One week left to order prints at a 20% discount – see my previous post!
A few weeks ago my girlfriend, Aubrey, and I drove out to eastern Washington to bask in the warm sun, and explore various geological relics. Starting about 17 million years ago most of Washington (and bits of Oregon) were periodically flooded with lava for about 11 million years. During this time as many as 300 lava floods coated 60,000 square miles of land with up to a vertical mile of dark basalt rock. As the lava cooled, it shrank, creating evenly spaced fractures in the rock that ultimately led to the relatively evenly spaced tall columns of basalt that you can see today. This columnar basalt can be found all over the world, but what makes the columns of the Columbia Basin so special is the brightly colored lichens that tend to grow on them.
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Ancient Ramparts : Prints Available
Lichen covered basalt columns near the Ancient Lakes in E. Washington.
The Tech: Canon 5D2, Nikon 14-24mm, tripod
Exposures (4): iso 100, f/22, 1/4th; 1/20th; 1/160th; 1/250th
Notes: 4 exposures blended for dynamic range.
After seeing that picture you’re hopefully wondering how these incredible basalt formations (which are hidden underground throughout the area) were exposed. Two million years ago the area would have been covered in constantly shifting massive sheets of ice. These glaciers trapped rivers in what is now Idaho and Montana, creating huge lakes, cumulatively containing on the order of 500 cubic miles of water. Periodically the ice would retreat, allowing a cataclysmic floods of glacial water to pour into the Columbia Basin. The primary lake that contributed to the formation of the valleys in this area was Lake Missoula, which is estimated to have resulted in at least 40 massive floods.
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White Water Spirits : Prints Available
High spring water in Palouse Falls.
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 100-400mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 200, f/8, 1/800th
Notes: This is one of 126 exposures I took - the water flow was so dynamic that every image was different!
These floods carved deep canyons (such as Palouse Canyon, through which the modern day Snake River flows), and a myriad of other fascinating geological features, most of which are best seen from a satellite view. The area is often referred to as the "scablands", named after the common basalt mesa like structures that look kind of like giant scabs on the Earth. If you’re curious, I recommend exploring the Google Earth satellite view around Eastern Washington. The eastern shores of Lake Lenore have some particularly neat features. Aubrey and I explored that area on foot, in fact, to see the deep basalt potholes you can find on the satellite view. The potholes, called kolks, were formed during the floods. In some ways the formations reminded me of Utah – we even saw a basalt arch – though not nearly as photogenic. Still, it was an interesting area to explore.
Click image for larger view!
Palouse Falls : Prints Available
Sunset over Palouse Falls.
The Tech: Canon 5D2, Nikon 14-24mm, tripod
Exposures - landscape (2): iso 100, f/11, 1.3 sec; 1/4th
Exposure - water: iso 3200, f/11, 1/25th
Notes: I blended the two landscape exposures for dynamic range, and blended in the water from the high iso exposure. In fact, I used 5x high iso exposures, merged in 'lighten' blend mode to convey the proper sense of volume in the waterfall.
We concluded our trip with a visit to Palouse Falls, which is one of the few remaining relics of the historical floods that still has water flowing through it. On a warm spring day the volume of water is impressive; the falls roar with power as the water free-falls ~180 feet. You’d think it would be madness to get close to such a powerful force, but two years ago Tyler Brandt, a crazy kayaker, paddled his boat (on purpose) over the edge of the daunting drop. See the video here: world record waterfall descent. That night, from the comfort of our campsite in the green grassy state park, we watched a lightning storm explode in electrical fury far in the distance as the stars twinkled above our heads. It was utterly silent, other than the roar of the nearby falls, a very surreal experience for a lightning storm. I probably should have gotten out my camera for a few pictures, but I was too content sitting by the warm campfire.
For additional information on the historical floods of the Columbia Valley, see Tom Foster’s fantastic website: Huge Floods.
Tags: eastern washington, palouse falls
After nearly two years of searching, brainstorming, and prototyping, I have finally settled on a new print display method that I am extremely happy with. To share my excitment with you, I am putting all 15x23in and larger prints that use this display method on sale (20% off + free shipping) through May 13th (Mother’s Day)! Use discount code “mothers” on checkout.
