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)

The Bear Walk

July 20, 2017 in Photo Notes

With the proliferation of photography related blogs, YouTube channels and social media boards, one more discussion about best practice is probably just an exercise in redundancy. Yet, the need to do something with my ever increasing library of images now provides the impetus for this next series of blogs. Having already penned 101 Photography Tips, I thought it might be valuable to articulate my intent behind a given image from the past, present or future. By putting words to the process, I hope to contribute a useful tidbit to the reader and provide an opportunity for some reflective practice that may help all of us grow and transition to a new cognitive and artistic place.

What and Where?

“The Bear Walk” was taken at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary near Orr, MN. The sanctuary is contiguous with Superior National and Kabetogama State Forests. Black bears visiting the sanctuary roam from Ontario, Canada into Voyageurs National Park and throughout the national forest habitat. Comprised of 360 acres, the VS Wildlife Sanctuary is an extension of the black bears’ natural range and is a great place to photograph spring cubs and late summer adults that are preparing for their long winter nap. While my June visit to the sanctuary was focused on young cubs, I also hoped to make some interesting photographs of adults moving throughout a variety of habitats. In producing this image, I used a Nikon D500 with its 1.5x crop sensor, Nikon 200-400mm f/4 VR lens, and an Induro Stealth 3-series tripod with a heavy duty Induro BH3Ls ball head. With the lens set to 300mm, the D500 produced an effective focal length of 450mm, thus suggesting a bit of intimacy between the subject and the viewer. At this magnification, I was able to maintain a safe working distance from the bear while minimizing my impact on its behavior. In addition, my choice of focal length and aperture of f/5.6 led to the compression of foreground and background foliage that appears to be smooth and tastefully out of focus.

Why the Image Works?

In photographing adult bears, I was searching for a way to convey the power and strength in the bear’s morphology without producing yet another Wikipedia-esque image. To move from documentation to something a bit more compelling, I knew that I had to include environmental elements and a bit of character in the subject. Shooting between episodes of showers, the bear’s dark and wet fur reflected the soft light that was bouncing between the grass and clouds. The moisture helped to define the otherwise amorphous black coat as well and suggest detail in the fur, face, and eyes. While the gaze of the bear might have seemed intentionally directed at me, this was not the case as the image presented was the only photo in which this bear was looking up. The mix of eye-contact and exposed paw walking towards the viewer were the elements of power and strength that I hoped to capture. Finally, the tall grasses blurred by my choice in aperture produced a natural frame for the subject.

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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