little piece of the wild

Wildlife on the Walls of the Glen Vista Gallery

2012-04-30T12:54:00.002-07:00

Just recently I received a Kalamazoo Artistic Development Initiative (KADI) grant from the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo to exhibit my photography at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Thank you to the Arts Council and thank you to the greater powers-that-be for aligning the stars. Things are coming together beautifully.

This will be my first exhibit of large scale work in a gallery setting. My only other show so far has been a small and intimate exhibit at the downtown Water St. Coffee Joint. The Glen Vista, in contrast, will feature some work as large as 2 x 4 feet and will be printed on canvas. The larger work will really allow the viewer to enter into the photo, and in some cases see an animal life-size.

In addition to my wildlife photography, I'll be unveiling some new portraits of people and their spirit animal, or animal that represents them in some way. It's a body of work that I've been working on for some time and that's finally matured enough to exhibit.

So mark you calendars for Saturday, June 9th, 12-2pm for the opening reception. The animals and I will be eagerly awaiting your arrival.

In Broad Daylight

2012-04-22T08:58:00.003-07:00

Timberdoodle, bogsucker, night partridge, brush snipe, hokumpoke.

Most commonly known as the American Woodcock.

A funky little bird with some funky aliases.

A black-sheep member of the Sandpiper family of shore-birds, for some reason the Woodcock long ago strayed away from the water and found a niche for itself in the woods and timber of the world. That formidable beak turned out to be a perfect utensil for earthworms and insects.

For the most part, woodcocks fly under the radar of most peoples avian awareness, even though the male's Spring courtship flights can be pretty conspicuous and colorful - if you know what to look for. It's a weak frequency for the attention of the eye since the bird in flight appears small, and the birdsong--although unmistakable--can be faint. Once you tune in to them though, they start appearing everywhere in Spring. In fact, they're back in the open fields right behind my house. What makes them particularly difficult to see though is the fact they perform all their courtship at dusk as the light is quickly fading.

All this makes them particularly difficult to photograph. They've become somewhat of a personal holy-grail for me as a photographer. Every Spring I hear their "peents" and whistling, aerial song, but surrender to the impossibility of a photo.

Well, during my recent trip up to Sleeping Bear Dunes (I had to pick up some photos from an exhibit up in Petoskey) I was driving along a road just off M-22, in an area with open fields and patches of woodland, and right in the middle of the road was this guy strutting across the road. He was doing the strangest, funniest kind of bobbing as he walked. Contrary to what one might think, it's not about attracting the ladies but rather it's how they usually walk for stirring the earth and triggering earthworms to move. It's all about hunting.

What contributes to their funky appearance is the way the eyes are situated really close to the top of the head, perhaps an adaptation for detecting predators as it hunkers down in the grass during the day or when nesting. And you can see how the beautiful patterning makes for superb camouflage.

The only reason I was able to snap this second photo was because I watched it walk into the grass off the road and freeze, the whole time keeping my eyes on it. Every time it flew away and landed, beyond my sight, and I went looking for it, I only saw the thing when it flushed and flew away. Then I'd go looking for it, only to have the same thing happen all over again. That could go on for ever.

It's possible I may never photograph another Woodcock like this again in my lifetime. Time to count my blessings.

Osprey BLOG

2012-04-10T08:18:00.001-07:00

In case you haven't seen my new blog on the Kalamazoo River Osprey, check it out. It's been stealing time away from my blog entries for Little Piece of the Wild. Click HERE to see it.

So much wildlife, so little time.

Lotteries & Grants

2012-04-03T12:02:00.002-07:00

Last Saturday I was tempted by the sheer insanity of the half-billion lottery that was seducing the nation. That's enough money to launch you into Forbes magazine. Not that I have any desire to be in Forbes Magazine, but I couldn't resist the fantasy of all that economic freedom - so I bought a ticket. It was my very first mega-lottery ticket ever.

In case you hadn't heard, I didn't win.

However, that very same day I received a letter in the mail from the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. A letter I was eargerly anticipating because I was waiting to hear whether I was awarded a Kalamazoo Artist Development Initiative (or KADI) grant.

