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 subject of this image isn’t a specific thing. This image is actually about an experience.
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.
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.
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.
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, a day to reflect on the importance of water and think about how we can help address challenges.
