Adventures Through the Lens

Book Review: Death Valley Photographer's Guide by Dan Suzio

2012-01-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

I don’t normally do book reviews, they remind me of book reports in school which inevitably leads me to hum “A book report on Peter Rabbit” over and over for days. (If you’ve never seen/heard the musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown you are missing out.)

So what could possibly change my mind and get me jazzed enough to hum for weeks? Why Death Valley of course!

Death Valley is the largest National Park in the lower 48 covering more than 3 million acres, just under 4,700 square miles. It is the hottest, driest and lowest point in the United States. With such a vast area and extreme climate it is easy for visitors to become overwhelmed and miss out on photographic opportunities. Every person who visits Death Valley takes photos of Badwater, the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and the view from Zabriskie Point but did you know there is a waterfall in Death Valley? Do you know what time of year the endangered pupfish are most easily seen? Do you know how to dance with a chuckwalla?

Photographer Dan Suzio does and he shares all in his new book Death Valley Photographer’s Guide published by Nolina Press. Dan has been photographing in Death Valley for the past 35 years and he still makes new discoveries with every visit. For those of you keeping track, yes that means many of his images were shot with… FILM! It’s a treat to see the film images holding their own against Dan’s more recent DSLR work.

The book is divided into three sections: an overview, location listings broken out by general area and finally an easy to navigate reference chart. It’s always tempting to quickly flip through the overview to get to the good bits of a photo guide but I recommend against that for this book. The overview contains not only wonderfully amusing anecdotes to enjoy but also a lot of information that will help to keep you safe when you venture forth. Whether you are relying too heavily on your GPS, running out of fuel or sticking your hand into crevices occupied by the local snakes, one mistake in the desert can cost you dearly.

At first glance this book appears to be a lightweight, easy to carry paperback but dive into the location listings and you’ll find there is nothing lightweight about the information! Within the first paragraph of every location you immediately and clearly find out what to expect to see in the location, when the light is best for photography, what wildlife and flowers to look out for, the elevation and how to get there. Read further for some surprising gems of knowledge that can only be gleaned by someone who has put in the time to explore. Healthy doses of inspiring photographs grace the pages though it’s obvious from the collection that Dan’s first love is reserved for the reptiles. Check out the beauty on page 46 and you’ll understand what I mean.

Personally I’ve been exploring Death Valley for around 8 years and I thought I was getting to know the park pretty well. After reading Dan’s guide I realize I’ve yet to scratch the surface! I can’t wait to get back out there armed with all of Dan’s generous knowledge.

Pick up a copy of the Death Valley Photographer’s Guide before your next trip and leave the crowds behind. Available at: http://www.deathvalleyphotographersguide.com or on Amazon.

Everything Old is New Again

2012-01-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that 100 years have passed since the ill fated Scott expedition to the South Pole. In one sense 100 years doesn't seem that long - I was lucky enough to know my great-grandmother well into my college years. She was born in 1897 making her 17 years old when Scott set out. Knowing someone who was alive during the time period makes it seem not so long ago. However, knowing that Herbert Ponting took 400 pounds of camera equipment on that expedition, spent 14 months in a hut at Cape Evans and came home with just over one thousand images makes it seem like ages have passed.

My camera bag weighs in around 45 pounds on an average trip but even with a few added accessories, I rarely need more than 100 pounds of luggage. During my 5 weeks camping in Ethiopia I took more than 18,000 images and didn't need to figure out how to keep my chemicals from freezing or how to safely transport glass plates back home. By comparison photographers today have it easy! Equipment today is smaller, lighter, more versatile, capable of capturing greater dynamic range and of being pushed to further extremes.

And yet the techniques, tried and true, remain the same and amazing photos remain amazing no matter how long ago they were taken.

On my way to Ethiopia I stopped over in London. I've always admired Ponting and Hurley so the opportunity to view their images of the Scott and Shackleton expeditions at the Queen's Gallery was priority one. I was completely unprepared for the haunting beauty of the exhibition. Seeing scans or reproductions of the photographs online or in books falls short of seeing the actual prints. The raw emotion these two photographers captured was palpable.

'Endurance' at night - Frank Hurley 1915

When I finally came to Hurley's 'The Long, Long Night' I was practically in tears. The image of Endurance caught fast in the ice, lit with ghostly light which seemed to foreshadow her demise is so iconic and moving. It struck me that if one wanted to capture a similar image today we would use the same exact technique almost 100 years later.

'The Long, Long Night' -Frank Hurley 1915

Working in the White Mountains in California I used Hurley's technique of light painting the foreground Bristlecone Pine tree. I like the simplicity of the silhouette but in comparison, the soft light of the lamp gives the tree more of a haunted, soulful mood which speaks more deeply to me.

In Death Valley I used my head lamp to illuminate a branch which had blown onto the playa, opting to light just a portion of the image rather than utilizing filters which could have allowed for an entirely bright foreground. For me this image is more about creating a mood than just documenting the fact of the branch.

And if you think the next image is out of the box and 'new' - think again. Even Pablo Picasso (yup the famous painter) and Gjon Mili were creating light paintings in 1949. 'Drawing a Centaur in the Air'

So take a walk through history, see who has gone before you and savor their triumphs as you incorporate their tried and true techniques into your own work. Techniques that produced amazing photos 100 years ago are never too old to be new again.

Images by Frank Hurley displayed with permission by the Royal Geographic Society
'The Heart of the Great Alone - Scott, Shackleton and Antarctic Photography' is on display at the Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace until April 15th. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Happy Penguin Awareness Day!!

2012-01-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

Crazy mad for penguins? Me too!! I can't get enough of these adorable clowns of the sea.

Happy Penguin Awareness Day!

Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) Antarctic Peninsula

Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) West Point Island, Falklands

Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) Antarctic Peninsula

King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) Volunteer Point, Falklands

Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) Saunders Island, Falklands

Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) Volunteer Point, Falklands

Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor) Bass Straits, Tasmania

Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), Otago Peninsula, New Zealand

Winter Dreams

2012-01-19T18:55:00.000-08:00

As the winter rains begin to fall here in San Francisco I'm dreaming of the sunny days when I can get back out on the ocean. There's nothing quite like motoring back toward the Golden Gate after a day of being tossed around on the ocean waves.

2012-01-18T02:48:00.000-08:00

Let your reps know

Vote NO on PIPA and SOPA

2011 in Review

2011-12-27T15:40:00.001-08:00


California Quail at Bruce's Ranch

2011 passed in a blur for me but one thing was crystal clear.

Friendships, old and new, made each epic adventure more rich and rewarding.


Death Valley Stars with Jim

Santa Cruz on an outing with Edie

From local California shoots with Bruce, Jim, Michael, Jaymi and Edie through two large expeditions, one to Svalbard with Paul and one to Africa for my Ethiopian Wolf Project with Will, none would have been as productive nor amazingly fun without my friends! Thank you all for challenging me to be better, for your support and most of all for all the fun times! I love you all and look forward to more adventures in the New Year!!

Midnight swim in Svalbard

Walrus basking

Paul tempting the iceberg

Underwater-eye view

Ethiopian Wolf Pup, Meggity Pack

Hunting Ethiopian Wolf

Morning in the Web Valley, Ethiopia

Check out their work via the links below.

I promise you won't be disappointed!

Bruce Finocchio

Michael Kern

Jim Goldstein

Jaymi Heimbuch

Edie Howe

Paul Souders

Will Burrard-Lucas

Ethiopian Wolf Project

Jim Goldstein's Best Photos of 2011 Blog Project

Going Back to Ethiopia

2011-11-11T02:12:00.001-08:00

For a long while I've been trying to give greater meaning and purpose to the images I create. I've donated work to organizations like the Marine Mammal Rescue & Rehabilitation Center to honor the volunteers who give so much and the SFBBO in support of avian science and research in the San Francisco bay area. While on Midway Atoll I took a photograph of garbage that washed ashore urging people to recycle which won a highly honored mention in the Natures Best Photography Competition and I've donated prints to the Marine Debris symposium. But I've wanted to do more.

Many of us cast about for our defining moments, for the perfect images to fill our portfolio, for the iconic image that defines us as a photographer or the perfect project to inspire us. I found my inspiration in Ethiopia this past spring.

A friend and volunteer at the Marine Mammal Center contacted me about the opportunity to travel to the Bale Mountains in Ethiopia with the premier canid researcher, Dr Claudio Sillero. I've always been shy of wildlife photography in Africa. The image that springs immediately to my mind is one of a pair of lions surrounded by five or more land rovers. This particular trip was something altogether different.

It was a hard trip, physically and mentally. I'd been struggling with plantar facitis for well over a year. Some days it was nearly impossible to stand but the opportunity to view such a remote and rugged land with the Dr Sillero was simply too good to pass up. So, I packed my bags an pushed through my pain. Frankly, there is no way I would have been able to complete the trek without my trusty steed Dama. The little ponies in Ethiopia are extremely strong and sure-footed and full of more than a little bit of personality.

The estimated 10k elevation turned into 14k. 3-5 miles a day turned into 13-16 miles. After some of the rides I had to cling to Damas saddle after dismounting for support until I could feel my knees again.

The sun was fierce but not as fierce as the wind. I learned the hard way why Ethiopians wear head scarves wrapped tightly around thier faces. The skin on my face dried, cracked and bled. One morning I awoke with horrible facial edema, I could barely open my eyes.

When we finally descended altitude at the end of the trip, I had the worst nose bleed of my life. My hotel room looked like a scene from a teenage slasher movie.

Oh and did I mention the deisel truck that crashed and burned in front of us on the highway back to Addis Ababa, the only route we could take back to the city?

Through all of this I never once asked myself 'what the hell am I doing here'?

Who could have guessed that I would fall completely in love with the elusive and enigmatic Ethiopian Wolf? This was a project I could throw myself behind.

Everyone knows about jackals, hyenas and the beautiful African Wild dog but when you mention wolves in Africa you often get a surprised stare... The most endangered canine in Africa and the vast majority of people don't even know it exists.

And so I am going back, a bit better prepared for the challenges of working at high altitude than I was on the scouting trip. My goal is to capture stunning images of the wolves and the conservation group working to save them from extinction that can be used to reach a wide audience and advocate for the species.

Just as the skin on my face was able to heal, given the right opportunity and support the Ethiopian Wolf can recover. The tireless dedication of the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program has smoothed the way for a government approved vaccination program that will allow the wolves to resist future outbreaks of rabies and canine distemper and recover in numbers.

Due to the isolation of the region it will be hard to get updates through but I hope to be able to post to our blog and twitter feed as often as possible so you can all follow the adventure.

Blog
http://www.ethiopianwolfproject.com/subscribe/
Twitter http://twitter.com/EWproject
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/EthiopianWolfProject

-- Post From My iPhone

Back from Death Valley

2011-10-31T19:10:00.000-07:00

Crescent Moon Setting Over Badwater

I'm just home from co-hosting a photo tour in Death Valley National Park. It was a fabulous few days despite the fact I was recovering from a cold. I went through a bottle and a half of Purell in an attempt to keep my cold to myself - fingers crossed I was successful.

While most of my time was spent setting camp, driving guests to locations, preparing meals and offering advice on what/how to capture the scenes unfolding in front of us, I did find time to capture a few images of my own.

I photographed the crescent moon setting while I waited for guests to return from the middle of the salt flats with Jim Goldstein. One of the guests, Tom suggested we shoot this as a timelapse so in a few days I'll get that sequence together to share! Thanks Tom!

Another of our guests was none other than Russell Brown. Russell is the Senior Creative Director at Adobe and boy does he know the products inside and out! One of our main desires in visiting the remote Racetrack Playa in Death Valley was the opportunity to photograph the stars with minimal light pollution. Russell offered up one of his amazing scripts to help us composite our star trails. It worked like a charm (even though my intervalometer stopped working one hour into a three hour shoot). The script creates layers from multiple exposures, sets the blending mode and even gives you masks which make it super easy to get rid of pesky air planes from the night sky. As someone who manually performed all of those tasks for her first star trail image... it took HOURS... I can tell you this script is worth it's weight in gold!! Visit http://www.russellbrown.com/ to get your copy of Dr. Brown’s Stack-A-Matic 2.2.3.

A warm thank you to the rest of the gang: Maurice, Dave and Glenn - you made it a wonderful trip despite the frigid desert night. I hope you've all thawed out by now!!

Farallons

2011-10-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was one of the most beautiful days I have ever had on the Pacific Ocean. The sea was calm, barely a one foot swell even when the wind picked up later in the day. We headed out to look for the Great White Sharks which are congregating near the Farallons at this time of year as they follow their favorite food, Sea Lions and elephant seals.

Calm Seas

We got skunked on the sharks but we did see a pod of Risso Dolphin (Grampus griseus). The lack of shark activity gave me some free time to pull out a wide angle lens and play with the clouds. Normally I am too focused on working the long lens as I chase images of the animals that live in this amazing area. On our way home we found a weather buoy that had broken loose form it's anchorage and was drifting into the shipping lane. A quick call to the Coast Guard found the contact info to report the errant buoy and it should be back where it belongs by now.

Pod of Risso Dolphin in front of the Farallon Islands

Farallon Islands also called the Devil's Teeth

An errant weather buoy

The Golden Gate welcomed us home

Alcatraz Island

Recent Press

2011-10-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy busy year but some of that work is paying off in the media. Fun!
You can click the links below to view the articles.

Planet Green: "Awesome Arachnids"

The Sun: "Fighting for Survival: Polar Bears in the Wild"

TreeHugger: "Wolves in Ethiopia Disappearing Thanks to Domestic Dog Diseases"

The Telegraph: Picture of the Day October 6, 2011

The Daily Mail: "Leap of Faith"

The Venice Patch: "Archnophilia Crawls into G2 Gallery"

2011 Coastal Cleanup Day

2011-09-12T16:14:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again

Our beaches and waterways need your help for

Coastal Cleanup Day

Saturday, Sept 17, 2011

9am to Noon

If you're looking for a spot that needs extra hands check out the websites below.

