Author: Earthwatcher

I am a very analytical person. My creativity flows from my need to understand and explain. I made a career of distilling processes to their essence and reconstructing them to be more efficient and productive. My approach to photography is an extension of my life’s work. I distill a scene to identify its processes and actors. I try to understand how the processes, generally the forces of nature and the forces of humans, have and are interacting with the actors to create the scene. I focus on one or more of the actors and compose a scene that shares a moment with them in an aesthetically pleasing way. Actors may be humans or wildlife. They also may be the sun, the moon, a tree, a river, mountain or other object. Each image shares a unique moment showing how its actors and processes have, are, and sometimes even will impact each other. But I also want to entice the audience to linger and to find their own story. I want them to imagine themselves experiencing the sights, the sounds and the feeling as if they were there.

Birds and Flying Bugs

June 10, 2017 by Earthwatcher, posted in American River Parkway, Birds, Butterfly, Eagle, Fujifilm Cameras, Photography, Sacramento, Wildlife

Image of an Eaglet - Bald Eagle Chick, American River Parkway, Folsom, CA, MAY 2017 — Bald Eagle Eaglet

I want to share a few images from some recent walks around the American River Parkway near Folsom, CA. I’ve also included one from Oak Alley Plantation near New Orleans. Nature provides some beautiful creatures for us to appreciate. I hope you enjoy these few.

Regards,

Larry

Note: Click on caption to see image at larger size.

Image of a Female Eastern or Common Pondhawk Dragonfly, Oak Alley Plantation, LA, APR 2017 — Eastern or Common Pondhawk

Image of a California Quail, American River Parkway, Folsom, CA, JUN 2017 — California Quail

Image of a Northern Mockingbird, American River Parkway, Folsom, CA, JUN 2017 — Northern Mockingbird

Image of an Ash-throated Flycatcher, American River Parkway, FOlsom, CA, JUN 2017 — Ash-throated Flycatcher

Image of a Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly, American River Parkway, Folsom, CA, JUN 2017 — Spicebush Swallowtail

IMage of a Spanish Swallowtailbutterfly, American River Parkway, Folsom, CA, JUN 2017 — Spanish Swallowtail

Image of a pair of Tree Swallows, American River Parkway, FOlsom, CA, JUN 2017 — Tree Swallows

Image of a California Towhee, American River Parkway, Folsom, CA, JUN 2017 — California Towhee

Note: These and other images are available for purchase on my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us

Arches National Park

June 6, 2017 by Earthwatcher, posted in Arches National Park, flower, Fujifilm Cameras, landscape, Photography, Travel

We took a day on our road trip and spent it at Arches National Park. During an evening and a morning, you can see many of the main attractions but there is a lot to see that require short to moderate hikes. I hope to go back and spend a few days hiking.
The park is located over a geologically unstable salt bed. The movement of the salt bed and the earth’s tectonic forces caused large blocks of sandstone to uplift. Over millions of years, the sandstone eroded forming the arches and rock monoliths we see today. The park service claims more than 2,000 arches; some just a 3 foot opening through a mountain to the largest: 306 feet base to base. There are massive stone walls whose size, shapes and eroded faces bring pagan temples to mind. There were lots of wildflowers and some wildlife.

I left thinking that I’d like to spend time watching the sun, moon and stars rise and set over these geologic wonders. To me, it is a spiritual place. Our mistake was not giving ourselves the time to take in the spirit.

Please click on caption to see image at a larger size.
Regards,

Larry

Image of Courthouse Towers Rock Feature, Arches National Park, UT, APR 2017 — Courthouse Towers, Arches National Park, UT, APR 2017

Image of Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, UT, APR 2017 — Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, UT, APR 2017

Image of an — An Unexpected Arch, Arches National Park, UT, APR 2017

Image of a rock wall near Sand Dune Arch, Arches National Park, APR 2017 — Wall Near Sand Dune Arch, Arches National Park, UT APR 2017

Image of wildflower: Pale Evening Primrose, Arches National Park, UT, APR 2017 — Pale Evening Primrose, Arches National Park, UT, APR 2017

Image of Double Arch, Arches National Park, UT, APR 2017 — Double Arch, Arches National Park, UT, APR 2017

Image of rock feature: Three Gossips, Arches National Park, UT, APR 2017 — Three Gossips, Arches National Park, UT, APR 2017

Image of wildflower: Hedgehog Cactus, Arches National Park, UT, APR 2017 — Hedgehog Cactus, Arches National Park, APR 2017

These and other images are available for purchase by visiting www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us.

