Point Reyes Light

Further Update...

Unfortunately, still not sure what happens with trip. Had talk with wife about it and she is resisting very much. Seems my asthma doesn't matter as much as her inconvenience. I'm still going and it will, eventually, come to a shove on my part but I'll keep trying for a few more days to get it done with diplomacy. I need to get a few months stateside to find out what's happening and to let the dry desert air work on cleaning out my sick lungs. There's no other way, short of very strong and dangerous medicines, to do that. I much prefer the dry air, thank you very much.

Point Reyes Light

It's a long drive from rt. 1 out to the Point Reyes lighthouse and the road isn't all that much fun. There are many dairy farms along the road and one has to be aware of all the cows. Plus, the winds whip up sand and make the road dangerous along with it not always being a safe road with lots of blind corners and whatnot. After all that effort, you arrive at the parking lot below the light. There's nothing there but a driveway leading upwards and a very long and exhausting climb. By the time you reach the top, you're exhausted and hoping there's something worthwhile at the end. Imagine how disappointing it is when you finally reach the end and find ... this.

Point Reyes Light - 121mm(1.6 crop),f/22,HDR,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Not exactly a classic example of lighthousing, is it? The explanation is simple enough ... there was no need for a tall base given the light was already hundreds of feet above the water. And, according to the explanation, the trip to the light by mule team took a looooong time and it just didn't make any sense to waste all that energy on frills. So they built a minimal light, powered by coal and steam. It did it's job for a very long time and that's why it's famous. Add to all this the light was closed, in the late afternoon, so we (there were several of us who made the arduous climb) were forced to take pictures from an overlook several hundred feet above the light. It was a gray day (fog again) and colors weren't forthcoming so I had to make due with what I was given. This is a 3 image HDR and I worked very hard to find color in the final composition but there's just not much there. If I push too hard the whole image goes to hell and that's not going to please anyone. So you see a nice blue sign (bottom center) and some pretty rust streaks (on the light) and a bit of oxidized copper (roof vent on the attached building) and that's it. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. That's life for the photographer. That's why it's so hard to get that amazing image that pops. Everything has to be perfect and all too often it's not. But still, it's an OK picture, isn't it? At least the composition is good.

Zion Guardians

Update...

Still not sure of my trip. Wife has been sick and that's thrown everything sideways. She's getting better so I hope to make some decisions pretty soon. I want to spend at least 2 months stateside so I have plenty of time to visit all the places I've been researching. Will let you know as soon as I have a plan.

Zion Guardians

Have I mentioned I really like Zion National Park? Although it's not the easiest place to photograph due to it's north-south orientation, it's still an amazing place. The colors are beyond spectacular and the geography is just out of this world. I'm planning to visit again this trip and to try and get back into the slot canyons (up at the Temple of Sinawava) and beyond. This is an arduous trip as you spend much of it in the Virgin River, chest deep in very cold water. There are shops where I can rent thick wading suits and special packs to protect my camera gear but it's still a big deal and one has to always worry about rain and floods when there. Last year, during the summer, they had a serious flood that killed several people so one can never be too careful. But I really want to photograph those canyons.

One of the best things about Zion is the diversity of geography. All along the Virgin River there are deep cuts and soaring cliffs to enjoy. The sky is always filled with fluffy, white clouds and the sun, even at its highest, provides wonderful contrasts and shadows. It's a photographer's dream.

One of the most popular places for taking photos is behind the natural history museum near the west entrance on rt. 9. I got up very early and drove to the museum just for this picture. These three peaks are called ... I think ... the guardians. There's a huge amphitheater behind the museum and these peaks backstop the whole thing. I did a panorama here which I'll put up some day but for now I'll give you just a single image. This is an HDR processed the usual way. The sun was over my right shoulder just below the cliffs on the east side of the valley. Only 4 of us saw this scene that morning. It was definitely worth dragging my sorry ass out of bed so early. Damn ... the colors are just so amazing!

Zion Guardians - 33mm(1.5 crop),f/18,HDR,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Vermilion Cliffs Excitement

Trip Delayed...

