October 2015
St. Croix Valley Sunrise - Minnesota
Nikon D7200 + Nikon 200-400mm f4.0 VR
Yellow and Red in Morning Light - Minnesota
Nikon D7200 + Nikon 200-400mm f4.0 VR
The Warning (Castor canadensis) - Minnesota
St. Croix Valley Sunrise - Minnesota
Nikon D7200 + Nikon 200-400mm f4.0 VR
Goodbye Autumn (Castor canadensis) - Minnesota
St. Croix Valley Sunrise - Minnesota
©2000-2015 BTLeventhal.com / Bruce & Tamy Leventhal. All rights reserved. No image on this site may be used without permission.
California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) - Elkhorn Slough, CA
Earlier today a group of last year's graduates showed up in my classroom to discuss the start of their college careers. All three are now biology majors at the same institution, and I couldn't help but feel a bit of nostalgia for the life I once lived. I wanted to wax poetic and share stories from my glory days, but chose instead to internalize my exploits as I probed for information about college life in the modern era. Now 32 years removed from my own freshman year, I can't help but wonder how I got to where I am today. First a researcher and now a public school educator, at age 50 it's hard not to think about the many missed opportunities and false starts.
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) - Moss Landing State Beach, CA
There was a time when I dreamed of pursuing an academic career in field ecology, and while I played the role in college and graduate school, I discovered that the world of deep academia was not for me. Alternatively, I could also see myself working in the field behind a camera and lens. In the 1980's nature photography was a specialized discipline; it was a meld of science, photographic arts and business. However, it didn't take long for me to realize that I lacked the skill, patience and risk tolerance required to be an entrepreneur, I feared that a career in photography was as unlikely as one at a university.
No Regrets - Big Sur, California
In the end, teaching found me rather than the other way around. The career was a safe choice at the time, and was intended it to be a stop-gap until I "figured it out," or sequestered the dollars needed to ride out a PhD program. Twenty-three years later, this accidental teacher has embraced the mentor role and has found pleasure in an unexpected vocation where every day is different and peoples' lives are impacted. There is no doubt that I still dream about the past and wonder what the present could have been, but this life is one that I live with no regrets.
Philosophically yours...
Greater Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) : Crex Meadows, WI
Nikon D7200 + Nikon 200-400mm f4 VR1
Fall is a refreshing departure from the photographic malaise of an August in the midwest. While the heat of summer is a comfortable respite from Minnesota's endless winter, it is a bit monotonous for an image maker. Green leaves are dull from months of exposure and are rendered as faded cyan even when photographed during the magic hours of dusk and dawn. Despite the abundance of naive chicks, fawns and cubs, the thick vegetation during this brief growing season makes it nearly impossible to isolate a photographic subject. In contrast, fall ushers in the the "great clearing." With shades of yellow, orange and red serving as my studio, impenetrable thickets now glow in the morning light to clearly reveal my subjects as they toil and prepare for winter. To the photographer, autumn is a near perfect collision between subject matter and light; to the worker bee/weekend warrior it is the season that rewards sleep deprivation with seldom seen snippets of time.
©2000-2015 BTLeventhal.com / Bruce & Tamy Leventhal. All rights reserved. No image on this site may be used without permission.
High Wind Sunset in Badlands National Park
About once a year I manage to convince my wife and dogs that it's time to hit the road and immerse ourselves in everything that nature has to offer. Ranging from three to twenty-one days, these trips are mostly about wildlife, landscapes and long hikes rather than sleep and good eating. Having recently purchased a new micro travel-trailer, I was Jonesing for endless roads, primitive camping and wide-open spaces. With only five days of summer vacation to burn, we decided to visit our neighbor to the west and explore South Dakota's Badlands National Park and Custer State Park. Typically a biannual retreat for us, It's been nearly five years since my last visit. After driving for nearly twelve hours we arrived at our campground near Interior, SD and I immediately recalled why I love this place so much. Rather than bore you with trivial words of praise, I'll let the photos do talking.
©2000-2015 BTLeventhal.com / Bruce & Tamy Leventhal. All rights reserved. No image on this site may be used without permission.
