Category Archives: Nature Photography

From March of this year, anyone who wants a professional wedding photo shoot in the Buurserzand nature reserve near Haaksbergen (Overijssel) will have to pay 50 euros to reserve part of the heath and fen area, Natuurmonumenten announced. Anyone taking wedding photos or videos in Buurserzand without a reservation will be removed from the site and fined, the nature manager said. Natuurmonumenten also banned the scattering of rice, confetti, or flower petals, even if it is cleaned up afterward.

According to Natuurmonumenten, wedding groups are increasingly walking through the vulnerable area, causing much unrest. That is why this regulation is necessary. The money charged will go to support the nature management of the Buurserzand.

The nature reserve manager is also setting additional rules for these photoshoots. Wedding parties may consist of no more than 12 people, including the bridal couple and photographer. They can make a morning or afternoon reservation. Only one group will be allowed per day. Reservations are fixed and cannot be exchanged if, for example, the weather is bad. In that case, the wedding party will not get a refund. Wedding parties must stay on the paths, no drones are allowed, and fireworks and flares are banned.

The forestry service Staatsbosbeheer also charges for wedding shoots at some very popular locations, such as Buitenplaats Eswout in Overveen. At Groeneveld Castle in Baarn, taking photos or videos within the canals of the castle park and in the halls costs 275 euros per hour.

The Nintendo Switch is one of our favourite devices for gaming, but could it also replace your iPad or PC. A new app billing itself as a replacement Nintendo Switch OS claims that it could. 

The ‘new operating system’ or ‘nOS’ lets you make notes, to-do lists and calculations. It has a gallery of pre-selected images, a notebook an MS paint-like app and simple puzzle minigame, but some Switch fans are confused about what it is (not yet got the console? See our pick of the best Nintendo Switch deals).

The Chattanooga Mensa group features people from all walks of life. They include doctors, judges, engineers and military pilots, a number of whom are retired.

Although pursuing different vocations, they share a degree of intelligence that places them in the top 2% of the population and membership in a worldwide organization that recognizes their intellectual prowess.

Mensa was started in England in 1946 by barrister Roland Berrill and scientist/lawyer Dr. Lance Ware as a society that is non-political and free from all racial and religious distinction. Mensa is the Latin word for table, symbolizing a round table where race, nationality, age and social standing are insignificant. The organization has 145,000 members in some 90 countries. The only requirement for membership is placing within the upper 2% of the general population on an approved intelligence test properly administered and supervised.

The Chattanooga chapter was created in 1981. It currently has just under 100 active members who come from 14 counties in Southeast Tennessee and six in Northwest Georgia. They range in age from 12 to octogenarian. The median age is 52 to 53.

Boyd Patterson has held court with the Chattanooga chapter since the early 2000s, serving as local secretary (the equivalent of president) in the mid 2000s. In November, the 53-year-old Chattanooga resident was elected Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Division 3.0.

That followed undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology, work as a counselor for delinquent youth, a juris doctorate degree from Duquesne Law School and 22 years as a practicing attorney. Patterson’s intellect and eclectic background make him a natural for Mensa.

“I enjoy hearing different perspectives,” Patterson said. “I’ve heard some enlightening, creative perspectives on various things from people of different backgrounds. My perspective has expanded around Mensans. It’s enriched my out-of-court life more than anything by offering well thought-out viewpoints.”

As local secretary, Patterson started meetings by asking members to write down a discussion topic. He then randomly drew a topic and facilitated discussions that lasted several minutes.

“Members suggested topics they were familiar with, resulting in some great conversations,” Patterson said. “Topics included machine learning, politics, great sports teams, conspiracy theories… Everything was fair game.”

There’s a quiet confidence many members of Mensa possess, recognizing they’re in a select group when it comes to intelligence. As such, when they get together, one might expect a highly charged, competitive environment to decide who’s the smartest person in the room. Several members of Chattanooga Mensa challenge that perception.

“I recognize I’m smart,” said Ernie Pierce, 83, a member of the Chattanooga chapter since 2003. “But I’m not the only smart person.”

Pierce joined Mensa in 1997 while living in Nashville. “I wanted to see if I was as smart as I thought I was,” said the Ringgold, Georgia, resident, who was an Air Force pilot during the Vietnam War era before embarking on a 30-year career with Liberty Mutual. “I did really well on the Mensa test.”

Pierce said he enjoys talking to Mensa members. “It’s stimulating being around them,” said Pierce, noting he comes from an intelligent family — his father and brother. “They can converse on just about anything. I went to our picnic and found the two to three hours to be enjoyable and entertaining.”

Wilma Tucker started the Chattanooga chapter in 1976 with 24 members; prior to that, she said, it was an inactive group. Possessing a degree in history but discovering she didn’t enjoy teaching, the Hixson resident worked with computers and owned a bookstore. She, like Pierce, doesn’t flaunt her intelligence and Mensa membership.

