Flickr: Roy Brown Photography

Roy Brown Nature Photography Profile:

Formerly, during a 36-year career, I served as an FBI Agent, a U.S. Marine Corps Commissioned Officer and Enlisted Marine, and operated a private investigation company. Interested in photography from a young age, I completed two college photography classes in the early 1970s. While in the FBI, I received advanced formal training in surveillance and crime-scene photography, and worked in those areas for many years. I also completed numerous high school and college biology / science courses, and still have an active interest in those subjects.

“I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may, -- light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful.”
― John Constable, English Romantic painter, 1776 - 1837

Roy's Birding and Nature Collections • Roy's Slideshow • 70+ Nature Photo Sets

I enjoy the combination of photography with the study and documentation of fauna and flora. Below are a few examples of published items, and state and county records:

This locate and photograph established the fourth documented Georgia State Record rare vagrant stray Black-throated Gray Warbler. Published in various periodicals, including (1) North American Birds (NAB), A Quarterly Journal of Ornithological Record Published by the American Birding Association (ABA) ( "Fall Migration Issue" Vol. 64: No.1, 2010) (2) Birder's World Magazine, April 2010 (3) The Oriole, Journal of the Georgia Ornithological Society, Volume 74, 2009, page 80 (4) BirdScope, Vol. 25 (2) Spring 2011, Rosetta Stone for Warblers Insert

This female Four-spotted Pennant, Brachymesia gravida, located and photographed on Raccoon Key, 23 April 2011, established a new "early" date for the state of Georgia by approximately 15 days.

Published in American Butterflies, Volume 18: Number 3, Fall 2010, page 45. American Butterflies (ISSN 1087-450X) is published quarterly by the North American Butterfly Association www.naba.org. The caption in American Butterflies Magazine read in part: Byssus Skippers have a curious distribution, with midwestern and southeastern populations. Most authors have depicted the southeastern range as comprised of two disjunct populations. The find of this species in Dougherty Co., GA, suggests that the range of the southeastern populations is more continuous.

Located and photographed this 3rd Georgia state record Sphagnum Sprite Pond Damselfly. See this and other contributions / submissions at Odonata Central.

During the week of 3 January 2011, WALB-TV in Albany, GA ran a video news segment on the shooting / murder of 3 endangered Whooping Cranes in Calhoun County, GA. WALB-TV interviewed me and included several of my Whooping Crane photos in the news clip. Another TV station, Fox 31 in Albany, also used several of my Whooper photos. Other photos in this 15 photo series, which ends here in the photostream: were featured in publications by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Atlanta Audubon Society, and others.

This rare Georgia Dainty Sulphur was published on page 30 of American Butterflies, Volume 18: Number 4, Winter 2010. American Butterflies is published quarterly by the North American Butterfly Association, www.naba.org

Photography helped determine the band number of this 3rd Georgia Record Buff-bellied Hummingbird, which led to it being positively identified. Click and enlarge the photo to see the band on the right leg of the bird. Published in the June 2011 issue of BirdWatching (p.14), the March 2011 issue of Wingbars, and in North American Birds (NAB), A Quarterly Journal of Ornithological Record Published by the American Birding Association (ABA), Vol. 65, No. 2.

Published in American Butterflies, Volume 19: Number 1, Spring 2011, pages 44 - 45, American Butterflies is published quarterly by the North American Butterfly Association www.naba.org. The caption read in part: Juniper Hairstreaks are uncommon in southern Georgia and have features that are intermediate between 'Olive" Juniper Hairstreaks to the north and 'Sweadner's' Juniper Hairstreaks to the south.

Published in North American Birds (NAB), A Quarterly Journal of Ornithological Record Published by the American Birding Association (ABA) ("Spring Migration Issue" Vol. 64: No.3, 2010, p.406). The Great Cormorant (right) is a very rare or accidental visitor to the coast, and this was a fair distance inland.

Found this individual with Fitz over at the Wormsloe Historic Site. It turned out to be a "first" on BugGuide.net. This, as well as several "firsts from Georgia" on BugGuide.net, can be seen here, at my "BugGuide user profile."

Located this male Variegated Meadowhawk, a western species, fairly east of its usual range at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on 18 December 2011. See this and other contributions / submissions at Odonata Central.

This photo appeared on the home page of All About Birds, a bird resource from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, during the week of June 10-16, 2010.

This photo appeared on the home page of All About Birds, a resource from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, during the week of Jul 29-Aug 4, 2010

This photo appeared on the home page of All About Birds, a resource from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, during the week of Dec 16-22, 2010.

Contributed the photos on pages 68, 124, and 125 in The Complete Book of North American Butterflies.

