Photography Spotlight: Shannon Mathis with mi.amore.foto

Shannon Mathis is a photographer from Tallahassee, FL and a long time best friend of mine. She has an extremely talented eye when it comes to photography.  Especially when it comes to capturing moments of purity and love. She does fashion photography, boudoir, senior and family portraits. Because her keen sense of understanding people and her ability to capture love and emotion in such a beautiful way, her wedding and engagement photos really shine!

Check out a few sample photos here but you should definitely go to her website at http://miamorefoto.com/blog/ and see much more of her work!

http://miamorefoto.com/blog/

An Exploration of Zoos

 A home for animals or a place to view animals? There can be a difference. I think the Jacksonville Zoo (where I am subsequently from) does a good job at keeping natural habitats for the animals but I can’t help but feel guilty as I walk through and look at what small spaces they actually are for such expansive creatures, some with long roaming capabilities.  This goes for most zoo like properties. This is, of course the nature of the beast when it comes to education first hand and in many cases these animals have actually been rescued or would no longer survive in the great outdoors.  I have a friend that works at the zoo in the gardens, and they are continually trying to beautify the location and do a great job in doing so. This allows for special updates on the animal news which certainly makes it feel closer to home. There are two particular zoos that I feel have gone far and beyond in my opinion (well… that I have been to anyway) for creating a really great habitat for the animals while minimizing the ‘animals on the other side of the glass’ type feeling.


One such location is located in Seattle Washington. http://www.zoo.org/

The Woodland Park zoo struck me right away, it didn’t ‘feel’ like a place where humans come just to view the animals. It felt like I stepped [relatively] into their backyard and perhaps was even being viewed by the animals. Often times I felt concerned that an a nimal was too close or able to just jump a simple low wood fence to get to us.
The difference is the way it is built. What looks like a place without nets, chains or large fences is actually really smart engineering. They built deep motes just on the other side of the hill where the small fence is, this creates the illusion that there is barely any barrier. Trust me, when it comes to seeing bears or wolves like this is can take you back a bit.  (photos I took from actual zoo)
As I roamed this beautifully rich, natural environment, I felt as though the animals were playful, learning and even happy.  There was a woman who sat and drew pictures to an orangutan. He watched her intently; she held up the picture of her hand (drawn), then showed him her actual hand. He would then look at his hand and put it to the glass on hers. A  few children sat back and watched in wonder, as did I. It was a really personal moment and wonderful to see people interacting and communicating with the animals! 
 


         There is something very special about that interaction that I fear some places may not hit on as strongly.  The Elephants for examples had a very long, large lock of land that just kept going and going. There were of course some pitfalls and some smaller exhibitions which to me is the evil side to good.  Particularly when I come to the cheetah’s for example, in any park I instantly feel it slightly unfair. But it would be very difficult to have a place for us to come and see these animals first hand and learn about them, if it were limited to space. Truth is, for so many animals space will continue to be an issue.  I commend zoos though, who really do try to go far and beyond to make the environment not only comfortable and inviting to us, but to the animals!

There is another type of zoo I recently visited which was on a much smaller scale but also with a lot less animals. It is in our backyard of Florida in Tallahassee.  The Tallahassee Museum is home to the local animals found in Florida, like the Florida Panther and Black bear and others such as certain native birds and reptiles.  I love taking my kids there because it feels like roaming the back woods of Florida, even with the marsh and Bald Cypress trees.  The trails are natural and it feels minimally invasive to the species. http://tallahasseemuseum.org/


I think there will always be a debate for eco-critics as to whether zoos play more evil or good. The ideas of caged, trapped and limited animal capabilities, or controlled environments compare/contrast with the positive ideals of hands on education, first hand site, rescue, positive research and care.  I believe positive, progressive steps in nature such as the Sierra Club and putting land back to protect animals is a great form of protection for natural habitat and in turn many species. In relation to our zoos however I cannot argue against them because of how much good ‘can’ come from these sanctuaries, zoos and the sort. They are hospitable places for, sometimes many otherwise endangered species.  The question of whether zoos are cruel to animals may continue to arise but I believe as long as we strive to keep animals safe and build our knowledge of them, as well as continue to find ways to improve the system, it will be for the good.