“Mensans have that level of confidence where they don’t have to prove their intelligence,” said Tucker, who has become more active in Mensa over the past year. “They go beyond that and see what else they have in common.”

Tucker said she’s met some phenomenal women in Mensa, both locally and at regional meetings that draw members from Atlanta, Nashville and Knoxville. “They’re brilliant, have a love of the language and a desire to help out in the community. The men are phenomenal, too. Most are trivia buffs. Being a member has been one of the top five experiences of my life.”

There’s also the feeling of family that Tucker drew on during one of the most difficult times in her life.

“They were supportive when my son died at 18,” Tucker said.

One of the phenomenal women Tucker met in Mensa is Mary Duffy. The two have been friends for some 40 years.

Duffy was doing her residency as a family physician and didn’t have time to date. She joined the Chattanooga chapter in the early ’80s with the idea of meeting some “smart men.” Although she met a wonderful man in Mensa, he went to law school, and they subsequently married other people. Duffy didn’t part with Mensa, however, noting it provided a nice respite from her residency and offered a built in social life.

Retired as a physician and living in Chattanooga, Duffy remains a member of the local chapter.

“I enjoy getting together with like-minded people and having a good time,” Duffy said. “There are people with lots of different ideas who aren’t afraid to try new things. You can relax and be yourself.”

Other members are newer to Mensa. While recognizing they were intelligent through school and work, they joined later in life when the opportunity presented itself. For Michael Logue, it came through music.

Playing French horn in a community band, Logue was encouraged by several bandmates who were Mensa members to take the Mensa test. He passed and subsequently joined the Chattanooga group in 2017. He now serves as local secretary.

“The biggest thing is you can talk about just anything,” said the 65-year-old Ohio native who worked as a computer operator in the Air Force before moving to a 40-year plus career in IT. “You have like-minded, intelligent, well-read people. You never know what you’re going to talk about.”

The topics will become even more varied if Logue achieves his goal of energizing the chapter. “I want to make a better effort to get people involved,” he said.

Kathy Whitaker also joined Chattanooga Mensa in 2017, as did her husband, Everett. Trained as a civil engineer, Kathy worked in the electric industry. Everett was a nuclear engineer. They met while working at the Tennessee Valley Authority and retired to the Chattanooga area.

These days, Kathy gets a charge not from work but through Mensa.

“I enjoy the social activities of the local group, particularly the special events like our annual picnic and our holiday gathering,” Kathy said. “It’s an opportunity to catch up with friends and share different perspectives on current events. I also love the weekly emails from Mensa with interesting articles about new studies and discoveries (Mensa Weekly Brainwaves) and the (almost) monthly printed magazine (Mensa Bulletin).”

Stephen Prudhomme, 66, joined the Chattanooga Mensa group in July 2022. He is a New Jersey native who served in Army military intelligence as a French translator. He earned a degree in journalism from Georgia State University and has written for a number of publications for nearly 40 years. He lives with his wife and son in Pikeville, Tennessee.

The Placerita Canyon Nature Center cut the red ribbon on its “Know Your NATURE Center” exhibit on Saturday, opening the sliding doors to provide more opportunities to the next and current generations to learn more about the local nature.  

“This is a gem for not only the city, but the county and every single young person in Los Angeles who comes far and wide to be able to come to the nature center to understand nature,” said Santa Clarita Councilwoman Marsha McLean. “Sometimes they don’t have that opportunity, but we give them that opportunity here at the nature center.” 

© Provided by The Signal
From left, Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo and City of Santa Claria councilmember Marsha McLean discus the new bird nest exhibit during the grand opening of the Know Your NATURE Center at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center in Newhall on Saturday, 012823. Dan Watson/The Signal

The “Know Your NATUTRE Center” is a result of a year of work from 36 people (volunteers, docents, family members and friends) thanks to a community service grant provided by the city of Santa Clarita. 

The 36 worked on many aspects of the project such as video production, photography, carpentry and electrical work.  

“This is probably one of the most dedicated groups of volunteers in L.A. County and I really admire the work that y’all give,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the county’s 5^th District, which includes the Santa Clarita Valley.  

The service grant consisted of two parts: producing three short informational videos and a video installation.  

The three videos (“Pick a Trail,” “Wild About Wildflowers,” and “Let’s Go Birdwatching”) are available to be viewed inside of the “Know Your NATURE Center” by simply pressing a button.  

© Provided by The Signal
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, right, looks on as Susan Grose, left cuts the cake during the grand opening ceremony of the Know Your NATURE Center at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center in Newhall on Saturday, 012823. Dan Watson/The Signal

“Figuring out how to do things of inspiration and learning for all of our visitors so that they can love and respect nature as much as we all do,” said exhibit docent Cindy Gold.  

