Reconnections

As my children grow older, and their interest in nature grows as well, I've tried to find ways to get them involved with my work as much as possible. For a while now, I have thought that it would be fun to work with my oldest son Adam to document all of the species that live on and around a massive old tulip poplar in the woods behind our home. After a brief rain shower, I took a walk out to have a look at the tree only to discover the most amazing looking box turtle that I'd ever seen. Then(!) it occurred to me that I'd actually seen the old male before.
Three years ago, I photographed the same turtle with Adam, my son who will be working on the project with me. To find the old battered male –who I estimate to be around 15-16 years old– looking better than ever was a great surprise and a fantastic way to kick off our project considering our shared history!

A Milestone for Meet Your Neighbours

Today, April 30th, 2010, marks a milestone for Meet Your Neighbours. Early on, it was decided that this date would mark the last day that we would be accepting photographer applications for the project. When Niall Benvie and I first launched Meet Your Neighbours back in February, we knew that it was a unique concept, but had no idea that it would take wings as quickly as it has done.

To date, we have received applications from an amazing group of photographers representing North America, South and Central America, Africa, Europe, the UK, Australia, and Japan. There is a healthy mix of professional and serious non-professional photographers; some of which you may know and others that you will get to say hello to for the very first time. Perhaps most importantly, this talented group of individuals has come forward to participate in this project because they all share a common love for their local wildlife, and have a willingness to tell their local communities why they should take notice.
We have also been fortunate to gain the support of so many members of the conservation community. Early on, The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland backed the project and offered seed funding to get us up and running, and shortly thereafter, The International League of Conservation Photographers honored us by becoming Endorsing Partners. Most Recently Mark Lukes from Fine Print Imaging and Linda Helm at Art for Conservation have thrown their support behind the project, which has made a tremendous difference in regards to applicant interest, and visibility around the world.

So what now? Well, in the coming days we will be working with applicants to secure the support of their NGOs of choice. We will also be introducing applicants who have already gained support on our website, on our upcoming MYN blog, and on our rapidly growing Facebook group.

Exciting things are on the horizon for Meet Your Neighbours! Already, photographers are beginning to develop new techniques for creating the field studio images, including novel approaches to showing both the subject and environment in one image. Others are developing long range plans for sharing the images with their communities. By working together, we hope that common, overlooked species of wild plants and animals will be seen in a different light!

For photographers out there who are still interested in Meet Your Neighbours, and are able to make an arrangement with a partner NGO there still may be a place for you in the project. Please visit our website to download the MYN photographer's guide and begin building a relationship with your local conservation community. Although the April 30th deadline has been reached, we still may be able to help support you in other ways!

Finally, if you represent a NGO, business or are a person in a position to introduce Meet Your Neighbours into your own community, please contact me at clay@meetyourneighbours.org and will help to connect you with an appropriate photographer partner.

Lying in the Mud

I spent the better part of this evening lying in a small bog, photographing the emerging fiddle-heads of netted chain ferns. I've photographed this small cluster of plants each year as they've emerged but this is the first time that I believe I've come close to illustrating this ancient phenomenon properly. With the aide of my now indispensable Sigma 15mm 2.8 lens, I am able to show both the plant and its relationship to its habitat –an important element missing in a lot of macro photography, I'm afraid.

I made this image just before sunset. Next week, I'm going to revisit this scene and make the same photograph around 10:00 am, when the sky is nice and blue. There is a secret here for all you wide angle macro junkies out there. Can you figure it out?

Meet Your Neighbours: Project Update

It has been a few weeks since Meet Your Neighbours was launched.We have received inquiries and interest from photographers and NGOs from around the world; the list includes places as diverse as Uganda, Brazil, Italy, the Ukraine, New England, Wales among others. Needless to say, I have been very encouraged by the response so far! If you believe that you would be a good candidate for this effort, please don't hesitate to send your information to clay@meetyourneighbours.org !

I also wanted to publicly thank several organizations and individuals who have stepped forward to offer support and spread the word about MYN. Sincere appreciation to all of you who have done so! And to those who are working with us behind the scenes, many thanks to you as well.

Here are a few highlights:

• Endorsing Partner The International League of Conservation Photographers featured the project in their February newsletter and on Facebook
• Rob Sheppard wrote a nice piece on the effort for his blog photodigitary
• Charlie Borland has kindly promoted MYN on Pro Nature Photographer
• Richard Bernabe allowed us to share the word on NaturePhotographers.net
• Miki Johnson spread the word on their Livebooks Community on Facebook
  
• Thanks to The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina for highlighting it on Facebook
• Ibarionex Perello highlighted MYN on Twitter
• Sublime Magazine will be featuring a really nice spread on MYN in their upcoming April issue
  

In the next few days, we will be posting more detailed information on how the project works and ways that applicants can partner with NGOs. In addition, Niall and I will also be sharing a "Photographer's Guide to Meet Your Neighbours" as a resource for candidates.

