Category Archives: Nature

Cascade’s Night Life

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The things I find on  my porch at night….

A frog in the eaves of my porch.

A frog in the eaves of my porch.

So here I am trying to find some light reading about the frogs of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. Sadly, I can’t find anything. In the back of my memory – amongst all the clutter – I vaguely remember reading that many species of Jamaica’s frogs are endangered and vital members of the ecosystem.

Feeding time.

Feeding time.

Hanging by the light

Hanging by the light

You are probably wondering why I am thinking about such things. Well the answer is really very simple – while on my porch earlier this week I noticed quite a collection of the creatures hanging around my light, on the ceiling and on the window. This inspired to take out my camera and practice my night nature photography.

I’m also hoping that someone might identify these little creatures and  tell me if they are of any interest. So please feel free to send me any info. that might help me to identify them.

Climbing up my window

Climbing up my window

Immersion at the Inaugural River Breeze Workshop

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A spirit of camaraderie characterised the three-day River Breeze Photography workshop held last weekend in the Buff Bay Valley of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. Based at River Breeze cottage at Cascade, the three participants immersed themselves (at times literally) in all of the activities. Friday morning saw sessions that focused on DSLR camera familiarisation, creative composition and light interpretation and included a short climb to the nearby One Drop Waterfall. The day ended with a night photography session on the grounds of the cottage.  [slideshow id=8]It was an early wake-up the next morning to catch sunrise at the upper Buff Bay Valley followed by a critique session. After lunch we made our way to the Maroon village of Charles Town where the students were exposed to an integral part of Jamaica’s history and culture. That night ended in the coastal town of Buff Bay, formerly the capital of the defunct parish of St. George.  Sunday was a full day, with some of the stops including Fish Dun waterfall, Birnamwood Anglican Church and Avocat. At the end of the weekend, the portfolios were presented and all of the students had very strong work that highlighted their creativity and drive as well and also illustrated the Buff Bay valley. Here is a link to two of the students’ work and above are the students in action.

Poisonous Beauty

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Last Saturday I took a group of students to the Palisadoes strip, a tombolo that connects the old pirate town of Port Royal to Kingston. The aim was for them to gain a greater appreciation for the qualities of natural outdoor light and also for them to photograph creatively, applying compositional and lighting guidelines on a beach at sunrise by Plumb Point. However that morning I came across a discovery that I had not seen before, although I have been taking photography students here over several years.

A Portuguese-Man-of War on a beach on the Palisadoes Strip.

While simultaneously keeping an eye on the group and giving them individual advice one of the students walked up to me from the beach with two plastic-looking objects in his hands and asked me “what are these?” I admitted that I had no clue, but I found them highly photogenic. I then messaged the family’s resident zoologists who eventually informed me that  they were Portuguese Man-of-Wars. Big brother then added “they sting very bad. Even after death”. I  wish I had known that BEFORE I picked them up to compose them ‘just right’. In spite of popular belief, the Portuguese Man-of-War is not a jellyfish but is in fact a colony of organisms known as a siphonophore. The gas-filled bladder (pneumatophore) is normally above water and below are the venomous tentacles, composed of nematocysts. For more information, you can check this National Geographic page.

Beached Portuguese-man-of-war at Palisadoes

Another one of many

 

Beached Portuguese-man-of-wars with tentacles attached.

With tentacles attached.

Fortunately the two found by my student did not have their tentacles attached, where their sting is housed. However, as I walked along the beach I noticed quite a few more, some which did have their tentacles.Yes, I did photograph all of them, challenging myself to be as creative as I expect my students to be.

Later on I found out that it is quite common for  Portuguese Man-of-Wars to be beached and when this happens, public warnings are made in order to avoid any fatalities. I have never heard of such a warning in Jamaica, which highlights the need for such public education.

 

A beached Portuguese-Mar-of[-War at Palisadoes
Attempt at composition.