For the past several years I have offered my prints with a simple but elegant gallery style framing option, and all the prints in my own home as well as shows were in the same style. Unfortunately, unless there is custom overhead track lighting, glare from lights and windows makes viewing prints through standard UV protective acrylic or glass a frustrating experience. As a result, you don’t get to appreciate the image from all angles at all times of day – which is heartbreaking to me! I am happy to announce my new glare-free display option, at a new low price ($295 for a 15x23in ready to hang print, shipping included).
First, I make the prints myself on my Epson 7880 Professional Photo Printer with Moab Slickrock Pearl paper. This paper has a smooth, medium glossy surface and a slightly metallic or pearly sheen, somewhat like the surface of mother of pearl. I then send the (hand signed) prints out to Duraplaq in Colorado, where they are mounted onto a thin (acid-free) wood board and coated with a hard acid-free UV protective satin coating. The coating has a light texture to it, resulting in a finished print that has a similar surface texture to the baryta papers I have used and loved for the past 5 years, but with a slightly metallic undertone that works wonders for my style of photography. The best part? The hard coating eliminates the need for glass or acrylic, and it hides any bronzing that occurs with inkjet prints. For the critical finishing touch I have the prints framed with a simple but elegant black frame. Below is a photograph of a 16x23in print displayed with this approach (of course, the metallic sheen can only be experienced in person, and yes, the print is signed, it’s just a little hard to see).
Pearl print, mounted and framed by Duraplaq in Colorado.
The only downside of this display method is that it only works well for larger print sizes (else the frame overpowers the print). This is not inherently a bad thing, as I believe my prints should be enjoyed at these large sizes anyways.
In my design process I worked a lot with Tim Emerson, CEO of Duraplaq, to get my custom display idea into practice. He was incredibly kind and helpful, and the quality of the finished products is fantastic, and set at a very reasonable price. Furthermore, getting the colors just right is always a challenge that anyone who has produced their own prints can surely attest to. To calibrate both my printer and paper, as well as the Duraplaq coating, I sent finished color patches to Michael Gordon, who makes great custom printer profiles for a very affordable $25. By making my own prints I have complete creative control, and can manage the colors properly from start to finish. Full disclosure: I am not sponsored in any way by Duraplaq; Michael Gordon is my friend, in addition to being a great photographer and professional printing czar. My Personal Thoughts on Other Mounting Methods
Traditional Framing
There are many variations, but essentially the idea here is that the print is displayed behind glass or acrylic, and typically the print is not adhered to any surface.
Pros: easy to swap prints in and out, leaves the print in as-is condition, customized matting and framing options, and good seperation from cluttered environments.
Cons: acrylic and glass glare is hard to overcome, print can warp if not mounted (which can come undone over time), large acrylic sheets warp, and custom jobs are very expensive for large prints. It’s easy to pay more for the frame than the art it contains!
Note: anti-reflective coatings for glass and acrylic are available, at sky-high prices.
Acrylic Face Mount
This has recently become a very popular display method, where the print is mounted directly to a piece of acrylic for a simple modern look.
Pros: If you have gallery style track lighting, it is a simple and modern look with high contrast and colors.
Cons: Same glare issues as traditional frames, and the smooth surface finish looks too artificial for my tastes – like a large flat screen TV. Also, this process generally requires outsourcing print production (which I dislike), and is overpriced.
Note: anti-reflective coatings for glass and acrylic are available, at sky-high prices.
Colorbox Mount and Float Mount
These processes are similar to the approach that I settled on, however instead of a frame the mounted print is hung directly on the wall – several styles are possible.
Pros: just about all the same as my display option except that I find the frame makes a huge difference. Very affordable.
Cons: without a proper frame the images don’t quite come across as “art” in the way I want them to.
Canvas Wraps
This is another popular approach these days, where images are printed on canvas, wrapped onto a stretcher frame, and (optionally) placed inside a wood rim-frame.
Pros: relatively inexpensive, no acrylic or glass, hides noise and digital artifacts because of the heavily textured surface.
Cons: looks tacky, in my opinion, and carries much less detail than a proper print.
Tags: prints
After spending a month in the record breaking rainy March of the Pacific Northwest it was nice to be back in sunny California for a few days. I grew up near Shell Ridge, which is at the base of Mt Diablo. Just a few hundred yards from my parents house is a paradise of rolling grassy hills dotted with oak trees. Anna’s hummingbirds flit from twig to twig, White-tailed Kites soar overhead, and coyotes hunt for ground squirrels.
