Full Moon Over San Francisco + More

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Barbi Kutilek and I drove up to San Francisco to photograph the full moon rising over the city.  Since the moon would not show its face until after 8PM, we planned two stops before heading over the Golden Gate.  First stop: Fort Point and the shot through the hole in the fence. (Somebody cut a hole in the fence just big enough for a camera lens.)

Neither of us had ever been inside the fort, but I was inspired by photographs I had seen in a professional journal. 

I am always pleased to add a new lighthouse to my collection.  

This one under the bridge was an unexpected find. 

We could have spent several hours exploring the hallways and arches of the fort, but we had one more stop before heading over the Golden Gate.  The West Battery offers a view of the bridge that most people never see.

We still had two hours 'til moon rise, but I knew parking would be tight and we may have to wait for a space to open up, so we crossed the gate into Marin.  Good thing we gave ourselves plenty of time; bumper to bumper cars all the way up the headlands road.  The small parking area we wanted was filled with a line up of cars waiting, so we drove past and turned around to take our place in line.  I pulled in behind a car to wait and the driver appeared.  He backed out, I pulled in. Perfect timing! 

We staked out our spots, set up our tripods to hold 'em, watched the boats sail by, and waited for the moon.   

 

We weren't alone.  By 7:30 tripods and photographers lined the cliffs.  None stayed behind the cable with the "Danger! Do Not Cross" sign.  The tripod just to the right of the tower is mine and Barbi is to its right.  I used my iPhone to take this photo. 

The Super Moon (so called because it is was as close as a full moon would get to Earth this year) appeared right on time.  Sunset was still 35 minutes away, so the moon was very light against the still light sky.  But the light show as the moon rose higher and the sky darkened, was about as good as it gets.  This is one of the few times when a clear sky is is an asset.  Enjoy...

Once the sky is dark, the contrast in light is too great for the camera to handle so I took the time  to play with a star filter.

Barbi & I still were't done with The City.  We left the headlands, recrossed the bridge, and drove down to the Embarcadero to photograph the light show on the Bay Bridge.  As part of an art project celebrating its 75th anniversary, the West span of the Bay Bridge has been outfitted with 25,000 LED lights that will display a variety of undulating designs nightly for the next two years.  Organizers say it is the world's largest light sculpture.  The show was compromised when hundreds of the lights stopped working; some lights won’t turn on, while others won’t shut off.  The original undulating & changing patterns are gone, but the bridge still looks spectacular.

It was a very long day, but Barbi & I accomplished our photographic objectives.  One last shot of the Ferry Building (at 11:30), and we packed up and left the City for the long drive home.  I'm tired!

You can see more photos from the fort
and both sides of the Golden Gate
on my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/

Coastal Road Trip: from Home to Family

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To commemorate my uncle's well-lived life, his friends and family converged on his ranch in Oregon on what would have been his 94th birthday.  Rather than drive straight up I-5, I left 6 days early and took the scenic route along the coast from Gualala to Fort Bragg, then inland to 101 and through the redwoods, then back to the coast to Eureka and Crescent City, and finally cutting inland again to Grants Pass.  Despite the wind, and the mid-day sun which creates glare and contrast, I pulled over many times to capture the profusion of wildflowers.

I timed my arrival in the next overnight town to mid afternoon so I could scout for a sunset location.  I took this photo just outside my room in Fort Bragg.

Hardly a cloud in Crescent City, 

but the low sun cast a warm glow on the lighthouse.

I had to wait for the full moon to rise in the night sky 

before I could get it and the lighthouse in the same shot.

Speaking of lighthouses (the only buildings I enjoy photographing), I added four to my cache: Battery Point (above), Point Arena (below), which is about half way between Gualala and Mendocino.

Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, just north of Mendocino, required a mile of walking, but is the most charming I have seen, so the effort was worthwhile. (BTW: I liked this artistically rendered iPhoto better than the ones I took with my Nikon)

  Trinidad Lighthouse is north of Eureka.

(finally, some clouds)

I visited several redwood parks, first along the Avenue of the Giants in Humbolt Redwoods State Park, then Redwood National Park, then Prairie Creek, Del Norte, and Jedidiah Smith State Parks.  I loved getting out of the car and walking among the giant trees.  It was a humbling and sometimes mystical experience.  Along the trails I stopped and talked with anyone carrying/using a tripod to compare cameras and exchange information about special locations. 

 I found this fellow growing out of a very large tree.

I spent much of my time searching for Rhododendrons that grow wild in the redwoods.  My timing was perfect to find many in full bloom, mostly in Del Norte and Jediah Smith.  When I pulled off the highway to photograph, I had to time the shutter clicks to avoid the wind created by cars and trucks zooming by.  Fortunately, by talking to the locals, I found a long, winding, unpaved, and less-traveled road lined with Rhododendrons that I had practically to myself. After photographing in the afternoon, I returned the next morning when the sky was overcast and the flora was still wet from an overnight rain shower.

There is so much life teeming in the forests, especially the old growth forests that have downed logs covered in new growth.   The redwoods are the stars, but the smaller trees, flowers and ferns create an alluring and lovely tapestry of texture and color.

Salam

 Wood Anemone

 Solomon Seal

I know the names of these wildflowers 

because I met a botanist along the trail.

 

The purpose of the trip was to meet up with my family.

My sister, brother & I

The eight cousins have been lining up for photos since forever.

2013

 

1953

    

You can see more photos from this trip on my Flick page:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/

Backyard Garden

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There is something very satisfying in photographing flowers that I planted and nurtured in my own yard.  It's like eating homegrown vegetables; the taste is so much fresher and sweeter.  All of these were taken with a Nikon 105 macro lens on a Nikon D700 camera. 

 This little flower is only about an inch & a half in diameter.

 A Cucumber Beetle on a bud about the size of my thumb

 My first serious attempt at capturing a reflection in a water drop.  I got the drop, but not the reflection.  I think I know what I need to do next time.  Stay tuned for further developments.

You can see more garden photos on my Flickr page:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/

Canada de los Osos

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The photography club held a shoot-out at Canada de los Osos Ecological Reserve, a 4,200 acre area of protected habitat in Santa Clara county.  The reserve is not open to the public, but on a day in late April, our group obtained special permission to drive the back roads and photograph wildflowers, gnarly trees, wildlife, old buildings, and each other. 

 

     

 

 

 

More photos from this shoot are on my Flickr page:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/