The exhibit also features displays and information on “Bird Nests of Placerita Canyon,” “Birds of Placerita Canyon,” and “An Adventure in Animal Tracks.” 

© Provided by The Signal
Docent/Naturalist Cindy Gold, left, thanks dignitaries and the dozens of attendees for their assistance in the creation of the Know Your NATURE Center at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center in Newhall on Saturday, 012823. Dan Watson/The Signal

According to county Parks & Recreation Director Norma Edith García-Gonzalez, 130,000 people visit the Placerita Nature Center a year.  

“You know the best compliment that I’m going to leave with today was … someone said, ‘I raised my children here,’” said García-Gonzalez.  

The Placerita Nature Center is located at 19152 Placerita Canyon Road and is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.placerita.org.  

© Provided by The Signal
Olivia, 9, and Emmitt, 6, Seyerly anticipate the cutting of the cake during the grand opening of the Know Your NATURE Center at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center in Newhall on Saturday, 012823. Dan Watson/The Signal

Landscape photography is about capturing the scenery of a place. It can be your way of showing how you see the world around you, and a way to capture the beauty of the landscape and environment, whether that’s local, or when travelling. This genre is all about light, location and composition. Thinking about what you include in your image can take your landscape photography from average to being spectacular. Below, in no particular order, we have rounded up some of the best landscape photographs we’ve seen as inspiration for your next landscape shoot…

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The Best Landscape Photographs

Brecon in Winter by William Davies

William Davies won the Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022 competition with this Winter shot taken from the Pen-y-Crug hillfort.

He said, ‘On this December morning, I arrived in the gloom before dawn but was lucky to find the sunlight soon breaking through a clearing in the snowstorm, adding a burst of warmth and colour to the scene.’

@willdaviesphotography

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Morning at Countryside by Mara Leite

Mara Leite won the grand prize of Landscape Photographer of the Year 2021 with this beautiful photograph taken in Halnaker, West Sussex.

Mara told us, ‘Mill Lane is a famous footpath in Halnaker, West Sussex. I was looking for a different composition when I decided to turn the other way and saw this beautiful sight. I love the gate in the background and how the morning light is hitting the leaves and softly entering the tunnel.’

She shared her top tips for landscape photography here: Top tips for award-winning landscapes from LPOTY 2021 winners

@maralphoto

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Woolland Woods by Chris Frost

Chris Frost won Landscape Photographer of the Year 2020 with his early-morning shot of Woolland Woods in Dorset, with mist rolling over wild garlic.

‘Taken in spring of 2018 in a wooded area close to Milborne St. Andrew in Dorset, this was the third visit to the area in a matter of days,’ he explains. ‘On the previous days, both devoid of morning mists, the light had been harsh and unappealing but the third day delivered stunning conditions with mist swirling through the trees. The low shooting position allowed more emphasis to be placed on the wild garlic and pathway.’

@chris_frost_photography

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Breaking the Time by Aytek Çetin

Aytek Çetin won the overall International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2021 title with his portfolio containing this image Breaking The Time, Cappadocia, Turkey.

Aytek Çetin explained, ‘The 60-million-year-old story of fairy chimneys and the fact they have been home to different civilisations for tens of thousands of years, makes Cappadocia extremely mysterious for me. If you are lucky, you can visit there during hazy, atmospheric conditions with a soft light pushing through at sunrise or sunset.’

These soft light conditions were present when Çetin shot this cleverly framed study of the three fairy chimneys at sunrise on a winter morning. ‘The reason I chose this location is because I love the excitement inside me when the sun first hits the fairy chimneys and how it makes me feel like I’m living in the bronze age.’

Çetin was born and raised in Ankara, Turkey, and revealed, ‘I graduated from the department of sales management at university and, for many years, I worked as a store manager for luxury Italian clothing brands. I used to go to the sea for my limited holidays, but after repeating the same kind of trips for years, it was starting to lose its meaning for me. Then I decided to do something different, to dive deeply into nature. I started to explore remote, mountainous regions and experiencing the energy of the mightiest entities of nature, left me deeply impressed and awakened a love for nature within. An interest in photography followed as a result and has now turned into a passion!’

@aytekcetinphotography

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Comet NeoWise Setting by Tanmay Sapkal

Tanmay’s Sapkal’s image Comet NeoWise Setting won the 8th International Landscape Photograph of the Year, which is awarded for a single image at the International Landscape Photographer of the Year competition.

Sapkal is an amateur photographer from the USA, and his winning photograph was taken on Mt. Tamalpais, in Marin County, just north of San Francisco, USA.

