Conveying information and a great amount of detail in a single frame, an image is sometimes expected to describe a whole ecosystem. Done well, the viewer can explore, discover, and learn a great deal. For example, the behaviors and dynamics of life in a meadow: tiny creatures burrow and nest in the foreground of a broad scene, while larger animals and predators are seen in the distance. Camels in California? A pinon-juniper woodland transitions to desert scrub in the early Pleistocene, in a spontaneous watercolor-sketchbook style. My aim is to present a dense amount of information in a scene that still feels natural.

Images and notes by Krista Anandakuttan