Honorable Mention, 2010 Atlanta Audubon Society Photography Contest

Like other "Naturalists of the night" and "Cloud-spotters", I include astronomy and cloud-watching among my amateur naturalist pursuits. I observe and study clouds and sky. There is always something to learn and do, day and night. Beauty is everywhere, and is endlessly interesting.

In addition to the above, my photos have been published and utilized with permission by numerous other publications and entities. These include the Boy Scouts of America, Georgia Ornithological Society, Kentucky Naturalist News, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Mashomack Preserve on Shelter Island (managed by The Nature Conservancy), ARKive, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Vermont Breeding Bird Atlas, Wingbars (Atlanta Audubon), The Albany Limpkin (Albany Audubon), the Flint RiverQuariam, Hummingbird Research, Inc., The Albany Herald, La Universidad del Mar, local media, various other Audubon Society Chapters, presenters, educators, researchers, and others. I have also served at the "Official Photographer" for the "Wings & Wildlife Festival" and for various groups. Here are a couple photos on ARKive:

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Photo and Optical Equipment:

Epson Stylus R2880 Photo Printer
KOWA TSN-882 Spotting Scope with 20-60x Zoom Eyepiece & 88mm Objective
Manfrotto 055X ProB tripods (Roy has three of these)
Manfrotto 488 RC2 midi ball head
Manfrotto 498 RC2 midi ball head
Manfrotto 681B monopod
Manfrotto MA190CXPRO4 190CXPRO4 4-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs
Manfrotto MA496RC2 496RC2 Compact Ball Head
Nikkor AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED
Nikkor AF-S DX VR Zoom 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED
Nikkor AF-S Micro (Macro) 105mm 1:2.8G ED VR
Nikkor AF-S VR Zoom 200-400mm f/4G IF-ED
Nikkor AF-S VR Zoom 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED
Nikkor TC-14E II
Nikon D300 camera body
Nikon D300s camera body
Nikon COOLPIX P7100 Digital Point & Shoot Camera
Nikon Monarch 8 x 42 binoculars
Wimberley gimbal head (for large telephoto)
LowePro Packs

Partial list of reference materials and guides used for species identification:

I want to acknowledge and say a special thanks to all the editors and folks at BugGuide.net for providing such a great resource and for teaching me so much about insects, spiders, and other related creatures.

General Natural History, Conservation, Clouds, Sky, and Other Stuff:

Ghost Birds, Jim Tanner and the Quest for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, 1935-1941, Stephen Lyn Bales
Natural Histories, Stories from the Tennessee Valley, Stephen Lyn Bales
Wings - Essays on Invertebrate Conservation, Xerces Society
Smithsonian Natural History, Hardcover, 648 pages
THE COMPLEAT NATURALIST Natural History Store
The Cloud Collector's Handbook, Gavin Pretor-Pinney
The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds, Gavin Pretor-Pinney
Nightwatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe, Terence Dickinson, et al
Universe: The Definitive Visual Guide, Martin Rees
Starry Night Pro 6
Pocket Sky Atlas, Roger W. Sinnott

General Insects & Arachnids (Classes Insecta & Arachnida):

American Insects, 2nd Edition, Ross H. Arnett, Jr., 1003 pages
Audubon Field Guide to NA Insects & Spiders
BugGuide.net: Many thanks again BugGuide
Insects, Their Natural History and Diversity, Marshall, 732 pages
Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America, by Eric R. Eation & Kenn Kaufman
Insects, Peterson Field Guide, Borror / White
NWF Field Guide to Insects & Spiders, Evans
Audubon Field Guide to NA Insects & Spiders
BugGuide.net: Many thanks again BugGuide
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Arachnids (Class Arachnida):

Spiders and Their Kin, Herbert & Lorna Levi
Spiders of the Eastern United States, Howell & Jenkins
Arachnids (Hardcover), Jan Beccaloni
NWF Field Guide to Insects & Spiders, Evans
Audubon Field Guide to NA Insects & Spiders
BugGuide.net
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Beetles (Order Coleoptera, Class Insecta):

Tiger Beetle web site of Giff Beaton
Tiger Beetles, A Field Guide of U.S. & Canada, Pearson, Knisley, Kazilek
Tiger Beetles, A Field Guide and Identification Manual for Florida and Eastern US, Choate
Beetles, Peterson Field Guides, Richard E. White

Grasshoppers and Katydids (Order Orthoptera, Class Insecta):

Grasshoppers, Katydids, & Crickets, Capinera, Scott, Walker
Grasshoppers of Florida, Capinera, Scherer, Squitier
Night-Singing Insects of the Northeast, Himmelman

