As I was searching for a photo to accompany my next blog post, I came across this water drop on the Wikimedia Commons home page and was mesmerized. Isn’t it beautiful?!

Instead of continuing on my search for another photo, I decided I had to post this one. It’s a cloudy and rainy day in Los Angeles and this photo seemed like the perfect match. And this photo reminded me that I’ve never properly thanked all the photographers out there who so generously share their photos for the greater good.

Whenever possible, I try to use photos I’ve taken for blog posts, but my photography collection is very limited. Thankfully, there are many amazing photographers out there who share their photos. Many are friends I’ve met through whale watching such as Michael Daniel Ho, Henry Jurgens, Bobbie Hedges and Kris Clifford. Other photographers I’ve contacted through the internet and they agree to let me use a photo for a post if I link to their website.

And then there are the thousands of photographers who have uploaded photos to Wikimedia Commons and allow complete strangers to use their photos as long as the photos are attributed. Some photographers even upload their photos on Wikimedia Commons as part of the public domain, meaning no attribution is necessary! Many photos on Ocean Wild Things are from Wikimedia Commons. So many thanks to all the photographers who freely share their art, I don’t know what I would do without all of you.

Also, special thanks to José Manuel Suárez for capturing and sharing the magic of this amazing water drop image. Earth art is simply breathtaking!