Russ Bishop Photography | Nature Photo Blog

March 10, 2010November 5, 2015

Light Painting

Light painting is a photographic technique where artificial light is combined with ambient light (typically at dusk or after dark) to enhance the features of a foreground subject and add a sense of mystery. It is often used on Indian ruins, unique rock formations, or trees to enhance the dramatic qualities already present in the scene.

This image of an ancient Bristlecone Pine in the Patriarch Grove in California’s White Mountains was made at dusk when the stars were just starting to shine and the sky still held some color. A Maglite flashlight with a directional snout and an amber gel was used to paint the tree during the 2 minute exposure, and a wide-angle 17mm lens allowed me to fill the frame with the large tree and still include plenty of sky.

These images are fun to create because, as Forrest Gump would say, “you never really know what you’re gonna get”. Fortunately with the advent of digital the wait is considerably shorter than the old days of film and any mistakes can be corrected before leaving the scene.

March 1, 2010April 5, 2016

Anza-Borrego Desert

At first glance the desert can seem like a barren desolate place, void of life and beauty. But upon closer inspection it often reveals itself as a delicate world of endless variety and complexity, especially in the spring after a good winter like the one we’re having now.

This image of a natural garden in Plum Canyon in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park was taken with a Nikkor 180mm lens to isolate the scene and emphasize the colors of the cholla and wildflowers. The late afternoon backlight completed the picture by accentuating the detail of the cactus needles and setting them apart from the other elements as if to say, “look, but don’t touch”.

Exploring the balance between these contrasting worlds of beauty and danger is what makes the desert so fascinating. Visually it’s not as accessible as an alpine meadow or tropical rain forest, but for those willing to take a closer look the rewards are often just as great.

February 5, 2010January 10, 2020

Chaos Theory

Windblown rocket contrails at dusk, Ventura, California

Chaos is a term often used these days to describe our lives or our economy, but it’s also a natural concept that describes the non-linear ways in which nature moves. Chaos theory has its origins in the 1960’s when meteorologists first studied weather patterns and determined that the smallest factors could dramatically change the outcome. Edward Lorenz discovered that something as subtle as a butterfly’s wings could create an extreme variation in weather simulations, which became known as “the butterfly effect”, and explains why it’s impossible to predict the weather with 100% accuracy.

Examples of chaos theory in nature include the movement of the ocean and wind, the escape pattern of an animal, water flowing down a river, and climate changes. They all have unpredictable but logical results, which means that we won’t know exactly what’s going to happen next but it will make sense when it does. From a photographic standpoint chaos often creates a wonderful palette of form and color that leaves us with a sense of awe at the natural world around us.