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

White-faced Capuchin *(Cebus capucinus)* - Dominical, Costa Rica

Wildlife Landscape #4 - Memories

December 23, 2016 in December 2016

A shared adventure is a relived adventure. Like the fallen tree that isn't heard, the thrill of travel becomes lost in the noise of a busy life. Fortunately, pictures can add permanence to the ephemeral. They are visual representations of memories that might have otherwise drifted aimlessly out of consciousness. Some photos serve as simple reminders of fun times with family and friends, while others represent something much more. Herein lies the power of the animal landscape. These photographs tell a story of a place and time, they stimulate intense emotions about an experience, or teach us something about an ecosystem or a "day in the life." Art or natural history, animal landscapes can evoke emotions that transport the viewer somewhere new or somewhere deep in the recesses of the mind.

Falls at Willow River State Park, WI
Nikon D810 + Nikon 18-35mm G

Close to Home, Summer 2016

August 24, 2016 in August 2016

You know that little ditty by Johnny Cash? The one that begins with “I’ve been everywhere man, I’ve been everywhere, man…?” Well, there were times this summer when that song could have been my anthem.

Barred Owl *(Strix varia)* - North Central Minnesota
Nikon D500 + Nikon 200-400mm f/4.0 VR

June belonged to Iceland where I spent nearly two weeks photographing the southern coast and midnight sun. Home for only a day and suffering from sleep deprivation, I boarded another plane, but this time it was pointed to New York.

Just a Pastoral Landscape under Stormy Skies, MN
Nikon D810 + Nikon 18-35mm G

July began with a camping trip to the headwaters of the Mississippi River and ended with seven days in and around Santa Cruz, CA. By the time I was home long enough to re-established my position in the pecking order with the dogs, it was time to leave for Munich, Germany. Ironically, this trip was via Iceland; so, should you need advice about the best restrooms in Keflavik International Airport, send me a note… I’m your man.

Deceptively Small Falls
Nikon D810 + Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Micro VR (9 image focus stack)

Despite the travel and opportunity to make images in some fairly exotic locations, I do enjoy practicing my craft close to home. While I still have thousands of photos to edit and process from my Icelandic adventure and paddle throughout the Elkhorn Slough, I can’t suppress the urge to shoot the places that I know best. So while it’s likely the next few blogs will focus on the flora and fauna of Iceland or California, this gallery is all about the upper Midwest.

Sunrise Over the St. Croix River
Nikon D810 + Nikon 300mm f/2.8 AFS II

Ice in the Lagoon - **Jökulsárlón, Iceland**

Jökulsárlón Lagoon - Icelandic Portfolio One

July 27, 2016 in July 2016

I spent three blocks of time over three days photographing the Jökulsárlón Lagoon. The photos pictured here were all made during a magical moment that lasted nearly five hours. Transfixed by the changing, sky, light and water, I could have spent days photographing these ice sculptures carved by wind and water.

Eye of the Needle - Selectively Decolored

In the Mind’s Eye

July 04, 2016 in July 2016

While hiking towards a seabird rookery on Heimaey, the largest island in the Vestmannaeyjar Archipelago, I caught a glimpse of three islands through the “eye of a needle.” The rock formation had been eroded into an arch, and the distant islands stretched to the right of the window. We were exhausted by the steep climb and uneven terrain, so Tamy was more than willing to yield for a photo break. I paced back and fourth to find an angle where the islands would be framed by the arch. Sadly, the light was impossibly hazy and the distance between the foreground rocks and background islands was so great that the photo you see here could not be made from a single shot. To capture what I saw and imagined, the final picture would require some work in post. Aware of this key point from the start, I took a moment to pre-plan the shoot. I set the white balance in the camera to “cloudy” and focused carefully on the foreground rock formation. By setting the lens to 200mm and f11, I knew I would capture good detail in both the plants and arch. After making the first image, I checked the camera’s histogram to ensure that none of the highlights or shadows were clipped. The production of a balanced, yet boring photo, maximized the data for post-processing. Before packing up the camera, I took a second photograph at the same focal length, aperture, shutter speed and white balance, but varied my point of focus. Rather than capturing the details of the arch this time, I focused on the islands in the distance. These two original photographs are pictured below as unprocessed raw images.

Sharp Foreground

Sharp Islands

I nearly deleted the images after uploading them to the computer. However, seeing the pics transported me back to island’s peak and the plan I had imagined during that hike. Rather than trashing the photos, I began to play. I adjusted the clarity, vibrance and sharpness in Lightroom and used the “dehaze” slider to draw out the blues from the water. Experimentation and play is an essential part of the artistic process, yet I rarely allow myself the time and opportunity to “go off road” with my photographs. Once I found the color balance and details hidden in the raw file, I copied the algorithm for picture number one and applied it to picture number two. The product of this “play” can be seen in the following two processed photos.

Sharp Foreground

Sharp Islands

Now that the near and distantly focused images were exposed and processed to my satisfaction, I applied a photoshop stacking routine to combine the two pictures into one. While I do not stack images often, I have relied on this technique when I want to make a photograph with a near-infinite depth of focus. The method I use is derived from James Lewis’s technique as described here. Once the two photographs were stacked into one, I applied a crop, noise reduction and a bit of unsharp mask. The final image, below, is one part imagination and one part reality. It is an interpretation of a fleeting moment seen by tired eyes during an endless hike. Were it not for a moment of forethought where I made the time to imagine a final photograph, this moment would have been nothing more than a memory.

