Blue Planet Photography

I purchased a program called Proshow Gold, buy Photodex (www.photodex.com) to produce some slide shows for presentations, clients, etc. I’d seen the program used in presentations previously, and one of our Idaho Photographic Workshop programs was a demo of the program. I was impressed by its flexibility and finally purchased it after I returned from Uruguay. Although it is PC only, which is ok since I use a PC, it does hamper things when folks try to view the show on a Mac, on which the plug-in doesn’t work. I hope that Photodex adds a mac-compatible plug-in in the futhre since that would increase the viewership at least.

The full length show is about 25 minutes long. For the web I’ve created a shorter 4 minute show that will give you an idea of the areas we covered on the trip. You can find the show at my Photodex share page. Be aware that the download will take several minutes (around 5, depending upon your connection speed), so please be patient. Let me know what you think.

It’s about that time again. The current site really was meant to be temporary when I started a redesign a few years ago. That’s what happens when the sole proprietor is working all the jobs in the pool. I’ve already made some small changes; a new index page, a couple updated links that go to my gallery, and a new logo graphic. Other modifications will be to the color scheme and layout, navigation, making it easier for me to add new works, and a reduction in the number of links (maybe). My thinking is that I’ve gotten a bit heavy on the links again, so I’ll be trimming those down, removing some that haven’t received much traffic and adding new ones, such as a blog and gallery link. I also want it to be easier for me to upload new images in all categories. I’ve been trying out the Gallery2 application and it works pretty well for viewing. I wish it was easier to integrate my shopping cart for print purchases, but I’m still looking into that.

It won’t be a drastic change, but every few years, it’s good to have a new look. I’ll finally be making a print purchase page so it will be much easier for visitors to purchase prints online. There will be three groups of prints available for sale; OE (Open Edition), LE (Limited Edition - 250), and SE (Special Edition - 25 or less). Most prints will be available as OE, with a smaller number as LE, and a handful of images per year selected by me as SE.

If you have any suggestions or comments regarding the current website and/or what you’d like to see in the future, let me know. I’m always open to suggestions.

Now that it’s summer, photographers aren’t the only creatures out and about. As we’re scrambling through and over forests and rocky areas, poisonous snakes pose a potential danger that could ruin your day.

In North America, there are two familes of venomous snake, the Crotalidae and Elapidae. The Crotalidae are the pit vipers; rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths (water moccasins). Some crotalids (rattlesnakes) use a tail rattle as an avoidance warning. The remaining crotalids do not. Elapids, the coral snakes, are brightly colored and can be confused with a non-poisonous snake, the king snake, which exhibits similar coloration.

The first rule for avoiding snakebite is common sense. Leave snakes alone. They won’t bother you if you don’t bother them. If you are unsure whether the snake is venomous or not, and the snake is in an area where others may come into contact with it, such as a neighborhood, call your local animal control or wildlife agency. Don’t attempt to capture or kill it. Most bites occur when people try to capture a snake or get a closer look at it. When I was a park ranger in Colorado, two construction workers on a site outside the park were sent to the hospital with rattlesnake bites. The first one saw a snake in a bush and reached in to grab it, thinking it was a bull/gopher snake, and got bit. The second one reached in to get it so they could identify whether it was poisonous or not. And got bit.

Even a bite from a non-poisonous snake can become infected and cause health problems. So, unless you know what you’re doing, it’s better not to harass snakes.