Due to some family issues my trip home has been delayed for a few weeks. I'm now intending to leave around February 17th and return to Crimea at the end of April. That's a few weeks shorter than I'd planned but sometimes that happens. I'm in the process of developing my itinerary and will post it to this blog and my trip map when it's finished. I won't be rushing all over the west like last cycle but will concentrate on Southern California, Arizona and some spots in New Mexico. Still a very aggressive schedule but not nearly as much driving. I blew through 10K miles last time and that was far more than I'd expected. All those side trips to find a McD for internet access and getting out of town to find a place to sleep really piled up the miles. I'm hoping I won't have to do that as much this time as my schedule has me working at night and sleeping during the day. I would expect I can find many places to sleep when the sun is shining and won't be hassled by the cops as much. We'll see.

Vermilion Cliffs Excitement

I applied for a permit to get into the 'Wave' at Vermilion Cliffs but was unsuccessful ... over 650 applications representing almost a 1000 people fighting for 10 slots. The odds were just too against me. I may, if I'm in the area, swing by the BLM office there and see if I can get in during the daily lottery. They have 10 spots open for that and I'll probably have better luck as you have to be physically present for the drawing ... and the office is really out of the way. We'll see.

Anyway, I really like this area even without the Wave as it's truly spectacular. I spent a day last cycle wandering the slot canyon network (over 10 miles of canyons ... dwarfs Antelope Canyon big time) and took a huge number of pictures. I've only posted one so far and that's a shame as there are so many beautiful formations to record. I may go back even if I don't win the lottery just to wander the right branch of the canyon heading south ... I didn't even touch that one during my last trip. Hopefully it won't rain again and I won't get stuck in the mug like I did last trip. You really need a big tire off-road vehicle to make sure you can get in and out on the crappy dirt road they have there. Sometimes the BLM takes the 'wilderness' designation a bit too seriously and that causes big troubles. Every year some people die in the 'wilderness' because they can't find their way back out due to a lack of trail markers. If you don't have a GPS tracker it's really easy to get lost up there. And some people shouldn't even go there as their health isn't good enough to endure the strains of hiking the steep terrain.

I took this image on the dirt road south of the parking lot for the Wave. I really love the colors in this part of the Great Basin. You can see a large pallet of minerals in the many colors (and layers) in the lower half of the image. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was low in the west (over my shoulder) so the colors really pop. And it's like this the entire 30 mile drive! You want to stop every 100 feet and take pictures. I only saw one car in the entire time I was making the drive. If you are in the area I highly recommend you take the time to see this. You can park in any of the trail heads and walk in as far as you want. Just be aware of the heat (especially in summer) and the potential for rain as some of the canyons can fill up with runoff very quickly. You won't be disappointed I promise.

Vermilion Cliffs Excitement - 93mm(1.6 crop),f/22,1/13 sec,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point

Some Ideas for Cycle #2

I'm in the planning stage for cycle #2 which starts, unofficially, around the end of January. I'm intending to spend all of February in and around LA, shooting timelapse and video for my project and taking pictures for my portfolio. I expect lots of rain as El Nino is building to a historic level so plan to see lots of wet views and images. Hopefully I won't get too sick while there but who knows. I'm also looking at visiting as many parks in CA as I can, depending on the snow load and how well they are kept open. I'll then spend some time in AZ/UT, visiting places I went during cycle #2, including Zion, Vermilion Cliffs, Grand Canyon and maybe a few more. Depends on how much snow they have and how much time I have. I'm considering applying for a permit to hike into "the wave" which is something I really want to do given time and a favorable outcome of my application. I'll finish up with a few locations in NM. Expect to return around the end of April although that could adjust depending on how much I still want to do and how much energy I have. I'm hoping I can take upwards of 3-4 terabytes of data which should keep me busy for the rest of the year. It should be an exciting trip.

Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point

One afternoon, about the middle of my stay in Yosemite, I took the long drive up to Glacier Point. From this overlook one can see the entire valley and the view is spectacular. Most of the park is visible from this high vantage point and there is so much to see. Of course, you can see half dome and the waterfall but you also see the high Sierra mountains. The view really does take your breath away.

