Instagram | Blake Rudis

Instagram

Below you will find the latest posts on my Instagram Account.

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Throwback to 2018 when @mattkloskowski and me were

Throwback to 2018 when @mattkloskowski and me were so close to lightning but didn't want to leave 🤣

Ok... I'm exaggerating a little, this was with a telephoto lens. We were fine. Storm went right past us as we huddled in the trunk of our rented Explorer while shooting with the hatch up.

#sonyalpha #lightning #zionnationalpark

*In the Hall of the Goblin King* Walking through

*In the Hall of the Goblin King*

Walking through a slot canyon is a majestic experience. However, a cell phone, a typical DLSR without the right settings or proper lens can never capture the magnificence of these places. With that said, am I an expert? Nope! Not in the slightest, but I had 10 minutes to figure it out.

The tour guide "Two Feathers" looks over at me and says, "Hey, when everyone gets to this side of the canyon, go back in, I'll hold them off with a brief story, it should give you a 10-minute shopping spree ;)"

What a guy!!!

I call this one, "In the Hall of the Goblin King". Look at it long enough and you'll see why!

#sonya1 #indurotripods #slotcanyon #goblinking #arizona #secretcanyon

I've always wanted a shot of an Eagle banking with

I've always wanted a shot of an Eagle banking with their wings stretched out. Thanks to 30 frames per second, I didn't miss it this time 😁

#baldeagle #sonya1 #600mm #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge #birdsinflight

So I went to Loess Bluffs to photograph eagles and

So I went to Loess Bluffs to photograph eagles and I did do that, but I REALLY wanted a hawk shot, there aren't as many hawks there as eagles.

I was elated with this hawk who was nearly 5 feet away from us and didn't move. @macalterego and I tried to give him his field mouse he dropped, but he wasn't interested, he wanted his portrait taken instead 😁

Eagles to come, but I HAD to process this one first!

#sonya1 #600mm #hawk #birdphotography #wildlife #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge

We went to Loess Bluffs for the Eagles, but I foun

We went to Loess Bluffs for the Eagles, but I found a Hawk and, well, I really think I like an photography hawks. They are gorgeous!

#sonya1 #sony200600 #hawk #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge

Hanging out at Loess Bluffs last week with @macalt

Hanging out at Loess Bluffs last week with @macalterego and the usual gang. It was a lot of fun but we only had about 25 minutes of good light. The rest of the time we had some good laughs 😁

#sonya1 #sony200600 #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge

This sky was "lit" as the kids say these days. Unb

This sky was "lit" as the kids say these days. Unbelievable colors after the sun passed over the horizon.

I have a saying, "Don't leave a location until Mother Nature tells you to."

Countless times photographers leave a scene too soon. Stay until the color and light are gone, period! The most incredible things happen in blue hour.

#sonya1 #rockymountain #rmnp #trailridgeroad #bluehour #usnationalparks #nationalparkservice

Hey there! This guy was peaking at the highway tr

Hey there!

This guy was peaking at the highway travelers in Rocky Mountain NP. I don't think I've ever seen an elk in nature, zoo's don't count!

#sonya1 #640mm #telephoto #wildlife #rockymountain #nationalparks

Talk about self reflecting. Hanging out on a rock

Talk about self reflecting. Hanging out on a rock nearly 12,000 feet above sea level I realized just how much I love what I get to do for a living. Some might say, "Gosh, you're lucky!"

The truth is, it's always work, sometimes incredibly difficult long hours of work. But at the end of the day it's all in pursuit of the talents and gifts I've been given from birth. Not by my early father, although he did help cultivate my gifts. But the gifts given to me by my Heavenly Father.

I know I say it a lot, that you have a gift, you have a talent, you have something in you dying to get out and be seen by the world. It's true, the hardest part is actually accepting that gift.

Funny isn't it, that we can accept gifts so easily on our birthdays and Christmas, but accepting who we are, how we were made, and what we have to offer the world is so darn difficult. I want to challenge you to finally unwrap that Heavenly Gift with the same enthusiasm you would on those special occasions.

I will warn you, it's going to be work to cultivate that gift once you accept it. Sometimes incredibly difficult long hours of work. But let me tell you it's worth it in the end.

On the way to Soccer practice a few weeks ago Michael asked me how I knew God existed. I told him, "Sometimes He gives you little signs, other times He'll put up a billboard. But it's up to you to be able to see them and that's where your Faith comes in."

This week on the way to Soccer practice I told Michael that God gave me a billboard last week. I then explained this picture to him and showed him.

I was on this rock for two hours in 25 degree weather, completely unprepared for the cold. But that blazing sun, for just a couple of seconds, peeked through the clouds and warmed me up as if it were 90 degrees outside.

