Category: California

Canada Geese

by Earthwatcher, posted in American River, American River Parkway, Atlanta, Bird Photography, bird watching, birding, Birds, California, Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, GA, Geese, Georgia, Goose, nature, Nature Photography, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography

Canada Geese are quite common and often don’t make an eye-catching photo. But when seen in the right environment and living their lives, their beauty is enhanced marvelously.

Photograph of 4 Canada Geese floating along a rive surrounded by low, green, aquatic foliage. The riverbank in the background is slightly out of focus. It is mostly gray-brown dotted by green leaves. The riverbank serves as the background. It is lined with reeds, with green brush and brown grass behind. The Canada Geese are large birds whose back is brown, its breast and bottom are white, its neck and head are black, and it has a white chinstrap.
Island Ford,
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Sandy Springs, Georgia, USA; SEP 2025

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

Photograph of 5 Canada Geese standing in a stream, all facing to the left. The riverbank is in the background. There are brown and green reeds along the river edge with various shrubs and grasses behind them. Next to the riverbank, the stream is running smoothly, reflecting the plants along the riverbank. The river under the geese is running over obstructions causing ripples. The Canada Geese are large birds whose back is brown, its breast and bottom are white, its neck and head are black, and it has a white chinstrap.
William B Pond Park,
American River Parkway, Sacramento, California, USA; DEC 2014
Photograph of 4 Canada Geese, two facing left one floating in the stream facing right and the other on the riverbank facing right. The background is brown and green reeds lining the riverbank in front of a gray, fog covered, forest scene. Next to the riverbank, the stream is running smoothly, reflecting the plants along the riverbank. The river under the 2 geese in the front is running over obstructions causing ripples. The Canada Geese are large birds whose back is brown, its breast and bottom are white, its neck and head are black, and it has a white chinstrap.
William B Pond Park,
American River Parkway, Sacramento, California, USA; DEC 2015

Contrasting Forests

by Earthwatcher, posted in California, desert, Earthwatcher, Eastern Sierra, Fujifilm Cameras, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, nature, Nature Photography, North Carolina, Photography, Smoky Mountains, sunrise
Sunrise at The Great Smokeys
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina, USA; OCT 2022

I thought it would be fun to contrast an Eastern USA deciduous forest with a Westen USA desert forest, both at sunrise.

Please click on caption to see images in higher resolution!

Sun Breaking Over a Joshua Tree Forest
Death Valley-Big Pine Rd, Big Pine, California, USA; APR 2023
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
North Carolina, USA; OCT 2022
Joshua Trees with Prickly Pear and Cholla; Death Valley-Big Pine Rd, Big Pine, California, USA; APR 2023



Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.


These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.


If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.



#Photography #Photographie #PhotosOfTheDay #fujilove #fujixt #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography  #landscapehunter #earth_portraitsp #SmokiesFriends #greatsmokymountainsnationalpark #bigpinecalifornia

A Few Birds

by Earthwatcher, posted in Atlanta, Bird Photography, bird watching, birding, Birds, California, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, GA, Georgia, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, Roswell, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography
California Scrub Jay
Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Sacramento, California, USA; MAR 2023

Some birds I have photographed over the past few months.

Prothonotary Warbler,
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; MAY 2023
Gray-cheeked Thrush,
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; MAY 2023
Clapper Rail
Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA; JUL 2023
Male Hooded Warbler
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, GA, USA; SEP 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Some of my Most Memorable Sunrises

by Earthwatcher, posted in Alabama Hills, Badlands National Park, California, Death Valley, Earthwatcher, Eastern Sierra, Fujifilm Cameras, Georgia, Grand Canyon, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, sunrise, Uncategorized, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite, Yosemite National Park

This is a slow time for me and my photography. So, I thought I’d share some sunrises. As you look at these, please pay attention to the captions. Some of the tell a story about the place and the circumstance.

More to come!

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

Primera LĂşz; First light over Yosemite
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; July 2014

Tunnel View is an iconic view at Yosemite. I visited it many times. I Often mused that a photo with the sun peeking from behind Half Dome. I planned this shot for 2 years until I was finally able to be there at the right time and it was all that I expected.

Wondrous Morning;
Zabriske Point, Death Valley National Park, California, USA; OCT 2015.

Zabriske point is the go-to place for a sunrise at Death Valley. On a typical day, the sun rises over your shoulder, casting an alpenglow over the mountains on the far side of the valley. If you are lucky, there will be a few clouds over the far mountains, and you can watch the sky turn from orange and magenta to gold. On the day we visited, the thick cloud cover from the previous day’s storm was breaking up. We got the beautiful color we had hoped for. But, in addition, we got a marvelous rainbow. It was an unforgettable moment.