I took this as the sun slid below the horizon and only half dome and the high mountains are still illuminated. Yosemite village is in the valley below, to the left of the picture. At the center bottom you can just see the parking lot for one of the hotels. Yosemite Valley is straight ahead, to the left of half dome. This is a glacial valley, it's sides polished smooth by the massive glaciers from the last ice age as they slowly slid down the valley and then melted. It has the classic "U" shape although the bottom has been filled in over the years with wash and landslides so the valley is flat but scientific studies (using oil exploration rigs) found the rounded bottom a glacial polished valley must have. This is an HDR panorama shot from the extreme corner of the overlook facing to the northeast.

As I pointed out in a previous entry, it's difficult to get really stunning color photos in Yosemite because the granite is all gray. Compare this with my pictures from Zion or Bryce and you see what I mean. The iron rich sandstone from the Great Basin gives the whole area a very warm and inviting hue that is lacking in Yosemite. Only the amazing rock formations and the high mountains make Yosemite really special. And it's close proximity to LA and SF guarantees a steady stream of visitors.

For comparison, I've included both a color and B&W image. You can see why so many iconic images from Yosemite are done without color. By removing all color you're forced to see the amazing shapes and contours that define the valley. Maybe I should leave this image B&W. What do you think?

Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point - 16mm(1.6 crop),f/18,HDR,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point(B&W) - 16mm(1.6 crop),f/18,HDR,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Golden Gate North Tower

Crisis over...

As some of you know, Crimea lost all electricity when someone in Ukraine sabotaged the power lines feeding south from Kerson. That was in mid-November. Well, yesterday Russia turned on the second high-voltage cable feeding Crimea from Krasnodar and we now have 100% of the electricity we need. The emergency generators are being shut down and all the factories and stores that were shuttered are being reopened. The big supermarket, Ashan, where we do our major shopping, opened over the weekend and we were able to get all the pet food and supplies we have been doing without the last month. And, when we got home yesterday afternoon, we were surprised to find that our elevator was working. Oh, what overwhelming joy! No more trudging up 200+ steps carrying heavy bags or dragging my poor, old cocker spaniel behind me. My bad lungs and aching legs rejoiced at the wonder of it all. We are now officially disconnected from all utilities coming from Ukraine, ending the worst part of this mess. No longer can they blackmail Crimea with threats of shutting off utilities. Now that's progress.

Golden Gate North Tower

I've already expounded on the wonder that is the Golden Gate Bridge. It's such a marvelous construction and a magnet for photographers of all skill levels. I was there in May and, as is often the case, the city and bridge were shrouded in thick fog. It was a dark and gloomy night but great for taking pictures. I set up at the lowest overlook and spent a considerable amount of time taking shots. This image was actually a precursor for a panorama I'll present at a later date. The fog was still above the red safety light so you can see the entire bridge. The lighting is just right, projecting from the road deck upwards and the beautiful ironwork provides just the right touch. A truly amazing structure and timeless in it's beauty. 75 years old and still as magnificent as the day she was built. The city isn't too shabby either as you can see.

Golden Gate North Tower - 35mm(1.6 crop),f/11,30 sec,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Bryce Canyon Splendor

Cycle #2

With my breathing getting really bad my wife finally broached the subject of going back to America last night. I always wait for her to bring this up as it then seems to be her idea and she can't get too irate as she's the one who suggested it. Last night was a pivotal moment as I finally crossed that threshold where even she couldn't deny that I was in trouble. I was so hoarse I was having trouble talking and I started sounding like Brando in the Godfather. And today I've started seeing junk when I cough which is not a good sign as it means I'm accumulating stuff in my lungs. So it's time to start planning the trip home. I've already done some stuff but there's lots more to do before I leave. Looks like I'll travel in mid to late January and stay for 3 months (mid-April). So look for more planning ideas from me in the next month and a final itinerary by year's end.

Bryce Canyon Splendor

I love Bryce Canyon. An amazingly beautiful place far removed from large cities and not so popular that it's ruined by all the people. Even with all the bad weather I suffered through it was still one of the high points of my trip. I got around to working through all the pictures I took there and many made it into my portfolio and "On the Fence" collections. What's so nice about the place is it's almost impossible to take a bad picture. Once you've got your camera adjusted just point and shoot. The colors are so amazing and the rock formations are truly out of this world.

