There is so much beauty in nature. On a typical day, most of us go from our house to our car to our office, then back again. When do we stop to pay attention to the flowers, trees, birds and other parts of nature that are all around us? We complain about the weather, then think it is only on vacations that we will see any real nature.

My mission is to find that beauty in nature every day. While one particular day might not be my favorite weather, too rainy or too cold, there

are still birds singing, trees swaying in the wind and ground getting nurtured. I bring my camera with me on all my walks so I can catch and photograph the beauty that I might see only that day.

I also try to find the unusual things in nature. To me nature is not just beautiful sunsets or the perfect fall trees. One of my pictures is of a hollow tree with a vine growing around it. Another is a leaf that has been eaten by a bug or caterpillar, leaving only the structure of the leaf. While some might not think much of a dead tree or a leaf that has been eaten, I see the beauty that is there.

Many of my photos are from the Northern Illinois area. I take a nature walk daily with my dog, Emaline, and my husband Kurt and I take nature walks on the weekends. We go into many local county and state parks. There is so much to see, so close to us. I have photos from other parts of the country as well.

I believe in taking care of the nature that I photograph. Kristina's Photos does everything possible to be green. The frames are made from barnwood and other types of recycled wood.

Enjoy the photos.

Kristina Schroeder

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