The Indecisive Moment

November 26, 2015 in November 2015

I am the master of the indecisive moment. In photographic circles, “the decisive moment” is the key peak of action, expression or gesture that captures the essence of an event. Here, the word event is loosely defined as a landscape, cityscape or interaction. The use of the phrase “decisive moment” is often credited to the French street photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, who’s work often leaves the viewer with more questions than answers. The decisive moment engages the the audience, forces a second look or longer gaze; it is the object of every photographer’s desire and the reason we play this “game.” The decisive moment is an illusory event and is often the elusive photograph that I saw in my camera but rarely manage to catch.

So on this day, “The Harvest Feasts of Harvest Feasts,” I offer the rare decisive moment from the master of indecisive photography… a day in the life of two species battling for “Most Wanted” status on a cold November day.

Happy Thanksgiving from MN

Crane Sunrise (Grus canadensis) - Crex Meadows, Wisconsin — Crane Sunrise (*Grus canadensis*) - Crex Meadows, Wisconsin

Autumn Photo Diary - The Greater Sandhill Cranes of Wisconsin

November 14, 2015 in November 2015

View of the Beaver Lodge 10/25/2015Nikon D800E + 17-35mm f2.8 — View of the Beaver Lodge 10/25/2015
Nikon D800E + 17-35mm f2.8

The Civil Engineers

November 04, 2015 in November 2015

It is hard to deny the intellectual prowess of those with a prominent and bulbous pre-frontal cortex. Responsible for higher cognition and executive functions that include, but are not limited to the capacity to make decisions, orchestrate thoughts, and interpret abstractions, this master of meta-cognition has enabled our primate lineage to transcend a life in the trees to one among others in a creative civilization.

Buck-toothed Bob (Castor canadensis)Nikon D7200 + Nikon 200-400mm f4.0 VR — Buck-toothed Bob (*Castor canadensis*)
Nikon D7200 + Nikon 200-400mm f4.0 VR

While the frontal cortex is an oft cited reason for many of our unique qualities, recent research now suggests that we humans may not be so special. For example, the diminutive chihuahua has a bigger brain per unit body mass than the typical human. What’s more, the gregarious California sea lion has a larger frontal cortex than well respected primates like baboons and gibbons. As if this is not humiliating enough, it appears that the lowly llama has a pre-frontal cortex that exceeds that of a macaque monkey (Kaufman, 2013).

Bob's Cousin (Castor canadensis)Nikon D7200 + Nikon 200-400mm f4.0 VR — Bob's Cousin (*Castor canadensis*)
Nikon D7200 + Nikon 200-400mm f4.0 VR

The cognitive superiority I have proudly worn for the past 50 years has recently suffered yet another indignity. While my pre-frontal cortex continues to search for meaning to that which I witnessed this weekend, I can confidently state that I have been bested by a lowly rodent. The beavers I have watched and photographed with a strange obsessive passion have now conspired to outsmart my big brain and thus deny me access to my voyeuristic perch. What you see in this collection of photographs is the work of a small group of radicals who managed to reengineer my once unfettered view. What is so amazing and beyond my cognitive grasp is how these thumbless engineers managed to do so much in only 7 days… at this point, one has to ponder the value of a large pre-frontal cortex when a small pack of bucked toothed scaly tails can do so much with so little.

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