California Coastal Commission
Marin County via the Bay Model
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

Back Lit

2011-08-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

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The one thing you can always count on in nature photography is that your subject won't care if they give you the wrong angle for the light. We found this bear on a recent seal kill but the sun was shining from behind him but not far enough behind him to work with rim light. We couldn't safely get on shore and move to a better angle so instead, I just choose to go in tight.

My Mother’s Daughter

2011-08-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

I am my mother’s daughter. As I scoured the trapper’s camp for good angles on the long abandon rowboats and food cashes, I suddenly found myself drawn to the midden heap. Ok, it was really the dump or garbage pile but midden heap sounds much more historical and less icky so I’m sticking with it. I was reminded of walks through the woods with my mother, finding little cabins long abandon and searching for hidden treasures. A maple syrup tap was one of our greatest finds and I can still see it held high in my mother’s triumphant hand today.

I held up a rusted key from a tin of sardines, square nails, a rusted fork and a wine bottle with a hand carved stopper. I can just imagine the trapper on a cold winter night, carving that stopper after his sardine meal. Saving the last bit of wine for another night. No Internet, no TV, no Twitter or Facebook. Just a man and the elements.


Remains of a meal

Unlike my mother, and after hearing the sage words from Paul, “You can’t steal history”, I left my pile of treasures where I found them. As an historic site I’m certain it will see many more visitors over the years. You never know, there might be someone else who likes garbage as much as I do and these items will be there for them to explore.

Were these discharged at a threatening polar bear or simply to dispatch a reindeer for dinner?

Quick Field Outing

2011-08-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

Caitlin gently lifts the new-born from the nest

Caitlin shows off the newly-born plover chick

I'll get back to Svalbard next week but wanted to share a couple of shots from a quick field outing with biologist, Caitlin Nilsen of the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory. Caitlin is the Waterbird Director with the SFBBO and monitors the bay area population of snowy plovers.

The second sibling emerges

This morning I dragged Jaymi Heimbuch, a talented writer for TreeHugger (Twitter: @JaymiHeimbuch), away from her warm bed at an ungodly hour to accompany me to the plover breeding grounds near Hayward, California. We caught up with Caitlin and headed into the restricted reserve in search of a nesting site she suspected might be ready to hatch. When we arrived the first of three speckled eggs had already been breached. The resulting chick was snuggling the remaining two eggs. Plover chicks are mobile and able to feed themselves very shortly after hatching. Once they are on their feet they are nearly impossible to catch. However, this one needed a little more time to dry off, warm up with mom and gain a bit more strength before we could safely give it some "birdie bling" and so we backed away and Caitlin treated us to a tour of the reserve while we waited, complete with an overview of the restoration project.

After two hours we returned to the nest and found the chick looking fully twice it's hatching size. He now resembled a cute little cotton-ball. While Caitlin carefully placed the color-coded bands on the chick, Jaymi and I were delighted to witness the second sibling break from of it's egg. Caitlin and her team receive a limited number of unique band sequences per season so only one chick from this nest will receive the bands.

To learn more about the Snowy Plover Recovery Project, including ways you can help and where to report sightings of banded plovers, please visit http://www.SFBBO.org.

A quick check to make certain mom is watching before putting the newly banded chick back with it's sibling. Snowy Plovers are perfectly camouflaged on the salt ponds. Do you see the nest with the second chick beginning to hatch?

Getting the Shot in the Field

2011-08-05T13:52:00.000-07:00

It was late in the night with a strong wind kicking up when we pulled into the tiny protected harbor. Through the fog and rain we could just make out the trappers cabin and abandon boats on shore. We were headed back to Longyearbyen and so we knew that if the weather broke we would have only a short while on land in this location that was rich with photographic subjects. I packed my bag that night, trading out long lenses for shorter wide-angles, a flash, my filters and other accessories.

Historic Trapper's Site

Early that morning the weather broke and gave us some dramatic storm light on the scene so we sprang into action. Meg, Paul, Steve and I headed to shore and split in different directions, pulled by our differing perspectives.

Straight shot of oil drum

I found myself drawn to this old oil drum that had been cut open and apparently used to catch fresh rain water. It was in the shade of the hut and the sky was bright, a straight shot wasn't going to cut it. Sure, I could shoot for the middle of this scene and spend hours dodging and burning in Photoshop to "fix" it or I could shoot multiple exposures and blend them but who wants to spend all that time in front of the computer?


Same shot with flash and ND filters applied

Instead I pulled out my flash and set it up off-camera to the far left of the scene to illuminate the face of the barrel. I then pulled out my trusty Singh-Ray filters and choose my soft edge, 2-stop graduated ND to hold back the light from the sky putting my flashed foreground in balance with the sunlit scene in the background.

We only had an hour in a location where I could have spent days, but I made the most of my time here simply because I was prepared to take advantage of the opportunities. A few moments of planning the night before and knowing what equipment to use allowed me to capture the image I wanted in less than two minutes set-up time and saved me headache and frustration at home on the computer.

Death and Life

2011-08-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Remains of the fin whale viewed underwater

Two years ago a fin whale died and washed up near Holmiabukta. It's rumored that a film crew dragged the carcass to it's final resting place inside the cove which is a favorite anchorage for small boats seeking refuge from stormy weather.

Perfect free-diving form

For the past two years this whale has attracted polar bears from far and wide. We arrived in Holmiabukta Cove after the thaw while there was still snow on the ground. We were treated to multiple bear cycling through, diving for the remaining tidbits of meat and blubber. It was such a treat to see so many healthy, well fed bear. From the death of one whale comes a whole lot of good living for many polar bear.

Bear chews on a piece of flesh from the whale

The low tide exposes the fin whale vertebra and makes it easier for the bear to reach the remaining meat

Grease Ice

2011-08-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Delicate patterns emerge from the formation of grease ice

The 4-stroke engine of the zodiac purrs quietly as we glide through the crystal clear waters of the protected fjord. The temperature is dropping and I can hear the grease ice crunching against the hull, tiny chips skid away from the skiff as we cut a 3-foot wide swath. Paul remarks “Who needs bread crumbs?!’ and indeed, the trail is very clear. 5 hours of driving the ice edge has yielded no bears even though we did find many sets of tracks. The bearded seals are all on high alert, bolting into the water even before we get within a half-mile. Skunked. At least we know hot soup and cocoa are waiting for us on the boat when we return… where did we leave the boat again?

Our pathway broken through the new ice

Walrus

2011-08-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

"I must be crazy!!"

The thought passes quickly through my mind as a giant mouth closes around my camera dome port. This walrus is curious, rubbing his vibrissa against my camera as if to say ‘Let me spruce up for my close up’! Two of his friends become interested and tentatively push forward behind him.

At 1-2 tons, these sweet creatures can do some major damage so I’m glad that I’ve intrigued and not irritated these giants. I glance off to my left and see the guys are not so lucky. They’ve got a large amorous male who sees them as a threat to the female he is wooing. He charges, flashing his long white tusks and snorting and the guys head for the hills, deciding the better part of valor is to let him have his stretch of beach.

We are in survival suits, which protect against the 4 deg C water but offer little protection from a large angry walrus. I trip on a rock and quick as a wink find myself floating on my back, feet in the air, completely turtled. The suit is extremely buoyant and I fight to get my feet under me again. Advice comes from shore, ‘Just put your feet down, stand up!’ Easier said than done and revenge comes later when Paul trips and finds out for himself how well these suits float.

Revenge Shot "Just put your feet down!" Paul was a very good sport. ;0)

Back from 80 degrees North

2011-07-31T17:02:00.000-07:00

creative commons: Mysid

I'm back from an amazing adventure in Svalbard. 22 days on a small sailboat exploring the fjords, glaciers, islands and ice floes that make this archipelago famous. We were a crew of 6: Our fearless skipper Heinrich from Longyearbyen, the eternally sunny Pauline from Hong Kong (now living in Longyearbyen), the effervescent Meg from Australia, impish Steve from Seattle and the glue who held us all together, Paul also from Seattle.

We began in Longyearbyen, the largest of 4 settlements in the archipelago and sailed north, stopping at 79°N to visit former coal-town-turned-research-settlement, Ny-Ålesund. From there we continued North along the coast until we eventually reached the northern pack ice.

The lack of trees and shrubs makes the landscape seem barren at first, nothing more than volcanic rock and shale, scoured clean by repeated glaciations from the tertiary times to present. On closer inspection one begins to see life. The landscape is dotted with tiny wildflowers, moss and lichen. The sea is rich with crustaceans, mollusks and crabs. All of which supports an incredible diverse group of birds, marine mammals and even some terrestrial mammals.

What's Meant To Be There

2011-06-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

I love to photograph along the California coast. There is nothing so relaxing as sitting and watching the waves break over the rocks and dance across the sand. I can spend hours scouring the tide line and various tide pools looking for goodies like a pretty shell, a bit of seaweed or a nicely shaped bit of drift wood. All too often I find trash which just doesn't belong.

Beach clean up doesn't have to be limited to one day a year: California Coastal Clean Up Day
Individuals like Justin Rudd are organizing 30 minute beach clean ups once a month! Organizations like Surfrider are getting involved as well. Even more important to remember is you don't have to wait for an 'official' clean up day. I try to be certain to have a bag with me every time I head out and I've noticed that people tend to pick up after themselves more often when they see someone actively cleaning the beach.

Love our coast! Pick up some trash so we can enjoy what is meant to be there!

Endangered Species Day

2011-05-20T00:25:00.000-07:00

These animals are all listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered on the IUCN Redlist (http://www.iucnredlist.org/). Celebrate Endangered Species Day: Google a creature to see how YOU can make a difference in saving an endangered species!

Mountain Nyala, Sea Otter, Hawaiian Monk Seal, Green Turtle, Hector's Dolphin, Laysan Duck, Black-footed Albatross, Giant Mole-rat, Leatherback Sea Turtle, Tasmanian Devil, Black-browed Albatross, Ethiopian Wolf

Weekend at the Ranch

2011-04-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

California Quail peeking through the grasses

Just back from a lovely weekend at my friends ranch in Monterey County where we hosted the category winners of the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory 2010 Click Off Photo Contest. We had wonderful weather, tasty food and wine and lots of cooperative birds. There were also a few not so cooperative - do titmice ever sit still?


Spotted Towhee

We are looking forward to opening this year's photo contest for entries on June 1! Start getting your California bird photos together if you'd like to join us at the ranch next year!

Scrub Jay

Solar Follow Up

2011-04-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

I am sorely behind in posts since returning from Ethiopia!! Big things are afoot and they've taken up much of my time BUT it's time I get back to this!!

In January I purchased a solar recharging solution for my trip to Ethiopia. I'm pleased to follow up on that purchase.

It worked fabulously!

Even with some cloudy, overcast days and considerable down time during days spent on the move the PowerFilm F15-1200 20 Watt collected plenty of power to fill the Brunton Solo 7.5. I was able to recharge my camera batteries, iPhone and iPad every night. It was wonderful to know I could rely on my phone for my alarm every morning and I could run my camera all night without fear of being left without power. A+

PowerFilm collecting power outside my tent

What's in the bag?

2011-02-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

I'm getting ready to head into the Bale Mountains in Ethiopia in search of the Ethiopian Wolf. There are only around 500 of these wolves left in Africa. Since we'll be hiking and working out of tents I tried to pare down my kit to a manageable weight. To that end, the 600mm is staying home and I opted for the D300s over it's heavier cousin the D3s.

Main body: Nikon D3x
Back up & video: Nikon D300s
Lenses:
200-400mm
70-200mm
24-70mm
16mm fisheye
1.4x tc
1.7x tc
Flash: SB-800
Intervalometer
Off camera flash cord
Split ND filters & PL
Spare hex wrench
Lens cloth
Lens Pen
Spare battery
Memory cards

-- Post From My iPhone

Northern Elephant Seals prepare for Valentine's Day

2011-02-06T00:14:00.000-08:00

A bull seal showing the wounds from a recent fight

A young male comes ashore to test the Alpha bull

No trip down the coast would be complete without a stop to check in on the Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga angustirostris). In early December the large males begin to arrive on the beaches, establishing their territory and sizing up the competition. The battles are fierce and bloody but rarely deadly and to the victor go the spoils. The 'Alpha' bull gets the privilege of mating with all of the females of his harem which can consist of anywhere from 30 to 100 females.

The intruder is chased off by the Alpha

Females arrive on the beaches mid to late December and give birth to the next generation. These pups are jet black earning them the nickname "black coats". Approximately 75 pounds at birth, the pups nurse on fat-rich milk for 25-28 days. Incredibly they can reach between 250-350 pounds in this short time period! Once they are weaned they lose their black coat, molting into a silver gray.

Females bear one pup but orphaned pups take advantage where ever they can

After weaning her pup, Mom mates with the alpha bull (Valentine's Day usually falls at the height of the mating season - fancy that!) and then abandons the pups to learn to fend for themselves. They spend the next few weeks climbing through sand dunes, chewing on everything they find, playing in tide pools and eventually taking to the sea as they learn what it means to be a seal.


Black coat preparing to nurse

Mother and black coat pup bask in the morning sun

Where to view North Elephant Seals:

Año Nuevo State Park: Reservations required

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523

Piedras Blancas, San Simeon

Walkways open to the public year round and admission free

http://www.elephantseal.org

The Marine Mammal Center

Marin Headlands near Sausalito

Rescue and rehabilitation

Open to the public 10am - 5pm daily

Free admission

http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/

A bull issuing his trade-mark battle-call

Hitchhiker

2011-01-18T12:02:00.000-08:00

Hawaiian Spinner Dolphin with Lamprey

With the recent news of the Short-tailed Albatross chick hatching successfully on Midway Atoll I found myself drawn to my collection of images from two trips there. Midway is such an amazing place, you never know what you'll find hidden around the next corner. One thing is for certain though... you'll always find a friendly person to give you a lift!