Sunrise at Driftwood Beach;
Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA; JUL 2023

Some days you just get lucky. We were having a family vacation to St Simons Island, Georgia, USA. I didn’t really plan to do any photography but took my equipment anyway. While there, I saw that the sun would be rising at a great spot. So, my wife and I got up well before sunrise and before anyone else woke up, went to this spot and it was wonderful.

Badlands at Sunrise;
Yellow Mounds Area, Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA; JUL 2021

The Badlands are an interesting place to visit anytime of the day but at sunrise and sunset the colors pop. The dry valleys cut from the highly eroded plateau are beautiful. Most of the valleys are drab and dusty. While scouting for places to shoot, I spotted this unique little valley with its creek and green floor. My research showed that the sun would be rising from a good position. We watched the beautiful sunrise paint the sides of the valley.

The Beam, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA; FEB 2013

This “rainbow” can only be seen at sunrise in February at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. I was on a photography workshop, camping in Yellowstone. It was a wonderful experience to be with a small group of like-minded people enjoying this rare opportunity.

First Light on the Sierra
Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA; APR 2021

The Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California are a wonderful place to visit. It is a field of immense boulders that sit in front of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s a place with many arches, boulders and trails. It becomes a place of wonder when the sun rises over the White-Inyo mountains to the east and paints the Sierras with it orange-red alpen glow. My spirit feels at home there.

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Yosemite in Early Spring

by Earthwatcher, posted in California, Earthwatcher, Eastern Sierra, Fujifilm Cameras, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, left brained, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, Uncategorized, Yosemite, Yosemite National Park
A photograph of the Merced River and the iconic Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. The foreground is predominantly the green colored Merced River. The left of the river is flanked by a red-brown meadow lined by evergreen trees and a few spots of white snow. The right side of the river is flanked by evergreen trees with white snow at their base. The gray cliff face of Half Dome and the cliff to its right rise above trees just to the right and above the midpoint of the photo. The cliffs have a small amount of dark mottling and carry a white cap of snow. The sky is bright sky blue.
Half Dome from Sentinel Bridge;
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; APR 2023

A few images from our trip to Yosemite in early April 2023. I was surprised by the lack of snow on the valley floor. At least there was enough for my son and granddaughter to play and have a snowball fight.

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution!

A photograph of a portion of Bridal Vail Falls in Yosemite National Park. The white, misty, waterfall is the center of the picture. Bordering the lower portion of the waterfall is a dark colored tree with branches but without leaves. The exposed cliff face flanks both sides of the waterfall. Next to the waterfall, the cliff face, on both sides, is covered with ice. On the left side of the image is the grey-blue exposed rock of the exposed cliff face with green and brown of an evergreen tree at its base. There is another evergreen tree in the bottom right corner of the picture.
Bridal Viel Falls in Winter;
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; APR 2023
A photograph of Yosemite Valley from a spot called Valley View in Yosemite National Park. It includes the valley, El Capitan, Bridal Veil Falls, and Half Dome. The foreground is the wide, U-shaped Yosemite Valley. It is covered in trees, mostly evergreen, some with and some without foliage. On the left side of the valley is a gray rock outcrop with grey patches of rock fallen from the outcrop above. The middle ground is the snow-capped cliff faces. Those in the front are gray and brown. Those further back are gray. To the left side is large, sheer walled, snow-capped, El Capitan. Proceeding down the right side of the cliffs is the white vertical Bridal Veil Falls. Deeper into the valley, atop the cliffs, is the dome shaped Half Dome. The sky is bright sky blue with wispy white clouds.
Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View;
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; APR 2023
A photograph of Yosemite Falls and the Merced River at Yosemite National Park. In the foreground and leading into the middle ground is the Merced River. At the bottom of the photo, the river is brown and rippled. As the river leads into the picture it becomes a mix of gray and green. The cliff face is gray mottled with brown soil and rows of brown and green foliage. The waterfall is white and is flanked on both sides by ice. The river is flanked by light brown soil and trees. The sky is bright, sky blue. The colors of the river result from the reflection of the waterfall, cliff face and trees reflecting in the water. The waterfall makes a prominent, white, reflection in the river.
Yosemite Falls and Merced River from Swinging Bridge;
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; APR 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Some Photos from the Alabama Hills in Eastern California

by Earthwatcher, posted in Alabama Hills, California, Earthwatcher, Eastern Sierra, Fujifilm Cameras, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, Uncategorized, USA
A photograph of the Alabama Hills in Eastern California at sunset. The foreground of the photo is a desert landscape with clumps of green foliage on gray-brown and white sand. To the left side is a large mass of brown boulders of irregular shape. There are more boulders, foliage, and gray-brown soil to the right of the boulders. The middle ground is the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains. In this picture they appear blue with white snow. One of the peaks on the left and two on the right are gold, highlighted by the sun. The sky is light blue. A large portion of the sky is highlighted by thin clouds that are creamy gold colored, caused by the reflection of the sun.
An Atypical Sunset ;
Alabama Hills National Scenic Area, Lone Pine, California, USA; APR 2023

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution.

