iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 16h

What a way to wake up! The sunrise was full of cumulus. Some shots in IR black and white, some in color. #photography #infrared #blackandwhite #clouds

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Any other #photographers out there making calendars for customers? I had a nice year last year using Gelato but ended up spending A LOT of time repackaging 13x19” calendars. I’m looking for a good printer that does a mid-fold or spiral 12x9”. How do you handle your calendar products? A few shots.

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

"The whole country...[is] paying attention to what is happening here," Sanders said. Prop 40 is on the ballot for Nov 3 in California. It would create a one-time 5% tax on billionaires to fund healthcare, food assistance, and education. 14% of voters are undecided. #yesonprop40

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Tonight, Sen. Sanders & Rep. Khanna led a San Francisco rally for Prop 40, a one-time 5% tax on billionaires to fund health care, food assistance, and public education. Sanders positioned this as an all-eyes-on-California moment. I was credentialed; here are some of my images. #billionairestax

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

And, because I'm just bad at this, I sent out two substacks the same morning...my newest, newest Apochromatic on leaving Threads and Instagram and my trip to Lassen National Park. apochromatic.substack.com/p/seeing-the...

apochromatic.substack.com

Seeing the signal in the noise

Creating better habits through photography

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I love 28mm for street photography, but it sure is challenging! My newests Apochromatic on the trials and tribulations of 28mm. In other news, I may get a Ricoh GR IV because it's hard. #streetphotography #sanfrancisco #street apochromatic.substack.com/p/28-hate-or...

apochromatic.substack.com

28. Hate or great?

The challenge of wide angle street photography

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

In late summer and early fall, something special happens out at Point Reyes National Seashore: the Tule Elk rut. Recently, I spent a day documenting these stunning animals. Hopefully you can hear them bugle! #wildlifephotography #wildlife #nature #animals

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

T-minus a few weeks and Yosemite is going to look like this! Cannot wait for my annual fall trip. My favorite season in the park. #nationalparks #yosemite #fallfoliage #autumn

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I love looking through my images. It’s like a daily reminder that the wild animals of this amazing planet do not need AI to look incredible. Just someone with patience and appreciation to document them. #wildlife #wildlifephotography

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Have you ever needed a little boost of creativity? In my most recent entry in Apochromatic I explore how creating constraints can spark creativity. I took a 40 year old manual focus lens to the Marin Headlands and shot only black and white. It was refreshing apochromatic.substack.com/p/looking-ba...

apochromatic.substack.com

Looking back to look forward

On a whim, I picked up two iconic lenses to use with my Nikon Zf.

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

It was a crazy trip. 10 hours driving; one night camping. But I had to do it. I needed that alpine air and wide open vistas. I hiked up to the top of Lassen Peak, 10k ft above my home in Berkeley just in time to catch the sunrise #LassenNationalPark #BlueskyPhotography #NationalParkGeek #BumpassHell

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

I just realized something. I felt a swell of hope for the first time in a long, long time. I think tonight is going to be a big one in the journey of getting America back on track.

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

Some of my images from today’s midday rally at San Francisco City Hall. #sanfrancisco #ice

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

I spent Sunday evening walking trail in Marin, first in Point Reyes and then on Mt Tam. It never ceases to amaze me what you can find when you are alert, present, and alone in the wild. Don’t forget to get outside when you can. #wildlife #california #nature

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Look, when you've got to go, you've got to go... Black crowned night herons dumping in flight. #birds #wildlife #birding #nature

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

You never know what you’re going to see at an osprey nest. A mom & dad were incubating eggs and it was dad’s turn to sit. The female brought a whole fish to the nest. The dude ate for a bit and then, after a bit of time, she was back and grabbed the fish and flew off. #birds #wildlife #nature

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Reposted by Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁

WalkMassachusetts @walkmass.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Join us on the 3rd Wednesday of each month for our WalkMass Network webinars. This month, Matthew Raifman, PhD (@wildcalifornia.bsky.social) shares about national disparities in traffic fatalities and role of active mobility and autonomous vehicles. Registration link and more info: walkmass.org

WalkMass Network 5/21, 1pm - National Disparities in Traffic Fatalities: the role of active mobility and autonomous vehicles. Featured speaker: Matthew A Raifman, PhD Transportation Safety Researcher, University of California, Berkeley

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

A dense fog rolled through the hills. I walked, gear in hand, searching for the evening's subject: a Great Horned Owl. I both saw one everywhere and nowhere at the same time, as every pine needle bunch and tree nook took on a lifelike appearance in the dark. Then I saw one. #birds #nature #wildlife

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Watch this amazing tern rotate its body 180 degrees in preparation for a dive into the water. It keeps its head in the exact same position while reversing its wing orientation. I captured this sequence in Marin, California. #birds #wildlife #natureii

