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Copyright 2002-2023. Susan Sachs Lipman. All rights reserved.
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Tag Archives: Photography
My Photo on View at International Center of Photography
I am thrilled that one of my photos was included in the exhibit ICPConcerned: Global Images for Global Crisis at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York. The show ran from Oct. 1, 2020, to Jan. 4, 2021, and featured photos from more than 65 countries, in response to events of this tumultuous time—a global pandemic, the Black Lives Matter and similar movements, the effects of climate change, the U.S. presidential elections and many more events that were felt and depicted in ways both epic and very personal.
My photo (above), “Golden Gate Market, 8:15 a.m. Sausalito, CA”, was taken on Sept. 9, 2020. That day, smoke from a series of wildfires on the U.S. West Coast gave the sky over the San Francisco Bay Area an apocalyptic orange glow for most of the day. I recorded some audio to give context to the photo.
The exhibit was organized and presented in much the way the photos from around the world were taken. Throughout the year, starting with the first shelter-at-home orders in March, the show grew to cover the gallery’s blank walls, which were denoted by month.
ICP describes “concerned photography” as “socially and politically minded images that can educate and change the world.” As a longtime fan of ICP and of this kind of photography, I was thrilled and honored to be part of the show. I was also very moved to participate in a presentation, during which ICP Director David Campany walked us through the exhibit, sharing the processes and all the images, which had the effect of making me feel more connected to and unified with the experiences of others whom I’ll never meet. Over the year, the exhibit grew to approximately 1,000 images. Future projects, such as a book, may be forthcoming.
See my gallery, Climate Change is Real, which includes the Sept. 9 photo.
See my photo portfolio at Suz Lipman Photography.
Exhibit photos: International Center of Photography
Beauty in Decay
When the calendar turned to April, two weeks into the shelter-in-place order that had become the new normal, I decided to take a break from work and leave the house for something other than a walk around my neighborhood or the weekly trip to the market. I would visit one neighborhood over, and I would drive.
Simply starting the car and backing it out of the garage were revelatory activities, behaviors from another life. There was my winter coat, in the back seat, where I’d left it. There were my notebooks and reusable grocery bags. I briefly rolled down the car window to breathe the fresh spring air–and then wondered if I should put it back up in case I ran into a neighbor from whom I was unable to stay six feet apart. I felt skittish driving, anxious about any encounters.
I drove to a stand of tulips I knew from over the years to be in front of a neighbor’s house. To my disappointment, they were largely gone. True, great splashes of color remained, among the thicket of bare stems. But they were frail and bent, far past peak, sun shining through their delicate crevices.
I was disappointed, of course. I’d stayed inside my house, in my neighborhood, for two-plus weeks and missed the whole show. Now I had the proverbial setback of having to “wait until next year”. I parked and walked over to the flowers anyway.
From close up, I could see the erratic, faded petals, frozen in mid-curl, the pistils and bits of pollen. The midday sun exaggerated the tulips’ veins where petals met stems.
The flowers were beautiful and dying and somehow fitting for this time. They fit the grief I had felt in the car, the grief and awe from merely being in a different neighborhood, a neighborhood right next to my own, where I used to go all the time and which now seemed newly fraught with danger in each set of approaching footsteps, as people walked around me with dogs or on phones, and kids skateboarded in the empty streets. Even as the April sun blazed and the world appeared especially peaceful.
I became absorbed taking pictures, something I used to do avidly at least weekly, often more, which I hadn’t done in almost a month. It felt good to be out in the world, even if still in my small corner of it. Even if the whole world had changed.
As I continued to shoot, new layers of decrepitude revealed themselves, my lens ever closer, as if I might be saved, at least momentarily, by focusing on increasingly small things that were within my control. A particular rotting husk, a translucent colorful thread, the way a curve of a petal could recall a woman’s scarf. In noticing those tiny things, for a devoted period of time, the world slipped away just a bit.
