Trees hold the wisdom of ages

I recently took a long hike with my wife and another photographer through a 5,800 reserve out in east Manatee County. It was the first hike I had taken in a long time where there was very little water and few birds. Instead, this hike held ancient trees, a rare commodity in this part of Florida, where developers are tearing down trees at an accelerated rate to build houses and shopping centers, and the government follows behind building wider roads and all the other things development entails..

We set out on our hike through Edward W. Chance Reserve’s Gilley Creek Tract along County Road 675. We hiked past a field of saw palmettos interspersed with trees. We noted the ruts from recent wild boar activity and we found a path bordered on one side by a farmer’s field and by the reserve property. We spotted a rare American Kestrel flying in the distance, and we kept walking. We were looking for a creek, but then I got distracted by the trees. Lovely old oaks and other hardwood trees. I saw a couple of snags in the distance.

I saw branches of the old tree poking through layers of vines and debris. Old trees are one of my favorite subjects so I set out across the field to make a picture. When I arrived and set up my camera, I couldn’t seem to find the right shot. The light was wrong and for a moment I thought the majestic tree was too far gone. But as I looked through the mess surrounding the tree, a beautiful form caught my eye. Almost at a crawl I worked myself, camera and tripod to the massive old trunk, worn by the years, and I found my photo.

I spent time with the tree, and then in my excitement, I called out to my hiking companions, who were out chasing hog photos — and who had already seen the tree — come here, i yelled, you have to SEE this tree. I wanted them to appreciate this old tree for what I had seen and for its part in nature. This tree had been home to birds, a solid hunting spot for birds surveying the fields and in the past shade to all of the wildlife that had passed under her branches. And here she is now, still solid, even though mostly naked of her own wardrobe, but covered in Spanish moss, vines and other debris. I hope you can appreciate this rare Florida beauty as well.

Light can transform a familiar place

Our morning dog walks at Robinson Preserve have become habit. Photo Dawg Duke insists on getting out soon after the sun rises, so I’m used to shooting in the morning light. It has a crisp quality and is great for photography. It’s also a nice way to start the day.

Recently after a morning filled with meetings and planning, we threw the Photo Dawg a bone and took a late day walk. We arrived at the park during that “Golden Hour,” when the day turns into a canvas of reds, purples, yellows and oranges. I walk Robinson Preserve at least 6 days a week and know it like the back of my hand. That afternoon it was transformed into another place. The trails glowed with the light and the birds were theatrically lit stars on nature’s stage.

I remind my students to learn to shoot photos in any light, so they don’t get discouraged when they can’t get out at that perfect hour. You go when you can and make it work. But too often, we get so busy, we forget to make the most of the perfect time of day. In photography lighting is vital, it is your paint brush. When you can take advantage of the perfect conditions you should — and see the magic that can happen. Even I was reminded that the “Golden Hour” is not to be forgotten.

The one thing I did forget…bug spray. Those No See’ums like this time of day too, I think they call it suppertime!

Landscapes can take you places

I was recently showing a new client some of my work. She had visited the exhibit on imperiled birds at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature but was more enamored with my landscape photography. She was particularly fascinated with the black and white landscapes for what they reveal and what she saw in them.

We discussed the textures, the focal point, the mood, the sky, the horizon, the things you might miss in a color photo. We also talked about the memory of place, how a photo can take you to a certain time or event in your mind. She had grown up on Longboat Key and worked in Sarasota for decades. I showed her my photo titled Longboat Light and she immediately went back to her childhood and sitting under the trees at Beer Can Island reading books. Her story reminded me that there is power and emotion in place.

Because I have the exhibit on imperiled birds, I have spent much of 2019 more focused on my bird photography than my sea and landscape photography. In some ways birds are easier. They can be comical, they have personality, their colors are vibrant and they usually are active. While getting those shots can be tough, I always come back with something I am willing to share.

Landscape photography is a different sort of challenge. So much depends on the mood, the perspective, the light and the scene. It takes patience and care to find just the right shot. When I come back with a landscape or seascape photo, unlike bird photos, there is usually just one that stands out — only one I will print from a day of shooting.

I love landscape photography for several reasons. The first is that landscapes change, so I know that when I get that shot I want, it won’t be duplicated. The light will never be exactly the same against the plants and grasses; the water levels ebb and flow; there may be footprints next time where there were none. The second reason is that landscape photography is as much about preservation as my bird photography is. The birds are disappearing because their habitats are disappearing. Part of my mission as a photographer is to raise awareness about our environment so we all have the good sense to preserve it for the future. My third reason is that landscape photography evokes emotion. It can bring a sense of serenity, prompt memories and take you away from the chaos of the moment into some place wild and wonderful and can cause people to reflect on what’s important..

The conversation about landscape photography prompted me to think about what I love and it got me itching to go back out there and look around Florida for something I want to bring home and print.

The photograph below was taken in Myakka River State Park with a Nikon 810 using a Nikkor 19mm PC lens. It is two photographs stiched together using Photomerge in Photoshop. What you do not see is the mud that I am sharing with tripod.

Why I Love Black and White

Recently I had someone make a comment about the inherent value of color over black and white photography. I was surprised at the comment because I consider both of them to be valuable with their own unique qualities.

I photograph most birds in color, because God made each bird unique, including the differences in their hues and markings. That is easier to see in color and a viewer can take his or her time examining what is unique about each bird. It also is often easier to identify the birds when they are in color. I want to see the red markings of a red-shouldered hawk or a red-winged black bird, the blues of a threatened Florida scrub jay, but even in bird photography there are times when a black and white photo takes the picture to a different level.

As with many photographers, a black and white takes me back to the many hours spent in a small bathroom or closet glued to a timer, tapping a film can filled with D-76 on the counter, and that magic moment when under a red light, an image appears through a mixture of Dektol. But even more, I love black and white for what it reveals. When the viewer isn’t looking at color, but at the texture, the contrast, and deeper into the world between deep black and glowing whites. It is a study of shadows, white space, a world that we do not normally see with “our eyes.” When I see a black and white photograph I tend spend time with the image, study it and look for what’s hidden. Black and white tends to draw me into a different space.

Then there is the mood and emotions they can illicit. One of my friends considers them “broody,” while her daughter loves them for the light and shadows. I want to reach out and touch the textures, or step inside the frame and walk through the mysterious landscape. I want to see everything it holds.

In portrait photography, taking out the color can prompt the viewer to look deeply at the face and see the emotion in each line. The viewer may see something in the way the eyes shine or the way it seems as if the subject is about to tell some secret. Black and white portraits reveal a face laid bare and often let the beauty shine through in a different way than color can.

Black and white photography allows the viewer into the photograph in a different way than color does. Sometimes it’s what the viewer brings to the experience that determines how they interpret the photo. But of course that is true for every photograph.