Wildfire

A bit of photojournalism...
Last Tuesday as I was driving home on Hale, I spotted smoke in the distance. I couldn't tell the exact location, but it appeared to be in the hills just west of Hale. As I drove closer, I spotted 3 airplanes and a helicopter circling overhead. When I was even with the source of the smoke, I pulled off the road, took out my little Lumix camera, and waited for one of the planes to come in low and drop the red retardant. The plane is in this picture (click on it to see a larger view), but it is obscured by the smoke and the tree on the crest of the hill.

I continued to shoot and caught the helicopter as it dropped water on the flames. I thought this was a most excellent action photo and submitted it to the Morgan Hill Times. They published it with their online edition of the story. You can read all about it and see my photo at: http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news/269876-wildfire-burns-portion-of-tilton-ranch

Never go anywhere with out a camera.

Pumpkin Patch

The Macro Focus Group in the photography club held a shoot-out at a local pumpkin patch. We had a shoot-out here 2 years ago, so I have plenty of pumpkin photos already (that I didn't think I could improve upon), so I decided to forgo the wide shots, use my macro lens, and concentrate on the details; like this colorful corn cob.
Click on a photo to enlarge it.

and this sunflower that looks like it's on fire

and this bee working its magic with pollen

and these sunflower curlicues.

(These upper photos were cropped to enlarge the detail)
I thought this pumpkin stem looked like the head of a horse.

You can see more photos from this shoot-out on my Flickr site
http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/

October Full Moon

Click on a photo to see it enlarged.
I am constantly on the look-out for a composition that will show-off the full moon as it rises above the eastern hills. The most compelling photos have a foreground subject that adds interest to the shot and gives it some context (otherwise the full moon will look pretty much the same each month). I took this photo while waiting for the moon to show itself. The colors in the sky were so pretty. I was looking forward to a beautiful moon rise photograph. I just needed the impending storm clouds to hold off for another 30 minutes or so.

As I waited, I turned my camera to the west.
These two photos were taken within 10 minutes of each other.

Alas, the clouds thickened to the point that the moon was not visible until it was high in the sky, well above my lovely foreground tree. Such are the vagaries of the weather.

Even though I did not get the shot I was hoping for,
I am not discouraged. The full moon will rise again next month.

Eastern Sierras in 4 Parts

Click on a photo to see a larger size.
800 miles and 1200 photographs later...

Joining a photography workshop is a great way for me to travel. I connect with like-minded people in photogenic places and have an opportunity to learn from a professional. For four days, I participated in a workshop in the Eastern Sierras, led by Gary Hart. Our first meeting place was in Lone Pine. When I realized it was a 7 + hour drive, I decided to arrive a day early. I knew that once the workshop started (on Wednesday at 2:00), we would be on the go from before sunrise until after sunset. I didn't want to start out tired from a long drive. I didn't waste my extra time on location. After checking in on Tuesday afternoon, I set out in search of Mt Whitney. I happened upon and followed a road named Whitney Portal, and this is what I found.Wednesday morning I was up before dawn, drove up the same road, and pulled over when I saw a potential composition. I was so pleased. The sunlight illuminated the mountain tops. The peak on the left is not Mt Whitney, it is Lone Pine Peak. Mt Whitney is glowing in the distance. Did you know that Mt Whitney is the tallest peak (14,495 ft) in the contiguous US? I didn't.

With this wonderful introduction
and a good night's sleep,
I was ready for the workshop to begin.
NOTE:

We photographed in so many places and I took so many photos,
that I divided my blog into 4 parts.
You can see more of my photos on my Flickr site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/
and those from some of the other participants at:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/garyhartphotographyworkshop/

Part 2 Capture the Light

Photography is all about light. Other factors matter, but without the right light, a photograph is usually bland. This is why serious photographers are out on location before dawn and after sunset. These are the times when the light can be magical. And if we are lucky enough to have a sky with clouds that reflect the light, well, it just doesn't get much better. The top photo is looking west over Lone Pine Peak and Mt Whitney. The next one was taken from the same spot, looking east. It pays to look around. When the grand vista is not available, it is time to search for smaller scenes. On a morning with so much cloud cover that the sky stayed gray, a shaft of sunlight nudged its way through to illuminate this small portion of the Alabama Hills.

