Bikes. Are. Rad.
That’s all there really is to say about these two-wheeled creatures. They’re stylish, sleek, hardy, solid little engineered chunks of steel that provide a unique experience. They are THE way to travel over land in my perspective. I wish I could do all my field work on bike.
This is a little project in which I got to do quite a bit of it via two wheels.
A sneak peek of a recent wonderful outdoor maternity shoot I had with Jimmy and Leah. Morgan Hill, CA. Congrats to Jimmy and Leah on their first. There are few personal journey’s as amazing as your first pregnancy and birth.
So there’s a big push to well, push. I’m not just talking about climbing harder or running faster, but I’m also talking about contrasting more. Yup. Got to push those highs just into the yellow zone before they blow out, and well, those blacks need to be a hair above “no information” and what do you have – a high dynamic range photo that techno-colorizes the world. (click on any image to enlarge)
As many of you know, I’m a dude. I seriously enjoy being a dude for many reasons. Like my muscles look bigger when I have a mustache. And. Beer bellies are kinda cool. And. Back hair makes me look tough. And. I look good in a ratty, stinky trucker hat that I found on the side of the road yesterday. And. My gruffness can be played off as testosterone, when in fact I’m just being, ehem, unbalanced.
No matter how much you subscribe to the photographer first, gear second ideology, a game changing camera will always turn your head. The Canon 5D Mark II was such a camera. The Canon 5D Mark III will follow proudly in its footsteps.
One morning a friend, Dan Dedrick, recommended the idea of photographing Chinatown, Oakland in the morning. It was a cool December morning and it seemed like a great way to start off the weekend. The mood and energy of Chinatown is captivating, electric. There is a constant commerce that rings through the air, but with that, notes of quiet, patience, and almost longing. I can’t really explain that staring out into space that you tend to see there. These are both zen moments at the same time they are glimmers of fatigue, or maybe frustration, or just pure solemn reflection.
The following is a series of photographs that are post processed into high contrast black and white. Some reveal light, some harbor dark. With those tones are also contrasting movements, some quick – some graniticly intentional. They all are part of the Chinatown scene. Happy year of the Dragon! Continue reading
The catkin. A harbinger of spring. Here are a cluster of male catkins on a hazelnut (Corylus contorta to be sure). Native hazelnut catkins are known to be especially important for the ruffed grouse who use these as an early spring “power bar”. More than a snack, these foods catapult the grouse from a season depauperate of food into a season of more abundant food. The catkins are a light at the end of the tunnel.
Click on picture for a larger image.
Notably, Native Americans were known to use Corylus americana medicinally for hives, biliousness, diarrhea, cramps, hay fever, childbirth, hemorrhages, prenatal strength, and teething, to induce vomiting, and to heal cuts (D. E. Moerman, 1986). This is truly a plant whose beauty, nourishment and healing help demonstrate how rich of a world it is that we live in.
So what did I do here to “museum finish” this piece… Continue reading
Two thousand eleven was truly a wonderful year. A watershed year where I was blessed with some great partnerships, solo photographic opportunities and room for growth. I learned and learned and I thank you for that opportunity.
As I look back to the weddings of 2011, each one had amazing set shots. Bodies were posed and eyes directed to create quality, heartfelt images. Beyond those set shots were the moments in between. Capturing those moments is where the true magic happened. No amount of “try this” could supersede the authenticity of a stolen kiss, a smirk, or a guffaw. It made all the posing worth it, I think.
These are the photos that I will forever cherish and say thank you to letting me be a part of your most important day. I feel extremely honored.
Here are 16 shots I love. All packaged into one small sized PDF. Please enjoy.
Sincerely,
Lech
I’m restarting Don Giannatti’s Project 52 this year. I enjoyed it for all it was worth last year, but failed to fully commit. We had a baby. I got into being a dad. I kind slacked pretty hard on work enjoying my new life… you know. I’m hoping for a better show this year! Here’s assignment 1:
My Vision for my photography – I am a botanist and restoration ecologist by training and desire. I want other people to get hooked on nature like I am. At minimum, I want them to at least take a second, closer look at our plants, dirt and birds alike. It’s truly amazing how much richer every day is when ecology and nature is on your radar. That said, we need to conserve those places that give us access to these feelings of wonderment and peace. Therefore, my vision is to create engaging and interesting photographs about conserving and stewarding our natural resources. I want to celebrate conservation and make the science of ecology accessible through images.
Pictured above: Silver bush lupine seedling at Point Molate, CA, a place that was threatened by a casino as recently as a few months ago. The casino proposal was destroyed by public support for “something better, even if Richmond is starving for jobs”. Now Point Molate needs a plan and vision itself. Notice all the browns, greys, greens and yellows among the lupine leaves. As this habitat awakens the green will shine into the warmer summer months.
I’m so proud that the site that hosts this blog – wordpress – is blacking out for a day to protest SOPA, aka the censorship bill. The bill seeks to provide our government with an overwhelming “hand of God” that can create and destroy internet access as they please. Sure, the bill is targeted at specific piracy problems, but the unintended consequences that could limit free access to information as well as freedom of speech. Censorship is the opposite of education. It limits instead of educates. It allows for a small agency of really powerful people to decide what we can access. Sure, the intent is to stop only “specific piracy sites”, but we all know how good intent can get misappropriated for bad uses.
Does this censorship battle sound like another place, another time in world history? Well, actually it’s happening right now. Right here.
Please take a second – well actually 3 minutes – and educate yourself on the SOPA/PIPA issue here: http://fightforthefuture.org/pipa
Thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
Lech
This is the time to speak up for values and invest in our democracy. Go vote. Word art created from Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic
Lech Naumovich Photography 