Once again, for those who are interested in applying, please contact me via the blog, or by e-mail at clay@meetyourneighbours.org.

Photoshelter, Let Me Count The Ways...

Personal Best - Images by Clay Bolt

For some time now I've been contemplating whether or not to migrate my portfolio website over to Photoshelter. Last month I took the leap and have been very happy with the direction that the new site is taking. When I have a bit more time, I'll design a custom homepage but the standard page isn't half bad. Photoshelter is very easy to use for the most part and it offers an incredible amount of options in terms of on-line image sales, SEO and social media integration.

I've got a LOT of images left to upload but I'm glad to have finally made the leap. Hope you like it!

Conversations with Frogs

A wonderful, early surprise presented itself this evening: The spring peepers began to truly sing for the first time this year just as I arrived home. In their excitement, the boys had convinced their mother to leave the front door open so they could hear the tinkling, amphibian music inside. Those apples didn't fall very far from the tree!

Although we still may be in for more winter weather later during the week, this briefest glimmer of spring has lifted my spirits greatly. When it is still cool at night, the first peepers start out very hesitantly but it doesn't take long for more and more to join in until the night sounds almost bowl you over with their intensity.

Occasionally I can get the whole group going myself during a quiet spell by whistling out a poor imitation of their tune. It is an awesome feeling to be the 'lead frog' in a choral swell! Although this has been a wonderful winter, I cannot help but anticipate the adventures that await me when the warmer weather returns. Now, if I can only get the Pickerel Frogs going I'll be in business!

Introducing "Meet Your Neighbours"

It is my great pleasure to announce the launch of a new project that I've developed in coordination with conservation photographer and ILCP Founding Fellow, Niall Benvie. It's called “Meet Your Neighbours” and its mission is to celebrate the species of plants and animals that we think we know best: those commonly found within our own neighborhoods and communities. These species are often people's first and only connection with the natural world and their importance is often unrecognized. In essence, Meet Your Neighbours is a photographically driven, environmental education program designed to nurture those connections.

There is just one catch: We need your help!

Niall and I are searching for photographers around the world to participate in this effort. We want people to sit up and take notice of these wild neighbors by presenting them as celebrities: photographed in the white field studio, in exquisite detail under beautiful lighting. If you are a photographer who has spent time working with conservation NGOs within your own region to highlight locally wild species we want to hear from you! Whether you are a seasoned pro, or an experienced recreational photographer, it matters not. What does matter is your dedication to showcase these often overlooked, and undervalued species within your own communities.

To learn more about the Meet Your Neighbours project and how you can participate, Please Read More Here.

To Sign-up for our mailing list, visit our developing website at meetyourneighbours.org or follow us on Twitter: @MYNeighbours.

Images from the Blizzard of '10

Actually, blizzard is not exactly accurate –We only received a couple of inches of snow and ice this weekend but it was beautiful anyway. I had so much fun sledding with the boys and was able to get out and shoot some winter photos, which I admittedly don't have many of in my files. Snow comes so infrequently here in South Carolina that I tend to revert (perhaps too strong of a word since it doesn't take much) to being a child again and would rather throw snowballs than make photos. But, the light was so great this morning that I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Besides, my children were inside thawing out after the old cycle of taking 2 hrs getting ready and 10 minutes to reach apparent pre-hypothermia and wanting to come back inside only to immediately want to go back out again...

Smoky Mountains Spring Workshop, April 16-18

On April 16-18, 2010, photographer and Mountain Trail Press founder Jerry Greer and I will be conducting a hands-on photography workshop in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Spring is a fantastic time to get out and spend time in the Smokies. I hope to see you there!

See below for the official release from Jerry's Website:

Springtime in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a wondrous event! The wild mountain streams are flowing at their fullest and beautifully adorned with multitudes of native wildflowers. The diversity of plants in the Smokies is dazzling! Over 1500 species of flowering plants are found in the Park, more than in any other North American National Park. This workshop will focus on the flowers and the landscape that they thrive in. Jerry and Clay will teach professional field techniques for macro, wide angle closeup, microcosm compositions, and flowers as part of the landscape. Both Jerry and Clay work as Conservation and Environmental Photographers, they will discuss photographic opportunities in this field for todays nature photographer.

