Some Say Blind, Others Say Hide

Hairy Woodpecker, female

Our yard is a haven of small birds in winter.  It's likely we are the only neighbors actively offering sunflower seed and suet along with safe cover nearby. My morning coffee goes with checking first arrivals in the blue hour.  It's usually Northern Cardinals plus Dark Eyed Juncos.  Watching the interplay of the different species is entertaining as the "pecking order" creates a lot of mild conflict.

Two weeks ago, photo memories of the winter birds returned along with how it offered entertainment. I hatched a plan. I dislike photos of birds on feeders. Thinking of a natural look,  I began wandering my friends woodlot for suitable props, meaning pieces of decaying trees that could be mounted with a natural background. Hidden feeding spots.  Some nice woodpecker holes would be good to hide fatty morsels that are especially important on really cold days. I created a recipe using Morrell Snow Cap Manteca,  aka Pastry Lard with additions of cornmeal, rolled oats and buckwheat flower. 

The bird seen above right is arriving for her treat.   As a little detail, I did select the decaying beech log because of the black shelf fungi just about the feeding area.  Details are important. Now follows some of the entertaining events my camera captured one morning.

One flashy visitor was this Red-bellied Woodpecker.  When she wants her place at the suet, few other birds will challenge its massive bill.  Generally, they will coax a large chunk free and fly off to consume it. 

The conflicts at the log can be surprising.  Typically, any woodpecker would be dominate to similar size birds likely because of their aggressive beak.  But on an extremely cold morning, this Dark-eyed Junco tried to challenge.  It yielded quickly to a nearly perch to wait.

When the conflict is within the same species, it might be more extended like for these two Juncos.

Sometimes the sizes are similar as with the Red-bellied and Hairy Woodpeckers.

This happened quickly, and I believe the Red-bellied displayed a heavier beak.  All this reminds me that there is no room for manners in matters of survival in the natural world.

There was one interruption when a Gray Squirrel arrived to feast on some lard.
 

There was an easy solution.  The recipe was modified with a half tablespoon dose of cayenne pepper.  Birds don't react but squirrels sure do.  Back to the birds with a delightful little visitor, a Carolina Wren.  It not only visited the suet but also probed the edges of the dead bark.

Ten years ago, it was unlikely to see one.  This winter there is a pair frequently coming to both sunflower seeds and suet.  They also patrol the gap under the bottom course of siding looking for overwintering insect eggs.  

I sort of mislead you about unexpected visitors.  There was a sudden impulsive burst of fleeing birds as a rather large bird claimed the top of the beech. This is certainly the closest that I have ever been to a Cooper's Hawk. Everything became very quiet until it left.

The birds returned in 5 minutes, Chickadees first. Soon, a White-breasted Nuthatch arrived.  They seem to spend nearly all of their foraging time facing downward. The Nuthatch's feet are certainly optimized for how they search for food.

Finally, it was unexpected to fire the shutter 1/4 second before it erupted in flight.  Away she goes!

There is always a bit of serendipity when an image shows the rapid burst into the air.  That imageis an encouragement to schedule another session in the hideout.

Seems there is plenty to enjoy in the coldest month.

Best regards,

Paul Schmitt

 

The Zen of Seeing: the Camera or the Pen?

 New Year's Greetings 

Some of my photo friends have noted a slower pace in my sharing photos.  It's more of an artistic shift in attention than distractions.  I'll explain a shift in my artistic direction that I believe will yield deeper engagement and possibly some inspiration. 

My creative eye is still active.  Fortunately, my advanced iPhone is always there to capture and surprise as I wander.  After fifty years, Corning city still can deliver a visual treat like this unexpected autumn view of iconic Little Joe Tower.

The sun directly behind the tower was unplanned.  The appeal of the scene is driven by the two subjects- architecture and autumn reflections.

So it was on a  neighborhood walk that a scene expressed the hopeless wish that fall would just STOP.

In the last year, I have realized how easy it is make beautiful images with no real engagement on the subject.

In October 2023, I discovered The Zen of Seeing by Frederick Franck. The basic premise is that moving from Looking to Seeing engages your mind intimately with the world.  Absent all the complexity of photography,  pen and paper are all really required.  

My sketch book from yesterday engaged my attention for nearly an hour with the result that for the first time, I really was seeing a deer; seeing where eyes are located between nose and ears example.

My goal is not to create art for display but to really see, and ultimately make stronger photos.  An artist has the choice of what to draw and what to leave out.  Neither the deer or the amaryllis sketch has need for background.

So, it is that I more fully see the form of this common vine - maybe Virginia Creeper- that is behind my shed.

Unlike the camera, the act of drawing this completely disengaged me from the passage of time and the daily stresses of life.   Drawing is often described as meditative. There is no pressure to please anyone but self.

As autumn has gone into winter, I am engaging in some photography that creates subjects for sketching.  Here are a few with comments about how this Zen Seeing considers the subject. First is a female Northern Cardinal.

Notice the subtle colors. Other than the brilliant red-orange beak, the colors are difficult to describe.  There are cool yellows blending into greenish browns, plus blue/red mixes.  I've made two attempts in watercolors.  Humbling.

Ah, but the flashy male is easier.

Maybe the male's winter coloration is still difficult?  The wing and tail aren't easy, and forget about the feather details.  Made one  attempt. Not ready to share a cardinal sketch yet.  

There is some advice to ignore the feather details that are difficult.  Will try.

The coloration of the Tufted Titmouse seen at right is a bit less complex.  Perhaps its coloration has less seasonal change?  Let's see below what was created in a recent sketch.

The ink underlay is a bit  strong.  Still drawing shows clear seeing  of plumage, form and coloration.  No comprehension of the bird's feet was necessary on my part to capture the photo.   

At this juncture, the admonition from a friendly preacher  comes to mind.  It went like this:

A good salesperson learns to recognize when the sale has been made and quit talking.  Same goes for the person delivering the sermon.  Time to close with a few wintry images.

 

Remnants of Summer

If I were to sketch the image below, there would be no detail in any crisp features past the windmill.  There is no benefit to that.

The Farm's Only Reminder

The camera looks, but never sees. 

If this stirs any interest, I am happy to share the resources that guided me.  I found it personally freeing to step past exhibit and only draw for myself.  As I began sketching, that was valuable lesson shared with me.

Best wishes for 2025.   

Paul Schmitt

Looking at Autumn: Expectations versus Reality

This is how each year's fall colors are described by tourism advertising.    

  Beautiful, isn't it? It's not a lie, it really happened on an exceptional morning in the New York Catskills in October 2010.  Colors are rich and the three geese just happened to drift into position.  Add to the equation a month or two of perfect rain and sun, so the trees were in prime condition.  It doesn't hurt if our location is largely maples to yield warm reds and oranges.  Isn't that how our memory conditions our expectations?  Can you still enjoy fall in a dry year such as now, that being 2024?  Let's explore our options.

A good ingredient for meeting expectations is adding reflections to create a second subject that flips the principle subject and gently ripples the image surface.  This one was on Rock Creek Park in the District of Columbia.

It's not quite up to any heightened expectations in terms of rich colors, yet the  mirroring satisfies and stimulates the mind.  It is the reality of November 2023 in DC.  This is my first suggestion to capture autumn when it is not rich with colors.Next, let's introduce another approach to capture an engaging composition.  Below is a a landscape of the deep gorge in Canaan Valley, West Virginia.

It's the twisted tree in the foreground that begins your exploration of the scene. Otherwise, it is just distant, and boring.  Creating this composition was not easy.  Why?  It was necessary to lie on the ground to keep the tree's trunk separate from the dark grasses and weeds.

Lesson:  If the image isn't working, keep shifting around looking for a simpler result.How about forgetting leaf color.  Autumn is often a time for fungi to send up fruiting bodies, also known as mushrooms.  One nearly sure example is a puff ball.

 There is a truism in the sketching community "Draw what drew you."  In the image above, the tiny maple tree captured my attention.  It is a random alignment of two subjects growing close together. So, what else can the photographer find that has brilliant fall color?  Hiking in a nearby state park, there were some red bittersweet berries that had yet to be found by hungry birds.  The withered leaves added character.

It was a fine day to hike and this was my only capture of anything saying "autumn".  It helps to slow down when hiking.  It's not a race, after all.  Going a little further off the normal, here is an idea.  Think of community harvest festivals.  No brilliant red maples yet?  How about orange pumpkins?  Always bright  subjects.

 This began as an outing with Urban Sketchers that introduced a new idea to my subject list.Next is something that surprises most. Cemeteries,  very old ones specifically.  I look for nineteenth century or older with stories to discover.  This stone in Etna Cemetery is dated 1818.  Nice yellow tree frames the stone and fallen leaves surround.

Another plot suggests how hard life was in the nineteenth century.  There are six stones beginning with a very young child, followed by three progressively older siblings and ending with both parents.  An entire family gone in the same year.

Hard times.On the same day, we continued to find Morris Chapel Cemetery near Brooktondale.  The day was beautiful with blue skies and colorful yellow leaves. It was lacking the care of the previous cemetery, yet some of the stones were amazingly clear after 183 years. 

The inscription reads:                          HARMON              son of Hezekiah & Lovice                           HOOKER               died  December 25,1841                 aged 23 yrs, 16 days There is always to opportunity to be playful.

Stop what?  Maybe the falling leaves that I need to shred and load into compost. Finally, you need not have high-end cameras.  The best one is one you always have.  The images above and below came from my phone's camera.  Here's what I discovered walking the riverside trail along the Corning Headquarters building. Looks like another beautiful day. Hope you can enjoy a little outside time.
Paul