Anna's Hummingbird : Prints Available
Anna's Hummingbird in Mt. Diablo State Park
The Tech: Canon 20D, 500mm f/4, 1.4x tc, monopod
Exposure: iso 800, f/5.6, 1/320th
Note: this is from a few years ago, but seemed fitting to share!
I miss having such a beautiful park so close to home. For a few years now I’ve wanted to capture a picture from this quintessential California landscape that was a large part of my childhood, but so far it hasn’t materialized yet. Usually this time of year the grasses are green and lush, and the oak leaves are just emerging, but thanks to the La Nina weather cycle the hills were rather dry this year. Still, basking in the warm sunshine was delightful.
Sunshine Oaks : Prints Available
Sunshine and oaks near Shell Ridge / Mt Diablo State Park.
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 100, f/16, 0.8 sec
Notes: 3 image panoramic stitch with PT Gui.
Being from California, I have an ongoing personal project to photograph the various seasonal wonders that happen throughout the state. Of course, that’s a little difficult living in Seattle, now, but I do what I can. One of those wonders that has eluded me for various reasons is the state flower, the California poppy. Some years in places such as along the Merced River and Antelope Valley poppies will carpet the landscape for a few weeks, but they can be found just about anywhere. What makes the poppy so difficult to photograph is that it only opens it’s vibrant orange waxy petals in the middle of the day on sunny days (not the most flattering lighting conditions). When you get up close to the sunlight poppies, however, they glow with gold that makes me wonder if the goldminers shouldn’t have instead focused on farming these beautiful flowers. Of course, the story actually goes in the exact reverse – the poppy is California’s state flower because it’s golden color seemed fitting for the ‘golden state’.
California Poppy : Prints Available
California poppy in Morgan Territory / Mt. Diablo State Park.
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 70-200mm, 25mm extension tube, handheld, extra hand
Exposure: iso 200, f/5.6, 1/800th
After seeing this image several of my friends asked if they really had that purple little ring below the petals – yes indeed they do! It serves as the base for a little green cap the flowers wear until they are ready to bloom.
One of the reasons for my trip home was actually to finish a portfolio of images that the high school I attended (The Athenian) hired me to take, as well as to speak at several classes and the general assembly. It was great to see some of my teachers, and (hopefully) inspire some of the students with stories of my photographic and scientific endeavors, largely made possible by the opportunities offered by The Athenian. It was a very different kind of photography than I’m used to, but the campus is so beautiful and familiar that I felt right at home.
The Athenian School
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 70-200mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 100, f/11, 1/15th sec
Notes: 3 image panoramic stitch with PT Gui
Since I’ve now accumulated enough images from the Mt Diablo area, and because it’s where I grew up, I’ve added a new gallery to my website here: Mount Diablo. Most of the images there are from within a 20 minute walk of where I grew up. Take a look, and try using the arrow keys to flip through the gallery images. That’s just one of many subtle but powerful updates my fantastic web-host (WideRange Galleries) has added.
Tags: flowers, mount diablo, spring
With backpacks loaded with goodies including freshly smoked Halibut and Black Cod from a friendly man we met in Neah Bay, fresh veggies, a bottle of wine, french cheese, whiskey, four logs of treated firewood, and other necessities, I headed down the muddy path to Shi Shi beach in Olympic National Park last weekend with my girlfriend, Aubrey. It was a spectacular afternoon with warm sunlight shining over Washington State for possibly the first time this year. Spring leaves were starting to show themselves, and yellow flowers were crawling out of the swamp. After setting up camp we wandered down to the beach to watch the sun say its farewells. Over the course of the next hour I watched as the sky faded to the deep blues of the night sky, dotted with twinkling stars. It’s amazing what you can see on a moonless night so crisp and clear as that, with not a cloud or wisp of mist in sight. It’s almost like wandering through a dream.
Please see my website for an extensive gallery of images from Olympic National Park.
Click image for larger view!
"Sea of Dreams" ~ Olympic National Park, WA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, Nikon 14-24, tripod
Exposure (sea): iso 1600, f/4, 82 sec
Exposure (sky): iso 3200, f/2.8, 15 sec
Processing: I blended two exposures, taken as a panorama of two horizontal images, in addition to one additional exposure to control for dynamic range in distant sea. The sky is entirely from a single exposure.
