Every year I struggle to choose the images for my calendars! It usually takes a couple of iterations to find the images that speak to me the most, look good in print, and reflect some of the highlights of my year out in the field. I offer 2 styles-a traditional style calendar in case you like space to write in and an art style, which is only images and calendar dates, more like a special, monthly photo gallery for your wall with a reminder of what day it is:) I don’t like adding information about the images in my calendars because I don’t want to take away from the images themselves, but people often want to know more about what they are looking at! Here are the images for this year’s traditional style calendar with a little information about them and where they were taken. Thank you for being here and for supporting my work!
FEBRUARY: Leather Star. I struggled to choose this image! I have a close up of their amazing skin that looks like an abstract painting that was in the running. In the end, I just keep being drawn to showing the whole animal in all of its beauty. Taken on the Olympic Peninsula.
MARCH: Purple Sea Urchins. Did you know that you will always find something purple the month of march in my calendars? That is because my best friend’s birthday is this month and it is her favorite color, so the march image is always dedicated to her! I love the texture of the urchin tests (their shell underneath their spines) and I loved seeing this one amidst all the living urchins around it. Take on the Olympic Peninsula.
APRIL: Seaweed Still Life. Spring is the BEST time in the PNW to go out and see seaweeds. They start blooming and growing, just like our plants do during the spring on land. These delicate, red, branching seaweeds are among my favorites. Taken on the Olympic Peninsula.
MAY: Giant Pacific Octopus Paralarva. I have become obsessed with night lighting (observing life off the docks at night) this past year. One of my favorite finds has been this planktonic stage in the life of an octopus. They are like tiny little jewels! Taken on San Juan Island.
JUNE: San Juan Stalked Jelly. I will let you in on another secret, June is my birthday month and I usually have a cephalopod on my calendars because they are my favorites. BUT, this year, this stalked jelly was one of my favorite images , so here we are! These tiny jellies have a stalk they use to attach to seaweeds, eelgrass, and even rocks, where they stay put. They use their sticky pom-pom arms to catch small plankton from the water to eat. Taken on San Juan Island.
JULY: Red Eye Medusa. These jellies are my FAVORITE little alien spaceships! Taken on Vashon Island.
AUGUST: Plumose Anemones. Lying on a floating dock, looking in the Salish Sea is incredibly relaxing. I love that this image shows the massive group of anemones and the reflection of the sky above. Taken in Bremerton, WA.
SEPTEMBER: Bull Kelp. Towards the end of the summer, you can see Bull Kelp in its reproductive phase. It develops patches called Sori that contain spores. These patches will eventually drop out of the blade and release spores when they land on the sea floor. Take on San Juan Island.
OCTOBER: Clown Nudibranch. I would be remiss if I didn’t include at least one nudibranch (sea slug) in my calendar! They are some of my favorite invertebrates to photograph. Clown nudibranchs have beautiful rhinophores (chemosensory organs) that look like fancy ruffled fabric. Taken on San Juan Island.
NOVEMBER: Hedgepeth’s Sapsucker. A sea slug, but not a nudibranch, these small beauties can be hard to spot. I love their rolled rhinophores and metallic blue-green spots. Taken on San Juan Island.
DECEMBER: Goose Neck Barnacles and Mussels. Real estate in the intertidal zone is limited, so animals have to live close together, forming dense communities. I never get tired of admiring the beautiful textures and colors of the rocky intertidal. Taken on the Olympic Peninsula.