Some pointers:

• If you’re going to be walking in brushy areas or tall grass in habitats where snakes are likely to be present, wear tall leather boots. Stay on hiking trails whenever possible.
• Don’t reach into areas you can’t see, like under rocks or logs, into cracks, holes, or bushes.
• Be careful and observant as you step over rocks or logs, rimrock edges, waterbreaks on trails, climbing on rocks or scrambling on rocky hillsides and slopes. Some snakes, like water moccasins, are found in and near water. So be cautious around swimming platforms, floating logs and vegetation, undercut stream banks, and low overhanging vegetation. Snakes will take advantage of the cover these structures provide to hide from predators, hide from prey, cool off in the shade, or warm up in the sun of early morning or late afternoon.
• Become knowledgable about the biology and habits of snakes, which are cold-blooded reptiles. During the morning and late afternoon hours and at night during the summer, snakes are more likely to be seen or occur in the open as they warm up in the sun or are out hunting. During the heat of the middle of the day, snakes will be under cover. During cold winter months, some snakes congregate in large groupings to overwinter. Having knowledge of snake biology and ecology will help you avoid encountering one unexpectedly, and help you become more appreciative of the role they play in the environment.
• If you encounter a snake, retreat slowly and give it at least 6 feet as you walk around it.

Not all venomous snake bites result in the injection of venom. Venom is metabolically costly to produce for the snake, so if just a bite is sufficient to discourage the harrasing person/animal after a bit of rattling or other display didn’t work, it works out best for the snake. Also, the timing or aim of the snake may be off and venom is squirted harmlessy away from the victim or onto clothing. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to tell right away if venom has been injected, so your best bet is to get to medical treatment as soon as possible, regardless. Most deaths and long-term complications from snakebite have occurred when people have not sought medical treatment soon enough.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration and WebMD if you are bit by a snake, general first aid is reccommended:

1. Wash the bite area thoroughly with soap and water. Inspect the wound for broken teeth (remove if possible) and dirt.
2. Remove constricting items, such as rings, jewelry, tight clothing that could restrict blood flow if swelling occurs.
3. Keep the affected area lower than the heart and keep movement to a minimum.
4. Call 911 or transport to the nearest medical facility as soon as possible.
5. If you are not able to reach medical treatment for more than 30 minutes, apply a constricting band (NOT a tourniquet) two to four inches above the wound to help slow the spread of venom. the band should be loose enough to slip a finger between the skin and band.
6. A suction device can be used (included in many snakebite kits), but the time taken to use the devide and its effectiveness may be less than getting to treatment right away.

 DO NOT

1. Apply ice to the bite. It can be potentially harmful.
2. Apply a tourniquet. It’s not necessary and could cut off blood flow completely, resulting in loss of the affected limb.
3. No electric shock. Studies have not proven its effectiveness.
4. No incisions (cutting) of the wound. It is not effective and could result in further damage.

Being aware of your surroundings not only helps you in your photography, but keeps you safe as well. Have a safe and enjoyable summer!

I’ve finally transferred the relevant old posts from my old Blogger blog. These include my Baggley Park public art project progress posts from October - December, 2006, some commentaries, environmental articles, sensor cleaning tips, photos of the day, websites of the week, reviews, and other stuff. They are all categorized as well, so you can browse by month or by category. I haven’t reviewed them all to make sure they imported seamlessly, so if you see anything amiss, please let me know and I’ll correct it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started back on my public art project in May once the weather warmed up and dried out. I’m nearly finished with the east side of the building, with only one more image to paint. The images on the east side are (L-R) George Baggley in Turkey (1966), George Baggley receiving the National Park Service Distinguished Service Medal from Secretary of the Interior Stuart Udall (1968), a photograph I took of a bicyclist on the Boise Greenbelt (in progress).

The process has been a long one, and I underestimated the time it would take to complete the project. Of course, starting in October didn’t help much, either. I worked at it as long as I could before the cold put an end to if for the season. In December I was painting in thermal underwear and fingerless gloves, trying to keep the paint warm enough with a heater so I could paint a thin line. It was like painting with chocolate pudding, sometimes!

But, I think the mural is representative of the life of George Baggley and an asset to the park and the surrounding neighborhood. I’ve received lots of positive comments from park visitors, some of whom stop by regularly to check on my progress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

George Baggley receiving the National Park Service Distinguished Service Medal from Interior Secretary Stuart Udall in 1968Â