This past weekend, a few of my friends and I did a wildlife shoot in Carson Valley, near Minden, NV. Our guide was John Humphrey, a local wildlife photographer (www.akawolf.com). He provided us with access to private lands that we would not have had access to ourselves. It was a beautiful morning and we got plenty of interesting opportunities to shoot. Hope you enjoy these images.
I am not typically a bird photographer. When I do shoot birds, I try to take them in the context of their environment, trying to answer the questions: this is who I am and this is how I survive. Living in the Sacramento, CA area affords me the opportunity to shoot migrating winter birds but, I find I really like to go back to the usual suspects – herons, egrets, Canada geese and mallards, hawks. Learning about them, observing their behavior gives me a lot of pleasure.
The last week or so, I’ve had the added pleasure of trying out my new Fujinon 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 lens and 1.4X Tele-converter. Its a great lens but its been more than a year since I shot with a long lens so, I made a few depth of field mistakes. Oh well, I guess I just need to go out and shoot more.
Anyway, here are a few images I shot. I hope you enjoy them.
On Jan 26, 2016, I visited the Mt Tamalpias watershed area near Fairfax, in Marin County, CA. Imagine climbing up a hillside, along a stream that was running fast and loud due to recent rain. Now, imagine the trail to be 2 1/2 miles in and out with a 1,300 foot elevation gain, 750 feet over the first mile. That combination meant the stream was full of waterfalls and cataracts. The banks of the stream were hard rock surfaces covered with coastal redwoods, moss and ferns. It was absolutely spectacular. The trek was difficult but, was well worth the effort.
For my fellow photographers, the stream ran along an east-west access. The January sun rose behind the waterfalls casting some strong light in a few areas but the sun mostly was obscured by the canopy. The light, though bright, was diffuse. Still, the ferns, moss and rocks glistened. Perhaps, as the sun set, more light would have fallen directly on the waterfalls but I didn’t have time to stay and find out. If I make another trip, I will plan it for afternoon.
I hope you enjoy the images. Enlarged copies of the images can be found in my online gallery: Cataract Falls
Regards,
Larry
As photographers, we are admonished to wait for the perfect light or, as a studio photographer, to set up the perfect light. It’s good advice, but not always practical. Sometimes you find yourself at a location you’d like to shoot and walk away disappointed because there are interesting subjects but bad lighting. I have been working on turning that admonishment around and searching where the light leads me; finding subjects where the light presents them. Those opportunities even avail themselves in very diffuse light. We just have to open our mind to creativity when thinking about light.
Last weekend, I visited the California State Rail Museum. If you are a railroad buff, there are a lot of great things to see. While there, I set 2 objectives: learn to use my cell phone camera more effectively and to look for subjects made interesting by the museum lighting. I did OK with the first objective but didn’t advance my skill as much as I’d have liked. I did learn that I have a little control over depth of field though not a lot. I did find interesting subjects to shoot. The museum lighting was very good and the light painted details in interesting ways. I’ve included a few examples for you to enjoy.
I spent a winter afternoon cleaning up and organizing my photo library. While going through the library, I found a few gems that I had overlooked before; always a pleasant surprise.
Rivulet and Hot Waterfall in Winter were taken at Yellowstone 3 years ago when I attended Cindy Goeddel’s Yellowstone Yurt Tour. It was an amazing photo adventure that allowed me to see Yellowstone in the dead of winter. Rivulet was taken near the Lower Geyser Basin. Hot Waterfall is runoff from hot springs near Midway Geyser Basin.
Snowy Egret was taken at William Pond Park, near Sacramento, last November.
We are very lucky to be near the delta that flows into San Francisco Bay because it attracts many beautiful migrating birds in the winter. One of the birds that makes California’s Pacific Flyway their home is the Pintail Duck. I shot this image of a beautiful pintail Sunday morning, DEC 27, 2015.
Sometimes the light presents itself in such a way that it transforms a mundane setting into one that is stunning. That is what happened this evening. The setting sun cast a narrow beam of light that caught the fireplace in our family room, highlighting St. Francis looking upon the freesias. As I walked into the family room, I was stopped in my tracks by the beauty of the scene. I knew at once that I needed to capture and share it. I wish you could have been there with me to share the moment.
Regards,
Larry
These and other images are available for sale at http://www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us
Last week, I was in Washington visiting my son and his family. It was a great week capped off with a camping trip on the Puget Sound. We camped at Sequim Bay, on the Olympic Peninsula, near the point where Puget Sound meets the Strait of Juan de Fuqua. It was a beautiful weekend and lots of fun. I took a few images and want to share 2 with you.
The first is A Sunrise on Sequim Bay. The sky was overcast on this early morning. Fog shrouded the mountains to the north and west. The water was smooth as glass except where gentle currents caused small ripples. The only sign of life were the few gulls beginning their hunt for breakfast. The sun found a few small breaks in the clouds which allowed it to highlight the sleeping vessels and parts of the shore. A confluence of events that provided a moment of peace and tranquility. Look at the image, close your eyes and imagine yourself there for a few minutes. I hope it will brighten your busy day.
The second is West Peak, Mt Olympus and Glacial Valleys. This image was shot near the visitor center at Hurricane Ridge National Park in the Cascade National Forest. In this case, dramatic clouds obscured most of the sky. Breaks in the clouds allowed bright sunlight to dapple sections of Mount Olympus and the surrounding peaks, highlighting the glaciers and valleys below. I felt a longing while viewing this scene. My spirit wanted to hike up to that mountain valley and camp by the stream. I wanted to be near the base of the glacier; to see and touch the glacier before our changing climate devours it and drives it to extinction.
These images and others are available at my website: http://www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us
Regards,
Larry
The California drought has garnered a lot of attention and it is bad. But, over the past few weeks, storms have driven some rain along the White-Inyo Mountains and the valleys east of the Sierra. So, Donna and I wanted to get a rare glimpse of a green desert landscape in July. Bodie did not disappoint. The desert vegetation was a beautiful spring green. The skies were overcast, covered with rain clouds. We were treated to light hail, cold, light rain and a few claps of thunder. I had hoped for some golden light to peer through breaks in the clouds, highlighting the landscape, but that did not materialize. The rain dampened the wood, saturating the colors and highlighting details of the decaying structures. Here are 2 examples. I hope you enjoy them.
Regards,
Larry
These and other images can be seen and are available for sale at http://www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us
On our recent trip back east, we made a stop in Savannah, GA. It was short, an evening and a morning. Savannah is an old city by US standards. Its historic district follows the borders laid out in 1733 by James Oglethorp. It is laid out in a grid with numerous small squares. Each square is like a little park with stately old trees, draped with Spanish Moss, giving shade to the sidewalks and park benches. Many of the buildings date back into the 18th and 19th century. There are so many photo opportunities, I could spend months, if not years trying to document it, if I chose. The buildings and statuary are beautiful in and of themselves. But, when you take the time to study them in detail, there are beautiful intricate features, many weathered to a fine patina. It is a great place. I recommend a visit. Enjoy the images below. Please share.
Regards,
Larry
(These and other images are available to purchase at http://www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us)
Earthwatcher 