Winter’s White - The Muse

August 03, 2018 in August 2018, Other

Can one both abhor and love the same thing simultaneously? The fear of another frigid winter is tempered by the excitement that these seasonal conditions create. Candy for the eyes, winter’s crisp and clean light emphasizes form and minimizes distractions, yet it is these same conditions that amplify physiological pain and stress. As the winds of winter penetrate layers upon layers of clothes, the atmospherics unique to these short days suggest a visual drama unique to the season. Winter embodies the essence of the Yin and the Yang. The dichotomy of blacks and whites, subject and shadow, complexity from simplicity, makes this season the perfect photographic muse.

Compare and Contrast

June 21, 2018 in June 2018, Other

Today is June 21st and it is the summer solstice. Acknowledgement of the solstice is often relegated to a blip in the news which often leads to weather predictions and good holiday reads. Weather obsession is a Midwest past time, so I won’t bother adding my thoughts about this to the pile of past, present, and future prognostications. In the place of weather talk and discussions about summer books, let’s consider this solstice as an opportunity to consider a clear contrast.

Quite literally, the solstice is an astronomical contrast. During the summer solstice, the noon sun reaches its highest point in the Northern hemisphere and coincides with the longest period of daylight. Conversely, on December 21st, those living north of the equator will experience the fewest daylight hours. These astronomical contrasts translate into things we see everyday. IN the summer, we live in a green world where song birds serenade us from dawn to dusk, ducklings are eye candy, and mosquitos expand exponentially. While the heat and humidity increases, so does the sense of emotional well-being and desire to seize the day. In direct contrast, the winter solstice is a frigid and icy world. Barren leafless trees are the skeletal reminders of the summer that was, and the wildlife that once seemed plentiful, look to be in survival mode. The emotional highs of summer are replaced by winter afflictions such as light deprivation, depression, and flu.

So it is with recognition of the difference between these two discrete events that I wish to take a parallel analysis of the state of affairs in this post Obama / Trump era. As I began processing the day’s blog I thought I might discuss human rights, education, international disputes, or trade, as there are strong contrasts in policy between the two. However, given that this is a nature photography website where ecological stability is a keystone for my photographic goals, I have chosen to contrast Trump era environmental policies to those prevalent during Obama’s eight years in office. What follows is an abridged list of changes that I find to be significant between the priorities of the Republican Party compared to their Democratic predecessors.

Since the inauguration of Donald J. Trump in January 2017, the White House has cut the Nasa climate monitoring program (1), the status of threatened species is under review (2), car emission standards have been weakened (3), F.E.M.A. has eliminated the impacts of climate change from its strategic plan (4), the administration is looking to cut Department of Energy funding for renewable energy (5), the EPA has reduced regulations on toxic air pollutants (6), most members of the National Parks Advisory Board have resigned in protest to administration policies (7), the climate change website has been censored (8), climate change has been dropped from the list of national security threats (9), the status and size of some western national monuments have been reduced (10), protection of sage grouse is threatened by oil exploration (11), NOAA cancels Obama rules that would protect whales and sea turtles from fishing nets (12), the US pulls out of the Paris Climate Agreement (13), and the EPA dismisses science advisors (14).

Much like the sharp differences between the abiotic and biotic characteristics that define the summer and winter solstice, the environmental priorities of the current Republican president exist in direct opposition to those articulated by Barack Obama. On this day, it seems fitting to reflect on the political decisions we have made as a country. Blinded by the bling of celebrity and false promise, our society has chosen to abandon logic, reason, and science. Sadly, I fear that every day the current administration is in power, we will follow the pattern of exploitation that defined the past rather than support a culture of conservation which might ensure the self preservation we all seek.

Making Waves - *Castor canadensis*
Nikon D500 + Nikon 200-400mm f4 VR

The Beaver Pond

June 14, 2018 in June 2018, Other

Spring was late to Minnesota this year. The beaver pond and its inhabitants have been a favorite photographic muse since 2015, and with the average temperatures rising annually throughout the decade, my accessibility to the beavers has been as early as March 14. Since the 2018 winter followed past climatic patterns, I assumed that I'd be photographing these little engineers in March once again. Because unpredictability is the only predictable assumption one can now make about weather this century, it should be no surprise that my spring intentions ran contradictory to expectation. The unseasonably warm winter was followed by a heavy April snowfall and chilly cold conditions. As a result, I was not able to photograph the beavers until mid-May. During my second visit to the pond, I witnessed with a cornucopia of wildlife and accelerated spring behaviors that included migratory birds, a newborn fawn, mating beavers, and a rather hasty raccoon. Although spring was late, all seemed fine with the world on this May morning.

Tree Swallow in Sumac
Nikon D500 + Nikon 200-400mm f4 VR

Musings... Kootenay National Park, BC
Nikon D500 and Nikon 200-400mm f/4 VR

A Return to Blogging?

June 13, 2018 in June 2018, Other

Where has the blog gone?... Well, this is a question that I have been asking the publisher/author (...oh right, that's me) for quite some time now. The "Way We See It" began in 2008 following my first trip to East Africa (see my inaugural blog post here). I was so excited about our adventure to Tanzania that I wanted to initiate a digital journal. Very few people were blogging for money at the time, and Google's "Blogspot" was a cheap and easy way to share the adventure with my friends and family. Since that first post in June 2008, I have authored 416 unique essays that are rich with text, photographs, musings, reviews, and rants. For years I have stated that this blog is among the most unnoticed displays of devotion on the world wide web.

