Wave Break

On Shore Wave Break, Laguna Beach, California

There were 7 - 9 foot swells and at this place the waves break on shore so it was exciting to say the least. There was a big minus tide at 2:30 but by the time I took this photo it was nearing hide tide which was at 4+ feet above sea level which meant that the waves were getting bigger and bigger as I was witnessing this scene. I am not even going to say what happened to me and my gear after this point.

Wave Breaking on Shore, Laguna Beach, California

Liquid Amber

Fallen Liquid Amber Leaf

Death can be a beautiful thing.

Most of the leaves had fallen from the liquid amber trees at Glendora Centennial Heritage Park. The week before I looked over the chain link fence and noticed that the foliage was at peak color. I longed for an opportunity to photograph it but the park wasn't open that weekend. This is what it looked like the following week.

Sierra Club

Sierra Club Nature Photography Presentation by Richard Wong

With great honor, I'm proud to announce that I was invited by the Sierra Club to give a lecture on nature photography. This event will be taking place at 7 p.m. on March 11th at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Culver City, California. If you live in L.A. or the Southern California region then feel free to stop on by.

To be able to have my name associated with the organization founded by John Muir is a very humbling thought. Everyone from John Muir to David Brower to Ansel Adams to Galen Rowell achieved great things for our country so it is really them that I owe this opportunity to. Also I'd like to thank Paul Breitkreuz who recommended me.

Press Release

Hope to see you there!

Moonstone Beach Rocks

Moonstone Beach Rocks, Cambria, California

A close-up photo of the rocks at Moonstone Beach. Some of them are as smooth as glass I'm guessing because of the friction from washing ashore continuously.

Moonstones, Cambria

Moonstones at Moonstone Beach, Cambria, California

One moment of my childhood that sticks in my mind was throwing rocks into the Pacific Ocean as the summer sun set along the California Central Coast. My family and I were staying across the street at a motel along Moonstone Drive so we were all out there just living life that day. Not thinking about money, work, girls, band practice, getting called names for your skin color, death, etc... Just throwing rocks into the ocean.

So I'd been trying to conceive of a picture at Moonstone Beach since I started shooting pictures. I hadn't taken a single picture here all this time and it wasn't until this trip that some creative juices started flowing. I walked up along the boardwalk, up and down onto the beach along Moonstone Drive for an hour or two until I realized the interesting thing was that the rocks wash up with every single wave. You can hear them rolling like marbles and feel them hitting your feet with the incoming tides. Almost as quickly as they arrive, they leave for sea again repeating the cycle time and time again. It reminds me of life in a way.

Montana de Oro State Park

Exposed Monterey Shale Along Coastline, Montana de Oro State Park, California

This is the seascape version yesterday's blog post of the monterey shale rock. This was actually my 5th visit to Montana de Oro but my first time walking to the tip of the Bluff trail. I'm glad that I did because this area is the most visually interesting part of Montana de Oro SP in my opinion.

Monterey Shale, Montana de Oro SP

Eroded Monterey Shale Bedrock, Montana de Oro State Park, California

Montana de Oro SP has some very interesting rock formations along the shoreline. They look like large fins but they are the result of seismic activity pushing the rock above the water and eroding over time from the waves and wind. It was a struggle for me to stay upright for long enough to take pictures because not only was the surface uneven, it was very windy outside!

Gladstone Park Fall Foliage

Gladstone Park Fall Foliage, Glendora, California

It was quite foggy outside two hours ago. There is still some fog but mainly just overcast.

Nojoqui Falls

Male Hiker Holding Baby at Nojoqui Falls, Santa Barbara County, California

I just got back from Morro Bay earlier today where I had been since Friday. Nojoqui Falls County Park was the first place that I stopped off at on Friday. Since it had rained pretty hard the day before on Christmas, I figured that it might have some awesome conditions for photography. Well it didn't really work out that way but at least there was some water. Pretty falls nonetheless.

Cap Rock, Joshua Tree NP

Cap Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, California

Often flying under the radar in Joshua Tree due to the name of the park, are the unique rock formations throughout the northern portion of JTNP. I always get a laugh out of seeing Cap Rock because I find it "cute".

JTNP: Sunrise on Mount San Gorgonio

Sunrise Alpenglow on Mount San Gorgonio, Joshua Tree National Park, California

There wasn't a cloud in the sky and yet it was definitely worthwhile getting up early. I had actually tried a similarly composed sunset last year but wasn't able to get a sharp image so that was my primary motivation for choosing this location. This time I was also armed with a sturdier tripod.

I think Gary Crabbe's photo was taken on the same day that I botched the sunset so have a look and see the difference between sunrise and sunset. Light can make it look like a totally different scene!

Cholla Cactus Garden

Cholla Cactus Garden, Joshua Tree National Park, California

The Cholla Cactus Garden at Joshua Tree National Park was one of the locations I photographed in 2002 during my first year of serious photography. I had always felt like I could do better but just never seem to have made it back there. I have been to Joshua Tree a number of times but the park is so big and packed with so much scenery that it is pretty much impossible to do it justice unless you shoot here year-round.

Joshua Trees and rock climbing get most of the attention but in my opinion, cholla cactus are the most interesting subjects to photograph in the park. It is kinda hazardous to walk around this area actually because the spines will stick right through your boots and attach onto anything that comes remotely into contact. Prickly just like a pretentious old photographer, cholla cactus demand attention.

San Gabriel Mountains - First Winter Storm

Snow-Capped Peaks, San Gabriel Mountains, California

It ain't Mount Rainier, and that's the beauty of it. I'm more interested in photographing the more mundane places that people take for granted. After dropping my dad off yesterday, it took me about twenty minutes to get up to this vista in the San Gabriel Mountains just in time for the sunset. It only really looks decent around here during or just after a storm as it was yesterday so I knew this was a can't miss opportunity.

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving Sunset 2008, San Gabriel Mountains, California

Last night's sunset. I was dropping my dad off when I looked over at the San Gabriel Mountains and knew I had to go up there to shoot the sunset.

I was the last person to arrive at my grandma's house for dinner.

Glendora South Hills Home Development

San Gabriel Valley Sunset, Glendora, California

I heard today that “developers” are planning on developing over my favorite exercise hiking trail in the Glendora South Hills with homes and a road.

This really makes me angry because there are already a few extremely large mansions near the end of these hills along with no trespassing signs. But the part I hike is purely wild. I see jackrabbits, skunk, red ants, and a tarantula almost every single time I have been up there. The area doesn't look spectacular but it is special to me.

I prefer not to get into politics on this blog but environmental issues are something that is very important to me so I can’t keep this to myself. I realize that David Dreier is my local congressman and one of the worst members of the Congress when it comes to LCV score. I think at one point, he had a zero out of 100. One person’s complaints might fall on deaf ears but if enough people speak he has no choice but to listen. The whole development-first mindset has got to go.

Southern California is already a cesspool of overdevelopment and outdoor recreation lovers can’t even enjoy our little island in a sea of civilization anymore. I lost ten pounds hiking this trail 3 – 4 times a week. No matter how bad of day I might have had, everything in my life disappears as I’m hiking the trail. It clears my mind and makes me feel good. I can only hope that more people can experience the positive things that I have here.

Here are more pictures from my website:

South Hills Alosta Canyon Trail
He Loved Her, San Gabriel Valley
San Gabriel Valley Sunset, Glendora

YouTube Video
Save the Glendora South Hills

Glendora City Council and Community Redevelopment Meeting Agenda

Update 11/10/08: I received a response from the City Manager, "In answer to your question, we do not know of any housing or other development that would occur in the Wilderness Park. As you may know, the Park covers several hundred acres and is zoned as open space and thus cannot be developed with houses or any commercial buildings. I know the City Council has taken many steps to make sure the park remains in its current open space state and has applauded the Trails Committee for its fine work in maintaining the trail system that you referred to in the email."

I hope that this really is the case and stays this way.

Update 11/30/08:
Lupine and Mustard Wildflowers

"Zoning" - This wholesale nursery occupies a pretty big chunk of the hills.

Some pictures from my cell phone -

Wholesale Nursery Development in Glendora South Hills

Leased Private Property in South Hills

Road Closure

I wrote to Mr. Dreier's office also and their response was that land-use issues were out of his jurisdiction. Despite that, I think it is always a good idea to write to your local members of Congress to make your opinions known. Developers might have money but we the people have our rights too and together we can fight greed.

Update 1/4/09: I interviewed Kristin Parisi, a local environmental activist and Glendora City Council Candidate. She is quite knowledgeable about the land use issues.

Owens Valley Overlook

Owens Valley Overlook from U.S. Highway 395, Eastern Sierra, California

I had spent the night at Mammoth Lakes where it had rained all night and through the morning. Despite the rain I went to Lake Mary a little bit after "sunrise" to see what the conditions were like. The rain turned to snow and it was so windy that the snow was flying horizontally. I parked at Lake Mary for a few minutes just watching the weather. I didn't bother getting out of the car much less pull a camera out but it was fun to see from my car though.

Funny how twenty miles to the south I encountered this scene.

Mammoth Mountain Snow

First Winter Storm, Mammoth Lakes, California

Waking up to a scene like this is a slice of heaven that I want to experience every morning.

This photo was taken on the final morning of the Eastern Sierra trip. I had a long drive ahead of me in addition to some planned photography shoots along the way but I just had to stop here.

Tufa Silhouette

Tufa Silhouette and Crescent Moon, Mono Lake, California

It is my 29th birthday on Sunday so I'll leave you with this story...

Almost all of the pictures of Mono Lake that I have seen, look pretty similar. Foreground of tufa, warm clouds at sunset and water. For some reason I felt compelled to stay a little later beyond that.

Initially I just saw the crescent moon rise from over the Sierras half obscured by clouds imagining to myself how cool it would be if the moon were over Mono Lake instead. I had focused a number of compositions throughout the evening on that stack of tufa from two blog posts ago so it caught my eye again as I was packing up to leave. The shape of the tufa reminded me somewhat of Balanced Rock from Arches National Park so I immediately put on a telephoto lens, stopped the lens down to the smallest aperture and framed the moon inbetween the tufa stacks. I wanted to see if I could get an abstract sort of mysterious picture that I hadn't seen from Mono Lake before. Chasing your vision is the holy grail of photography after all. And I got the image that I wanted.

Unfortunately this was just the beginning of my adventure. I didn't have my headlamp in my backpack and I was parked in the smaller dirt parking lot that isn't used as much as the main parking area / trail. It was so dark out by the time I packed up that I really couldn't even tell where the trail began and end. Given all of the overgrown sagebrush, I couldn't see where my car was either. So I was seemingly walking in several diagonals in a panic a minute or two away from screaming for help. It gets cold at 7,000 feet elevation so I certainly wasn't going to give up and sleep in the elements at night. I did make a mental note of where I thought the hills were (my car was parked in that direction) and kept following that direction until I finally found my car. I was so nervous. Even more so than the Rush Creek crossing.

So as I was driving back toward highway 395, I kept hearing that grinding sound again from my car. I was freaking out by that point thinking I might have a flat tire or worse, not to mention that I came in through a different way than the standard dirt road so I wasn't confident that I could find the highway in the dark even with the AAA map. When I encountered the fork in the road that either leads to another side of Mono Lake via more dirt roads or the main highway, I was confused after choosing the direction I did because I thought the map said to go that way but after going further than the distance indicated on the map, I got a feeling that wasn't right. So I went back the other way worrying about that grinding noise the entire time. I finally made it back to the main highway several minutes later when I checked under my car. Turns out that my right transmission pan protector had been jarred loose from the Rush Creek crossing and was scraping the ground. I breathed a sigh of relief and put it back together.

Sierra Wave, Mono Lake

Sierra Wave over South Tufa Reserve, Mono Lake, California

One of the coolest things to photograph in the Eastern Sierras are the incredible lenticular clouds, otherwise known as the "sierra wave." They tend to pick up a lot of color once the sun goes down and fills up the entire sky. The light was a bit subdued on this night though due to the winter storm clouds rolling in through the high sierra so it was mostly diffused sunlight available.

Tufa, Mono Lake

Tufa (Calcium Carbonate Deposits), Mono Lake, California

The nice thing about having a photo blog is being able to give greater insight into what goes into the making of a photograph. In other words, it's nice to be able to write about all the crazy stuff I do in order to get pictures. Or maybe all the crazy stuff I do in order to have blog-worthy material.

See, since I hadn't been to Mono Lake in over three years, I couldn't remember which road to take to get to the South Tufa Reserve. My mind must have still been pre-occupied with the amazing fish tacos I had for lunch at the Whoa Nellie Deli in Lee Vining, so I wasn't sure if I missed a turn-off sign on Highway 395 or whatever, but somehow I ended up back at the June Lakes Loop ten miles to the south. I was confused by that point so I consulted with a AAA road map and thought I'd take a short cut to the South Tufa Reserve. Well I didn't realize that dirt road "shortcut" would involve a stream crossing of Rush Creek!

Now I drive a modest 2WD car with low clearance so it freaked me out once I saw Rush Creek. I got out of the car to personally inspect the creek with my own feet. I didn't want to risk getting a flat or getting lost by reversing course on those five miles of dirt road, plus I was only a mile or so away from Mono Lake so I evaluated the water conditions. In order to make it across safely without stranding my car I would have to go a certain speed on the highest spot in the rocky creek bed. If I didn't hit that exact spot I knew my car would be flooded so I had almost no margin for error if even that. Stressing out, I looked at my cell phone to see how many bars of reception I had just in case I might need a tow truck; a single bar it turns out. Risky for sure. So I got back into my car and took a deep breath, backed up about 100 feet and floored it.