Tuition is $575. Download the Application

Let's Talk About Grassroots Conservation

On Sunday November 15th at 3:30 pm I'll be giving a presentation for the Upstate chapter of Carolina Nature Photographers Association on the topic of grassroots conservation photography. The meeting will be held at the Greenville County Library.

The tone of the talk will be very casual, fun and (hopefully) inspiring! I'm really looking forward to sharing a bit of my story with members of the photographic community here in Upstate, South Carolina and I hope to see you there too!

Just Passing Through

Several months ago I wrote about an image (see below) that I created using an under-exposed image of a deer in dappled sunlight. At the time, I had only begun to experiment with my 'tapestry' technique and wasn't sure where I wanted to take it. Just recently, I've begun to revisit the concept and have been encouraged by the direction and the results that are materializing.
This technique relies on the soft forms and native noise that develops within an image when it is underexposed at a very high ISO. Of course, you can add noise to an image in Photoshop –which I've done with the image of the goose– but to my eye it looks somewhat less organic. Once the image is converted to a duo-tone, the high RGB noise blends together and adds quality to an image, rather than subtracting from it.
I'm compelled by imagery where the details of the subject matter are almost irrelevant, which allows the viewer to focus more on the emotion of a scene or moment. I am also interested in photographically exploring the idea of the Living’s transience within nature and time.

The self-portrait was made in an area of our field where I've found several Civil-War era bullets. I've often stood on that spot and wondered about who fired the shots and what (who!) they might have been firing at. I also think about the Native Americans who would've walked the land well before that. In the great span of time I'll become someone else's ghost one day as well. It is a humbling thought that I hope will be conveyed in this body of work.

Highly Commended, Environmental Photographer of the Year, 2009

I have just been informed that one of my photographs has been 'Highly Commended' in the 'Natural World' category of the 2009 CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year Competition. I am so honored to receive this recognition and send my sincere appreciation to the judges of this year's competition. Although this is my first time winning an award in the London-based EPOTY, it will be the second year in a row that I have been part of the exhibit which is presented at a number of locations across Europe as well as in various media outlets.

The purpose of the global competition is to "...share images of environmental and social issues with international audiences, enhancing our understanding of the causes, consequences and solutions to climate change." I am so grateful to be a part of this undertaking.

More information about the competition can be found on the CIWEM Facebook page, as well as at the link above.

Conserve A Legacy: Cover Draft

If anyone has been wondering why I've been so slack on posting lately –I can just feel the vibes– it is because I've been in the trenches completing the layout & design for the book that I've been making images for over the past 1 1/2 years. The book, which has now been titled, "Conserve a Legacy: Natural Lands & Waters in South Carolina" is going to the publisher–Mountain Trail Press– later this week if all of the stars align properly. Can I tell you just how happy I will be when that happens? :) Seriously, the book looks really good. I sincerely hope that readers will take notice of all of the amazing things that the SC Conservation Bank has been able to accomplish over the past 4 years. The bank needs everyone's support in these difficult financial times. In addition to my photos, the book also features images by Thomas Wyche, Richard Bernabe and Greg Kiniry to name a few.

To prove that I've actually been doing something other than chasing bugs in the backyard, I've attached a fairly complete draft of the front cover; I hope you like it. Once this goes out, things should slow down a bit and I can immediately jump into another project, which I can then use as a new excuse for not posting regularly.

A Project Ends on the Black River

I thought that I would write a quick post to let you all know what I've been up to. I made my last last picture for the South Carolina Conservation Bank book this weekend. The property in question was located on the incredibly beautiful Black River; a South Carolina state Scenic river found in Georgetown county along the coast. The book is divided up into the four geographic regions of the Palmetto State: Piedmont, Central, Pee Dee & Coastal. Like the Black River site, most of the properties that I photographed for the book are found in coastal SC. This was a really great educational experience for me because I live, and usually shoot, in the Piedmont.

The Black River was one of the most hauntingly beautiful places that I've ever had the privilege of photographing. Now that I've fallen under its spell, I am certain that I will be spending more time there. I would really like to spend some time photographing the wide variety of flora & fauna that thrives along its banks and the riparian corridor that surrounds it.

Bogged Down in Beauty

The post was originally published in the July/August 2007 issue of the now deceased South Carolina Magazine. For three years I wrote a column for the magazine called "Our Wild State." In the future, I'll be sharing several of those pieces with you all. You're probably asking yourself right now, just how did I get so lucky?

The incredible tenacity of nature never ceases to amaze me. Regardless of natural environment or circumstance, life tends to find ingenious ways, not only to survive, but to flourish. I can think of no better living testimony to this than the communities found in South Carolina's bogs. It is here, among the sphagnum and peat, that a truly incredible group of plants thrive in the face of adversity.

