Kelli Thompson Photography

07/25/2026

Traps are wrong. Just why?

07/25/2026

07/24/2026

Well this is a little humbling. 😎🧡

07/22/2026

I could use a little of this right now - a cool stream and no people. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Great Smoky Mountains NP

07/21/2026

I call them the ugly ducks - Cormorants, but it's a joke. There really aren't any ugly birds in my mind.

It's funny to me when photographers point out they are handholding their cameras with a big lens and/or in a boat to take a shot - like it makes the shot harder some how. It doesn't really make any difference how you got the shot. Is it good or not?

07/20/2026

I may be Spring wildflower crazy, but these Summer water lilies are so beautiful too. In the wetlands near me, I see both these smaller water lilies that are close to the water as well as the Lotus Water Lilies with their larger stems, leaves and blooms which emerge above the water.

Water lilies play a vital role in our wetlands. Their floating leaves provide shade, keeping water cooler and limiting algae growth, while their roots stabilize sediments and prevent erosion. They create habitats for fish, amphibians, and invertebrates, offering shelter from predators and extreme sunlight. Also, their flowers attract pollinators.

I caught a few bumble bees in this flower, but I like this photo best because it looks as if the water lily bloom is floating on air, but it actually is on the water.

Perimeter Pond, K-25 Heritage Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

07/20/2026

These pilots take their own lives in their hands every time they fly. Their precision, grace, expertise, is beyond comparison, and I'll stand beside them and photograph them any chance I get.

07/17/2026

Meet Beak - an ambassador Great Horned Owl with Owl Ridge Raptor Center.

I had another opportunity to visit Owl Ridge with a senior group last week, and I'm planning to do a series of videos to help educate folks and show the awesome work that they do at Owl Ridge Raptor Center.

07/15/2026

I learned today that this image "Bridge of Light" of the Troll Bridge at Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was choosen for the University of Tennessee Medical Center's The Art of Community Exhibition. I took this photo when I "won the lottery" for the Elkmont Firefly Viewing Lottery back in late May. I knew I'd captured a special moment, and I can't wait to see it at UTMC.