I could feel the creek bed rocks grinding underneath my tires and the water flying all over the place but worst of all my car almost slowed to a halt right before catching the opposite bank of Rush Creek. I was so relieved that I was almost stunned. However that relief was short lived as I heard a loud grinding noise under my car for the rest of the way. More on that within the next few blog postings but I did make it to Mono Lake after that without further incident.

South Fork Bishop Creek Canyon

South Fork Bishop Creek Canyon Fall Color, Inyo National Forest, California

After the sunrise shoot at the Owens River I went to breakfast before heading up Bishop Creek Canyon again to check out the fall color along the road to South Lake. On my previous visit in 2005, the South Fork had the best foliage out of the places I visited (Rock Creek Canyon, McGee Creek Canyon, Middle and South Fork Bishop Creek), so I was hopeful of something interesting at least. I heard that the foliage wasn't peaking yet but figured it was worth a visit since I knew that South Fork has amazing displays of aspen tree "waterfalls" seemingly flowing down the mountainsides.

The Buttermilks

The Buttermilks, Inyo National Forest, California

Later in the afternoon, I went to the Buttermilks to meet up with local Bishop photographer, Cory Freeman. As I was waiting for him to arrive, I took this image along with several others.

By the way, Cory has a cool web cam located in his house that points to the Eastern Sierras. This is a great way to check up on current weather conditions before deciding to go shoot pictures or not.

Abstract Lake Reflections

North Lake Fall Color Water Reflection Abstract, Eastern Sierra, California

The water in North Lake kept having ripples because of the fishermen on the opposite shore so I thought it made some interesting patterns on the shoreline from the otherwise mirror-like reflections.

Road to North Lake, Eastern Sierra

Dirt Road Winding Through Aspen Forest near North Lake, Eastern Sierra, California

It is going to be a long ride to hell for those other two photographers. :-) This image was taken before the incident however.

North Lake Reflection

North Lake Shoreline, Eastern Sierra, California

Instead of worrying about what the other photographers were doing, I devoted most of my energy to playing around with the water reflections. The lines attracted me to this scene on the far shoreline of North Lake. This is definitely a great place for nature photography.

North Lake, Bishop Creek Canyon

North Lake Sunset, Eastern Sierra, California

If photographing the Middle Fork of Bishop Creek was peaceful, North Lake was an entirely different experience. At North Lake you could hear a pin drop from across the lake but that was the problem here. It is too popular for it's own good. You can hear fishermen from across the lake, figures that are just little dots in the viewfinder, and worse, the shoreline attracts some obnoxious photographers apparently.

I had my gear balanced on top of this rock for about 15 minutes or so shooting photos when another photographer (retired hobbyist) who kept trying to chat with me and this other photographer, asked me if I had gotten my shot yet. To paraphrase, I was like I'm not here for just one shot. So he has the nerve to ask if I could move out of his way so he could use his "ultra wide angle" lens. And this guy was standing on the rock about five feet to my right! His view was basically the same as mine. Though I was a bit ticked off at his request, I decided to be nice and moved. Well the other guy (F/T pro) claimed that I was in his way now never mind the fact that he was standing about ten feet BEHIND us. No kidding dude, I was already "in his way" before that probably. Who knows, maybe he was trying to photograph my butt, you never know. So I moved again.

In hindsight, I should have responded to the hobbyist that he should use a different lens then if it is too wide to use effectively. I tried to be accomodating to them and yet I got no respect in return. The pro ended up taking my original spot once the other guy got his shot and never left that spot until after dark. From that point on, I didn't really say anything to either one besides a few short responses to their questions. From what little info I knew of the pro, (a bit of an arrogant one at that) I looked up on the internet and found out who he is. He teaches workshops so I was a bit surprised that he was such a jerk. I guess if you aren't a paying customer then he reserves the right to disrespect you.

All the other photographers I have shot with in the past have been respectful of each other's personal space but these two certainly didn't have that. If someone is in the spot that I want, I would never ask them to move, I'd find a different spot or come back at a different time. All I know is that if I encounter the same situation again, I won't be as nice the 2nd time around.

Middle Fork, Bishop Creek

Yellow Aspen Fall Foliage Along Bishop Creek, Inyo National Forest, California

The nice part about photographing during the weekday is that there are less photographers and tourists getting in your way. There were mainly fishermen up here on Tuesday afternoon. The foliage on Tuesday appeared to be at peak because there was very little green in this area and it never quite looked as fresh the rest of the week. Part of it might be due to the fact that it was raining while I was taking these photos. Rain can make foliage look very vibrant.

Fall Color, Eastern Sierra

Aspen Trees Fall Color in Bishop Creek Canyon, Inyo National Forest, California

I just got back from spending the week in the Eastern Sierra. Bishop Creek Canyon was awesome, and the only place with good foliage as conditions were at peak. The fall color was way better on this trip than my previous trip three years ago. This photo was made during my first day there. It doesn't look as impressive in the blog but the real file is really nice.

I should have enough images to post on this blog for a while. I'm probably going to be backlogged for a while on the digital imaging and I also have a large batch of images at my stock photo agency that need to be keyworded as well. Hopefully once I'm done catching up I will have a brand new 5D Mark II to play with!

Border Field SP Seascape

Giant Kelp Seascape, Border Field State Park, California

It was actually a very pretty day out. The clouds were hovering off shore with clean air quality and a nice quality to the sunlight. In terms of the geological evolution of this planet, the U.S. / Mexican border situation is irrelevant; waves continue to crash, kelp washes ashore, birds migrate in winter, sand, water, clouds. All of the same stuff that was happening here before human inhabitation is still happening today.

The Tijuana Estuary is actually a pretty nice place to explore. I had photographed the Tijuana River National Wildlife Refuge almost two years ago and that is how I first found out about the Border Field State Park.

Big Dalton Canyon Wilderness Park

Oak Forest, Big Dalton Canyon Wilderness Park, California - September 8, 2008



Oak Tree Forest, Big Dalton Canyon Wilderness Park, California - July 9, 2008

I stopped by the local wilderness park on Monday night about twenty minutes before closing time just to try some sound gathering in the woods. I was pleasantly surprised to see some fall color developing. See the two pictures above for a comparison.

I was hoping to hear some animal calls because on a previous visit I saw my first black bear. I caught a glimpse of it darting across the road into the foliage as I drove by. I was also told by the ranger that someone reported a mountain lion sighting the day before that.

Leo Carrillo SB Coastline

Wild Coastal Seascape at Leo Carrillo State Beach, Malibu, California

Water is the one subject that I never tire of photographing. It was a struggle to get sharp pictures of this scene because it was really windy combined with the long exposures. Since I don't have a cable release my options were to use my usual 10 second timer which wouldn't have worked in a situation like this were I needed precise timing, or to trip the shutter with my hands. Opting for the latter, I used "burst mode" at 0.8 sec to ensure that I got some usable frames. This was my favorite frame from this sequence and sharp I might add. My 2nd favorite was slightly blurry however.

Leo Carrillo State Beach

Tidal Wave Crashing Ashore, Leo Carrillo State Beach, Malibu, California

My first visit to Leo Carrillo State Beach was a memorable one. I had never seen waves hit the shoreline with such ferocity before. I don't know how high this splash was but I would estimate that it was well over 50 feet! There were some crazy people down in the tide pools (the upper left rocky area) during high tide and I saw one wave fly over them. I'm not suicidal though so I stayed up on the coastal bluffs and studied the wave motion to make sure that I wouldn't get blasted. Good thing for me that from this vantage point, the waves flew outward.

Just around the corner, there was a major film production going on. At one point, the movie crew started generating a heavy amount of fake rain that ended up flying my direction and got my lens all wet. I wasn't too pleased with that. Besides, the waves I got to see were way more exciting than their fake rain. :-) Nature puts on an act too and it's 100% real.

I'm also proud to announce that I made it out of Malibu without being mistaken for paparazzi and didn't get beaten down by drunken members of the Matthew McConaughey Fan Club. Probably because I enjoyed his movie with Kate Hudson, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Anyways...

When to Trust Your Instincts

San Antonio Creek Cascading Water Abstract, Angeles National Forest, California

Occasionally I'll post images on a photography community website to get feedback from other photographers. Nature photographers in particular see things in a very technical way and that is good to get that sort of feedback. At the end of the day however, you need keep your end target in mind. I posted this image recently and most of the feedback I received centered around the fact that the water was blown out in certain places. A pretty factual observation and good for me to hear.

The end use that I envisioned for this was the home decor market however and I think the brightness of the water is a good thing from this perspective to promote a sense of positive energy. People who buy photos generally aren't fixated on technical aspects but more on how the image makes them feel and/or fits their needs. When I tried alternate processing techniques to tame down the contrast, it just didn't feel right to me so that told me that this was the right way for me to present this image.

June Gloom at Point Vicente

June Gloom Coastline, Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Gary's equipment was giving him all sorts of issues last Tuesday so I thought this image was fitting of his day.

Point Vicente Lighthouse

Photographer Gary Crabbe Taking Pictures of Point Vicente Lighthouse, Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Last Tuesday, I went to Point Vicente to meet up with photographer Gary Crabbe since he was in Southern California to take pictures for his 5th book, Backroads of the California Coast. If you're not familiar with Gary's work, he worked for legendary outdoor adventure / nature photographer Galen Rowell for nearly ten years prior to starting his own career ten years ago. And he's a pretty damn good photographer himself.

A few minutes after I took this photo, Allen Schaben, a staff photographer from the Los Angeles Times approached us and we all ended up shooting and chatting for the rest of the day since the light never really materialized. Allen was a pretty cool dude. The day before, he covered a shooting in Inglewood. Talk about an awesome job! The drawback to being a staff photographer though is that the newspaper owns your assignment images. If they paid enough, I'd probably be okay with that too though.

Trinidad State Beach

Trinidad State Beach, California

This was taken on the last evening of the trip. I didn't really encounter any special lighting conditions during this trip, as it was mostly just harsh light, but it was a relatively productive trip nonetheless. Trinidad is definitely a place that I would like to explore some more as this area has potential for great scenic photos.

Now that I've been to the North Coast, the only other areas that I haven't visited along the California Coast are the Mendocino Coastline and the Crescent City / Smith River area which was just a few miles north of Klamath. Where I would also like to spend some more time photographing is Big Sur and the Sonoma Coast.

Natural Design: Image Design for Nature Photographers Book

Florida nature artist, Gloria Hopkins asked me to review an early draft of her e-book and I found it to be full of useful ideas to photographers. The book was well-conceived and written in a way unlike that of any other how-to book that I have read. Check it out!

Natural Design: Image Design for Nature Photographers

Headwaters Forest Reserve

Photo: 2nd Growth Redwood Trees, Headwaters Forest Reserve, California

The pictures in my previous two posts were examples of old-growth redwood forests. This is an example of a 2nd growth forest that was clear-cut in the 20th century. They almost bare no resemblance to each other.

Most of the Headwaters Forest is owned by the Pacific Lumber Company. After numerous battles in court, a small portion of old-growth forests were ceded to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and is now partially open to the public. This was taken along the Elk River trailhead, just outside of Eureka.

Rhododendrons, Lady Bird Johnson Redwood Grove

Rhododendron Blooms and Coast Redwood Trees (Sequoia sempervirens) at Lady Bird Johnson Grove, Redwood National Park, California

The rhododendron blooms at the Lady Bird Johnson grove were amazing. I photographed this near the end of the short blooming season but even then they were impressive. The whole trail wasn't lined with wildflowers but in the patches where there were, it was massive. I'd previously seen a rhododendron bloom at Kruse Rhododendron State Park, which is along the Sonoma Coast, but that paled in comparison.

I have to thank photographer, Gary Crabbe for saving me a lot of driving around, as he told me the day before that he'd been to all the other regular hotspots in the weeks prior but Lady Bird Johnson was one of few that actually had a good bloom this year.

Unfortunately there was no fog so getting good exposures was pretty tough. I think this was my best attempt. To give you an idea for how tall these plants are, my camera was pointing upwards at the rhododendrons while I was standing on top of a fallen redwood tree trunk. And from the previous blog post, you can see how big those are.

Redwood National Park

Tourist in a Hollowed Redwood Tree at Lady Bird Johnson Grove, Redwood National Park, California

I had previously been to the redwood forests at Muir Woods National Monument and Big Basin Redwoods State Park, but the North Coast redwoods are in a league entirely of their own. The Lady Bird Johnson Grove is seriously the most awesome forest that I have ever visited in my life.

The rhododendrons were still in bloom and a lot larger than what I had expected. The blooms grow at least 15 - 20 or more feet above the ground in some cases. There was no fog during my time in Humboldt County so I had a limited window of opportunity to photograph the redwoods in decent lighting. The light was just too harsh during the daytime.

Lady Bird Johnson Grove classifies as an old-growth redwood forest, which means that it has never been logged. The trees are much more thick and dense here than second-growth forests. It is apparent from the minute that you walk onto the trail. The extreme amount of precipitation that this area receives also plays a part in their immense size. (The world's tallest trees).

I only encountered three or four groups of people here in this night and was the last person left by the time I left. This experience would be nearly unheard of in a tourist-mecca like Muir Woods. It was so eerily quiet at Redwood National Park, that I could hear elk calling from a distance.

I waited eight long years to make the trip up here. I am certainly not going to allow another eight to go by without spending more time up here. The photo opportunities are simply too abundant to do this area justice in a short amount of time.

San Francisco Seal Rock

After photographing the tree-sitters at UC Berkeley, photographer Greg Lato and I met up with Jim Goldstein at the Cliff House for some landscape photography. Jim broke his toe recently so we chose this location to make it easy for him since he lives nearby. This is him shooting pictures with his $8000, Canon 1DS MKIII. Too heavy for my tastes, but the image quality is unbelievable at 21 megapixels.

