Combining Two Loves - Science and Photography

I have just achieved a milestone. Combining my love for field science and photography, I have the incredible honor of being published in a first-rate Paleontology journal with a true leader in the field, Dr. Robert Weems. Our paper on amphibians and non-marine turtles from the miocene period was published in the July issue of the Journal of Paleontology.

 

(Click Here) to read the abstract.

 

My minor contributions to the work included two things - finding a humerus bone from a several million year old land turtle, and taking all of the photographs for the paper. Dr. Weems provided all of the scientific expertise, writing, and editing.

 

Here's the sample that I found:

 

Miocene Turtle Humerus, by Reed A. George

 

I met Dr. Weems through my association with Paleo Quest, a non-profit organization focused on education and scientific research, specifically in Paleontology.

 

(Click Here) to check out Paleo Quest.

 

What an exciting project! Thanks, Dr. Weems, for all of your assistance and support.

 

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Panasonic Wins TIP Awards for DMC-GH3 and DMC-TS5 - Can't Wait to Test the TS5!

Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) Awards

Image Source: http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/pressrelease/tipa_2013/

Panasonic has won the TIPA awards 2013 in two classes. The GH3 has won best Compact System Camera (CSC) award. This is an accomplishment, especially given the strong competition that Olympus has provided in this category.

Panasonic's DMC-TS5 has also won the award, in the Rugged Camera category. As I've written, I was chosen to test the new TS5, and am watching the mailbox every day until it arrives. I've already downloaded the app to connect to the TS5 with my iPhone. I'm ready to go out and get that camera wet and dirty - which won't hurt it a bit!

In the meantime, I have been covering the wet stuff with my DMC-TS3, the younger older cousin of the TS5.

Fossil Hunting, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

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Buy your own TS5 here, and help to support this blog!

Spring is Really Here! Time To Get Back Out in the Field!

 

Fossil Hunting Crew, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.6 OIS Lens at 25mm

iso 160, f11, 1/160 sec., fill flash on

 

Cabin fever has finally reached its end. Today (Saturday, April 27, 2013), I had the pleasure of taking my daughter and two of her friends out fossil hunting with PaleoQuest founders Jason Osborne and Aaron Alford, and Science writer Kerry Klein. It was a perfect day to be out at Calvert Cliffs, on the Chesapeake Bay.

 

PaleoQuest is a non-profit organization, focused on bringing science, particularly Paleontology, into the hands of students.

 

(Click Here) to check out PaleoQuest's very active approach to improving science education.

 

I shot this fun little video (click on it) of the kids showing what it's like to find a fossil shark tooth. Really, it just gave them a chance to goof off:

Video by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

 

Here's an example of one of the fossil shark teeth found on this beach, from the largest shark that ever lived, Carcharocles megalodon:

 

Megalodon Tooth, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso 400, f10, 1/800 sec

 

These are the cliffs, the source of all of the fossil material that ends up in the Bay and on the beach. This is a beautiful place, and I always enjoy being there.

The Cliffs, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.6 OIS Lens at 19mm

iso 400, f8, 1/160 sec.

 

 

Kerry recorded audio and took some photographs of the outing. Hopefully, we'll see and hear more of the trip in one of her upcoming podcasts.

Kerry Recording Audio, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.6 OIS Lens at 17mm

iso 160, f5.6, 1/1250 sec.

 

This was a great day. I find it increasingly difficult to find an activity that pleases three twelve year olds; this one did the trick. It was a blast to get out and combine family, friends, science, and photography into a single day!

 

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Lumix DMC-TS3 and I Go Fossil Hunting Again - Lots of TS3 Images

One of my favorite local activities here in Northern Virginia is fossil hunting. I'm very fortunate to have close friends who really know their Paleontology - both academic and in the field. For more on that -

 

(Click Here) to go to paleoquest.org, my friends' non-profit organization, targeting education in prehistoric science.

 

So, Jason Osborne and I headed out on President's Day for a day of fossil hunting near Liverpool Point in Maryland. I carried my Lumix DMC-G3 and 100-300 zoom in a backpack all day, never taking it out. I did, however, shoot little vignettes of the day, all day long, with my waterproof Lumix DMC-TS3. Here they are (pretty much straight from the camera):

 

 

Bird Tracks, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso 100, f10, 1/250 and 1/20 sec, respectively

 

Icicles, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso 100, 3.3, 1/1000

 

Yes, it was cold in the morning. However, there was essentially no wind, no cloud cover, and it got up into the 40s later in the day. All in all, the nicest day we've seen in a while.

 

Duck Blind, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso 160, f3.3, 1/1000

 

 

For some reason, I really like this shot. I knew I liked it when I shot it. Yes, the subject is centered, a compositional no-no. I like the "T" shape made by the combination of the dock and the horizon. I also like the bush sticking out of the roof.

These next two shots seem to me like they could have come from the desert southwest. I'm told this is likely holocene (recent) river bed.

 

 

Sedimentary Layers, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso 160, f10, 1/100 (both shots)

 

I thoroughly enjoy shooting with the TS3. I used iAuto pretty much all day, which means that I didn't make any decisions other than composition. The small sensor provides lots of depth of field regardless of settings (except in extreme closeups), so I can trust the camera to take care of exposure for me, and not worry about it. On these fossil trips, I'm usually carrying other stuff, and in this case had multiple layers of clothing to contend with as well. Having the little TS3 in my hand was so simple.

Speaking of closeups, again the small sensor and wide focal length lens allow you to get very close. Here are a few examples.

 

Barnacles (Modern), by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso 100, f10, 1/160

Turritella Fossil, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso 100, f3.3, 1/250

Tracks, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso 100, f10, 1/320

 

Oyster, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso 100, f10, 1/320

 

And here's the real goal - a shark tooth. This one was sticking right out of the cliff side. It's nice to find them this way, as the real Paleontologists can see which layer they're in. And, they're not worn down by wave and sand. Beautiful.

 

Tooth in the Matrix, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso 100, f10, 1/160

 

Unlike most days out in the field with Jason, we didn't find anything spectacular on this trip. But, we sure had a good time walking the shore, enjoying some sunshine, and having a laugh or two.

 

The TS3 was a useful tool for grabbing some images along the way. I hope you enjoy them.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

There's a newer version of the DMC-TS3, the TS4. I would recommend this camera for a nice balance of image quality and toughness (including shock resistance and waterproof operation).

 

Fossil Hunting in Maryland with the Lumix DMC-TS3

Erosion Forces, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

 
Last Sunday morning, I got up early and headed to a place on the Potomac River known as Liverpool Point, to do some fossil hunting. The video above shows the important parts of the scene - cliffs to the right, literally full of fossil material, the waves coming in from the left, day by day eroding into them. In the middle, beach, and awesome opportunities to find fossils that have washed out of the cliffs.
 
I packed up a Lumix DMC-G3, 14-140mm and 100-300mm zooms, and carried them in a waterproof bag on my back. I never took them out. The TS3 covered everything I needed to shoot. In fact, the TS3 did far better in closeups than I could have done with the G3 and the zooms I had. Of course, if I'd brought along the Macro-Elmarit 45mm f2.8, that would have been a different story. As it was, I just used the TS3, and never worried about getting it wet, etc.
 
Here's a cross-section of the cliff, showing just how dense the fossils are in places.
 

Cliff Cross-Section, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

 
This area is known for fossilized sand tiger shark teeth. Here's one sticking out of the cliff matrix.
 
 

Sand Tiger Shark Tooth, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

 
I also found a fossilized crocodile tooth - much less common. It's amazing to think that enormous crocodiles and sand tiger sharks once prowled the waters that are now the Potomac River. These ones were from the late Paleocene, approximately 55 million years ago.
 

Liverpool Point, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

 
It is great to be able to get out and hike the shore at sunrise, collect fossils from animals that lived there 55 million years ago, and be home in time for lunch (or nearly so).
 
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BUY YOUR TS3 HERE! CLICK THROUGH THE LINK BELOW.
 
 
 

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 Goes Fossil Hunting

Fossil Skull? by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso100, f3.3, 1/640 sec

 
I took my little DMC-TS3 to the beach yesterday, where it belongs. The waterproof feature makes it perfect for trips like this. We went looking for fossils, and found a lot. The one above is by far the most intriguing. I'm still conferring with the experts (not me) to decide what it might be, but I'm pretty convinced it's a skull of some type.
 
These deposits are from the Pliocene, about 2-5 million years old.
 
In addition to the big find, there were lots of great shell fossils to peruse.

 
 

Shell Fossils, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso100, f3.3, 1/640 sec

 
 

More Shell Fossils, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso100, f3.3, 1/400 sec

 
 
I loved how this eucalyptus tree grew on the edge of the cliff.
 

Eucalyptus on the Edge, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

iso100, f3.3, 1/400 sec

 
I am very pleased with the Lumix DMC-TS3. For all of these shots, I used the Intelligent Auto (iAuto) setting. They are all directly out of the camera, with no editing whatsoever. It couldn't be easier to get decent shots in good light. And, the GPS is also very useful.
 
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A Couple of Examples From the Fossil Shoot

In my earlier post today, I showed the setup I used to start photographing the fossil samples at the Calvert Marine Museum.  I thought it may be useful to show a couple of examples of the images taken.

Keep in mind, these are for scientific and not artistic purposes.  They were shot in the smallest file size available on the Nikon D700 (2,128 X 1,416 pixels) in order to save time and storage space.  I did my best to optimize the lighting to show the features of the specimens, using cross-lighting with two flashes.

Conradostrea Sp., Image 1

Conradostrea Sp., Image 2

Panopea Americana, Image 1

 Panopea Americana, Image 2

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