Theropods

I go to the river. I see dinosaurs. Very cool.

Murmuration

In 1890 a fellow named Eugene Schieffelin released 60 European starlings in New York's Central Park. For some odd reason he thought it important to introduce all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare's plays to America. He wasn't sure the introduction would take, so a year later he released 60 more. 

Today this invasive creature hovers precariously at around 200 million! They are opportunistic and aggressive. They are destructive of crops and some native bird populations. They will attack smaller birds to take over their nesting sites.

However, they are on occasion also amazing to watch. I saw several hundred of them today over Great Falls in an aerial display called murmuration. An incredibly large flock swirling and swooping, diving and climbing... a great mass of black birds in beautiful, graceful choreography. Awesome to witness.

Good Day At Work

Imagery abounds.

Raging River.

It's been a long and stormy Spring.

Then and Now #9

This is a slight variation on the Then & Now theme. I made this first shot in 2006. This is what Great Falls looks like normally.

Yesterday we had almost three inches of rain in a very short period of time. This morning, I went to the Falls to see what I could see. From what I've heard, it still hasn't crested. That will probably be tonight sometime. Anyway... pretty powerful stuff.

(And yes, can't help but think about the tsunami in Japan today.)

Updated...

Hi folks. Just a quick note to let you know I've done a little bit of a refresh on my main website. On the front page and in DC and Canal galleries... new images abound! Pop on over and have a look. Thoughts, critiques and artistic thrashings are welcome.

Many thanks to my friend Jeremy Shockley for his advice and encouragement! Cheers.

Simplicity

"What's really important is to simplify. The work of most photographers would be improved immensely if they could do one thing: get rid of the extraneous." --William Albert Allard

The River

I have been negligent. I have been lazy. It's been nearly two months since I last wandered around the Potomac River Gorge, that 15 mile stretch of wildness just outside DC. But I soon plan to rectify this troublesome situation.

Meantime... here are a few photos from visits past.

Cheers.

Soon... Soon!

A few days of unseasonably warm weather here on the east coast. Teasing us... Spring is around the corner. (or is it?) Green shoots of crocuses and daffodils poking up through the humus. Brings to mind so many thoughts, so many things anticipated. Evenings on the porch with a glass of wine. Open windows allowing a cool breeze throughout the house. The scent of April rains.

Or...

This:

Looking forward to catching up with my man Jason Beakes and his crew! Here's to a little whitewater action!

Vulture

Did you know that vultures sometimes crap on their own legs so that the evaporation of the water in the feces will help cool them down? No shit! (Well, some shit. Heh.) Also, did you know that in vultures the part of the brain that processes smells is significantly larger than most other birds? In The Life of Birds, David Attenborough took raw meat and buried it beneath leaves and dirt on the forest floor. In no time vultures were circling and soon found the stash!

Strange, prehistoric looking birds that are pretty damn well evolved.

Earlier today I found this turkey vulture soaring out over Great Falls. It was chilly this morning; I suspect he probably had little need to poop on himself.

Back In The Day...

Before our 35mm SLR film cameras evolved into the digital wonders they are today, a photographer who wanted a different "look" to his/her images was, for the most part, left the option of using different films. Negatives. Transparencies. B&W. Color. Kodachrome. Ektachrome. Velvia. Provia. Kodacolor. Fujicolor. Agfa. Ilford...

Depending on the results you desired--more contrast, less contrast, warmer tones, cooler tones--you needed to decide before hand which film or films you'd bring along. For instance, Velvia with its deep, rich blacks and vivid colors and strong contrast looks amazing on an overcast day in Autumn when the trees are peaking. But might not work quite as well for a nice soft portrait of the family. Several rolls of film designed for portraits and another designed for landscapes at the very least would be in the bag.

Today, all those emulsions are in the camera! Well, more accurately, they're in the computer. But the RAW information gathered on the CCD of your camera and written onto the CF or SD card therein provides the information needed for the computer program to make the best image, to realize the final photograph you envisioned.

When I saw this fellow walking along the rocks, in my mind's eye I saw a silhouette with dramatic clouds as backdrop. But as you can see in the first photo the tone is rather soft, and the silhouette weak.

It took a little fiddling in Nikon Capture NX to get the image I really wanted. (below)

It went from being a somewhat low-contrast Kodacolor print to a strong contrast Velvia slide. At least for me it did. What do you think?

Creating an Image.

There are myriad ways to make a photograph (or take a picture!). From the serendipitous to the thought-out-in-advance... and of course the continuum that is in between.

You may see something really groovy happening and happen to have the camera nearby, or you may have an idea--a concept--already in mind. Maybe it's a combination of both.

I went down to the canal with no concept, no real fleshed out idea. Just needed to go out and shoot. I spent about two hours walking around, looking. If something interesting happened--like a heron taking off from a perch--I quickly tried to capture it. (I did! Looks cool, too. Will see it here at a later date.) A couple of bicyclists or joggers headed my way, got them too. Then there was the shot you see (sort of) below. I found myself standing there watching the water rush by, listening to the birds, the wind in the trees... taking it all in.