Robber Flies (Family Asilidae, Order Diptera, Class Insecta):

Giff Beaton
Norman Lavers
Herschel Raney
University of Arkansas

Damselflies and Dragonflies (Order Odonata, Class Insecta):

ARGIA: News Journal of Dragonfly Society of the Americas
Bulletin of American Odonatology
Damselflies of the Northeast, Ed Lam
Dragonflies & Damselflies of Georgia and the Southeast, Giff Beaton
Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East, Paulson
Dragonflies & Damselflies of the West, Paulson
Dragonflies & Damselflies of Texas, John C. Abbot
Giff Beaton's Odonata of Georgia and the Southeast
Dragonflies through Binoculars, Sidney W. Dunkle
Dragonflies of the North Woods, Mead
OdonataCentral

Butterflies (Order Lepidoptera, Class Insecta):

American Butterflies, North American Butterfly Association (NABA)
Butterflies of Georgia, Daniels
Butterflies of Georgia, Lucien Harris, Jr. © 1972
Butterflies of the East Coast, Cech and Tudor
Caterpillars in the Field & Garden, Allen, Brock, Glassberg
Caterpillars of Eastern North America, Wagner
Georgia Butterflies
Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America
Moth Photographers Group
The Complete Book of North American Butterflies, Paul Opler
The Southern Lepidopterists' Society
Butterflies and Moths of North America

Amphibians and Reptiles (Class Amphibia & Class Reptilia):

Amphibians and Reptiles of Georgia, Jensen, Camp, Gibbons, & Elliott
Calls of the Wild, Vocalizations of Georgia's Frogs, Jensen & Knapp
Lizards and Crocodilians of the Southeast, Gibbons, Greene, Mills
Salamanders of the Southeast, Mitchell & Gibbons
Snakes of the Southeast, Gibbons & Dorcas
Turtles of the Southeast, Buhlmann, Tuberville, Gibbons

Birds (Class Aves):

Birding Georgia, Giff Beaton
Breeding Bird Atlas of Georgia, Schneider, Beaton, Keyes & Klaus
Essential Field Guide Companion, Hard Cover, 710 pages, Pete Dunne
GOS Annotated Checklist of Georgia Birds, Georgia Ornithological Society
GOS: Various periodicals of the Georgia Ornithological Society
Guide to North American Raptors, Wheeler & Clark
Gulls of the Americas, Howell, Dunn
Hawks from Every Angle, Jerry Liguori
Hawks of North America, Peterson Guide, Clark & Wheeler
Hummingbirds of North America, Williamson
Kaufman Advanced Birding
Near Georgia (Rare Bird) Report web site of Mark McShane
North American Birds (NAB), American Birding Association (ABA)
Peterson Birding Field Guide
Peterson Eastern Birds' Nests
Shorebird Guide, O'Brien, Crossley & Karlson
Sibley Field Guide (Smaller version of the big book just for E. North America)
The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior
Sibley Guide To Birds (This is the Big Sibley Book)
Sibley's Birding Basics
Sparrows and Finches, Chris Earley
Sparrows of the US and Canada, Beadle & Rising
Stokes Field Guide to Warblers
Stokes Guide to Hummingbirds
Waterfowl of E. North America, Chris Earley
Wings Over Georgia web site of Ken Blankenship

Plants, Trees, Flowers (Kingdom Plantae):

East Gulf Coastal Plain Wildflowers
Forest Plants of the Southeast and their Wildlife Use, Miller & Miller
Great Smokey Mountain Wildflowers, Hutson, Hutson, Sharp
Native Trees of the Southeast, Kirkmand, Brown, Leopold
Sibley Guide to Trees
Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians, Horn, et al
Wildflowers of South Carolina, Porcher, Rayner

Fungi, Mushrooms, Slime Molds, etc., (Kingdom Fungi & a polyphyletic group)

Mushrooms & Other Fungi of NA, Phillips
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms, Lincoff
North American Mushrooms, Miller & Miller

Mammals (Class Mammalia):

Kaufman Field Guide to Mammals of North America, Bowers, Bowers, Kaufman

© Copyright Notice:

If the use is for a COMMERCIAL PURPOSE, please contact me by email to work out a license fee.

If you are a researcher, educator, student, etc., you are free to share — to copy, distribute and transmit my work, for noncommercial purposes, provided you:
1. Send me an email stating purpose for use, and
2. Receive a confirmation email from me, and
3. Credit the work with the original source (© Roy Brown Photography). The copyright notice must be reproduced along with (and placed with) the image.

Photos may be copied for use at the Moth Photographers Group (MPG) without permission.