Archive for July, 2007

Wildlife news

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

I stumbled across a couple of pretty good wildlife news blogs recently. They both seem to have very informative posts. If you are like me, you already have a lot of feeds you are subscribed to, but these two are worth considering adding a couple more!

Wild Again

WV7168.jpgFrom their about page: “Named after the Ute word for wolves, Sinapu is dedicated to the restoration and protection of native carnivores and their wild habitat in the Southern Rockies, and connected high plains and deserts.”. .  I particularly like their category tag “Postcards from nutsville!”

Ralph Maughan’s Wildlife News

A great blog on wolf news, recovery programs, and threats

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Detroiter

Saturday, July 28th, 2007

Something you didn’t know #2 .  in a followup to my tagging to reveal things ‘you didn’t know’ – I thought it would be a good lead-in to simply refer you to a recent article at The Detroiter.com. .  It is a nice article about Dispatch and the efforts and dedication of the founder.  Dispatch is a local publication in Detroit that celebrates the work of poets, writers, and artists.  The article reveals the relation to me.

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Bearing with our impacts

Saturday, July 28th, 2007

carving.jpgYes Tim and Penny, not only did you immortalize your love in the bark of this very nice birch, but now you are immortalized in my blog as well. Ok, your relationship probably didn’t last. And not to pick on Tim and Penny specifically, but how about “MD + JP”, “Sue + Tom”, and of course the ever favorite “John and Kim TLA.” All probably history by now, but this tree still bears your insignificant proclamations.

Please forgive my bitterness, but I have never understood the compulsion to carve one’s initials in the side of a tree. I know, I know – to be young and stupid – or perhaps the growing sign of age with my intolerance. Is it that much of a tribute to another person? Would the kids key the same on the side of their car? Or are all natural objects simply around to serve whatever our whims may be? Hopefully someday people like this will learn to appreciate the details of nature, and how valuable and increasingly rare they are without their personal mark on them. Better yet, go the tatoo route instead – show the real commitment to each other. The relationship will certainly last longer that way. :)

birch barkFortunately nature has ways of erasing some of our impacts. Some of this birch has peeled away, and fortunately didn’t succumb to insect invasion through the many cuts it received. I see this happening in many other aspects of nature – where we may destroy an area completely, and if left alone long enough, nature reclaims.

The birch tolerated Tim and Penny, just as nature tolerates so many of our trespasses. One day people may see respect for other things and people are better ways to show appreciation and dedication. I can only hope.

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Black and white bird photography

Tuesday, July 24th, 2007

Black and white photography is prevalent with landscapes, people, photojournalism and so many other types of subjects. Why is it then that we rarely see black and white images of birds (among other wildlife)? Is it because birds are generally very colorful in their own right that showing them in monochrome somehow robs them of their beauty?

black and white bird photographyAs with any subject in black and white, we tend to focus more on textures, shapes, and forms. Certainly birds have all of these characteristics, and should be no different than the other ‘well done’ black and white subjects. When I wrote my previous post on Seeing and Letting go, I mentioned that birds have a pretty tall ‘creativity ladder’ associated with them in my opinion. I did a quick Google search on black and white bird photography, and I turned up very little in the way of actual monochrome photographs. So perhaps this is a rung worth exploring a little more.

black and white bird photographyAnd coincidentally, while doing some browsing on creativity tools and thought starters, I came across this new black and white conversion technique. It is labeled as what Greg Gorman uses (or used to use), who is most well known for his great work with models and actors. It is quite different than many black and white conversion techniques, but I find it yields some very rich, deep tones. With my own set of models and actors I began to play a little, and was pleased with some of the results. I don’t think you could have better candidates for black and white photography than puffins and razorbill auks! After all, nature has already done most of the work for you. Cool stuff!

I want to say thanks again to all the great visitors I have here. By sharing your comments, thoughts, and ideas, you have made this blog richer than I could have ever done.