Sapkal revealed to us how he shot the image, ‘It is quite a special place for photographers as it stands above the local landscape, which is engulfed in low coastal fog almost every summer evening. After shooting there tens of times over the last four years, I realised that I really liked the way fog looks when it is lit from underneath. I also realised that the comet would become visible in the north west sky, so I started planning this shot.’

He added, ‘It wasn’t possible to line up the comet exactly above the foreground I wanted, so I decided to take two separate exposures. It took a couple of visits to get just the right amount of fog on the hills to create the dreamy setting and then I waited patiently for some cars to drive by and create a blanket of light under the fog. After shooting for more than a few hours that night, my friend and I hurried back down to the car. Little did we know that parking on the mountain after sunset meant getting a parking ticket! But now, in my opinion, it’s the best $80 I have ever spent on parking! Ha ha!’

@theurbanvoyager

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Alone in the heart of Java by Marco Tagliarino

Marco won our Landscapes round of Amateur Photographer of the Year 2022 with this shot.

Guest judge Verity Milligan said, ‘Some images are all about atmosphere, and this is a great example. Landscape photography is about illustrating an emotion, and forging a connection between the photographer, the subject matter and the viewer. To achieve this, I like to think there is a trifecta of conditions, composition and content which pulls together to create something captivating.

This image does this well, using the atmospheric conditions manifesting towards the back of the composition to create a silhouette of the foreground. The line of the sloping ridge descends, leading the eye into the heart of the image, where a figure is standing taking it all in. This provides a much-needed sense of scale and demonstrates how awe-inspiring the setting really is. The low-key editing enhances the rising mist and the figure, making a compelling landscape photograph.’

@mrc_tagliarino

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Morning Mist Filling the Forest by Jamie Spensley

Jamie won the Landscapes round of Young Amateur Photographer of the Year 2022 with this golden image.

Guest judge Verity Milligan said, ‘This is an excellent image that demonstrates a real understanding of how to work with (and manage) light. The uniformity of the trees contrasts with the light streaming through from the left, providing separation from the trees in the foreground to the trees behind. It has a really lovely atmosphere to it and the processing is perfect: not overdone, but just enough to bring out the mood. These are the conditions that most landscape photographers hope for, especially at sunrise, and Jamie has made the most of them with this shot.’

@jamie_spensley_

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Lake Magadi by Jie Fisher

This photograph by Jie Fischer, is one of the images as part of the portfolio which won the Landscapes & Adventure category of Travel Photographer of the Year 2021 (TPOTY). The photographs in her portfolio were taken from a helicopter and show a colourful, almost abstract depicting flamingos over the remarkable coloured waters of Lake Magadi in Kenya.

She explained, ‘Lake Magadi is one of the inland lakes at the southernmost point of Kenya, belonging to the Rift Valley area of Kenya, formed by fault subsidence. During the dry season, it is 80% covered by sodium carbonate and is well known for its wading birds, including flamingos. In the dry season, there will be salt deposits around the lake, forming colourful patterns, depending on wind and wave. Large numbers of flamingos are often seen here.’

@jiefischerphotographer

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Haines, Alaska by Pally Learmond

Pally Learmond won the ‘Landscapes & Adventure: Best Single Image’ category of TPOTY 2021 with this shot of a single skier in Haines, Alaska, USA.

He revealed, ‘Due to the close proximity of the Pacific Ocean, snow sticks to the mountains of southeast Alaska like nowhere else on earth. This creates a phenomenon called “spines” which form on top of the normally steep and rocky mountain faces. This provides professional free-ride skiers with a playground like no other. In this photo, Austrian professional free-skier Fabian Lentsch lets it all go on a mountain face called “Dirty Needle”.’

@pallylearmond

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It’s a Long Road by Daniel Newton

Daniel Newton won our Landscapes round of the Amateur Photographer of the Year 2021 competition. This was a unanimously recognised and well-received image, achieving placings and commendations from nine of the ten judges. A classic, bucolic landscape scene it most certainly is not, but that’s what makes it stand out. There’s an odd balance of bleakness and anticipation here.

Bleak, of course, thanks to the desolate sand dunes that flank the empty road, while the anticipation comes from the sense that the viewer is heading somewhere. We can’t help but be curious as to what might exist beyond the horizon.

The interesting processing adds to the overall effect. By desaturating and toning the image in the way he has, Daniel has enhanced the sense of other-worldliness.

Daniel also came second in the overall APOY competition and he shared his inspirations and tips here: APOY 2021 winners share their inspiration and tips ahead of 2022 competition

@dan.newtons

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Gliding above the Gold by Dave Smith

Dave Smith came third in our Landscapes round of the Amateur Photographer of the Year 2021 competition with his image captured above Lake Annecy in the south of France… and what a shot! This photograph transports the viewer right into the scene, making us feel as if we are on top of a mountain looking down upon the intrepid paragliders as they float over a mist-covered Lake Annecy.