Krummholz

2011-01-13T18:43:00.000-08:00

An old Bandera (Flag) Tree

Krummholz (German: krumm "crooked, bent, twisted" and holz "wood")
Chances are, anywhere you have strong directional winds you will find trees that have decided to give up trying to grow against the flow. Because of their tendency for growth on the leeward side only, these trees have been coined Flag or Banner trees. If you think the winds are strong in the "Roaring 40's" latitude... head to Tierra del Fuego and check out the power of the "Furious Fifties"!

Bandera (Flag) Tree and the Beagle Channel

My Solar Solution

2011-01-12T19:21:00.000-08:00

My next trip is going to be a bit more off the beaten path with lots of opportunities to photograph star trails all night and animals and landscapes all day in battery draining cold weather. A challenge for any camera battery to be sure. Add in the fact we'll be camping and our vehicles are going to be horses... well, I needed a light weight solution to keep the power going!

I'm glad that I actually started planning well in advance of my trip on this one. There always seems to be one crucial piece that the manufacturers sell separately and never tell you that you'll need which inevitably leads to a rush order. Rush avoided and products tested! It works!

My solution:
Brunton Solo 7.5
PowerFilm F15-1200 20 Watt
RA-1 Male Cigarette Lighter Adaptor
Nikon MH-21 Quick Charger for EN-EL4 & EN-EL4a batteries

Brunton Solo 7.5 Amp

PowerFilm F15-1200 20 Watt

The missing piece: RA-1 Male Cigarette Lighter Adapter

The Brunton Solo acts as my power storage. I could leave it at home and use the solar panel with the inverter to trickle charge my batteries during the day, however, if we have a cloudy day, the battery will likely never charge fully. Using the Brunton Solo I'll be able to leave the solar panel set up and collect the power it generates for charging later in the evening. Today was a mostly sunny California day and I was able to fully charge the Brunton Solo with the Solar Panel despite the wind closing half the panel for an unknown length of time. Tent pegs or rocks will prevent that from being a problem in the field. From the power I collected I was able to recharge my camera battery and have plenty of power left over to charge my iPhone and iPad so my tunes in the wild will be uninterrupted!

While this set up works for me you should do some research as there are larger and smaller versions of these units depending on your power/weight needs.

Set up to charge

Solo feeding charger through the inverter

The complete set up weighs in at less than 5 pounds.

Product websites:
http://www.brunton.com/
http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/

January

2011-01-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

Looking back on the images I created in 2010 was a terrific exercise in editing and it also reminded me of many special encounters I've had with the creatures I love to photograph. It also reminded me that I should look back... take stock and see where I've been and so I checked out my Januarys past and discovered a developing trend... A year abroad, a year home. Hope you enjoy the selection!

January 2006 - Costa Rica
I spent a few weeks with researchers from the LA Museum of Natural History looking for nudibranchs. We spent 8+ hours daily snorkeling and diving, scouring the ocean for the tiniest sea slugs. Our fingers wrinkled from the water and lost feeling from the slug toxins... except when we accidentally grabbed a fire worm instead... felt those!! We collected many specimens for the museum, even a few that had not yet been described. It was a wonderful trip but one of my fondest memories was coming up from a dive to discover this little Capuchin monkey had opened my back pack on the beach and was attempting to make off with my camera... He had the strap slung over his shoulder and in cartoon fashion was running in place, digging himself into a hole in the sand because the camera was twice his size and far, far heavier than he could drag. He wasn't about to give up his prize though... not until we coughed up a bit of cantaloupe. Cheeky little monkey.

January 2007 - California
The shot that taught me to head into the field even if it's raining... the extreme tides in winter provide for wonderful viewing opportunities of creatures who normally spend their lives hiding. This January morning boasted a very high tide that coincided with the sunrise and so a friend from my camera club and I headed out to see what we could capture. We were disappointed in the rain but decided to throw on our rain coats and walk the trail in the Palo Alto Baylands. When this California Clapper Rail appeared, so did the sun! He spent just a few moments in the open before disappearing back into the pickleweed. At just about the same moment the rail disappeared, the sun made it's exit behind the rain clouds but Connie and I didn't care - we got our shots.

January 2008 - Falkland Islands
The year and a half wait from signing up for this trip until the actual day we departed seemed like an eternity! New Years on Carcass Island is my fondest NY celebration and starting the year with Penguins and Albatross... it doesn't get much better!

January 2009 - California
I've spent a lot of time exploring Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing and every time I go back I discover something different. In Jan 2009 my friend Enrique and I actually got the tide right for a nice relaxing paddle up the slough. We were able to sneak up pretty closely to this Lesser Yellowleg as it explored the Eel Grass near the shore. On other outings we discovered that paddling on days when you don't check the tide can be a painful experience...

January 2010 - Tasmania
The image my mind conjures when I think of a remote island paradise is not exactly what most people would think of... 2010 was spent with my favorite birds... Albatross. Hard rock instead of white sand beaches, LOUD clicks and claps and honks instead of peace and quiet, the smell of a sea bird colony instead of coconut tanning oil, dehydrated camping rations rather than 5-star cuisine and of course the fleas from the little blue penguins who share the island with the Albatross... but no bed bugs!!

January 2011 - California
TBA
So now I need to get myself away from editing & planning and get into the field for some shooting!!

2010 Photos in Review: Water

2010-12-28T11:21:00.001-08:00

My 2010 was a year dominated by the power of water, from ocean waves to salt evaporation ponds, tidal zones to ice bergs and even the break down of my kitchen facet. You never really think about water until you are missing it. Today, 70.9% of the earth's surface is covered in water yet there are many areas in the world where people still struggle to find safe, clean drinking water. Would you like to help? http://www.charitywater.org/ Go ahead, visit the site & see what you can do... this blog will be here when you get back.

All done? Feels good to help out someone in need doesn't it? Well then, without further ado... My top 2010 photo picks.

Clashing Wanderers
Wandering Albatross, (Diomedea exulans)
Kaikoura, New Zealand
It might be the fault of the movie "The Rescuers" or the poem "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" but the Albatross has held a long lived fascination for me. I've been lucky enough to meet many albatross from Black-brows to Laysan, Shy to Black-footed and in January 2010 I met the king: The Wandering Albatross. With a wingspan of 8.5-12 feet, the Wanderer holds the record for largest wingspan of any living bird.

Wave Rider
Josh Loya, 3rd heat
Mavericks Surf Competition, Half Moon Bay, CA
Waves up to 50 feet feet dominated the competition. Even though my boat was outside the break zone we bobbed around like a cork which made photography challenging to say the least but worth every minute out there.

Tender Leviathan
Humpback Whale, (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Silver Bank, Dominican Republic
A safe place to raise a baby whale. I was amazed at how tender these incredible creatures were with their young. At one point I watched as a female cradled her calf in his flippers as any human might hug her child.

Badwater Sunset
Death Valley National Park, CA
At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is at the lowest elevation in North America. With an average of 1.58 inches of precipitation a year you would think water doesn't play a large role in Death Valley, an you'd be wrong. Any rain that falls dissolves the salt in the lowest point of the valley. As the water evaporates, the salt crystals reform. Without this constant rebuilding, the salt flats at Badwater would eventually turn dark and weathered as they are at the Devil's Golf Course.

First Day Out
American Avocet, (Recurvirostra americana)
Palo Alto Baylands, CA
It might have been the first day out for this little guy and he explored his home in the tidal flats and pickleweed of the San Francisco Bay but really, this was my first day out with my new Nikon gear. After frustration with my Canon gear I finally made the switch to Nikon and this adorable little puff ball was the subject of my first day out.

Mouthful
Tufted Puffin, (Fratercula cirrhata)
St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska
I had been hoping to get images of Puffin bringing fish to their burrow but the entire trip we saw none... until the very last day. I spent 3 hours glued to one burrow, waiting for mom & dad to bring home the bacon... errrrr fish and my patience was rewarded by a mouthful!

Beauty at the Beach
Baker Beach, San Francisco, CA
Another first for me... my first location shoot. Lucky for me I had a patient model willing to get her feet wet, a beautiful location, gorgeous weather and perhaps most importantly.... amazing assistants! I couldn't have done it without the help of Leonard Brzezinski and Jon & Victoria Bonney. Many hands make light (and a hell of a lot of fun) work! Thanks guys!

Cathedral at the End of the World
Lemaire Channel, Antarctica
The sheer grandeur of the landscape of Antarctica was overwhelming. Looking at a huge ice berg like this one and knowing that what we saw above the water was a mere 10% of what lurked below was humbling.

Out for a Stroll
Gentoo Penguin, (Pygoscelis papua ellsworthii)
Antarctica
I love all of the close images I was able to capture; the nests, the pebbles, the eggs, the fights, the cuddles, the thefts and the gifts but to me... this lone penguin marching across a sea of endless white snow epitomizes the isolation and starkness of this amazing continent.

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-24T11:18:00.001-08:00

Top: Polar Bear and Tundra of the Arctic
Bottom: Antarctic Mountains and Gentoo Penguin

Studio Time

2010-10-28T03:11:00.000-07:00

Spent a lovely rainy day in the studio Saturday with Laura, an aspiring country singer. This was a warm up for a shoot she wants to do on the beach. Unfortunately for us we're heading right into the rainy season. Hope we get a weekend without rain soon!!

Big 'THANK YOU' to Leonard Brzezinski for helping me out with the shoot!!

Sometimes Repetition is Fun

2010-10-22T15:05:00.001-07:00

Who knew that dropping water into a bowl over and over again could be so much fun?! I'm quickly becoming addicted! The only downside is the cats think I am leaving out the water for them... it's hard to get all of the little hairs off the surface of the water but even harder to clone them all out!

Lighting the Bulb

2010-10-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

With my culling project finally drawing to a close, I’ve been getting excited about starting to create new images. When my friend Mike suggested we join a photo walk put on by the “Renegades” I thought ‘Why not! Something completely different could be a lot of fun.’ And was it ever!!

The Albany Bulb was a former landfill area and is now a park with paths along the water front enjoyed by dog walkers, cyclists, artists, homeless, informal concert goers and even a production of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. The urban art is the biggest draw. A collection of rebar, driftwood, mural’s, graffiti, statues, paintings and other hidden treasure dot the landscape.

We arrived with plenty of time to explore and begin taking photos of the art before the sun went down. Yet… it wasn’t until the sun disappeared that the magic of the area became apparent. The vapor lights of the city gave the sky it’s orange glow and with flash lights in hand we set out to paint the area with light.

A recent lecture by Dave Black impressed upon me "If you want an image to be more interesting, only light part of it." And so after we worked the basic silhouette we started to go crazy. Pulling out color gels for our flash lights, setting our timers and running to all angles to throw light around. Most of it was trial and error with more images to trash but in the end we came away laughing with glee and a with few new and fun photos to add to our collections. I can't wait to go back and work the other statues in the area. There is way more than you can cover in just a few hours time but it sure was fun to try!

California Coastal Cleanup Day - SATURDAY!

2010-09-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

It's time for the 26th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day! This Saturday, September 25th from 9am - 12pm you've got the chance to participate in one of the 'largest garbage collection events in the world.' *Guinness Book of World Records 1993

Last year over 80,000 people volunteered their Saturday morning to take a walk on a beautiful beach and collect 1,300,000 pounds of debris. 14 MILLION pounds of debris have been collected since the cleanup's first day in 1985. 2009 Recap Report

There are a lot of sites that still need volunteers. You can find locations near you by clicking the links below. I'll be out on Stinson Beach in Marin if you'd like to join me! Many hands make light work so come spend a day on the beach helping out the oceans!!

California Coastal Commission
Marin County via the Bay Model
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

Advice to new Photographers

2010-09-20T04:03:00.001-07:00

The most common question I hear asked at lectures is "My son/daughter/niece/nephew/third-cousin-once-removed wants to be a photographer. Do you have any advice for how to get started?". And most times the advice is "Don't quite your day job."... Care for more advice? Read on!

1. Shoot every day. Sounds like a no-brainer but people often forget that in order to capture a great image you need to be so familiar with your equipment that control comes by second nature. The camera should be an extension of your eye, not a bunch of knobs & buttons you need to think about setting every time you see something pretty.

2. Don't jump on the band wagon and buy all the latest & greatest equipment. Find a kit you like & stick with it. Upgrade as things break rather than when the camera company launches something new & more money will stay in your pocket.

3. Study everything you can get your hands on. Books by the masters, websites, magazines, billboards, calendars, greeting cards. Make a note of what you like then deconstruct the image for composition, light and technique. Challenge yourself to think how you would shoot those images differently.

4. Get a business degree. Images don't sell themselves and anyone who thinks they are going to be able to spend all day taking photos while someone else markets them is delusional. A solid business background will give you the tools you need to succeed.

5. Don't be afraid to ask. Ask for internships, ask for critiques, ask people to shoot with you. The worst they can say is no.

6. Don't let one person's opinion get you down. Art is subjective. No one liked pointillism or the Rite of Spring when they were first introduced. Now they are both classics because people were brave enough not to let criticism get them down.

7. Cull mercilessly and do it early. Keep your portfolio tight and clean and easy to navigate. It's no fun trying to sort through 100,000 images looking for a half remembered photograph.

8. Never stop learning.

-- Post From My iPhone

Unending Bowl of Soup

2010-09-19T02:57:00.000-07:00

It seems like I have an unending bowl of soup in front of me. The more progress I make with my "Great Cull of 2010", the more images I seem to discover.

To date I have eliminated 86,691 duplicate and substandard images from my image library. What is left is a healthy 10.7% of the original grouping. It's amazing how much easier it is to find the images I want, when I want them. I can't wait until I am finished... 23K left as of tonight.

And now I am off to dream of white sands and albatross, of soaring freely through blue skies to land on aqua seas far, far away from my computer screen. Tomorrow will be time enough to launch a fresh attack on this library of images.

Birds of St Paul: Tufted Puffin

2010-08-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

Saving my favorite for last... The Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). I'm not certain if he's my favorite because for the potential for bad hair days when the wind whips up the tufts or if it's because I've seen these guys so often off the coast of California. A quick trip under the Golden Gate Bridge, heading in the direction of the Farallon Islands will get you a nice view of these birds swimming just off Point Bonita.

