Michael Ramsey

Unido: 21.jul.2020 Última actividad: 14.ene.2024 iNaturalist

Most of my photos are taken on day trips and here more recently during overnight camping trips.On the top of my priority list is to go somewhere outdoors I can get exercise.This may be running a 5k distance,mountain biking,hiking or kayaking.I log all my miles on the iphone with an app.As I travel along the trails I observe the ground and the forest canopy above also training my eyes to pearce as far into the woods as possible sometimes spotting a wild turkey or a deer only by their subtle movement in the distance.In the forest I look for large old trees daydreaming about somehow stumbling into an old growth forest.Once exiting the forest hoping to come upon a hill covered in multicolored wildflowers and grasses displaying the spectacular diversity of the landscape this land once had everywhere.I think of the indigenous people who lived here and how so long they inhabited the land and preserved the quality until the end.
I have mostly chosen to leave my camera gear at home to use the iphone for capturing photos.The iphone has just became too convenient as I can move fast and unimpeded by extra gear,the trade off being the lack of a telephoto lens and more resolution.My typical trip starts with searching on the internet for new places to see or to revisit a location I have already been too before.Most day trips fall within 1-½ hours from home.I always carry a hydration pack except when running.I have removed the bladder and replaced it with a 32oz plastic drink bottle which can be switched out periodically.
I think the grasslands and prairie have captivated me more than anything.It’s a feeling of great excitement when I stumble onto a remnant patch of tallgrass prairie.It’s often along a railroad track,a highway or county road and sometimes a clearing in the woods.It’s a feeling of something from far in the distant past.Like a flickering candle about to flutter out.Most of these areas have no protection at all.I look for what I call the iconic prairie indicator plants,and where one species is found other regionally rare plants will likely be in the mix.I truly believe there should be a more specific county by county classification of the population status of many of these iconic plants,and any remaining prairie fragments should be documented and mapped while there is still time.What I have found is that many of these indicator plants outside of prairie preserves,state parks and wildlife management areas have vanished to only small random unprotected areas.These prairie plants are usually not listed as threatened due to their existence in more abundance in other counties or states.Some examples of forbs are rattlesnake master,pale purple coneflower,compass plant,blazing star(liatris),wild hyacinth(camas),sage,and grasses like big bluestem and indian grass.
Update May 2022. I have started using a Nikon DSLR D5100 for some photographs. The resolution on these will be far superior to the iphone.

microfog no está siguiendo a nadie