This is the kind of letter where you only have to read the first sentence to know exactly where it's going. If it's a rejection letter, they always start by saying "This year the competition and number of applicants was particularly high..." and by the end of the first paragraph they incorporate a "however, we regret to inform you...". This is all to console the rejected.

If it's an acceptance letter, they cut right to the chase with an emphatic exclamation or affirmation.

After "Congratulations!" I just stopped reading. That's all I needed to know. Well, I did read on to see if I was awarded the grant in full. And yes, I was!

You can also tell if it's a yes or no by the thickness of the letter. If it's a rejection notice, it's a one page letter. Nuf said. If it's an acceptance letter, it's usually a little thicker because of a contract or some kind of formal business that comes with being awarded the monies.

The grant is to fund the printing and framing of an upcoming exhibition at the Glen Vista Gallery in the Kalamazoo Nature Center in June/July. I'll be featuring my wildlife photography and some fresh new digital collages that I'm terribly excited about. They're photographic portraits of people and their spirit animal, or animal that represents them. This body of work has never been exhibited and is getting some great feedback from friends.

The grant and the show is also an opportunity to exhibit my work in a large format. Some of my wildlife and landscapes will be 3x4 feet and larger, which is an exhilirating concept for a photographer. To be able to gaze at a life-size whitetail buck, with incredible detail, will be incredibly moving.

Big thanks to the Arts Council and the review panel for deeming my work as worthy. Although one might see granting as a form of lottery, they're really quite different. Lotteries are all about luck. The winner doesn't have to do or prove a thing. Grants are all about merit and are actually a contract. I'm really looking forward to delivering the goods on this deal.

Blossoming Curiosity

2012-03-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

My first photograph of Spring.

There is nothing more intriguing to me than a shot of an animal looking at something. Curiosity is the hallmark sign of intelligence, and when a bird or animal looks at something, trying to understand what it is, I can just imagine the synapses firing inside, "what is this thing?"

Well, my own curiosity is piquing when I look at our premature Spring: "what's going on here?"

The best summation I've heard so far is that the body loves it but the mind is afraid to contemplate it.

I see no reason not to link it to global warming. It's impossible to say with certainty, but to suggest otherwise would be foolish. The best analogy I've heard so far comes from a climate scientist who equates it to a baseball player on steroids: if that player hits a home run, you can't say with certainty that it was a result of the drugs (it could have been sheer skill and ability), but it's pretty hard not to think that steroids provided that extra "umph".

The planet is warming, and this Spring is simply outa' the ball park.

Pledge Marathon

2012-03-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

I realize my blog has been inundated with posts regarding my fundraiser for HOPE HATCHES, making it like those pledge drives on NPR and PBS that keep interrupting programming. And I know you're wondering when the heck it's going to stop and return to pictures of wildlife. Well, we're almost there folks!

In case you hadn't heard, I decided to go with the $10,000 in theoretical pledges we raised during our unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign. That's a sufficient amount of funding to keep the project moving along.

So, I'm asking the people who pledged through Kickstarter to re-donate directly to HorsePower Pictures. That way we can tap the tremendous amount of support we generated without launching another Kickstarter campaign and losing critical production time.

To donate directly to HorsePower Pictures, click HERE and you'll be directed to our new WHEN HOPE HATCHES blog with steps on how you can contribute either by check or PayPal. If you pledged through Kickstarter, you won't be donating twice since your Kickstarter contribution was never withdrawn from your account. Your donation to HorsePower Pictures will be your only contribution.

Thanks so much for your time, patience and hopefully, contribution. I've got some posts coming real soon about the Osprey project. So stay tuned!

The "SOMETHING" in All-Or-Nothing

2012-03-03T12:58:00.001-08:00

Well, we did not reach our funding goal with Kickstarter. Which means we didn't receive any money. However, we did generate nearly $10,000 in pledges, which is no chump change! That's still a lot of "virtual" money, and a lot of generated interest and support for the project.

So, the eggs are still incubating and WHEN HOPE HATCHES can still hatch.

