Kelp Forest Pictures
My kelp forest stock photos appear on Oceanlight.com in addition to the kelp forest pictures I have on Photoshelter:
|
Kelp Forest Pictures, Macrocystis pyrifera - Images by Phillip Colla |
If you cannot see the slideshow above, see this kelp forest photo slideshow on Photoshelter!
Keywords: giant kelp, macrocystis pyrifera, kelp forest, underwater photo, california, pacific, image.
Doug Perrine, Marine Wildlife Photographer
Today I would like to recognize Doug Perrine, one of the worlds most accomplished and respected marine wildlife photographers. Last night, his amazing photograph of a feeding Bryde’s whale was awarded highly commended at the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in London. Honestly, I cannot imagine why this image did not actually win the underwater category. It is one of the finest underwater whale photos ever achieved. I have spent a lot of time in the water with whales, and pursing photographic subjects in the open ocean, and I cannot over-emphasize how spectacular Doug Perrine’s photograph is. For those of you who do not take your cameras underwater, it may look like a simple portrait. In truth this whale was speeding by Doug, who captured the image breathhold diving, at the perfect moment when the whale’s body was aligned gracefully and fully visible, and while its throat was fully engorged from a feeding strike just a moment earlier. This behavior occurs in the open ocean, which is nothing like your casual vacation SCUBA dive. The open ocean can be disorienting, and having enormous creatures swimming by at high speed and at very close range, silently and from any direction including directly below, is intimidating. As he mentions in his caption to the photo, Perrine was nearly engulfed in one of the earlier feeding passes. Given these circumstances, capturing a once-in-a-lifetime image like this is a testament to his professionalism and composure. As I said, I consider Doug Perrine’s Bryde’s whale feeding pass image one of the best underwater photos I have ever seen and really congratulate Doug on his achievement.
This WPOTY award is on the heels of Perrine’s Bryde’s whales photos appearing in National Geographic Magazine.
It should be noted that Doug Perrine won the overall Wildlife Photographer of the Year championship in 2004 with some amazing photos from South Africa’s sardine run, so you know he is no stranger to top ranks of the competition! He is a really nice guy too, and has helped myself and many other photographers in myriad ways over the years. Doug Perrine founded the marine photo stock agency Innerspace Visions in Florida in the 80s. Now known as Seapics.com, and since sold although Doug still maintains a close connection, the agency is a premiere source for worldwide marine imagery by virtue of having most of the worlds best marine photographers as contributers (and me too). I may see Doug on a trip in a few weeks, where I will congratulate him on his wonderful photo and award. I am certain he will reply in his usual modest way: “Oh, we just got lucky.”
Note: why don’t I show a copy of Doug Perrine’s amazing image? It would be easy to do, but out of respect for Mr. Perrine’s work, not to mention copyright law, I instead just link to those places where his work is displayed properly. I’m sure his photo will be copied and pasted around the internet, by kids and bloggers and people who just don’t respect a photographer’s right to control where his work appears. But you won’t see it done here. Please go check the links I mention above to see Doug’s work, you’ll be glad you did.
Guadalupe Island Pictures
My Guadalupe Island stock photos appear on Oceanlight.com in addition to the Guadalupe Island pictures I have on Photoshelter:
|
Guadalupe Island Pictures, Isla Guadalupe, Mexico - Images by Phillip Colla |
If you cannot see the slideshow above, see this Guadalupe Island photo slideshow on Photoshelter!
Keywords: Guadalupe Island, Isla Guadalupe, Mexico, stock photos, image.
Northern Shoveler, Anas clypeata
I photographed this Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) Sunday morning at Santee Lakes. The coast near my home was totally socked in with pea soup fog, but once I got inland to Santee Lakes the skies cleared. Santee Lakes has some great duck photography. I am not a bird-centric photographer, but I’ll be photographing mostly seabirds this January on a month-long trip, so I’ll probably make a few outings to Santee Lakes and La Jolla to practice my bird photography before I leave.
 |
| Northern shoveler, adult nonbreeding plumage. Image ID: 23393 Species: Northern shoveler, Anas clypeata Location: Santee Lakes, California, USA |
Keywords: northern shoveler, duck, anas clypeata, santee lakes, san diego.
