Grassland Research in the Hamilton Range
I was honored to be asked by the Bay Area Open Space Council to do a slideshow for their annual conference in the Presidio, SF, CA. The theme of the conference was healthy land and healthy people and frankly, that’s something I care about dearly.
It's like I'm growing up at the zoo
So it’s been a little over one month since my life really took off. Nope, not my photography career, or my latest book peaking on the NYT bestseller list, but rather the birth of lil’ Kaya Evelyn. It’s been an amazing ride and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Truly a miracle – truly its impossible to put into words. Continue reading
So it’s been a few years since I’ve called Wisconsin home. I enjoyed by undergraduate work there enormously. The University was a buzz with great things from outstanding programs in the Sciences and Liberal Arts, to social demonstrations, to wonderful art and great community. In case you’re wondering, University of Wisconsin Madison is the number one place to do your undergraduate degree AND get an education.
Christal sexing the butterfly
As you know, I chase butterflies. Mostly its been larva (these little black caterpillars that have the slightest of orange spots and are very difficult to spot) at Coyote Ridge, Santa Clara county. Sometimes you can spend a whole day looking for the little guys and well, that’s your day. In good years, like this year, we’ve found many “mini-cats” on the cool slopes of Coyote Ridge.
Peak bloom for Coyote Ridge - I dare you try to point out a non-native in this photo?!
Top of the world at Yosemite NP
I was fortunate to share my dining room with Rich Walkling on Monday this past week. Rich is an accomplished restoration ecologist, currently working at Restoration Design Group in Berkeley. He and I have continued to bump into each other over the years, sharing similar interests and motivations in life.
Restored creek channel with a fish ladder for local trout
Cordonices Creek straddles the border between Berkeley and Albany. Flowing downward from the Berkeley Hills into the Bay, the creek is a prominent fixture of the “flatlands” landscape of the East Bay. You can see it’s meanders and curves which were once confined to a concrete lined linear flood control channel. Now, Cordonices is a creek again.
Ohlone interpretive sign
A reprise of a recent Flickr post.
Here’s the text I posted with the original photo:
Texture by Nasos3. Files combined and layered in Photoshop Elements 8. Amazingly these two photos came together beautifully with little additional manipulation. The combination setting was “overlay” for combining the photos. 100% for both photos – flower on top of texture. Simple is great.
It’s been an amazing year for Bay Checkerspot Butterfly (BCB) larvae this year. Numbers have increased 5-fold, ten-fold, even 20-fold for some of our long term research plots. After about a half dozen “down years”, it’s a welcome rebound. This little federally threatened butterfly that takes to the skies mid to late March every year and then disappears for another 11 months has helped ecologists understand the interaction of this species with an soil environment that is increasingly saturated with nitrogen from automobile exhaust.
Jimmy showing off a larva for the camera
So here’s my homage to one good light, one fast lens and a beautiful lady (eh hem, she’s my wife). Simple set up in the living room with a blanket hanging from the doorframe. One off-camera Canon speedlight (580 EX) and a 33″ shoot-thru umbrella. Canon 50mm prime set at f2.2. I have a little bounce (small light disk) on camera left to provide some fill. I think this baby just sings. And I think my babe is beautiful. Single umbrella, lovely lady. I’m a lucky dude!
Lech Naumovich Photography 