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Chinny

Saturday, July 21st, 2007

snowchinny2.jpg

I have been tagged by Paul Lester to reveal 8 things you might not know about me. Since I have read some other posts lately about people’s pets, I have been wanting to introduce you to Chinny, even before being ‘tagged.’ So you will get only one for now. ;-)

Chinny (short for Chinook) is a female, purebred Alaskan Malamute (commonly confused with a Husky). Malamutes in general are a lot bigger than huskies. My wife Lisa rescued her from a drug dealer at the age of one (no, she was not a customer!!), Chinny is now 6. Her previous owner left her outside 100% of the time, often with no food or water, and was frequently abusive. This guy was a neighbor to my wife’s mother, and one day she just went over there and said why don’t I take that dog off your hands. The guy agreed, stating she was a terrible watchdog, which is why he got her. Anyone that knows the personality of a malamute would say -’what an idiot’ – Malamutes are not watchdogs. They will usually greet everyone regardless if they know them.

About a year ago, she was diagnosed as having canine diabetes. This is supposedly quite common among northern breeds of dogs, no one knows why for sure. As a result, she needs two insulin injections per day as well as specially prepared food and a lot of control over what she can/can’t eat. Once dogs develop diabetes, it is with them for life. Unfortunately oral medications aren’t available either. She is well known at our vet’s office now due to the frequency of getting her glucose levels checked.

Before being diagnosed, we had a kennel we really liked where she would be boarded during some of our trips. However, they will no longer take her because she requires shots. That has led us on a search for a kennel that we like, that will also give shots. No luck yet, but still need to check out a couple leads. So our dive trips and other travel plans have been put on hold until we resolve this kennel issue. We generally try trips now where we can take her with us.

As pictured above, her mood completely changes when there is snow on the ground. Like night and day actually – you can tell these dogs have snow in their blood. We wanted to someday try her with a sled, but the diabetes also places a limit on her exertion levels. So we are nervous about that now.

She attracts a lot of attention when we are out walking her or at the pet store, etc. People just seem to love snow dogs. And since she is such a ham, she is more than happy to receive the attention. But when people get a northern breed dog, often they get frustrated by their stubbornness. They are also extremely intelligent and like to ‘talk’ a lot. .  Chinny is no different with all of these characteristics.

So that is a short introduction on a member of our family, and one thing you probably didn’t know.

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Sunny days? No thanks…

Wednesday, July 18th, 2007

I am sure quite a few photographers can relate to this type of conversation on a bright, sunny summer day;

Random person: “Nice day, eh?”
Photographer: “So, so I guess..”
Random person: “What do you mean?! There isn’t a cloud in the sky”
Photographer: “Yeah, that’s the problem!”

Random person walks away puzzled.

Dominica palm treeIt may seem strange to the ordinary person, but photographers are not ordinary – in fact they may be considered quite dysfunctional. :-) I am no exception. Why the heck are we always evaluating the weather for subject potential? I will take rain and drizzle, anything short of a roaring downpour over a clear, sunny day anytime.

Of course there are many photographic reasons for this – light too harsh, too contrasty, compositions are difficult in controlling bright regions vs. dark, technical limitations on exposure, shorter periods of time to be shooting, tonal harmony, etc, etc. Quite frankly, a bright sunny day can be quite boring photographically, with occasional rare exceptions. (OK, I’ll give you sunflowers! :-) ) Nice day? Bah humbug!

Those dramatic ends of the day, the detail revealing powers of overcast light, and the color saturation from a fresh rain are what we crave. Is it an obsession with drama? Is it why we find troubled and dramatic movie characters more interesting than plain happy ones? How can bright sunshine make some so happy but leave those strange nature photographers in disappointment?

I find the psychology of this incredibly interesting. It is actually hard at times to separate thinking photographically because many of us have it flowing through our blood all the time. We can’t deny the benefits of shooting in good light, but perhaps once in awhile, on occasion, we just enjoy the day for what it is.

