Landscape, Nature and Travel Photography

“A US District Court Judge yesterday issued a ruling in the case, National Audubon Society v. Kempthorne, stopping a proposed oil lease sale opening nine million acres for drilling including near Alaska’s Teshekpuk Lake. Interior had scheduled the lease sale for September 27.”

If you’re unaware of the plight of this area then please reference the following sites to learn more. It is extremely important that the voice of those that value our natural environment convey the need to preserve this fragile area.

The Wilderness Society:
Oil and Gas Leasing Would Damage Alaska’s Teeming Teshekpuk Lake Region
Planned lease sale threatens waterfowl, caribou, native lifestyles

Sierra Club: Intro to Teshekpuk Lake

Save Teshekpuk Lake - Petition to continue to protect this area. Your help is needed.

A friend forwarded me an amazing still photo taken from the air of camels walking across the desert. The catch… the shot was taken straight down at the camels. The camels themselves were white slivers, but their shadows were long and in clear form making it look like you could see all the camels laying on the sand. Its an amazing image and it was traced to the following National Geographic site where there is a multimedia display of some amazing desert photography. Click on the Multimedia link to see this image and many others that are truly amazing.
Note: The site is not in English, but you don’t need to understand to appreciate the beauty of this area.

Its taken a few weeks, but I’ve finally been able to finalize photos from Day 11 of my trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This day could easily be summed up as the day of the panoramic. I have posted 5 panoramic images including 180 degree views of the Brooks Range and Coastal Plain (including the Arctic Ocean and pack ice). In addition to the amazing scenery captured in these panoramics there are a variety of photos of Arctic wildflowers and one of my more memorable wildlife encounters. All-in-all this might have been the most amazing day of my trip.

I’ve never been into caving, but from the description of this recent discovery in Sequoia National Park I might change my tune. Unfortunately it sounds like they’re going to keep the location of this cave secret for some time to come. None the less the description and photos are incredible.

I credit my interest in photography squarely on Mirror Lake at Yosemite National Park. While in college I ventured out to this location in the early 1990’s, took a snapshot with a point and shoot film camera and upon getting my print back was hooked. For some reason the serene early morning reflection of the amazing cliff walls and trees struck a nerve with me and I realized I was hooked not just on photography but nature. To this day I still have, what I consider, my first landscape photo hanging in my office of Mirror Lake. It is a constant reminder of the viceral feeling of awe that fuels my interest in nature and landscape photography.

At the time of my first photo it was thought Mirror Lake was disappearing forever, changing from a once eight-acre lake to a marsh and meadow. These days its thought that Mirror Lake is constantly changing and isn’t necessarily disappearing. Opinions on this are bound to change so I keep my eyes open for new articles and studies to be sure. The degree of change the lake is subject to is as impressive as the landscape that surrounds it.

During my visit this past weekend I hiked out with family to take a look and again take a photo of one of my favorite places. To my amazement the lake was virtually gone. Only after venturing out into the lakebed did it become apparent how small the lake becomes during the late summer. I joked around with family that we were visiting Mirror Puddle. I can only hope that Mirror Lake is indeed a seasonal lake and will fill again from the rains and snowmelt. Such a beautiful place would be a shame to lose.

Below Left: Mirror Lake during the winter of 2002
Below Right: Mirror Lake during the late summer of 2006

It’s been about 4 years since I’ve been to Yosemite National Park and stayed on the valley floor. This past weekend was beautiful and not too crowded, but still above average in attendance. A few things have changed since my last visit including the change in access to Yosemite Falls and the addition of hybrid bus lines. All in all the atmosphere was nice, but still a little more crowded than I would prefer. I think Yosemite still suffers from too much love. The amount of visitors definitely takes a toll on the park and the wildlife found with in.

This weekend rather than focus on my photography I played host to my sister and her family (nephew 1 1/2 yo and neice 4 yo). This was their first visit to Yosemite so my focus was more family oriented rather than photography oriented. That being said I still couldn’t resist getting up at 4am to get in some photos for myself before spending the rest of the weekend taking some family photos for fun.

An example of too much love taking its toll at Yosemite National Park:
Hikers scaling Half Dome during the summer of 2001.

I found this article disturbing particularly due to my recent trip to the region. I can only hope that progress is made in this area. The impact to wildlife and the environment as a whole, globally not just regionally, will be substantial if something isn’t done. Unfortunately most people associate this region with having little to no life, but the impact felt here will definitely cascade to other biomes.

“Arctic perennial sea ice — the kind that stays frozen year-round — declined by 14 percent between 2004 and 2005, climate scientists said on Wednesday, in what one expert saw as a clear sign of greenhouse warming.” - Scientists: Winter Arctic sea ice shrinking

I have always been interested in taking a photo from this spot. I finally got around to it after living in San Francisco for 5 years or so. After enduring a few nudists, a little rock climbing and waiting for the perfect moment I got the shot I envisioned.

An interesting side note… I brought my film SLR and my dSLR with me on this shoot. Images from both were quite nice, but I ended up shooting 2:1 digital versus film on this day. The partially shot roll with the images from this location stayed in my film SLR for the next 7+ months. It wasn’t until December that I finished the roll while on my honeymoon on Kauai, Hawaii. Its tough to resist the lure of digital.