Photo: Photographer Jim Goldstein Photographing the Sunset at Seal Rocks, San Francisco, California

Seal Rocks is a location that I had been to many times before when I lived in San Francisco. I enjoyed exploring the trails around Lands End in particular. This spot I had never photographed from however, though it is the most obvious spot to shoot from.

Picture: Seal Rock, San Francisco, California

It was a fun day of shooting. The three of us went for a late dinner afterwards near the Golden Gate Park and I didn't get to Redwood City until almost midnight. Pretty cool way to start the trip.

Vasquez Rocks

Photo of Vasquez Rocks County Park, Agua Dulce, California

Vasquez Rocks has one of the more interesting landscapes that I have seen in Southern California. Commuters on Highway 14 probably see this landscape on a daily basis as well, as I'm sure they've had time to being stuck in LA's miserable weekday commute. I discovered this place through my cousin Herbert. Over a year ago, we were talking about Red Rock Canyon and he told me I should check out the Vasquez Rocks on the way out there. Well I never got around to visiting this place until the other day while coming back from the Poppy Reserve. The park closes before sunset, so the light in this photo isn't doing the landscape any justice but it's pretty cool to walk around on top of the rock formations.

The name "Vasquez" comes from a bandit named Tiburcio Vasquez. In the 1870's, he used the rocks to hide himself from law enforcement. The Vasquez Rocks is also a famous movie-making site. Two Star Trek movies along with the TV series have been filmed here as well as a ton of other big name movies, shows and music videos. Check out the Wikipedia entry for the rest of the list - Vasquez Rocks.

Antelope Valley Golden Poppies Blowing in the Wind

Picture of Heavy Wind-Blown Golden Poppies, Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, California

It's hard to see in this little blog photo, but none of the golden poppies were open. They were blowing to the right almost touching the ground because it was so windy.

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

Goldfields and Golden Poppies, Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, California

This is a good year to visit the poppy reserve. I also went in 2002 and 2005, but it is definitely better this year than those other years. Most of the flowers are located inside of the reserve, on the road just to the east of the reserve, and a large carpet along the northern boundary. There wasn't a lot of diversity of flowers, mainly I saw goldfields and poppies but there were a lot of those.

The weather was less than ideal though because it was extremely windy. Antelope Valley is one of the windiest locations in California so that was not a surprise. Surprisingly though, I was able to get sharp photos and it looked kinda cool to have my poppies flopping off to the side. The flowers are so colorful and so abundant that it is nearly impossible to take bad pictures here no matter what the weather is like.

The drawback is that there were a lot of people there. People trampling the flowers by stepping off the trails and kids running into people like it was an arcade pinball machine at Barnum & Bailey's. I overheard one lady complaining to a ranger that the reserve is located in the middle of nowhere. The ranger responded, "yes, and that's the best part about it!" If people want Disneyland then go to Disneyland. There's nothing wrong with that, but leave the state parks to people who want to experience nature without interference from housing developments, corporate interests and power lines. As is, a few miles away there is a state prison and housing developments starting to pop up around the perimeter of the reserve. :-(

My First YouTube Video - Landscape Photography Slideshow

I took it upon myself to scribble down a few chord changes and then record my own background track last night. I picked up an effects pedal from Guitar Center the other day and recorded this while plugged directly into the computer. I'm still trying to figure out how to cut out the silent part at the beginning so I apologize in advance.

The images got too compressed for my tastes after uploading to YouTube so I'll give it another shot some other day and see if anything can be done about that. In the meantime I'll work on generating some more tracks for the slide shows... :-p

Big Falls, Southern California's Tallest Waterfall

Photo of Big Falls, San Bernardino National Forest, California

Today I went photograph Southern California's tallest waterfall. The best part is that Big Falls is pretty easy to get to. It's only a few miles into the mountains above Redlands. The not so good part is that it is very difficult to photograph. There is no one location where you can see the entire 400+ foot waterfall and the 240 ft. upper tier seen here is out of reach to all but the most suicidal of people. I had to use a 70-300 zoom lens to get this image.

There are a lot of "smaller" photographic opportunities though because there are numerous waterfalls running down Mill Creek. Even though it was hard to get a good view of the falls, it was still exciting. You can feel the water roaring even while standing on gravel and the air is cold and crisp up there. (Today it was 35 degrees and had a few snow flakes falling.)

Green Not Brown

Picture: Lupine and Mustard Wildflowers, San Gabriel Mountains, California

There are a series of hills at the top of my street and once you get to the first ridge of the trail, you can get great views of the San Gabriel Mountains and valley. I have never seen it so green around here. Even without flowers, it would be very pretty. I didn't hike up to the top of the hills because dark thunderstorms were hovering in the area, but it was still a nice walk.

It's good to get out and enjoy nature's special moments while they happen because for the rest of the year it is brown in Southern California.

Lake Elsinore Poppy Bloom

Picture: Golden Poppies, Lake Elsinore, California

If you want to photograph golden poppies this year, then I highly recommend heading over to the Lake Elsinore hillsides as soon as possible. On a sunny day, you can see cascades of orange streaming down the hills and mountains on both sides of I-15. There is no guarantee that we'll have a good display at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve this year, so this might be as good as it gets. In fact, this is the first time that we have had decent wildflowers in Southern California since 2005.

I believe the best displays are located further behind the hills and requires hiking some trails to get there. As is, there are some good displays near the road. This photo was taken about halfway up the hill, away from the crowds.

I'd like to photograph some more wildflowers this week when I get the chance though I can't decide where. I know. Such a sad problem to have...

Henderson Canyon, Anza Borrego Wildflowers

Spring Wildflowers and Sunrise Alpenglow on Santa Rosa Mountains, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, California


Yesterday was a very enjoyable day for photography. It more than made up for Saturday, which was full of dust storms. This wasn't the most prolific bloom area, as that was a few hundred yards down the road. As is, I barely made it here in time for sunrise. It isn't easy getting up at 5 a.m. ;-)

Anza Borrego Wildflowers

Taken this morning at Anza Borrego Desert State Park.

Spring Wildflowers at Sunrise, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, California

I think the peak of the bloom will be next week. It seemed like the flowers weren't quite opened up yet though there is a fair amount already. Nothing can compare to the "100-year bloom" of 2005, but it's still good this year.

Yesterday, it was super crowded at the Visitor Center and at Palm Canyon. This location had a lot of people too last night but it's a wide open space so it wasn't so bad. Surprisingly, I was the only photographer there for sunrise this morning!

Joshua Tree National Park Spring Wildflowers

Picture: Joshua Tree National Park Spring Wildflowers - 2008

I went over to the southern portion of Joshua Tree National Park this weekend and found some nice wildflowers. It's been three long years, but I think this year will probably make up for lost time. Flowers are blooming later this year it seems but the signs are looking positive in the coming weeks.

There are little to no flowers north of the Cottonwood Springs entrance as far as I know so the best areas are from I-10 to the visitor center at this point. Definetely worth checking out if you have the time. I'd post more, but I just got a new computer today. My old computer died two weeks ago so I haven't really been able to look at my new photos yet.

Monrovia Canyon Falls

It's amazing to spend so many years in an area and still be able to discover new places to photograph. Monrovia Canyon Falls is about ten miles from my house and I hadn't heard of it before today. I actually intended to photograph another waterfall but stumbled upon this one while looking up trail info on a local hiking website. My cousin lives down the street from the Monrovia Canyon so I called to see if he wanted to join me. He wasn't home but was surprised to find out about the waterfall too.

Monrovia Canyon Falls, San Gabriel Mountains, California

The waterfall is located inside of Monrovia Canyon Park so it costs $5 to park. Not bad at all because it is quite a scenic place to hike or picnic. The hike itself to the waterfall is relatively easy compared to most hikes in the San Gabriel Mountains because it isn't high altitude and nor does it require dangerous stream crossings to access. It is a short trail; about a 3/4 mile hike though mostly uphill so I saw several people having a tough time. However, those folks clearly looked out of shape so take this with a grain of salt. It was funny. One lady heading up the trail (near the beginning) with her kids stopped to ask me how much further it would be. "About 15 minutes. It's not that bad." Then she had a look of horror on her face after I said that.

When I first got to the waterfall it was overcast so I took a few photos. The sun burst through within a few minutes so a lot of my images had harsh lighting. As a result, I waited nearly two hours for the sun to dip behind the canyon walls before I finished up shooting pictures, this photo included.

Probably the most eventful thing that happened today was after I got back to the car. This family apparently had just gotten into a dispute so their son stomped off in anger with the dad hot on his heels. The rest of them drove off afterwards. As I drove down the road a few minutes later, I found it blocked off with cops and the family. The son then re-appeared and accused the dad of punching him then proceeded to say he wasn't armed. I on the other hand was more worried about making it home alive and wasn't going to take his word for it so I kept my eye on the rear-view mirror. The cops handcuffed the kid without further incident so I let out a sigh of relief. The family should have gone to the waterfall. Nature is good for relieving stress. :-)

A Heavenly Day on Mount Baldy

First Winter Snow on Mount Baldy

It was two years in the making, but this past weekend finally brought a significant amount of fresh snow powder to the local slopes. Making up for lost time seemingly, the road was packed with cars from Mount Baldy Village up to the ski lifts. It was exciting to see daredevils going up these steep slopes then sledding down, wiping out and taking out spectators along the way.

It had been overcast for several days and I actually had other plans yesterday but as soon as I got to the top of my street, I saw the conditions on Mount Baldy then I immediately had a change of plans and headed up there. For much of the year, Mount Baldy looks unremarkable but right after a snow storm it is as beautiful as a mountain can get. Mount Baldy has a vertical relief in excess of 9,000 feet depending on where you are photographing it from. I think there is about 7 or 8,000 thousand feet of vertical relief from this vantage point. By comparison, I think Mount Everest has 12,000 feet of vertical relief from base camp.

The drawback to photographing mountains with a wide angle lens is that makes them look small. Wide angles are the most commonly used type of lens for landscape photography, but mountains are supposed to be big, imposing, powerful. So I used a 70-300mm zoom lens at 192mm to focus in on the summit ridges.

Photo Editing

Most photographers always talk about their "vision" and how they shot such and such. However, the in-camera aspect is only the first step toward realizing a vision. There was an old cliche among photographers that the only difference between pros and hobbyists were that pros took a lot more bad photos. There is some truth to that. Most good photographers take a liberal amount of images while out in the field and most of which ends up in the garbage bin. The goal is to come away with enough different images to edit into a story or portfolio when back home. The photo edit represents the final vision of the photographer.

Take for example a typical photo shoot. A "good" photographer can take all of the bad photos from that shoot and edit them into a "portfolio" of ten images and compare them to any ten photos from a "bad" photographer. They'd likely look similar in quality. No definitive vision, poor technique, horrible lighting, etc... The difference is that the better photographer will have also tried shooting enough different types of images to edit into a clear vision once the final edit is completed. He made bad images while in the quest for realizing a clear vision. The other photographer just merely took random photos.

How you edit and present your work creates the perception of who you are as a photographer. Look at the following two groups of examples I have posted here. The first group of photos represent bird habitats. The 2nd group of pictures are the birds that inhabit those habitats. If I were to show the 1st group in a portfolio, then I might be perceived as a fine art photographer. If I show the 2nd group, then I'd probably be considered a bird photographer. By having two distinct groups of images like this then I can market myself however I wish. The underlying message is that a photographers' vision is most easily viewed and understood when grouped together in coherent collections. It could be a single collection or many collections, the important part is to have them organized according to your goals.

Photo: Southern California Bird Habitats

Picture: Pacific Flyway Waterfowl

If you feel your photography is lacking direction, then try this exercise. Find a clear theme or subject matter to edit into a portfolio. Even a mediocre vacation snapshot photographer can probably have their pictures edited into a somewhat presentable portfolio by someone with a good eye if they were passionate about what they shot. If you never strike out, then you aren't swinging for the fences either.

Crystal Cove State Park

California Spiny Lobster (Panulirus interruptus) Shell at Minus 1.6 Feet Tide, Crystal Cove State Park, California

For several years now, I have gone to tide pools during the winter months whenever the tides range from -1.0 to -2.5 feet. My goal has been to photograph the ever-elusive octopus. Octopus are generally found in rocky reefs hiding underneath rocky surfaces while half-submerged in water so they are difficult to find. They also change colors as well so finding one has proven to be quite the treasure hunt.

On a tidal zone scale of one through six, octopus are generally considered to be in the level 6 category of marine wildlife so the most likely opportunities to spot one would be when the tide is around the -2.0 feet level. In Southern California, I think the lowest tide I have ever photographed was -1.9 or -2.0 because it only gets that low for a day or two per year. Further up the Pacific Coast, the tide gets lower however and I have photographed down to negative 2.5 foot tides in the past.

My luck was no different on Saturday at Crystal Cove State Park. I did manage to photograph a nearly complex exoskeleton of a California Spiny Lobster however as it was actually lying on the beach, not even in the tide pool. I think that was a result of the extreme difference between high and low tide. In the morning, high tide was a +7.1 ft. and the low tide was -1.6 ft. For my next tide pool adventure I am going to explore a tide pool that I have never been to before so I'll keep that location a secret for now. From what I have heard, that place yields more marine wildlife. :-)

Orange County Coastline, Crystal Cove State Park, California

Apparently it's a Junkyard Out Here

Photo of Biodegradable vs Non-Biodegradable Waste, Angeles National Forest, California

Depending on the season and weather conditions, my local area can look beautiful occasionally on the surface. Upon a closer look you will find tree carvings usually of the Boy + Girl variety, you will find a lot of beer cans, and gang graffiti on the granite rocks. Ahh, the drawbacks of having a rugged wilderness area in Los Angeles County. Oh yes!

