Soft Light

Day 321: With clouds on the eastern horizon, the soft light of early morning provided an opportunity to photograph the Cosmos. I prefer to shoot in natural light, often using a tripod to obtain a long exposure, and sunlight, although something of a rarity in the Pacific Northwest, makes for "hot spots" on light-coloured flowers. My camera is less sensitive to red and purples than I'd like, but I find I get truer tones when there is a slight overcast even though the greens appear somewhat duller. Now as for the pinkness of these particular Cosmos, they may be volunteers from past years. The package I bought this year was supposed to be yellow and orange shades, and a shorter variety. I am beginning to have reservations about buying any more seed from the company I normally use. Germination rates have been very low for their products over the last several years, and this is not the first time the variety has not been true to the description. It may be time to move on.

Star Trek

Day 134: "Captain, I am detecting several objects of indeterminate nature off the port bow. They are keeping pace with our speed of warp five." Data's fingers danced across the console as he spoke, running a sequence of analyses as he attempted to identify the phenomenon. Picard's crisp order for the viewscreen cut across the other background voices on the bridge. "Sensors indicate an electrostatically charged field between the objects and the Enterprise, sir. It is interfering with obtaining a visual lock. They appear to be composed of hydrogen, oxygen and trace elements. One moment...the sensors show...no, that cannot possibly be correct...small amounts of the oil commonly found in Helianthus...Earth sunflowers, sir...and urates consistent with nitrogenous waste. With all due respect, sir, I believe humans would call that substance 'bird poop.'"

We picked up a light dusting of snow last night, with clouds dissipating by morning. The rising sun cast handsful of sparkling diamonds on the ground and, as usual, I tried to capture the glint and glimmer with the camera with no particular success. I retreated to the house to try again through the dirty glass of my east window, but the camera wanted to focus on the dust motes. As I panned in an attempt to find a cleaner gap, these objects hove into view; water droplets hanging from one of the shepherd's-hooks holding my bird feeders. Suddenly, I was transported into the world of Star Trek and a photographic adventure. Microcosm, macroscosm...who is to say in which we live?

Arnie's Retirement

Day 47: Arnie's retirement party was today, the last day I will see him in the work environment. I am sad, but happy for him and Sara at the same time. They'll be in the area a little while longer, but then they hope to be off to Ashland OR and volunteer service at Crater Lake. It feels like a forever-goodbye, but he's assured me they'll be back to do some hiking in the Park next summer.

I took a lunch walk to practice my presentation speech, found myself at Cougar Rock 1.5 miles from the office without really realizing how far I'd gone. Even so, I couldn't get through everything I wanted to say, my voice faltering and the tears coming to my eyes. I've seen a lot of people come and go in Park Service, but there has been no one I'll miss as much as Arnie.

Arrangement In Black And White

Day 178: In the opinion of this photographer, monochrome images have a particular elegance and can be very effective for conveying mood to the viewer. Colour often blunts the effect, overwhelming the eye and distracting it from other compositional components such as arrangement and lighting. Colour sacrifices detail to flamboyance; it homogenizes. In colour, this image would be rather bland and boring, but in black and white, the eye is freed to discover light and shadow, spirals and curves, de-emphasis and focal points. The photograph becomes more of an essay, less of a capture as the viewer studies its elements. A simpler palette, black and white imagery can be quite complex, and most certainly, it is an essential tool in a good photographer's kit.

Out With The Scouts - Pacific Chorus Frog

Day 255: Of all the things I do in the Park, one of the most rewarding and enjoyable is working with youth groups such as Scouts. Today I had the privilege of doing just that: explaining to them the difference between art photography and field-guide photography and then going on a patrol of the Longmire Stewardship Campground to practice. I had some specifics in mind, hoping to infect them with my enthusiasm for rare plants, and indeed that goal was achieved. However, their own finds were the most memorable and exciting: Red-legged and Pacific Chorus Frogs, and a colony of Cone Plants (Hemitomes congestum) numbering at least a dozen in a two-foot diameter circle.

Upon hearing one of the girls shout, "Crow! I found something weird!" I abandoned photographing our little friend here and went to check. I found the troop gathered around the plants, some already on hands and knees taking pictures with cell phones and iPads. As soon as their discovery registered, I let loose a whoop of delight and complimented them on being keen observers. Then I emphasized the rarity of the species and, having already introduced the subject of mycoheterotrophy, listened as they discussed among themselves the specialized conditions required for the plant to grow. It never fails to amaze me when ten-year olds grasp a concept many adults find daunting. As we walked back to their camp, several of the girls regaled me with questions.

At their campsite, I reviewed all the photos they had taken. Some were blurry or badly exposed, some were what you might expect from a ten-year old photographer. However, in each and every camera was at least one good quality photo (and sometimes many) of one particular subject: the Cone Plants. Seven young scientists walked away from this event with solid documentation of a rarity. You can bet they'll remember this camping trip!