Dave did well to compose so that the paragliders stand out against the softness of the lower part of the frame. Any higher, and they would have been lost against the shadows. He’s also adhered to the rule of thirds nicely, which works well here. Overall, an atmospheric and evocative capture.

@davewsphotography

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Highway to the Stars by Jack Giam

Jack Giam from Australia won our Landscapes round of Young Amateur Photographer of the Year 2021.

The contrast between the bright orange of the traffic trails and the navy of the sky and water is what immediately catches the eye here. Jack has composed his shot very nicely, with the line of the road starting in the bottom right corner, then curving round and out of sight, leaving the viewer wondering where it leads.

In the right kind of daylight, this would have been a pleasing enough image, but taking the initiative to shoot it at night is what elevates it, and makes it a worthy winner.

@jackgiam

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Bare Land by Lorenzo Poli

The ‘Life on Earth’ series by Lorenzo Poli, which won the Professional, Landscape category at 2022 Sony World Photography Awards, delves into the ethereal magic of nature and the mysterious beauty of an untamed world, depicted through a diverse set of landscapes. This photograph was taken at an uninhabitable volcanic desert in the Icelandic Highlands. The climatic conditions here are so harsh that, for the majority of the year, life doesn’t thrive.

Lorenzo Poli said, ‘Science and religions may all fall short in explaining the incredible miracle of life which, through millennials of evolution, has transformed barren land into a living planet. There is an untamed world between sacred and magic, where the essence of life is safeguarded by silence, where the outer and the inner world coincide. This is what I am seeking to photograph.’

@lorenzopoli.photography

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Landscape with Trees by Federico Testi

Testi’s minimalist photograph Landscape with Trees won a Gold award in the Nature Art category of World Nature Photography Awards 2021.

Federico Testi explained, ‘The natural creativity of San Quirico d’orcia, in Tuscany, Italy. Waves, shapes and tone created by light, in harmony with the universe.’

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South Island Landscape, New Zealand by Sam Wilson

Sam Wilson won a Gold award in the Planet Earth’s Landscapes and Environments category of the World Nature Photography Awards 2021.

She revealed, ‘Travelling down random dirt roads can be so rewarding when you are greeted with scenes like this. Taken on South Island, New Zealand.’

@samwilson_photo

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Solar Graphic by Andrius Repšys

Taken during a winter of unseasonably heavy snowfall caused by climate change, ‘Solar Graphic’ by Andrius Repšys (Lithuania) captures sustainable energy sources such as dams, wind turbines and solar batteries from above, reducing them to graphic abstractions.

In 2021, Lithuania once again experienced a winter of heavy snowfalls – a result of the climate crisis and global warming. Depicted in these photographs are sustainable energy sources such as dams, wind turbines and solar batteries – the very things we need in order to slow down the occurrences of climate disasters. Two of the three main elements of Solar Graphics – seasonality and sustainable energy – organically and purposefully complement each other.

Winter’s monochromatic palette helps reveal the graphic elements found in the white snow. As the land is disrupted by dark lines new images appear – a mouth full of dazzling white teeth or a robot with a surprised look on its face. The high vantage point reduces the landscape to abstraction allowing the viewer to find new meanings and interpretations in the photograph.

Repšys’ was a finalist in the professional category of Sony World Photography Awards 2022.

@andrius.repsys

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Orchid by Zhu Jianxin

The Grand Prize winner in the Photo Category of the Skypixel 7th Anniversary Aerial Photo & Video Contest, was shot by Zhu Jianxin on a DJI Mavic 2 Pro.

The image, Orchid, shows an otherworldly sight of a frozen lake after a heavy snow fell in the Taklamakan Desert, China. With a simple change in perspective, several cracks on a frozen lake magically came together to form something akin to a portrait of an elegant orchid.

Jianxin explained, ‘Photography as an art form always comes from life. It is born from nature. I am amazed by how a drone changes my perspective and helps me capture the beauty of our world.’

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Perfect Chaos by Sara Zanini

Sara Zanini’s photograph taken over the town of Gangi in Sicily was shot on a DJI Mavic 2 Pro and received a First prize in the Skypixel Aerial Photo Contest. This photograph shows a fantastic juxtaposition between the traditional urban town against the natural mountainous landscape.

@sarazaniniiiii

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Room 504 by Charlotte Gibb

Charlotte’s stamping ground is California. It’s home to a wide variety of landscapes, from rugged coastlines to ancient Redwood trees and deserts. This photograph was taken opposite Yosemite Falls from a hotel room window. Firstly, what an incredible view to have from your room! Everything within this photograph, from the light and the falls to the focus drawn into the single tree is dreamy.