It's this type of stuff that I have to deal with every time I go out shooting near my house. As much as I want to shoot only pretty pictures, I want to be honest and won't make any illusions about what it is like to spend time in the San Gabriel Mountains. Hopefully my pictures will at least make a few people angry enough to positively influence those around them. Making people care about the environment is an uphill battle for sure in this area especially when the average person you see on a trail is a dad with his three young boys wearing sandals and breathing as if oxygen is going out of style, or teenage skinny-dippers in the creek.

I found fall foliage swirling very fast in this creek and used long exposure times to get them blurred. However I couldn't ignore the fact that a discarded beer can was also in the water. So I took the aluminum can out of the water and set it on the dry leaves. I wanted to do a visual metaphor for the moving leaves representing nature's cycle of life and the can not going anywhere; which is exactly what non-biodegradable waste does. It stays around forever. Don't litter.

South Fork of the American River

Picture of South Fork of the American River, Coloma, California

The Gold Rush began in this area when gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill by James Marshall. Nowadays, the American River is perhaps best known for being a whitewater rafting mecca during the summer months. The South Fork has Class II & III rapids so it is ideal for beginners and those who want a little excitement in their life but aren't ready to die yet either. :-) I believe the North Fork of the American River has Class III, IV, and V rapids so that section is a little more advanced. Another popular rafting place in the Sierra is the Merced River. Occasionally you might see rafters and kayakers in Yosemite Valley and in the Merced River Canyon which can be a little more tricky.

My friend, Jimmy and I rafted the South Fork in 2004. It was a little bit nerve-wracking at first to hear the safety instructions but once we completed our first series of rapids successfully, it was awesome! I'd totally do it again on a more difficult course if I knew people around here that were willing to do it. I think Jimmy would be up for it again also but he's living out of the country at the moment. Next time, I'm going to try finding a way to bring my camera along.

This picture of us about to attack a rapid will have to suffice for now. You can't see me in this photo because the wave is obscuring me. One wave was so big it flew over the raft and nearly knocked a couple of us into the river. Somehow I don't think that rapid was a Class III on this day.

Photo of Whitewater Rafting on the South Fork of the American River, California

Goodbye San Francisco

Monday morning rolled around and the weather in the San Francisco Bay was essentially the same as it had been since Friday afternoon. What I found strange about my moodiness on Sunday was that I loved the weather when I lived up there. But now that I was up there specifically for a photography trip, the weather was getting on my nerves. I guess the best way to relate to what I went through would be having a deadline at your job and nothing seemingly is going right.

I still was vacillating between where to shoot next but knew that I wanted to photograph San Francisco. I decided that the San Francisco Zoo would be the best bet for overcast conditions. The reason why I wanted to go there was to see the new Grizzly Gulch exhibit. Most zoos still can’t quite seem to get away from using obvious fences, but this exhibit was nice nevertheless. There was a waterfall and several ponds for the two grizzly bears. I wanted to get a bear portrait but it proved to be very difficult because the glass is angled in such a way that you cannot press the lens straight against the glass hence making it difficult to avoid reflections. The glass was extremely thick too so getting a sharp photo was a hit or miss endeavor. Feeling that getting a portrait was probably a futile effort, I tried to motion blur the grizzlies. It didn’t quite work out because they walked too slow. When I first got there though one of them was running around. Unfortunately I hadn’t thought of motion blurring the bear while it was running. Though I think I have some good bird photos, I’m a mediocre wildlife mammal photographer. That is a genre of nature photography that I’ll have to improve on in the future.

Upon not seeing much potential for improving upon my grizzly pictures, I looked at a few other exhibits then left the zoo to get lunch downtown. I contemplated whether or not I wanted to photograph the Yerba Buena Gardens since I was on New Montgomery Street getting lunch, but after seeing the prices at the SFMOMA parking garage, I decided to go to Alamo Square instead. Since it was the weekday I had a feeling that I wouldn’t have to parallel-park this time. I was right.

Free parking and no parallel parking is my idea of a pleasant destination. I ate lunch at Alamo Square, facing the “Postcard Row” Victorian homes. I’d seen a lot of postcards from that view but couldn’t quite figure out how to shoot it effectively. All I know is that what I managed to shoot at Postcard Row was not quite what I had envisioned before going there. I think what happened was that I was using my wide angle lens from a closer perspective than the postcards. I think most people use a medium zoom lens and go further up the hill so they can compress the distance of the Victorians to the downtown San Francisco skyline.


Picture: San Francisco Sightseeing Tour Bus at Postcard Row / Alamo Square, San Francisco, California

Regardless of the photography, the view is incredible at Alamo Square. It wasn’t quite as amazing as standing face to face with the Golden Gate Bridge, but it is definitely a classic view that is worth visiting at least once.

Right behind me was the cloud layer. It was already early afternoon so I decided that I was going to try getting some photos of the Conservatory of Flowers at Golden Gate Park. The clouds never really cleared up so I tried to get photos when there was just a bit of blue breaks in the sky. If the sun was out, I would have photographed the Japanese Garden as well in addition to the windmill. I ended up just walking around the windmill and sitting on the bench listening to some live music there before walking to the Cliff House. I was curious as to what they did to the Cliff House since I last lived up north. It was under re-construction when I last saw it. The new version doesn’t seem tourist friendly because all it is now is a façade for a fancy restaurant and a little postcard gift shop.

I decided that I wasn’t going to squander my last day in the Bay Area so I went back to the hotel for a break then went to the Palo Alto Baylands Preserve for sunset. It is almost always sunny in Silicon Valley so I knew I would for surely get a sunset there. It turned out to be a good idea because you could clearly see the thick San Francisco fog from the Baylands.


Picture: Canadian Geese, Palo Alto Baylands Preserve, California

After experiencing fog during four out of five days in San Francisco, that was enough for me. Originally I wanted to go further up north to the Redwood Coast but decided that was just too ambitious for one trip since I’d have to drive over 700 miles to get back home. Paul Bunyon and Babe the Blue Ox will have to wait until next year I guess.

The next blog post will feature me doing a classic drive down the Pacific Coast Highway.

Foggy San Mateo Coast or Clouded Mind?

The night before I got the shots that I’d always wanted so I really didn’t have any plans for Sunday. I contemplated going over to Mount Diablo State Park, San Jose Mission, and the Pleasanton Ridge. Last time I hiked the Pleasanton Ridge with my friend Marc, we got lost off-trail and had to do a seven mile hike up and down numerous ridges before finding our way out. Allergies did me in about halfway through the hike because I’m allergic to grassy and dusty places that have weather above 75 degrees. I saw some great scenic photo opportunities on that hike though so it definitely weighed on my mind.

I sat in the parking lot trying to pick up a wi-fi signal on my laptop and did the whole morning email routine before deciding to drive over the coastal mountains on Highway 92 to the James Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. Since I’ve almost exclusively photographed coastal subjects this year, I figured I might as well stick to the plan on this trip and thus ended up on the San Mateo Coast. That direction looked clear from Redwood City so I figured that I’d go to the reserve then perhaps head down to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk afterwards.


Picture: Foggy Monterey Cypress Trees at James Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Moss Beach, California

I should have known better because as soon as I arrived in Half Moon Bay it was overcast. It was somewhat foggy but cloudy more than anything else. The ranger had told me on the phone the night before that it would be overcast and that in summer the fog often doesn’t lift for two or three months straight. I hadn't taken him seriously so my mood instantly dropped. I held my hopes up initially because I’d photographed bush lupine there in July of 2004 under clear weather. What I did find interesting at the reserve however was a colony of sea lions on the beach. I’d been to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve several times and had only seen sea lions frolicking in the water off-shore. Plus, I’d only gone to the reserve during minus tides previously. Given that this is the California Coast, the beach was roped off way too far out of reach for my lens.

I got bored of the reserve pretty quick after taking some photos from the bluffs so I took a leisurely drive up to Pacifica. When I lived there, I used to either go to Rockaway Beach or the other parts of the coastline in town at least once or twice a week. Sometimes I brought my camera while others times I didn’t. Usually the weather was pretty bad but I have a high tolerance for cold weather given that I’m dressed accordingly. The reason why I prefer cold weather and moist coastal areas is because I generally do not have allergies in that type of environment. I have severe nasal and eye allergies in most other types of conditions.

Naturally it was overcast in Pacifica as well. The main beach was crowded with weekend warriors and surfers. It took about five minutes to find parking at the Taco Bell lot. Not seeing anything photogenic, I went over to Rockaway Beach to take a short walk thru the wetlands. I was surprised to see how the place has evolved since two years ago. Previously the tall grasses were short and you could see all sorts of birds in the creek. Now the tall grass is tall and it’s difficult to spot wildlife in there though you can hear the birds. I took the trail up to a higher bluff and got a good view of the foggy wetlands. I left the camera in the car for some reason so I didn’t get any photos from that perspective. I took a few shots from the parking lot then sort of just drove around San Francisco aimlessly for a while.

What I did next is kind of hazy to me now because I was bored, but I recall heading over to Alamo Square in the late afternoon to try photographing “Postcard Row” in warm light. There were no open parking spots on the streets so I drove in circles probably four or five times around the neighborhood. I found a spot on a steep downward hill that required parallel parking. Well I tried my best. :-) Some old curmudgeonly guy across the street was cussing at me for being incompetent while simulaneously I was cussing at the concept of having to parallel park. After five or six attempts, I gave up and skipped Postcard Row on Sunday afternoon in warm light.

Feeling so dejected from the parallel parking incident and gloomy weather, I vacillated between thinking I was a hack photographer or a competent one merely having a bad day. Then I started questioning if the trip was a waste of money. Finally, I started to mentally calculate the Economic Law of Diminishing Returns as it related to my California Coast photography trip. That was a sign that it was time to call it quits for the day.

For some reason I felt compelled to go to Rodeo Beach despite the bad weather. So I went and waited to see if there would be a sunset. It was quite foggy up in Marin when I got there but it burned off by the time the sun set. The problem though was that it was extremely windy and water vapor was flying everywhere on the beach. I coudln't get good photos of the sea stacks because my lenses and filters all fogged up and were soaked by vapor. I saw the sunset and couldn't do anything about it. That was my real sign to call it quits for the day.

17 Mile Drive

17 Mile Drive Seascape Waterfall, Pacific Grove, California

I was going to post an entry about the first day of my trip last Monday but realized it is on my laptop so I'll have to get that online tomorrow hopefully. For now, here is a photo I took from 17 Mile Drive last Wednesday night. I was standing about on top of this rock formation about twenty feet above the surf. However the waves were so powerful they were actually flying higher than I was! I was only a few feet away from it so I made sure to keep a close eye on the wave action while shooting. I never got wet but when the waves are that powerful you must be cautious. Some of my photos of the same composition have such a big wave explosion that water is all you see. This was definetely a thrilling night for photography.

To get this picture, I was standing elsewhere where there was less wave action going on. I stopped shooting to observe other areas where there was more happening. I noticed a pattern going on with the waves where they would build up higher and higher until it flowed over this rock depicted in the above photo. The waterfall only came every few minutes and only lasted about five to ten seconds at most. I only managed to capture it twice before it got too dark.

A Sad Day for Nature Photography

Photo: Contrails in Sunset Sky While Ducks Swim up to Urban Runoff Storm Drain that Empties into Upper Newport Bay, Newport Beach, California

The Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve is one of the largest remaining coastal wetlands in the Southern California. Critical bird habitat such as the Back Bay has been eroding at a rapid pace over the past century and becoming increasingly polluted, particularly so in the past thirty years due to rampant urban development. The bay is a mixture of fresh and saltwater but the "fresh" water mainly consists of urban runoff from the local community. The foreground water flowing into the bay with the ducks is a reminder that we must be careful not to pour toxic chemicals down our drains and pesticides. There is life out there that depends on our used water.

Birds outlived their dinosaur predecessors and have been around for millions of years. They developed the ability to fly in order to avoid ground-based predators. Their ability to adapt to their surroundings has allowed them to thrive in almost every habitat on the planet. However, the interference of man can have a much quicker and dramatic impact on wildlife than their ability to adapt. The airplane-induced contrails in the sky is a double-reminder of the increasing competition that birds must endure in order to survive in today's world. Even in the air, birds are not alone anymore.

I took this image on Saturday evening. To me it symbolizes the importance of strong environmental protection laws and how urgent it is to have cooperation in our society when it comes to respect for the environment. This is perhaps the saddest picture that I have ever taken. Only one can wonder how beautiful this planet was before the Industrial Revolution.

This photo will soon be added to the Environmental Issues gallery on my website.

I Left My Heart in San Simeon...

I was trying out a scanner last week and scanned in a number of 35mm slides. This image which I just processed yesterday, reminded me of how much I love the California Central Coast. Call me weird but I absolutely love gloomy overcast weather, the salty ocean breeze, and cool temperatures. It is inevitable that I will move to Morro Bay or the coastal Bay Area again sooner or later.

Picture: Spring Wildflowers and Storm Clouds Along William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach with Pier in Background, San Simeon, California

When I lived in San Francisco, people would always remark how depressing it was to live west of the Golden Gate Bridge due to the fog. I loved it. Well aside from the fact that it was impossible to keep my car clean, but that is a different story. For full disclosure purposes however I must admit that I lived on the backside of the ridge where the coastal mountains started in Pacifica, so I wasn't getting blasted by the cold air 24/7. That would have been a little too much to handle.

For this photo which was taken at William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach, I used a Cokin Graduated Grey 2 filter because the sky was gray but had also cloud definition, so I knew that the Cokin would help accentuate the clouds by balacing out my exposure. Normally I wouldn’t recommend a Cokin for sunsets or anything other than a gray sky because it can cause an unnatural color cast, but for overcast conditions it does serve a purpose. For more typical landscape shooting situations where you need to control contrast however, I’d recommend Singh-Ray Galen Rowell graduated neutral-density filters as those have no color cast. There are cheaper GND filters that other photographers use made by Lee and Hi-Tech but I have no experience with those so I can’t personally recommend those.