Their size is comparable to a pigeon but they weigh twice as much. As with most birds in the Auk family, Tufted Puffin lay one egg and both parents are responsible for incubating the egg.

When it comes time to feed the young, Tufted Puffin excel at the task. The corner of the Puffin's bill is a fleshy membrane which allows the bird to open it's lower bill almost parallel to the top. This clamping action, combine with a series of backward pointing spines on their tongue and roof of mouth, allow the puffin to gather a great number of fish in one trip. They average 10 fish per trip but have been observed carrying up to 60!!

Tufted puffin were once hunted for food. Their tough hides were used to make parkas, the warm feathers worn toward the inside. Today they are a species of least concern with an estimated global population of 2,400,000 individuals.

Birds of St Paul: Horned Puffin

2010-08-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

Last but not least, the real super stars of Saint Paul were the puffin: flying footballs that hurl through the air beating their wings at incredible speeds (300-400 beats per minute). Impressive in the air but they excel at flying under water.

At first glance the Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata) looks much like it's Atlantic cousin (Fratercula arctica) with it's soft white face, candy corn beak and bright orange feet. Puffin are often referred to as the clowns of the sea because of their bright beaks and feet. A group of puffin is known as a "circus" or "improbability" of puffin.

On closer inspection the Horned Puffin is larger and lacks the Atlantic's distinctive band of blue on it's bill. It's named for the flashy black horn that extends upward from it's eye resembling a single eyelash. Rather than nest in burrows like the Atlantic Puffin, Horned Puffin prefer ready made rock crevices.

Atlantic Puffin
Height: 12.5 in
Weight: 13 oz
WingSpan: 21 in

Horned Puffin
Height: 15 in
Weight: 17 - 22.9 oz
Wing Span: 23 in

Birds of St Paul: Crested Auklet

2010-08-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

The third auklet species on St Paul and the most flamboyantly attired is the Crested Auklet (Aethia cristatella). The Crested breed on the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands and prefer to spend their winters just off shore.

These auklets exhibit a behavior that is unique in birds. They rub each other with a citrus-like scent secreted in feathers on their back. This behavior is called alloanointing and while common in mammals, it has only been documents in Crested Auklets. It's thought that this behavior might help to ward off parasites.

The crested Auklet lays one egg and both parents help to incubate. They eat plankton and small crustaceans. A small pouch under the birds tongue helps them transport the plankton to their chicks.

Birds of St Paul: Parakeet Auklet

2010-08-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

A step up in size from the Least Auklet is the Parakeet Auklet (Aethia psittacula). Pudgier and with a thicker, upturned bill, the Parakeet Auklet is no less entertaining than the Least Auklet. Unlike the Least Auklet, the Parakeet does not form large flocks either at sea or in breeding colonies.

Parakeet Auklets feed on jellyfish, krill and zooplankton. They breed on the islands in the Bering Sea but in winter they travel as far south as the California coast.

Mammals of St Paul: Northern Fur Seal

2010-08-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

The largest and perhaps the most intimidating mammal living on St. Paul (aside from humans) is the Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus). "Discovered" in the late 18th century, the Northern Fur Seal quickly became a prized catch for commercial hunters from the USA, Japan, Russia and the UK. With 300,000 hairs per square inch the seals pelts fetched a handsome price. For comparison, your average dog has approximately 60,000 hairs per square inch. Commercial hunting almost lead to the extinction of these seals by the late 19th century. Thanks to many treaties and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, these seals have rebounded to a population estimate of 1.1 million animals. This sounds like a lot until you consider the population was around 2.1 million in the 1950's. The population is now in decline even though the only legal hunting is done by native Aleut in a subsistence harvest. Between 1999-2003 the average annual harvest was 869 animals, all juvenile or sub-adult males. This number has dropped to 478 in 2007 and continues to remain low.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act makes it illegal to harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal. The term “ harassment” means any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance and they take this law very seriously on St Paul. Two viewing blinds are set up for people to observe the seals at two different rookery sites and visitors must be accompanied by officials.

The Northern Fur Seal was first named "sea-bear" which is related to their scientific name, ursinus, meaning "bear-like". As with other seal species, pups are born with black pelts earning them the nickname 'black coats'. Males grow up to 385-605 pounds and females range 66-110 pounds. Their natural predators are orca, great white shark and occasionally pups will fall victim to hungry foxes.

Birds of St Paul: Least Auklet

2010-08-20T18:00:00.001-07:00

The Least Auklet (Aethia pusilla) had me laughing almost constantly. They are tiny, twitchy, pushy, very vocal and they love to eat! In fact, they consume up to 86% of their body weight a day and never get fat. They are monogamous even though they nest in colonies. The least auklet will return to it's nesting site, remembering the exact location even if it's still covered in snow. Luck for the egg, mom and dad wait for the snow to melt before they actually lay their egg. They don't use nesting materials, any crevice will suffice so it's important for both parents to survive to keep the chick warm between feedings.

Birds of St Paul: Misc

2010-08-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

Before I get to the stars of St. Paul, I'll mention a few of the other species our group encountered. I was so seabird crazy that I couldn't keep myself still long enough to capture good images of many of these birds, preferring instead to sit on the cliff edge with the puffin and auks. I'm glad that Alan Murphy was there to give these little guys the proper attention they deserved. Links on these birds below go to Alan's website.

Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)
Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus)
Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Wandering Tattler (Heteroscelus incanus)

Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
A group of researchers were marooned on St Paul with us for a few days as they were thwarted in their efforts to get to St George Island. They eventually made it after days of trying and will capture (and then release) these far-traveling birds to take blood, cloacal and choanal swabs to study for presence of avian flu.

Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) Caught somewhere between an albatross and a gull, this bird immediately captured my heart. They don't begin breeding until they are at least 8 years old and often not until they reach 10. Exceptionally long-lived, Fulmars banded in Scotland in 1951 as adults were still found to be breeding in 1990 setting their age around 50 years.

Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) Embarrassingly enough, these gulls are so large that after a week of working with tiny auklets, I mistook a gull on the beach for a large wading bird, thinking some heron had blown off course. From a distance I was certain it was the size of a black-crowned night heron. A peek through the binocs set me straight.

Birds of St Paul: Red-faced Cormorant

2010-08-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

Cormorants have always fascinated me with their jeweled tones; the bright blue throat pouch of the Brandt's, the gleaming green eye of the Double-crested and the green-violet iridescent shimmer of the Pelagic's feathers. The family contains thirty-six species with world wide distribution.

The Red-faced cormorant (Phalacrocorax urile) is another jewel in family with his bright red face patch and beautiful feathers. Their North American range is restricted to coastal Alaska and they are far less gregarious than many of their cousins and are often shy of human approach.

We arrived too late in the season to see these beauties in full breeding plumage. I did not see any birds with white neck feathers but the eye patches on many were still strikingly red. Photographing these birds added a bit of a challenge for me personally. I'm terrified of heights and these birds love to be on high, precarious cliffs. Perched on a small shelf jutting out from the cliff face, leaning out to try and capture the portrait above was a personal challenge that I faced with grim determination. I could feel the cliff shake and move with the force of every large wave which crashed and broke on the shore below. I couldn't help but wonder how much longer the rock I was perched on would remain stuck to the wall. Lucky for me, everything held in place and I was able to beat a hasty retreat once I achieved my image.

A group of cormorants is often called a "sunning", a "gulp" or a "swim" of cormorants.

Birds of St Paul: Thick-billed Murre

2010-08-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

The Thick-billed murre (aka Brunnich's Guillemot) is quite the diver. They can reach depths of up to 600 feet. I really hope that their diving is better than their landing skills as I witness murres slamming head first into walls on more than one occasion. Murres seem to be accomplished cliff divers. I watched in horror as one plummeted head first off a cliff, flapping his wings wildly only to complete a dive any Olympic judge would give a 9.5. He surfaced and paddled a short way before running across the surface of the ocean, flapping until he gained the air again.

A group of murres is called a "bazaar" or a "fragrance" of murres and I can attest that they certain are fragrant when they gather together.

Mammals of St Paul: Reindeer

2010-08-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

In 1911, twenty five Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) were introduced to St Paul Island in an attempt to breed an alternate food source. by 1921 the herd had swelled to 250 animals and by 1938 there were more than the island could sustain, over 2,000. Due to poor management, over grazing and harsh winters the herd was reduced to 8 individuals in the 1950. Lesson learned, 31 animals were brought back to St Paul from Nunivak Island. The herds are now managed by the USDA, the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the local tribal authorities. A permit is required to hunt the reindeer and they are quite skittish as a result of the hunting. When the herd feels threatened they begin to circle just like pioneers in an old west wagon train.
Caribou meat is extremely lean and flavorful... I highly recommend giving it a try if you get a chance... just don't tell the kids you ate Rudolph or you might never be forgiven.

Birds of St Paul: Grey-crowned Rosy Finch

2010-08-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

The bird which confounded me most was the Grey-crowned Rosy Finch. Even by the end of the trip I still couldn't get over the gigantic size of the bird. The Pribilof and Aleutian versions of this finch are nearly twice the size of their mainland cousins.

Their motto has to be "No Fear" as they would often buzz past at high speed before settling down to forage within arms reach. A true specialist in extreme living, this finch has the distinction of being the highest breeding bird in North America. When other bird have long ago sought cover or lower elevations to hide from winter storms, the Rosy finch can still be found navigating the blustery high winds and snow storms with apparent ease.

Birds of St Paul: Rock Sandpiper

2010-08-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

As with most things in life, the more you chase, the more things run away. The Rock Sandpipers (Calidris or Erolia ptilocnemis) were no exception. The more I tried to get close to them, the more they fled. The day I gave up and said, "Fine! Be that way - I didn't want your picture anyway!", is the day the bird leapt to the nearest rock and posed, gratiously turning from side to side, making eye contact with everyone present as if he had been trained at the Barbizon School for Models. Turns out the little guy knows how to own the runway!

The Rock Sandpiper breeds throughout the northern tundra of the Arctic Pacific coast of Alaska, on the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands as well as Kamchatka, Russia and the Kuril Islands. In winter they migrate south to forage the rocky, ice free coasts.

They are monogamous birds with pair bonds that last several years and both parent takes responsibility for incubation. The Pribilof Island sub-species sports a black patch on his belly.

Mammals of St Paul: Arctic Fox

2010-08-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

The Pribilof Island Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) is a cutie for certain. The fox on St. Paul are known as Blue Fox because they take on a blue-grey color coat in winter rather than pure white. Their coats were highly prized by Russian fur traders in the 1700's. At 3 feet long (most of that length is fluffy tail) and 7-15 pounds they are amazingly agile. They are able to scale the cliffs and steal eggs and chicks from unsuspecting murre and auklet.

I had hoped to see one and was thrilled when I found one hunting along the cliff. He spotted me and ducked behind a rock, playing hide-n-seek before he ran away with an expression of guilt on his face. I counted myself lucky to have gotten a few close up frames. A few days later I was laughing at my naivety.

I was walking along a cliff when I heard Greg and Alan yelling at me. I looked up and they were frantically pointing behind me... I turned around and found I was being stalked. Not 10 feet behind me was the cutest chocolate colored male fox. Soon he was too close for me to even focus on... Oh how I wish I had, had a wide angle lens in my pocket. After practically sitting in my lap he made the rounds to a group of tour boat tourists before posing majestically on a rock for our entire photo group. He gave us almost a full our of his time and we might have stayed even longer if the fog hadn't rolled in and obscured our shots.

Life is pretty hard for these guys. The only rodents on the island are an endemic shrew and there are no polar bears to follow after in winter. They depend on the birds and many of them have come to depend on the people. Dens in town, often inside abandon cars or under sheds and dens near the dump... we even had a fox visit our hotel. I have to admit, if they didn't smell so badly (almost skunk-like)... I would have tried to take one home.

Birds of St Paul: Kittiwakes

2010-08-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

St Paul is home to both species of Kittiwake (a medium sized white gull with pale grey back and wings); Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) and the Red-legged Kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris).

Kittiwake Stats (Whatbird and Cornell Bird Lab):

Length Range: 41-43 cm (16-17 in)
Weight: 422 g (14.9 oz)
Wingspan: 94 cm (37 in)
Size: Large (16 - 32 in)
Color Primary: White, Gray
Underparts: White
Upperparts: Pale Gray
Back Pattern: Solid
Belly Pattern: Solid
Breast Pattern: Solid

The Black-legged kittiwake is the only gull that will actually dive and swim underwater to capture prey though mostly I saw them dive bombing puffin and murre in an attempt to relieve them of their fish.

Their name is derived from their call, a shrill 'kittee-wa-aaake, kitte-wa-aaake' though my friend Kathy and I agree it sounds more like a plea not to be eaten: "Kitty Wait"!!

St Paul Feeling

2010-08-11T12:20:00.001-07:00

Enough of the cold sterile facts of the location... what is St Paul really like?

Fog hugs the cliff tops, coating everything with its fine mist. The shoreline is dotted with bright red floats broken away from errant crab pots. Here and there the skeletons of ships lost remind captains to take care and remain vigilant against the weather and rough conditions of the Bering Sea. The high wind whips up the minerals in the surf to a thick froth breaking into pieces that float over rocks and up cliff faces. Wildflowers and lichen paint the landscape with vibrant purple, blue and gold. Distant growls and belches from the fur seal colony can be heard mixing with the plaintiff call of the kittiwakes. The wind burns your cheeks as you sit on the edge of the cliffs watching and waiting.

The town itself, while small, is alive with color and texture and a rich maritime history. Children play carefree in the streets as family cats look on from the safety of the front porch. The cats dare not wander far because the winters are harsh, they wouldn't be able to survive if they turned feral. Dogs are not allowed on the island for fear of spreading distemper to the fur seals so arctic fox take up residence under garages and inside cars and trucks stripped and abandon after a lifetime of service. The Russian Orthodox Church stands guard at the center of town and the small grocery store is a central hub for the latest gossip on the island.