We spent two days photographing at Mono Lake, with its unique spires of calcium-carbonate know as tufas. Its a popular spot to photograph and we arrived early enough to catch the glow of the low sun...

and stayed late enough to capture the post sunset color. Most people leave as soon as the sun sets, thinking the show is over, but we were patient and waited for the clouds to lift just enough to display radiant light in both the sky and the lake.

Early the next morning we were back at Mono Lake for the sunrise. These two shots were taken before the sun cleared the horizon, while the sky was still a deep blue and the water was mirror still. Beautiful light.

For the evening shoot, we set out for Olmstead Point, an over-look about 20 miles into Yosemite on Tioga Pass. When we arrived, the valley was completely socked in and rain was falling. Optimists that we were, we set up our tripods, protected our cameras as best we could, and bid our time. Unbelievably, the clouds gradually thinned and revealed what we were waiting for: a view of Half Dome. This is another of my favorite photos. I love the natural gray scale with just a tinge of pink.

Next morning we were back at Mono Lake, but at a spot called Black Point on the north shore. To get here, we hiked through tall grass, over sand & into the muck of the shore... in the dark. The tufas on this side of the lake are not tall spires, but low lying mounds. Our trek in paid off. We were rewarded with a fabulous eastern sky full of intense light.

This last photo was taken from the same spot on the same morning looking south. We were quite literally surrounded by beautiful light. Once again, I favored these more muted hues.

Continued...

Part 3 Capture the Color

The higher elevations of the Eastern Sierras are a go-to place for Fall color. The small towns of Lone Pine, Bishop and Lee Vining were filled with photographers (and those who like to fish). After the spectacular light of the morning shoots, we headed into the canyons. The leaves were just starting to turn, so we were able to catch a mixture of green, yellow and orange. During our first shoot in Bishop Canyon, the wind was blowing so much that I had to give up on photographing individual leaves. For this shot, I slowed the shutter speed as much as possible (with the help of a neutral density filter), and let the wind blur the yellow. This simple photo is one of my favorites from the trip.

Our next destination was Lee Vining, a small town 60 miles north of Bishop. I was very tired and looking forward to some much needed down time before the sunset shoot at Mono Lake, but I followed Don Smith (the second professional leader of the workshop) on a detour into Rock Creek Canyon. I promised myself that I would stop shooting at 2:00, no matter how beautiful the scenery. When the clouds broke up a bit and blue sky showed through it was tough to leave, but I was satisfied with the shots I collected.

The last shoot of the workshop was in Lundy Canyon and I was determined to get the leaf close-up that had eluded me for four days. This is somewhat different than I had envisioned, but I loved the mix of colors and the rain drops were a bonus.

Continued...

Part 4 Bristlecone Pines

I can't let this end without mentioning the Bristlecone Pines, the oldest, single living organisms known. Some have been alive for close to 5,000 years!. After a long and winding drive in and a half mile hike up a steep trail, we were greeted by these ancient, gnarly trees. (As soon as I signed up for this workshop, I ramped up my workout schedule because I knew that carrying a camera bag and lugging a tripod uphill at 10,000 feet was going to force me into oxygen debt. With frequent stops to slow my heart rate and suck in more air, I am pleased to say I held up pretty well.) Thick clouds and rain presented a mostly gray background.

This was a most satisfying journey. In addition to aesthetically pleasing scenery, multiple photographic possibilities, and the opportunity to learn from two professionals, my fellow photographers were just marvelous; enthusiastic, friendly, engaging, and supportive. I feel like I found 10 new friends.