There is just something about carnivorous plants that seems to capture the popular imagination. Since the time of their discovery, the Palmetto State's wide array of “meat-eaters” have been a subject of much discussion. Perhaps it is due to the fact that they exhibit behaviors primarily only found within the animal kingdom, or that their alien-like appearances are so beautifully bizarre. In the end, we are simply drawn in by their charms much like the very prey that they seek.
Although many species of plants world-wide are considered to be carnivorous, arguably the most famous member of this clan – The Venus' fly trap (Deonaea muscipula) – is found solely along the Carolina coastline. The first formal announcement of the discovery of this species to the western world came on April 2nd, 1759 in a letter written by the famed botanist William Bartram. In it he writes, “We have a kind of Catch Fly Sensitive which closes upon anything that touches it.” Over two hundred years later, we are still fascinated by this discovery. These fly traps are triggered by sensitive hairs found on highly modified leaves. When an insect brushes against these hairs, the leaf quickly folds, trapping the creature inside. Over a period of time digestion takes place.

In South Carolina, carnivorous plants are not limited to coastal and Low Country areas. In the mountains of the Upstate several species thrive in special bog-like areas called “cataract bogs.” One of the most unique examples is the very rare Mountain Sweet Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia jonesii) which only occurs in a handful of locations in the mountains of SC and NC. Pitcher plants are considered to be passive traps because they do not use movement to trap insects. Instead, they rely on large funnel-shaped leaves which are filled with digestive juices that dissolve the creature over time. Other pitcher plants found across our state include Frog Breeches (S. purpurea), and Yellow Trumpets (S. flava).
Contrary to what one might think, carnivorous plants don't just rely on the insects and small animals that they capture for nutrition. Their traps, which are comprised of modified leaves, actually employ photosynthesis just like everyday trees and shrubs do. However, in the case of these bog plants, the purpose of capturing prey is to make-up for the loss of vitamins which they are unable to extract from the poor, acidic soil in which they grow. The poor quality of the soil results from the fact that bogs receive most of their water from rainfall which allows very little mineral content to be added back into these unique wetlands.

Other types of carnivorous plants include bladderworts, sundews and butterworts. Each of these are very special in their own right and are worth seeking out and protecting for future generations. No matter where you live in South Carolina, the opportunity to see one of these amazing species is usually just a short drive away.

My Interview on 'Sound Off South."

I was interviewed for a live TV broadcast for local NBC affiliate WYFF this morning (part 1 & 2). The segment, part of the station's 'Sound Off South' feature, was conducted by anchor Kelly Coakley who did an excellent job of steering me away from prattling on –for the most part. At one stage it suddenly occurred to me that I was on television and I quickly blurted out a mishmash of "nature...errr...biology...me like camera...spider furry." Topics include this blog, my photography and the natural diversity of South Carolina's various eco-systems.

I had a really good time and mangaged to avoid the 'Nixon sweats.' Fortunately, I've been told that it wasn't too obvious that my legs were going a little Elvis with nervous tremors. However, I can't vouch for this 100% as my 5 1/2 year old, who gave me the good review, watched the broadcast in swimming-goggles. Since I don't have the stomach to watch it myself, I guess that you'll have to be the judge!

Pluff Mud & Oyster Castles

I spent last Wednesday in a spartina marsh, covered in dark, oozing pluff mud and absolutely loving every minute of it! When project leader Joy Brown asked if I liked the mud, my reply was that I preferred it to sitting in the office any day! I had been invited by The Nature Conservancy to document the organization's first coastal SC installations of Oyster Castles – a type of artificial reef– on a few privately held islands near Charleston. Over the next year, I'll be traveling down three more times to photograph the progress of these initial structures.
After leaving my hotel just past six, we headed to the dock and motored out to the project site with a three man crew from the SC Department of Natural Resources. During the short trip, I saw a small shark skirting the edge of the marsh, brown pelicans and just missed seeing an alligator riding a wake of its own across the channel. The morning was gorgeous, cool and foggy; perfect lighting for this type of shoot.
Upon disembarking from vessel, I promptly threw any apparent caution to the wind and stepped into a very unstable spot on the island; instantly sinking up to my knees into the concrete-like mud. Comedians seem to crawl out of the woodwork in moments like this and Joy asked me if I could stay where I was for a minute while she collected a plank for me to use as leverage. After barely pulling myself out with a audible sucking sound –surprisingly similar to the sound of my fleeting pride– I managed to head for the water and more solid ground; sounds counter-intuitive, I know, but just take my word for it.
In order to place the castles properly into the marsh, the biologists had to measure the distance from the water's edge to the nearest vegetation and space the structures equally apart from one another. This was done using hand-made frames which allowed for quicker measurements; each device was about a meter long. Joy would call out how many 'flips' it took to get to the vegetation and this was recorded for later calculations.
The Oyster Castles were constructed from giant concrete blocks, similar to over-sized LEGO pieces. Each block was composed of quite of bit of natural material such as shell and limestone so that eventually, they would be taken over by the marine life that the structures are created to house. At one point, I felt slightly guilty for not carrying the heavy blocks into the water's edge but, hey, someone has to document this stuff, right?
As the morning ended, I felt incredibly grateful to be allowed to witness this really important coastal restoration project and am looking for to heading down again later this summer. Next time, I'm hoping to focus on the fauna of the marsh-edge and the new life that we hope will be clinging to these palaces by the sea.