Tags: beach, coast, night, olympic national park, stars
After sitting idle for a week or two my creative (photographic) soul gets restless, and I need to let it out for a walk in the wilderness. Although these trips are often short (due to other obligations), I can live off of the experience for quite some time to keep myself healthy. Being outside also helps keep everything in perspective. We are but wandering souls in a vast world – it’s important not to forget your place.
One of my projects since moving to Seattle has been to create a diverse portfolio of images that captures the essence of the Olympic Peninsula. Few places on Earth have as much diversity in landscape within such a small place, which includes glaciated mountain peaks, dense mossy rainforests, spectacular summer wildflowers, and an inspiring wilderness coastline (see my Olympic NP gallery). Thus far there has been a notable gap in my portfolio: the winter experience. So, with forecasts for frigid temperatures, and heavy snowfall giving way to a clear and sunny break, I decided it was time to spend the night among the frosty trees on Hurricane Ridge. Due to high avalanche danger, and fragile cornices, I stayed away from the most alpine regions, but nevertheless had a spectacular time among the subalpine trees.
My campsite on Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park
With temperatures dropping into the teens shortly after sunset I huddled into my -10° sleeping bag, safe and sound in my winter tent. Winter nights are long, though, and I lay awake listening to whispering winds, letting my mind wander. On short trips I don’t bring any reading material as I want to force myself to experience, and savor, every moment of my time in the wilderness. So all I can do is feel the cold fresh air on my face, watch the thin layer of frost form on the inside of my tent, and listen to the winds. After a few hours pass I hear the pitter-patter of falling snow. Excited, I poke my head out of the tent and am greeted by a face full of falling powder! For the past year I have been actively looking for an opportunity to photograph snow or rain in dusk or darkness with either a flash or headlamp, inspired by the work of a German photographer Sandra Bartocha. It’s 9pm, 18°, and I’m warm and cozy in my sleeping bag. Somehow, I manage to work up the motivation to get outside. I put on my down and primaloft layers, wriggle my feet into my frozen ski boots, and I’m ready to go. I had already picked out a spot just a hundred feet from my camp in case such an opportunity presented itself. The snow could stop any moment, so I quickly set to work trying various lighting arrangements. I count in my head the amount of time I spend on each part of the scene with my LED headlamp’s spotlight beam. 15 seconds on one side, 15 on the other, 5 on the trees, 35 on the background, and it’s done. Within a few tries everything comes together! Satisfied I brush the snow off my camera and crawl back into my tent, which is quickly becoming encased in snow. Creative urges satisfied, I drift off to sleep.
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"Flurries" ~ Olympic National Park, WA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, Nikon 14-24mm, tripod, headlamp
Exposure: iso 800, f/11, 76 sec
At 5:15am my watch starts beeping, dangling an inch above my head. It’s tricky making sure that you can actually hear an alarm when you’re all bundled up for a winter’s night. The hanging watch seems to work quite well. I work up the courage to go outside again, bundle up for the cold, slap the snow off the tent, and crawl outside. It’s just starting to get light now, and I’m surrounded by a silent and blue winter wonderland. It really is magical! Soon the sun lights up the distant trees in a brilliant pink glow; I wish I could have been up there, but it would not have been worth the avalanche risk. A little while later the sun hits the trees around my camp. The translucent ice coating the trees glows under the warm light, illuminating the neighboring trees – like you see in a slot canyon. The warm/cold contrast is one of the most beautiful moments winter has to offer. This is why I came up here today, to greet the winter sun.
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"Winter Candles" ~ Olympic National Park, WA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, handheld
Exposure: iso 200, f/11, 1/60th sec
Satisfied with my snowy experience, and having re-established my place in the world, I head back to the trailhead. A friendly ranger (and coincidentally a fan of my photography), Dave, offers to drive me down to my car (which is parked 3 miles from the ridge top), and pretty soon I’m off on my way back to work.
Tags: olympic national park, winter
Approximately 3,500 years ago, a group of hardy sea-faring individuals arrived at the remote island chain we now know as Samoa by way of clever navigation using the stars, ocean currents, weather phenomena, bird migrations, and no doubt a huge amount of luck. According to oral accounts Samoa is the center of Polynesia, and it is from these islands that settlers departed for the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and Marquesas (and from there on to Hawaii). It wasn’t until the 1700′s that Europeans (re)discovered these remote little islands, and in today’s technology dependent society it is impossible (for me at least) to comprehend how these ancient peoples were able to find such miniscule islands in the vast expanse of the deep blue pacific waters. Today all it takes is a 5 hour flight from Honolulu, and you’ll find yourself in Tutuila, American Samoa. If it takes 5 hours on a Boeing 767 traveling over 500mph at 35,000 feet guided by GPS systems and satellite weather information, imagine how long it would take on a wind powered boat with no knowledge of where you’re headed!