Gettysburg and Antietam

May 30, 2017 by Earthwatcher, posted in Antietam, Gettysburg, Photography

Image of US civil ware era canon in Gettysburg National Military Park — US Civil War Canon, Gettysburg National Military Park, PA APR 2017

We were treated to a tour of both the Gettysburg National Military Park and the Antietam National Battlefield while in Pennsylvania last April. These are not parks to celebrate and have fun, for how can we celebrate when our principles could only be imposed by slaughtering one another. Instead, they are parks for reflection and to gain insight into the lessons of history. There are plenty of memorials to those who fought; both the dead and the survivors. I chose not to photograph them. They can be seen online. Instead, I chose to show how nature and humanity has restored the beauty of the countryside – a lesson that time and effort can help us heal. I hope you enjoy these images.

Please click on caption to see images at larger size.

Regards,

Larry

Image of Burnside's Bridge, Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, MD, USA — Burnside’s Bridge, Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, MD

Image of a rail fence near the Lee Memorial, Gettysburg National Memorial Battlefield. — Rail Fence and Pathway, Lee Memorial, Site of Pickets Charge, Gettysburg National Military Battlefield, PA

Image of a wildflower called Star of Bethlehem, Antietam National Battlefield, MD, USA, APR 2017 — Star of Bethlehem Wildflower, Antietam National Battlefield, MD

Image of a red tree blossom and small part of a rail fence, near Lee memorial, Gettysburg, PA APR 2017 — Blossoming Tree and Rail Fence, Lee Memorial, Gettysburg National Military Park, PA

Image of a stone building near Spangler's Spring, Gettysburg National Military Park, PA APR 2017 — Stone Building, Near Spangler’s Spring, Gettysburg National Military Park, PA

These and other images are available for purchase on my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting me at larry@earthwatcher.us

Some Birds From A Recent Trip

May 19, 2017 by Earthwatcher, posted in Bird Photography, Birds, Fujifilm Cameras, Photography

Image of Tufted Titmouse — Tufted Titmouse – Cameron, OK MAR 2017

On a recent road trip, we got to see a number of interesting birds that we don’t get to see here in California. We also got to see some of the usual suspects.

Here are some interesting tidbits:

The typical vulture we see in the US is the Turkey Vulture. While the black vulture has a gray head, the turkey vulture has a red head. The black vulture is found in southeastern US.
The blue jay is found in the eastern half of the US. In the west, we have the scrub jay. The stellar jay and the gray jay are found in areas of the west with cooler temperatures.

Here are images of some of those birds. I hope you enjoy them.

Regards,

Larry

Note: To see the images at a larger size, please click on bird name.

These and other images are available for purchase by visiting www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us

Image of a male cardinal — Male Cardinal – Cameron, OK MAR 2017

Image of female cardinal — Female Cardinal – Cameron, OK MAR 2017

Image of red-bellied woodpecker at feeder — Red-bellied Woodpecker – Port St Lucie, FL APR 2017

Image of blue jay — Blue Jay – Cameron, OK MAR 2017

Image of Carolina Wren — Carolina Wren – Cameron, OK Mar 2017

Image of a black vulture — Black Vulture – Port St Lucie, FL APR 2017

Image of sanderling — Sanderling – Port St Lucie, FL APR 2017

Image of a ruddy turnstone — Ruddy Turnstone – Port St Lucie, FL APR 2017

Image of Non-breeding male willet — Willet – Port St Lucie, FL APR 2017

Image of white ibis in Okefenokee Swamp — White Ibis – Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, GA APR 2017

Image of a pair of brown pelicans — Brown Pelican – Port St Lucie, FL APR 2017

Image of a pair of wind blown great egrets — Great Egrets on a Windy Day – Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM MAR 2017

Image of Bald Eagle in a nest — Bald Eagle – Western CO APR 2017

Petrified Forest

May 13, 2017 by Earthwatcher, posted in desert, landscape, Photography

On a recent road trip, we stopped by the Petrified Forest National Park. It was another of the amazing wonders that are our National Parks. Sitting among the beautiful desert landscape are remnants of trees that thrived 200 to 225 million years ago. What we see today is not the tree itself, it is a fossil. The living cells have long since decayed and been replaced by silica, calcite, pyrite, or another inorganic material such as opal. What is fascinating is that the remains look like sections from a tree; including the bark. The result is a stunning fossil rich in color. The park is near Holbrook, AZ, not far off I-40. A casual tourist can get a good view of the park in a few hours. I am looking forward to returning for a few days to enjoy the trails and do some more photography.

I hope you enjoy these images. Please click on caption to see image in larger size.