One plan is to have an old-fashioned fundraiser and have all those backers simply re-contribute with a check made out to HorsePower Pictures. Many people said they'd be more than willing to do that. In fact, we found a fair percentage of people who just weren't open to the Kickstarter process. Either because they "won't use their credit card online" or they simply couldn't figure it out.

A lot of good came out of the entire Kickstarter. Hope is alive and well for our doc.

I'll be making a decision any day now, and will notify the public very soon about our plans.

Thank you to everyone who pledged, voiced their support, helped out, and generally believes in the project and my work. I am eternally grateful. Thank you!

NOW IS THE TIME TO PLEDGE

2012-02-29T10:01:00.000-08:00

- KICKSTARTER -

If you've been following my blog or website, you're well aware that I'm trying to raise the funds to finish an exciting new doc on a nesting pair of Osprey down on the Kalamazoo River.

Well, the countdown has begun. In a matter of hours, minutes, seconds, our campaign will come to a close. If we don't raise $25,000 by 11pm, March 1st, we won't receive a single cent! That's the way all-or-nothing funding works.

Will we reach our goal? Is it worth the time to pledge? The answer is potentially YES! But only if everybody kicks in now, in this final stretch.

And don't worry about the risk. If we don't reach our goal, your credit-card will not be charged. You'll get your money back.

So, seriously consider supporting this entirely home-grown documentary about our own family of Osprey and our dear Kalamazoo River.

Our hopes are in your hands. Let's hatch this doc!

Aldo and the Stewards

2012-02-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

The Stewards of Kleinstuck are hosting a screening of the documentary Green Fire, about the legendary environmentalist, Aldo Leopold, this Saturday, February 25th at 5 & 7pm at the Little Theater in Kalamazoo.

Aldo's Sand County Almanac inspired me greatly during the making of my urban wildlife documentary, ANIMALS AMONG US. That's why I'm especially interested in seeing this doc and learning more about the man behind the words and thoughts.

I highly recommend this event to anyone who considers themselves green or an environmentalist. Actually, I recommend this event to anyone alive. Because, to be alive is to be a part of the landscape.

PLEDGE PARTY SUNDAY

2012-02-24T11:01:00.000-08:00

This Sunday, February 26th, we're having a pledge party for anyone interested in learning more about the documentary and the Kickstarter fundraiser.

It's geared specifically towards people uncomfortable or unfamiliar with pledging online. So, if you're a self proclaimed luddite, or just plain uneasy about using your credit card online, we can guide you through the entire process and make it an entirely painless experience.

We can also address any questions people have about the fundraiser, Kickstarter, or the documentary. There is a lot going on with the project.

The event is at the Kalamazoo Nature Center from 2-4pm and is totally free. We'll have coffee, cider, cake AND a gift basket from Kalamazoo's own Nature Connection, located down in the Epic Center on the Kalamazoo Mall. That basket will be gifted to whoever makes the biggest pledge during our event, in addition to the regular pledge rewards!

The Word is Getting Out - Pledges Coming In

2012-02-23T10:46:00.003-08:00

Second Wave of Kalamazoo just ran a nice piece on our project and fundraiser. You can read it HERE.

Hitting the Radio Waves

2012-02-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

We had a real nice segment about HOPE HATCHES run on WMUK (NPR in Kalamazoo) today. Big thanks to Rebecca Thiele and the crew down there. The interview featured a short account of how I first "discovered" the Osprey nest. A story that hadn't been told until now!

Click HERE to listen.

Click HERE to pledge!

Time is Tickin'!

2012-02-20T12:48:00.000-08:00

We got off to a great start folks with our Kickstart, but have a long ways to go! But we can do it - it's all about quantity with Kickstarter. If enough people pledge, even in $25, $50 amounts, it starts to add up. But we need your pledge!

Consider a $25 pledge: in return you receive a DVD of the finished doc - a $20 value. You've essentially just purchased a DVD in advance, which in turn helps generate the capital we need up front to produce the documentary.

For those who aren't familiar with Kickstarter, it's all-or-nothing funding. Meaning, if we don't reach our $25k goal, we get nothing and no money changes hands (your credit card won't be charged). In that respect, there's no risk.

So, don't hesitate. If you want to see this project happen, now is the time to donate!

Click HERE to pledge.

WE'VE LAUNCHED!

2012-02-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

WE DID IT! We launched our KICKSTARTER Fundraiser!

Got our glitches sorted out with Amazon. We're up and rolling!

Stop reading and click HERE to check it out.

KICKSTARTING Our Osprey

2012-01-23T12:05:00.000-08:00

If you've been following my blog, you're well aware of my efforts to document the Kalamazoo River Osprey. With the birds presently vacationing in South America, I've been busy getting everything in order for their return in late March or early April. That includes raising funds to finish the film!

We've decided to go with the amazing new website, KICKSTARTER, as our fundraising engine. It's a new and exciting way to connect donors with important and creative projects. We'll be launching our campaign in early February and it'll run until March 1st.

Moneys raised will help finance more filming of the birds when they return; conducting interviews with biologists, including reknowned Osprey expert, Sergej Postupalski; editing and preparing the video for a premiere and broadcast on WGVU; and purchasing a nest-cam for a new nesting platform that John Brenneman of the Kalamazoo Nature Center is constructing in conjunction with Georgia Pacific who owns the property.

The beauty of KICKSTARTER is that it makes fundraising collaborative and fun. The other selling point for people are the rewards that come with the different pledge amounts. We're cooking up some enticing gifts ourselves, all relating to the osprey.

So, stay tuned for the official launch and a link to our homepage on KICKSTARTER.

21st Century Landscapes

2012-01-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

I'm proud to announce that the two photos below were recently accepted into a photo exhibit at Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey, Michigan. The opening is January 21st. Come join us if you can.

The show is an exhibit for all genres and themes of photography, so I felt as though I needed pictures that transcend the wildlife genre and speak to broader themes.

I chose these two images because they capture that constantly shifting intersection of the natural world and the human-made world. For me, this is the modern, ecological frontier, where the adaptive capacity of all species is being tested by our relentless transformation of the planet. The deer and the red-tailed hawk for instance are actually doing extremely well - but some animals simply aren't.

But good or bad, I'm searching for the beauty--and life--in our 21st century landscapes. I guess if there's an animal living/surviving in an altered landscape, there is an iota of hope. And where there's hope, there's beauty.

More Snowy

2012-01-04T18:47:00.001-08:00

Snowy Owls are the buzz across the nation.

Here's an NPR article.

Snowy

2011-12-29T19:08:00.000-08:00

Snowy owl at the airport...

but still no snow on the ground.

Times are a changin'

Dad

2011-12-22T17:23:00.001-08:00

This blog, these photos, and my passion for the wild would most likely not exist had it not been for the influences of my Dad. If we trace our life journey back to the beginning, invariably we find our parents tracks scattered all over the path we may have mistakenly thought was all our own.

My Dad planted numerous influences when we were young that gave rise to my love of the wild, and eventually my pursuit of wildlife photography. There were the family camping trips to Pentwater, Michigan, occasional outings to the Nature Center and Kleinstuck Preserve, and always choosing to live near a little patch of wilderness in the city that became a convenient playground (and perhaps a baby sitter) for me and my brother.

Dad too was a photographer of sorts - not a professional or avid shutterbug, but he was editor of the yearbook at WMU during his college years and a camera was probably hanging around his neck most of the time. He always seemed to have a camera around the house, so the SLR was a familiar tool to me from an early age.

Most significantly, Dad was a life-long birder, and retirement gave him the time to more fully pursue that passion. It suited his shy, unassuming personality as well as his penchant for categorizing, something he did for over 30 years as the head librarian at Kalamazoo Central High School. Birding took him all over North America, including Texas, Arizona, Florida, California, Nova Scotia and of course all over Southwest Michigan. For me, it was the birding trips he and I took to New Mexico and Alaska that really began to secure my fate as a wildlife photographer.

There was one incident though that I believe really etched a love of wildlife and wilderness into my soul.

I was around 12 or 13 and the family went camping up at Wilderness State Park at the northernmost tip of the Lower Peninsula. We camped, in tents, right next to the beach at the main campground, which was in and of itself a primal experience for a wee lad such as myself.

One morning we got up particularly early and began the day with a breakfast I'll never forget. It was at a little roadside joint outside the park where we had homemade, plain doughnuts that were deep-fried right in front of us. Best donuts I've ever had. I'm sure Dad and the adults washed it down with coffee.

We then drove due east to Waugoshance Point, the peninsula that really defines Wilderness State Park. We drove as far as we could and then hiked for a half hour or so, which was a long way for us back then. We knew we'd arrived when we reached the shore and could see the peninsula shooting out into Lake Michigan. It was vast and open, unlike anything I'd seen before. It felt like the edge of the world. My dad began glassing with his binoculars and spotted a bird down the shoreline, way up in the sky. He was excited. He handed us the binoculars but you still couldn't quite make out any details other than it was a big bird soaring high up in the sky. He told us it was a Bald Eagle. It was my very first sighting and I knew it was a big deal.

Not only are Eagles majestic birds, this was during the seventies and Bald Eagles were endangered and rare in Michigan. My dad knew this and understood the import of a sighting, albeit distant and small to the eye. He shared this with us and when I think back on that moment it sums up so much about my love of the wild. That Eagle was just a speck in the sky, but knowing what it was and that it was so rare created a mythological dimension to the wild that has never left. This is the special something about the natural world that is nearly impossible to explain, but easy to understand when you experience it. My photography and video have been the never ending pursuit of that moment and sensation. May it never end.

That sighting was one of my Dad's greatest gifts to us, whether he knew it or not.

Sadly, Dad passed away Monday, December 19th from bladder cancer at Rose Arbor Hospice in Kalamazoo. I am forever grateful for all that he's given me.

Naked Buck

2011-12-13T15:38:00.001-08:00

My last post was a photo of this same buck, seen through a narrow opening in the woods. He was tending a doe in a muddy lowland area and never presented himself in a clearing. It was a constant struggle against clutter - trying to snap a shot without branches, shadows and treetrunks obstructing his dandy rack.

I snapped the above photo by rattling him in while a doe group was meandering in the area. When he walked on to the gravel road my heart raced because he was not only close--perhaps 15 yards--but was glaringly visible. Not a single obstruction.

What's particularly strange to me is that you can see his hooves, something normally hidden by grass or mud. Not only is this a strange reminder that nimble footed deer are trotting around the wilderness on what look like high heels, it makes this buck appear almost naked, as if a deer normally wears the forest, or the field. This raises the fundamental question: are animals in general "naked"? Or is fur like a kind of "clothing".

These are the things you think about when you're waiting for deer.

A WINDOW

2011-12-01T10:21:00.001-08:00

I'm always seeking a clear view of an animal.

Sometimes all you get is a small window -

and that's all you need.

LIKE CLOCKWORK

2011-11-22T06:52:00.001-08:00

My wait for rut action this year ended officially on November 7th.

What's astonishing about this fact is that it began last year on the exact same date in the exact same location.

Last year I discovered the buck below, Don Juan, following a doe in front of WMU's School of Engineering in the early morning of November 7th. Because of his fixation on that doe, I was able to photograph him for a good half hour.

This year I arrived at WMU's Research Park to discover the EXACT same scenario unfolding in front of the school, which led to another half hour photo session with this beautiful buck and his "lady".

Talk about creatures of habit.

THE WAIT IS OVER

2011-11-09T07:10:00.001-08:00

Distraction and Superstition

2011-11-08T03:11:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons I went macro is because waiting for the rut to ripen--affording a priceless shot of a big buck--can be a tiring excercise in patience. So rather than loom over the pot, waiting for it to boil, I've lost myself in the tiny worlds that normally fall under foot.

My own personal superstition also tells me that the bigger the distraction out in the field, the bigger the buck will be when I peer up from obsessing over a blade of grass. This phenomena was beautifully depicted in one of my favorite films, Never Cry Wolf, when the main character has his first, meaningful, wolf encounter after he's completely immersed himself in photographing a wildflower.

When this phenomena doesn't work, and you miss the shot, it's Murphy's Law.

MORE MACRO

2011-11-02T11:11:00.000-07:00