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
First, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has purchased a print or donated since I announced my sale. It’s been a huge success so far and has made an enormous difference for my upcoming trip to Samoa. Also a big thank you to AquaTech, my first sponsor, for helping me a little on their side as well.
You still have 2 days to place any orders with my current 25% off discount code, so if you’re looking for a good holiday gift don’t miss out! See Print Sale for Conservation Photo Project for details.
It feels like ages since I’ve managed to post some new images, but I finally was able to get outside with my camera again this week. Winter has arrived in the Northwest, and I’ve already been out skiing four times! Photographing the winter mountain landscape can be tricky, as there are more factors that need to align than in the summer season. Typically winter scenes are best photographed with fresh snow, but traveling in steep terrain can be hazardous at those times due to avalanche dangers (Northwesterners should of course be aware of the incredible resource NWAC). This week a special opportunity came after just enough fresh snow fell to create a winter wonderland on an otherwise incredibly stable snowpack. My girlfriend, Aubrey, and I took advantage of the conditions and went out for our first ski-tour of the season to the Tatoosh Range in Mount Rainier National Park. Some unfortunate delays caused us to miss the absolutely spectacular sunset (we were putting the skins on are skis in the parking lot as pink mist swirled above our heads).. oh well, there’s always a next time!
We followed a faint skin track up into the Tatoosh range in the dark aided by our headlamps and the half full moon. Exhausted, we finally set up camp below The Castle, 1,000 feet above frozen Reflection Lake. Although the storm had completely cleared out by now, half an hour after we crawled in the tent the winds started. A soft breeze at first, and then howling 50-60 mph gusts. My new Bibler/Black Diamond Fitzroy tent hardly budged. That wind of course knocked all the fresh snow off the trees, so at sunrise I decided I might as well enjoy the view from my sleeping bag!
Click image for larger view!
"Cozy Morning" ~ Mt Rainier National Park, WA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, Nikon 14-24mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 200, f/18, 1/13th + 1.3 sec
Processing: Manual blend of two exposures.
After a leisurely breakfast we skinned up to the ridge and were greeted by a 4-volcano view: Mt Rainier to the North, Mt Adams, St Helens, and even Mt Hood far away to the south – that’s over 200 miles of visibility! Normally I don’t do much people-photography, so I apologize to those that aren’t interested in it, but Aubrey’s such a good skier I couldn’t resist having her kick up some powder for the camera! Hopefully my next trip will offer some more ‘landscape’ opportunities.
Click image for larger view!
"Sun Skier" ~ Tatoosh Range, WA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, handheld
Exposure: iso 400, f/22, 1/400th
Want to see some of my images as large prints? Head over to the Brewed Awakening cafe in Berkeley, CA, anytime up through the end of Feb to see a selection of my images!
Address:
1807 Euclid Avenue
Berkeley CA 94709
Hours:
Mon – Fri: 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Sat – Sun: 7:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
More info:
http://www.brewedcafe.com/contact.html
And don’t forget, everything is 25% off through Dec 5th! See my previous blog post: Print sale for conservation project.
"Granite Paradise" ~ John Muir Wilderness, CA
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I am excited to announce a print sale, from now to Dec 5th: all prints, framed or unframed, are 25% off! All orders will be shipped between Dec 5th and Dec 15th. Can’t choose a print? No problem! You can always get a giftcard! If you are interested in alternative mounting methods, please contact me.
Simply order your print(s) on my website, enter the discount code ‘samoa‘ at checkout.
Why? It is the holiday season of course. But more importantly, I am trying to raise some funds for a conservation photography project (a first for me). This coming January I am joining the Climate Foundation on a trip to American Samoa, where I will be photographing, filming, and documenting their project on reversing coral bleaching (see below for details). This is a unique story regarding climate change as it has a more hopeful slant – with good science and clever engineering it’s possible to save these special ecosystems before it’s too late! In order to come back with images and videos that tell a convincing story (which I hope to publish) I need to acquire an underwater housing for my camera. I’m hoping to raise some funds to do so through this print sale. In addition to the discounted pricing, everyone who buys a print during this time will get a FREE 5x7in matted print from Samoa upon my return (assuming the trip goes well!).
Want to help out, but can’t afford a print? You are more than welcome to donate, using the donate button the right. Any donation is appreciated, and donations over $30 will get you that free print from Samoa upon my return.
Note: if you would like to order multiple prints, or if you live in Seattle and want to pick up the print(s) yourself, feel free to contact me directly as I can save you on shipping.
Palm Trees on Hawaii, from this summer. I figured I should show you a tropical image to match the mood of my trip to American Samoa!
What is coral bleaching anyways, and why should you care?
