooper’s hawk in time. I know large birds eat little critters and other small birds, but I still wouldn’t like to watch the scene in action.
Egidio Leitao
Vicki, I’m happy you liked my choices for the post. It was hard keeping the count down. Like you, I’m also glad the squirrel survived unharmed. It would disturb me to see a bloody scene. Thanks for writing and your on-going feedback this year.
Terri Webster Schrandt
Extraordinary images of wildlife, Egidio! 20K images in 2025? The image of the squirrel and hawk is amazing, and glad the squirrel bailed in time. Thanks to the team for hosting L-A. I’m only publishing 3 more posts before I take a short break.
Egidio Leitao
Terri, a lot of the macro and wildlife I shoot is done using the camera’s burst mode. So, that’s about three shots on average. Probably the actual count, if I count the bursts as one would bring down the total number to around 14K. Yeah, still a lot. Thank you for the wonderful entries you contributed to all challenges and your on-going support. Thank you.
Terri Webster Schrandt
It’s been a while since I used burst shots. I have unlimited Dropbox account for all my pics and files. I also keep my WP images small to save media space. I appreciate your support too!
Egidio Leitao
I must say I dislike burst shots. Most often, there is nothing very significantly different among the shots. However, once in a while, there is that unexpected shot.
Tina Schell
Gorgeous work as always Egidio. Your hawk image is outstanding and I truly love the face-off between the squirrel and the hawk. That was a great get!! Seriously you should enter that one in the comedy photography annual contest, it’s a sure winner!! Happiest of holidays to you and yours my friend.
Egidio Leitao
Tina, I was on my toes when I saw that squirrel approaching the hawk. Glad it survived. Thanks for the compliment and kind words. Happy holidays!
Anne Sandler
Egidio, I love your back yard and the images you captured there. What fun to be able to sit, relax and see nature at its best. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for your wishes and support, Anne. Happy holidays to you and your family, too.
Wandering Dawgs
Egidio, your have a beautiful wildlife sanctuary in your own back yard! The squirrel and the hawk image and story are fantastic. Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a very happy 2026.
Egidio Leitao
Beth, thank you for your kind words and wishes. Have a great holiday season!
Steve Hyde
Fabulous Egidio. Thanks for the supportive comments on my posts throughout the year 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Steve. I appreciate your compliments as well, and I also love how you push the creativity envelope.