Stacked Image - Heimaey Vestmannaeyjar Archipelago, Iceland

Opportunity Made

June 23, 2016 in June 2016

It is 2:15 pm in Iceland and Tamy and I are now "killing" time in Keflavik (Iceland's international airport). Our flight leaves at 4:45 and we are scheduled to land in Minneapolis at 6:00 pm... I feel like I will be traveling through space and time. This is exactly opposite to the "red-eye" we took to get here. To say Iceland was fantastic would be the greatest understatement in my life. Much like my first trip to Africa, where Tamy and I safaried throughout Tanzania for 12 continuous days, this was a life altering experience. I have so many stories and images to share, but will just offer this one for now.

On day three Tamy and I began a day's long drive to our lodging near the Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon. I pointed the 4x4 east on the main "ring road" that encircles the island and planned to stop and shoot some of the waterfalls along our route. While there is a near infinite number of ephemeral falls that develop throughout the summer, a few are must see locations. Known internationally, a few of these are a part of nearly every short of long tour of the country. Having just left the solitude of the Westman (Vestmannaeyjar) Islands, we were sorely disappointed when we arrived at one Iceland's most spectacular falls. Known as Skogafoss, these falls form a giant sheet of water that is nearly as wide as it is high. I was so mesmerized by this natural wonder that I do not have the words to describe what I saw. Magnificent and uninspired... the two dichotomous thoughts that now describe what I felt. Uninspired because the valley was choked with tourists. Sure, I too was a tourist, but I was not rude and disrespectful to the space we shared. All I saw were self-abhorbed people taking selfies, blocking views and sidling up to photographers trying to lose themselves in the beauty. So disheartened, I took only five photos while Tamy did not even extract her camera from the pack.... opportunity lost!(?)

In the end, this was an opportunity made. Three nights prior to the end of our travels we found ourselves in a loop back towards the falls. With lodging only 80km from Skogafoss we decided to sleep during the day and visit the falls at midnight. Sunset in southern Iceland was at 12:03am on June 21 and we arrived at 11:00pm. With only six people milling about and taking pictures, we had this place to ourselves. The photo shared is at sunset, made around 12:00 am....This is now how I will always remember Skogafoss.

There are no Billboards

June 21, 2016 in June 2016

Having traversed1098 km (682 miles) from western Iceland to the eastern-most fjords, the absence of roadside advertisements has been a refreshing departure the norm. Anyone who has driven one route or another from New York to California knows that American highways are littered with billboards begging for attention. Rising from earth to sky, these monuments to consumerism feed the endless need to be entertained by human constructs rather than nature. In place of billboards, Iceland and the Icelandic people have strategically distributed mountains, volcanos, rivers and waterfalls across the landscape. Should one become bored with these geologic wonders, tired eyes can gaze upon fields of sheep, majestic horses and ruins past Icelandic peoples. We are eight in an eleven day journey and I already know that I will miss the beauty of this country that has entered the modern age more eloquently than my own.

More waterfalls than people - From the highlands of Eastern Iceland

Hollow Rock - Grand Portage, MNNikon D800E + Nikon 17-35mm f2.8 — Hollow Rock - Grand Portage, MN
Nikon D800E + Nikon 17-35mm f2.8

Photo Diary - Points North and Beyond

December 16, 2015 in December 2015

High Wind Sunset in Badlands National Park

Some Love For Western South Dakota

October 01, 2015 in October 2015

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.

Green Violet-ear Hummbingbird (Colibri  thalassininus) - Savegre River, Costa RicaCanon 5D mark iii w/ Canon 300mm f2.8L IS + Canon 2x mark iii converter — Green Violet-ear Hummbingbird (Colibri thalassininus) - Savegre River, Costa Rica
Canon 5D mark iii w/ Canon 300mm f2.8L IS + Canon 2x mark iii converter

Did You Know (34)?

February 12, 2015 in February 2015

While the exact number is debatable, there are between 325 and 340 hummingbird species. Globally restricted to the Americas, Ecuador is the king of hummingbird diversity with its 132 confirmed varieties. At 5 cm and the mass of a U.S. penny, the Cuban bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) is the smallest avian species alive today. Although little, hummingbirds are not inconspicuous animals. Males fearlessly flash iridescent colors around the neck in what is known as the gorget display. Revealing bright hues of red, green and blue, such displays are aggressive messages that denote breeding and feeding territories. Despite their diminutive size, hummingbirds will dive-bomb conspecifics as well as invading species that compete for their food and space. Survival for a hummingbird is all about energy conservation. With wingbeats of 50 beats per second during a hover and 200 beats per second on an attack, these birds drain their fuel like a HUMMER H2 climbing a steep hill. Daytime heart rates can exceed 1000 beats per minute in order to sustain the high oxygen and nutrient demands of wing muscles. This intense activity requires an energy rich diet, which explains why the typical hummingbird needs to consume a greater nectar mass per day than its own body mass. At night hummingbirds “shut down.” Referred to as torpor, the body enters a hypothermic state as it drops nearly 20o C and the heart rate falls to between 50 and 180 beats per minute. Even with these energy saving measures, hummingbirds still lose 10% of their total body weight each night. Underscoring these high energy demands is the fact that some species like the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) will migrate from Central America to northern Ontario, Canada.

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