Galapagos Pictures and Photos
My Galapagos Islands stock photos appear on Oceanlight.com in addition to the Galapagos pictures I have on Photoshelter:
|
Galapagos Islands Pictures, Ecuador - Images by Phillip Colla |
If you cannot see the slideshow above, see this Galapagos photo slideshow on Photoshelter!
Keywords: Galapagos Islands, archipelago, Ecuador, stock photos, image.
Ocean Sunfish Pictures
What is the largest bony fish in the world? The ocean sunfish (Mola mola) of course! My stock photos of the ocean sunfish appear on Oceanlight.com in addition to the ocean sunfish pictures I have on Photoshelter:
|
Ocean Sunfish Pictures - Images by Phillip Colla |
If you cannot see the slideshow above, see this ocean sunfish photo slideshow on Photoshelter!
Keywords: ocean sunfish, mola mola, underwater, Pacific.
Another Sale Bites the Dust
A few days ago I was contacted by an author who was interested in one of my photos for a book he is self-publishing. I got the sense there probably was not much budget when he mentioned in his email that the book would be available for free download. Regardless, I let him know what I typically charge for private-run book use. This was his response this morning:
This particular picture is very appropriate to its context in the book, but I have found one just as appropriate among Wikimedia commons pictures, so I suppose I’ll go with that. I guess if I was a media-seller I would hate the wikis, but for an author like me they are a godsend.
Sorry we can’t do business
I considered pointing out to him that it would not have been “business” if I, or any other photographer, provided the image for free. Some photographers see a need to “educate” their clients in a situation like this. It’s a nice thought but I just don’t have the time so I generally just move on.
I have had good luck maintaining my fees over the years — even as stock photo prices in general have plummeted — probably because most of my saleable images do not have quality counterparts in the “commons” world. Yet. It is an uncertain time for stock photography. I think stock photographers (including myself) who wish to do well must further separate their images from the norm, otherwise they end up competing with the “crowd” and may lose sales to photographers who give their work away.
Postscript: five hours later I received a stronger-than-usual stock agency check in the mail (3Qtr2009). Hope remains.
Photos of the Wave and North Coyote Buttes, Arizona
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 36° 59' 45.49" N, Longitude: 112° 0' 22.28" W, Coord: 36.99597°, -112.00619°
Filed under: Arizona, Photoshelter, The Wave on 10/16/2009
My stock photos of the Wave in the North Coyote Buttes appear on Oceanlight.com in addition to the pictures of the Wave and North Coyote Buttes I have on Photoshelter:
|
Pictures of The Wave, North Coyote Buttes - Images by Phillip Colla |
If you cannot see the slideshow above, see this Wave and North Coyote Buttes photo slideshow on Photoshelter!
Keywords: the Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Arizona, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness.
Florida Manatee Pictures
My Florida manatee underwater stock photos appear on Oceanlight.com in addition to the Florida manatee pictures I have on Photoshelter:
|
Manatee Pictures - Images by Phillip Colla |
If you cannot see the slideshow above, see this Florida manatee photo slideshow on Photoshelter!
Keywords: manatee stock photo, photo of Florida manatees.
Yellowstone National Park Photos
My Yellowstone National Park stock photos are organized on Oceanlight.com in additional to the Yellowstone National Park pictures I have placed on Photoshelter:
|
Yellowstone National Park Photos - Images by Phillip Colla |
Note: If you cannot see the slideshow above, then see this Yellowstone National Park photo slideshow.
Keywords: Yellowstone National Park, stock photography, pictures
Sekonic L-358 Lightmeter for Sale
SOLD.
For sale: Sekonic L-358 Lightmeter / Flashmeter. It is in pristine condition, hardly used, I am the original owner. I bought it thinking I would do more portrait photography with flash but never got into it (my kids don’t like having their photo taken). Asking $155.00. Paypal echeck and personal check is best. Contact me if you are interested.
Here is Sekonic’s official product page for this meter: Sekonic L-358 FLASH MASTER.