"Pacific Voyage" ~ Pacific Ocean
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, handheld
Exposure: iso 1600, f/5.6, 1/10th sec
Notes: The bright blob is the rising full moon, which unfortunately was heavily distorted by the low quality airliner windows
That first boat of pacific islanders were by no means the first living beings to arrive on these islands. In fact, they would have been greeted by 100′s of species of coral, thousands of fish, and of course white sandy beaches lined with coconut trees. The coconut is one of the most versatile plants on the planet, and has done a superfluous job of dispersing itself around the world thanks to its unique adaptation to drift on the ocean currents for months before germinating on a tropical beach. Coconuts have been found in all corners of the world, including Norway. Given their preference from warm and hot climates, however, that coconut probably didn’t make it for very long.
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"Coconut settler" ~ Tutuila, American Samoa
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod
Exposures: iso 200, f/16, 1/4th and 1/30th
Notes: two exposure blended, I used iso 200 (instead of 100) to get the effect in the water motion I wanted
The coconut was so important to the pacific islanders that it was dubbed the ‘Tree of Life’. Young coconuts are full of a refreshing liquid called coconut water, which served as the primary source of hydration for their lengthy marine excursions (approximately 4-8 coconuts would be required per person per day to stay fully hydrated). As the coconut matures the liquid forms a rind – the white meat you typically think of as ‘coconut’. This flesh can be eaten raw or shredded and pressed into ‘coconut milk’. The coconut serves as much more than water and sustenance, however. The dense shell of the coconut, for example, is the best kind of wood for making activated charcoal. Many filtration systems, like gas-masks, use activated charcoal derived from coconut shells. These are but a few highlights of all the uses, if you want to learn more I recommend downloading this recent document that promotes the coconuts many applications (besides tropical sunset decorations): The Coconut Odyssey.
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"Alone in the deep blue" ~ Tutuila, American Samoa
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod
Exposure: iso 100, f/2.8, 88 sec
My trip to Samoa was not a chance landfall such as those made by drifting coconuts, nor was it a vacation (graduate students can’t afford to go on vacation to places like this). Brian von Herzen of the Climate Foundation had invited me to come help with his Pacific Island Climate Change Cooperative (PICCC) funded project to better understand coral bleaching, and more specifically, to demonstrate methods for reversing (and preventing) the bleaching process. So what is coral bleaching anyways, and why has it become a popular topic of research over the past decade? First you’ll need to know a little bit about coral. Corals are marine animals that typically live in colonies of genetically identical individuals called polyps. One of the better known groups of coral are the reef builders, such as the staghorn corals in the image below. The polyps of these corals secrete calcium carbonate, which gradually builds a strong skeletal structure in which the polyps reside. Although some corals feed by catching plankton with stinging tentacles, most get their energy from a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae. In addition to providing energy, the zooxanthellae are responsible for the majority of the pigmentation in healthy corals. Coral bleaching occurs when the animals get stressed because of any number of factors and expel the zooxanthellae from their tissue, thus losing both the ability to produce energy as well as their color. What is left is a white skeleton of calcium carbonate. If the bleaching is not too severe the corals can re-recruit the zooxanthellae after conditions improve, but mass bleaching events can kill them off entirely.
Bleached corals ~ the white corals are bleached, the brownish orange ones are healthy.
One of the primary stressors leading to coral bleaching is a slight increase in water temperature (just a few degrees is sufficient!), particularly when combined with intense sunlight. Corals are living within a few degrees of mortality every summer. High temperatures cause the coral to become more sensitive to light. Because of its extreme sensitivity to changes in water temperature, coral bleaching can be considered the canary in the coal mine of climate change. As water temperatures rise, coral ecosystems will be the first to disappear. Twenty-five percent of all marine species rely on the coral reef ecosystem for some part of their lifecycle. These fish and invertebrates will lose the habitat they require for survival. From there, repercussions will be felt throughout other ecosystems, both in and out of the water. As you can imagine, understanding exactly what is going on, and how we might be able to prevent and reverse bleaching is of critical concern. In a preliminary experiment, the Climate Foundation has found that subtly cooling the reef water is sufficient to reverse (and prevent) bleaching in less than 24 hours. Our goal for this trip was to collect some additional data with a more mobile system, though we spent most of the time building and validating the mobile cooling system to be deployed later this year. Scaling this type of operation to save an entire reef system may seem daunting at first, however, there are some incredibly simple (and inexpensive) solutions that become available with the adoption of deep sea water air conditioning.