As ocean temperatures rise thanks to global climate change, the zooxanthellae that form a symbiotic relationship with corals die out, leaving a bleached white coral skeleton. It goes without saying that if the corals die, the fish leave, and the whole ecosystem falls apart. Temperature changes as small as 1-2 degrees C can cause these bleaching events. While not a large scale solution, cooling the water in coral reefs could theoretically bring back the zooxanthellae and can be easily done with some clever engineering. Preliminary studies by the Climate Foundation have shown that this approach will indeed bring corals back to their healthy state in as little as 24 hours! On this trip will be testing out a new portable water cooler, and I will be documenting both the process as well as the results (and will of course share them on my blog!).
One of the most beautiful areas in Washington’s Cascade mountain range is the Enchantment Lakes region in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. This area is so far removed and hidden that it wasn’t even discovered (by European Americans) until the early 1900′s by A. H. Sylvester, and mountaineers didn’t start climbing and naming the peaks until the 1940′s and 1950′s. For comparison, the first ascent of Mount Rainier was in 1870, and it was established as a national park in 1899. Of course, you can see Mount Rainier from almost any high point in the entire state, so that should not come as a surprise!
One of the reasons the Enchantments are so, well, enchanting, is because of the abundance of larches (combined with the spectacular alpine scenery). The larch is the only deciduous conifer (I believe that is true, correct me if you know otherwise). In the summer they almost look like typical pine trees, though with softer needles and a more lime green color. Come fall, the needles turn to a brilliant golden color, which truly shines when illuminated by the sun. In the Cascades, larches are some of the hardiest trees, growing at much higher elevations than most other conifers.
"Winter Enchantment" ~ Prusik Peak, Enchantments
The Tech: Canon 5D2, Nikon 14-24mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 200, f/16, 1/50th
This legendary scenery has made the Enchantments one of the most popular alpine destinations, particularly during ‘larch season’, which typically occurs in the second week of October. Occasionally, winter snows blown in right when the larches are peaking, adding yet another level of enchantment to this wilderness paradise. Such was the case this year – exactly conditions I had been wanting to have for visiting the area since I moved to Seattle!
"Alpine Gold" ~ Prusik Peak, Enchantments
The Tech: Canon 5D2, Nikon 14-24mm, handheld
Exposure: iso 100, f/14, 1/100th
In 1981 a permit system was implemented to prevent over-use of this incredible area, and the competition is fierce. Most of the permits are decided by lottery for the entire year by February 1st. The remaining 25% of the permits (which amounts to 1 permit for the core enchantments!) are handed out on the day of, also by lottery if necessary. As a photographer, I couldn’t just let my trip be determined by luck many months in advance, so I decided I would gamble on a walk-in permit. After reading reports of near peak larches and a foot of snow, and more snow and sculpting winds on the way, I decided it was now or never. So, last week I headed out to Leavenworth in hopes of getting that precious permit. Four other groups were hoping for the same, and of course, I did not get the permit. However, the two guys, Ryan and Grant, who were the lucky winners were kind enough to ‘adopt’ me into their party. Their destination was to climb Prusik Peak, which was fortunately my destination as well (at least, to camp at the base, not to climb it). In exchange, I was coincidentally able to offer Grant a pair of foot pads for his alpine climbing boots that I had left in my truck. That would have made the long hike rather uncomfortable otherwise!
From my days spent backpacking in the Sierra I came to consider 3-4,000 feet of elevation gain a ‘big day’. Well, it turns out that in the Cascades that’s just about the lowest bar for entry into the high country. The approach to the Enchantments is a little on the high end at 6,000 feet of climbing, spread out over 11 miles or so (from the Snow Lakes trailhead, there is an alternative route in via Aasgard Pass, which is shorter but not recommended in snowy conditions). After a big push, I made it to my snowy and spectacular camp in just about 7 hours. It was truly an enchanting place. Since the larches show their color best when illuminated by direct sunlight, I focused my photography more around the middle of the day – a pleasant rarity in the realm of mountain nature photography.
"Flames of Enchantment" ~ Crystal Lake, Enchantments
The Tech: Canon 5D2, Canon 24-105mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 100, f/11, 1/250th
Notes: two-image panorama
It’s worth noting that this was my 5th trip into the Cascades this summer, and the only trip where I actually took images worth sharing! This was in part due to the strange weather the northwest experienced this year – summer started around mid-August – and I suppose my still getting used to these new mountains. I hope you enjoy the views!
Tags: enchantments, fall, larches, snow, winter
On a recent trip to Mt. Rainier National Park I was amazed to find fresh and healthy wildflowers at around 6,000 feet, and the beginnings of fall colors just one thousand feet higher! Perhaps the two seasons will meet sometime in the next few weeks? That sure would be a special treat. Anyways, this trip was my first opportunity to try the Cascade Bilberry (aka. Cascade Blueberry), which has one of the more appropriate latin names I’ve come across: Vaccinium deliciosum. The berries of this tiny little plant truly are delicious, and have a unique banana like finish to them. They only grow to a few inches tall, and do not produce many fruits, so picking enough for pancake toppings took my girlfriend, Aubrey, and I a couple of hours. That sweet and unique flavor is definitely worth the extra effort, however, compared to the more plentiful huckleberries and blueberries found in the forests at slightly lower elevations.
