Bonnie Rannald's Photo-Explorations in focus with nature. : kodak

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Roaming Free

WILD BURROS OF NEVADA

A hike in the desert along one of the many natural streams may reveal a group of wild burros quenching their thirst. Burros are curious by nature and most of the time, if they feel unthreatened, will pose for the camera with their heads high and long ears forward. However, on a few rare occasions, I have been warned by the burros not to come any closer. During a hike at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, I came upon a large group of at least 20 wild burros foraging in an ash grove. As I was preparing my camera, I noticed the herd come to attention and stand their ground, while several began to make snorting sounds. I slowly turned around and retreated to a different trail. I believe in allowing wildlife their territory and taking photos only when the animal is unaware or gives consent. When I’m tracking wildlife, I will use a long focal length lens, either a Nikon 80-200mm F/2.8, or a Nikon 500mm f/4.0. Both lenses allow animals to be photographed up close and personal without invading their space.

Wild burros are not indigenous to the southwestern desert, but are descendents of the African Wild Ass, which was introduced to the Americas in the 1500’s by the Spaniards. The present day wild burro has inhabited the area and thrived since the 1800’s when they were either turned loose or escaped from miners who used them as pack animals for gold and silver prospecting. The hardy, sure-footed modern day wild burro adapts well to the desert’s arid conditions where sources of digestible food are limited and water is even scarcer.

The ability to locate food in a barren terrain allows the wild burro to sustain its diet on dry foliage in the winter months. During the hot summers, when temperatures average 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the burros find shade along streambeds where vegetation is plentiful. If available, their preferred food sources include native grass, Mormon tea shrubs and Palo Verde leaves. A wild burro can experience a 30 percent loss of water, and then become rehydrated in as little as five minutes.

A wild female burro can give birth to one foal a year, after an eleven-month gestation period. Although birthing can occur anytime during the year, it happens most often from June to July. On average, a wild burro will grow to approximately 400 pounds, reach about half the size of a horse and have a life span of around 25 years.

Because of the low number of natural enemies, populations of burros in the wild have grown to around 10,000. A mountain lion is the only natural predator to mature wild burros, but coyotes have been known to prey on the immature, sick or those too old to defend themselves. Due to their increasing numbers, some agencies consider wild burros to be a nuisance and destructive to the fragile desert environment. Many wildlife biologists blame the wild burros for the decline in a number of native plants and animals, including the Bighorn Sheep.

Wild burros, along with wild horses, are protected under the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971. This act mandates the protection, management and control of wild, free-roaming burros and horses on public lands at population levels that ensure a thriving ecological balance. To keep the population in check, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) places wild burros up for adoption each year through the National Wild Horse and Burro Program.

For additional information, please visit the following links:
www.wildburrorescue.org/
www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov/
www.digital-desert.com/wildlife/wild-burro.html

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

Many of these images are available on my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/

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Saturday, February 28, 2009

Kodak's Newest Film

Ektar 100

Kodak’s newest film, Ektar 100 is becoming a favorite among traditional photographers and in some opinions it exceeds all expectations. Made for 35mm cameras, Kodak promotes the Ektar 100 as the finest grain color negative film available, and through implementation of the Kodak Vision Motion Picture Film Technology, it produces ultra vivid, highly saturated colors. The only criticism I have found is that the film tends to give off a blue color cast when under exposed areas are in shade.

By emphasizing its enlargement capabilities when scanning and printing, Kodak is enticing the digital enthusiasts back to film. When I was shooting film, I was a fan of the Kodak Ektar 25 that was around in 1990’s. It was also fine grain and had great color saturation. Since it was a slow speed film, tripods were usually a must. This film did not make the cut, and was soon taken off the market. The biggest problem that I encountered with Ektar 25 was that most labs had difficulties with the color reproduction. I then changed over to AGFA 50, which became my film of choice for both 35mm and medium format. In my opinion, AGFA 50 was by far the best color film on the market. At 50 ISO, it was very fine grain, and had superior color reproduction with warm saturated colors. As proof of this statement, I had a 35mm negative enlarged to 30x40 inches. When comparing the larger print to the smaller size prints, the colors and resolution are equal. “Joshua Blooms at Red Rock” was taken on cloudy June afternoon, around 3:30pm. The camera was a Nikon 8008s with a Nikon 24mm 2.8 lens set at f/11 on a sturdy tripod, and the shutter speed was 1/15 a second.

Joshua Bloom at Red Rock, NV

Unfortunately, AGFA also discontinued production of AGFA 50 and their Optima II100 was promoted as the closest replacement to AGFA 50—which in my field testing did not even come close.

The question is, will I dust off my film cameras and give Kodak’s Ektar 100 a chance? Well, only if it is developed for medium format, because other than shooting with my Hassleblad and some of the AGFA 50 that I have on ice, I do not intend to return to negative film. The 35mm digital format more than satisfies my needs as a landscape/nature photographer, when I shoot in the RAW mode. The color accuracy, resolution and enlargement capabilities are more than adequate to reproduce my photographic images. Furthermore, there are no negatives with the potential for getting scratched or fragile with age. And, a big reason for not returning to film cameras is that I do not have to open the back of my camera after 36 exposures to change film. This has always been a worry to me, considering where I do most of my photography: outdoors, in the desert, around sand dunes, along creek beds, by waterfalls, often during rain, thunder and snow storms.

It is unfortunate that Kodak has only designed the Ektar 100 for 35mm cameras. Maybe if it is successful on the market, Kodak will make it available for medium format and then I will give it serious consideration.