St Paul and the Bering Sea

2010-08-10T23:13:00.000-07:00

St Paul is the largest of four volcanic islands which make up the Pribilof Islands in the middle of the Bering Sea (Otter, Walrus, St. George and St. Paul). The Pribilof Islands were discovered and named by the Russian Navigator, Gavriel Pribylov in 1786. In 1788 a group of Russian fur traders enslaved and relocated Aleuts from Siberia, Unalaska and Atka so they could hunt and process fur seals. The descendants of those Aleuts still live on St Paul and St George though the seal hunt today is only allowed for subsistence, not commercial means. In 1867 the islands were passed on to the United States along with mainland Alaska.

The economy of St Paul is mainly based on two fishing seasons; snow crab and halibut. St Paul has garnered fame from the Discovery Channel show "Deadliest Catch" as a safe haven for the crab boats to offload crab and rest at the northern end of the C. opilio fishing grounds. On a good day the Trident Seafood plant processes up to 450,000 pounds of crab and employees up to 400 people.

Along with the small community of Aleut and the seasonal employees at Trident, St Paul is home to over 248 species of birds, northern fur seal, blue fox and reindeer. It's one of the few places left in the world where you can sit quietly for hours and watch the birds fly past without hearing any human influence.

1. Employees of Trident Seafood processing the days Halibut catch.
2. Pribilof Islands Arctic Fox, Alopex lagopus pribilofensis (aka Blue Fox)
3. Horned Puffin, Fratercula corniculata

Homeward Bound

2010-08-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

I'm getting ready to head to the Anchorage airport to start the journey home but thought you might like to see the last airport I was at... it's also the hotel and power station. The fog was ever-present which made it more challenging to capture landscape images but acted as a wonderful soft box for all of the birds and foxes we saw. I'm afraid I've added quite a bit to my editing project but I loved every minute of it. Full report to come. :)

Mad Dashes

2010-07-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

On my first ever trip to Alaska, the trip that ignited my passion for photography, I saw a photograph of the Mendenhall Glacier with a beautiful field of fire weed in front of it. Though I don't remember the photographer, the image has stuck with me. On every visit I've made back to the spot, the fire weed has either not yet bloomed, past bloomed or flattened by rain until this past July (2009). I had a 20 minute stop between a float plane from McNeil River and my Alaska Airline flight home. There was no time to pull out neutral density filters or find where my tripod was buried in my luggage but I made a mad dash to the site to check and while the field wasn't quite as lush as I wanted, I captured an image I enjoy. This image reminds me to take a chance, keep checking every chance you get and maybe that mad dash will pay off.

The Pay-off

2010-07-20T12:24:00.001-07:00

My first pay-off from my culling efforts! It took me 15 minutes to pull images for a recent magazine photo want list. I couldn't believe how much easier it was!! A few well placed keywords and there I had the perfect images all ready to output and send to my editor. There was no digging through endless folders looking for a half-remembered image that MIGHT fit the call. No looking back and forth between 5 different images wondering which was sharper and no searching through agencies to see if the images selected were exclusive elsewhere.

My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner: 40,000 images down - 60,000 left to go.

Finding Forgotten Images

2010-07-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Editing my library is a huge task and it's taking a lot of time and effort. Aside from a bit of hand and eye fatigue, I am making great progress. It's also a bit of a walk down memory lane and I'm finding images I forgot I took like this one of the San Francisco skyline at dawn from Mt Tam. With my library cleaned up I'll be able to easily find all of my images so there won't be any more lost children. Images like this remind me why I am working so hard.

Clepsydra Geyser

2010-07-09T00:17:00.000-07:00

I've finally finished the edits of my Montana work and thought I'd share a quick image. During a large portion of the trip it rained but in my editing I found that I did in fact make the most of the time between the rain drops and at least when it comes to bacteria... the rain makes things beautifully saturated.

I've been bad

2010-07-01T10:32:00.001-07:00

Film was easy. You took 36 images at a time. Roll after roll of course but it was all broken down into neat little packages and if it wasn't perfect then away it went, never to be seen again.

Then along came digital. Image after image, a healthy portion of them crap but hey... 'I might be able to make something out of that someday!'. Many 'somedays' later I've finally gotten to the point where enough is enough. Something has to be done to cull this ever growing weed of images. I hadn't realized there were so many. A few tucked on a hard drive here, folders on the desktop, a few on my laptop, there another external hard drive... It seems harmless until you add it up. Then suddenly I realized I am one step removed from those 'Collectors' you see in the news. Granted, digital images can't fall over and kill your cat like multiple floor to ceiling stacks of magazines, newspapers and phonebooks but the sheer volume is the same.

My mission: Reduce a library of over 100,000 digital images to 10,000 (or less!).

My Tools: Aperture 3.0, 2ea 2TB Caviar Green hard drives, my trusty Mac, lots of coffee and a good friend.

I'm going to start with my most recent work and cull mercilessly while my friend Enrique starts with my oldest work and we meet somewhere in the middle. I'm not sure which of us has the harder job. I shoot far fewer frames now than I did in 2005 but the quality has improved dramatically. So while I will agonize over which slightly different head turn makes the bear look perfect, Enrique will be wondering what the heck I was thinking when I took 275 poorly composed shots of a mallard duck.

The lesson: Edit Early. Edit mercilessly. Edit often. Have great friends to sucker into helping you!

-- Post From My iPhone

Hands Across the Sand

2010-06-25T20:32:00.001-07:00

Looking for something to do tomorrow morning? Who will join me on Ocean Beach, SF (across from the Beach Chalet) at 10:30am to protest offshore drilling & advocate for clean energy?

http://www.handsacrossthesand.com/

"Hands Across the Sand is a movement made of people of all walks of life and crosses political affiliations. This movement is not about politics; it is about protection of our coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife, and fishing industry. Let us share our knowledge, energies and passion for protecting all of the above from the devastating effects of oil drilling."

-- Post From My iPhone

Respect the Bear

2010-06-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Bears capture our imagination. They look cute and fuzzy and harmless, meandering slowly through the woods. What people almost always forget is that they aren't harmless at all. What is it about people that makes them loose all common sense when they enter the forest?

I was in Waterton Lakes National Park on Friday (just across the border into Canada from Glacier National Park) when I spotted a beautiful grizzly poking through the forest. She stopped now and again to dig in the fallen trees, I assume looking for grubs, roots or seeds to munch on. She seemed pretty mellow so I decided to approach for a few photos. I wasn't the only one. A young girl (teenager) was VERY excited and ran ahead into the woods, making a racket and darting back and forth looking for a good vantage point to get a photograph. Her mother occasionally yelled at her to move back. Mom was apparently keeping an eye out for the mother bear to appear and would warn her daughter to run if there was any sign of the 'cubs' mother. I hated to break it to them but lucky for us, this bear was NOT a cub. Interior grizzly bears are much smaller than the coastal bears but I'd hazard to guess this was still around a 350 - 400 pound bear! Not even close to being a cub.

To the girls credit when I pointed out DON'T RUN! She stopped... she slowed down and moved with purpose and the bear immediately calmed and went back to foraging. A little while later we were joined by a grandfather with two young girls - approximately 6 & 9 years old. They did not stop running... I watched the bear, looking for signs of aggression. At one point she began to pop her jaw and stare straight at the teenage girl... that was about the time the girls mother had had enough and said "Get back in the car RIGHT NOW!"

A group of hikers appeared approximately 500 feet away. They had no idea the bear was there. 10 minutes earlier the bear had stood up, stared in the direction of the hikers, thoroughly sniffed the air and dismissed them as non-threatening. She knew they were there all along.

It's so easy for these animals to hide from humans. The forest is their home and most of the time - we never know the half of what is watching us in the woods. Since we are the interlopers it's OUR responsibility to know the rules for our own safety AND the bears.

A few tips:

Bears don't like to be surprised... Do you? Making noise while you are hiking will let the bear know you are there and give them ample time to move off to a comfortable distance. Bells, whistles, singing, talking will all do the trick.
Stay on marked trails. It's easier to stumble onto and surprise a bear if you are hiking cross country.
Hike in a group. Statistically attacks by bears are reduced exponentially by group size.
Bear are more active at dusk and dawn. Be aware.

If you encounter a bear:

Make certain the bear knows you are there. Talk in a normal voice and move steadily away from the bear.

Watch the behavior!

If the bear looks at you and continues about his business... terrific! Enjoy the encounter.
If the bear looks worried... jaw popping, grumbling, shaking head side to side... you are too close, back away slowly!
A bear standing up is not a sign of aggression. They stand to see you better - once they get a good look, chances are they will walk away.

Remember: You are a guest in the bears home. Be respectful!

Mammoth Hot Springs Always Changing

2010-06-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

The Mammoth Hot Springs terraces make me think of ancient ruins dreamt up by H.P. Lovecraft. I half expect some alien creature to open an unseen door and step out of the terrace in front of me. On close inspection I realize I'm not that far off.

The terrace is formed by water heated from the hydrothermal features in the park interacting with limestone. As the hot water travels the Morris-Mammoth Fault it dissolves the limestone rock. As the water reaches the surface it begins to cool, releasing carbon dioxide and depositing the remaining calcium carbonate as travertine. Anything in the way becomes coated and eventually is consumed and integrated into the framework of the terrace.

So what are the alien creatures I alluded to earlier? Thermophiles - millions of them. These heat-loving microorganisms thrive in the hydrothermal features in Yellowstone National Park. Archaea live in the hottest waters, some plate-like, others spiral or rod shaped. The cooler waters are home to Sulfur-oxidizing filamentous bacteria. These bacterial colonies are responsible for the beautiful colors we see in the pools of water. The colors change based on the water temperatures, flow and the amount of sunlight.

So next time you find yourself peering deep into the colorful pools in Yellowstone, remember, you are looking into the home and lives of millions of bacteria. Don't worry - this type of voyeurism is just fine!

Rain Days and Bird Photography Opportunity

2010-06-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've made it to Montana but the rain and subsequent dark has kept photography to a minimum. As soon as I have something to share I'll get it posted up here. Until then, I thought I'd mention an opportunity.

My friend Bruce Finocchio owns a ranch in Monterrey County that he has completely tricked out for bird blind photography. California Quail, Acorn Woodpecker, Wrentit, Blue Bird, Scrub Jay, California Towhee, Dark-eyed Junco, Nuthatch, Oak Titmouse... the list goes on and on... If you are interested he is now running workshops with Oliver Klink. You can sign up at: http://bit.ly/cIFkW9

Happy Birthday, Golden Gate Bridge!

2010-05-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

On May 28, 1937 President Theodore Roosevelt pushed a button in Washington, DC signaling the official start of vehicle traffic over the Bridge at noon. Construction began on January 5, 1933 and cost more than $35 million ($1.3 million UNDER BUDGET).

The Mighty Task is Done

By Joseph P. Strauss, Chief Engineer
Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District

Written upon completion of the building of the Golden Gate Bridge in May 1937

At last the mighty task is done;
Resplendent in the western sun
The Bridge looms mountain high;
Its titan piers grip ocean floor,
Its great steel arms link shore with shore,
Its towers pierce the sky.

On its broad decks in rightful pride,
The world in swift parade shall ride,
Throughout all time to be;
Beneath, fleet ships from every port,
Vast landlocked bay, historic fort,
And dwarfing all--the sea.

To north, the Redwood Empire's gates;
'To south, a happy playground waits,
in Rapturous appeal;
Here nature, free since time began,
Yields to the restless moods of man,
Accepts his bonds of steel.

Launched midst a thousand hopes and fears,
Damned by a thousand hostile sneers,
Yet ne'er its course was stayed,
But ask of those who met the foe
Who stood alone when faith was low,
Ask them the price they paid.

Ask of the steel, each strut and wire,
Ask of the searching, purging fire,
That marked their natal hour;
Ask of the mind, the hand, the heart,
Ask of each single, stalwart part,
What gave it force and power.

An Honored cause and nobly fought
And that which they so bravely wrought,
Now glorifies their deed,
No selfish urge shall stain its life,
Nor envy, greed, intrigue, nor strife,
Nor false, ignoble creed.

High overhead its lights shall gleam,
Far, far below life's restless stream,
Unceasingly shall flow;
For this was spun its lithe fine form,
To fear not war, nor time, nor storm,
For Fate had meant it so.

Cool Birthday Present

2010-05-26T16:16:00.001-07:00

So my birthday is still a month away but I received this early gift from my mom... it's great when parents get you!

Garbage Collection Dive: Friday

2010-05-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of garbage out there and a lot of people trying to raise awareness. Leah Lamb is one of those people and this Friday we are teaming up to dive Lovers Point in Pacific Grove/Monterey to remove as much garbage as we can find. Anyone out there interested in helping out?

Wayne Sentman, a naturalist with the Oceanic Society, is joining in from Midway Atoll where he is organizing a beach clean up to match our garbage collection pound for pound.

We're meeting up this Friday, May 7, 2010 at 9:00 AM at Lovers Point, Pacific Grove/Monterey. If you want to help out meet us there or organize your own clean up and let us know how you do!

Leah's Reclaimin' the Ocean's Project
Twitter: @Reclaim_oceans

Naturefinder: Wayne's Blog
Oceanic Society

Image 1: Net recovered from Silver Bank, Dominican Republic
Image 2: Cigarette lighters recovered from Midway Atoll, Northwest Hawaiian Islands

Too many legs

2010-04-27T23:25:00.001-07:00

I finally got to take my new gear into the field today. I was worried I would get rained out as I drove down the peninsula but Mother Nature smiled on me and the clouds gave way the minute I hit Palo Alto.
The Avocets are raising their chicks in the Baylands right now and the tiny little cotton balls are everywhere! They snuggle up to mom or dad whenever they get cold and then run out and feed in the mud. I had to laugh at all of the legs sticking out from beneath the parents.

When I arrived, I watched as another photographer raised the alarm call - two parents screamed and played broken wing in the street trying to lure him away from their chicks hiding in the pickle-weed. He backed away quickly and soon the family was reunited and searching for food. I watched from a distance for a while, noting where the family groups were and the alarm raised when cars drove by and decided that a blind was in order to avoid stressing the birds.
My Kwik Camo throw blind was perfect for the job. I sat on the ground with the blind covering me and my gear... A few cars stopped to stare but the birds walked right in front of me, babies and all, without a care in the world.