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

An American Cliff Swallow banked and showed me its beautiful profile. #birds #wildlife #nature

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Black-crowned Night Heron coming in for a landing. Absolutely one of my favorites. #birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlife #nature

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

This morning’s subject: black crowned night heron. Absolutely stunning birds and snagged some solid sunrise light to boot! #birds #wildlife #nature #california

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

I took three cameras to Yosemite, and the one I kept grabbing for was the Nikon Zf in black-and-white mode. Just perfect straight out of camera. #landscapephotography #nikonzf #yosemite

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

Today I captured some footage of a Pacific Wren and its nest in California. I slowed it down to 1/4 speed because these little guys are fast. Hope you enjoy! #birding #birds #nature #wildlife

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

The extreme drama of Yosemite Falls as a storm cleared. This weekend had very challenging but rewarding conditions that pushed me as a photographer as the weather shifted between overcast, rainy, and snowy by the minute. #landscape #yosemite #nature

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

I went to Yosemite this weekend. It was cold, rainy, snowy at times, and the waterfalls were raging. #landscapephotography #nature #yosemite

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

California Quail. I see them (and hear them) everywhere right now! I captured one on video calling out to share. #birds #nature #wildlife

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Cormorants are one of the most striking birds out there. A foggy day provided a unique opportunity to take a shot like this. If you ever need to differentiate between a cormorant and an anhinga, remember the cormorant has a C shaped terminus to its beak! #birds #wildlife #nature

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

Swallows are truly incredible birds that dart around at breakneck speed. To capture their motion here, I shot at an astonishing 120 fps. What happens in less than a blink of an eye can be slowed so we can process it; one of the things I love about photography. #birds #wildlife #nature

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

Western Bluebird taking a moment to rest after finishing off a centipede it caught in a field below. I watched as they dropped below, grabbed a meal, and flew back to their perches to eat in safety. #birds #wildlife #nature

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

I had the pleasure of photographing one of my favorite birds this week: the Acorn woodpecker. They design “granary trees” over decades with little holes made by their beaks. Then they work together as a community to fill the trees with acorns for later. #birds #wildlife #nature

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

Lifer for me. American Cliff Swallow. Was hoping to spot a few of these sometime soon. They are breeding in California right now. #birds #birdphotography #wildlife #nature

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

Is there anything more elegant than a swan in classic pose? Perfect conditions this morning for a reflection shot! #birds #birdphotography #wildlife #nature

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

At the end of the day, I like to sit in the backyard. The sun dips behind the fog, reappears, and tucks itself in for the night behind the hills. The birds have gone to bed save for this hummingbird. It's at this time that the light hits him just right to show off that iridescence. #birds #nature

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

Cal looking mighty fine today. Peak cherry blossoms at the UC Berkeley campus. Not a bad walk to a meeting. 🤩 #ucberkeley #california #springtime

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

I’m Matt 👋 a 40 year old wildlife and nature photographer and this is how I spend my Saturday nights. Stop doomscrolling, take a breath, and spend a minute listening to two Great Horned Owls call to each other as the sun goes down in Northern California. And turn your sound on! #birds #wildlife

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

That eye! Black-crowned night heron at a nearby march in Northern California.

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

A marsh wren, elusive little ones, claims its territory with a call while making a nest in the reeds. #birds #wildlife

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

This is step one: rescinding PhD offers. The next step will be laying off soft money-funded researchers. Next: public health schools will close. The consequences will be myriad. It’s hard to overstate how bad this is for American and the world. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

nature.com

US universities curtail PhD admissions amid Trump science funding cuts

Nature talks to prospective students left in limbo as some institutes withdraw offers and put applications on hold.

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Sometimes you catch just the right moment. This ring-billed gull had just caught a pipefish and was taking it somewhere safe for a meal. At first I thought it was a stick! #birds #wildlife #nature #birdphotography

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

One of the things I’m working out with my #wildlife photography is to include a little bit more context and environment in my shots. This bobcat was working its way through a grassy field in the rain hunting for vols. It moved completely silently and didn’t seem to notice that I was there.

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Male common merganser. Always nice to spot a male one (for some reason I always see more females) and catch it in flight too! #birds #wildlife #nature

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

American White Pelican portrait. Used the super telephoto for this one. #birds #bird #photography #wildlife

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Does BlueSky still need hashtags? Or is post categorization coming from text mining?

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Matt Raifman, PhD 📷 🦅⛰️🍁 @wildcalifornia.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a river otter at our local spot in Northern California, but there were back with a vengeance this past weekend. I saw four of them goofy around. This one popped up to say hi.

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