Entries filed under 'nature'

Is It Ever a Good Idea to Stretch? How About Cooling Down? Recent Studies Offer Clues

Author Gretchen Reynolds, the inquisitive Phys Ed columnist for The New York Times, has been evaluating studies on stretching recently. In brief, pre-exercise static stretching: not so good. Now Reynolds responds to a reader’s question on the topic: Is there any time that stretching is beneficial? ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on April 26, 2013 12:44 PM & Tagged Gretchen Reynolds, New York times, Stretching, cool down and nature | permalink | Comments



Art + Nature = Inviting Outdoor Spaces

What’s the most noteworthy mashup of artwork and the outdoors that stands out in your mind? Sunset magazine has published a list of 17 examples in the West that might interest urban dwellers with a fondness for arty landscapes. What great art-nature blends does your city have to offer? ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on February 11, 2013 4:15 PM & Tagged art, nature and parks | permalink | Comments



Enter Sandman: The Bedazzling Sand Art of Jim Denevan

Ever see a beach or dry riverbed briefly transformed into a canvas? Jim Denevan, a native of Santa Cruz, Calif., is a master of this ephemeral craft. As detailed in this just-published Q&A with Bay Nature magazine, showcased in a 2008 profile from CBS Sunday Morning (see video below) and displayed on his own website, Denevan, a surfer, chef and organic farmer when not creating artwork, uses rakes and other tools to etch temporary masterpieces (often likened to crop circles) into natural ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on February 16, 2012 2:51 PM & Tagged Jim Denevan, art and nature | permalink | Comments



A Pro's Tips and Tricks on Insect Photography

Yep, I'll admit it; I'm a bug peeper.  Being a nature photographer, I've always found insects to be some of my favorite subjects. I follow them around traipsing through my backyard or local nature center's flower garden with my camera in hand. They're fascinating to watch as they busy themselves nectaring on plants or sunning themselves on warm rocks. As summer comes to a close here in northern Minnesota, dragonflies and butterflies (that's a male monarch shown above) are caught up in a frenzy ...

Posted by Dudley E on September 23, 2011 12:04 PM & Tagged Photography, butterflies, dragonflies, dudley edmondson, insects and nature | permalink | Comments



A Nature Photographer's 5 Easy Tips for Better Shots

High-megapixel cameras are everywhere these days (even on smartphones), but they don’t help much if you have some bad shooting habits. And, unfortunately, most of us do. I have been a professional nature photographer for nearly 20 years, so the REI Blog asked me to share some of my surefire tips for taking better pictures. Just in time for your spring outings, here are my 5 favorites: 1. Patience. Pace yourself. When you get to a new place everything seems to be screaming out “take my ...

Posted by Dudley E on April 1, 2011 2:10 PM & Tagged Black and Brown Faces in America's Wild Places, Outdoors, Photography, dudley edmonson and nature | permalink | Comments