Brian and Tracy testing the mobile solar powered water cooling system in the pool.
Of course, that is the pessimists view of how our future will unfold. It is possible that the corals will adapt to warmer climates. Although this is an unlikely outcome given the rate of global temperature increase, there is some hope for this view: corals in certain areas are much more heat resistant than others. One such place is the island of Ofu, which lies a mere 50 miles to the east of Tutuila. Researchers at Stanford have been studying the coral here for this very reason. Despite the relatively close proximity, Ofu is actually quite a challenge to get to. Inspired by my friend, and world traveller/photographer, Michael Anderson, I decided to take my chances and go on an adventure to this little island paradise.
The cargo ship, MV Sili, that I took to Ofu. This was during a brief stop over on Ta'u, delivering groceries.
There is no regular transport to Ofu, and beyond chartering a boat or plane for exorbitant amounts of money your most reliable option is flying to the nearby island of Ta’u and hiring a fisherman to take you to Ofu. That sounds like a reasonable plan, except that the plane is broken about half the time, and locals get priority on seats (reservations don’t mean a whole lot). Also, if the swell is high, you probably won’t find a fisherman willing to go out on the high seas. So you could very well get stuck on Ofu, or Ta’u, for up to a week. The second option is to hitch a ride on the cargo ship that departs from Tutuila approximately once a week, if it’s not broken, and the crew not detained by the coast guard. Again, there are no guarantees about getting home (but really, who actually wants to leave tropical paradise?!). During my stay the ship turned out to be operational, so I went for it. Going into my journey I was a bit apprehensive, as everyone I’d talked to had told me horror stories of waves crashing over the deck, mixing with puddles of vomit, and soaking everyone on board to the bone. I happened to go when the seas were at the calmest anyone remembered them ever being, so my 12 hour overnight journey was actually as pleasant as such a trip can be, and I made it to and from Ofu without incident. My nerves were a little calmed, too, when I met Ken and David, two brave tourists from New Mexico who were on the same boat ride as I was. Keep in mind, this cargo ship is also the only source of imported goods the people that live on these islands get. That means that if they don’t keep about a months worth of beer (or other essentials) in stock they could very well run dry before the next shipment arrives!
Sunrise over Olosega island.
After a dramamine induced sleep I awoke to a beautiful sunrise in the deep blue waters of the pacific ocean. Frightened flying fish flew past, and the green rugged peaks of Ofu welcomed me to this little paradise. Although the island sees very few tourists, there is a wonderful little lodge just a quarter mile from the beach called Vaoto Lodge. Jim and Marge, the friendly owners of the lodge, will cook you fantastic dinners, there’s beer in the fridge, and superb snorkeling right off the doorstep. What more could you want? The aquamarine water, clear as glass and a balmy 84 degrees F, beckons you to take a swim.
Click image for larger view!
"Aqua-marine" ~ Ofu, American Samoa
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, Aquatech sport housing, 8in dome port
Exposure: iso 400, f/10, 1/400th sec
Unlike most pictures you may have seen of tropical islands, this one is unique in that there are no resorts or tourists that are just barely hidden from view. You don’t need to clone out or avoid any footsteps on the beach, because there are none. I think I just need to let my images do the talking, as this place is just indescribably magical.
Click image for larger view!
"Coral Garden" ~ Ofu, American Samoa
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, Aquatech sport housing, 8in dome port, 2-stop screw-on graduated ND filter
Exposure: iso 400, f/16, 1/100th
Notes: this is a stitch of two exposures taken at different focus settings which was necessary to get the whole scene in focus due to the optics of the dome port.
I spent the majority of each of my 4 days there snorkeling in the lagoon right off of National Park Beach. Yes, that’s right, it’s a US National Park – the only one south of the equator (the park is spread over Tutuila, Ofu, and Ta’u). And most certainly the one with the fewest visitors. There’s no entrance fee, and the only real evidence of the park management is a entrance sign and a few helpful information postings.
