We spent a few hours taking photos today, and I was so pleased with results. It seemed everywhere I turned was another picture-perfect scene.

From a sparrow and swallow, to a gorgeous heron and a beautiful fawn, this was one perfect day for wildlife photography.

Normally, my reference photos aren’t my end result—I take them to use to create a sketch or painting—but after taking 175 photos, I found a few to post.

My camera is a Panasonic Lumix FZ80. It’s a point-and-shoot with a 60x zoom.

When I started drawing and painting critters, I decided I wanted to take my own reference photos instead of relying on other photographers.

I love this camera, because I can quickly snap a dozen photos and have multiple angles and poses to work with. It’s easy to use and a smaller-sized camera so I carry it around on weekends.

The fawn was a total surprise. It came out of the woods, waded into the creek, and spent about twenty minutes exploring. What a beauty!