Anyway, this image was taken after the big snowstorm my last night there. It was brutally cold and the wind howled all night long. I huddled in my bag and tried to get some sleep but really didn't do very well. In the morning I was dead tired but had hope (realized) that Zion, my next stop, would be much better. I broke camp and made my way to the canyon for one more session. I took several major panoramas and also some impressive shots of the better formations. This is one of them. Actually, I was driving the road that runs south from the main canyon and this was taken from an overlook. I really like this image because of the depth. You can see for miles and get the sense of 3D by the way the distant features fade into the haze. I think I'm looking to the east. It was just after noon so the sun is high but behind the clouds so I'm not fighting any glare. I'm at f/22 which is supposed to be a no-no as it creates diffraction (and blurring) but I don't see much and stopping down helped me get great depth-of-field. And the colors ... well, I'll let you decide on that.

Bryce Canyon Splendor - 16mm(1.6 crop),f22,1/25 sec,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Yosemite's Half Dome

Shootings...

I find it very hard to comment on the state of my country. So much violence for a country that is, theoretically, not at war (except in half the world where we're fighting terror but what the hell). Finally we get another terror act in America ... one I've been expecting for quite some time ... and no one seems inclined to do anything about it. Let me say, bluntly, that it's stupid to sell assault rifles, which are designed for only one thing (killing people), and ammunition to anyone. Even the cops don't really need them except as an equalizer against all the crazies who are armored up to the hilt. And all this right-wing crap about protection from the government is just that ... crap. A clown with a gun isn't going to frighten a soldier who's faced hardened fighters in the middle east. Have you seen most of these idiots? Rejects from society and most are so out of shape that they'd probably have a heart attack if they every actually faced off against someone with a gun and it's pointed at their fat head. Let me repeat ... we don't need these guns. For 200+ years we've managed to survive quite nicely with just our standard rifle and shot gun. All this fire power didn't stop a couple (one a woman no less) from shooting up this holiday party in California. It was the cops who finished them off, not civilians. But the carnage was much worse because both of them had semi-automatic assault rifles and lots of high powered ammo. Consider how different it would have been had they been limited to more conventional arms. And maybe, instead of being shot up by all that police armor, maybe they would have been captured alive and could have helped us understand why they did it. But no, they are very dead and we can only assume they were terrorists because they were Muslim. All so worthless and a waste of precious human life. Don't you think it's time to try something else ... really?

Yosemite's Half Dome

Yosemite is, surprisingly, a hard place to photograph. It's beautiful, even breathtaking, but unlike places on the Grand Cascade, rock formations are a unappetizing gray color. That's why, I think, so many pictures of Yosemite are black and white. I took a ton of images while I was there and most of them are OK but few actually got my blood pumping. They are universally bland and only the sky made an impact. I'll put more on this blog as I can but they're not my best works. Also, it was near the end of my trip and my camera was extremely dirty. There were dust particles all over my sensor so my pictures look like they have chicken pox. When I combine multiple panels together for a panorama it takes a lot of work to remove all the smudges and blotches caused by this dirt and, quite frankly, the results are not inspiring. Even my HDR images came out muddy and not all that wonderful. That's why you've not seen any images from Yosemite so far. I keep looking at them and putting off adding them here because they embarrass me.

But, a few days ago I was going through images from Yosemite and came across this one. I was on Glacier Point looking northeast. I took it before the sun touched the horizon so the sky is already turning a wonderful blue but the sun hasn't yet gone to the "golden hour" reds and yellows. The entire image is very 'cool' and has a nice feel about it. One interesting point about this image ... if you look just to the right of the dome you'll see a brown 'streak' in the trees trailing off to the picture's edge. That's dead trees burned by the big forest fire they had 2 summers ago. That's how close the inferno came to half dome. This is an HDR sequence (2 shots) run through Photomatix and Lightroom.

It is really a wonderful place to visit ... but so damn crowded. Impossible to find a parking place or a camp site. I stayed at a forest service campsite 10 miles outside the park and had a 35 mile drive each way every day. Lots of gas wasted going back and forth.

Yosemite's Half Dome - 28mm(1.6 crop),f/18,HDR,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0