"Sunrise in Paradise" ~ Ofu, American Samoa
The Tech: Canon 5D2, Nikon 14-24 tripod
Exposure: iso 100, f/16, 1/250th sec
I found one of my favorite photographic angles while snorkeling to be looking up at the water surface with the camera. On a still day you can actually see through the surface of the water, up at the tropical sun and bright blue sky. This phenomenon is known as Snell’s Window, and is a result of light refracting through the water, rather than reflecting off of the surface. This only occurs in a narrow range of angles, outside of which you actually see a reflection of what lies below the waters surface. This angle is very difficult to get just right, and snorkeling in shallow water it means photographing while holding the camera below you where you can’t see the viewfinder or LCD screen. So the majority of my images were shot ‘blind’ – I guessed at the focus and composition by looking at the orientation of my camera. About one out of every 600 exposures or so actually worked out. Relative to this, the other challenges – trying to take photographs of moving things while someone (the ocean) is pushing and shoving you around, the light that changes every split second, and the awkwardness of working the camera through a watertight housing – were quite manageable. Overall it was a very fun and rewarding challenge, and given the location it was hard not to be in a dream like state of relaxation.
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"Jellyfish in Flight" ~ Thimble jellyfish (Linuche unguiculata), Ofu, American Samoa
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, Aquatech sport housing, 8in dome port, +2 diopter
Exposure: iso 400, f/22, 1/640th sec
Notes: iso 400 was not the ideal setting here, but when you've got as many things to worry about as you do underwater, it's easy to forget those kinds of things!
Click image for larger view!
"Fishbowl Lagoon" ~ Humbug Dascyllus (Dascyllus aruanus), Ofu, American Samoa
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, Aquatech sport housing, 8in dome port, +2 diopter
Exposure: iso 800, f/18, 1/250th sec
Click image for larger view!
"Chromis and Corals" ~ Blue Green Chromis (Chromis viridis), Ofu, American Samoa
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, Aquatech sport housing, 8in dome port, +2 diopter
Exposure: iso 800, f/22, 1/160th sec
Alas, after 4 days of swimming in the sweltering heat I had to head back to Tutuila, and soon after that, my home in the northern hemisphere where I promptly strapped on my skis to cool off from the tropical sun.
You can my portfolio of images from Samoa on my website, including a few not shown above, with this link: Samoa gallery.
Tags: americans samoa, fish, islands, ofu, paradise, south pacific, underwater. tropical
Those of you that follow my blog regularly will recall that about two months ago I mentioned I would be headed to American Samoa for 3 weeks to help a friend with his coral bleaching project on Tutuila. Well, I’m here! I’ve been baking in the sun for about a week now, and am currently taking a 4 day vacation on the remote island of Ofu. Ofu is a small island about 50 miles from Tutuila, and there is no reliable means of transport. I was lucky to catch the cargo ship, which sailed overnight and arrived on this little paradise on Friday morning. Except for two other tourists (which is incredibly rare) and my friendly hosts at Vaoto Lodge, I have the two mile stretch of pristine beach all to myself. It is indescribably beautiful and relaxing here – unfortunately I knew as soon as I set foot on the sand that it would be impossible to share the experience through any photograph. But, I will do my best!
I’ll leave you with an image from my first day here, taken with the underwater housing many of you helped me purchase by way of my print sale announcement. It’s been working wonderfully, and it’s giving me a whole new world to explore! Speaking of which, I better go jump in the lagoon again, the fish are calling me.
"Swimming in Paradise" ~ Ofu, American Samoa
The Tech: Canon 5D2, Canon 16-35mm mkII, Aquatech housing and dome port, handheld
Exposure: iso 200, f/18, 1/250th
Notes: I took some inspiration from my friend Mike Anderson for this image, of course, it's hard to avoid when the entire beach looks like this!
Many more images and stories to come in the future!
Happy new year everyone! I hope you all had a great last few days of 2011, and wish you the very best for this coming year.
I spent my new year’s in the Mount Baker area with Aubrey and some other friends. We were out on the 31st doing a backcountry tour in fresh powder and, towards the end of the day, some beautiful sunlight. Although this trip was primarily to just enjoy the outdoors, good company, and practice my telemark turns, I could not resist stopping to capture this vast expanse of perfect yet untracked snow. In just under a week now I’ll be sweating under the hot sun of American Samoa.. and no doubt occasionally wishing I was standing somewhere in those rolling hills of snow to cool off!
Click image for larger view!
