2023 in review

As another year draws to a close, it’s time for an annual tradition: a review of my work from the past 12 months.

Observing the December solstice

Today is the December solstice and how you view it is a matter of perspective.

Swimming with green sea turtles

I really needed just one picture of a green sea turtle for an upcoming project, but pictures are often better when I get the chance to know my subject on a deeper level. And I’m very thankful for the hours I got to spend with the turtles off Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.

An annular solar eclipse

October is a month for all things spooky, so in some ways it’s only fitting that earlier this month I got to witness an annular solar eclipse, a celestial event that for a fair amount of it the sun resembles a sickle.

Playing favorites

We all have favorite things. A favorite color. Perhaps a favorite flower. Or maybe a favorite bird.

The flip side of that is that we also have things we hate. Or at least strongly dislike. One of the things I have been working through is whether the things that have made it on my dislike list really deserve to be there.

An hour with a fogbow

This is a fogbow, informally known as a white rainbow. I got to spend about an hour working with it last week, which was phenomenal. When I’ve worked with fogbows before, I’ve had to work much faster.

The evolution of Ruby Portal

When I’m working in the field, even when I have a very good idea of how exactly I want my picture to turn out, I may go through a dozen or so takes to ensure the image I captured expresses exactly what I’m after. If I’ve become captivated by something unexpected, I may go through a hundred or more.

The image that I’m calling Ruby Portal, shown above, was the product of the latter approach. I was on the Pacific coast in the Olympic Wilderness of Washington state where wildfire haze was giving the setting sun a striking color. I wasn’t sure how everything would turn out.

For a while, it appeared the sun might quickly sink behind a layer of clouds, so as I took each photo, I thought there was a chance it might be my last of the day. The final image is the product of about an hour of exploration and revision. I thought it might be of interest to share that process with you.

Kicking nature's bucket list

When I wrote last month about learning to appreciate nature in my own backyard, I expected it to be timely only in the context of such an image making it into an art exhibit. But over the past month, there have been new debates over how much access the public should have to popular wilderness areas. As access becomes more restricted, we may all have to start appreciating backyards more.

The spirit of exploration

The subject of this image isn’t a specific thing. This image is actually about an experience.

Nature Photography Day: No camera required

Today is Nature Photography Day. There are those who say that the camera gets in the way. It’s a device that gets between you and the world around you. There’s some truth in that.

Sharing a moment of peace with harbor seals

I didn’t plan to spend an evening hanging out with a herd of harbor seals, but many of my favorite experiences in nature of late involve some serendipity. Venturing out without a plan or any pressure to produce something is incredibly relaxing. And I find that almost every time it results in photos.

A bloom worthy of the term ‘super’

There is a trend to append the word “super” to various natural phenomena. For instance, a few times a year, it’s not just a full moon, but a “super moon.” About the same time the moon at perigee got special branding, desert wildflowers also occasionally started to receive elite status. They just don’t get it anywhere near as often.

Because of an unusually wet winter, parts of California were elevated to “superbloom” status this spring. Since the fall, the Carrizo Plain, located about 100 miles north of Los Angeles, received just under 4 inches of rain — 2½ times what it gets over the course of a normal winter.

On a foggy morning

Think of winter weather and icicles and freshly fallen snow may be the first things that come to mind. But for me, it also means fog.

Cold, clear nights can often be followed by spectacular foggy sunrises. At first light, fog can rise off the surface of a lake. And it can vanish within minutes of the sun clearing the horizon.

It's World Water Day 2023

It’s World Water Day, a day to reflect on the importance of water and think about how we can help address challenges.

Appreciating the scenic route

Even when we are on the scenic route, I suspect that most of the time we still remain fixated on our destination. The view outside the window is prettier, but it’s still just time filler. If it were food, it’s definitely not the main course. And I don’t often think we even treat it as an appetizer.

Better appreciating the journey is something that I have been working on for years. And I remain a work in progress.

The short season of the short-eared owls

Where I’m from — the greater Seattle area — a snowbird is a person, a person who travels far south to spend the winter in the sunny warmth. But to a short-eared owl, a different type of snow bird, where I’m from is the south.

For a few months a year — the coldest months — you can often spot a short-eared owl or two flying back and forth over an empty field, hunting for voles. Some fields can attract a half-dozen of these owls.