I shot this photo five years ago on Fuji Velvia 50 slide film. I only shot maybe three or four frames in this area because the cost of film, which is a shame. I only shot maybe two or three rolls per outing at most. Not very prolific compared to the digital age nowadays where a photographer can easily shoot several hundred images and really work a scene while not feel any shame about it. That is one of the reasons why I plan on re-photographing many of the places that I have visited over the years.

California Central Coast places of interest include:

Hearst Castle
Elephant Seals at Point Piedras Blancas
Morro Bay State Park Museum of Natural History
Morro Rock
Morro Bay Waterfront
Oceano Dunes
Montana de Oro State Park
Mission La Purisima
Solvang
17 Mile Drive
Point Lobos SR
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Big Sur
Elkhorn Slough NERR
The National Steinbeck Center
Andersen's Split Pea Soup Restaurant
Carmel
Carmel Mission

Shrinkage on Mount Baldy

So we go from a happy birthday post for my grandmother to something as wacky as this post.

Photo: Stream Waterfall, Mount Baldy, California

There was a bunch of new snow on the local mountains today and a rare day of clean air so I continued on my quest to find a good scenic viewpoint to photograph Mount Baldy. I think I have found the location today but wasn't able to scramble up there to get to it because I noticed the spot after the sun had already gone down. But being out there today reminded me of a couple weeks ago when I went for a little trail walk near the Mt. Baldy Ski Village. It was about 40 degrees that day but no snow and little water in the creek but apparently enough for one guy to be skinny dipping in the creek! His girlfriend was fully clothed (unfortunately) and laughing at him. Thankfully for my eyesight he was covering his package with his hands as I walked by. I probably wouldn't have noticed them if it weren't for his girlfriend's loud screaming so I guess they weren't expecting to see other people up there on a weekday afternoon. Crazy.

This waterfall photo was taken not too far upstream from Mr. 40 Degree Skinny Dipper.

Enlightenment

Photo: Joshua Trees in Shadow, Joshua Tree National Park, California

Taken Sunday at Joshua Tree National Park. It was about 35 degrees and windy. I kept forgetting to put on my fleece sweater from the car so I was feeling a bit stiff while trying to shoot.

There were no clouds in the sky and the light didn’t look particularly interesting around sunset so I wanted to use the shadowed trees to my advantage. I saw this huge Joshua Tree make for a great opportunity to frame the sunlit boulders. I would have liked to have included the entire tree (actually a yucca plant) but by moving back other Joshua Trees started creeping into my composition from the left and the right. I think enough of the tree is shown though so people get the idea. The great thing about photography and the human mind is that we can fill in the missing information when we know what is there.

The enlightened one himself, Gary Crabbe was over to my left somewhere shooting climbers with his telephoto, of which you can't see in this small file at the base of the big rock but they are there in the full resolution file. I'm sure Gary got some shots like this too as well since it was his idea to shoot this location.

I hadn’t been to Joshua Tree National Park in three years so it has been on my to-go list for a while though I think I will shoot the park in spring next time since it can be quite cold during the winter in the high altitude Mojave Desert. I’ve always wanted to get photos of the park in snow though…

Icon of the Colorado Rockies: The Maroon Bells

Over two weeks ago I spent several days in Aspen, Colorado. My only plans were to photograph the much-photographed, Maroon Bells and that is just what I did. I made five trips up to Maroon Lake from the town of Aspen and it was an adventure each time.



I had just arrived in Aspen on November 3rd from Boulder, Colorado and went straight up to Maroon Lake after eating lunch. It was icy and cold up there but the main thing was that I wasn't acclimated to the high altitude. I was breathing heavy from just walking around the lakeshore and sloshing through the snow trying not to slip on icy patches. After an hour and a half I had a big headache from the altitude so I decided to go back to my car and sleep for two hours til sunset. On the way back to the car, a woman presumably several years older than myself (not bad looking either) struck up a conversation with me asking me if I'd seen any birds. I wasn't there to do any birding so I didn't have any insightful info for her. It was her first time up there too. It goes to show that any place special enough is worthwhile to visit no matter the weather.

After sleeping for an hour and a half in my car, I felt nauteous and was a mental thought away from opening my door and throwing up in the parking lot but I managed to pull it together then decided to drive down the mountain back to town since I didn't think I was in any condition to shoot photos. Somehow as I made it down to the forest entrance, I felt better so I decided to turn around and head back to Maroon Lake. I didn't travel all those miles just to wuss out so I ended up shooting photos til it was dark outside.



The next morning I woke up at an ungodly hour to drive back up to the lake before sunrise. It was snowing lightly in Aspen but as I went further up Maroon Creek Road the snow was heavier and the clouds got thicker to a point where I coudln't see anything anymore since it was still pitch black outside and the road was getting thick with icy powder. I got scared and stopped 3/4 of the way up to shoot road photos and aspen trees. I saw an even crazier photographer, whom I saw later at sunset, in a 4WD pass me and go all the way. That night, we were the last two people to be up at the Maroon Bells. I left before he did and ate dinner downtown. As I was getting back into my car, I realized he was parked next to me and was going to dinner himself. Such a random occurence since I had parked several blocks away from the restaurant.

During my last day in Aspen, the photographer and I were the only two people at Maroon Lake to shoot the sunrise in 24 degree windy conditions. I asked him what if he saw anything the previous morning in that snowstorm. His response, "All I saw was clouds." "That's what I thought, I saw you driving up in that storm but I was too scared to go all the way."

I'll go to certain lengths to get my photos but it's not worth risking my life for pictures.

After I arrived home the following week, it took me some adjustment to get back into domestic life as all I could keep thinking about was Colorado. I think I found my future home. I loved being able to walk everywhere in Aspen and Boulder. It was during the off-season and it was pleasant to not have to deal with hordes of tourists. It's not often I shoot iconic locations, but the Maroon Bells is a place that I fell in love with the first second I saw it despite suffering from altitude sickness.

P.S. I don't understand all the people who go thru the trouble of driving up to the Maroon Lake parking lot to only stop their car for a minute or two then drive off. Apparently they didn't realize they could see a beautiful lake with a perfect reflection of the Maroon Bells if they had gotten out of their car and walked past the outhouse.

Putting Your Own Twist on Familiar Icons

The drawing above shows a scene at Arches National Park, Utah that I experienced a week ago while driving in search for a sunrise photo location. I had several ideas for locations that I thought might fit the type of light I was hoping to achieve in my photos, but couldn't decide until I saw this scene drawn above. Then the idea popped into my head that I could "balance" the full moon on top of Balanced Rock. I didn't know if I could pull it off, but I figured it was worth taking a chance since I figured the world probably wasn't going to miss another generic pleasant sunrise image of an southwestern desert icon if I had settled for a scene that was given to me such as the one above. I wanted something more conceptual. Unique interaction between light and landscape is something lacking from most pictures so I wanted to go beyond that and make an image of my own imagination.

I proceeded to pull into the Balanced Rock parking lot while it was still dark outside, then walked until I found a location where I could position the moon to be balanced on top of Balanced Rock at first light alpenglow. It wasn't easy as the moon was setting rapidly so I had to keep re-adjusting positions as the light was changing. I managed to take numerous variations with different lighting but this one most closely resembles what I saw in my mind while driving into the park.



Check back for future posts on other "conceptual" ideas I want to share and ways to achieve them. I'll give you a hint, the next one will involve Batman and travel photography.

Discovering Appalachia

Last Saturday my friend Jeff and I visited the Red River Gorge in the Daniel Boone National Forest for the first time. We had each heard a lot of good things about it from the people at our ad agency in Louisville, so we figured why not experience it during the peak of fall season? To be honest, I've never been that impressed by photos of the Appalachians and Smoky Mountains National Park that I've seen from photographers so I wasn't expecting much. Man was I wrong. I'm regretting that it took me 27 years to discover Appalachia.

Not knowing anything about the area, we stopped at the Skylift area of Natural Bridge State Resort Park just because it was the first location we passed on the Mountain Parkway. We figured that we'd take a quick tram ride up to the top of the mountain then be done within the hour. We ended up staying half the day and hiking up and down the mountain before taking the tram back down in late afternoon.



The views from on top of the Natural Bridge were incredible. There was a sea of colors from our feet out to the horizon many miles away. After I shot through a memory card and a half, we took a side trail down to Hemlock Lodge, and on the way found a dark cave that we were told opened up to the other side of the mountain. We went in with Jeff using his point and shoot digital camera flash as our flashlights, until I sort of got stuck in some water, so we turned around as it was starting to get scary dark in there. Right before he turned back, Jeff thought he flashed a hibernating bear in the face. I didn't buy it, but who knows.



When we made it back up to the top of the ridge, I only had a few shots left despite the fact I was carrying three memory cards. I ended up deleting some duplicate images just so I could get a few more from the views we hadn't seen yet. My portable 40 gig compact flash hard drive was in my car...



After hiking up, down and around the mountain, it was exhausting but we still had two hours of sunlight left so we headed over to the Gray's Arch trail in the Red River Gorge. The foliage there was amazing. The entire forest seemingly consisted of red and yellow leaves. The late afternoon light made for some nice images as it backlit the leaves, and inside the canyon it was all in deep shadow so I didn't have to worry much about proper exposure. I wasn't willing to climb Gray's Arch while carrying a tripod and camera, so I stayed below to photograph and hike back out the way we came, while Jeff and the other hikers climbed up and left the canyon through the upper trail because it would have been suicidal to climb back down the Arch in those steep, wet conditions. A backpack shrine located nearby dedicated to the hiker who fell to his death in 1986 was a constant reminder of the hazzards of such an activity. I had no idea that the backpack was a shrine until after I made it back to the car. I would have taken photos of it had I known the story behind it.



After an hour of photographing, and hiking in the company of a grandfather who kept boasting to his grandkids that he was friends with Daniel Boone back in the day and helped dupe all the "Indians" out of their land, I met Jeff back at the car as the sun was setting. Desperate to salvage something of the remaining light, I found a vista of the Gorge not far from the car, but not visible from it either. Since it was a cloudless day, the sky was too bright even for my five stops of stacked Galen Rowell / Singh-Ray Graduated Neutral-Density filters. Knowing my limitations for landscapes, I focused on capturing forest details.



Now as I'm preparing to leave Kentucky for good, I think the only thing that would bring me back to this region would be to experience more of the Appalachian Mountains. There were tons of tourists, hikers and photographers roaming around but it never felt crowded. The scenery was so incredible that I rarely noticed the people around me, except for the grandfather of course. People come from all over the world and for good reason to see Appalachia. At this time of year, there is no where else I would rather have been.

Photography Tips:

1. If you have decent camera gear just act like you don't know much and keep your answers to simple one or two word replies otherwise people will keep asking questions about what camera you use, and etc... you know the drill. I'm not a jerk for taking this approach. It's just that I prefer to talk about the scenic experience, not cameras.

2. Use a circular polarizer. Deepen those blue skies and bring out the colors of the foliage.

3. Bring a tripod if you expect a high percentage of sharp photos. I left mine in the car for the Skylift, but learned my lesson and brought it to Gray's Arch.

New Panoramic Photos

With the continuing advancement of digital photography over the past several years, many new techniques are at the disposal of photographers, as well as the opportunity to improve upon one's vision. With an awesome panoramic stitching program called AutoPano, I was able to stitch together this image with seven images. Initially I shot 11 images for this because it's better to have too much to work from than not enough, but seven ended up being sufficient for what I wanted.



To make this panoramic all I did was make sure I had enough overlapping parts of each frame in order for the software to stitch them together. A tripod is absolutely necessary, though I wouldn't be surprised if the software miraculously were able to stitch together handheld images as well on occasion.

I took this photo on Monday at Clifty Falls State Park, in Madison, Indiana, in order to take advantage of the overcast conditions, which the leaves often look their most vibrant in pictures with the use of a circular polarizer. The reason why this is, is because during sunny days there are harsh shadows and blown highlights, which only serves to detract from the wonderful color displays of fall foliage.

10/23/06 - 37 Degrees, Overcast, Windy, Leaves Falling Fast.

To visit my new gallery of panoramic pictures, click this link.

For the AutoPano Stitching Software, click this link.

Triptychs

Taken in sequential order, the first image in this series of photos represents my initial photo of this pre-visualized scene of the Falls of the Ohio and the Downtown Louisville skyline. The middle photo represents my 3rd attempt at shooting the scene in more flattering light but missing the train, and the bottom photo is my 4th attempt last night at sunset though with the train heading towards Kentucky as opposed to leaving the state for Indiana. In both photos with the train, see how the colors happen to match the landscape. That is a detail that I hadn't noticed until now as I'm typing this. I'm considering re-processing the RAW file on the third image in an attempt to get more detail out of the Falls of the Ohio.

Thanks for looking.

Fall is Alive and Well in Kentucky

I took this shot today (10/20/06) at the Bernheim Forest in Clermont, Kentucky. According to the Kentucky Department of Tourism website, this is about 30% of peak fall colors. I can't wait to see what 100% looks like in that case!

My 27th birthday is this coming Thursday, October 26th so maybe I'll be lucky.

Conceptual Photography

The difference between a successful photo and a pretty good one hangs on a very slim margin with that difference being thinking about how you want the final image to look like. Some photographers refer to that as pre-visualization but that sounds too scientific to me. I’d rather think of it as “thinking man’s photography” or conceptual if you will. Most landscape photography is rather formulaic if you want to achieve pretty pictures. To achieve those types of pictures, you’ll typically see a perfect balance of low, wide-angled foreground leading into a nice colorful sky. Nice, but not really all that memorable or requires much thinking to do. Here I will show several back to back photos of the same subject matter with subtle adjustments in composition that make or break the image.