Included is the quick-start guide and original soft case. I think I also have the original box and paperwork so if I can find them I will include them too, but cannot guarantee it.
Yosemite National Park Photos
My Yosemite National Park stock photos are organized on Oceanlight.com in addition to the Yosemite pictures appearing on my Photoshelter account:
|
Yosemite Pictures - Images by Phillip Colla |
If you cannot see the slideshow above, then take a look at this Yosemite National Park photo slideshow.
Keywords: Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Valley
The Photographers Guide to Yosemite by Michael Frye
Today’s post is a recommendation for Michael Frye’s guide book for photographers, The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite. I’ve owned this book for years. While I know Yosemite National Park quite well, having made frequent visits to the park my entire life (now that’s saying something!), I now carry Michael Frye’s book with me when I am in the park and routinely flip through it to make sure I haven’t forgotten any of the park’s iconic shots or to seek inspiration for a hike to a new spot. The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite is one of only a handful of photography guide books that I routinely recommend to others. In the last 24 hours I’ve had the occasion to recommend it on Twitter several times, so I figure it’s time to say something on my blog too. If you are a photographer and plan to visit Yosemite National Park, buy it beforehand and study it, you won’t be sorry. It will help you make the most of your photography time in Yosemite National Park, especially the Valley which is so rich in photographic potential, and it will ensure that you are in the right spot at the right time for many iconic views.
The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite
Disclaimer: I do not have any arrangement with Mr. Frye or the book’s publisher, other than I am an admirer of his photography and love his book.
Curious what I have been able to shoot in YNP? Here are my Yosemite photos. Most of these are drop dead easy to make and The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite will help you as it has me.
Aspens in Fall Beside a Creek
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 37° 11' 4.84" N, Longitude: 118° 33' 30.13" W, Coord: 37.18468°, -118.55837°
Filed under: Sierra Nevada on 10/7/2009
One image that just screams “eastern Sierra fall color” that I wanted to make when I last visited Bishop was one of turning aspen trees alongside running water. The three basins in the mountains above Bishop drain into the three three forks of Bishop Creek, and with aspen trees surrounding much of these forks I knew it was just a matter of looking to find a location that would yield a pleasing composition. I noted a few spots along the outlet of Lake Sabrina along with a couple possibilities along the outlet of North Lake but late in the afternoon when I surveyed the upper reaches of the south fork of Bishop Creek below South Lake I found what I was looking for: walls of color alongside a stream with enough water movement to form interesting blurs. This image was taken very near Parcher’s Resort.
 |
| Aspens turn yellow in autumn, changing color alongside the south fork of Bishop Creek at sunset. Image ID: 23323 Species: Quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides Location: Bishop Creek Canyon, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA  View this Image in Google Earth! |
The day I was in Bishop there were no clouds in the sky at all so contrast was a problem. I was finally able to find a composition with sufficiently low contrast after the sun had descended behind the peaks above South Lake. After that time the light passing through the trees and off the water was even enough to make good exposures without resorting to filters or any of that HDR / blended-exposure silliness. I simply set the aperature at its sharpest for this lens (f/11 on a 24-70 f/2.8 lens) and lengthened the exposure time until I nearly clipped the highlights in the stream. (Curious? See my post about Exposing to the Right and how to properly configure the camera to yield accurate histograms for this approach.) Correcting the white-balance, to account for the cool bias of the shady light, was about all I had to do in the RAW conversion.
Keywords: aspen, stream, creek, fall, eastern sierra, quaking aspen, populus tremuloides, autumn.
The Aspen Tunnel
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 37° 13' 44.72" N, Longitude: 118° 37' 8.43" W, Coord: 37.22909°, -118.61901°
Filed under: Sierra Nevada on 10/6/2009
Along the road that runs beside North Lake in the Bishop Creek watershed is a section I have heard referred to as the “Aspen Tunnel“, an apropos name certainly. Tall quaking aspen trees (Populus tremuloides) on either side lean over the road, creating a impressive cylinder of color. If you are looking for a spot where you can point your camera up and shoot that classic “aspen trees reaching for the sky” shot (here’s another example), this is absolutely the easiest place I have found to do it. I first saw this spot in early October 2006 at which time the color in the leaves was rich and bright. I was there again most recently in late September 2009 when the trees on one side of the road were green while those on the other side were gold. This dichotomy of color is not all that curious: trees in a stand of aspens are typically clones of one another by virtue of their root system and reproduction mechanism; they tend to change color in unison.