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Pure Michigan

Friday, July 13th, 2007

Cover image Michigan nature Pictured Rocks

Just out is a special Governor’s edition of the Great Lakes region nature journal Whisper in the Woods. It was published in cooperation with the Governor’s office to celebrate the diversity of life and seasons in Michigan and features many Michigan nature photographers. I am sincerely honored that one of my images was selected for the cover, and it is in fact, my first cover. I actually wrote a blog entry about the trip when this was taken last year along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Lake Superior. This area is one of my favorite places in Michigan, and hope the image provides the impression of an inviting window to enter and expore.

With a few more images inside, my photographs appear along with the great work of fellow artists Mike Moats, Cindy Mead, Stacy Niedzwiecki, Kimberli Bindschatel, Bruce Montagne, Carl Sams II, Linda Henderson, Dean Pennala, Steve Brimm, Robert Domm, Rich Kelley, Brad Reed, Steve Petrides, Tom Haxby, Vito Palmisano, Randall McCune, and the great nature artwork of Rod Lawrence. Whew! a lot of links – that ought to keep anyone busy for awhile. :-)

The issue is a beautiful representation of the diversity of landscapes, flora and fauna in Michigan throughout the seasons. Kimberli Bindschatel did a wonderful job with the image layouts, reproduction, and piecing together something I hope Governor Jennifer Granholm’s office is proud of. If anyone asks “What is Michigan nature like?” – hand them this issue and they will have only scratched the surface, but an appetite for more. Whisper in the Woods is sold at these establishments or you can subscribe at their site.

ref: Pictured Rocks photos images photography landscapes

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Seeing and letting go

Thursday, July 12th, 2007

The August 2007 issue of Lenswork includes the usual insightful commentary by Brooks Jensen in his ‘Editor’s Comments.’ For those of you who do not receive Lenswork, Brooks writes about The Pragmatics of Creativity. I always enjoy these commentaries because they always provoke some self-contemplation on my part. In this essay, he talks about situations that every photographer faces when composing and making a photograph. grey headed coneflowersIs the work a reflection of our own abilities to ’see’ or is it the product of having seen through others eyes? By saying ‘having seen through others’ is simply referring to having seen images of a certain place or subject before, and replicating them to some extent with our own camera. Perhaps not the exact composition, but certainly not different enough to be labeled unique. And of course, as artists we are all under some pressure, internal or external, to be original. As Brooks describes..

..the art of seeing is what defines the creative photographer as compared to the merely competent one.

One of the aspects of this essay that I particularly liked was that Brooks doesn’t really criticize one for seeing through others. This doesn’t have to be a negative association. He recognizes that seeing through others is often a necessary if not mandatory step. Often it is the powerful emotional reaction we have to photographs we have seen that motivates us to want to engage in photography for ourselves. How can that be a bad thing?

I liken it to just another rung in our ladder of growth towards being creative. It is a rung that we cannot simply step over, it must be stepped on at some point. In fact, this ladder analogy that I just made up while typing this seems to have various aspects to it in itself. Certain subjects definitely have different heights of ladders associated with them. Brooks mentions Yosemite and Half Dome as being a place that many refer to as “It’s all been done.” Perhaps this is a very tall ladder. But eventually by climbing it, you will reach a rung that no one has stepped on before.

Frozen raindrop copyright Mark Graf grafphoto.com

Other subjects may be very short ladders. We may find it quite easy to find a rung that was never stepped on. I see many nature and landscape subjects that interest me as having each a unique ladder associated with them. For birds, I think that ladder is pretty darn tall. It is quite rare that I come across a truly unique and creative bird image, even when making them myself. That is not to say there are not thousands of beautiful bird photographs out there, but to label one as unique and creative is quite high up. Flowers are another tall ladder to climb, and I often find myself challenged as well as frustrated in climbing it at times.