A photograph of a portion of the Sierra Nevada mountains at sunrise from the desert valley of the Alabama Hills of Eastern California. The foreground is the desert landscape of the valley. It is mostly clumps of green foliage on tan soil. It is strewn with gray boulders. On the right, set further back, is a steep slope of brown boulders. The middle ground is the snow-capped mountains. At their base is the dark brown alluvium eroded from the mountains which is dotted with dark spots of foliage. Rising, the mountains are mostly blue, mottled by white snow. The peaks are a red orange, mottled with snow. This color is the Alpen glow as the rising sun paints the top of the peaks. The upper section of the image is the blue sky.
Sunrise in The Alabama Hills;
Alabama Hills National Scenic Area, Lone Pine, California, USA; APR 2023
A photograph of a portion of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at sunrise, from the desert valley of the Alabama Hills of Eastern California. The foreground is the desert landscape of the valley. It is mostly clumps of green foliage on tan soil. The left two thirds of the foreground are brown clumps of irregular boulders tapering to the ground on their right side. To their right of the boulders is a slope of brown boulders with soil at its base. The middle ground is the snow-capped mountains. Their base is dark brown, mottled with snow and some nearly indistinguishable dark clumps of foliage. The peaks are a red orange, mottled with snow. This color is the Alpen glow as the rising sun paints the top of the peaks. The upper section of the image is the blue sky.
Sunrise in The Alabama Hills;
Alabama Hills National Scenic Area, Lone Pine, California, USA; APR 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Mono Lake – A Winter View

by Earthwatcher, posted in California, Earthwatcher, Eastern Sierra, Fujifilm Cameras, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, Mono Lake, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, volcano
A photograph of Mono Lake with four snow covered volcano craters directly across the lake and a ring of snow-covered mountains further in the background. At the bottom of the image is a snow-covered band of land bordering on the near side of the lake. Because of shading, the snow has a blue tint. There is a line of trees, dark in color, stretching from left to right across the land. From this perspective, the trees are very small. Beyond the land is Mono Lake. Most of the lake has a bluish, satiny sheen from ice covering it. But there are some more reflective areas where the water is not frozen. The volcanic craters are on the large hill across the lake. The craters are the four distinct hillocks on the top. The hill is mostly snow covered but mottled with brown from the dirt and vegetation where the snow is melted. In the far background, on the left is a brown colored mountain ridge with snow covering its right flank. In the background is a series of snow-covered peaks. Above the mountains in is a soft aqua colored sky with some dark clouds on the right side.
Mono Lake Early in the Golden Hour;
Mono Lake Vista Point, Lee Vining, California, USA; APR 2023

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

A photograph of Mono Lake featuring an island in the mid-ground area and surrounded by snow covered mountains. The bottom 1/3 of the picture is snow-covered land along the shore of the lake. The snow has a bluish tint due to being shaded. The background is lake shore and hillocks. The hillocks are mostly snow covered, mottled by the tan colored dirt where the snow has melted. The far background is snow-covered mountain peaks. There is a gray cloud in the blue sky. The lake is in the middle. It is predominantly light blue where the lake is frozen and a darker blue where it is not ice covered. In the middle of the lake are two large islands. They appear connected from this perspective. Negit Island, the smaller one is on the left side of the islands. It is mostly dark colored mottled with some snow. It has a small crater on its right side. Pahoa Island behind Negit and is considerably larger. It is mostly tan colored mottled with white snow.
Mono Lake Early in the Golden Hour;
Mono Lake Vista Point, Lee Vining, California, USA; APR 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Sequoioideae

by Earthwatcher, posted in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, California, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, Muir Woods National Monument, nature, Nature Photography, Photography
Photograph of the lower portion of giant sequoia and pine trees. The pines are the two trees on the right side. The trunks of the giant sequoia are reddish-brown. The trunks of the pine are also reddish-brown but lighter in color. The ground is flat but with a slope sweeping right up a hillside. It is covered in white snow striped by gray shadows. Between the trees are their branches with their green coniferous leaves. Behind the trees is a background of green forest.
Giant Sequoia and Pine in Early Spring;
Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Arnold, California, USA; APR 2023

In our recent visit to California, we stopped at Muir Woods National Monument and Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Both of these places are homes to giant redwood trees. Muir Woods is home to Coastal (AKA California) Redwoods; the species that is the tallest trees in the world, some reaching nearly 400 feet tall. Calaveras Big Trees is home to a large grove of the Giant Sequoia, the biggest trees, in bulk, in the world. The largest in the grove has a diameter of 30 feet. They are wonderful to behold.

