Nature in Focus: Look Back at 2022

For many years I've looked back on the year in review and thought about all of the incredible adventures I've experienced and this year is no exception.

From dropping my talented and amazing conservation friend and real-life mermaid Linden Wolbert into the Pacific Ocean with hundreds of (harmless) Leopard Sharks to racing the fastest two-legged animal in the world, the Ostrich, there was no shortage of extraordinary, one-of-a-kind photography opportunities, and plenty of laughs along the way.

Here's a look back at some highlights from my adventures in 2022.

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January 06, 2023

By: Ian Shive

Show: Nature in Focus

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Photo By: Ian Shive / @tandemstock

Photo By: Ian Shive / Tandem

Photo By: Ian Shive

Photo By: Ian Shive / @tandemstock

Photo By: Ian Shive

A captive Snowy Owl in winter quarters at the Raptor Center, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey. They, too, migrate. No matter where you are in North America, there are different opportunities to see different species.

Two western bluebirds that I commonly see in the same area feeding, giving me opportunities to make really fun images.

Western Bluebirds also don't migrate, but they may move from higher elevations to lower elevations, and vice versa, as the seasons change, taking advantage of the climate and food opportunities.

Most people photograph flowers from above, but getting below a tiny flower also opens up a world of possibilities.

All around us are miniature worlds, if we are willing to get down on their level and look extremely close! This image was made with a special lens configuration that combines a 50mm macro with two extensino tubes, a 12mm and 25mm. Combined, these tiny little details of the flower become gigantic.

A native Texas Whooping Crane searches for food in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas. Whooping Cranes enjoy eating seafood like blue crabs, clams, and fish which is plentiful along the Gulf Coast. These cranes travel over 2,5000 miles each year to winter in Texas on the 115,000 acre refuge.

A snow goose prepares to take off in Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

Snow geese are some of my favorite birds. They are beautiful to photograph, fun to watch, and their large congregations make for dramatic imagery.

"Bosque" is what we call it for short, and the Bosque has much more than snow geese and sandhill cranes stopping through on their fall migration, as seen in this photo of a beautiful northern shoveler.

From the air you can truly appreciate the scale of this gathering of leopard sharks, which is one of the largest in the world. The drone operator not only was able to capture tons of sharks in each frame, but also photographed Ian Shive and Mermaid Linden as the sharks swam around them.

The money shot! Getting both a mermaid and a shark in a single frame is no easy task. Mermaids may be a mythical creature, but sharks don't have to become one, too. Using her "mermaiding" as a tool to educate kids and adults, Linden has helped draw attention to shark and ocean conservation efforts. Afterall, who doesn't love a mermaid?

Photographer Ian Shive helps Mermaid Linden out of the ocean, with assitance from drone operator Trystan Snodgrass. The tail adds 50lbs to Linden's normal body weight!

Baby ostrich are much gentler and friendlier, allowing you to pick the up and hold them. Perhaps a bit too cute for my goal of a quirky greeting card.

Ostrich eggs weigh 4-5 pounds and can sustain the weight of a full grown bird, over 350lbs. They are used to hatch new ostriches, supply restaurants, and sometimes make it into the gift shop as an ornament.

I used a handheld flash or strobe to light the ostriches while on my tour. The light helps pop the detail and colors of these incredible birds, giving a more "produced" look to the images.

Ruskin Hartley, Executive Director of the International Dark Sky Association holds two lightbulbs. Lights with a more blue color temperature, like the light in the foreground of the image, are more detrimental to the preservation of the night sky. Warmer colors, like a fire light, help preserve the night sky as their light isn't as impactful on light pollution.

To better understand the benefits of a dark sky, we traveled three hours north of Los Angeles - basically the middle of nowhere - with the hope of finding a very dark sky. As the sun finally set, some stars appear.

Stunning light shot up the valley on the hike down, revealing better photographic opportunities than I found at my target destination, Heather Lake.

A celestial visitor photographed on a moonless night, Comet Neowise is a magical sight.

This is the ultimate test to compare iPhone camera with my DSLR. It's amazing how well this came out, but still some limitations balancing the shadows of the bush on the rocks with the highlights on the mountain. I even tried to adjust this one a bit afterward, but the contrast range just wasn't there, even considering that I was shooting in RAW mode.