The Dark Forest Paths

The Dark Forest Paths

NCAR11D-254

October 23, 2011

Wandering through the forests of the Birkhead Wilderness, part of Uwharrie National Forest in North Carolina.  These deciduous trees were crouched overhead, menacing in a way, as they tried to block the way through the forest.  Even the sun, slipping behind a cloud, lent a dark, ominous feeling to the trek.  I felt that this image, with the heavy shadows in the foreground, and slightly dingy, dun colors, accurately represented this trepidation.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  26 mm

Exposure: 1/20 @ f/8, ISO 400

Post-processing: Cropped down with contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

The End of the Day

The End of the Day

THOR09D-83

July 11, 2009

The closing of a long day over the badlands of North Dakota.  After hiking, sightseeing, and train chasing, this day concluded with puffy white clouds over the dun hillsides, the sun lengthening the shadows.  I was pleasantly surprised at how the badlands looked, and the Dakotas in general impressed me.  While a lot of it is rolling hills and farmland, as I expected, these badlands, with their Bryce Canyon-esque tiers and canyons, were a joy to explore.  I hope to get back there some day, and who knows what else I will uncover.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6

Focal length:  20 mm

Exposure: 1/100 @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Cropped down with slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Wide Open Rivers

Wide Open Rivers

THOR09D-21

July 10, 2009

Floating down the river this morning, after a long weekend of Thanksgiving eats and treats.  This image comes from North Dakota, another from the badlands area just outside of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  Canoeing down the headwaters of the Missouri river, which flows north through the park before making an abrupt u-turn to head south along the grasslands of the prairie.  But for this stretch, it is cool, winding, very brown, and makes it a perfect way to relax against a summer sky.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/160 @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Desaturated, cropped down with slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

The Wary Prey

The Wary Prey

THOR09D-35

July 10, 2009

Shooting wildlife isn't really my forte, as I've not been able to afford the lenses that go along with capturing wildlife in its natural habitat.  Having a DSLR has helped, as it gives me a natural 1.6x extension on my 200mm lens, but still that is the bare range of an acceptable lens.  But this guy held steady for me for a while, but giving me the weary eye at the same time.  Luckily I got a shot off before he scampered away.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 80-200 f/2.8

Focal length:  200 mm

Exposure: 1/400 @ f/4, ISO 400

Post-processing: Cropped down with slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

The Wind on the Prairie

The Wind on the Prairie

THOR09D-94

July 11, 2009

There is always so much static in nature photography, there is a lot of crisp, stationary shots that do not move, where the detail is recorded in perfection of a single snap (or multiple snaps squashed to an HDR).  But nature itself is a dynamic process, things are always moving and changing, even in the most serene scene.  I like the motion that is conveyed among these prairie grasses, the feeling of movement and chaos that a windy day in the badlands has.  Enjoy. 

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6

Focal length:  20 mm

Exposure: 2.5 sec @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Cropped with slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Roosevelt's Badlands

Roosevelt's Badlands

THOR09D-62_pano

July 11, 2009

The badlands are really a generic term, merely reserved for the scraps of land in the Dakotas that didn't fit the ideals of settlers heading west.  They did not have the gentle undulations of the prairie, they were not the beautiful forests of the east (or those soon to be encountered in the Rockies).  Instead they were blasted rock, worn canyons of burnt hues that were as gashes in the land.  While these areas look like mountains while hiking through them, they are actually just barely above the level of the surrounding grasslands.  From a far you cannot tell you're approaching them, they jump upon you quickly.  But they are distinct, like nothing I've seen yet.  The badlands of North Dakota, found in Roosevelt National Park, look old.  You see their rounded forms, partially covered in short grass and vegetation, and they just appear to be weathered, beaten down from years of conflict with the rivers and rain and snow.  But they are magnificent, and they helped inspire and craft one of our greatest conservationists.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  35 mm

Exposure: 1/80 @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Assembled from 6 images into a panoramic in PS4, cropped down with slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Valley of Daisies

Valley of Daisies

THOR09D-53

July 11, 2009

It is amazing how important foreground is to your images.  You hear about it from the professionals, the photographers that you admire, and all of their images have interest from front to back, little shapes, lines, textures that lead you through the image to the final destination.  And working on an image, it does make a huge difference.  This image, from North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park, is honestly not my greatest example of foreground inclusion.  The flowers were there, and that was my intent, but upon reflection they were too far dispersed, and I could have placed them better within the frame.  But they do help hook your interest, and only after looking at the image do you consider the tall butte in the background, where some of the daisies seem to be pointing at.  And in that case, it is a success.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/80 @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Alaska's Northern Coast

