Relationships
There may be a handful of hermits out there who hole up away from the rest of society and shun connections with other people. The rest of us crave relationships and for most people family connections are the ones that matter the most. Those connections run deep – think about all the people doing genealogy research to learn about their ancestors. Relationships span time and distance. The return of a parent or child after an absence is a joyous occasion and cause for celebration. Continue reading
The most compelling photos are often made eye to eye with the subject. That means that if you’re photographing a child, pet, or small plant you’ll want to get down low so your camera’s lens is roughly at the same level as your subject’s eyes. If it’s a flower then that’s your eye level. 
This month we’ll explore a whole genus of plants rather than single species. They’re the Erythroniums and there are species that grow in a wide range of habitats all across the country. I first learned them as Dog-tooth Violets in the mid-Atlantic forests. Various members of the genus are also called Trout Lily, Adder’s Tongue, Fawn Lily, Glacier Lily, or Avalanche Lily. No matter what you call them they are members of the Lily family. 
Steve asked me one of the hardest questions about using small digital cameras: “How can I focus on a flower close-up and have the background soft?” Unfortunately this is one area where pocket cameras are weak, but it’s not an impossible task. There are really two issues involved here. One is that the autofocus system often wants to focus on the background rather than the subject you’re aiming for. The second is that with a small sensor you get a short focal-length lens which equates to great depth of field. 
Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest, which came out in 2006, continues to sell well. Its in at least its 5th printing and has sold over 17,500 copies as of December 31, 2009. If you don’t have a copy yet, or want to give one as a gift, you can order autographed copies from me online at