Resident Evil. September 26, 2012
Posted by littlebangtheory in Art and Nature.Tags: Buckland, Canon 24mm f/3.5 L tilt-shift lens, Elliot, fall colors, invasive species, tilt-shift photography, virginia creeper
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On my way through Buckland today (yeah, the Lion’s Mane Buckland) I rounded a bend in the road to see a startling splash of color leaping skyward.
Of course, I slapped on the binders and pulled off the road to investigate.
It turned out to be an infestation of Virginia creeper, an invasive vine which I spend countless hours trying to keep out of our trees and lawn, though I know it will still be there long after I’m dead.
Oh well.
Anyway, the drizzle and gloom which make sane folks want to stick their head in an oven are like Mana form Heaven to us crazy photographers, saturating (literally) scenes with intense colors and an immediacy which is otherwise rare.
I assembled a tripod and umbrella and affixed Elliot to the box with six degrees of swing to snag this shot:
The swing gave me tack-sharp elements from center foreground through the distant right edge of this image, passing through the Main Event along the way. And a hand-held graduated ND filter allowed me to expose for the beautiful variety of ferns in the foreground without blowing out the sky.
For all of its negatives, Virginia creeper is dependably brilliant in its fall coloration, for which I appreciate it.
Thanks to Elliot for snagging this one.
Canadian Thistle… Oops! July 22, 2009
Posted by littlebangtheory in Art and Nature, macro photos.Tags: Canada thistle, invasive species, root colonies
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Lately I’ve been taken by this thistle,* which seems to be more prevalent this year than in years past:
Turns out it’s Crisium arvense, Canadian (or Canada) thistle, and its proliferation isn’t likely to be just a matter of me noticing it – entire on-line forums are dedicated to sharing tips on its eradication. Apparently it grows from root “colonies,” thrives on being cut, and produces seeds which are both plentiful and viable within a couple of days of the appearance of flowers.
Still, it’s beautiful, so enjoy it from a distance, ‘k?
Edit:
* This photo was inadvertently inserted, um, by me, instead of the correct one above:
I was trying, as yet unsuccessfully, to identify it (it’s not a thistle) and got them mixed up. Sorry!
Little Bang Theory 