It's going to take a while to get used to all the new controls but the gear performed wonderfully. I think I'm going to like being a Nikon-girl again.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

Major Gear Sale

2010-04-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not giving up photography, never fear! I'm just going to change my direction... ;^)

So, I have a TON of camera gear to clear out of here, all Canon Brand. If you live in the US and are interested, drop me an email at RJ@Jackrel.org. Cameras and most lenses (excluded are 300mm,500mm or 600mm) have all been cleaned and calibrated recently by the Canon factory near LA.

** SOLD**EOS-1Ds Mark III $4,000.00 (with RRS L-Bracket)
** SOLD**EF 600 f/4.0 L USM $6,200.00 (Lens coat & 4th generation foot)
** SOLD**EOS-1D Mark III $1,500.00 (with RRS L-Bracket)
** SOLD**EOS 30D $800.00
** SOLD**EF 15mm F/2.8 $585.00
** SOLD**EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM $1,250.00
** SOLD**EF 24-70 f/2.8 LU $1,190.00
** SOLD**EF 24-105 L IS USM $945.00
** SOLD**EF 70-200 f/2.8 IS USM $1,700.00
** SOLD**EF-M 100 f/2.8U $475.00
** SOLD**EF 100-400 L IS $1,440.00
** SOLD**EF 100-400 L IS $1,440.00
** SOLD** EF-M 180mm f/3.5L USM $1,230.00
** SOLD** EF 500mm f/4.0L USM $5,526.00 (Lens coat & 4th generation foot)
** SOLD**EF 1.4x II $275.00
** SOLD**EF 1.4x II $275.00
** SOLD**EF 2x II $275.00
** SOLD**Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX $650.00
** SOLD**Speedlite 580EX $325.00
** SOLD** EF 300mm f/2.6L IS U $3,900.00
** SOLD** EF 400mm f/5.6L USM $1,080.00
** SOLD** EF 2x II $275.00
** SOLD** 4 ea Speedlite 580 EX II $400.00 (one with cosmetic issues)

Misc:
Invisishield EOS 1Ds MkII
Angle Finder C (1D family) $100.00
** SALE PENDING**TC-80N3 Time Remote Switch $75.00
RS-80N3 Remote Switch $25.00
Canon CPS Neck Strap
Canon CL-PL 52mm for super telephoto $150.00
Canon CL-PL II 77mm
CL-PL filter 77mm Quantaray
FLD filters 77mm, 67mm
UV Filters 58mm (2ea), 55mm, 52mm
Domke Photovest XL black
Epson P2000 (40Gb) Battery door is broken but all is functional.
Think Tank Belt System $200.00

Steriod SpeedBelt - XL
Pixel Racing Harness
Lens Changer 80 (rain coat)
Lens Changer 15 (rain coat)
Lens Changer 25 (rain coat)
Lens Changer 50 (rain coat)
Trim Changer (rain coat)
Lightning Fast (rain coat)
Lens Drop In

Cokin P Filter system

4ea Brackets (metal rings not included)
Misc. caps
2ea Lens shade
Star filter (3 levels of effect)
P filters 173, 047, 190, 153, 121, 121F, 164
Cokin filter carry case
Tiffen ND 0.9 (3stop)

** SOLD**Think Tank Glass Taxi $125.00 (new)
** SOLD**CP-E3 Compact Battery Pack $75.00
** SOLD**2ea LP-E4 Batteries $75.00 ea
** SOLD** Kenko Extension Tube Set DG $50.00
** SOLD** TC-80N3 Time Remote Switch $75.00
** SOLD** 3ea Off Camera Shoe Cord II $25.00 together

Loved to Death

2010-03-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

Carol Leigh, a photographer based in Oregon, has run and maintained the "California Wildflower Hotsheet" since 1996. The hotsheet was a goldmine of information about where and when to see wildflowers at their best. Whether you were looking for fields of California Poppies or sightings of the delicate Calypso Orchid, Carol had the scoop and gleefully and generously shared the information with the world.

Unfortunately, the world can be rough, inconsiderate and rude without even knowing it. Carol has made the decision to discontinue the hotsheet due to the poor behavior of a few who have disrespected boundaries of private property, trampled fields of wildflowers and even perpetrated vandalism. I definitely feel for her, it had to be a hard decision. What can be more romantic than a picnic lunch on a blanket in a field of wildflowers? How much can one blanket hurt? Or two? With an audience of the entire world wide web the numbers increase. How about two hundred blankets a weekend? Each with running children and dogs digging holes...

People just don't seem to look beyond themselves and their own desires these days. I was reminded of this on my trip to Death Valley. A car parked on the side of the road on top of a large growth of purple flowers when not 50 feet ahead was a barren turn off. The Racetrack area has become more accessible with a good grading of the track. The first year I visited the Racetrack and the amazing moving rocks the track was bumpy and broken... even washed out in places. I carried a tire pump and two kinds of patch and made certain we had two vehicles in tandem in case we got into trouble. We ran into a handful of other visitors all with high clearance 4-wheel drives. This time, there were dozens of cars traveling in around the clock. Most completely ignorant of the risk of flat tire from the sharp rocks and even more who had no idea of off-road etiquette. Broken glass litters the campsite past the Racetrack. Tents were pitched in no-pitch areas along the road with cars pulled alongside making it difficult to pass and even more distressing were the number of foot prints etched into the lake bed surface and rocks taken from their trails.

These places can and will heal if we give them a chance but too much love, too much excitement and a desire not to miss out can smother flowers, places and people... we need to learn to walk softly again. To take only pictures and leave NO footprints so that those who come behind us can experience the same grandeur.

**Update:
Ron Niebrugge To Share or Not to Share
Jim Goldstein Hotsheet in the Hot Seat

Off to Death Valley

2010-03-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

Packing up the car and heading out of town with some good friends in tow! I'm so excited to get out there and camp... get some dirt under my fingernails and some photos with my newly reconfigured gear. Every time I'm in the desert I come away with something completely different and I am hoping for some exciting new images out of this trip. Last time we had some pretty amazing skies as you can see from the pano of Zabriskie Point. Who knows what we'll find next...

The Magic Number for Manatees: 68

2010-03-04T10:18:00.000-08:00

The Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is a sub-subspecies of the West Indian Manatee that is found in lakes, rivers, estuaries, springs, lagoons... well basically any water source that is more than 3 feet deep in Florida. Fresh, brackish or salt makes no matter to them.

Manatee Facts:
Length 10-13 feet (3.0m-3.9m)
Weigh 1,000-3,500 pounds (453.6 kg-1,588 kg)
At birth:
3-4 feet (0.9-1.2 m) long
60-70 pounds (27.2-31.8 kg)
Calves gain approximately 700 pounds (318 kg) during their first year of life.
Males reach sexual maturity between 6-9 years
Females mature 5-9 years
Lifespan: 60 years or more

Like any good Floridian, what the Florida Manatee DOES care about is the temperature. If the water drops below a cool 68 degrees Fahrenheit they head for the nearest spring or power plant to warm up. This year has been especially hard on the manatees in Florida with over 219 deaths from the cold. Manatee cold-stress syndrome involves metabolic, nutritional, and immunologic factors. Symptoms may include weight loss, skin lesions or abscesses, internal fat loss, dehydration, constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders, internal abscesses, and other secondary infections.*1

The IUCN Red List categorizes the Florida Manatee as 'Endangered' *2 due to a population of less than 2,500 animals and an anticipated decline of 20% in the next two generations. As such, the manatee is under the protection by the 'Endangered Species Act of 1973, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary act of 1978. These laws state that "It is unlawful for any person, at any time, intentionally or negligently, to annoy, molest, harass or disturb any manatee". These regulations are pretty clear to me... if you cause a change in a manatee's behavior, you are in violation of the law. So you can imagine my surprise when my friends and I were told by law enforcement, that a man who caused a manatee stampede wasn't actually violating any laws. Excuse me?

In the two days that my friends and I visited the Three Sisters Spring in Crystal River (critical manatee habitat) we witnessed many wonderful manatee/human interactions. Volunteers in kayaks were educating visitors, gently reminding them to avoid splashing and squealing loudly with delight (something that even I found hard not to do when these adorable creatures looked me in the eye). People were swimming calmly and quietly, viewing the manatees sleeping and resting and doing basically what manatees do. There were a few bumps, a few timid pats and strokes mostly initiated by the manatees themselves (still not kosher per the law but seemingly without causing harm to the animals) until the second morning we arrived at the spring.

As I entered the channel that leads to the spring I was greeted by a wall of fast moving, panicked manatee flesh. If you have ever had the pleasure of experiencing the company of a manatee you know they are ponderous, deliberate and slow moving creatures. They conserve their energy. This was a mass exodus of terrified animals. There were well over 50 manatees pushing through the narrow channel, bumping into each other and the rocks, pushing past with such force I was bowled over - a less confident swimmer might have had trouble with the situation. When I was able to join my friends inside the spring I found out what spooked the animals. One man. Swimming freestyle. Splashing his arms and kicking hard, his fins slapping the water loudly. He circled the small pools where the manatees were sleeping in aggressive, fast circles causing the poor creatures to startle out of their slumber. When this man was approached and told he was disturbing the manatees he became very confrontational, screaming that my friend had no authority to tell him what he could do, he was entitled to swim any way he pleased! He swims like this "three times a week. Yeah, they get upset and then they calm back down. It's no big deal." Well, actually, it is a big deal ESPECIALLY during a cold snap when the manatees are already under great stress. It's AGAINST the LAW and the law is there to PROTECT the health and welfare of an animal. Two officers were called to the scene and while the Fish and Wildlife officer agreed that what the man was doing constituted harassment, the peace officer did not and no citation was issued.

I was and still am astounded. I just wish I had been able to video tape the manatee's reaction so I could show exactly what happened. By the time we realized what was going on and that he was intentionally disturbing the manatee and was refusing to stop, the majority of animals had left the spring and knowing that our video camera was following him, he toned his swimming down so it wouldn't look so bad. If you happen to be in the area and witness this guy... do NOT confront him - he's looking for a fight and is very aggressive - if you can, take some footage and report him to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (phone number is listed below). The only thing that will stop him is a cold, hard fine from someone in authority. A comment on an image I posted to Flickr struck me as cutting right to the heart of the matter "Unfortunately, we seem to have a never ending supply of people who don't understand their rights stem from the obligation to use those rights responsibly." I saw joy, respect, caring and excitement from so may visitors during my time at the Springs... it's too bad that it only takes one irresponsible person to cause so much grief for one endangered creature.

For more information and ways you can help the Florida Manatee check out the links below:

Save the Manatee Club
Save Three Sisters Spring
Wildlife Foundation of Florida: Proceeds from Manatee license plate sales are used to rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured animals.
Manatee Watchers
Report sick or injured animals or witnessed harassment call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922)

*1 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
*2 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Endangered Yellow-Eyed Penguin - New Zealand

2010-02-17T14:45:00.000-08:00

“Yellow-eyed aren’t like other penguins. They are scared to death of EVERYTHING!” our guide, Chris Roberts from ‘Back to Nature Tours’ tells us. It’s getting close to sunset and we are walking down a deserted beach on the Otago Peninsula in New Zealand. In the surf, I can see small heads popping up and scanning the beach for potential predators. At our height, we are included in the “scary-things” category and so we sit down in the sand to patiently wait and see if the penguins will be brave enough to come ashore. Shortly, we are rewarded for our patience by a beautiful penguin that makes his way out of the surf and up the beach. My first Yellow-eyed Penguin.

Yellow-eyed penguins (Megadyptes antipodes) are fairly large, competing with the Magellanic penguin for fourth place in the large penguin competition. Unlike the Magellanics who are very social, often walking from burrow to burrow to invite their neighbors to go for a swim, the Yellow-eyed are solitary. They approach the shore warily. Once on the beach they scan repeatedly for threats with their excellent eyesight before making a mad dash for the safety of the beach grasses where their young wait. When they encounter a human they run as if the hounds of hell themselves were upon them, often falling and madly flailing their flippers. It’s heart wrenching to see especially after working with other penguin species like the Gentoo who will snuggle against you if you just lay down near the colony or Rockhoppers who try to untie your shoe laces if you aren’t paying attention. Yellow-eyed’s just want to be left alone.

That doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t try to see them! The penguins are a major tourist draw in New Zealand. Armed with a bit of knowledge you can have a viewing experience that doesn’t negatively affect these beautiful birds. There are several groups who have placed blinds, tunnels and huts for tourists to get up close without the penguins knowing it. If you do happen to find a penguin on a beach without a viewing blind, sit down immediately to lower your profile, keep your voices soft and low, avoid making quick gestures and wait for the penguin to move away at his own comfortable pace. Stay on existing trails around beaches and coastal woodlands to avoid surprising an unsuspecting penguin and leave your dogs at home.

Yellow-eyed Penguin Links:
Back to Nature Tours, Dunedin
The Penguin Place, Otago Peninsula
The Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust , Otago Peninsula
Coastline Tours, Oamaru

Photos:
1. Yellow-eyed Penguin scanning the beach from the safety of the beach grass
2. Penguin in the surf looking for a spot to get on the beach
3. Penguins walking up the beach, they kept their eye on the person in the distance who was standing but barely gave us a glance as we lay in the sand quietly watching
4. First things first, a good stretch is in order after getting out of the ocean

Tips to Avoid Sea Sickness

2010-02-16T00:39:00.001-08:00

A major problem for people on the boats at Mavericks was sea sickness. It can strike anyone at anytime; young or old, fit or fat, male or female. Just because you've been in rough seas twenty times, doesn't mean the 21st time won't see you hung over the rear railing like a limp rag doll. Sea sickness is perhaps the worst feeling on the face of the earth... I've heard stories of people offering $5,000 to a boat captain to make him PLEASE head back to shore, people needing to be physically restrained to keep them from jumping ship and have witnessed first hand a friend huddled for 6 hours under a yellow tarp, begging us to feed him to the sharks at the Farallons. While not fool proof, this list has kept me lucky enough not to have been sick when many of my friends with equally strong stomachs have fallen.

