The Way We See It: December 2012

Friday, December 28, 2012

Reflections...

American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) - Bolsa Chica Wildlife Refuge, CA
Canon 5D mark iii + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS w/ Canon 1.4x converter

No words... just an metaphor in the form of an image as one year comes to a close and another begins.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

The Day After

Stacked Rocks - Lake Superior, MN
Canon 5D mark ii + Canon 24mm f3.5L TSE

In the words of Edie Brickell “Drop me in the shallow water before I get too deep.” It’s another 5 degree morning, I’m buried knee deep in snow and the Mayan apocalypse was yesterday. Funny... I’m still here. As usual, the collective herd was wrong and I’m left with an empty feeling.

Damn Trail - Redwood National Park
Canon 20D + Canon 15mm Fisheye Lens

I’m not sure what I was expecting. I’m not the apocalyptic type and tend to be a skeptic when it comes to anything fanciful. Yet, I couldn’t help imagine what it might be like if an apocalyptic event selectively eliminated this human virus. Hey, I’m grateful for the life that evolution has managed to send my way, but let’s face it... we are a paradoxical species that is wreaking havoc on the planet. Beings crafted from nature, we are one with the world, but our love affair with the planet’s bounty will likely be the source our demise. We kill just to watch it die, level mountains in search of shiny baubles and interfere with nearly every biogeochemical cycle. We are a wart that keeps getting bigger, and I fear that all that will remain of life’s diversity will be one giant wart!

Well, it’s December 22nd... and “it’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.”

... I think.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

The Queen's Land

This Queen's Turf (Panthera leo) - Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Canon 1Dmk II + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS

Stuart Pimm, professor of environmental ecology at Duke University has collected data suggesting that the African savanna is shrinking. Much like the North American prairie, human expansion is to blame. According to Pimm, "Savanna Africa is in deep trouble and it's in worse trouble in fact, than the world's rainforests..."

Guarding (Panthera leo) - Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Canon 1Dmk II + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS

More about shrinking savannas and near-catastrophic impact on the “king of the jungle” can be found on PRI (Public Radio International).

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Muse - Ardea herodias

Ardea herodias (Great blue heron) - St. Croix River
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS

Muse; noun... Source of artistic inspiration.

Derived from the nine mythological goddesses who symbolize the arts and sciences.

Here the word muse is used in a way that defies convention. Loosely interpreted, this elegant form is a muse that feeds my compulsion, challenges my vision and animates my craft.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Muse - Lake Superior

Driftwood - Gooseberry Falls State Park, MN
Canon 5D Mark ii + Canon 24mm f3.5L TSE Lens

I become increasingly restless as the confines of winter begin to close in. Diminishing daylight and long work days conspire to crush the creative spirit. This is the time that wanderlust fills the void. While holiday joy might inspire happiness for the masses, I can only see darkness. I'm not a family guy. I am a loner who loves the company of a few and seeks serenity when my mind becomes preoccupied with life's minutia. In these dark moments I need a muse, a subject that lacks the static nature of my predicament.

Superior is this muse.The big lake releases a flood of emotion that I constrain each day. Its frigid wind and deep cold forces a cathartic release that inspires. No, it's not my only muse, it's just the one I need to visit each December.

For more from Gooseberry State Park, Check out this link to my "Favorite Places."

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Tip #101: Fog, Smog and Overcast Light

Yellowstone National Park
Canon 5D mark ii + Canon 17-40mm f4L

You’ve traveled halfway around the world, woke up three hours before dawn and fought off cardiac arrest during your 6000 foot assent. What’s more, you broke the bank to take this trip and used all your vacation time just to capture an elusive target. Unfortunately, Murphy waved his ugly hand and the light is crap. Either the sun is too bright or you’re surrounded by a pervasive mist that will not go away.

Lake Agnes - Banff National Park
Canon 5D mark ii + Canon 24mm f3.5L TSE

We’ve all been there and it’s these moments that test your patience and reward creativity. I have day job, so when I’m out on a shoot or traveling to photograph an ecosystem, I have to come back with something. It’s a cliche thing to say, but restrictions and limits feed my creative spirit. When faced with less than ideal shooting conditions, I put on my black and white goggles, study the landscape and look to play with tones and angles. During these less than ideal conditions, I work harder to define my story and be sure to pre-think the impact of every technical decision. Selecting the correct aperture, emphasizing shadows that define and choosing the right lens will be the difference between the images you cherish and those you can’t wait to forget.

Icefields Parkway
Canon 40D + Canon 100-400 f4.5-5.6L IS