Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Smithsonian Magazine: December 2022
Select from a story I shot this past summer for Donny Bajohr, a photo editor at Smithsonian magazine. I have a long history with Smithsonian, dating back to my first story in 1987. I even met my wife on assignment for the magazine. (she was the subject).
This image is of Blackwater River near Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on Maryland's Eastern Shore. In the middle foreground you can see the white tree remnants at the edge of the old forest.
Researchers from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center are conducting long-term climate change studies on sea water rise and how it impacts forests in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Ghost forests are created by salt water intrusion that kills the trees.
The story was a mix of drone aerials, landscapes, researchers in the field plus portraits.