Sunday, May 31, 2020

Behind the image: Rialto Beach Driftwood

Rialto Beach Driftwood, Olympic National Park, Washington

I create only a few black and white images per year. I don't have anything against monochrome; I just find that most of the time, color is a critical ingredient that helps me express what I want to say. But there are also times that color gets in the way.

Monday, May 11, 2020

Big bother for little fluff

Great Blue Heron and Brewer's Blackbird in Midair Tussle, Skagit County, Washington

Occasionally, I'm a witness to things that are so bizarre you almost have to see a picture to believe it happened. Such was this odd encounter between a great blue heron and a blackbird.

Monday, May 4, 2020

Walled-In Pond

Cherry Blossom Reflections, Snohomish County, Washington

To call these unusual times minimizes how unusual they really are. Over the past seven weeks, the majority of my photography has been conducted within a few feet of my front door. And given that the stay-at-home order in my state has just been extended, my yard will continue to be my photography subject for at least another four more.

It’s easy to fixate on the limits. My spring and summer travel plans have been scrapped. And I can’t help but think of the photo opportunities in the parks close to home, which are off-limits to my camera and tripod. But these nearly two months at home have also been eye-opening.

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Storm over Hogwallow Flats, Virginia

Rainstorm over Hogwallow Flats, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

With my photography projects on indefinite hold, I've had some time to process images that have been in sitting the production queue, waiting for their turn. This is one of those. It’s from Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Canon 1Dx Mark III review

Hummingbird and Flowering Currant

The days of dSLR cameras are numbered. But even though Canon announced it’s concentrating its development efforts on mirrorless cameras, its brand new top-of-the-line camera is… a dSLR.

Given that the new Canon 1Dx Mark III is likely to be one of the last dSLRs ever, is it worth investing in one for wildlife photography? After using one for nearly two months, I think it is. The camera is a much more substantial upgrade than its specifications might suggest. Its autofocus system is nothing short of revolutionary. The new smart controller, which helps you quickly select autofocus points, almost justifies the upgrade by itself. But the camera suffers from some infuriating glitches and quirks, even after a firmware update.

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

It's Earth Day #50

Hummingbird and Flowering Currant

Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Since we’re supposed to be spending it at home, I thought I would post about how, honestly, Earth Day begins at home.

There are thousands if not millions of special places and wild creatures that are under attack from one environmental threat or another. And we should do all that we can to protect them. But if we focus only on them, we run the risk of thinking that doing right by the environment is someone else’s problem.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Introducing 5 Minutes in Nature

Sunset Over Olympic Mountains, Washington

For the past several months, I’ve been working on a project called Five Minutes in Nature. My plan was to introduce it to you now — the first full day of spring. But this is not how I planned to do it.

Five Minutes in Nature is about getting more people outdoors, appreciating the natural world five minutes at a time. The original idea was to help people get away from their screens.