This Week in Iowa Nature

Turtles begin to hibernate in soft mud; snakes retreat to dens in burrows and rock crevices and under logs.

Jean C. Prior and James Sandrock, The Iowa Nature Calendar

Plant of the Week

Yellow flax

Linum sulcatum Riddell

other common names: grooved flax

Linum: the classical name for this well-known genus, which includes the species known in ancient times for supplying the fibers for making linen

Sulcatum: meaning “furrowed,” from the conspicuous ridges or grooves of the stem

Flax family: Linaceae

Photograph by Thomas Rosburg, Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie: The Upper Midwest, Second Edition

An Interview with Thomas Rosburg: Part 2

What advice would you give to younger nature photographers? What are the particular challenges of being a botanical photographer?
I teach nature photography at Drake and Lakeside Lab, so there is a lot I could say. In short, I stress 3 components that make an image aesthetic – 1) understand your equipment and how it works, what to use when, correct exposure is critical; 2) understand the role of content in an image, especially elements of design and light quality; and 3) understand the key features of composition, for example, depth of field, perspective, and viewpoint.

Plants are very accessible, but photographing them can be challenging due to bad light and wind. There are several ways of dealing with these problems with the use of accessory equipment. Or quite often, getting out in the field early in the day can make the difference. There is a lot of truth to the saying “the early photographer gets the image.”

What are your favorite natural areas in Iowa and the Midwest? What areas do you return to constantly, and what’s your favorite newly visited area?
The state preserves are generally my favorite areas because they offer the best examples of our native ecosystems. These are the places that provide the best opportunities for plants and landscapes. On a larger scale, both the Loess Hills and Paleozoic Plateau landforms offer exceptional opportunities for nature photography.

Areas close to home are the places I return to repeatedly – Ledges State Park and Doolittle Prairie State Preserve are good examples. A newly visited area that has a lot of promise is Whiterock Conservancy in Guthrie County.

Thomas Rosburg, photographer, Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie