News – Photographic Impressionistic Illusionistic

Deflated

on May 21, 2025May 21, 2025 By Mark Wade

Nature has a way
Of promise
Without promising anything

Earlier this spring as I was tending to our landscape irrigation, I noticed some little black dots on the ground under the Chinese elm. Looking up, there to my delight were dozens and dozens of caterpillars grazing on the leaves.

Immediately I started planning to document the life stages in video and photos. I read SOME of the information and started planning. Within a few days, they were gone. Completely, utterly vanished. Searching the property was futile. Stuffing my head into trees and bushes for many days, I must have looked like a weirdo.
The part I did not read said that when the caterpillars fully mature, they drop from the tree and move to another spot to become butterflies. They disband as well so they are not all in one spot.
Maybe next year?
Since then (mid April), I’ve only seen one of the adults and I can’t be sure it was from one of them.

Nymphalis antiopa – (Mourning Cloak)

Field Notes 3

on October 19, 2023October 18, 2023 By Mark Wade 1 Comment

So Long:

Sun and moon conversed
Each traversed
Now roles’ reversed

All was well
Although moon was a bit embarrassed
For “getting in the way”

Cover Photo: Short Story – Full Sun and 70% Coverage

On another note from May: Chaparral Mallow (Why is it so difficult to remember “one p – two r’s in chaparral?”) Always get those mixed up.

The lovely thing about flowers, unlike the sun, is that you can look right at them without eye protection.

Hurry Up and Stop

on March 20, 2023March 20, 2023 By Mark Wade 6 Comments

Install the attic fan
Take out the garbage cans
Set up the garden beds
Adjust the doors on the garden sheds
Fix the leak
By end of week
Remake cabinet doors
Finish out kitchen floors
Paint the baseboard trim
Fix the light so dim

STOP!

How ’bout maybe just make some simple photos.
That’ll do.

Two more weeks and I’m officially “retired.”
Pretty sure I will stil have plenty to do!

A few more:

There now. Much better.

The Rest

Oakey Dokey

on October 17, 2022October 17, 2022 By Mark Wade 2 Comments

A walk in the natural world
Does wonders for the soul
It is not magic
Nor does it make all problems go away
It just sets persepctive in its proper place
Hmmm
Maybe it is magic, a little

Life comes at us so fast and sometimes we just get caught up in the swirl of it all.
Our “new” digs came with a couple of years of required maintenence fixes and upgrades in our future.
Floors, paint, appliance/fixture fixes/upgrades, leak reapirs. You know, the stuff that even black holes avoid.

In the meantime I allowed my WP payment to lapse and I was punished with having to “recover” my account.
“If you’ve lost access to your WordPress.com account, our Accounts Recovery team will get back to you as soon as possible to help you gain access to your account again. Please use this form…”

After 10 or 11 password attempts/changes I think I’m back.

Cover image is a 10-stack/stitch effort of an oak made on the Ramona Grasslands Preserve. (Trail is too close to it and I was using the 200-600)
I cannot image oaks without thinking of Alexander Kunz, who is a master at imaging these stately trees.Thanks for the inspiration Alex. you can find him here: https://www.alex-kunz.com/
I also have to say that I am thinking of you Alessandra and I my hope for you is to eventually see beyond the abyss.
My heart goes out to you.

The same tree, different perspective. Photographers seek different perspectives

Morph Trails and Thunder

on August 12, 2022August 12, 2022 By Mark Wade 4 Comments

We gather as troops
Walking the dirty sidewalks
Of racoon and deer
To remind ourselves
Of a primal beginning
Then go home
And shower

What a week! The monsoons almost made it over the mountain behind our house. The thunder cracked non-stop for a couple of hours. Alas, the 97 degree f heat stopped the drops from hitting for the most part.
Time lapse
https://www.facebook.com/bluemarblearts/videos/1463860290796773/

With the sun behind us, the sky turned orange

The cover photo is of a nearby trail named “Shady Trail” for its abundant oaks lining its edges.
Here’s another view:

This week was my first attempts at using an anamorphic lens. (Sirui 50mm) – It is something of a challenge. I got it for video, but figured I’d try it out for photography as well. Here is a desqueezed image:

Desqueezed timelapse