 |
| 2006: Aspen trees displaying fall colors rise above a High Sierra road near North Lake, Bishop Creek Canyon.
|
 |
| 2009: A tunnel of aspen trees, on a road alongside North Lake. The aspens on the left are still green, while those on the right are changing to their fall colors of yellow and orange. Why the difference?.
|
The aspen tunnel spot is best photographed when the sun has risen fairly high in the sky. Go ahead and shoot the sunrise at North Lake from the usual spot. Then go for a walk around the lake (it’s a short and flat walk!) and kill some time wandering through the grove on the northwest side of the lake as you do so. When other photographers have departed (”the light is too harsh”, “I don’t shoot during midday”, blah blah), you can make your way over to the aspen tunnel and have it largely to yourself. If you choose your angles properly you will find that trees on both sides of the road are richly colored by the strong backlighting of the mid morning sun. A polarizing filter will drop the sky to a deep blue. Keep in mind, the wider your lens, the more of the color you can pack into your composition and the more accentuated the effect of the polarizer will be. I tend to use lenses such as a 15mm fisheye and 16-35mm superwide zoom in this spot in an attempt to find compositions in which the viewer feels immersed inside a grove of intense color and tall thin trees. (A 24mm lens, often considered “wide”, is definitely not wide enough here.) It is not a good idea to change lenses here, in fact you’ll see the dust from the dirt road hanging in the air all around you. When a car or horse trailer drives past I cover my lens and step off the road for a few minutes until the dust has cleared.
Keywords: aspen tunnel, quaking aspen, populus tremuloides, autumn.
Natural History Photography with Infrared Light
I have recently taken to shooting infrared photos while I am out on photo excursions. The motivation for me is that, if I can easily and inexpensively produce a different type of photo from what I normally shoot, all the while not affecting my ability to shoot traditional color photos, then why not give it a try. The upside is that I might produce a few more quality, interesting images. The downside is that if the effort may be an abject failure, but if it does not cost me much in time or money then the risk is acceptable.
For instance, while I was tooling around the Bishop Creek watershed photographing fall colors, I took along my Panasonic Lumix LX3 that has been converted to shoot true infrared. What this means is that I can whip this tiny but high quality camera out of my pocket and blast off some infrared shots spontaneously. Infrared photography using external infrared-pass filters on a conventional digital camera typically requires long exposure times and a tripod, making for cumbersome shooting. However, if the camera is modified internally to allow only infrared light to reach the sensor, then long exposure times are no longer required, and one can shoot infrared photos handheld. This really makes having an infrared camera along sensible and productive. Several companies exist to perform these modifications, and they are reasonably inexpensive. Plus, you can always have them convert the camera back to visible light again (for a fee) if you don’t like the results. Probably the most popular cameras for infrared conversation right now are the Canon G9/G10 (and soon to be G11) line, but I prefer the wider angle of the Lumix LX3 so I bought a second one and had it infrared-converted. This particular image comes from the Table Mountain area, when the late afternoon sun was dropping behind the cliffs, leaving much of the hillside in shadow but the aspens in side light.
 |
| Aspen trees in fall, eastern Sierra fall colors, autumn. Image ID: 23320 Species: Quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides Location: Bishop Creek Canyon, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
Here is another example I was quite happy with, a single Joshua Tree framed against a deep black, cloud-free, mid-morning sky. In this case, having an infrared camera along allowed me to shoot longer than I would normally have done. The light in Joshua Tree is really only good for about 30-60 minutes after sunrise, beyond that it is too harsh to shoot good images. However, the harsher and stronger the light becomes, the greater the amount of infrared light that is reflected by certain subjects such as plants. For this reason, infrared photography is usually at its best — in midday — when visible light photography is often at its worst. The two compliment one another well.