If we’re lucky, we live most of our days without thinking much about life’s fragility, about our own mortality, yet lately those things had become foremost in the news and in our minds. In the flowers, those ideas were made visible, yet also hopeful–even in their decay, the tulips were majestic, and even they would ultimately be reborn.
Photos: Susan Sachs Lipman
Posted in Nature, Odes, The Great Outdoors, Tulipmania
Tagged Coronavirus, Covid-19, Dead Flowers, Flower Photography, Macro Flower Photography, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, Tulip, Tulips
Take the F: An Appreciation
In his New Yorker essay Take the F, Ian Frazier describes life in his Brooklyn neighborhood and building, before relaying the story of a neighbor who had taken ill. While she was in the hospital, the whole building was “expectant, spooky, quiet”.
🍃
The neighbor finally returned, pale but on the mend. In celebration, Frazier “walked to the garden, seeing glory everywhere.” He “took a big Betsy McCall rose to (his) face and breathed into it as if it were an oxygen mask.”
🍃
I read this essay 25 years ago, and I still think about its life-affirming qualities often. I look forward to once again surrounding myself with roses, like these in the Sonoma (CA) Plaza, captured during the fullness of May.
🍃
What do you look forward to?
🌸🍃
Join the Great Backyard Bird Count
Looking for a great winter or family nature activity? Join the Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology‘s Great Backyard Bird Count Friday-Monday, February 12-15, 2016, anywhere in the world. Anyone can participate, even if you only have 15 minutes and are completely new to birding.
Here’s how it works: You can pick a spot to go watch birds (a backyard, a park, a trail, a marsh, or anywhere you think birds might be) or you can join an organized event. You can download a very thorough check list of birds that are likely to be seen in your area. You record the birds that you see and then go home and either send in your checklist or enter the names and numbers in online.
There are lots more tips about counting and recording birds, tricky identifications, binoculars, and much more on BirdSource’s Great Backyard Bird Count page. The site also features recordings of bird sounds and more activities for kids.
The All About Birds site has beautiful photos and information that can help you identify birds. These are the top birds that were reported during the count last year.
So, why count birds in the first place, and why now? The Cornell Ornithology Lab, the Audubon Society and others use the information from the annual February count to track the health of various bird species over time and, in some cases, take steps to protect them. Mid-February has proven a good time to count, as it occurs just before the major Spring migrations. If you find you like counting, you can actually help year-round on various projects.
Last year 147,265 bird watchers from more than 100 countries documented 5,090 species–or nearly half the possible bird species in the world! This year you could be part of the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Read about and see pictures of the 2010 Great Backyard Bird Count.
Make a valentine feeder for the birds.
Get ideas for other great citizen science projects like Project Feeder Watch.
Photos: Painted Bunting and Green Honeycreeper by Doug Janson, Flame Colored Tanager by Jerry Oldenettel, Blue Jay: Creative Commons, Northern Spotted Owl by Susan Sachs Lipman
Join the Great Backyard Bird Count
Looking for a great winter or family nature activity? Join the Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology‘s Great Backyard Bird Count Friday-Monday, February 13-16, anywhere in the world. Anyone can participate, even if you only have 15 minutes and are completely new to birding.
Here’s how it works: You can pick a spot to go watch birds (a backyard, a park, a trail, a marsh, or anywhere you think birds might be) or you can join an organized event. You can download a very thorough check list of birds that are likely to be seen in your area. You record the birds that you see and then go home and either send in your checklist or enter the names and numbers in online.
There are lots more tips about counting and recording birds, tricky identifications, binoculars, and much more on BirdSource’s Great Backyard Bird Count page. The site also features recordings of bird sounds and more activities for kids.
The All About Birds site has beautiful photos and information that can help you identify birds. These are the top birds that were reported during the count last year.
So, why count birds in the first place, and why now? The Cornell Ornithology Lab, the Audubon Society and others use the information from the annual February count to track the health of various bird species over time and, in some cases, take steps to protect them. Mid-February has proven a good time to count, as it occurs just before the major Spring migrations. If you find you like counting, you can actually help year-round on various projects.
