John Lawson

A green parrot with a red crown sits eats orange fruit while perched in a tree with lush green leaves.

A Red-Crowned Amazon I encountered this morning. These parrots have been established in the area since the 1960s, but are not native to California and are endangered in their native range in Mexico.

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A bright blue California Scrub Jay bird perched in a cotoneaster plant with green leaves and red berry-like fruit on a sunny day.

This California Scrub Jay is one of a pair that used to frequently visit me in the yard. I assume they were nesting somewhere in the canyon. Beautiful birds, and entertaining to watch.

#Photography #BirdPhotography #BirdWatching #WildlifePhotography #NaturePhotography

A landscape of mountains and valleys, with grasses and pine trees in the foreground, and a calm blue sky.

One of my favorite places to go to get away from everything, the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area in Southern California's Cleveland National Forest has some incredible views.

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Dozens of California Sea Lions basking on a dock with the cool blue water of Monterey Bay in the background, seen through the steel bars blocking the public from accessing the dock.

Monterey, California. Dozens of sea lions basking in the sun.

U.S. Marines patrol through a field of tall brown grass during a training exercise.

U.S. Marines throwing practice grenades through a window while more Marines stand guard with rifles during a training exercise.

Here are a couple more military photojournalism throwback photos from a training exercise with the Marines of 2d MP Bn. at the combat town on Camp Lejeune, N.C., in 2004.

A Cooper's Hawk perched in a pepper tree.

This Cooper's Hawk, perched in a pepper tree in one of San Diego's many canyons, was a fun one to follow and photograph.

A black and white photograph of a rocky creek winding through the forest in Brecksville Reseveration, Cleveland Metroparks.

One of my favorites from my early photography work, this is Chippewa Creek in the Brecksville Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks, shot on 35mm film with a Pentax K-1000. This place played a pivotal role in my childhood, and this photo is still one of my all-time favorites, even 25 years later.

Stan Frazier of Sugar Ray playing the guitar on stage during a concert.

From the same 2003 concert, Stan Frazier of Sugar Ray on guitar.

Looking up at Mark McGrath singing with his arms spread wide, mid-clap, while performing on stage with Sugar Ray, with his guitar.

Another fun shoot. Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray performing in 2003.

A BMX bike stunt rider airborne on the field during an NFL halftime show.

Another throwback: from the Hell On Wheels BMX stunt team's performance during the halftime show of a Jacksonville Jaguars game, 2011.

A panoramic view of the Petco Park ballpark from the upper deck during a San Diego Padres game with the San Diego skyline in the background.

I love Petco Park. Amazing place to watch baseball. LFGSD. (Photo from 2024.)

The California coastline and the Pacific ocean.

Classic views of the Pacific along the PCH from a motorcycle trip I took from San Diego to San Francisco.

A CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter flies over U.S. Marines with the mountains of Afghanistan in the background.

One of my favorite photos from my time in Afghanistan. May, 2004.

Close up of a spider eating in a web.

This spider was surprisingly patient with me interrupting its dinner.