Most years I venture out to photograph moonbows in Yosemite National Park, but this year I’m wondering if conditions will make it worth while. The extreme drought conditions across the state of California have resulted in low snow levels across the Sierras. While I’m sure there will be enough snowmelt to keep Yosemite’s falls flowing the question is for how long and at what intensity. We’ll h
Sometime ago I mentioned my favorite view on the island of Maui is the 30 mile shadow of Haleakala at sunset. This past year when I visited I was treated to an interesting display of anti-crepuscular rays converging on the horizon. This happened just before sunset and the perspective effect of the rays converging on the horizon was quite a mind bender. Remember this was seen with the sun to my back as the beams of li
Standing out in the middle of no where at night in the presence of ancient petroglyphs unleashes ones imagination in more than one way. When not thinking about what wild life could be sneaking up on me (cougars, coyotes, mice… as it turns out mostly mice) my mind wandered to the source of inspiration for these ancient drawings. Was the person(s) that made these drawing bored, doodling, documenting, ancient life
As someone who take pictures with a very critical eye, it’s easy to put not only by own work but the work of others under a very critical magnifying glass. As the ups and downs of life pass by like the ebb and flow of the tide it’s refreshing to take a step back and just enjoy a pretty picture for what it is. Doing so is a sure fire way to lift one’s spirits, regain more level headed thinking and re
This is a still from a motion control time-lapse sequence taken during the Fall of this year. While ancient Bristlecone Pine trees are old they look young compared to the stars up above. I was particularly fond of the juxtaposition of the two subjects and I’m eager to see how my lengthy time-lapse sequence comes out. If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years how man would marvel and stare. &
Atop the White Mountains, along the eastern border of California, lies the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. This area is known as the home of the worlds oldest trees including the oldest tree, Methuselah, whose age is 4,750 years. The last time I took the time to visit this remote area I was a dedicated film shooter. On a recent visit I took advantage of the latest DSLR technology to photograph astro-landscapes whil
Last weekend I took my son to the top of Twin Peaks in San Francisco, California to watch the rising Hunter’s Moon. Being 3 years old I expected him to be excited about seeing the moon after all he was wearing NASA boots, but his enthusiasm for taking pictures quickly took over. To warm up before the moonrise we took photos together of the western span of the Bay Bridge. After that we huddled to keep warm and w
Day 1 of the partial U.S. government shutdown just happened to fall on the day I left for my fall photography and new moon astro-landscape trip. My first stop was Yosemite National Park which was a high profile casualty of the shutdown. All highways were open to the park so as to drive through, but visitors were asked to refrain from stopping. Quite ironic that the public was and still is being advised to avoid using