Speaking of intimate landscapes she said, ‘Intimate landscapes are compositions that have been derived from the larger scene. It could be a photograph of a small section of beach, or a group of trees, or it could be a photograph of a section of an entire mountain… My heart-of-hearts is with the Sierra Nevada mountains and Yosemite National Park, though… There is tremendous diversity, and as much as I go back again and again, I always come away with a new composition. My most meaningful work has come from these places.’

She shares her tips for capturing your own intimate landscapes here.

@charlottegibb

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Knowlton, Dorset by Jeremy Walker

This moody, monochrome scene by award winning professional landscape photographer and regular AP contributor Jeremy Walker brings a lot of drama and atmosphere with the dark intense sky looming over Knowlton church in Dorset.

When speaking about creating mono landscapes, Jeremy said choosing a ‘subject matter where the mood and drama help tell a story – ancient stone circles, Neolithic earthworks, and abandoned buildings like old churches can all look amazing with stormy skies and fleeting patches of light.’

This photograph is a perfect example!

Jeremy shares his tips for capturing moody monochrome landscapes like this here: How to capture moody monochrome landscapes

@jeremywalkerphotography

Jeremy will also be leading some of our upcoming Photography Holidays, in partnership with Zoom Photo Tours, see all information of our trips here.

Isle of Skye, 16-19 February 2023

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Stepping Stones #2 by Lee Frost

Black and white images can be simpler, more dramatic, more evocative and more atmospheric than colour. The minimal black and white shot by Lee Frost feels a lot calmer than Walker’s suspenseful landscape above. Taken on a foggy morning by Grasmere, Lake District, this image however doesn’t lack in atmosphere.

Whether you feel calm and at peace, or a sense of eeriness, Frost’s image is successful compositionally, with the stepping stones leading us into the lake.

See his tips for black and white photography.

@leefrostphotography

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The Far Hills by Rachael Talibart

For someone who describes themselves as ‘a poor swimmer and a poorly sailor’ it seems incredible that award-winning coastal and seascape photographer Rachael Talibart chose the sea as her muse.

Her captivating coastal photography has been recognised with awards such as Black+White Photographer of the Year in 2018 and winning the Sunday Times Magazine’s Landscape Photographer of the Year in 2016.

Talibart has had three monographs of her work published – including Sirens and Tides and Tempests – and she runs her f11 photography workshops as well as leading photography tours for Ocean Capture.

Talibart was also featured as one of our 12 top UK woman photographers you must follow

How to take great coastal shots and seascapes this winter

@rachaeltalibart

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The Sacred Garden by Gray Eaton

Gray Eaton won the Coast category of Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022. He said, ‘This tiny chapel – St Cwyfan – has been photographed many times. Inaccessible at high tide, Gray wanted to capture something that was a little different. In a single frame he wanted to show both the chapel and the aquatic world surrounding it, along with the submerged garden of algae.‘

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 Sutton Park by Verity Milligan

Taken in Sutton Park, Birmingham, Verity Milligan’s photograph was taken on a cold morning in late autumn/early winter.

When speaking of this photograph on Instagram, she said, ‘This is one of those examples of why I love using a telephoto for landscape imagery. The sky would have added little to this composition and distracted from the main event — that frozen little island.’

Milligan’s images have featured in several exhibitions and have been highly commended in major photography awards such as Outdoor Photographer of the Year, British Life Photographer of the Year and Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year.

Image featured in: Pro tips for great landscape photography

Milligan was also featured as one of our 12 top UK woman photographers you must follow

@veritymilligan

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Get more inspiration & tips

Feeling inspired by our selection of best landscape photographs? View our landscape photography tips and get shooting some spectacular shots!

If you are new to landscapes, check out our beginners guide to Landscape Photography.

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Amateur Photographer of the Year 2023

Submit your best landscape photographs to Amateur Photographer of the Year 2023. The 2023 competition launches on Wednesday 8th February.

More information here: APOY

See more competitions to enter here.

Get your best landscape photographs on a photography holiday with AP

Experience the best landscapes of the UK and the rest of the world on our photography holidays, in association with Zoom Photo Tours. Upcoming trips and photo vacations include:

Lofoten Winter Magic with Serkan Günes & Florian Warnecke – 20-26 February 2023

Faroe Islands with Serkan Günes – 22-27 August 2023

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Further reading:

The best landscape photography books for inspiration

How to photograph low light urban landscapes

See the top 20 best travel photographs!

Follow AP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

© Claus Weisemann
Sunset at Barandas Park​, Sacramento, Calif.

SACRAMENTO, CA — Claus Weisemann shot this weekend sunset at Barandas Park in Sacramento — a beautiful way to end one week or start another.

Thank you for sharing your photo, Claus!

If you have an awesome photo of nature, breath-taking scenery, kids caught being kids, a pet doing something funny, or something unusual you happen to catch with your camera, we’d love to feature it on Patch.

We’re looking for high-resolution images that reflect the beauty and fun that is Northern California, and that show off your unique talents.