With this first image, “Sunset over Pacific Ocean, Montara State Beach, California”, I have a nice sunset with colorful clouds and an interesting little creek flowing into the ocean. When I shot this I was exploring the light and composition, then it occurred to me to find a place that emphasizes the S-shape of the creek leading my eye into the sun. To find that, I backed up around the bend and position my tripod in the water so my position in the creek had both the S-shape and the sun at the end of it. It sounds simple enough but if I hadn’t been consciously thinking of the final image and looking for ways to improve upon the first composition, then I probably would not have gotten the shot shown below.



In this 2nd group of photos, I will show how achieving the image you want is impossible to duplicate twice. This image, “Train Passing over the Falls of the Ohio and Downtown Louisville, Falls of the Ohio State Park, Indiana”, resulted from me walking around the waterfront park looking for ways to capture all of the local icons all in one image: the bridge, the train, the Falls of the Ohio, the Ohio River, and the Louisville skyline. Very rarely in landscape photography are we blessed with so many major elements all in a single line of sight. Getting them all in one shot on the memory card or film is even more difficult.



I walked around various perspectives around the bridge looking for a way to capture all the local icons, so I decided on framing the skyline underneath the pillar of the bridge and the left corner of my frame, then find a high enough perspective to see over the trees so I could capture the Falls of the Ohio and the Ohio River on the left and far right respectively. The next element going for this image is the vanishing point that the bridge provides from the left side to the right side, which is also the way a person tends to read something. The vanishing point helps me achieve what I want because the focal point of the composition is the icons. While I was walking down below along the river, I’d heard the train roaring from above so I kept that in mind while shooting this composition. I composed then waited for the train the pass by again before snapping this shot. This image is easier said than done considering all of the elements described above, a result of conceptual photography.

Now let’s compare the above image with my attempt to improve upon the light. The first image was inspired, while this image is merely me trying to improve upon a pre-visualized image. The colors are more vibrant just like I wanted, but I just could not get the Falls, skyline and river the way I liked it from the first time not to mention no train was passing by on this day apparently. It goes to show that even if you try to improve upon or copy an original idea, the 2nd time around is never as inspired.



I try to approach all of my photography in this manner but a lot of times the elements required aren’t there such as inspiration, ideas, light, subject, composition, etc… But my favorite images that I take generally fall into this category. I’ll let the viewers see if they can find other examples on my website of the methods I’ve described here.

Malibu’s Finest Beach 2-24-06

El Matador State Beach is lesser-known than some of Malibu’s more famous beaches such as Zuma Beach but much more scenic. Total speculation here on my part but I think the relative seclusion has to do with the fact you can’t see El Matador State Beach from the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) unlike Malibu’s more crowded beaches and because it is a dangerous place to surf. To reach the beach you have to take a trail then down a series of metal stairs down a steep hillside. Once there you’re greeted with huge sea stacks and possibly marine life if it’s low tide. Luckily for me it was low tide when I visited.



On my previous two visits four years ago it was high tide so I wasn’t aware of the amazing array of species hidden beneath the ocean waves. I’d seen stock photos that portrayed El Matador State Beach in a more pristine manner than I’d remembered so I knew there was more to be discovered here.

I met an out-of-town couple from Massachusetts there whom were in town for a wedding and the guy glowingly raved about how he’d never seen such impressive wildlife before on a beach. He stated that he was amazed at how everything in California seemed on a bigger scale than the East Coast. I can’t say that I blame him there. Whenever I travel outside of the West, I’m usually a bit shell-shocked at how flat the landscape is.



El Matador is popular for model photography such as Sports Illustrated style shooting. Each time I’ve been there I’ve seen numerous models on a serious photo shoot on the sea stacks. There’s also a Michelle Branch video for her song, Breathe which I’m almost certain was shot here due to the un-mistakable huge sea stack on the beach that kept reoccurring in the video. This visit was no different as there was a 30 foot RV in the parking lot with music blasting and lawn chairs strewn all over. Down on the beach there were several people setting up for the shoot with a girl or two. The north end of the beach is a nude beach, but just as pristine for wildlife as the rest of it.



Notes:
1. Go during low tide. The beach looks dramatically more impressive during these conditions.
2. Bring a polarizer.
3. Bring a camera flash. Tide pools are dark and a lot of good stuff is under the rocks so a good flash will bring out the details.
4. Bring a telephoto lens- birds such as brown pelicans frequent the area.
5. Don’t remove anything from the rocks.

The Best Colors in the West

With all apologies to John Muir, the best colors in the West lie in Canyon Country. This past weekend (11/12 - 11/13/05) in Zion National Park and in the surrounding area I witnessed the most amazing display of fall foliage I’ve seen in my life. The Eastern Sierra is bigger and has more trees, but as for variety of color and sheer beauty it doesn’t come close to Zion’s fall season. Throw in the red rock walls and we’ve got the Garden of Eden. The Mormons were a smart bunch for sure…

At this time of year, the Zion Canyon seems to be in mostly shade which is perfect light for shooting foliage. The light allowed me to try my best Elliott Porter impersonation as my images would attest.

Fall Foliage Reports 10-10-05

I'm a week late, but at least this should make for good historical record.

Last week I went to the Eastern Sierra to photograph fall foliage. Leaf peeping has grown in popularity in recent years due to several websites such as www.calphoto.com which provides up-to-date fall foliage reports. I used that website to time my visit which was quite productive despite the heavy wind.

Bishop Creek Canyon 10-2-05: By far the best colors and most dense aspen groves I saw on the trip. The colors probably are fading if not gone by now due to the wind and cold conditions. There was mostly yellow with orange in places when I was there.



Rock Creek Canyon 10-1-05: The colors were peaking when I was there with mostly orange and yellow with some red near Rock Creek Lake.



McGee Creek Canyon 10-2 & 10-3-05: Disappointing. The canyon was in deep shadow during both sunrise and sunset magic hour. The creek isn’t all that accessible compared to Bishop Creek. Plus Bishop Creek has a lot more trees. The road is only partially paved.



Places on my fall foliage wish list: Nevada City- big leaf maples and liquidambars in a quaint New England-like gold mining town.

Grass Valley- Same as above, neighboring city.

Hope Valley- I heard that this is the place to go for fall foliage in the Sierra.

Lake Tahoe- Can you believe that I still have never been there before?

Volcano- Last year I saw a glimpse of what could be and I loved it!

Northern Arizona 6/26/05 – 6/30/05

My mom had a coupon for a several free nights at any Marriott-owned hotel so we (mom, brother and I) chose to go to Arizona. Vegas was the other location considered but neither of their sites were directly on the Strip so we canned that idea early on. Plus neither my mom nor brother had been to Flagstaff before. My mom had been to the saguaros in southern Arizona years ago with my dad however. Totally different scenery up here in northern Arizona.

It took us about seven hours to get to Flagstaff from Glendora, with a one hour break for lunch in Kingman. Wasn’t ridiculously hot getting there, but 89 gas did cost over $3/gallon in Needles. Had we known Arizona’s gas would be 50-60 cents cheaper, we would have just gotten it later. I guess I should have known better, after all I’ve pumped gas for as little as $1.60/gallon in Massachusetts this year. Prices haven’t been that low in California since I was a beginning driver in the 90’s.

When we got to “Flag” we checked in and my brother stayed behind due to a cold so my mom and I went for a late afternoon walk on the Lava Flow Trail in nearby Sunset Crater National Monument. The previous times I’d been there the trail was covered in snow so it was nice to see what was under the snow. I found out the volcano itself was actually a stark black and red color which was interesting visually but difficult to photograph. It isn’t any easier to photograph in winter as I’ve found in the past. However I did once see a photograph of sunset alpenglow lighting up the top of the Sunset Crater Volcano on a stock photo website hence the name. Perhaps that was my hint to try again in the future.

After walking the Lava Flow Trail, which took about a half an hour, we continued down the loop road to Wupatki National Monument stopping first at the Wukoki Ruin. It was small but close to the roadside as with most of the other dwellings. My mom spotted a blue lizard on the ground so I tried to get a few pictures in the mixed shaded lighting. I tried the on-camera fill flash which helped out the less than ideal lighting.

By then (6:30-7 p.m.) the light was within magic hour, so we went over to the Wupatki Pueblo which is supposedly the largest dwelling within the park. It was definitely bigger than the other ruins I’d seen at Wupatki but as big as I had imagined. I tried to visit the Wupatki Pueblo in 2003 but ran out of time so I made sure not to miss it this time.

Wupatki Pueblo was impressive nevertheless and sprawling on a hill. I took images of the pueblo with and without tourists in warm golden sunset lighting. You definitely can’t go wrong when shooting in situations like this unless you’re a total hack or having an “off-day”. After the sun dropped I hung around waiting to see if any twilight glow, or “earth shadow” I believe it might otherwise be called, would appear in the sky. It never came. I’m not sure what conditions are necessary for that effect to appear usually 15 minutes after sunset but the stars certainly weren’t aligned today. I saw a strong twilight glow in the sky last time so I know it happens here. Perhaps if Galen Rowell were still alive I could have asked him to tell me when to expect seeing a pink sky. (Read his book, Mountain Light for further explanation.)



By the time we got back to Flagstaff it was already dark and about 8:30. We picked up my brother from the hotel and went around looking for food on Route 66 but struck out at two restaurants before getting into Sizzler right before closing time. The food was miserable but at least we had dinner. The waitresses recommended looking for dinner downtown if we were running late in the future. They were right as we found out the next day. There’s much more happening in downtown Flagstaff than on Route 66 for sure.

Back to the 2nd day: My brother stayed behind again to recuperate while my mom and I set out to experience a little of Navajo Nation. The original plan was to stop by Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado then wander around the rest of the day in Window Rock which is on the New Mexico border and a three hour drive from Flagstaff. Window Rock is the capital of the Navajo so I was curious to see the town and maybe purchase some traditional arts and crafts. It wasn’t to be. With my ill brother back in Flagstaff and given our experience with the near-missed dinner the night before in town we decided to cut our day short at the Hubbell Trading Post. We weren’t too disappointed because we’d seen more scenery than we had expected stopping for a while at the Petrified Forest National Park which was amazing. The Painted Desert really came to life under the partly cloudy lighting. I’d never seen such amazing colors in nature before not from flowers, clouds, Utah, sunsets, Grand Canyon or anything that compared to the Painted Desert. It sure looked a lot better up close than from the distant Painted Desert Vista in Sunset Crater.



The roadside navajo arts and crafts stands along I-40 gave us something to look forward to on the ride back to Flagstaff from Hubbell Trading Post. (For more on the Hubbell Trading Post, see my “Weaver” photograph in the People gallery).

The next morning my brother was feeling better so we went to the South Rim. The day started off pretty well with our free complimentary breakfast then stopping at the White Buffalo ranch for a half an hour on the way to the Canyon. It was at White Buffalo where I saw my first Bull Mastif. I should add that I grew up with a fear of dogs of any size and would run from them as a kid. I can handle smaller to medium sized dogs now because I’ve had two Jack Russell Terriers since then but big dogs still make me nervous. I was warned to look out for the dog although it was harmless.

So I go the back door of the ranch to see the farm animals when I see the dog standing at the door waiting to come in. It stood taller than the doorknob while on all fours and it weighed over 200 pounds from what I was told. I had second thoughts about going out there but decided to anyway so I open the door and the dog just walks right past me and into the gift shop. Whewww, I dodged a bullet there.

When we approached the Grand Canyon, it was raining slightly and mostly overcast thus keeping us cool. The wind eventually blew off the clouds but the wind also eventually forced us to leave early. I’ve been in really rough weather but this was beyond my tolerance level. The dry winds were blowing heavy gusts and sand into our eyes and mouth constantly after lunch. There’s really no point in taking pictures or sightseeing when you can’t see out of your eyes!

We left for the Navajo Arts Crafts Enterprise and Cameron Trading Post in you guessed it, Cameron. The Crafts Enterprise wasn’t as good as what we’d seen the day before so we didn’t spend much time there but the Cameron Trading Post was top-notch. It was huge and comprised several buildings. If you can’t find Navajo arts and crafts of your liking there then you probably don’t appreciate their art.

We spent the fourth day in Sedona. Got lost for 40 miles before realizing it though. We were nearly halfway to Phoenix before I realized the scenery wasn’t anything like Oak Creek Canyon. We apparently missed the turn to 89A in Flagstaff and passed Sedona. I rarely forget the scenery of the places I’d been so driving for an hour without having seen Oak Creek made me consult the map for a second look. It turned out that I’d failed to notice that 89A and 17 were the same road in Flagstaff and splits off outside of town. It wasn’t too disappointing though, the route we went was scenic in its own right. Believe it or not we got turned around on 89A near the town of Oak Creek one mile south of Sedona because of a car wreck. So we had to detour again and finally arrived nearly two hours after we left Flagstaff! Normally it would take about 30-45 minutes to go south depending on how fast you drive twisting mountain roads. You can always spot the hardcore city slicker tourists by how they drive these roads. They brake constantly, drive super slow on turns only to speed up at straight sections and never pull out at the turnouts no matter how much tail-gating, high beams, hand gestures and cussing you and the 15 other cars behind you do. Needless to say bad drivers are my number one pet peeve. My worst experience with this type of driver was once coming back down from Big Basin State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I’ll save that story for another time.

There was a nearby fire which made the sky in Sedona resemble Southern California more than Arizona but with a polarizer most of the haze was cut from my images. Never thought I’d love cloudless blue skies so much but on days like these coming away with blue sky pictures is a blessing. Wasn’t too many tourists in town surprisingly though I’m sure on the 4th it was to be a different story. The best part of my day was lunch. Simply put: FISH TACOS AT CANYON BREEZE. The restaurant/bar is located in Uptown Sedona. The best tacos I’ve ever had in my life. I haven’t been able to think about anything else since going there. I will probably rant about the tacos for the rest of my life. They were that good. Even if you’re a local, you have to go to Uptown just for the fish tacos. Hell, I’d move to Sedona just to eat fish tacos.

