Not too late to subscribe and receive the September 2015 newsletter! The newsletter includes the nature photo assignment ideas that I completed in this post.
As part of the newly designed Handbook of Nature Study September 2015 newsletter suggestions, I have been on the look out for an opportunity to take some photos of a tree and its parts. I have an especially photogenic tree in my front yard and as I was sitting on the wall just taking in its splendor, I happened to notice a perfect monarch butterfly enjoying my butterfly bushes.
In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.
~ Aaron Rose
This set the mood for a terribly enjoyable photo session as he flew from limb to limb. I also managed to spot a Common buckeye butterfly but failed to get a decent image to share. I am still hoping to see one again and be able to share it with you in a future post.
Well, one to the main subject of the nature photo assignment….my tulip poplar tree. I decided to just let the images speak for themselves so enjoy!
If you have the September 2015 newsletter, the photo assignment is on the Nature Study Planning Page.
We had a great month getting outside and enjoying our autumn color. This year in our neighborhood we had blazing colors…more than any other year in our memory.
Fish: A classic fish found in ponds all over the place but these had some beautiful water lilies blooming in their water. I also love the reflection of the palm trees in the water’s surface.
Feather: These are such amazing birds that we saw on our trip. Look at those feathers on their heads! They are some variety of African crane.
Here’s what I have left….
Crystals, cold, refreshing, energy, bubbly, sparkle, self-portrait, Just do it!
I am really going to need to get myself motivated to get these images done before the end of the year!
Berries:The Pacific Dogwood has these berry-like fruits. We did some research and officially they are called “drupes” which are not really berries but still very pretty and interesting.
Simplicity: Our trip last week to Yosemite with our three boys was such a joy. Autumn is a very quiet time in Yosemite and this early morning walk along the Merced River was so very pretty.
Bridge: We had an absolutely spectacular walk today on the UC Davis Arboretum. What a fascinating place! This bridge, covered in grape vines, was over the little creek that was lined with the most amazing cattails I have seen.
Our recent trip to Yosemite National Park put us into the autumn mood. It is a quiet place in autumn with far fewer visitors and very little water in the waterfalls. In fact, Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Fall are both dry, dry, dry. The story of Yosemite in autumn is more about the trees and peaceful landscapes.
Hiking in the big Sequoia trees at the Mariposa Grove gives you a chance to experience these trees up close. You don’t have to hike too far to find magnificent specimens with their wide trunks reaching up into the sky.
There is no real way to capture the whole tree from the trail but these images help you visualize the towering trees a little better.
I hiked with two of my men on this day…the other two were off climbing Half Dome. I am going to share some of their experiences in another entry later in the week.
I found a copy of this book Yosemite Photographer’s Guide; Official Camera Walk Handbookand decided that it would be a fun long term project to take photos from every single location listed in this guide (like a need another project!). There are 32 locations mentioned in this book that we can look forward to experiencing through the lens of a camera (or iPhone in my case on this particular trip since I forgot the charger to my digital camera). NOTE: This is an older book that you can’t purchase new…there are a few used expensive copies on Amazon. I may switch over to a newer book like this one:The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite.I will let you know how I like this book when I get it in hand.
We started the project with a few locations that were suggested for the fall season.
This is location #17 – Cook’s Meadow. There is a short boardwalk from the road out to the river where you can view many of the park’s landmarks.
This is from the same location, looking across the meadow to Sentinel Rock.
We stopped at Location #13 – Cathedral Beach. At this time of the year, there is very little water in the river and you can walk a long way up along the side of the water. I stopped to enjoy a little bit of fall color in the late afternoon sunshine. We didn’t experience a lot of color during this visit but the oaks, maples, and dogwoods were scattered with color throughout the valley.
From the same location at Cathedral Beach, you can clearly see the Cathedral Rocks. This is a prominent rock formation along the south side of the valley.
Here are the Three Brothers taken from Location #14. What a great spot to stop and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of a Yosemite autumn day!
Hello Mr. Deer! This guy wasn’t happy with me taking a picture of him from a distance and as I was standing there just came nibbling closer and closer. I finally had to move because I really think he was going to just push me over to get to his destination. So tame and accustomed to humans….great for viewing up close!