In one direction I noticed an interesting possibility for a shot. Bringing the camera to my eye, I began looking for just the right composition. Moved a little to the left, then right, then up a little, walked forward.... Without tripping the shutter I kept moving around until it felt just right. When it finally did (sometimes it never does!) I took a shot and examined it on the LCD screen. Looked good there, too... but it needed the human element. I put the camera on the tripod, recomposed the shot and pre-focused to a spot down the towpath a ways. Then I waited. It was still a little early so foot traffic was still light. I decided to set the timer and at least get a self-portrait. Ultimately, people did ride, walk, run by in each direction. Got a few images to choose from and will probably go back for more... maybe bring a model just in case!

In the mean time, here's a double self-portrait.

Down at the River.

What would the summer be like without my regular trips to the river. See my birds, my kayakers, my falls! I'll feature more here eventually. Maryland Life magazine gets first crack, though. Should see publication next summer.

Meantime... a heron.

Hope all of you are having a wonderful summer! Cheers.

The Odyssey of Grog -- Chapter 1.

This is Grog. (Or so I've named him.) As you can see, he appears to be in a sour mood. Best to give him a wide berth if you happen upon him. He can pop up anywhere.

Today he was seen at Great Falls. After having just finished devouring a baby deer, he jumped up on this ledge gave a threatening growl and bounded off into the wilds; gone as quickly as he came.

Keep your eyes peeled!

An Old Friend.

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

This is one of my favorite birds from a recent outing down at one of my favorite hangouts. You can find them in the marshes and swamps, and along the shorelines and tideflats from California to Maine and from the Mississippi to the Rio Grande. It's a fascinating creature.

Cheers.

'Tis the Season.

"There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot." ~ Steven Wright.

Can you sense it? Feel it? Smell it? It's in the air! Time to get the waders out. Dust off the Shimano. Put the roof-rack on the car. Time to do a little fishing!

Close Call.

I got a last minute call from Jason telling me he and a friend (Jeff) were going to run the falls during the snow storm. Virginia side. Cool. I'll be there. They made one pretty wild run and decided to climb the rocks (that's right, in the snow!) and have a second go of it. The series below documents a little too much excitement on that second run.

Jeff going over the upper falls.

He gets caught in a hole or "reversal."

 

He's been pushed over to the opposite side. Still under. Trying to right himself.

Here he rights himself very briefly. Jason enters from the left. Tries to get to Jeff.

The current is strong. Pushes Jason away from Jeff who is once again upended.

Jeff finally extricates himself from the kayak. Hidden from view, he clings to the rocks..

You can see Jeff as he sticks his head above the rocks, looking for his kayak.

Finally, Jeff makes it to his feet to watch his kayak float away.

This entire event spanned just a little more than a minute. But it seemed to last a lifetime. Very helpless feeling up on that overlook. Surprised I kept shooting. I stopped briefly looking around for Rangers or someone to call out to. There was no one. So I continued to shoot. All the while I could hear someone saying, "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!" Turns out that was me. Scary stuff.

I got to talk to Jeff when he made his way onto shore to retrieve his boat. He was pretty wiped, but OK. Laughed about it. Then he jumped back in the kayak and went over the lower falls, the BIGGER falls!

And here's a shot of that.

 Craziness, I tell ya!

National Parks Conservation Association

A while back I mentioned the story for National Parks magazine I'd been shooting. Well it is finally out. Well... online, anyway! Magazine should be out in a few days. Go here to read the article.

It was an amazing experience. Very much looking forward to working with them again.

Photo by Rachel Klein-Kircher

Happy New Year, everyone!

Running the Falls.

Jason Beakes. World class paddler. Nuff said.

On the Peculiarity of Being Documented.

Documenting people in their work environment is something I have been doing a fair amount of recently. I do more than just follow them around, I try to blend in. Be the proverbial fly on the wall. Capture the moments.

To not get in the way, but still be a part of it all, is the real challenge. These attempts to bring a little understanding, maybe a little meaning to some event is never easy, but it is rarely unenjoyable. I'm truly lucky to be doing what I do!

The other evening Rachel followed me down to the river with her Nikon D40 and did an her photojournalistic best documenting my assignment. I was there to do the final shoot for National Parks Magazine. They needed a couple portraits for the opening spread in the upcoming Winter issue.

Now, I have always wondered if people I cover are really able to tune me out, forget I'm there. I always do my best to get in there without being in there. To become part of the scene without taking it over.

The other night I think I remember being aware of Rachel's camera shutter on maybe two occasions. She came back with about 40 images. I was so wrapped up in what I was supposed to be doing I completely forgot her photographic presence. Good to know this. Gives a little perspective.

At any rate, below are a few choice images from that shoot.

All photos by Rachel Klein-Kircher (copyright 2008).