Whitetail Deer Fawn in Black and White...

It has been raining pretty solidly in our corner of Appalachia for 5 days now. There was a brief break in the clouds today that allowed me to get out and clean up some debris from the weekend storms. Now we're back indoors waiting out the rain again. I did manage to get out and make more photographs of our resident deer fawn. Rain or shine, the animals of the woods need to eat. I was able to sneak around to the backside of my house on several occasions during the last few days to watch the fawn and its mother feed on jewel weed in less intense downpours. Using a 400mm lens and keeping still allowed me to get several shots before being noticed. I chose black and white to help simplify the scene. The tangle of colorful weeds and vines can sometimes create interesting textures. Other times the foliage can be distracting. I found black and white perfect for this particular situation. 

(c) 2015 Jon Reaves Photography

Whitetail Deer Fawn in the Rain...

This little guy has alluded my lens since July. I have had only glimpses since. Wouldn't you know that he would appear right in my back yard the day after I finish the film project? This isn't the sharpest image. I shot from behind my bedroom window. I didn't want to scare him off this time. Nonetheless, I am pleased with it. I watched as it meandered through the wilting jewel weed in the pouring rain, eventually slipping away into the dark hardwood forest. 

Whitetail Deer Fawn, Creston, North Carolina (c) 2015 Jon Reaves

One Exposure A Day Film Challenge Update...

I found myself hiking the Glen Burney Trail today, a place I knew I'd visit for the 24 day project. Today was Day 10. Instead of choosing to use my one film exposure on the magnificent natural wonder that is Glen Burney Falls, which rises about 20 feet out of a cool mountain creek, I turned my lens to a smaller and quieter off shoot of the falls. The rainy and overcast sky cleared as I approached the main waterfall, casting a harsh bright light on it. This left me searching for a more evenly lit subject in the shadows of the Rhododendron.
 

The last few days have gone relatively smoothly as far as the 24 day project goes. No more accidental fires so far! Of course, I wont know for sure what I have until the film comes back from the lab. I'll save the stories behind the photos since my last update for the reveal.
 

On my way back from the falls, I found these little mushrooms hiding in the exposed roots of an overhanging oak in neat little clusters. I couldn't resist pulling out the digital camera and making this exposure. As for tomorrow's film shot, I actually haven't a clue what I'll be looking for yet. We'll just have to see what nature throws at me. 

Mushrooms on Oak Roots, Glen Burney Trail, North Carolina

One Exposure a Day Film Challenge Update...

Today was day 4 in my one film photo a day challenge. Days 1 through 3 went pretty well (I'll save the stories for the blog entries at the end of the project). I made my first big mistake today. I was waiting for a swan to pose for me on Bass Lake and noticed a change in the light intensity. While pressing the shutter button half way to get a new meter reading, I applied a hair too much pressure and tripped the shutter. The F100's shutter button requires less pressure to fire than my digital cameras and I am not used to that. I have no idea what the exposure will be like. I can imagine it will be too dark, and maybe the swan will be in focus...maybe not. I wont know how big my mistake is until the film comes back after I complete the 24 days project. All I can do now is move forward and take it one frame at time. Lesson learned. There is always tomorrow.

After botching the film shot, I switched out the film camera for a digital body and shot a few exposures of a group of Black Ducks dozing by the lake. So, the day wasn't a total loss.

American Black Ducks (Male), Bass Lake, North Carolina

Ancient Creatures: The Dusky Salamander...

The little things are just as fun to shoot as the mega fauna. I was on my knees in thick black mud to get a shot of this 3 inch long salamander crossing a fallen log covered in moss. How many thousands or millions of years has this simple scene been playing out in the Appalachian woods?

Dusky Salamander, Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina

A Moment in Nature, Week 5-Full Moon

A Moment in Nature, Week 5-Full Moon from Wild Angle Media on Vimeo.
"A Moment in Nature" is a series of short films documenting peace and beauty in our natural world. I decided to poke through the archives of video clips I'd accumulated over the past several years and turn them into moment long reflections of experiences in nature. These shorts are designed to promote conservation of our wild lands here in Appalachia, as well as inspire folks to spend a little time in the great American outdoors. I will post one video in this series each week for the next ten weeks, ending on Earth Day, 2015. -Jon Reaves-Photographer, Filmmaker, Environmentalist

A Moment in Nature, Week 4-Red Spotted Newt

A Moment in Nature, Week 4-Red Spotted Newt from Wild Angle Media on Vimeo.
"A Moment in Nature" is a series of short films documenting peace and beauty in our natural world. I decided to poke through the archives of video clips I'd accumulated over the past several years and turn them into moment long reflections of experiences in nature. These shorts are designed to promote conservation of our wild lands here in Appalachia, as well as inspire folks to spend a little time in the great American outdoors. I will post one video in this series each week for the next ten weeks, ending on Earth Day, 2015. -Jon Reaves-Photographer, Filmmaker, Environmentalist

A Moment in Nature, Week 3-Winter Birds

A Moment in Nature, Week 3- Winter Birds from Wild Angle Media on Vimeo.
"A Moment in Nature" is a series of short films documenting peace and beauty in our natural world. I decided to poke through the archives of video clips I'd accumulated over the past several years and turn them into moment long reflections of experiences in nature. These shorts are designed to promote conservation of our wild lands here in Appalachia, as well as inspire folks to spend a little time in the great American outdoors. I will post one video in this series each week for the next ten weeks, ending on Earth Day, 2015. -Jon Reaves-Photographer, Filmmaker, Environmentalist

A Moment in Nature, Week 2 - The Pines

The Pines-A Moment in Nature 2 from Wild Angle Media on Vimeo.

A Moment in Nature, Week 1-The Land of Ice and Snow

The Land of Ice and Snow-A Moment in Nature 1 from Wild Angle Media on Vimeo.
"A Moment in Nature" is a series of short films documenting peace and beauty in our natural world. Inspired by the works of my favorite photographer, Jim Brandenburg, I decided to poke through the archives of video clips I'd accumulated over the past several years and turn them into moment long reflections of experiences in nature. These shorts are designed to promote conservation of our wild lands here in Appalachia, as well as inspire folks to spend a little time in the great American outdoors. I will post one video in this series each week for the ten weeks, ending on Earth Day, 2015. -Jon Reaves