LF Emberly Photography

09/25/2024

Emergency sunshine for a dreary day (but thank heavens, we need the rain!!)

09/18/2024

“Many eyes go through the meadow, but few see the flowers in it" ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'd reckon that even fewer look closely enough to find and appreciate these tiny beauties of the bog. While showy, bright flowers catch our eyes and capture our hearts, deep in the sphagnum hide these incredible, carnivorous beauties, the Sundews.

09/04/2024

Life is full of twists and turns. It never seems to go according to your plan. But sometimes, those twists turn into something beautiful. Yesterday was one of those days.

I wanted to be in the forest for the whole day- my soul has been needing so much time in nature. Jason lovingly volunteered to tend to the animals for the day so I could get out in the woods and have all the time that I wanted, but life had other plans. I didn't make it to the trail until nearly 6pm, and now, with the sun dipping sooner, it didn't leave me with much time. I grabbed my camera, though certain that the light would be too low to take many photos. I hit the trail- a shorter one than I had planned on, begrudging all the reasons I wasn't there sooner.

About a half mile in, I found a large flush of Jack O' Lantern mushrooms on a tree just off the trail. These big orange mushrooms are fun to find, but they're not edible, and somewhat unassuming during the day. However, I'd been told they bioluminesce at night. Being a science and nature nerd, I very much wanted to see for myself! The light was already getting low, and I knew if I stayed, I’d finally have an opportunity to see- but could I do it? I’d have to find my courage.

For as much as I love being in the forest, I really don’t prefer to be alone, especially at night. Maybe it was too many close-calls in the backcountry of Colorado. Maybe it’s just a longing for connection and sharing. But mostly, it’s my overactive imagination that gets the best of me, and convinces me that I am definitely going to be abducted by aliens or killed by an axe murderer. Despite imagining my demise in any number of ways, I decided to stay and see what I could get.

I had to get creative- with only a prime lens and a thick forest, I’d have to shoot from within a prickly patch of green briar. I’d also need a long exposure, and I certainly had not brought a tripod with me. To top it off, I have literally never tried photography like this before, and in the middle of the woods, I had no way to Google any tips or tricks.

I put my camera, and my courage, to the test. After some trial and error and several very blurry photos, I finally dialed in to a method that seemed to work. I pushed the button. I waited…. 30 seconds seemed like forever. Pitch black was all I could see on the back of my camera screen, and all I could see all around me. I thought to myself “If these mushrooms luminesce, I certainly can’t tell!” I didn’t even know if it would work. Then, to my surprise, the most beautiful image appeared in my camera! It worked! They glow! They really do glow!

As I packed up my gear and headed back down the trail in the dark, I thanked the forest for blessing me with her gifts, I thanked my heart for its courage, and I thanked the universe for leading me to an experience I would not have had if my day had gone according to plan. (And I thanked the axe murders and aliens for taking the day off.) Enjoy some of the most exciting photo’s I’ve ever taken of something completely sessile!

08/28/2024

I couldn't find a bonnet, so here's a bee in your blanket(flower)!

08/20/2024

A secret lunch spot. The best in town.

08/14/2024

07/25/2024

Great Spangled Fritillary visiting a patch of wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) in Laurel Hill State Park Complex

07/22/2024

Since the day I got my first DSLR camera I've wanted a macro lens. Somehow, I always made up an excuse to convince myself not to buy one, that I didn't really *neeeeeeeed* it. I finally decided to bite the bullet, and let me tell you, I'm in love! You may never see my face without a camera in front of it again!

Moral of the story, folks- Do the thing.

07/14/2024

Augochlora pura, the Pure Green Sweat Bee. While some may swat these tiny little pollinators that treat you like a salt lick in summer, I'm mesmerized by their shiny metallic green bodies and golden, pollen-covered legs! This one was captured collecting its breakfast on my dahlias.

07/09/2024

One of my favorite visitors! These little cool critters are called Hummingbird Clearwings (also known as a Hummingbird Hawk-moths). They are often mistaken for hummingbirds until you have a closer look! Unlike typical moths and butterflies, Hawk-moths beat their wings at an incredible 70-85 beats per second!