Category Archives: Anatomy of a photo

Anatomy of a photo #69: Following the tracks of history


1930 saw the end of an era in western Marin and Sonoma counties, when the railroad running through this rural area was dismantled. Allowing timber and tourists alike to travel between Sausalito and the Russian River, little remains to hint … Continue reading

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Anatomy of a photo #68: Elephant Seal Pup


New Two important factors when taking photographs of wildlife are finding them and safety (for the photographer and the wildlife). Right now, there is a chance to find both at the same place and time. I was able to take … Continue reading

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The Marsh Wren: An Essay of Photos


New The Marsh Wren can be a secretive bird, but often times its own voice and its curiosity help the interested party to find this diminutive bird, and even to photograph it. I have memorable images taken on kayak photography … Continue reading

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Anatomy of a photo #67: The Kestrel and the Tail


New Most of us have seen it one time or another. A larger bird being mobbed by smaller birds- Red-tails being harassed by ravens, ravens being harassed by black birds. It happens all of the time. It is the preemptive … Continue reading

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Pelagic Cormorant: An essay of photos


I was just sitting here, watching part of The Blue Planet series- Tidal Seas/Coasts and was feeling overwhelmed by the marvelousness of the world and of some of the footage that people have captured of it. Truly remarkable how complex … Continue reading

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Anatomy of a photo #66: White-tailed Kite in flight


I really like my birds of prey, so one day, as I was driving down the road and saw two White-tailed Kites flying fairly low over a field, I pulled over and found myself a good spot to try taking … Continue reading

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Anatomy of a photo #65: Hermit Thrush portrait


Often times when I head out on kayak photography excursions I will put the kayak in the water while it is still dark, or just getting light. This way I can capture not just the changing light of the day … Continue reading

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Anatomy of a photo #64: The surprise in the flower


The Seep-spring Monkey Flower is one of my favorite plants, and while I must admit that it is partly for the name, it is also for its shape and color. I hadn’t known much about this impressive flower, other than … Continue reading

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Anatomy of a photo #63: Checkerbloom unfurling


Wildflowers are marvelous to hike about and photograph. Pictured here is Point Reyes checkerbloom (Sidalcea calycosa), also known as checker mallow or annual checkerbloom. This is one of the plant species endemic to California, and is not found naturally anywhere … Continue reading

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Anatomy of a photo #62: Song Sparrow singing


Sometimes the best way to find birds to photograph is to just stop and listen. That is how I found this Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) while I was out kayaking one day. This is a small bird, and could be … Continue reading

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Anatomy of a photo #61: Raven tracks on sand dunes


Early in the morning, before the winds have had the chance to erase the tracks of the night and dawn, you can walk the loose sands of the world, reading those stories. Here raven tracks criss cross each other, meandering … Continue reading

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Anatomy of a Photo #60: Harbor seal silhouette


Normally I wouldn’t try to photograph wildlife by shooting into the sun (or the suns reflection), but rules are made to be broken. Silhouettes are created by facing towards the light source and throwing all we’ve learned about proper lighting … Continue reading

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