"Alpine Harvest" ~ Mount Rainier NP, WA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 70-200mm, extension tubes, tripod
Exposure: iso 200, f/4, 1/125th
Notes: I took two exposures, one at f/4, and one at f/18, which I blended together by hand to get enough depth of field to get the berries in focus, but keep the backdrop soft.
The fruits of our alpine labor!
Interesting fact (from Wikipedia, of course): in World War II UK air force pilots believed that eating bilberries improved night vision, though the US Navy has since not been able to find any significant effect. Regardless, they are tasty, so I don’t need any supposed health reasons as an excuse to eat them!
Tags: fall, wild berries
Since moving to Seattle earlier this year I’ve been looking forward to spending a clear and dark summer night in the San Juan Islands (in Washington’s Puget Sound) – the optimal time to see the incredible phenomenon of marine bioluminescence. A few weeks ago that time finally came, and I went out to Shaw Island (the least populated of the ferry-accessible San Juan Islands) with my girlfriend, Aubrey. For sunset we wandered down to a secluded little cove and waited for twilight to set in. Periodically we tossed a few rocks in the water, hoping something special would happen. After what seemed like ages I impatiently walked up to the shore and waived my hand in the calm water; like miniature Aurora (which, regrettably, I have yet to see) the water exploded with brilliant blueish green sparkles! It was like magical pixie dust!
Click image for larger view!
"Lumin-Essence" ~ San Juan Islands, WA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, Nikon 14-24mm, tripod, rocks, extra hands
Exposure: iso 6400, f/2.8, 5 seconds
Processing: see text for brief processing note
Of course, the phenomenon was not really a surprise – that’s exactly why we’d come here, and I’d read all about it – but actually seeing the bioluminescence for the first time in person was the most startling and fantastical natural phenomenon I’ve ever experienced. We were out throwing handfuls of pebbles and splashing around in the (rather frigid) water until 1am trying to create a photograph, but it was exceptionally difficult. Although seemingly very bright to the dark-adapted naked eye, it was nearly impossible to capture the effect on camera. Furthermore, the luminescence started to dim a little after repeated disturbances, so we had to give the critters responsible for the light some time to recharge between exposures / rock throwing volleys. In the end, I resorted to taking about ten of the best exposures and blending them together, as well as displacing some exposures to increase the extent of the effect. This was significantly more photoshop tinkering than I’ve ever done before, but ultimately I do think it captures the experience in a way true to the natural phenomenon (which was, after all, controlled by our splashing and rock throwing). Judging from some other images I’ve come across on the web, it can be much brighter under certain conditions, so I’ll have to head out again some time!
Bioluminescence is the emission of light by living organisms through chemical reactions (very different from fluorescence and phosphorescence). There are a number of biological organisms capable of bioluminescence, including fireflies, glow worms, certain fungi, and – the subject of this post – certain marine dinoflagellates.
Dinoflagellates are tiny single celled flagellated protists, some of which, such as Noctiluca scintillans, have the incredible ability to create light through simple chemical reactions. Disturbing the water around them induces an electrical potential across the vacuolar membranes. This potential causes hydrogen ions to enter organelles called scintillons, where a luciferase catalyzed oxidation of luciferin releases energy in the form of blueish green light. Ecologically, the luminescence is thought to be a predatory defense mechanism, either by disrupting predatory swimming, or as a ‘burglar alarm’ to attract other visual predators that might prey on the organisms that have come to feast on the Noctiluca (see Latz, Nauen, and Roh, 2004, which cites a variety of additional sources as well).
Noctiluca scintillans can be found all over the globe, but are particularly abundant in areas of nutrient rich waters. High concentrations of nutrients along with sunlight promotes the growth of plankton, their primary food source, which can result in large algal blooms of Noctiluca, called “red tides”. These can happen just about anywhere along the coast, but can be difficult to predict and can have drastic detrimental effects on marine life. Some areas, such as the San Juan Islands (and the Pudget Sound in general), are extremely reliable for seeing seasonal bioluminescence without the ecological dangers associated with red tides. Just go in the late summer on a dark night (no moon is best), and every time you wave your hand through the water, or watch waves crashing on the shore, you’ll see an eerie and unmistakable blueish green color. Other famous areas to reliably see bioluminescence include Mosquito Bay in Puerto Rico and various spots in Thailand.
If there were one natural phenomenon I’ve experienced that I could suggest you go out of your way to see, this would be it!
Tags: bioluminescence, coast, san juans