Brooks describes the path we take in seeing through others, and then eventually learning to let go. That it is “the essential koan at the gate of the creativity.” Perhaps this means at some point, we simply keep climbing, not looking down, and perhaps stepping lighter and lighter on each rung as we ascend.

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Protect your images with watermarks

Sunday, July 8th, 2007

I have read various opinions on protecting images from copyright violations over the years. The bottom line is any picture on the internet could potentially be used illegally. The only way to be 100% protected is to not have them online to begin with, which isn’t an option for many. You can put up some stumbling blocks (no right clicks, etc), but none of them are fool proof in actually preventing the theft. There are so many ways around those hurdles now. So you have to accept the fact that someday some images may be taken (if not already.)

BU8467.jpgAwhile ago I settled on putting a transparent logo watermark on my images. I have read some thoughts that some photographers consider them too distracting, but I think if done in a subtle way, they do not distract from the primary content of the image.

Having read a great post at Carolyn Wright’s PhotoAttorney site reaffirms my decision to do this. She details the specific sections of the law that grant some protection by using watermarks. I have always thought that ignorance (versus apathy) could be the excuse for someone using an image illegally. But with a watermark on the image, it certainly gives a strong case towards intent to violate that copyright if they try to remove it. It is nice to see specific sections of the law that supports that presumption on my part. By using a logo (or something similar), it also makes it harder for someone to simply crop it off the bottom of the image. Of course, some numskull may just post the image somewhere with the watermark clearly intact.

In addition to the watermark, I also list in my image metadata copyright notices and place specific verbage that the notice is not authorized to be removed. This probably isn’t as good as the visual watermark, but is an easy thing to add on all of your images when imported to your computer by using metadata templates or presets in a program like Lightroom. The metadata verbage is also good to include if sending an image out for publication or if it is licensed for specific usage rights where you may not have the watermark on it.

Either way, just hope that you find out about the theft and it could be your lucky day as Dan Heller describes making money from stolen images. Dan goes into great detail about the aspects of image theft on the net, the trouble in finding such violations, and how it may be the best thing that ever happened to you. So have that watermark intact (or removal of) as your proof and ultimately talk to an attorney if you discover an infringement.

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You will burn your eye out kid

Friday, July 6th, 2007

FL8557.jpgI don’t have the opportunity to do silhouettes like this very often. Today I saw some coneflowers that were on the side of a hill where the sun would be rising directly behind them. It is the kind of shot that requires a bit of prevision because once the sun is up, you can’t really compose anything through the viewfinder. Not only is it just too bright, but also very dangerous to your eyes. It is usually safer to do this type of thing with a morning fog, or those mornings where the sun is a bright orange-red ball. But today it was clear skies, typical summer day and the sun was at its full intensity as soon as it came over the horizon.

Once the sun was fully in the frame, all you could do is take a very, very quick glimpse in the viewfinder to try to check composition and sharpness. What I found difficult was anticipating where in the frame the ball of the sun would end up as it rose higher. Since it rises on a slight arc, I was constantly having to adjust my tripod slightly to compensate. (I was working with this group as found in the field) You then lose your original composition, and have to reposition things somewhat blind.  Moving your tripod then brings other objects into your background which I didn’t want   This is where digital shows a big advantage because I could at least snap a few frames and see the result on the LCD.

You also have some technical issues to contend with here. You have to shoot fairly wide open otherwise the sun will start to take the shape of your aperture blades in your lens. This means your depth of field is going to be limited and your subject selection for the silhouette as well. Fortunately this group of coneflowers were on the same plane enabling me to shoot at f5.6. .  It is best to use simple shapes without a lot of mergers. .  I have seen these work well with dragonflies and birds. .  It is best to plan everything out, compose and focus before the sun gets in the frame and try to anticipate the arc.

These are fun to experiment with, but also require a lot of caution. Who would have thought flower photography could be hazardous to your well being?

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