Get a good nights sleep the night before you get on a boat.
Don't drink alcohol the night before you sail: a few too many drinks will leave your stomach a bit too prone toward queasiness.
Drink plenty of water before, during and after a boat trip: hydration is the first thing to go when sea sickness strikes.
Take the meds! Some people complain that Bonine makes them too sleepy... take the meds and have a little nap. It doesn't take much to get past the urge to sleep and being a touch tired is FAR superior to being ill.
Don't mix your meds. Resist the urge to try it all at the same time. Mixing a patch with a pill with a shock bracelet and two pressure points can often overwhelm your system and have the opposite effect to the intended outcome.
Have a good protein intense breakfast. Scrambled eggs are great - maybe skip the hot sauce though.
Don't listen to your friends. Everyone has that one friend who thinks it's soooo funny to remind you how sick you will be.... don't listen to him, he's not really your friend.
Mind over matter. Don't obsess over how sick you are afraid you are going to get. If you THINK you'll get sea sick you usually will.
Don't look down - keep your eye to the horizon.
Ginger has a great calming effect on the stomach. I've found an Australian Gingerbeer (non-alcoholic) called Bundaberg to be perfect. It's not as thick and syrupy as it's American counterparts and it's just the thing for a wobbly tummy.
If you are taking photographs especially with a long lens, keep both eyes open. The magnification of the lens will only serve to exaggerate the motion of the boat and make you sicker faster.
If you start to feel ill, lay down. Getting your center of gravity as low as possible and canceling one axis of movement can be just the thing to keep you from heading into full blown sea sickness.

Any other tips out there that have worked for you? Please share them!

Mavericks Surf Contest 2010

2010-02-15T23:04:00.000-08:00

Nothing screams 'CALIFORNIA!!' quite so loudly as surfing. I've spent my fair share of mornings watching the surfers on Ocean Beach and Rodeo Cove, marveling at their patience as they bob in the ocean, waiting for that perfect wave. Once a year, when those perfect waves comes along, the top 24 big wave surfers in the world descend on the small town of Half Moon Bay for a heck of a wild ride. The Mavericks Surf Contest was first held in 1999 and a young man from Santa Cruz was crowned champion: Darryl "Flea" Virostko. Darryl went on to win in 2000 and 2004. 2005 went to Anthony Tashnick (Santa Cruz), 2006 to Grant Baker (South Africa), 2008 to Greg Long (San Clemente) and this year, 2010 Chris Bertish from South Africa took the top spot.

For years I have wanted to attend the fabled 'Mavericks' surf competition but always seemed to either be out of town with no hope of a speedy enough return when the contest has been called or I waited the season only to find no suitable waves. This year they were sweet enough to call it in between trips and I found myself driving down highway 1 in the dark with two different sets of camera gear and my poor tired cousin in tow. I was fully prepared to climb the cliff with my 600mm and 2X teleconverter and hope for the best.

We arrived in Half Moon Bay and met up with a friend of mine, Jim Goldstein who tipped me off there might be room on one of the boats. Jim managed to score a spot on the media boat and was traveling light: two lenses, two camera bodies. Sure enough, I managed to get a spot on the Queen of Hearts. It might have been my imagination but she seemed a much less rolly ship than the Huli Cat but then again, EVERYTHING was rolling out there.

We saw a huge wave literally pick a guy off his jet ski and throw him into the water. I can only assume that was the wave that injured the people on the beach. It seemed to have a vengeful mind of it's own as it cut through the surf zone.

I had no idea what focal length would work best for the contest so I relied on my 100-400mm lens. Not the sharpest in my arsenal but you can't argue with the hand-holdability and flexibility a zoom can provide. I quickly abandon hope of being able to shoot with two cameras and stowed my second body in the main cabin for safety sake. One hand for the camera, one hand for the railing, or window, or desk.... or other passenger.... whatever is in reach when the boat gets knocked by a wave. The excellent light helped me keep my shutter speeds high enough to be able to shoot with less stability than I would think optimal and I captured many images that I am very pleased with.... not too shabby for a first timer. Next year I know what to expect and I'll be prepared!

While Chris Bertish did pick up top honors... I couldn't help but follow Kenny "Skindog" Collins. I mean, the guy had rainbows following him! One thing is for certain, the ocean runs deep in these guys veins and they love being big wave surfers - it showed in every run they made. As for me.... I'll stick to being below the waves with my trusty regulator delivering me O2 whenever I need it. Scuba Tuesday tomorrow!

Images
1: A famed Mavericks wave breaks on it's way to Pillar Point.
2: Peter Mel is chased by a monster wave.
3: Kenny "Skindog" Collins glides effortlessly down the face of a giant Mavericks wave.
4: Champion, Chris Bertish is quickly engulfed by a breaking Mavericks wave.
5: Kenny "Skindog" Collins slides down a wave face while a rainbow trails behind.

Outside my comfort zone

2010-02-10T18:58:00.001-08:00

I firmly believe that pushing myself outside of my comfort zone makes me a better photographer. So while I love and prefer to work with cute and fuzzy birds and animals, I jumped at the chance to work with Michael Kern on some creepy crawlies owned by a private collector. Michael has been seeing the beauty in snakes, reptiles, insects and amphibians for years and has a great book out called 'Serpents and Dragons: Finding Beauty in the Beast' which showcases a number of amazing species.

As it turns out, my recent move into human portraiture (another departure from my normal comfort zone) really helped me figure out the lighting. Being able to run that on instinct freed me up to focus on the personalities of the creatures in front of me... and oh yes! They do have personality!! One snake was shy, hidding his head and peeking up at us from under some mulch, the lizards pushed themselves up as if to say "Yes, I know I'm beautiful" and the geckos... well... who doesn't love geckos?? Very high on the cuteness scale.

Stay tuned if you'd like to get outside your comfort zone and work with some of these amazing creatures. The private collector is moving to a larger location where he will be able to offer photo sessions of his collection and Michael is thinking of running a few workshops in the new building to teach photographers how to bring out the beauty of these unique animals. Interested? Let us know!

Trees for Travellers

2010-01-27T16:39:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest criticisms I've heard of nature photographers stems from our desire to travel to far away and exotic locations. How can we justify the carbon expenditure we produce which adds to climate change in order to capture and image of a creature or location we love... our travel is causing more damage. And yet, the plane would go with or without us... so as a result I've taken to buying Carbon Offsets to help ease my conscience about my personal travel and subsequent contributions to greenhouse gas emissions.

I am always on the lookout for new opportunities for local projects that will benefit the areas I visit so I am pleased to share a "find" I made in Kiakoura, New Zealand: Trees for Travellers. They have a convenient flight calculator and you can track the growth and health of your assigned tree on Google Maps.

Check it out and see if a tree in Kaikoura makes sense for you.

The Colony

2010-01-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

Trying to make sense of the Shy Albatross colony took a bit of work. I managed to find one nest in the front of the colony with a handsome looking chick. Using him as my anchor I waited patiently for some action and was rewarded for my patience when an adult moved in to feed it's chick in the background. Waiting just a few moments more I was able to capture an albatross in flight over the colony which completed the image for me and gave a full picture of what the colony is all about.

No one ever mentions the fleas...

2010-01-14T06:07:00.000-08:00

"Just lay down in the dirt there and you can get the penguins walking toward you!" said Iain.

There is a cacophony of sounds ranging from soft purrs to loud braying and high pitch shrieks. Shutter clicks punctuate the night accompanied by brief flashes of light from our camera strobes. We were in a sea cave on a tiny island in the Bass Strait (between mainland Australia and Tasmania) and the cave was filled with Little Blue Penguins and petrels. Every night the penguins make the journey from the sea, over huge rocks, through a small meadow and up a cliff to enter the cave where their babies are waiting to eat the haul from the days fishing.

Our headlamps and flashlights were equipped with red filters to minimize distraction to the birds and I'm certain that anyone viewing the uninhabited island from the sea might believe aliens had landed or the the rock was possessed by ghosts. It was just two crazy photographers, thousands of sea birds and who knows how many more thousand fleas! Judging by the bites on my knees and elbows... there are over half a million fleas... but it was well worth a bit of itching to spend the night with these wonderful birds. Next time I'll remember the bug repellent!

Off to see the Wizard...

2010-01-03T03:57:00.000-08:00

Well... maybe not THE Wizard but I am off to OZ for certain! I will be back on January 27th and with any luck I'll have a couple of great Albatross photos to show for it!

In February I'll be sharing some of these images with the Ohlone Audubon Society. If you are in the area, stop by! I'll see you all in February!

Date: February 2 Time: 7:30 p. m.
Place: San Leandro Community Library Karp Room
300 Estudillo Avenue (94577)

Topic: Albatross: Wanderers on Wing and Wave
Presenter: Rebecca Jackrel

Of the 22 recognized species of Albatross, only one is showing an increase in population. Three species are stable. The remaining species are in decline. From plastics to long-line fishing, the challenges facing albatross are huge but not insurmountable. Join us for a look into the world of the albatross. See the beauty, the strength and the challenges ahead and learn why American ornithologist Robert Cushman Murphy exclaimed, “I now belong to a higher cult of mortals – for I have seen the albatross.” Rebecca Jackrel will give a slide presentation about her adventures photographing albatross around the world and the conservation issues facing these amazing sea birds. She will take you to the windswept Falkland Islands to meet the incredibly adept flyers: the Black-browed Albatross and to the island paradise of Midway Atoll, where the comical and goofy Laysan and Black-footed Albatross reside. We’ll end the evening with a trip “down under” to Australia and New Zealand to meet the large Northern Royal Albatross and the introverted Shy Albatross.

To reach San Leandro Main Library from I-580, take the Estudillo exit. Follow Estudillo to library on the right. From I-880, take the Davis St. exit and head east, passing under BART tracks. Go through light at E. 14th St (Davis becomes Callan). Continue 1 ½ blocks to library on right. Library parking lot can be entered from both Callan or Estudillo. We’ll meet in the Karp Room.

Cleaning up in a New Year

2010-01-01T10:50:00.001-08:00

I know that San Francisco has a wonderful recycling program but it still irks me that I feed it so much on a weekly basis. It seems like every year we get more and more and more junk mail coming through that little slot. Every week I seem to have a full paper bag with credit card offers and catalogs wanting me to buy, buy, buy.

Well today it stops... OK actually up to 90 days from now... but thanks to research done by my friend Jim Goldstein, I have opted out of magazine, credit card, insurance and catalog offers! To find out how you can do the same, visit Jim's Blog and follow his easy instructions! Just one word of warning - the text they use on the opt out websites to verify you are a person and not a computer bot is case sensitive and a bit confusing: 'I' and 'l' look the same etc... if it doesn't take it the first time keep trying. At least they don't remove your data and make you start over from scratch!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

http://www.jmg-galleries.com/blog/2010/01/01/3-ways-to-reduce-paper-waste-kill-your-junkmail/

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-23T17:46:00.000-08:00

Lighter side of Polar Bears

2009-12-17T16:06:00.000-08:00

I put this video together to share with friends and family to give them a look at what I've been up to... I hope you enjoy!

A slightly larger version is available on YouTube now.

Hunger

2009-12-17T11:34:00.000-08:00

If you listen to Stephen Colbert of the Colbert Report, you know that the number one threat to America is: BEARS! "God-less killing machines". Reading all the press these days generated by the increase in infanticide and cannibalism within the Western Hudson Bay population one might start to agree and have a negative image of these amazing creatures. It's important to understand that nature has a way of balancing things out. The loss of the cub has a far better long term return on investment than loosing the male or female bear to starvation.

It sounds cold and heartless, we all love baby animals but nature has to be heartless at times in order to survive. The cub that lost it's life helped that male bear get through an extremely difficult time. The mother is now able to better care for herself and she has the experience to prevent losing cubs in the future. Both the male and female will be in a better position to produce more off-spring because of the loss of the cub. It is sad and we grieve for that little life but we also thank it for helping those in need.

While hardly the same as the cubs sacrifice... I urge everyone to give a little bit of yourselves this holiday season. Times are tough for a lot of people. Foreclosures, homelessness, joblessness - people are just as scared as the bears, wondering when the ice will form, when the recession will end... Think about donating money or food to a local food bank. If you don't have any to spare, give your time. Help those around you to survive and be thankful knowing that others are willing to give of themselves in return.

ICE!!!

2009-12-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

Finally some good news for the polar bears. The ice has formed on Hudson Bay and the temperatures are staying low enough to keep the ice so they are on their way!!

A big thank you to Polar Bears International for keeping us in the loop on the current conditions.

Polar Bear Diet Expansion with Climate Change

2009-12-01T07:52:00.001-08:00

Nature is adaptable. If given time it can adjust, find new niches and new opportunities for survival. While rare, reports are coming in of Polar Bears eating Caribou, Lemmings and Ravens. As the polar ice melts, new species are becoming available as a food source. Harbor Seals are moving in to occupy the shores of Hudson Bay. Polar Bears are finding new sources of food and are being less finicky in what they eat... it's a good thing... right?

Not so much.

I have always assumed that Polar Bears are strict carnivores. All of the documents say that their main food source is the Ringed Seal. It made sense that they are opportunistic and will take advantage of any meal they can find but it didn't occur to me that they would only eat certain parts of the seal. In speaking with the naturalists and scientists associated with Polar Bears International (PBI), I learned that Polar Bears are lipovores.

The Ringed Seal (Pusa hispida) utilizes a thick layer of blubber to keep it warm on the ice floes of the arctic. This fat layer is what the Polar Bear needs to build body mass for it's summer long fast. In most cases, the bear will not eat the meat! I thought they would eat every morsel, taking advantage of every opportunity. I was shocked but suddenly it made sense as to why the arctic fox would follow the bear onto the ice. Why hunt for your own food when all you need to do is wait for someone else to capture it for you?