Last year 142,000 bird watchers from 135 countries documented nearly 4,300 species–or about 43% of all the bird species in the world! This year you could be part of the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Read about and see pictures of the 2010 Great Backyard Bird Count.
Make a valentine feeder for the birds.
Get ideas for other great citizen science projects like Project Feeder Watch.
Photos: Painted Bunting and Green Honeycreeper by Doug Janson, Flame Colored Tanager by Jerry Oldenettel, Blue Jay: Creative Commons, Northern Spotted Owl by Susan Sachs Lipman
Join the Great Backyard Bird Count
I am very excited about the Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology‘s upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count. It takes place Friday-Monday, February 14-17, all over North America. It’s a great family activity. Anyone can participate, even if you only have 15 minutes and are completely new to birding.
Here’s how it works: You can pick a spot to go watch birds (a backyard, a park, a trail, a marsh, or anywhere you think birds might be) or you can join an organized event. You can download a very thorough check list of birds that are likely to be seen in your area. You record the birds that you see and then go home and either send in your checklist or enter the names and numbers in online.
There are lots more tips about counting and recording birds, tricky identifications, binoculars, and much more on BirdSource’s Great Backyard Bird Count page. The site also features recordings of bird sounds and more activities for kids.
The All About Birds site has beautiful photos and information that can help you identify birds. These are the top birds that were reported during the count last year.
So, why count birds in the first place, and why now? The Cornell Ornithology Lab, the Audubon Society and others use the information from the annual February count to track the health of various bird species over time and, in some cases, take steps to protect them. Mid-February has proven a good time to count, as it occurs just before the major Spring migrations. If you find you like counting, you can actually help year-round on various projects.
Last year more than 17,400,00 individual birds were reported by more than 104,000 people. This year you could be part of the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Read about and see pictures of the 2010 Great Backyard Bird Count.
Make a valentine feeder for the birds.
Get ideas for other great citizen science projects like Project Feeder Watch.
Photos: Painted Bunting and Green Honeycreeper by Doug Janson, Flame Colored Tanager by Jerry Oldenettel, Blue Jay: Creative Commons, Northern Spotted Owl by Susan Sachs Lipman
Tidepooling with Kids: The Best Ways and Places to Explore Undersea Creatures
The undersea world is always fun to explore at low tide, when creatures like barnacles, crabs, periwinkles, and sea stars, who are normally underwater, become revealed. This summer, those of us on the North American coasts are in store for a great show, as there will be some very low tides, or minus tides, at times of the day and year when we can get out and enjoy them. My home, San Francisco Bay, will enjoy minus tides this June 9-13 and June 23-27. Check one of the tide tables below for tides in your area.
How do Tides Work?
Tides are influenced by the moon, whose gravity pulls at the oceans each day as the Earth completes its daily spin. That pull creates a high tide at the portion of the Earth where it occurs. Most places experience two high tides each day. The second one occurs when the moon’s gravity pulls on the spot exactly opposite it on the Earth. (The second high tide is usually not as high as the first high tide.) Low tides occur when the moon is first rising in the east, or setting in the west, and the strong pull is happening elsewhere. Full or new moons usually create higher high tides and lower low tides than moons in other phases.
Reading a Tide Table
Tides are relatively predictable, but not entirely, as they can be altered by factors like temperature, air pressure, storms, and wind. A tide table is like a forecast, as opposed to a rigid schedule. That said, tide tables are usually fairly accurate. Most tide tables read in military time (a 24-hour clock), rather than using a.m. and p.m. Tides are measured in feet, so a 2.0 tide means that the water is two feet high.