We had dinner in Downtown Flagstaff for the third day in a row. I highly recommend Pesto Brothers if you like Italian food. The bread you get is great, then the Chicken Parmigiana and Canelloni are both top-notch entrees. Enough said.

On the final morning, I headed out once again at 4:30 a.m. for the fourth day in a row for sunrise photography northeast of Flagstaff while my mom and brother slept. The five-mile dirt road up to Lockett Meadow is pretty freaky if you’re in a passenger car but worth it. Aspen, snow-capped San Francisco Peaks and ponds galore. The morning before I was freezing to death up there while waiting for sunrise so I made sure not to make the same mistake twice. Bring clothes, I don’t think we’re in the desert anymore Toto.



After breakfast we were off to hot, smoggy ‘ol Glendora. Home sweet home.

Brief Notes on the Eastern Sierra 6/6/05 - 6/9/05

-The road from Rock Creek Lake to the Mosquito Flat Trailhead is still closed to snow. That was a bummer as I planned to do a lot of shooting around Little Lakes Valley in the John Muir Wilderness.

-Sonora Pass has been open for a few weeks. No snow until around 8,000 ft. The ground is covered in deep snow above there. None of it is on the road though so road conditions are a non-issue. Very beautiful unlike anything I’d seen in the state.



-Snow is covering all the peaks that you can see from Hwy. 395. Very scenic and makes for nice photography.

-Mono Lake was very windy and made it tough to pitch a tent in Lee Vining.

-The Horton Creek Campground in Round Valley is now $5 per night. The Eastern Sierra AAA map and Tom Stienstra’s California Camping book states that it was supposed to be free.

San Gabriel River Trail 4-26-05

The other morning my brother and I were driving on Huntington Drive just after the sun came up when I came across a bridge that crosses the river. I'd never seen the river filled with that much water before. It's usually dry. The sky, clouds and mountains reflected off the river. It was beautiful. Then I came back the following day on foot. I never did find a vantage point as high as the bridge, but I'll find a way somehow. At this time of year, I think the light is better in the morning than in the evening. In the winter, sunset would be better as you'd have a chance of alpenglow on the mountains.

Edgewood County Park 3-23-05

A wild season: a wild week in the Bay Area. A tornado hit near my neighborhood, and rain, rain and more rain. On the first break in weather in over a week, yesterday I headed to Edgewood County Park in Redwood City to look for wildflowers. I hiked the Serpentine Trail Loop and then the Edgewood Trail from the parking lot to Canada Rd. The flowers appear to have recently started blooming. Two weeks sounds like a good time to check back.

There were patches of small yellow flowers on the ridge of the Serpentine Trail. Then on the Edgewood Trail near the 280 Freeway, there were more of the same flowers mixed in with owl’s clover and golden poppies. On a hillside on the way back down the Edgewood Trail, there were a bunch of bush lupine and a tree of lupine growing along a deer path.

The Cataract Trail/Mt. Tamalpais - 2/21/2005

Rain, heavy wind, thunder and lightning storms. The perfect day for hiking. Am I crazy? No. It’s a little insider secret amongst Mt. Tam regulars. The reason is that the mountain is heavily forested so you’re well protected from the elements on certain trails such as the Cataract Trail and the trail from Alpine Dam to Kent Lake. I prefer going during these conditions because the trails are less crowded, and on the weekday you’d likely be alone in these conditions. Even the normally crowded Muir Woods National Monument thins out during the rain.

For the nature photographer, days like these are like the beach-goer’s cloudless blue-sky day. The foliage beneath the canopy looks as lush as you’ll ever see it, and the creeks are rushing downstream furiously. You’d also get the even lighting that is required to photograph a forest. I guarantee that even the worst photographer’s shots in the forest could be dramatically improved if shot on a wet day and a tripod.

Fog tends to envelop the slopes of Mt. Tam on these days as well. It adds a mysterious feel to the scene. If the sun breaks, no problem, you have a high likelihood of getting dramatic god beams filtering through the thick forest. Light like that can help simplify the normally “busy” forest scene and improve the photography.



I’d been on the Cataract Trail numerous times but had never completed the whole distance from Alpine Lake to Laurel Dell. It’s not exactly an easy hike, but within most people’s ability level. Heck, if I can do it then anyone can. (For people who don’t know me, I have a paralyzing fear of narrow trails and drop-offs. Hence I’ll never be mistaken for Galen Rowell.)

What appeals to me about this place is that the entire trail follows Cataract Creek as it cascades down to Alpine Lake. I’ve photographed banana slugs, California newts, and fungus along the trail in addition to the massive roar of the creek. I’m surprised all that life survives in this environment today because of the large numbers of hikers who do this trail on the weekends. I’ve tried coming on the weekend but it’s impossible to find parking on Mt. Tam after 10:30 a.m., so I stick with weekdays. When I’m outdoors, I want to see as little people as possible. If I wanted to be around that many people, I’d spend more time at Union Square than Mt. Tam.

There was a reward to reaching the top. There was an outhouse. Need I explain further? I then rested briefly then headed back down. Heading down is probably the most taxing part of the trail because it’s hard on the joints. I’d probably be better served with hiking poles but I think I’ll save those for the solitary trail hikes… (And you call yourself a nature photographer?) I was a tired mess by the time I reached the car, not to mention slightly bruised from my two slips on wet rocks while scrambling off trail. The rain was pouring and thunder was piercing the sky as I left. I was dry considering what I looked like.

Photo Notes:
1. Bring a lens cloth because you’re going to need it when it’s that wet out there. I lost about a quarter of my shots even with the cloth because my lens was either fogged or had water sprinkles I didn’t see through the viewfinder.
2. A tripod, polarizer, and remote shutter are your best friends.
3. Bring hiking boots, water and hiking sticks.
4. Leave your jacket in the backpack. I guarantee you will not be cold after five minutes of this trail even if it’s 40 degrees and raining. It’s a temperate rain forest so I think it retains a lot of humidity from the moisture. Your body heat takes care of the rest. I’ve never done this trail and not sweated my ass off the entire time.

Brief Wildflower Reports

I just drove up the coast to SF from the L.A. area. I stopped
by Montana de Oro on the way and didn't see many flowers, except for a
bunch of yellow flowers on the bluffs overlooking that cove with a parking
lot next to it.

I saw lupine along the hills and along the roadside between Santa Barbara
and Buellton. Moonstone Beach in Cambria is looking a nice colored yellow
with similar flowers to Montana de Oro. There's a beach area with mustard
fields a little past Piedras Blancas right before you climb into the
mountains.

It was getting dark, but I think there were two fields of mustard on both
sides of PCH right along the Carmel River.

i spent the 9th and 13th at Anza Borrego. Maybe it was my imagination but
I thought the verbena and primrose looked better on the 9th along
Henderson Canyon Rd. The sunflowers appeared taller on the 13th though.



Lake Street in Lake Elsinore had great poppies on the 9th. They were
closed up on the 13th due to overcast conditions.

A week ago, I was driving around Chino Hills/Walnut area near my hometown
and checked out the lupine site right off the 60 next to the Burger King.
There are a lot of flowers on the hillsides but it was undesirable to shoot.
Grand Ave. has tons of traffic, there's not really a sidewalk there and
the hillside is fenced off.

Check out the wildflower reports at California Wildflower Reports for further details.

Minute Man National Historical Park 1-25-05

The site of the first shots of the American Revolution. The site of my own revolution?

While growing up, my favorite subject in school was U.S. history. Particularly the colonial-era. Being in New England for a week following one of the worst blizzards in history, I had to visit the Minute Man National Historical Park.

I have newfound respect for Washington’s troops after experiencing a bit of New England winter. How did they survive that brutal winter at Valley Forge? I have no idea. I wouldn’t have made it.

I traveled from my room at the Hawthorne Suites near Harvard Square in Arlington to Minute Man NHP in nearby Lexington. The park is spread out in scattered locations from Lexington to Concord. Since the blizzard had just passed, most of the park was buried in waist-deep snow. It was mostly wooded with bare trees. Not ideal for landscapes in my opinion. However the low winter sun did cast interesting long shadows on the snow.

That is what I like best about shooting in winter. The low-angled sun makes more of the day useful for photography instead of casting harsh shadows everywhere. In some places you could even shoot all day and get decent pictures. Now try that in summer.

Getting in position to get photos was challenging in these conditions. It was well-below freezing, windy and w/ deep snow. It’s easy to take the West for granted until you go elsewhere for winter. The Sierras rarely even get this cold in winter.



Shortly after this photo, I headed back to the hotel as I was jetlagged and was to meet my cousin who happened to work nearby.

Tips:
1. Polarizer- cut glare off the snow.
2. Spot meter the snow and overexpose it anywhere from 1 to 2 stops. 1.7 seems to work for me usually. Bracketing is essential if shooting slide film. If I were shooting Velvia I would definitely do it.
3. Gore-tex boots/pants- keep the ice out of your boots as I learned the hard way. No Goretex can even save you from that.
4. Layers including fleece- my relatives on the East Coast introduced this to me later that night. The temperature wasn’t such a problem for me after that.
5. Keep the batteries warm and dry- camera malfunction is the last thing you want to happen after torturing yourself for hours in this sort of weather.

Coho Salmon Spawn 1-6-05

November through January is the Coho Salmon spawn in Marin County. These fish spawn each winter up the Lagunitas Watershed and Redwood Creek in Muir Woods National Monument. Trout spawn as well in these waters. Some reports state that this is the largest Coho Salmon run in California. On the endangered species list, these fish have increased their population over the past decade. The current population is in the several hundreds, which is down from the hundreds of thousands, which have historically called this region home.

I found out about the situation about a year and a half ago through word of mouth when I was working as an aquarium naturalist at the Aquarium of the Bay. Intrigued, I started visiting in November 2003. I saw interesting fall foliage but no fish on the first trip. It wasn’t until my third or fourth trip in January ’04 when I saw my first fish.

My first salmon sighting was nothing short of amazing as I witnessed it swimming in a shallow pool near a short waterfall. After a minute or so, it leaped over the waterfall and continued its’ journey up the creek. My camera was in the trunk.



I went back to my car and got my gear but haven’t seen a repeat performance since. However, I walked to the next set of waterfalls and saw about ten fishes over the course of an hour jumping up the creek. I didn’t get any satisfactory pictures but it was worth the experience. I wasn’t disappointed at all.

Fast-forward another year to today. I went to the Leo Cronin viewing area in Lagunitas and saw about ten fishes swimming upstream along the trail. The water was muddy due to the recent heavy rains so it wasn’t hard to get clear shots of the salmon. I’ve had salmon practically swim up to my feet in the past but it’s hard to get good shots of them because of muddy water and reflections. Using a polarizer is an option, but salmon don’t stay still long enough to get clean shots of them. Unless you have a new, high-end digital SLR with good high ISO performance, you’re out of luck as I am.



The Olympus E-20 that I’ve used over the past three years works well on ISO 80 and decent on 160 if you shoot on RAW, but neither has been fast enough to adequately capture these fish with a polarizer. I’ve seen decent pictures of the fish, but it seemed more a result of luck than technique. I think you need clear water and have them swimming in the shallow parts of the creek near the surface. The problem is that they mostly spawn after a heavy rain which creates a full creek of raging water.

My camera has been acting up on my lately. Dying on me repeatedly on what is supposed to be fully-charged batteries. I doubt it is because of winter weather as it isn’t that cold in California. This is the same camera I’ve used without problems at 5:30 a.m. in 19 degree weather and in 40 degree hurricane force winds. It doesn’t handle humidity and moisture very well though so that could be a factor. But it started acting up on me at Mission San Juan Capistrano over a week ago during nice weather. By switching the power off and on repeatedly, I somehow got the camera working long enough to get my shots for the day. Ugghh. If this keeps up, I will have to go back to Nikon and Provia/Velvia.

I went across the road to the Inkwells but didn’t see any fish despite a full creek. Maybe next time. I got in the car and drove to Fairfax to have lunch at Grilly’s. Grilly’s is a little hole in the wall on the corner of Bolinas Road and Broadway that I’ve been told several times. I recommend the Grande Chicken Burrito. It’s very good. It tastes like there’s a hint of lime in there.

I planned on spending the rest of the day at Cataract Falls high on Mount Tam, but decided to try Cascade Falls. Located in Elliott Nature Preserve in Fairfax, I looked for the falls last year but couldn’t figure out the trail system. This time I walked every route of the trails until I found it. Stupid me. I should have just followed where everyone else was walking last year.



The falls were worth it. To reach it, it’s probably about a mile walk or so over some hillside and stream crossings. Definitely a lot less strenuous than reaching Cataract Falls. Cascade Falls is probably between 25 to 40 feet high with a large run off. I scrambled over some rocks to get to the foot of the falls where I proceeded to drench my pants and lens. I got a few shots handheld and with my tripod used as a monopod on the rocks. Some teens came by later to smoke some cigarettes so I went to the top of the waterfall to find a new perspective.



I came back to the bottom once they left and got several more images by putting my tripod in the middle of the creek and sitting on a small rock in the creek before leaving when it was getting dark. Everything was soaking wet on me except for my ass; which was sitting on that small rock barely above the water in the middle of the creek oddly enough.

Waterfalls and creeks are my favorite places to go outdoors. I prefer these scenes over rocky beaches, great desert light, and even mountains. Unlike general landscapes, these scenes allow for more creative freedom. I’m as guilty of shooting “postcard shots” as anyone else, but I hate that and try to go beyond that to something more meaningful.