With the challenges of my work as an AP Biology teacher, my commitment to make photographs, time authoring articles for publication, and years of being unnoticed as a blogger, lethargy and indifference began to take hold. As such, my musings have tapered to a rather boring trickle. So, for those of you who have actually followed my exploits throughout the years (and to those who care more about Trump tweets), I have a bit of good news,... this blog is NOT dead, yet. Now that summer has begun, I have some time to rethink my approach to blogging and ways to freshen my content. While I will continue to share my thoughts about biology, the state of education, environmentalism, politics, and life in Minnesota, I also intend to spend more effort discussing my methods and experiences in the field behind a lens.

While I have no interest or skill in videography, I will be sharing some one-minute iPhone video blogs (so called "vlogs") that I have been posting on my Instagram (@BruceLeventhal). Each of these videos will be accompanied with a finished image that was produced during the shoot and a bit of commentary about the process. In addition, I will be devoting a number posts to a recent 16 day road trip as well as trips of the past and future. So, while "The Way We See It" has taken a bit of a nap, it now seems that Rip VanWinkle has finally been jarred awake and has something to say.

Cheers... Bruce Leventhal (Creator, Author, Publisher, Reviewer, and Commentator)

Sunset on the North Shore - Grand Marais, Minnesota

Favorite Places - Minnesota's North Shore

June 30, 2017 in June 2017, Other

There are very few places that inspire my creative eye like Minnesota's North Shore. While Superior is a freshwater lake, the adjacent boreal forest and rugged rocky coast is reminiscent of the Atlantic Ocean's juxtaposition to Maine's Acadia National Park.

Bordered by jagged igneous rock, the ancient Sawtooth Mountains that once stood as grand as the mid-continental Rockies, are the perfect corridors for wildlife and water. Heavy rains and snowmelt produces a cornucopia of ephemeral streams as water flows downhill towards the Great Lake.

Swirling Fals - Sawtooth Mountains, Minnesota

Weather during spring and early summer is as unpredictable as winter in this border region of state. Temperatures can soar as high as 85 degrees Fahrenheit to only fall into the mid 40's within a single hour. Unpredictability is the charm and curse of this area. Often enveloped by clouds, fog, or rain, predicting climate patterns in the Arrowhead region is an exercise in futility. So if you are planning to travel to Minnesota's North Shore, be prepared and pack a bit of everything.

Fern Falls - Cascade State Park, Minnesota

Photographer's Notes - All images were made between June 24th and June 28th, 2017. The weather was an unpredictable mix of rain, clouds and sunshine. During our stay, temperatures hovered between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. An unusually wet spring produced stunning fields of lupines and numerous ephemeral waterfalls. All pictures were made from a sturdy tripod with my Nikon D810, 16-35mm f/4VR lens.

Ingólfshöfðil

June 23, 2017 in June 2017, Other

Ingólfur Arnarson first stepped on Icelandic soil around 874, or so this is how the story goes. According to the Landnáma (The Icelandic Book of Settlements), Arnarson and his family were the first Norse people to settle the subarctic island, and claim Reykjavik to be their home. However, prior to reaching the infamous capital city to the west, Arnarson spent his inaugural winter in Ingólfshöfðil along the cape where he beached his seafaring vessel. Named for the nordic explorer who founded Iceland, Ingólfshöfðil is now a privately owned and managed nature preserve.

Two Steps up One Step Back
Nikon D810 + Nikon 16-35mm f/4VR

Isolated by kilometers of black sand and unpredictable rivers, the journey from Iceland’s loop road to the coast is how I’d imagine a trip across the Martian landscape. Hobbling along as if on the Mars rover, a tractor-pulled cart dragged us through sand and sea in search of gems that inhabit the cliffs. Rising 76 meters above the ocean, we climbed the steep and sandy terrain descending one foot for every three feet of progress.

Flight to the Colony / Atlantic Puffin
Nikon D500 + Nikon 200-400mm f/4.0VR

With the exception of its colorful lighthouse, the windswept plateau is void of human constructs and consists of grassy fields and jagged cliffs that drop off into the ocean. The main attraction of the cape is a colony of puffins nesting at cliff’s edge where they have access to nutrient rich waters. While seemingly idyllic to the peninsular’s inhabitants, the neighborhood is not without its dangers, for nesting within the grasses are predatory skuas. Here the drama of predator and prey can be witnessed as skuas rob puffin nests and even capture unsuspecting adult birds.

Skuas eat Lundi
Nikon D500 + Nikon 200-400mm f/4.0VR

The Bear Dance

June 21, 2017 in June 2017, Other

The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere arrived at 11:24 PM on June, 20 2017. Not one to celebrate the typical Judeo-Christian holidays, I prefer to acknowledge the comings and goings of natural events throughout the year. Crafted by evolutionary, geologic and astronomical forces, nature’s predictable cycles are the seminal moments I document on my mental calendar. The first buds, the shrill of a red-winged blackbird and the emergence of spring ephemerals are just a few of the endless phenological moments I chart. Thus, when the planet is aligned with the sun such that we experience the longest or the shortest day, I can’t help but take note. So, grab yourself a pint of ale, find a foggy forest, and bare your soul to the forces of nature; today is the solstice and it is a great day to celebrate.

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