My Quest for Wide-Angled Macro Continues

I am continuing to refine my wide-angled macro technique. Some of you may be saying "enough of the wide-angled posts already!" Fair enough, I suppose, but if I'm going to air my dirty laundry –AKA the good, the bad and the ugly images that come from trying something new– you may just have to bear with me for a little longer as a small favor. I'm hoping that by revealing the process that I'm working through, you may be inspired to push your own personal boundaries as well. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on this developing series.

I think that I'm beginning to attain a better balance between the foreground and background lighting with these. I'm also getting better at adjusting the lighting to alter mood as shown in the Veronica's Looking Glass (purple flowers). One thing that is faulty with this round of images is that (you might've noticed) the subjects have a bit of an outline on them. This is because I'm using a rear-curtain flash setting (a good thing) but the shutter-speed / flash duration are slightly under & over what they should be, ideally. Otherwise, things are looking better by my estimation. Now if I can just get these subjects to stay still...plants included!

Supporting Grassroots Conservation

Many of you who regularly visit this blog are probably aware that I'm very involved with conservation efforts here in South Carolina. One project that I'm working through at the moment is a privately funded book that will highlight land that has been protected through the South Carolina Conservation Bank. The conservation bank concept is a novel idea that was founded here in the Palmetto State; an idea that is reportedly being emulated elsewhere across the nation.

The image above is of a beautiful spartina marsh that I photographed last weekend on Edisto Island near Charleston, SC. This site was once a part of a shrimp farm but thanks to funding, in part at least, from the SCCB and the Edisto Island Open Land Trust, it will now be protected forever. Within the brief time that I spent at the property, I saw several amazing species such as the painted bunting and wood stork along with many species of invertebrates and plants.

Many of us who have a passion for conservation, and a desire to make a difference in our world often dream of heading off to a distant shore to do this type of work. However, in many cases, your best opportunity to really do something important for conservation lies just miles from you own front door.

Riding the Wave (Venture Beyond the Obvious)

A few years ago, I had an opportunity to take a second trip to Western Australia, one of my favorite locations in the world. One of the stops on my itinerary was Hyden, WA; a place famous for the geological feature known as ‘Wave Rock.’ This ancient granitic formation, which is thought to be around 2,700 million years old, has been captured through the lenses of a lot of photographers from around the world. However, one curious thing that I’ve noticed is that most photographers tend to –seem to, anyway– only cover the famous aspects of the formation and stop there. What I found during my visit, was that there were a multitude of other aspects of ‘the wave’ that I found to be much more intriguing, albeit less well known.
One thing that I soon discovered after climbing on top of Wave Rock was that granitic dome offered a spectacular view of miles upon miles of rugged bush land. Additionally, the surface of the rock was filled (at least during my visit) with several ephemeral pools bursting with all sorts of interesting plant and animal life. The pool featured in the photo above contained sundews, tadpoles, insects and other interesting creatures. Further on, I came to several collections of huge boulders surrounded by gnarled scrub vegetation. These structures made for excellent photographic subject matter in the nice filtered light of an approaching storm.
Early the next morning, as I explored the fog-laden landscape surrounding Wave Rock, I photographed an eerie beauty of a ‘salt lake’ to the tune of honeyeaters, magpies & wattlebirds. This moment was followed up with a magical encounter with a pair of kangaroos, which silently bounded out of the mist just a few feet from where I was standing.
As I left Hyden, I remember thinking how strange it was that I had never seen any photographic representation of all of the very wonderful things that I had discovered there. I was reminded of just important it is for photographers and artists to push past the obvious and seek imagery that is unique to our own experiences. For all of the amazing wonders in the world, such as Wave Rock, there are a million more things just as amazing, waiting to be discovered, if we are willing to put in the effort.