Email it to [email protected].

Also See:

The article Sacramento Sunset: Photo Of The Day appeared first on Sacramento Patch.

Richard Allen Kracht, 71, of Cedar Rapids passed away Friday 27 January 2023 at Mercy Hospital, Cedar Rapids, surrounded by his loving family.

Rick was born on 14 May 1951 in Alexandria, Minnesota, the son of Melvin and Arlene (Nelson) Kracht. Rick had very fond memories of his childhood, exploring and seeking adventures with his brothers and sisters in Douglas County, Minnesota. He attended Zion Lutheran School through eighth grade and Alexandria Jefferson High School. Rick met his wife of 50 years, Irene (Swenson) Kracht, in Alexandria and they began their life together. Rick graduated technical colleges with degrees in commercial art and photography. He served four years in the US Air Force before he moved to Iowa to begin his lifelong profession as a commercial photographer. Rick always had a love of the outdoors. He was an avid hunter, hiker, nature photographer, soccer coach, disc golf, kayaking, and motorcycling enthusiast. Rick loved to spend time with his family and dear friends.

Rick is greatly missed by his wife Irene Kracht; his children Mindy (William) LeGrand and Justin (Manuela) Kracht; his sisters Judy (Larry) Ahlbrecht, Sue (Steve) Proell; his brother Randy (Paulette) Kracht; his grandchildren Dallas, Gage, Violet, Alexia, Fernando (Selena); and his great-granddaughter Ximena, and many nieces and nephews.

Rick was preceded in death by his parents Melvin and Arlene Kracht, his brother and sister-in-law John and Betty Kracht, and his sister-in-law Fern Swenson.

By Oleksii Vasyliuk and Yuliia Spinova

© Mongabay

At the start of last month’s UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, UN Environmental Programme Executive Director, Inger Andersen, made the memorable statement, “we are at war with nature” and must “make peace.” As Ukrainian ecologists now in Kyiv doing our work despite unsteady electricity — a full hour of uninterrupted internet is a luxury — and air raid sirens and explosions, we are constantly reminded of the extent to which war itself is at war with nature. For on top of the tragic loss of human life and the destruction of towns and cities, our country’s biodiversity is taking a beating. We would like to convey to the international community the impact the war in Ukraine is having on our flora and fauna, and suggest pathways forward.

First, it’s important to understand that the war’s assault on nature did not begin in February 2022. Rather, we have been monitoring the direct and indirect impacts of military actions on Ukraine’s natural ecosystems since the 2014 hostilities. Prior to 2022, combat occurred only in Eastern Ukraine, but there even protected areas, notably distinctive Ukrainian steppe ecosystems, were affected. The current full-scale invasion has significantly expanded the war zone into sites like the Polissia, an important Ramsar site; the coast along the Black and Azov Seas; and much of the steppe, which represents about half of Ukraine’s landscape.

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An unexploded shell in the deciduous forest part of Kreidova Flora Nature Reserve, April 2017. Image courtesy of Dr. Yuliia Spinova.

Due to the war, affected ecosystems suffer soil and water pollution as well as harm from direct impact. The Russians use a carpet-bombing approach, often employing weapons forbidden by the UN, which cause fires across enormous areas. They are building bunkers and moving military equipment across the landscape, the kind of damage that was seen in WWII. However, in that war the front line moved constantly, which meant less concentrated damage. Today, the war is at a geographic standstill, with large areas scarred by craters from munitions. Continual bombardment over the course of months means more physical devastation happening more quickly.

In terms of biodiversity, Ukraine is responsible for one out of every three species under protection in Europe — those found only in Ukraine’s steppe zone. This includes species like the Middle-European great bustard, the heaviest flying bird in the world, the sandy blind mole rat, and the marbled polecat, so beloved that a special coin was made to honor it. Preserving these species depends on Ukraine. Unfortunately, they are endemic in areas where there is military action, so it’s possible that after the war they may no longer exist.

Much of Ukraine’s steppe grasslands have been plowed up for agriculture. Before the onset of war this was the main threat to biodiversity, as only 3% of steppe landscapes remained in a natural state, and even fewer were protected. Now it’s a different scenario. In occupied areas agriculture has pretty much stopped, and many fields have been abandoned. But that doesn’t mean it’s gotten any easier for nature. Much land has turned into crater fields dotted with the waste of military equipment. We’re also seeing the beginnings of agriculture in protected areas and national parks. Plus, invasive species are more of a problem. Before the conflict, there were natural landscapes and everything else was agricultural: invasives were pretty much limited to along the roads. People used to clear invasive plants — numbering some 700 species, about 150 from North America — but those populations are not there anymore. We have places where maple and pseudoacacia have taken over landscapes. The war has given invasive plants a chance to get established.