"Snow Therapy" ~ Mt Baker Backcountry, WA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 70-300, handheld
Exposure: iso 100, f/11, 1/125th
Thanks to Andrew for letting me borrow his telephoto, as I didn't have mine with me!
I had hoped to be out skiing this past weekend, however, this has been the driest December in the Northwest on record! So, rather than spend two days skiing on alternating slush and ice, I headed out to the coast with Aubrey and our friend Jared.
At just a few days before the winter solstice, the nights are long – close to 16 hours long. (I know I know, you folks who live in Alaska have to deal with a lot more than that! I presume you stock proportionally larger amounts of whiskey in your cellars?). Thankfully we were able to get a nice driftwood beach fire going both nights to help pass the time, and of course cover ourselves in that wonderful smokey smell. I actually like those long nights, because you don’t have to get up until 7:30am to see the sunrise!
I had picked our destination, a short hike along Rialto Beach along the Olympic Coast, because I had fallen in love with this little tree. I have a fascination with lonely and peaceful looking trees and rocks. I think they help capture the feeling of being outside and in the wilderness, far from the throngs of holiday shoppers and traffic. The irony is that I don’t actually like to be completely by myself for extended periods of time unless I am actively keeping busy. However, I relish moments like the one I spent with that little tree on Saturday morning, completely absorbed in that moment of solitude.
Click image for larger view!
"Silence" ~ Olympic National Park, WA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, Singh-Ray Vari-ND, tripod
Exposure: iso 100, f/16, 20 sec
Notes: 2-image panoramic stitch with PT-Gui, triple processed raw files for controlling dynamic range, small branch cloned out from the left
I wonder, what would it be like to be that little tree? Think of all the beautiful sunrises and sunsets it has seen; the winter storms it endures; the fresh air it breathes every day; the seagulls that take their lunch break on its branches; and the occasional bald eagle that passes by. It is as close to nature as anything could possibly be. Completely immersed. In many ways I am jealous of its experience, and even more, I think I am jealous of its ability to patiently sit still in the same place 24 hours a day, 365 days year, and perhaps for over 100 years. It leads such a simple life. No email to check, no data to analyze, no cars to dodge, no dinner to cook; it is the essence of simplicity. It’s calming to pretend, just for a fleeting moment, that I am that tree.
Try it sometime – take a moment out of your busy day and just pretend what it would be like to be that little tree. Absolutely no obligations, no to-do lists, nothing. It’s like a miniature vacation, without the guilt of being away from work.
In fact, try it right now. It’ll only take a minute!
If that worked for you, perhaps you’d like a daily reminder, in the form of a print adorning your office wall? Sorry, couldn’t resist the little advertisement 
Although I do believe that that feeling is priceless, I have decided to offer that print for 25% off until my next adventure. Just enter the keyword ‘silence’ on checkout.
Tags: coast, ocean, olympic national park
Yesterday evening, at around 6pm, the weather forecast for early this morning shifted, suggesting that the skies would be crisp and clear for just long enough to see today’s dawn lunar eclipse (the last lunar eclipse until 2014). Accordingly, I changed my plans to try and see it and headed out to the Olympic Peninsula for an oceanside view. When I stuck my head out of the back of my truck at 4:30am clouds had rolled in.. of course (this is the Northwest after all). Oh well. Back to sleep. At 6am I poked my head out again. Still clouds – and not pretty ones, a solid sheet of gray. Back to sleep. At 9am, however, the sky had cleared completely. So much for my plans! A little discouraged I made my way back inland to where I expected to find some hoar frost from the cold (-2 C) and clear night. I stumbled upon some frosty ferns, which ultimately made my day.
Click image for larger view!
"Frosty Fingers" ~ Olympic National Park, WA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105 mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 100, f/14, 1/4th sec
Notes: 10 images blended with Helicon Focus for infinite depth of field.
Hoar frost forms on cold and clear nights due to radiative cooling, and takes the form of tiny white ice crystals that grow on the edges of objects that are colder than the surrounding air temperature. Fundamentally it’s just like dew, except frozen. It is particularly plentiful in areas that have a clear view of the night sky, and is often found in dips and valleys where cold air and fog collects. This type of frost is in fact the leading cause for traffic accidents in the Northwest, so be careful out there on those cold and clear nights (more information see Cliff Mass’s very informative Pacific Northwest weather blog: Freezing Fog).
Tags: frost, olympic national park, winter
