The Tree of Epiphytes

The Tree of Epiphytes

GUAT07D-283

June 7, 2007

Sticking with Guatemala again, that beautiful Central American country.  This was found in Tikal, one of the great ruined cities of the Mayan culture.  I loved exploring the ruins of this country, especially the out-of-the-way ones like Yaxha, but Tikal is not to be missed.  It is the most immense ruin complex, and a lot of it has been reclaimed from the jungle.  However, the trees still abound; and here, right in the middle of the city, was this magnificent tree.  Covered in various epiphytes, mosses and lichens and orchids and bromeliads, the tree was a symbol of the struggle that is evident throughout the jungle, organisms clinging to each other for mutual support and protection.  I loved the complexity of the tree, its ecological importance and meaning.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Sony DSC-W55

Lens: n/a

Focal length:  6.3 mm

Exposure: 1/320 @ f/7.1  ISO 200

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

Taste of Spring

Taste of Spring

NCAR10D-172

March 27, 2010

With yesterday's image marking the final bit of winter here at Wandering Lens, today we usher spring in full force!  The blossoms are ripe among the trees all through North Carolina, fragrant and wonderful.  It is a delight to have warm(er) weather once more, and sunlight sticking around till the evening hours.  Welcome spring, and enjoy on this Friday.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 80-200 mm f/2.8

Focal length:  200 mm

Exposure: 1/4000 @ f/2.8   ISO 100

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

The Misty Jungle of Inthanon

The Misty Jungle of Inthanon

THAI040301

June 16, 2004

Skipping to another national park in Thailand, Doi Inthanon is located near the northern cultural capital of Chiang Mai.  As you leave the city and head up to this park, while it remains jungle, it gets distinctly colder.  You are not in the steaming tropics; now you are ensconced in the (relative) cold of the cloudforest on the mountainside, where rain and fog predominate.  This is near the top of the mountain, which is the highest point in all of Thailand.  It is a beautiful park to explore, with several large, gorgeous waterfalls that carve through the landscape. Enjoy.
 

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon N80
Film: Provia 100F

Lens: Nikon 28-105 mm f/3.5-4.5

Focal length: 105 mm

Exposure: 1/60   f/2.8 ISO 100

Post-processing: Scanned on a Nikon Coolscan 5000, toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Emerging Texture

Emerging Texture

FLOW08D-12

August 19, 2008

This image comes from the University of Illinois Arboretum, a beautiful pink flower just budding out into the world.  I like the emergence of the image, though I decided to do some post-processing manipulation, playing around with textures from Flickr user Playingwithbrushes (many thanks to her for allowing me to use her backdrops).  I don't usually go for that kind of look, but the rough edge is something that is very nice, and can add the right kind of quality to the right photo.  Let me know what you think, and enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 mm f/2.8 macro

Focal length: 105 mm

Exposure: 1/200   f/4.5 

Post-processing: Texture,toning and curves adjustment in PS

Vastness of the Tundra

Vastness of the Tundra

ALAK08D-480

August 2, 2008

Denali National Park is full of wonderful places to visit, and yet it has a sameness that is familiar.  The tundra stretches out until it slams against the Alaska Range, culminating in the majesty of Denali/Mt. McKinley (which is hidden behind those clouds at the moment of capture).  This image hints at that vastness, that unending space of tundra and vegetation that is indicative of Denali, made even more remarkable by the trees ringing the foreground.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

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

Focal length: 40mm

Exposure: 1/80   f/8   ISO 400

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Lost Skulls of the Jungle

Lost Skulls of the Jungle

HOND07D-47

July 14, 2007

Many of the ruins from the Mayan civilization have slowly disappeared into the jungle, being overtaken by time and the ravages of nature.  And, for better or worse, many are still unexplored and un-repaired, as the jungle left them for the last several centuries.  This image is a perfect example of this, with a former head from a pyramid cast down to the jungle floor to stare at passers-by who try to enter the former cities.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Sony DSC-55

Lens: n/a

Focal length: 16.3mm

Exposure: 1/50 f/5 ISO 400

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

The Semuc Champey Valley

The Semuc Champey Valley

GUAT07D-169

June 25, 2007

This valley is famous, tucked in the central portion of Guatemala.  Cutting through the limestone of the mountains, these aqua pools  sparkle and beckon to dip your feet (or body) in and relax.  And after hiking through El Mirador (the lookout surrounding the valley, the vantage point of this image), that is a welcome thought.  The pools are clear and refreshing, with small fishes that tickle as you wade in.  Downstream there are areas where you can jump off waterfalls into pools (watch out for your glasses).  I like this image, as it cuts a nice contrast between the deep green of the jungle, and the small slice of warm hues that encapsulate the aqua pools.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens:Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:n/a

Exposure:n/a

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Whiteness of the Rockies

Whiteness of the Rockies

RMNP10D-21

January 3, 2010

Welcome to winter!  The coldest season of the year is upon us, from the Sierra to the Atlantic, and snow is coming.  Now, North Carolina doesn't get as much snow (though some of the shots later this week will show we do get some) as the Rocky Mountains, and these mountains glisten with the powdery white stuff.  Shot on the trail, the snow blanketing one of the many 14,000' peaks of the range, it beckons of adventure and cold fun.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 50 f/1.4