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Trenches dug inside the Kreidova Flora Nature Reserve, June 2017. Image courtesy of Andrii Tupikov.

Bird biodiversity is also of great concern. In southern Ukraine, the entire coastal area where two seas meet is occupied by Russians. During the summer, large groupings of birds are found here — species like the great black-headed gull, the Dalmatian pelican and the Sandwich tern. Almost all migratory birds of Central Europe form colonies here in the summer and gather here again before flying to Africa in the fall. It’s a key migration stopover and the largest area of wintering birds in Europe, especially Central and Eastern Europe. Now we don’t know whether the birds that regularly travel here were able to do so, or were forced to go somewhere else. When data becomes available, we’ll have a better understanding, but we expect to see fewer birds.

The question of data brings up the challenge of continuing biodiversity science in wartime. Specialists living in occupied areas became refugees and some were not able to take data archives with them—they left with nothing. In the last two months Russia has begun actively targeting our research infrastructure with rockets and drones, which has done a great deal of damage. In Kharkiv, the university was destroyed in the first days of the full-scale invasion. Researchers hid everything they could and managed to put some data archives and collections of organic materials into basements. The city of Kherson was recently freed, and colleagues went to the herbarium to collect and hide what they could in storage.

The other big problem is lack of electricity, which makes communication really difficult. For instance, the night before writing this commentary, 30 drones were launched in the direction of one of us, and five hit energy infrastructure. The most important thing is that we’re trying to collect biodiversity data and upload it to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. We have almost 400,000 records of data collected in occupied and free areas, which we share with international groups and fellow biologists and ecologists. The best way to preserve data is to publish openly.

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Military equipment box lids in Kreidova Flora Nature Reserve. Image courtesy of Dr. Yuliia Spinova.

An important bright spot has been collaboration among scientists. The Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group (UWEC), which publishes a monthly journal, is the only English-language project where specialists can read and publish about their expertise and share it internationally. Our editorial team includes scientists and communicators from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. This is unusual. One of the consequences of war is the hate that is growing on all sides. It is touching for us that several people I’m working with have lost their countries and now they’re trying to help us here in Ukraine. The project has a huge democratic weight. When we’re trying to do the right thing for people and for nature, nationality doesn’t matter.

Despite the danger and difficulty, we continue to gather information on the war’s impact on biodiversity. We appeal to the international community to assist with monitoring and data management and to expedite programs that aid environmental preservation. Examples include granting approval of Emerald Network candidate sites under the Bern Convention, and for the IUCN to be able to add animals and plants that are endemic to war-affected areas in southern Ukraine to the endangered species list. We’d like also for people to get information out about the status of natural parks and reserves. Since the beginning of the war, the Ukrainian Nature Protection Group, of which we are part, has been collecting donations to support this work. We appreciate that people around the world care about biodiversity at risk, and want to help.

Committed as we are to Ukraine prevailing, we know that independent of the outcome of this war, nature will suffer. We know, too, that environmental damage will also occur in the aftermath of war, when rebuilding our country will require sand, granite and other natural materials. At this juncture, Ukraine has been able to reclaim some occupied areas. These places were homes to thousands of people, and sustained much wildlife. We see this as a victory, but it’s not purely joyful because those areas have been significantly damaged. Fight though we must, nature doesn’t care who wins; nature yearns for peace. And, ultimately, reparations.

Oleksii Vasyliuk is a zoologist and leader and co-founder of Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group and an editor for UWEC. He can be contacted via [email protected].

Dr. Yuliia Spinova is an ecologist and co-founder and current member of UWEC. She can be contacted via [email protected].

UWEC welcomes inquiries about biodiversity science and developments in Ukraine: [email protected].

Banner image: A car burns after a Russian bombardment in Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 2022. Image by AP Photo/Felipe Dana via Flickr.

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Helen Jeanette Grinnell, 96, passed away at her Broomfield home on December 25th, 2022. Born October 18th, 1926 in New York, NY to parents Lola Marion Grinnell and Lloyd Garrison Grinnell, Helen graduated from University Ligget School (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI). Upon graduation, the school asked Helen to work with the athletic program. Her athleticism served her well throughout life, especially in golf. A competitive player for thirty years, Helen won the Women’s Club Championship at the Detroit Golf Club an astounding twelve times. She also succeeded for seventy years as a businesswoman and philanthropist. In her free time, Helen pursued her passion for nature photography. Helen was preceded in death by her brother, Albert Avery Grinnell (Ft, Lauderdale, FL), in 1988. Helen’s friends will hold a private ceremony to celebrate her life, and she will be entombed in her family’s mausoleum at Roseland Park Cemetery (Berkley, MI). A smart, private and generous woman, Helen will be remembered kindly and missed dearly. In honoring her altruistic spirit, please consider a memorial donation to your favorite charity.