Category Archives: Color Commentary

Is this Renewable Energy?

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I’ve been working in the desert for some 5 seasons doing botanical surveys.  On a professional level, I love being on these mega-surveys that help collect important botanical and biological information about desert environments that are almost unexplored, untouched by human footsteps.  I can’t share all of what I’ve seen, but truly, the desert is a living, thriving place.

There is no doubt in my mind that desert biology is an acquired taste, and lets just say we have some fine vintages in Southern California.

Up close and personal with the desert: Desert Horned Lizard.

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LoFi, Fo Fum – Reducing dynamic range in finished photos and liking it

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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)

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Turning a new leaf, growing a garden in 2012

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Thanks everyone for all the amazing support in 2012.  My wife, Kaya, my dear friends have all been a blessing.  I love you all. 

Here are a few thoughts for 2012.  New leaves, new gardens. 

-Be a role model.  I’ve been lucky and fortunate, and I want to share the fruits of that.  I want to grow a kind,attached community.  This includes: be a great dad, inspire the next generation of land stewards, provide love to my wife and dearest. 

– Define physical structure in my life. Get into a pattern and groove with climbing, running, biking.  Do it regularly. Create a practice. 

– Take the extra time to explain.  Don’t rush through the teaching moments.  Cherish them as they are what I most strive for on any given “scheduled” course. Even if I’m late or stressed, take the time.  Identify and embrace these moments.

– Reach out and connect with new people.  Go beyond talking.  Communicate and reflect.  Return again once some time and perspective have blossomed.  Limit the one-and-done interactions. 

– Take time to find the light.  It’s always worth it. 

– Diffuse anxiety.  Don’t let the emotions of others cloud over my sun.  Be aware of the situation and digest it. Be independent in spirit and will.  Create leadership – create my own weather. As appropriate, be sensitive, but immune. 

– Start a conversation with forgiveness. Find its role in my life.  Most importantly, find ways to access it in the toughest of situations.  Create a path, walk it, maintain it. 

Sincerely,
Lech

*Writen in Pasadena, CA. Rose bowl RV campground.

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Pujols: A True St. Louis Tragedy

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Albert, Welcome to Loneliness. Albert in the heart of the Mojave desert. Photo collaboration w/ Karen Blaha (CC)

Dear Albert,

This isn’t going to be a love letter.  It’s really not intended to be hate mail either.  I, as a former St. Louisan, huge baseball fan, and believer in good graces of the universe would like to say that I’m officially heart-broken.  You “LeBroned” us.  Let me explain this formula in case you’ve forgotten about LeBron James, like I have: Continue reading →

Sunrise, California Route 58

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I was lucky to participate in some fall surveys in the Mojave desert.  It was a brief venture south, but a fruitful one where I got a taste of a seemingly mysterious event in this parched landscape. October is a hot, dry month.  It is a time of brutal tedium, anticipation.  Especially if you bear the heat all summer and are waiting for the nights to finally cool the earth a bit more.

It’s also a month that’s known to celebrate the summer monsoons (or Southwest monsoons).  This year we had some decent rain and enjoyed some late season blooms that contrasted sharply with the otherwise dessicated matrix of creosote.  Here’s a celebration of Pectis paposa, cinchweed. Continue reading →

Nezinscot Farm: Turner, Maine – Where Medium is Perfect

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The Goats of Nezinscot

I recently returned from a summer trip to Maine.  One of my favorite stops along our journey was a small farm in Turner, Maine.  Turner is a quintessential rural town with no stop lights, one school, and a rich dose of americana flowing through its veins.  People here tend to work with their hands, awake with the sun and roosters.  Nezinscot Farm is a 250 acre farm that produces organic vegetables, decadent cheeses, and healthy meat.

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Fear, Restoration, and the Release of the Art of Photography

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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.

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A Sense of Lightness

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Morse Mountain Preserve, Maine

Morse Mountain Preserve, Maine = Black = Heavy

So I’ve always enjoyed black in photos.  That ultimate contrast color that often plays nicely with lots of white – which seems to be the most common color of webpages nowadays.  Certain functions also cater towards increasing black, I found the “clarity” slider in Lightroom, for instance, tends to increase the prominence of darker shades, lines, thus increasing “shadows”.

Black is great but it is heavy.  It can be overdone.  It can weigh on a photo like an anvil.  Heavy.

So here’s heavy on top of light (think of oil on water).  This is Sitka Spruce from Maine’s Morse Mountain Preserve – the southern range limit of this species.  Isn’t it amazing how one feels very serious, and the second photo much lighter – almost lively-er.

So I started thinking about the work I do – botanical photography – and I wanted to revisit whites.  White is a light color.  It adds nicely to many smaller forbes, grasses, smaller and lighter plants.  Then I came across a really special site – Angie Seckinger’s A Macro Journey.  Please do visit it.  Her triptychs are amazing.  Her eye is precise and well tuned.   She’s also a phenomenally nice person immediately asking how she could help my non-profit – Golden Hour Restoration Institute.

So here’s my thanks to Angie – and a resurrection of a sense of lightness.

stumbling onward

a whisper of fall

The Photowalk Experience – Sutro Baths, SF, CA

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Taste of Sutro bath ruins fading into the Pacific Ocean

So I went on my first official, organized photowalk to the Sutro Baths site in San Francisco, CA.  It was slightly overwhelming to be walking around with some 50 other (hunched over with gear) photogs.  It was intimidating because of the sheer number of creative minds, but also because of the “interactive nature” of the event.  Often I find that I like to shoot in search of solitude and peace, so you might say “then maybe a photowalk with 50 photographers isn’t the best choice for you”.  Good point, and yes, I didn’t think of that until I got there 🙂

I found myself awed by the pure energy and excitement of the moody day and the hungry photogs.  I think it took me some 30 minutes just to take my camera out of my bag.  I loved watching all the little human forms crawl over the ruins like ants on some fresh Ritz cracker crumbs.  Lots of perspectives, lots of just pure – well, shooting photos.  I found that I probably changed lenses as often as anyone.  I found myself also enjoying watching everyone as I noticed they were all focused on the task of taking photos.  I can’t say how much I recommend this experience – for the social, and the technical aspects.  Thanks for hosting us Jim Goldstein for organizing and leading this most excellent experience.  Check out the photos from the entire group here.

I’ll be posting a few photos from this event on Flickr (see sidebar).  The above photo is one long exposure I took there.  Processed with Lightroom (LR2.7) with an emphasis of blues and whites (my blue and white preset).