Alaska's Northern Coast

ALAK08D-607

September 7, 2008

The tundra in the far north of Alaska is unlike any other landscape that I've encountered.  Flat, deep, it feels like a mattress is underfoot, with a lush carpet of small, short plants.  It is treeless, and the water that saturates the ground pushes forth into small lakes and ponds all over the place.  It feels barren from up above, as seen on the flight from Kotzebue to Point Hope, but it is not.  The dun cliffs drop sharply into the frigid sea, leaving you breathless at the expansiveness of the lands to the north.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  25 mm

Exposure: n/a @ f/5.6, ISO 200

Post-processing: Slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Sun Shaft Through the Storm

Sun Shaft Through the Storm

BHUT10D-273

November 19, 2010

Whirring through the countryside of Bhutan, the storm clouds that had followed us through Dochula Pass were finally breaking, revealing the lush, verdant countryside.  Finally, high on the hillsides above the Phobjikha Valley, the sun broke through the storm clouds, sending a bright ray streaking across the valley.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: n/a @ f/5.6, ISO 200

Post-processing: Slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Swirling Vortexes

Swirling Vortexes

ECUA08D-280

January 24, 2008

Still in Ecuador today, we are visiting part of the river system that makes the cloud forests so lush.  This river was torrential, with rain falling even as I hiked past, with lichens, ferns, and mosses dripping from the trees above.  It was such a vibrant scene, the energy and the sound of the river flooding my eyes and my ears as I watched.  It is an incredible place.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6

Focal length:  10 mm

Exposure: 1/2.5 @ f/22 ISO 100

Post-processing: Tone, sharpness adjusted in PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Photographer of Note: Natsumi Hayashi

Natsumi Hayashi
"Yowayowa Camera Woman"
http://yowayowacamera.com/

I've been thinking of ways of exploring and expanding my photography.  One way is, of course, to travel and shoot more, which is how I'll be trying to post some more on the 'wandering' aspects to my travel and shooting.  The other is about looking and admiring other photographers, drawing inspiration and energy from their endeavors in the photographic arts.  And so, to kick that off, I present the first photographer of note, Natsumi Hayashi.

Natsumi is a photographer in Japan that levitates.  She sets up her camera in various scenes to make it appear as if she were floating above the scene.  Her scenes are well-chosen, always unique, and so it's as much a slice of her daily life (on the train, in a restaurant, walking down the street) as it is about her ability to levitate.  One of the fantastic parts is that the images appear very natural.  While she has to jump to make the photograph, she rarely if ever looks like she just jumped.  It appears as if she is quite literally hovering above the scene, a couple inches or a foot above the pedestrian ground.

Her images are a streak of whimsy in photography, delightful scenes from life and the thought of escape as well as the beautiful execution of each photograph.  I've been following her for just under a year or so, and each creation has been a delight.  Float on!

The Marshlands of the Paramo

The Marshlands of the Paramo

ECUA08D-520

January 27, 2008

While a lot of the paramo is thought to be dry alpine grasslands, it is quite a diverse and interesting ecosystem.  Today's image to kick off the week is still found in Ecuador, hiking around a shallow seasonal lake and wetlands near Mt. Ruminahui in Cotopaxi National Park.  This shot, I believe, shows off the diversity of the highlands, and also gives a brief glimpse at how beautiful this area is.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6

Focal length:  10 mm

Exposure: 1/6 @ f/22 ISO 100

Post-processing: Tone, sharpness adjusted in PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Down that Dark River

Down that Dark River

ECUA08D-169

January 22, 2008

I love rivers.  Always have.  And while many rivers have been tamed in this country (though, luckily, there are some small movements to free rivers from damming in the west), the sight of unbridled water flowing, powerfully coursing through a forest, canyon, or jungle, gets me salivating.  I see scenes like this, and think of reading Heart of Darkness, that high school novel that most people hated, but I loved the descriptions of the water, how the jungle seethed like a living thing as Marlow heads up the Congo in search of Kurtz.  You can see these walls of vegetation on the side of the water, filled with dozens, hundreds of species all vying for nutrients, all trying to eke out an existence, in the most primal, most important battle imaginable.  It is a powerful feeling to be watching this unfold, all to the sound of the beating water.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: NIkon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/6 @ f/22 ISO 200

Post-processing: Tone, sharpness adjusted in PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Cloud Forest Cascade

Cloud Forest Cascade

ECUA08D-216

January 23, 2008

Serendipity does play a large role in photography, but probably even more important is allowing yourself the freedom to experience it.  I think of this photo, which originated in an early-morning run/hike session through the forest in Ecuador before my workshop began and I was forced to be a professional.  At the end of the trail I came across this small waterfall, which was in as idyllic a setting as imaginable.  After standing a few times to take standard shots, I looked down, and thought how much better it would be if I could give the feeling of the water flowing past you, which was how I perceived it while I was hiking.  So I hunkered down in the water, aiming upwards to capture the rocks at the forefront of the waterfall.  I was pleased at the result, and it won a regional award with my camera club back in Champaign.  But I enjoyed even more the feeling of discovery, the combination of my setting off with no expectations, and then visualizing this image how I wanted to capture it.  That doesn't happen often enough, something I need to work on, but on this morning it all came together for me in this image.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/4.0-5.6