 |
| Joshua tree, sunrise, infrared. Image ID: 22888 Species: Joshua Tree, Yucca brevifolia Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA |
I’m pretty happy with my little infrared-converted LX3 and its ability to shoot quick and reasonably high-quality infrared images. (Not to mention that we love our regular LX3 for snapshots and family photos.) However, I should mention there are some limitations to shooting infrared this way. The optics of todays digital cameras are designed for visible light, in particular, the wavelengths of light in the visible spectrum and how they pass through lens glass-air and glass-glass interfaces. Infrared light passes through the lens and into the sensor in a somewhat different way than visible spectrum light. I have found that this manifests in images that are softer than one would expect with visible light, and are sometimes prone to a vague “hot-spot” in the center of the image. The hot-spot seems to be in the blue color channel only, in my experience with the LX3, and only presents when the lens is at its widest angle (24mm-equivalent). By zooming in even a little bit, the hot-spot issue is alleviated. From the information I have read on some of the internet infrared photography websites, I think other cameras may exhibit both of these issues (soft focus, hot spots) as well but I am not sure as I have only used the LX3 in infrared. I believe the hot spot is a property of the camera sensor and the angle at which the light reaches the sensor, while the soft focus (most notably corner softness) is a characteristic of the optics and their transmission of light (infrared) in wavelengths quite different from those for which the lens was designed (visible). Usually I pull out either the red or green color channel to produce a black-and-white image, so the hot spot in the blue channel is not a great problem, but in those images in which I think I want the blue channel I just zoom in a little and all seems to be well. Also, the hotspot is not present in all images, it seems to have something to do with the direction of the sun and how intensely the subjects in the center of the image are reflecting infrared. Image softness is a property of infrared photography in general, and seems to me to be ameliorated somewhat by the strong contrast that infrared images typically have. In other words, the strong black-white contrast of an infrared image seems to more than make up for the soft detail, when the image is viewed as a whole.
Like this? Here are more infrared photos.
Keywords: infrared, joshua tree, yucca brevifolia, aspen, populus tremuloides.
Infrared Photo of a Giant Sequoia Tree
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 37° 30' 48.52" N, Longitude: 119° 35' 55.67" W, Coord: 37.51348°, -119.5988°
Filed under: California, Infrared, National Parks, Sierra Nevada, Yosemite on 10/1/2009
One tree in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia trees (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is my favorite. Its huge, reasonably symmetric, and sits somewhat alone in meadow clearing so that morning light can illuminate almost the entire tree nicely. Plus, its a nice 2 mile run up through the grove from the parking lot. Usually when I arrive at The Tree I am the only person there, having seen noone on the way up the hill. It was the same this time. What a beautiful morning. I took my tiny mikro-pokket-infraredfotokam along with me and shot some photos. Below is my favorite one.
 |
| Giant sequoia tree towers over surrounding trees in a Sierra forest. Infrared image. Image ID: 23304 Species: Giant sequoia tree, Sequoiadendron giganteum Location: Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
Like this? Here are more infrared photos.
Keywords: giant sequoia, infrared, mariposa grove, yosemite national park, Sequoiadendron giganteum.
HOME | Online Image Search | Photo of the Day | Contact / Bio | Licensing/Pricing | Prints | Stock List | Image Hierarchy | List of Log Entries | Site Map | Blue Whale | Cetaceans | Pinnipeds | Sharks | Rays | Fishes | Kelp Forest | Sea Birds | Inverts | Man & Animal | Man & Ocean | Ocean & Light | Ocean & Motion | Portraits | About Color and Monitor Calibration | Copyright Statement | All text and photographs copyright © Phillip Colla Natural History Photography All rights reserved worldwide. The content of this site is made available for purposes of researching images offered for license by Phillip Colla Natural History Photography. No image is to be copied, duplicated, modified or redistributed in whole or part without the prior written permission of Phillip Colla Natural History Photography. Whale logo is a trademark of Phillip Colla Natural History Photography, 8021 Paseo Arrayan, Carlsbad, CA 92009, USA. (760) 652-5350. Email: oceanlight@OceanLight.com Web: www.OceanLight.com Portfolios: www.Gygis.com
Updated: March 10, 2010