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

Photograph of a small segment of a creek. The water is pale grey-green capped with streaks of white foam. The lower part of the image is in shadow and is dark. Across the river are yellow-green moss-covered trees and rocks. In the upper left corner, the tree is standing and leans to the left. In the upper right corner, the tree has fallen across the creek. Between the trees are gray rocks that are partially moss covered as well as some green ferns. The upper edge of the image is scattered brown forest debris.
Early Morning on Redwood Creek;
Muir Woods National Monument, Marin County, California, USA; APR 2023
Early Morning on Redwood Creek;
Muir Woods National Monument, Marin County, California, USA; APR 2023
Photograph of four giant Sequoia trees surrounded by snow and a moat of meltwater. The reddish-brown trunk of one tree dominates the left side of the image. Following along the bottom of the image is the snow-covered ground. Above the snow is the meltwater moat. It is dark and reflects some of the snow. Above the moat is a group of three, dark reddish-brown, giant sequoia tree trunks with a pile of snow at their base. To the right side of the image are gray tree trunks. The background of the image is the green of the forest beyond and some blue sky.
Giant Sequoia in Snow;
This day, they are surrounded by a moat of meltwater.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Arnold, California, USA; APR 2023
Snowmelt Stream Meandering Through the Giant Sequoia;
Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Arnold, California, USA; APR 2023
Photograph of the lower portion of two coastal redwood trees, both dark reddish-brown. Between the trees is a background of pale green foliage covered hillside receding upwards with more reddish-brown redwood tree trunks. In the foreground, at the base of the trees, are sprouts from the tree on the left. They are the green foliage sprouting from brown foliage.
New Coastal Redwood Sprouts around the Mother Tree;
Muir Woods National Monument, Marin County, California, USA; APR 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Birds and Surf – Monterey California Coast

by Earthwatcher, posted in Bird Photography, bird watching, birding, Birds, California, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, Seascape, Uncategorized, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography
This image portrays a rough surf crashing over a large, triangular rock. Two Brandt’s Cormorants are flying low over the surf. The ocean water is pale gray-green. The rock is black with a brown peak. The surf is a mix of pale gray-green and white. The birds are black and are flying left to right, low above the surf.
Brandt’s Cormorants Traversing Crashing Surf
17 Mile Drive, Carmel By The Sea, California, USA; APR 2023

We returned to northern California for 2 weeks and visited many familiar spots. So, for the next few weeks, I will be featuring photos from that trip. I was intrigued by the birds thriving in the rough rocks and surf of the Pacific Ocean around Monterey and Carmel-By-The-Sea, California, USA.

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

This image is a Brandt’s Cormorant flying left to right while carrying some type of sea grass for nesting material. The background is the blue-green water of the Pacific Ocean, capped with some white foam. The bird is black; the nesting material is in its beak and is a green color. The strip of water at the top of the image is pale gray-green. There is a large black object just below the surface of the water just to the right of the bird. It appears to be some type of marine plant.
Brandt’s Cormorant in Flight Carrying Nesting Material;
17 Mile Drive, Carmel By The Sea, California, USA; APR 2023
This image is a Western Gull flying towards the viewer, banking to the viewers right, over rocks. The waters of the Pacific Ocean are a green-blue with a strip of darker blue-green at the top of the image. Some of the waves are capped with white foam. The rocks are brown. White surf is flowing over some parts of the rocks. The bird is white and gray with a yellow beak.
Western Gull In Flight;
17 Mile Drive, Carmel By The Sea, California, USA; APR 2023




This image portrays a rough surf crashing over a large, triangular rock. The ocean water is pale gray-green. The rock is gray and is mostly covered with surf and water spray. The surf is a mix of pale gray-green and white becoming deeper blue in the upper right corner.
Crashing Surf;
17 Mile Drive, Carmel By The Sea, California, USA; APR 2023
Brandt’s Cormorant in Flight;
17 Mile Drive, Carmel By The Sea, California, USA; APR 2023
This image is a Western Gull flying towards the viewer, banking to the viewers right, over rocks. The waters of the Pacific Ocean are a green-blue with a strip of darker blue-green at the top of the image. Some of the waves are capped with white foam. The rocks are brown. White surf is flowing over some parts of the rocks. The bird is white and gray with a yellow beak.
Western Gull In Flight;
17 Mile Drive, Carmel By The Sea, California, USA; APR 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Happy New Years

by Earthwatcher, posted in California, Earthwatcher, Eastern Sierra, Fujifilm Cameras, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, nature, Nature Photography, New Years, Photography, sunrise
Image of the snow capped Sierra Nevada mountains bathed in the orange-red of the alpen glow, Picture taken from the crest of the White-Inyo Mountains.
Patriarch Grove, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, California, USA; OCT 2012

I hope that 2023 looks as bright and promising as a morning sunrise.