The intertidal zone, which is what you’ll be exploring, is the area that is revealed during a low tide and covered during a high tide. You can begin to see some creatures in this area when the tide is as low as 1.5, but your best bet for seeing a show is to visit when the tide is listed as a “minus tide”, which is an especially low tide. Try to time your visit to arrive before the time listed, so you catch the tide going out. Generally it goes out (becomes lower) for about two hours, and comes back in for an hour and a half, so that’s the window of time for the visit. You need to be aware of the time and the tides, especially if the beach you’re exploring is one that can become cut off from access during high tides, or is known for tides that rise quickly. (The best beaches for exploring intertidal life with children have easy access, even during high tides, and are not known for large waves or drastic changes. That said, visitors still have to be aware of the tides and the time.)
These are some fairly accessible tide tables:
U.S. East and West Coast tide table, search by state
San Francisco Bay Area tide table
There are others online, and others that can be purchased at bookstores and marine-supply stores in calendar form.
Be sure to follow any links to the adjusted times for different spots up and down the coasts, as the tide times change based on exactly where the tide hits.
Who Lives in the Intertidal Zone?
When the tide retreats, sea creatures can be seen clinging to, or underneath, rocks. These animals, as well as intertidal plants, are especially adaptable to their changing conditions. They are often also colorful and unusual. The animals you will likely see include limpets, which stick to rocks high in the intertidal zone, and their relatives, the chitons. Children may identify periwinkles, which have a snail-shaped shell, and tough barnacles, which cling to rocks and other surfaces. You may see sculpins, which are tiny fish, moving in the extremely shallow pools, or prickly sea urchins, or everyone’s favorite, the many kinds of starfish (sea stars). There will likely be many types of crawling crab. And you’ll probably also see anemones, which open and close around food, or a gently placed finger, and which squirt a bit when touched.
The best way to identify these various creatures is to pick up a field guide to local sea life at a bookstore or library. Some places also sell easy-to-reference cards that can be worn around the neck, saving you from fumbling with a book while out along the shore.
12 GREAT Tidepool Spots
Some of the largest of these feature more than one great tidepooling beach.
Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego, CA
Leo Carillo State Park, Malibu, CA
Morro Bay, CA
Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay, CA
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Moss Beach, CA
Duxbury Reef, Bolinas, CA
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Newport, OR
Olympic National Park, Olympic Peninsula, WA
Kapoho Tide Pools, Big Island, HI
Bahia Honda State Park, Bahia Honda, FL
Hunting Island State Park, Beaufort, SC
Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, ME
Tips for Making the Trip Enjoyable and Preserving the Habitat
Tidepools are very sensitive environments that are easily damaged or even destroyed, so it’s important for visitors to be aware of the fact that they will be walking among, and probably on, living creatures. Remember that you are a guest in the animals’ habitat. It will also help to follow these tips for respectful visits:
Look before you walk to try to avoid stepping on barnacles, mussels, and other creatures. Walk carefully for your own safety and to protect all the tidepool life.
Leave animals where they are. Don’t pry them off of rocks. Removing them from their habitat could be very dangerous to them. Many don’t survive once removed, even if people think they are placing them back in their spots.
Also leave shells, rocks, plants, and other marine life in its place, as much of it serves as homes to the sea life.
Do not bring household pets to the tidepool.
Do not disturb other animals, like seals or birds, that may also be present.
Other tips to help visitors stay safe and enjoy the experience include:
Try to find a good guide book ahead of time so you can acquaint yourself with some of the marine life you may be encountering, and possibly bring the book for use at the tidepool.
Be sure you’ve planned your trip to arrive before low tide and leave before the next high tide.
Stay aware of the tides. Keep an eye on the waves as the high tide is coming in.
Tidepools are slippery, so wear shoes with good traction that can get wet.
Dress in clothes that can get wet and keep you warm. It could be windy or chilly.
Take the time to really observe the tidepool life. Lots of animals are not immediately apparent to visitors.
Something about the act of tidepooling in the early morning hours invariably leaves our family hungry. Plan to stop for breakfast or lunch on the way home and talk about all the marine life you saw.