Image of section of a petrified log — Close-up of Petrified Log

These and other images are available for purchase on my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us

Agapantha

March 6, 2017 by Earthwatcher, posted in flower, Photography

It’s a gray day here in Sacramento but spring is just around the corner. With spring comes flowers. I can’t wait for the poppies and the lupin to bloom. But, that is for a future time. Today, I’ll share a summer flower; the agapantha. I hope it brightens you day.

Please click on caption to see a larger, higher resolution copy of this image.

This and other images are available for purchase at www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us.

Sad Elephant

February 27, 2017 by Earthwatcher, posted in Elephant, Fujifilm Cameras, Photography, Wildlife

I took this image of an elephant at Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa. This beautiful but sad face tugged at my heart strings a bit.

Note: These and other images are available for purchase on my website: http://www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us

Giant Sequoia – Their Sculptural Beauty

February 16, 2017 by Earthwatcher, posted in Black & White Photography, Fujifilm Cameras, Photography, sequoia, tree

Image of the trunk and roots of a giant sequoia tree. — Untitled, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, JUL 2011

Five years ago, I saw the giant sequoia for the first time. Like most people, I was in awe of these giant trees. Their imposing size and their presence in the forest really impressed me. My images Among the Elders and Sequoia Giganteum attempt to capture the scale of these trees. However, I also found that the furrows and ridges of their bark create a sculptural beauty that is striking. Over the ensuing years, I’ve taken images of a few trees whose patterns really struck me. Here is a sample of what I found.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Regards,

Larry

Note: Click on image caption to see image in larger size.

Image of part of the trunk of a Giant Sequoia — Giant Sequoia, Yosemite National Park, OCT 2014

Image of a burl on the trunk of a giant sequoia tree. — Untitled, Sequoia National Park, OCT 2014

Image of a portion of a giant sequoia that had fallen to the ground. — Fallen Sequoia, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Arnold, CA, JUL 2011

Note: These and images are available for purchase on my website: http://www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us

American River Near Folsom

January 18, 2017 by Earthwatcher, posted in American River, American River Parkway, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, Photography

Image of American River Gorge near Folsom, CA — American River Gorge, Folsom, CA, Jan 2017

Last Friday was a cold, foggy morning and we had just come out of a long bout of heavy rain. A lot of water was being released from Folsom Lake and the American River, near Folsom was running strong. I decided to spend some time photographing the area of Folsom that surrounds the historic Walker Bridge / Donald W. Alden Memorial Bridge. It was a great time to be out. The river roared as it created whitewater through the gorge. Quite a treat. In the 5 years that I have lived in the area, I never saw significant whitewater or heard the river roar.

The Walker Bridge / Donald W. Alden Memorial Bridge was built in 1893. It was sold 3 times: once to a man in Japan who wanted it for the steel but was never able to get it, once to the State of California who dismantled it and moved it near Walker, CA to span the Klamath River, and finally back to the City of Folsom who reinstalled it on its original abutments. It now serves as a pedestrian footbridge and an access point to the American River Parkway from the City of Folsom.

I hope you enjoy these images.

Note: Click on image to see in larger size. I particularly recommend this for the image of the American Rive Gorge.

Image of Walker Bridge / Donald W Alden Memorial Bridge, FOlsom, CA in Fog — Walker Bridge / Donald W Alden Memorial Bridge, Folsom, CA

Image of Rainbow Bridge arch after heavy rains, Folsom, CA. JAN 2017 — Rainbow Bridge Arch, Folsom, CA

Regards,

Larry

These and other images are available to purchase at my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us.

Winter Wildlife

January 2, 2017 by Earthwatcher, posted in American River Parkway, Bird Photography, Birds, Fujifilm Cameras, Otter, Photography, Sacramento

RIver Otter - Perspective 4 — River Otter – Perspective 4

It’s fun to be in Northern California in the winter. We are part of the Pacific Flyway, so we get many birds, primarily waterfowl, who winter over. But even in my backyard I see Oregon Juncos and a species of Goldfinch that spends its summers in the Sierra foothills. Though my passion is landscapes, photographing this wildlife is fun because watching them go about their business of living is fun.

I’ve been out twice in the last two weeks photographing and enjoying the wildlife. On one trip, I went to 2 of the wildlife refuges that have been built along the flyway. Some years ago, land was set aside as a safe haven for migrating waterfowl. Levees were built and fields flooded so they could live and eat. This helped farmers by keeping the birds off their cropland. A win-win situation, enjoyed by birders, photographers and duck hunters. On the day I visited the refuges, raptors became my focus. They benefit from the migrating waterfowl as well.

This past week, I got to spend an hour watching a River Otter and an Egret. They appeared to be helping each other feed. Otters always seem to be playing even as they feed.

I hope you enjoy these images.

Regards

Larry

Note: Click on image to view at larger size