           If there is any true evil to animals, I think it would be wiser to focus our attention to the cutting down of rain forests and pushing habitats out or driving them out completely for commercial or residential building. A prime example here in Florida being the everglades. There was a time when folks were trying to turn the wetlands to land, but then wonder and complain about the alligators in their backyard.  Then in turn say it needs to be killed. The truth is: it was their home and is really no wonder at all.  Of course Florida is taking some really strong initiatives to restore the everglades and that is commendable. http://www.evergladesplan.org/index.aspx
           
It seems it is always easier for us to turn a cheek when the human interest is at heart and perhaps that is because we see ourselves as the dominate species. But I certainly encourage others to think about our interplay with the environment- particularly the animals. Even if each person does one small thing to encourage that thought or try to help in some way I think that the whole will certainly make a difference.

Check out your local zoo site for information of ways to get involved.
 
Some other good sites:
http://www.defenders.org/
http://www.sierraclub.org/
10 simple ways to help your community: http://www.aspca.org/adoption/ten-ways-to-help-animals-in-your-community.html
Please share any ideas you may have to help animals, community or personal stories.

• What is YOUR favorite Zoo?

Epic Beauty of Yosemite: A Perfect Proposal

I'm in love with everything Yosemite.

Here is a link to LA Times article, showing beautiful photos year round at Yosemite National Park

The photos are stunning!!

Another great way to see Yosemite from afar is the Facebook fan page: Yosemite Facebook where you can see fellow nature lovers different views of the amazing backdrops and hear stories of hikes up half dome or back country. 

My personal story would be the hike to Vernal Falls on the Mist Trail where my boyfriend popped the question. I was so awestruck by the pounding sounds of the waterfall and the beauty of the area that I didn't notice he was messing around with his pockets trying to get something out. I also didn't realize that my brothers, "Oh my god!" and "This is so great!" were actually in reference to his taking a knee and not to the awe in which I was still sucked in to. I thought my brother was taking a photograph of us so when I turned around and saw my man down there, I though what are you doing, he won't be able to get both of us in the photo ... Then it finally struck. And the story went down in the books.

Even beyond our romantic tale, it truly is a magical place just sitting in the valley, looking out. It's the kind of place stories come from! It is by far the most beautiful place I have ever seen. It is a place that instantly upon sight, conjures mystical tales of adventure and fantasy and displays how the power of nature can effect us. I'm a firm believer everyone should go at least once to take it in for themselves!

When it comes to the history of such a treasured National Park, we can heed our thanks to the early champions for its virginal nature and environment such as John Muir, or naturalist enthusiasts like Henry David Thoreau. We now have monumental parks that we can stand in the midst of and continue standing in awe of; in the wake of this natures beauty. And it is because of the nature lovers before us, like these. These are examples of writers that gave us knowledge about the power of the outdoors to move us and reasons why it should be protected. In Thoreau’s Walden, he proclaims that “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

In this same way, I suppose that drive is also what led us to the Northwest for a two week trek into nature; visiting natural places of wonder. One of the first stops was a grand entrance into the majestic Yosemite. The roads, little by little, became more and more winding and smaller as the drive went on. The hills turned into mountains within a few measly miles, and the fight against car sickness was inevitably getting tougher as the turns, turned to hairpins. But then it happened, we cleared one particular turn and there it was—the most beautiful scene I have ever laid eyes on. At this point it was evident that we were not the only ones dumbstruck by its immense beauty. As we pulled off the road to stare at the sight, car after car did the same. We would get out of our cars, eyes fixed ahead over the valley's of streams hundred’s... no, thousands of feet down. They were surrounded by tall, regal-like granite walls, white and reaching to the heavens. Waterfalls cascaded over the edges, falling gloriously to their fates below.

I think even just in recounting this conjuring memory...this is what Thoreau must have meant, for I surely felt alive at this moment. It was easy to see why John Muir fell in love with this place; why he felt the landscape spoke to him like the gospel, and its words reached his very soul. Its descriptions are insurmountably indefinable, even within the definitions of beauty and awe.

Photography Spotlight: Sean Yates

It's time to send my praise over the internet waves for my brothers AMAZING photography. His name is Sean Yates and lives in Los Angeles, working mostly as an editor for music videos, commercial and film. The above site is some of his 'hobby' work which can be seen on Sean's Deviant Art. Even though his profession is in the film industry, it's very apparent that he just has a niche' for looking through a camera to capture something spectacular and moving on the other end.