Focal length:  50 mm

Exposure: 1/125 @ f/16, ISO 100

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

Through the Golden Haze

Through the Golden Haze

NCAR10D-512

November 7, 2010

Our last homage to autumn this morning, as the cold has made its presence known and there is no going back, at least for a couple months.  The leaves are all gone, the grass is all brown, and Christmas music is pumping through Starbucks.  Yup, winter is coming!  This shot was taken last year as I hiked through Umstead State Park near Raleigh, right before Thanksgiving break.  The leaves were in full color by this point, and it was a pleasant park to wander though.  My only nit pick was the constant sounds of the airport (Umstead butts up against the RDU airport, so there are plenty of comings and goings during the day), but overall a good place to get away from the city for a spell.  Enjoy!

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6

Focal length:  10 mm

Exposure: n/a @ f/8, ISO 200

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

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 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

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 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.

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.

Thai Nimbostratus

Thai Nimbostratus

THAI040401

June 17, 2004

Today has dawned another gray day, with more rain in the forecast for the weekend.  I don't usually mind the rain, it has a soothing effect, and it really makes me want to go hiking in the rain.  Call me crazy, but there's something about stomping through the wilderness while the rain drips from the trees.  I recall a couple of particularly memorable times I've hiked in the rain... one was at Charmlee Regional Park in Los Angeles, with my mom and sister.  It was pouring and we still muscled through the chaparral and had a splash doing it.  The other was a New Year's Day hike in Muir Woods National Monument.  The rain kept the crowds away (as did the likelihood of hangovers from the night before), and the whole lush forest was quiet except the sound of the rain gently dripping through the leaves.

This image comes from the first trip to Thailand, many years ago when I was shooting film.  Taken on Fuji Velvia, this storm was rolling through as we sped back near Doi Inthanon National Park, and the clouds which had plagued us for days were finally starting to shift and break up.  It left behind a vibrant, stunning visual of the verdant countryside after 3 days of rain.  One of the more beautifully scenic rides I encountered in Thailand.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon N80
Film: Fuji Velvia 50

Lens: Nikon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5

Focal length:  50 mm

Exposure: n/a ISO 50

Post-processing: Scanned on a Nikon Coolscan 5000, tone adjusted and cleaned using ICE 4.0 and PS 4.

Wine Salmonberry

Wine Salmonberry

ALAK09D-175

August 30, 2009

Sitting on the bush, ripe for the picking, this salmonberry is much darker than usual colorations, the wine-red color looking very appetizing.  Found all through Alaska, and parts of Canada, these berries are wonderful.  A little less sweet than cultivated berries we're used to, they make wonderful preserves and pies.  But perhaps they're best eaten raw, right off the bush.  Found near Seldovia, Alaska, in the height of summer.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 f/2.8 micro

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: 1/60 @ f/8, ISO 400

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

Lichen Drapery

Lichen Drapery

BHUT10D-216

January 23, 2010

Today is the first image from probably my most recent (and one of the most remote), images from the Kingdom of Bhutan.  I had an unparalleled privilege to work for a week in the country, followed up by 3 days roaming around the central portions.  While it wasn't enough time to take one of the legendary treks into the backcountry, we still got a chacne to experience the raw, untrammeled beauty of the country.  This image was found at the Royal Botanical Garden in Bhutan, which has a very diverse climate, mostly residing in the mid-altitude cloud forest, a perpetually moist atmosphere which is ideal for large trees and huge sheets of lichen.  Everywhere you turned in this park, the vegetation was covered in green frill, giving it an otherworldly (or even Middle Earth-y) appearance to the forest. 

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

The Rain and the Sun

The Rain and the Sun

PLAN07D-37

April 7, 2007

Macro photography can be so challenging, and yet so seemingly simple, all at the same time.  We try to capture this tiny, magnified slice of life, usually a flower, insect, or texture, and it is really an endeavor to enlarge our own perspective.  We spend our time going by so quickly, not (to use the cliché) stopping to smell the roses, and sometimes the details can be lost.  I think that macro photography is about re-centering my vision, concentrating on something so small and seemingly insignificant, yet that is detailed and beautiful in its own right.  This flower, the color change, the detail of the stamens, the dew drops on the leaves; in an ordinary photograph this would pass as just a smear of color in a larger scene, barely worthy of note.  But here, letting it take center stage, highlights all of those aspects, and makes me more aware of what is around me as I hike, or walk through a city, or pick up a camera.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 f/2.8 micro

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: 1/250 sec @ f/16, ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor curves adjustment in PS4 & LR1.4

Sprialing Succulent

Sprialing Succulent

PLAN07D-29

April 7, 2007

Ah, the cactus.  Champion of the prickly touch and the CAM photosynthetic pathways, a terrific evolutionary organism.  And, in certain lights, they are quite pretty as well.  This particular cactus was captured on a morning after a rain and a heavy dew, with the droplets sprinkled over the lobed leaves.  He's quite pretty, and I wanted to bring the spiral of spines and water back out into the light.
** 1st place, Champaign County Camera Club, Spring 2009, "Flora"

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 f/2.8 micro

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: 1/100 sec @ f/8, ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor curves adjustment in PS4