In the Field

Emerging from Winter's Darkness. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. April 3, 2013.

In my stomping grounds in SE British Columbia the emergence of crocuses is a sure sign that spring has sprung - and that the darkness (both figuratively and literally) of winter is waning. Each year I hunt for that first blooming wildflower of the year, and almost always it's a crocus (tho' this year the Early Buttercups gave them a run for their money - one day after I shot this image I saw a cluster of the bright yellow buttercups).

With my wildlife and landscape photography I always try to process my images in a manner that approximates the way the scene appeared to my eyes (using the only tool I have to do this - my memory). So...is this crocus "as seen"? Nope. What? Manipulated in Photoshop? Yep - in Photoshop and other places too! When it comes to flowers, well...to be fully honest, I don't hesitate to monkey around with the "look" of wildflower images (i.e., when working on a flower image during post-processing). BUT (and to me this is a critical "but") I always disclose what I do to an image. To me that's the critical issue - you should always be honest about what you've done to an image. It's YOUR image, you can do whatever the heck you want to it. But...it's my opinion that open disclosure should be the rule - after all, there's no need to lie about what you've done (and one could argue that highly developed skills in post-processing - even on the creative side of things - is just as valuable to a modern photographer as having solid image capture skills).

Alert: Digitally Manipulated Image: The soft, dream-like image you are viewing is partially the product of digital manipulation. For details on how this image was produced, see Bio: Techniques (look under the Wildflower Effect").

It is my policy to clearly identify ANY images on this website that overstep the bounds of digital correction and enter the territory of digital manipulation (see Voice: Commentary: Digital Correction vs. Digital Manipulation).

Behind the Camera

Emerging from Winter's Darkness. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. April 3, 2013.

Digital Capture; Compressed RAW (NEF) 14-bit format; ISO 250.

Nikon D600 paired with Nikkor 105mm f2.8 VR macro lens - hand-held. VR on.

1/100s @ f11; No compensation from matrix-metered exposure setting. Auto ISO engaged with shutter speed set to "Auto" (1/focal length of lens).

At the Computer

Emerging from Winter's Darkness. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. April 3, 2013.

RAW Conversion to 16-bit TIFF, including first-pass/capture sharpening and light noise reduction using Capture One Pro Version 7. Two raw variants (processed from raw) differing by a total of 1.2 stops in exposure.

Further digital corrections on resulting 16-bit TIFF files using Adobe's Photoshop CS6. Photoshop adjustments included compositing the raw conversion exposure variants, selective tweaks to exposure, and application of a series of adjustments I collectively refer to as "The Wildflower Effect."

Conservation

Emerging from Winter's Darkness. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. April 3, 2013.

Ten percent of the revenue generated by this image will be donated to Wildsight.

Species Status in Canada*: This species is not designated as at risk.

Prairie Crocus (Pulsatilla patens), which is also known as Pasqueflower, is a seasonally early blooming species with a very wide geographic distribution in North America - it stretches from Alaska in the north to New Mexico in the south. While it is widespread and reasonably common in the mountains, it is most abundant on the plains. In fact, dense stands of Prairie Crocus can be indicative of overgrazing. The Prairie Crocus is the floral emblem of both Manitoba and South Dakota.

This Prairie Crocus was photographed in the Columbia Valley of the East Kootenays. While this species is currently not considered at any risk itself, many ecosystems within the Columbia Valley face development pressure, including pressure from logging operations. Wildsight is an effective conservation organization that protects biodiversity and promotes sustainable communities in Canada's Columbia and Rocky Mountains. Support for Wildsight, through donation or becoming a member, will help ensure that they remain effective in their efforts to conserve threatened or endangered species and ecosystems.

*as determined by COSEWIC: The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada