Portfolio
From the Blog
Long Live Analog
The Holga. Some of my first forays into photography were on medium format film. The camera I used to shoot it was a Holga. For those of you who don’t know, a Holga is an entirely plastic camera (including the lens). Holgas are loved and derided in equal measure for their distortions, vignettes, light leaks, […]
Marzipan and Iodine: Sniffing out bioluminescence
Deep in Sequoia National Forest, just after the winter snow melts, in groves, meadows and grassy clearings, the stars of the night sky are reflected in the vegetation below. The source of this most natural light are hundreds of bioluminescent millipedes of the genus Motyxia. Only found in certain parts of the National Forest and at specific […]
Glowing Waters: A Microscopic Light Show
Towards the end of 2013 I went on a research cruise with Steve Haddock at MBARI to see the diversity and jaw dropping bioluminescent displays of organisms found in the mid water of Monterey Bay. To see some of the life forms we found on that trip, keep an eye on Steve Haddock’s Bioluminescence web page. […]
Fireflies of Lake Michigan
A lot of interesting animal behavior happens at the transitionary phases between day and night. At dusk in late spring and early summer, fireflies in Michigan begin to to illuminate meadows, gardens, and tree groves with their bioluminescent mating displays. Probably the most well known source of bioluminescence, fireflies are also the most photographed form of […]
Chromatophores: The mercurial colors of squid
While walking on the beach I came across a squid egg capsule, washed up on the sand. They are 4-5 inches in length, translucent white, tapered at both ends, and generally contain tens of squid larvae each. They should be planted in the sea bed, beyond the breakwater, but sometimes they break off and get […]
Fluorescence, not Bioluminescence!
Most of the time, photographing wildlife takes some sleuthing, and my latest expedition to photograph bioluminescent millipedes in the Genus Motyxia was no exception. These subsets of bioluminescent species are only found at certain altitudes in the Southern Sierra Nevada mountains, from Sequoia National Park/ Forrest, to the North of LA county. Using a paper […]
About Me
I make stories about wild animals, wild places, and the people trying to protect them. I am also a camera nerd with experience shooting long lens, infrared, thermal, macro, motion control, high speed, and time-lapse video, in addition to experience with all the best makes and models of cinema cameras: ARRI, RED, Panasonic, SONY, Canon, Z-cam, Vision Research (Phantom), Freefly, DJI. I own a shoot-ready selection of cameras (Sony FX6, Canon R5), lighting, and lenses ranging from 12mm to 800mm with a special penchant for Ronford Baker tripod heads to keep all those shots rock solid. My drone (Mavic 3pro Cine) and part 107 certification allow me to get those crucial aerial angles – I like having the right tools for the job, all of which are available for hire. My varied and well traveled professional experience is supported with a background in BSc Zoology and MA Wildlife Documentary Production.
Please contact me if you have any questions: elliot@mrlowndes.com +1 (650) 300-9417
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