All shots were with a polarizer to remove the glare from the overcast weather. It also serves to slow the exposure to create the milky water in waterfall photography. Why buy ND filters when you need to use a polarizer anyway? It’s basically a two-stop ND filter as is. Unlike a lot of my fellow nature photographers, I’m not an equipment freak nor am I a technique wizard. I learn what I need to learn and I work hard to master those skills. I’m constantly on the look out for new techniques to improve on, but equipment is rarely on that list.

My basic equipment I take everywhere I go are my camera, small Gitzo backpacking tripod, UV filter for protection, a polarizer to cut glare and deepen skies, and Singh-Ray Galen Rowell Graduated ND filters. Different from ND filters, half of the filter is clear while the other half is a neutral-gray two or three stops darker. They help balance the exposure from ground to the sky with no color cast; which is essential for serious photographers. A major difference between a good nature photographer and someone who wonders why their pictures are either washed out or too dark or both is because they don’t know how to spot meter and aren’t familiar with Graduated ND’s. I started experimenting with Graduated ND’s during my second year of photography and I don’t know how I could have survived without them. Half of the pictures on my website wouldn’t exist without them! Also, look at what they did for Galen Rowell’s career.

A final note on the salmon: Stay out of the protected areas. Disturbing them can kill their chances of reproduction by causing silt to bury their eggs or scare the fish off altogether. Keep quiet in those areas well because they get scared easily. Harassing them is a felony with a stiff punishment. .

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve 12/10/04

This was the first of three consecutive minus tide days during magic hour. If there is a time to shoot an ocean shots, this is it. The tide on this day was minus 1.2 feet at 3:12 p.m. Saturday was minus 1.7 feet at 4:20 and Sunday is minus 1.9 feet at 4:52 p.m.

This is a very scenic location with ocean bluffs and a large tide pool, but it seems to be devoid of tide pool life despite being in a marine reserve. I’d been here during a low tide twice previously and I can count the number of sea stars that I’ve seen on one hand.

I spoke to a ranger on the phone a few months ago and they clued me in to why that is. One theory is because people insist on picking up and touching everything that moves. This was not surprising to me because as a former aquarium naturalist, I would constantly have to warn guests not to pick up sea stars. The reason is that the sea stars have suction cups on the bottom and those is what they use to move and eat with. If you’ve ever tried picking one up yourself you might have noticed sometimes they are hard to get off of a rock. That is why. Once we start picking them up, suctions break off and they are unable to hold themselves down and eventually get washed to sea or eaten.

Personally I don’t touch anything and try to avoid stepping on any living creatures including mussels. I especially don’t step in shallow pools of water. Ironically, I saw a scientist stepping in the pools with rubber boots while taking wildlife surveys.



Being a Friday afternoon, there was a high school group there digging through the pools picking everything up in sight. They cleared out eventually as the sun was setting, so I had the place to myself to shoot. The conditions appeared ripe for a nice light, but it never materialized. My guess is that the clouds weren’t high enough to catch alpenglow and the air was “too clean” on this day to color the light.



What to bring: 1. all the Graduated ND filters that you have for the low tide because the tide pools are a lot darker than the sky. Also because there’s a limitless amount of compositions you can make during low tide.

2. Polarizer. The wet exposed tide pools reflect a lot of light, which ruins your colors and overexposes everything. If you want to see the colors of your subjects, use the polarizer in a situation like this.

3. Hiking boots. It is slippery out there. I only have running shoes so I have to gingerly walk out there. This is a place where you don’t want to have an adventure.

I’m curious as to what Point Reyes looks like during low tide. In Galen Rowell’s Bay Area Wild book there’s an image of octopus and sea stars during low tide at Pt. Reyes. There’s more life in that one image than I’ve seen in my trips to Fitzgerald Marine Reserve.

Sawyer Camp Trail/Crystal Springs 12/4/04

I was out running errands in the afternoon when I noticed that storm clouds were only partially covering the sky with many areas breaking up towards the south and more open sky to the north. (If you read “Fort Funston”, then you will start noticing a pattern) So when I was finished, I went home to get my gear and gambled by heading a few miles south on the 280 to the Sawyer Camp Trail at Crystal Springs Reservoir.



The reservoir is the source of San Francisco drinking water. The San Andreas Fault created the natural canyon where the water has filled. For years, this place was closed off from public access because of this. Even today, you are limited to where you can go. That is a shame because this is the most beautiful place on the peninsula in my opinion. The hundreds of joggers, hikers and bikers would probably agree with me as well.

This being one of the most popular trails on the peninsula, I was hesitant at first about going there because weekend driving and parking in the Bay Area is ridiculous everywhere you go whether it’s hiking or a strip mall. Even more so when there’s only street parking at this particular location. Luckily I got a space reasonably close by when the sun was just behind some clouds about to set behind the mountain.

I didn’t have to walk far to get the best views. The best view in my opinion is just right past the gate looking to the left because that is where you get the widest view of the lake. It also happened to be where the good light was. What irritates me about shooting here though is the whole slope going down to the lake is fenced off with barbed wire. We have to stay pretty far up, so it’s a challenge to work in the scene w/o the fence. I would only recommend shooting here if there are interesting clouds out. I have never tried shooting here on a cloudless day, as I think that would be pointless. There is no close foreground to work with unless you enjoy shooting barbed wire fences.

I chose to shoot here on this day because I’ve long fantasized about having a shot of dramatic clouds rising over the reservoir. I have plenty of ocean shots, but a limited amount of lake shots so this would satisfy my desire.

Before long, the sun was lighting up all the clouds yellows, and pinks. Great! Exactly what I had bargained for. Then this guy comes up to me and starts talking to me about how he saw these “rare, exotic birds” at the other end of the trail. Egrets… Upholding my policy of not being a rude photographer unlike a lot of other photographers, I stopped to listen to him and spoke with him even as the light show was unfolding. My mind was really on the light, but I didn’t think he noticed where my attention was. Finally he left after we discussed the peregrine falcons munching on small birds in his backyard. So I resumed. By then I was using my three-stop graduated ND filter to balance out the exposure of the water with the sky. It might have even been a little much, but my soft two-stop gradient wasn’t working very well for this situation. I needed a hard-edged filter and the three-stop filter is what I had. When I exhausted the possibilities, I walked further down the trail just as twilight was coming up. Where the most amazing display of clouds and light emerged for a few seconds. I was able to get three shots with a three stop graduated filter in-between while some jogger was complimenting me on my great timing. Then the light went flat and I took off back to my car. I encountered the jogger again and we chatted. He revealed that he runs here three times a week and commented, “It’s amazing how all of this is in our backyard.” That’s exactly what I’ve been saying over the past two years I’ve lived up here.

What to bring: 1. A full-sized tripod so you can clear the fence. I only have a backpacking Gitzo tripod so I can assure you this isn’t the right place to go light. Someday I will have money for carbon fiber. Some day I will have money for carbon fiber. Someday I will have money for carbon fiber.

2. Two stop soft graduated filter for daytime clouds, three stop and two stop hard-edged filters for sunrise/sunset.

3. I don’t think there’s a significant difference to shooting sunrises or sunsets from here. The sun doesn’t directly come up or go down over the lake as far as I know. Hence, look for interesting clouds.

4. A bike and/or running shoes. I wish I had a bike for these places, I wish I could jog for these moments.

Carmel 10-5-04

Some of my most memorable childhood experiences took place in the Monterey Bay area. Among the memories were the white sands of Carmel Beach, where my dad lost his wedding ring in 1992. It has never been found to our knowledge, nor replaced.

Being in the area since I had spent the foggy, overcast morning at the Pacific Grove Monarch Reserve (didn’t notice any butterflies) and Monterey Bay Aquarium to see the baby white shark they had put on display. As with everyone else at the aquarium that day, I couldn’t miss this opportunity. I can’t even count the amount of time that I spent as an aquarium naturalist at the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco answering questions about white sharks. The majority of them were skeptical as I assured them the odds of being attacked are very slim. So I sympathized with the naturalists at this aquarium as they were being bombarded with tourists.

After finishing the aquarium and lunch, I was torn between Big Sur, Carmel and Point Lobos. Carmel won out since I hadn’t been there since ’92. I remembered it being beautiful, but I was still struck by the beauty of walking the streets. The Spanish style architecture adds to the character of the town. The most beautiful storefront had to be the entrance to the Kincaid Gallery. Moss and flowers were covering the brick hallway leading down a corridor to a courtyard where the gallery was. I walked around noticing everything out of my price range and tastes until I found the Weston Gallery. Now if you aren’t aware of Edward Weston, he was a contemporary of Ansel Adams and was also a very influential photographer for today’s masters.

The work that really jumped out at me in the gallery was the highly-regarded, Yosemite photographer William Neill’s images. I must admit to not being a fan of his work prior to this, but after seeing large prints of his 4x5 small details in nature I have finally begun to appreciate his art. He is truly a master of fine art. If you’re familiar with his work, you may think as I once thought that anybody could shoot what he does. I’ve found that to be way off base as I’ve matured as a photographer, as I’ve occasionally since tried to emulate what he does and can’t do it. I can assure you that the book and magazine format does not do his art justice, as his work is meant to be experienced large and in person.

On a side note, Mr. Neill actually said hello to me once at Gates of the Valley in Yosemite while shooting the sunset. I was embarrassed later to realize I didn’t recognize him until I saw his picture in his monthly column for Outdoor Photographer magazine.



After wandering the streets of Carmel, I drove down to the end of the street to the beach. Before my eyes laid the same white sands that I had remembered so fondly from my childhood. Just for humor’s sake and the slim chance of hope, I walked around looking down at the sand and ran some through my fingers. No ring. Not without a metal detector anyway. I shot a few pictures for old time’s sake, then decided to look for Carmel Mission which I had never been to.

I found the Mission after asking around a bit and paid my $3 or so to get in to walk the grounds. Very beautiful, but not as big as I had imagined. I was inspired to see the mission after seeing some Spanish mission prints at another gallery in Carmel, and from seeing Vern Clevenger’s work on his website and on display at the Mountain Light gallery in Bishop. School was in session as I walked the grounds, I didn’t notice the signs instructing us to not walk in the hallway during class. Photographically, the lines and shapes of the buildings are appealing as well as the foliage which grace the buildings.



Why can’t all of California look like this? Modern architecture looks like hell on earth. No wonder why I avoid big cities as much as possible.

I spent the rest of the day driving down to the Carmel Headlands and then part of Carmel Valley. The clouds were rolling in and became gray so I gave up hope and headed back home about an hour and a half to the north.

Winter Hotspots: 1. Pacific Grove Monarch Reserve. From mid-October til March, is a great spot to see clusters of Monarch Butterflies. Point Lobos State Reserve is another great spot, along with the Monarch Reserve at Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz. Don’t take my word for it though. Look it up yourself on the net or visit if that floats your boat. Best time to see the butterflies is in the late morning when it isn’t overcast.

2. Whale watching. Last year at the same time of year, I saw migrating gray whales spouting from the Lone Cypress Tree viewpoint on 17 Mile Drive. I think you can rent kayaks at this place on the waterfront across the street from Dennis the Menace Park in Monterey. Haven’t tried it though.



Lastly: I was disappointed to find the Ansel Adams Gallery on Cannery Row is now gone. It was replaced by some crap commercial art gallery.

Fort Funston 11-30-04

I was at Borders at Stonestown Galleria to pick up another copy of the December issue of Outdoor Photographer, which has an article by me in there. On the way back home, I noticed clouds that would be conducive to a good sunset. With the peninsula which is the opposite direction of the sunset, a mucky looking overcast which woudln't make for good alpenglow light. I decided to go home and get my camera gear and head towards the beach. Fort Funston in San Francisco which is a few miles up Skyline blvd. from my apartment.



When I got there the sun was behind some clouds as I walked up to the viewing platform. This platform was built for people to watch hang gliders. This is the hang gliding hotspot amongst locals. And for good reason. As there are dramatic cliffs down to ocean beach. After I shot a few pictures for stock, I decided to head down the sand ladder trail down to ocean beach. The sun finally broke out of the clouds and bathed the landscape a vibrant yellow. I made the trip down after stopping to take pictures along the way and found myself in a low tide situation.



Lucky me. I’d been down the trail numerous times but never coincided with a low tide. Initially I didn’t realize it until I stepped into the water to shoot some rocks. The water was very shallow and I realized that wasn’t the tide level. The tide was actually a few hundred yards further out, but the beach is relatively flat so the tide left some water behind on the beach. Nevertheless it was enough water to deter me from going out to the ocean as well as everyone else. There was even a dog wading in the shallow water on the beach.



So the sunset and the clouds made for some excellent reflections on the shallow water. I got my pictures, but forgot to bring extra memory cards so I was limited. I made my way back up as the light faded. Being out of condition since I hadn’t hiked the trail in weeks, I was pretty nauseated as I made my way back up the steep several hundred foot trail. I almost threw up at home believe it or not. It was a good workout and one I’d recommend to anyone in SF. Although it’s more enjoyable when nobody is around, which is the case when it’s fogged in during the summer, but that is for another report.

Things to look for: rocks when the tide is low. Shorebirds. The ocean bluffs. Marin Headlands to the north. The San Mateo coast to the south. People throwing Frisbee to their dogs in the water.

Bring: a two-stop graduated neutral-density filter to balance the sky and water. From my experience at this beach, three stops is too much for the water. For landscapes on the beach, I think a soft gradient would be more useful than a hard edged filter. Keep in mind I'm using the Galen Rowell Graduated ND's. Lee and Hi-Tec's might be different although I have no experience with them. Unless you are living on a string budget, I don't recommend Cokin. Graduated Grey isn't neutral so it can make your sky look sick.