Yep! This is a post about frozen food. Just what you expected from this blog eh? It’s not quite the Salisbury steak dinner or pizza rolls you may be considering now, but indeed frozen food. When I took our dogs out this morning, we had a pretty good overnight frost. Recent rains brought lots of moisture. Not a great hoar frost event, but the ground was certainly very crunchy. I was eyeing various frost-covered leaves that might make for some good photos. With my last post about nutrients, and my wife and I finishing up our Michigan Master Naturalist certifications which had particular emphasis on the value of native plants and the food web they support, is it so strange that the crunch under my feet brought to mind the title of this post?
One of the texts for the course is Dr. Doug Tallamy’s Bringing Nature Home. He makes quite a compelling case for the need to prioritize native plants and why. One of the key reasons: native plants evolved alongside the creatures that depend on and support them. A non-native tree may support only a small handful of species, while a native one like an oak can support many hundreds, especially when it comes to feeding insects, and in turn, birds. So when it comes to biodiversity support, native offers a lot more bang for the buck.
Alien plants (as Tallamy calls them) do not have the natural predators (which some businesses have made a selling point of), therefore do not support the food web and can outthrive native species because they do not have predatory pressures. It takes a long time, if ever, for local species to evolve to eat them. Basically – it is a good thing to see some chew marks and holes in your tree’s leaves.
Leaves are of course a food source for a lot of animals. And when they drop, they become a food source for the decomposers of the world. So frozen leaves = frozen food. 🙂 See? Not crazy.
Mostly what I spotted were small details, so I opted for my trusty Nikkor 200mm f/4 ED IF Micro. I’ve had this lens for a long, long time. I bought it off eBay in 2008, but the lens has been around since 1993. Truly a workhorse macro lens that offers 1:1 magnification and great working distance (though usually not a problem for leaves). I like the tripod collar for exploring what framing works best. Built like a tank.
So I just wandered looking for things that caught my eye, which can be challenging when looking downward for long periods at piles of leaves. I’ve always thought that leaves lying on top of other leaves make for interesting photos (even with minimal frost – but very frozen).
Frosty edges and veins always catch your attention because of the contrast of white against largely dark backgrounds. They play the same role as compositional interest in a photograph. I also tend to look for leaves that have a bit of visual character to them. With winter just getting started, I am sure there will be more frosty opportunities coming up.
The leaf and frost studies are richly beautiful, Mark. How cool that the two of you have applied yourselves to the task of the naturalist certification course. I like the idea of pointing out that bite marks in leaves – or whatever native thing you see – are a good thing. It’s a good way of really recognizing life cycles, ecosystems, etc. Thanks for another very interesting post. 🙂
Thanks Lynn for your comments! I would qualify those bite marks to an extent. We tried to get some native Joe Pye Weed to grow in our yard this year and found it eaten down to the stems by either woodchucks or rabbits. So it might be one native that is not compatible with our environment – LOL.
I too congratulate you two on the completion of your Michigan Master Naturalist certifications. I doubt if I could memorize the scientific name either but all the other stuff would be wonderful to learn. Love knowing people want to accomplish such a goal. I was unaware of the alien and native plant idea. It all makes sense. I found it interesting when I read Braiding Sweetgrass how the native peoples knew so much more aobut nature. They knew what each plant could be used for and how to use it as a resource.
I do love your macro work with the leaves, Mark. I wish I had the macro lens but I spend too much money on my coffee shop addiction. At least I admit it!
Thanks Monte. Macro doesn’t have to be expensive. An add-on diopter to the front of a zoom lens is often enough. The harder part is on the back and knees. Then the idea of relaxing in a coffee shop is much more tempting.
Certainly a food for thought post (sorry for the bad pun.) Congratulations on the completion of your Michigan Master Naturalist certifications. I’m unaware of all that is involved, but it’s impressive. I’ve enjoyed the photos from your last couple of posts, Mark. They’re an excellent reminder that photographic subjects are all around us if we take the time to see them, big or small. It’s also lovely to see you still photograph with your Nikon D810.
Thanks! Though don’t let the certification impress too much – if anything I feel dumber than before we took the class! I’ve never been good at memorizing scientific names, the various types of habitats, etc. It was more or less and introduction to all the stuff you don’t know. Haha.
I don’t have a macro lens for my Fuji XT2, so I end up switching back. Both cameras are a bit long in the tooth by now, but they still serve my needs adequately. I’d like an articulating screen for working macro at times, just not enough to fork out money for a new body.
Great photos! After your last post I’ve noted more and more how many noisy, exhaust producing leave blowers I see being used in the neighborhood. Throwing away all that good food seems wrong. Who cares if there are leaves on the ground. There are supposed to be.
Maybe I should have included a link to ear plugs or noise canceling headphones (my solutions)? Haha. Thanks Howard!