There weren’t many wildflowers at this time of year…mostly brown grasses and lots of weeds with seeds. These thistles were so pretty on closer examination…so much so that I created a nature journal page featuring them in my personal journal. These were up where we were camping at Crane Flat.
Some color!
One afternoon as we drove back up to our campsite, we noticed smoke in the valley. As we drove up the highway, we spotted a wildfire. It had just started and we could see from the pull out that it was just on the other side of the ridge. It was the Dog Rock fire and it continued to burn all through the night and next day…well, even longer than that but we came home before it was completely out. You can see the fire tanker flying over the blaze if you look closely in the photo.
It was such a great family trip and we enjoyed our last morning just wandering around, taking photos and sitting in the sunshine.
We ended up at the Ahwahnee Hotel for coffee and chatting. This is an amazing place for sitting and taking in the historical atmosphere of a Yosemite experience.
It is always sad to come home from this unique place on the earth but I look forward to visiting again soon.
Silhouette: That is the sun behind a very smoky sky. We have had a week of wildfire in our area and the mornings are dense with smoke…smells like a campfire burning even with the doors and windows shut. King Fire.
Furry: My cat on the roof….we were sitting outside after dark and with the moon so bright behind her we could see her little cat silhouette.
I have had some trouble this month getting photos for my remaining topics left on my list.
Here’s what I have left….decided to make a list to carry in the notes section of my phone for easy reference.
Crystals, berries, fish, cold, refreshing, simplicity, energy, , bridge, bubbly, sparkle, feather, reflection, self-portrait, Just do it!
Interested in entering a giveaway for a $10 Amazon.com gift card?
This month’s newsletter has a “mystery photo” for children (under the age of 18) to try to identify. Full instructions for submitting a guess are included on page 3 of the September newsletter.
Make sure to submit your guess according to the rules in the newsletter by 9/7/14 at midnight in order to have a chance at a $10 Amazon.com gift card.
Have fun guessing!
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Here are my August photos for the Nature Photo of the Week project. We enjoyed a trip to Utah and Nevada this month so take a glimpse into a little bit of our adventures via the Nature Photo of the Week.
Top: My son and his friend hiked to the top of Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park-August 2014. 13,605 feet high!
July has flown by and looking back on it I am grateful that I have determined to keep up with the Nature Photo of the Week. Picking a weekly image to post has made me more aware of the beauty I find as I go about my business…and outdoor time!
What a fantastic month this has been! We have spent so much time outdoors working in the garden, taking hikes, and enjoying our evenings on the deck. I hope you enjoy seeing my picks for Nature Photo of the Week for the month of June.
Shadow: Arrowleaf balsam root with a shadow from Lake Tahoe, California.
Birth: Sunflower getting ready to burst out in blossom from my back garden.
View:Hiking across Big Meadow on the trail to Round Lake (Tahoe Rim Trail). This was a new hike for our family so look for a blog entry soon showing all of its beauty.
I am really enjoying seeing all of the participant’s posts to this Pinterest Board…so many interesting things from so many different families.
Thank you for all your hard work and participation.
Use the ideas from the Summer Series 2010 ebook to use all your senses in observing your summer weather: Summer Series 2010 – Summer Weather Observations.
There are lots of ideas in this challenge so pick one that fits your family’s interests. Don’t forget to make a follow-up nature journal page (there is a notebooking page in the ebook).
Special Activity: Photo Challenge
Summer Photo Challenge: This printable lists photo topics for your child to find and photograph. You can pick as many of the topics as you wish.
Wildflower Photo Hunt: This printable will list flowers to find and then capture in photos.
Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #1. Take a short walk this week and just enjoy the changing season. Make sure to follow-up with a discussion and then record three things in your nature journal that you want to know more about. Help your children find something to be interested in…even if it isn’t a tree!
Please note that this entry includes Amazon affiliate links.
and decided that it would be a fun long term project to take photos from every single location listed in this guide (like a need another project!). There are 32 locations mentioned in this book that we can look forward to experiencing through the lens of a camera (or iPhone in my case on this particular trip since I forgot the charger to my digital camera). NOTE: This is an older book that you can’t purchase new…there are a few used expensive copies on Amazon. I may switch over to a newer book like this one:
