Marisa Ishimatsu
All the photos were taken by me, of wild animals, all over the world.
My name is Marisa Ishimatsu and I am the photographer behind StonePine Studios (“Ishimatsu” means “stone pine” in Japanese). I am a biologist with a specialty in reptiles, amphibians, and the biodiversity of my home state of California.
I spend my time working as a biological consultant in Northern California and travelling to ecosystems all over the world. I have currently been to Peru, Honduras, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Japan, India, Namibia, and Spain with Uganda and a second trip to Namibia in 2024. If you’re interested in joining my on my tour to Namibia, please visit the tour’s website.
Keep an eye on the events section of the homepage for my next markets!
In 2023 I was asked a series of 10 questions by a fifth grader for her school project. Here are my answers:
What is your favorite thing about being a photographer?
I am a very busy person. I have a demanding job and too many hobbies; my brain is always going a mile a minute. When I photograph, I’m only thinking about one thing- what’s in front of my camera. My mind goes blank and time loses all meaning. I love that feeling. Photography is my meditation- where I find peace.
Photography also provides an avenue for me to explore incredible habitats all over the world and explore them though the lenses of both biology and art.
Here’s a Southern Torrent Salamander (Rhyacotriton variegatus) from California. This was such a quiet moment all alone in a small creek in a redwood forest. It was just me and this little salamander who I had traveled hours to see. I would have never had this interaction if it wasn’t for both photography and my love of biology.
2. What do you enjoy most about your job as a biologist?
Biology is fascinating. There is so much around us; no matter if you live in a city or the country, there is biology in your backyard. There are bugs and plants and birds and all manner of species that we share this world with. It’s my job to help protect these species from an ever-expanding world. I love that I get to dive into the intricacies of the natural world and see what these ecosystems would be like without us.
Many of the species I work with are not flashy- what we call “charismatic megafauna”. I don’t work with giant pandas, tigers, wolves, bison, condor, or any of the other famous conservation stories we hear so much about. I work with the California tiger salamander, California red-legged frog, and Alameda whipsnake- species that are often overlooked and underappreciated. I like being able to advocate for these species.
Here's a photo of a Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana sierrae). This species was once on the brink of extinction due to the introduction of the Chytrid fungus to the high mountain lakes it inhabits. Through the tireless dedication of biologists, its populations are slowly coming back.
3. Which one do you enjoy more, photography or biology? Why?
To me, I photograph biology so they’re one in the same. My goal for my photography is to document biology. My love for the latter is illustrated in the former.
4. What/who inspired you to become a biologist?
My parents, though neither of them are professional biologists, instilled in me a love of the natural world. I was an only child and I spent my afternoons when I was growing up in my backyard flipping rocks and climbing trees. My parents took me camping and to national parks throughout my childhood, and I spent every summer of my young life wandering through the woods of Michigan. The natural world is my happy place, so it was natural that I went into Biology.
Yellow unicorn entoloma (Entoloma murrayi) from the Michigan woods.
5. What/who inspired you to take up photography?
When I was in 7th grade, I took my first biology class. Throughout high school, my career goal was to be a biology teacher. When I went to college, I knew I wanted to major in biology but didn’t know what to focus on. I met Alex during my first week of college. He was a year above me and was absolutely obsessed with herpetology, the study of reptiles and amphibians. We ended up teaching the herpetology class together and are still very close friends. Through herpetology I learned about a website where people would post reports of various “herping” trips (those specifically to find reptiles and amphibians). I found the posts with incredible photography the most engaging, and I began to try to take photos. In 2010 I bought my first DSLR camera and it’s been a major part of my life ever since.
I wasn’t good right away though. This was the first photo of a venomous snake I ever took, and believe it or not, I though this was the BEST PHOTO EVER. I was so proud of it! It’s a Florida cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti). This was in 2008. So much can change in fifteen years!.
