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.

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.

Ruminahui Through the Clouds

Ruminahui Through the Clouds

ECUA08D-513

January 27, 2008

While most people travel to Cotopaxi National Park, in Ecuador, to visit the refuge or climb up the eponymous mountain, there are plenty of other reasons to visit this high altitude park. The páramo, or alpine valleys above the tree line, offer a wide diversity of plant life, and from far away it looks like the whole place is covered in a soft velvet. Ruminahui, a dormant volcano found at the edge of the park, is not as visited as the park's namesake, but it is a beautiful climb to the peak, with views over the paramo and the alpine fields. It rises about 4700m above sea level, and is about a 5-6 hour hike from the edge of Laguna de Limpiopuguna.

The mountain's name comes from the early colonial days. Ruminahui was a Quichua native, who lead numerous uprisings against the foreign invaders of his country. He was immensely popular with the people, but not so with the Spanish conquistadors (as can be imagined). Eventually he was captured, as all good folk heroes are, and executed. But this mountain was named in his honor, to remember his struggle for his people against the colonists.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  85 mm

Exposure: 1/50 @ f/16, ISO 200

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