This site is dedicated to wildlife and landscape photography.
This site is dedicated to wildlife and landscape photography.
I drive by this entry road every time I go to Point Reyes National Seashore. I often think to myself that I should photograph it. I finally did. I don’t know exactly what goes on there, but I see Rangers go in and out so I assume the Park Service Rangers have an office there. There’s no sign saying “Public Welcome,” but then there’s no sign saying “Stay Out” either. Some day I’ll have to go in there and find out more.
It looks like this oak tree is growing out of the rock. It isn’t of course. But they’ve shared the same spot for many years. They’ve seen many cows come and go.
The scene has been the subject of many photos. I think the first one I saw was by Lance Kuehne. You can see his vision of it here. Recently, I saw one by Marty Knapp. You can see his version, complemented by the moon, here.
You can find the scene a few miles west of Petaluma on the Point Reyes-Petaluma Road. It’s on the left side as you drive west. I drove by it many times on the way to Point Reyes National Seashore before I spotted it. I’d like to try shooting it again. A moon would be a nice addition. I think I’d move a little to the right and use a wider lens or stand farther back. It would be nice if the cows were there and arranged in the most aesthetically pleasing manner. Maybe I’ll do it. Maybe.
One of the visual treats each winter and spring in the North Bay is the mustard that covers the ground in so many places. It is especially common in the grape-growing areas of Napa ans Sonoma Counties.
Mustard is not native. It was brought here by missionaries when they were scouting for mission sites. They carried mustard seeds in a sack slung over their backs. Each sack had a small hole in it. As they walked seeds would fall out and later grow. Thereafter, it was easy to return to the sites previously chosen for missions.
Wine growers found mustard beneficial. By planting it in their vineyards the plants held soil in place during winter rains that might otherwise erode soil around the roots of the vines. The growers then began celebrating the colorful plant during the slow tourist months of February and March. Visits to the wine country increased.
The mustard plant is also high in phosphorus. When the vines start to leaf out the mustard is plowed under.
Here is another photo of the Sierras from Bishop. It was taken at the same spot, but a short time after the image in the previous post. The light has changed a bit and I’ve gone from a wide angle perspective (32mm) to a short telephoto perspective (70mm). I tried other focal lengths, such as 85mm and 105mm, and they placed more emphasis on the size of the mountains. I also didn’t like the fact that the trees were emphasized too much at those higher focal lengths. The previous photo gave greater emphasis to the rabbit brush foreground. I was a bit taken by the rabbit brush when I was shooting, but I think I like this image the most. The foreground, midground and background seem more balanced.
I took a trip to the Eastern Sierras recently to shoot fall colors. I had planned to go since some time in the summer, but I learned of a three-day weekend trip being led by Dave Henry, one of Canon’s Explorers of Light, which was scheduled for the time I planned to be there. Dave has led photo trips to the Eastern Sierras for over thirty years. He used to be a photojournalist for the Sacramento Bee and has been writing a column for the Bee on fall colors in the Eastern Sierra for many years. The price for the three day weekend was only $295. Canon provided one of its reps, John Bell, for the weekend. John brought every body and lens you could ever want for the trip. It sounded pretty good to me so I signed up.
It was a great trip. However, based on a quick trip through the photos I shot, I like this photo of the Sierras with the rabbit brush foreground more than the many yellow-leaved aspens I photographed.
I lived in Tiburon for a while in the mid-1970s. It’s a beautiful location on the north shore of San Francisco Bay. Thanks to the hilly terrain, many residents have a view of the San Francisco Bay. I occasionally go there to return to my Marin “roots.” It hasn’t changed much, which I like.
One thing that wasn’t there in the 1970s is this sculpture. It’s called “Coming About.” I’ve read that it represents five sailboats. When I first saw it I thought of shark fins. That also seemed fitting given that Tiburon is Spanish for “shark.” Some think the sails remind them of birds’ wings. That would also be fitting given the number of seagulls that hang out at several waterside restaurants. The sails slowly rotate. The Guaymas and Servino restaurants provide a backdrop to the scene.
Corinthian Island is one of two inhabited islands on the Tiburon Peninsula. It straddles a jurisdictional line separating Tiburon and Belvedere, California.
This photo was taken during twilight which is that time between sunset, when reds dominate, and dusk when there is no light (or color) to be seen, except to the extent the moon (or artificial light) is a factor. During twilight, blues become dominant. Twilight is sometimes referred to by photographers and painters as the blue hour or “l’heure bleue.” The length of twilight is determined by the latitude of the observer. Around the San Francisco Bay Area I think of it as lasting roughly half an hour. Twilight is also that time between dawn and sunrise. It is a great time to photograph. It’s also a great time to see wildlife. Some animals are most active during the twilight hours. They are referred to as “crepuscular.”
Next time you plan to photograph at sunrise or sunset don’t forget twilight time. For two good programs to tell you when twilight is for your area, click here and here.