6. What is your favorite animal? Why?
The one in front of my lens because it’s the one I’m currently fascinated by. There are some truly incredible animals out there, and each species has its own characteristics that have evolved to allow it to live in its habitat. For example, snakes. All snakes are predators, but they ways they have evolved to eat are endlessly fascinating. From spider-tailed horned viper (Pseudocerastes urarachnoides) which has a spider-like appendage at the end of it’s tail to lure birds in, to snakes in the genus Dasypeltis which have evolved to eat eggs, to Iwasaki's snail-eater (Pareas iwasakii) which have asymmetric jaws to be able to pry snails out of their shells. How cool is that?!
Here is a photo of a salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris). Though these animals look nearly identical to the western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis) genetic data suggests that the two species diverged 3.5 million years ago! Salties are perfectly adapted to life in the salt marshes of the San Francisco Bay Area. Westerns can be found in adjacent habitat, but they’re not nearly as adapted to life in the salt marshes as their cousins. I get to work with this species from time to time and when I’m out in the marsh at dawn you better bet that there’s nowhere else I’d rather be or any other animal I’d rather be looking at.
7. Have you always wanted to learn about animals? Why/why not?
Oh yes. I went through all of the standard stages of what I wanted to do when I grew up -- vet, paleontologist, teacher – but the theme through all was I wanted to learn about animals. I have a deep love and respect for of all wildlife and view every interaction I have with them as a gift.
Snakes weren’t always my jam though. I was always taught rattlesnake safety when I was a kid, but when I encountered my first rattlesnake while on a hike with my Girl Scout troop I ran away screaming. Now I run TOWARDS them!
Here’s the species I was running from- a Northern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus).
8. How has being a biologist influenced your life?
Being a biologist (or even having an interest in the natural world) changes your perspective of the world. For example, you notice the passing seasons with more clarity and understanding, observing when migratory species return, hearing the differences in bird calls, and watching the plants move through their cycles.
You also become attuned to the minute; you notice the flit of a tiny warbler as she moves from branch to branch gleaning the insects there. Maybe then you notice her shake a wing and “fall” from a branch to the ground, only to fly up and repeat the motion. After watching her for a moment, you look to where she flew from and notice a small nest with three white eggs in it. She is trying to distract you away from her nest.
I once had this exact scenario play out while walking on a reasonably busy trail and wondered how many people had just walked by without taking the moment to notice this little drama acted out for their benefit. Being a biologist has taught me to examine and appreciate the small things.
Nestling dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis)
9. Have you ever regretted becoming a biologist? Why/why not?
A few years back I thought I wanted to do something else. I even thought about quitting and becoming a real estate agent. Biology isn’t exactly the most high-paying career, and the real estate market was booming. I thought about it for a long time and realized that I just couldn’t do it. The title of “Biologist” is so ingrained in my soul. I can’t leave it behind or imagine any other career.
10. Have you ever gotten hurt trying to take a photo of a snake? What happened?
I have to capture many of the snakes I encounter in order to photograph them. With venomous snakes like rattlesnakes and adders, I use tools like hooks and tongs to capture them safely (both for myself and for the snake). I NEVER handle venomous snakes in a way that will harm them or put myself in danger of a bite.
For non-venomous snakes, I capture them by hand and occasionally receive a bite or two from them. Unless the snake is over six feet long, taking a bite from one of these animals is, for lack of a better word, anticlimactic. They do break the skin and the teeth are like very rough sandpaper, but the wound is shallow (just a row of tiny punctures) and they heal quickly. I would rather take a bite from a snake than a bite from a mouse or a scratch from a cat.
Here's me in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest with a green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) that I nearly jumped out of the boat to catch. It bit me pretty nicely (the photo of me looking down is while I was trying to pry it off), but you couldn’t even see where the next day. Sometimes I wish it had scarred! That would have made for a good story.
Partners and Recommendations
Biodiversity tours in the Peruvian Amazon
Experts at Namibian biodiversity and photography
Furthering education, awareness, and conservation of snakes worldwide.
Furthering the conservation of herpetofauna worldwide