Focal length:  10 mm

Exposure: 15 sec @ f/22 ISO 100

Post-processing: Tone, sharpness adjusted in PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Hard Life on the Paramo

Hard Life on the Paramo

ECUA08D-538

January 27, 2008

Above the treeline of Ecuador, far from the tropical jungles and misty cloud forests, there is the paramo.  This alpine ecosystem is a grassland that extends up to the rocky bareness of the mountainsides.  It is beautiful, with the sweeping views between icy peaks, but it also can be a harsh life, as evidenced by this bull, found while hiking along near Mt. Ruminahui in Cotopaxi National Park.  It was a grizzly reminder of how harsh conditions can be out in the wilderness, even in a beautiful and seemingly idyllic setting.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  10 mm

Exposure: 1/8 @ f/22 ISO 100

Post-processing: Desaturated in LR1.4, tone, sharpness adjusted in PS 4 and LR 1.4.

The Misty Jungle

The Misty Jungle

ECUA08D-200

January 22, 2008

Ecuador has been a lot on my mind recently.  It was the place that launched a lot of my current research interests, and gave me a brief glimpse of what ethnobotany and natural products held for me.  It is also my aim to get back there, and I'm working a couple different funding angles to return and explore more of this gorgeous land.  But this shot was looking at the cloud jungles for which Ecuador is partially famous.  These mid-elevation forests blanket the hills before giving way to the paramo (more on that later this week), and yet above (and thus cooler) than the low-elevation jungle to the east, the western edges of the Amazon.  And they are breathtaking to see, in the morning, in the fog of the mist of the rain which is never far away.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f?3.5-5.6

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/2 @ f/16 ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Mantis Style

Mantis Style

ECUA08D-287

January 24, 2008

Oh to be in the jungle, where photographs basically leap off branches for your attention.  This week's images come from the archives from Ecuador.  This little guy came crawling close, but didn't stay long enough for a switch to a macro lens.  So I had to do the best with what I had.  He (she?) has these wing like features, make them look like some of the nuns' habits that can be seen, lending even more credence to the term 'praying.'  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f?3.5-5.6

Focal length:  135 mm

Exposure: 1/60 @ f/5.6 ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Lillies 1

Lillies 1

BHUT10D-66

November 16, 2010

A brief paragraph today, after my ramblings the last few posts.  To set this Friday off, a lovely image from my time in Bhutan.  Still ranking as one of the most beautiful countries I've laid eyes on, these lillies come from Serbithang, the Royal Botanic Garden in Thimphu, Bhutan.   They are intertwined, beautiful and yet exotic, not like the day lillies that we get here in the states.  They are at once familiar and yet distinct, perhaps the whole reason people travel in the first place.  But they caught my eye, and I hope they do the same for you.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 f/2.8 micro

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: 1/1250 @ f/3.5 ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Fall in the East

Fall in the East

NCAR11D-245_pan

October 23, 2011

We don't get fall like this in the West.  There are large swaths of evergreen forests, that withstand the change of seasons, stalwart, imperious, until winter comes to blanket it in snow.  They hold their verdant green, and we slip from summer to spring easily, quietly.  But in the East, there is no such subtlety.   The cold snaps and slanting sunlight jolts the trees to change, and they do in sweeping motions, trading their summer productivity for capes of gold, orange, crimson, maroon.  The trees, sometimes rail thin and nicely spaced, erupt in a cacophony of celebration for the changing of the seasons, and practically beg you to see them.  This image, captured while hiking in the Uwharrie National Forest, is a panoramic image stitched together, for there was too much for any one lens to take in.  The colors run the whole gamut, and spark a wondrous portrait of autumn in action.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/20 @ f/8 ISO 400

Post-processing: Assembled from 10 images in PS 4, minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Kenyan Kloud Kreations

Kenyan Kloud Kreations

KENY10D-346

March 20, 2010

Clouds, as I'm sure I've mentioned before, are truly a magnificent creation.  And there are no two that are alike, much like persons, but they also hold a regionality to them that is not always apparent.  I remember clouds in California, growing up.  They were usually cold masses moving off the Pacific, monotone and flat, bringing rain in the winter (for it pretty much never rains in the summer).  Then there were those clouds that spring up in the midwest.  They have no mountains to hinder their formation, and consequently you get these large, multi-storied creations, that are a dazzle to behold.  These imperious water vapor towers roam over the landscape at will, and perhaps unleash violent storms when they see fit.  I hadn't seen their like, until visiting Kenya.  Here this tremendous mass was sweeping over the savanna, and the dark underbellies were unleashing springtime rains as they went.  Truly incredible.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  44 mm

Exposure: 1/1250 @ f/4.8 ISO 100

Post-processing: Desaturation in PS 4, minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.