As it turns out, Polar Bears, in addition to calories, obtain much of their water from the fat of the Ringed Seal. If the bear begins to eat protein they need to take in a higher amount of water from outside sources. Have you ever tried to get a cup of water from snow? Ten inches of fresh snow can contain as little as 0.10 inches of water! It takes 1 calorie to warm 1cc of water 1 degree centigrade. Since temperatures can get as low as -68 C... well... after a lot of math you can see it takes quite a bit of effort to get very little reward.

All of this is leading to more energy expenditure to receive a far smaller amount of benefit and in some cases, a negative benefit or at best no benefit at all. The Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) births on shore, not the ice so they have a thinner fat layer than the Ringed Seal. Have you ever seen a Lemming? Not much bigger than the hamster you had as a kid. And Caribou is exceptionally lean meat, great protein but not much water.

Moral of the story? It takes time to adapt, change is happening too quickly, we need to slow it down as much as we can to give these animals a fighting chance. Get involved.

Polar Bear Infanticide

2009-11-29T10:36:00.000-08:00

A warning upfront: Some of the images included in this post are graphic and very upsetting but it's a story that needs to be told.

By now we all know about Global Climate Change or Global Warming. We know that the sea ice is melting. We know that these changes are happening rapidly and we know that it is putting more and more pressure on the animals that rely on the ice for their survival. However, KNOWING and SEEING FIRST HAND are two very different things.

Churchill is a perfect location to view Polar Bears in the wild. Five rivers pour into Hudson Bay near Churchill, the fresh water freezing at a warmer temperature than the salt water with which it mixes. The polar bears stage in the area, waiting for the ice to form so that they can break their summer long fast by hunting the ring seals which inhabit the ice flows. The large males arrive in the first wave. They spend their time sparing with other males, establishing dominance and working muscles that have been neglected during the summers inactivity. When the ice forms they leave and it is safe for the smaller, younger males and females to stage on the shore before they step off onto the ice flow. The final wave of bears to arrive on the sea ice are the females with cubs. They are vigilant about keeping their cubs a safe distance from large males who are feeling increasingly pressured to find food for their starving bodies.

Historically the bears have been able to return to the sea ice to begin hunting by November 8th. Within the past decade that date has moved further out, the sea ice forming later and later and the multi-year sea ice all but disappearing. On November 19th I was witness to an incident which speaks to the pressures these bear are facing. The ice has yet to form. The area is saturated with bears: large males, thin geriatric bears, slender females, rambunctious teenagers and moms with cubs. They are all starving and they are impatient for the ice to form. A young female was guarding her cub when a large male approached too close. She valiantly fought him, attempting to protect her cub but in the end he was too big, too strong and he took the cub.

This is not an isolated incident. It has been recorded a confirmed four times to date during this season with an additional four unconfirmed incidents - eight in total. Retired biologist, Dr. Ian Sterling has been working with the Western Hudson Bay population of Polar Bears for over 30 years and has reported that he has not witnessed an incident of cannibalism in his time.

It would be easy to hate the male bear, to call him a bad seed and dismiss the incident as the harshness of Mother Nature. In speaking with JoAnne Simerson, Senior Keeper and Polar Bear Behaviorist with the San Diego Zoo, we agree that one has to have compassion for the male bear as well as the cub and female. If his normal food source were available to him he would not have wasted his time on the cub. The world is changing quickly and they all have so little time to adapt....

This December the United Nations plans to meet in Copenhagen to discuss a plan to reduce the world's carbon footprint. I was very happy to learn that President Obama will be attending the meeting and has pledged to reduce U.S. emissions 17% from 2005 by 2020.

For more information and resent press releases surrounding this incident and the ongoing research into Polar Bears please visit Polar Bears International (PBI).

15 Days in the Arctic

2009-11-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

Hitting the road to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada for 15 days packed full of polar bears, arctic fox and arctic hare. Hoping for some good sunsets this year... wish me luck! I'll report back in 15 days.

Exhausted and Elated

2009-11-07T21:49:00.000-08:00

Enrique and I had the distinct pleasure of working with two very talented couples in a dance studio in Oakland last night. While I am absolutely exhausted (we wrapped at 1:50 AM, packed up and headed home and I was on my way to Elkhorn Slough to photograph otters by 6AM) I am thrilled with the results of the shoot. They have a show coming up in January and needed promotional images, we captured those and then some!

Eric and Chelsea (top) are American Grand Ballroom Smooth Champions and Max and Rachel (bottom) are an up and coming Latin dance couple. I don't

even pretend that I can dance

but I know what it's supposed to look like and these guys have it in spades. And I'm not just saying that because Chelsea is my cousin! They are truly talented. I'll keep you posted on the show when I get more information in case anyone is in town and wants to get tickets.

Desert Stars

2009-10-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to Death Valley I had the opportunity to set my camera up outside my tent without fear of it being stolen in the night. Over the course of the night my camera recorded 545 individual 20 second exposures of the night sky. While I wasn't awake to wish on it, the camera was able to capture a Shooting Star as well as a multitude of airplanes and satellites. The sky is pretty busy up there!

I pointed my camera toward where I thought the equatorial plane may be based on my knowledge of the location of the North Star. As I processed the image and added layer upon layer I was delighted to see the final trails emerging. What I had not anticipated was the variation in color of the trails... As a photographer I should know... light is not always the same. Yet somehow, as I look up into the sky at night, all I see are white and occasionally red stars. The trails tell a different story! They are alive with whites, blues, gold, pink and even teal! I can't wait to get back out there and experiment more!

Fantastic News!

2009-10-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to find an email hidden in my Spam Folder which reads...

Congratulations! This email is to officially inform you that you have been chosen as a Highly Honored Photographer in the 2009 Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards and will be featured in this year's Fall/Winter edition of Nature's Best Photography!

‘Recycle Me!’
Sand Island, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Rebecca R Jackrel
San Francisco, CA, USA
www.RebeccaJackrel.com

Laysan Albatross shadows skim across a beach on Midway Atoll where the message ‘Recycle Me!’ has been spelled out in the sand with marine debris collected on the island.

Trash from around the world is collected in the ocean currents and dropped off on the shores of islands like Midway. Even more is caught up in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre where Laysan and Black-footed Albatross mistake the plastic for food, bringing approximately 5,000 pounds each breeding cycle back to feed their hungry chicks. We can help stop this ‘garbage patch’ from growing by reducing waste and recycling more.

From Inspiration to Personal View

2009-10-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

We all look to others for inspiration especially as photographers and artists. I scroll through Flickr, books, magazines and numerous forums in my scouting for new locations, angles I haven't seen before and times of year to visit.

The Mobius Arch in Alabama Hills has become so well known that a path has been erected to keep people from completely trampling the fragile desert environment.... they still trample it. In 2006 my friend Jim Goldstein visited the arch and captured an image that I love for it's light, color and one simple little cloud. (Click here to see it.) But he in turn was inspired to seek out the location by Galen Rowell's 2001 image 'Arch beneath Mount Whitney in the Alabama Hills'.

I in turn have been inspired to visit the location and try my own hand. I think we all start with the "classic shot'. The need to reproduce the image that drew us to the area in the first place. Some people stop there with the thought 'I got what I came for! Look! It's just like {insert famous photograph's name here}'s picture!' That may be fine for most but for some of us we need more. Once that first image is made we become hungry... we visit the area again and again. We crawl on our hands and knees, we stretch and crane our necks, we hike further and we fall, skid and slid until suddenly we see it. Something we think we haven't seen before... trouble is... once we've captured that... we start all over again! I can't wait to see what I get next time I visit! Until then, Thank you to all the wonderful photographers out there who provide me with inspiration every day!

Polar Bears

2009-10-15T02:31:00.000-07:00

Blog Action Day 2009 has got me thinking about Climate Change and my impending visit to the Arctic. For the past few years I have been visiting the Polar Bears of Churchill, Manitoba. They are the Southern-most population and they are being hit hard by the lack of sea ice. Polar Bears are excellent swimmers for sure but with the sea ice disappearing, there is no where for them to swim to... Additionally, the sea ice traditionally holds the sea in place in the Hudson Bay... without it the wind kicks up large waves that even the best swimmers can't fight. The ice that does form is forming later and breaking up earlier... cutting into the bears time limit to capture enough prey to make it through another season. Click here to view an amazing study of the sea ice and it's decline over recent years. Scientists are seeing a trend... bears are getting smaller... mothers are producing single cubs or none at all... One can't help but wonder how long this species has before they reach the tipping point. Here's hoping they can hang on while we get our act together.

For more information on Polar Bears and how you can get involved visit Polar Bears International.

Tracking the Devil

2009-10-07T04:47:00.000-07:00

Holly, a Field Officer with the Task Force, releases a Tasmanian Devil.

For the past four days I've had the privilege of following an extremely committed group of individuals as they worked tirelessly to map a disease front in the Tasmanian Devil. The Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) has erupted and spread through the devil population at an alarming rate. The newly formed 'Devil Task Force' has been charged with the job of identifying the disease front and creating a containment plan. Iain and I captured many powerful images during this trip and intend to use them to generate articles in order to raise awareness of the disease and the people who are involved with combating it. A special thanks to Phil, Holly and Anton for putting up with the cameras and for not leaving us behind in the dust along the forest tracks! ;^)

For more information on the Devil Task Force visit: http://www.tassiedevil.com.au/

Spirit of BC

2009-10-06T01:30:00.000-07:00

It hardly seems possible that a week ago I was sitting in the mud of the edge of a stream watching bears chasing pink salmon. We were so lucky this year with the bear activity and the weather.

Four different Kermode Black Bear (aka Spirit Bears) walked the creek in front of us... chasing fish, taking naps and hiding from the rain storms. In another area we found a mother Grizzly and her cub. She was unconcerned by our approach and continued going about her business of catching fish and playing with baby. Our flight out from Hartley Bay took us over the amazing landscapes of Prince Rupert Island.

Need Coffee? Go to Whole Foods!

2009-08-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

In 2003 I was working as a Veterinary Technician at Ocean Avenue Veterinary Hospital near City College. On non-surgical days, my friends/co-workers and I would often race down to grab a bite to eat, and far more importantly a good cup of coffee from Caffe D'Melanio. The days I loved the most were roasting days. The entire block smells of fresh roasted coffee... a siren's call for me. Melanio Duarte always had a smile and a story to go along with the meal. As I transitioned into photography, Melanio let me cover his walls with my images.

In 2007 I was lucky to have the opportunity to visit Argentina and photograph near Melanio's home town. Images from that trip still grace the walls of Caffe D'Melanio and now one of my images of Iguazu Falls is gracing Melanio's coffee.

On his 10 year anniversary, Melanio has just started to distribute his yummy coffee through Whole Foods Market!! I couldn't be more happy for him. It is currently available in the Franklin store in San Francisco and the Walnut Creek store with plans to expand into the Potrero Hill store and beyond. So if you can't visit Melanio in the restaurant on Ocean Avenue, you can still pick up some really delicious coffee from Whole Foods! Just save a cup of Roastmaster's Blend for me!

Caffe D'Melanio
1314 Ocean Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122
Phone: 415-333-3665

Whole Foods Market Franklin Store
1765 California St
San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone 415.674.0500

Whole Foods Market Walnut Creek
1333 Newell Ave
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Phone 925.274.9700

Where have I been all this time??!!

2009-08-13T00:46:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems that I have been absent of late and with good reason! Really! While some National Parks are now boasting internet access I am pleased to report that there is NO INTERNET in the High Sierras! I spent an amazing 9 days hiking the back country with friends. You can read all about the High Sierra Camps in Yosemite on the California Nature Blog.

Almost immediately upon my return, I washed some clothing, packed up the heavy duty camping gear and headed out the door to Alaska! Where the float planes and high winds were numerous and prevalent and the internet access was sparse. I was lucky enough to have won two lotteries this year. The first for access to the High Sierra camps and the second for access to an amazing area called the McNeil River Game Sanctuary. Let me tell you... my friend Enrique and I can pitch tents! 50 MPH winds and the tent we nicknamed "The Marriott", due to it's HUGE size, stood the test.

The bears were nothing short of spectacular! I'll leave you all with this little video clip of the falls to wet your appetite! Did I mention I now have a video camera? Life is good my friends!!

Show Time!

2009-07-03T01:05:00.000-07:00

I've been quiet for a while now as I've been preparing for a show at A Woman's Eye Gallery. Well, this weekend is it! I've cut my mats (and my hands), framed my prints, dusted and buffed the glass and am ready to hang. The opening reception is Saturday from Noon to 5pm so if you are around, stop in and say 'Hi!'

A Woman's Eye Gallery is located at
678 Portola Drive, San Francisco, California,
across from Tower Market in Miraloma Park.
Free Parking at the adjacent Ebenezer Lutheran church. It's the big purple one... you can't miss it.

Back in Business!

2009-05-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

With 10 minutes to spare, my gear is home, safe and sound and upgraded... according to Canon at least... "It was found that the adjustment to the AF assembly was incorrect the auto focus did not operate properly. Electrical Adjustments were carried out on the AF assembly." I'm really hoping that means it's fixed! I'll be playing with the autofocus over the next few days just to be sure. Maybe I'll be able to actually take some sharp images now... wouldn't that be novel!

So.... CPS gets an D- for communication and an A+ for speed. Grade for accuracy is pending... Now, out the door before the dog bursts from repressed excitement, his walk is WAY overdue at this point. Poor Milo!

UPDATE

2009-05-28T13:46:00.001-07:00

A call to the Irvine service center went straight to voice mail but 45 minutes later I received a phone call from a very pleasant rep who told me that all of my gear is finished and was sent back to me via Fed Ex last night and should be at my door before 3PM today.... it's 1:50 pm now...

I've had a bad history with Fed Ex just leaving door tags and not ringing the door bell or knocking so... I'm going to go sit by the front door until they show up... I can't wait to have everything back in my hands! Heading down to the Baylands tonight if it all arrives in time! Hummmm probubly better not to count my stilts before they've hatched.... waiting is painful.