For more tidepool photos see:
Photos by Susan Sachs Lipman
This activity was adapted from Fed Up with Frenzy: Slow Parenting in a Fast-Moving World, which contains 300+ fun family activities.
Welcome Spring!
(Updated for 2016: Spring will occur Monday, March 20, at 10:28 UTC, or 6:28 am, Eastern Daylight Time.)
Spring is almost upon us. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Vernal Equinox will officially occur Wednesday, March 20, at 11:02 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This corresponds to 7:02 am, Eastern Daylight Time, and 4:02 am on the West Coast.
During the twice-yearly Equinox, the tilt of the Earth’s axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, and the Sun is vertically above a point on the Equator. (The name “equinox” comes from the Latin for the words “equal” and “night — on these days night and day are approximately the same length.)
Spring conjures growth and new life, play, beauty, flowers, and the return of the sun and longer days. There are many simple ways to honor spring, from dancing a maypole dance to dyeing eggs.
Celebrations of spring happen all season, of course, as buds bloom on trees and the tulips, daffodils and other bulbs planted in the dead of winter show their cheery, colorful heads.
In my neck of the woods, wildflowers and spring bulbs have recently popped their heads up to welcome this expansive and lovely season. Here’s hoping for a pretty, play-filled spring where you are.
As I often do, at times of seasonal change, I turned to the haiku poets to help give gentle expression to the turning of the year.
Now wild geese return …
What draws them
Crying, crying
All the long dark night?
-Roka
From my tiny roof
Smooth … Soft …
Still-White Snow
Melts in Melody
-Issa
Good morning, sparrow …
Writing on my
clean veranda
with your dewy feet
-Shiki
Opening thin arms …
A pink peony
Big as this!
Said my bitty girl
-Issa
Photos by Susan Sachs Lipman
Posted in Deck Garden, Holidays, Nature, Porch Swing, Seasons, The Great Outdoors
Tagged Equinox, Haiku, Nature Photography, Photography, Spring, Spring Equinox, Vernal Equinox, Wildflower Photography, Wildflowers
Join the Great Backyard Bird Count
I am very excited about the Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology‘s upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count. It takes place Friday-Monday, February 15-18, all over North America. It’s a great family activity. Anyone can participate, even if you only have 15 minutes and are completely new to birding.
Here’s how it works: You can pick a spot to go watch birds (a backyard, a park, a trail, a marsh, or anywhere you think birds might be) or you can join an organized event. You can download a very thorough check list of birds that are likely to be seen in your area. You record the birds that you see and then go home and either send in your checklist or enter the names and numbers in online.
There are lots more tips about counting and recording birds, tricky identifications, binoculars, and much more on BirdSource’s Great Backyard Bird Count page. The site also features recordings of bird sounds and more activities for kids.
The All About Birds site has beautiful photos and information that can help you identify birds. These are the top birds that were reported during the count last year.
So, why count birds in the first place, and why now? The Cornell Ornithology Lab, the Audubon Society and others use the information from the annual February count to track the health of various bird species over time and, in some cases, take steps to protect them. Mid-February has proven a good time to count, as it occurs just before the major Spring migrations. If you find you like counting, you can actually help year-round on various projects.
Last year more than 17,400,00 individual birds were reported by more than 104,000 people. This year you could be part of the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Read about and see pictures of the 2010 Great Backyard Bird Count.
Make a valentine feeder for the birds.
Get ideas for other great citizen science projects like Project Feeder Watch.
Photos: Painted Bunting and Green Honeycreeper by Doug Janson, Flame Colored Tanager by Jerry Oldenettel, Blue Jay: Creative Commons, Northern Spotted Owl by Susan Sachs Lipman
Snapshot: Fourth Of July
Posted in Community, Holidays, Seasons, Snapshot
Tagged 4th of July, Flag Photography, Fourth of July, Holiday, Independence Day, July 4th, July Fourth, Patriotic, Photography, USA