I'm not going to try and hide it, I shed a few tears. As that sun set in the sky and blasted me with warmth, the thoughts of my gifts and blessings ran through my head like watching a movie in fast forward.

Am I lucky? Maybe, but I'd venture to say you are lucky too. Open that gift!!!

#sonya1#indurotripods #rmnp #rockymountain #nationalparks

What is your super power? Teach your kids that th

What is your super power?

Teach your kids that their talents are their super powers and they will be super heroes for life!

God given talents are incredible. They are all different, unique, and designed specifically for us. We shouldn't waste them, we should actively pursue them and share them with the world.

I think what I enjoy so much about the Marvel Universe is the uniqueness of each heroes gift, but how awesome is it that we can translate that to our daily life with the people we meet?

Before you judge someone, think about their gift and how, if you had to, you could use it to build an epic super hero team. I think the world would be a better place if we did that.

P.S. Matthew HAD to have Thor's hammer, I caved...

#fjwestcott #westcottlighting #sonya1 #marvel #composite #

This was a difficult photo to make. @joelgrimeswor

This was a difficult photo to make. @joelgrimesworkshops pushed us pretty hard with this one as he lit every part of the subject multiple times over multiple exposures. The idea was to then put them all together with masks in Photoshop. It was work! But worth it.

Shout out to @tdphoto for modeling with his Cafe Racer that he has been building in his spare time. Incredible work! There are so many little details in that bike that make you say wow.

#joelgrimes #b29doc #caferacer #portrait #westcottlighting

This is Pete... Pete has worked on that B29 "Doc"

Sometimes it really is about the light. I know a l

Sometimes it really is about the light. I know a lot of photographers who claim they won't shoot unless the light is perfect. Okay... I get it, but you could be missing out on some great opportunities with that mindset.

This image, however, is really all about the light. Any other time of day or moment in time and this wouldn't be as breathtaking. It's amazing how light can show us things in a new perspective we otherwise wouldn't see.

If you are feeling emotionally in the dark, like there is nothing that could possibly pass through the cracks of your soul and bring hope, I gotta tell ya, it might just be a moment away.

In the end, darkness is powerless in the presence of light. You will overcome, you will make it through, and the light will shine on a new perspective. Give it time and most importantly, be inviting of it, welcome it when it comes and embrace it as these waves have.

You are loved, I love you, and you will make it!

#olympicnationalpark #secondbeach #waitforthelight #waves #sunset #oceanmist #sonya7r3

When it's 100+ degrees Fahrenheit in Kansas City I

When it's 100+ degrees Fahrenheit in Kansas City I sometimes daydream of snow in Yosemite.

This is an @kolarivision Aerochrome Infrared image from the valley floor.

#sonyaA7 #infrared #aerochrome
#yosemitenationalpark
#kolarivision

The Badlands changes it's personality as the day p

The Badlands changes it's personality as the day passes. Morning is calm, peaceful and rejuvenating while the afternoon is dull, lifeless, and hoooot!

The evening brings on colors that are unimaginable in other landscapes and the night boasts suprises for those who wait for it to come.

#sonya7r3 #badlandsnationalpark #southdakota #longexposurre #photooftheday

Proof that I did shoot things other than eagles. T

Proof that I did shoot things other than eagles. Thanks @realjasonmatias for moving the boat into the water 🤣

#pnw #waterphotography #sonya1 #longexposure #breakthroughphotographyfilters

When it comes to bird photography, fractions of se $When it comes to bird photography, fractions of seconds are critical! Really grateful the Sony a1 can burst at 30 frames per second. However, even at 30FPS you can still miss some action! #baldeagles #birdfight #wildlife #pnw #telephoto #myfish #birdphotography$

When I grow up I wanna be just like him! The acro

When I grow up I wanna be just like him! The acrobatics of these animals are insane!

#baldeagles #madskills #cantdothat #sonya1

Between the fights, take offs, landings, and aeria

Between the fights, take offs, landings, and aerial gymnastics I'm not sure which shots I like more of the Bald Eagle. However, I am really starting to appreciate the intent staring contest they have with their catch long before they've even begun the hunt.

This juvenile Bald Eagle may be young, but they definitely weren't a force to be reckoned with that day!

#sonya1 #wildlifephotography #baldeagle #telephoto #pnw #juvenilebaldeagle

I would hate to be on the receiving end of those t

I would hate to be on the receiving end of those talons! Watching these guys hunt is pretty awesome. I don't think we saw a single one miss a fish on descent.

#sonya1 #baldeagle #wildlifephotography #telephoto #lunchtime

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