Death Valley NP

As soon as I saw this lonely vegetation on the dark colored rippled sand, it reminded me of being alone in the wilderness. I read a book many years ago titled One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey; based on the journals and photography of Richard Proenneke. Proenneke left his life behind and retreated to the wilderness of Twin Lakes, Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. There he built a cabin by hand using only small tools when he was 51 years old. He lived there until he was 83 years old and then willed the cabin to the National Park Service. I always loved the book and documentary style DVD. He was a self-educated naturalist, conservationist, writer, and wildlife photographer. His love of Alaska and the natural world really inspired me.

My friend and I wanted to photograph at Death Valley but with all the Covid issues we decided to avoid the usual shooting locations and hike out to Panamint Dunes. Because of the 7 mile round trip hike at Panamint, the dunes don’t get nearly as many visitors. We hiked out there alone and had the dunes completely to ourselves. It was a beautiful day. That does not mean that others don’t go there, there were lots of footprints. We chose to go on a 90 degree day and that helped to keep folks away<wink>.

We also chose to make the hairy drive out to Ibex Dunes to avoid other people. It was also deserted. We saw no one there all day. We enjoyed our time alone in nature and we were both incredibly happy with our time in Death Valley. And now we are back on the road…

Photographed at Panamint Dunes in Death Valley, NP.

Photographed at Panamint Dunes in Death Valley, NP.

Pink Canyon

I spent some time at Valley of Fire State Park and hiked some of the less travelled trails. My friend and I have been keeping far away from and crowds so when I saw that there were no cars at the Pink Canyons, I had to make a stop. I had the canyon to myself and felt truly fortunate, so I took off my mask and began to photograph.

At first, I felt a bit rusty. I have gone from shooting almost every single day for many years to barely shooting at all. It felt good to get my head back into the game. I loved my day and wanted to share some of my shots. It was a cloudy day, the sun peeked out every now and then. I chose to keep the sky put of most of my shots as I felt it didn’t add much.

I had so much fun in the canyon, I decided to do both sides of the canyon and even came back the next day to do it again. The varied colors, layers and textures really intrigued me. I could have explored the canyon another time but couldn’t convince my friend a third time!

I was using my Sony Alpha a7R III Mirrorless Digital Camera and Sony FE 24-105mm f/4, G lens. I also borrowed the Sony 12-24 f/2.8 lens from B&H Photos. The ultra wide angle 12-24mm lens is small and relatively light. At least it is lighter than the Canon 11-24 f/4. Also the Sony is an f/2.8 all the way through -so I could use it for star photography. I was impressed with the minimum focusing distance of 11". I was able to do close up shots and it too is available throughout the zoom range. I am considering selling my 16-35mm f/2.8 and purchasing this lens. Thanks to my friends at B&H for supporting my work and allowing me to try out any lens I want. Please consider using my B&H links to make your photo gear purchases. Thank you.

The Softer Side of Macro ~ Version II

“The Softer Side of Macro ~ Version II”, my latest eBook is available in my store. Extra special thanks to Lori Ellis for proofreading the book for me so that I could get it published.

About the eBook:

All flowers have a natural flow to them; learning to see that natural flow and capturing their unique lines helps to bring their individual beauty to life. Before I begin photographing, I spend time observing my subjects, looking for that “special something” that can help to set my images apart. When I photograph flowers, my intent is to present a softer look, using a more artistic approach.  This does not necessarily mean I am trying to create images that are not sharp. It simply implies a more delicate, romantic feel, rather than end to end sharpness and grain. This is my fourth book dedicated to flowers and serves as a revision of my extremely popular “Softer Side of Macro” book, filled with lot of new images and thoughts.

Table of contents

Introduction

Filling the Frame

Interaction

Including Some of the Background

High Key

Getting in Really Close

Composition & Orientation

Adding Softness in Photoshop

Transforming Flower

Multiple Exposures

Photoshop Tips

Reflectors & Diffusers

Final Thoughts and My Flower Photo Gear

Over 100 pages and 8500 words, this PDF file is available only through A Creative Adventure HERE. $24.99

The Mountains are Calling

“The mountains are calling and I must go”

— John Muir

I can’t seem to get that quote out of my head. Perhaps the mountains truly are calling me. In that case I must answer them and go... I know that I can definitely use some time in nature to help strengthen my soul. Maybe I’ll do some hiking, photography and exploring; that always seems to make me happy. Wish me luck and I will post images if I get them.

Unfortunately, I won’t be visiting Alabama Hills this year because California is having so many Covid issues and I don’t need to contribute to that. I may be able to do day trips to Death Valley but I won’t be staying, eating or gassing up in California. My goal is to stay far away from civilization and people and continue with my self imposed isolation.

A Few of My Favorite Things

They are advertised as dry, light and flexible and they are! I bought them for more of a wind proof pant to go over a base layer while hiking. They are waterproof/breathable, windproof with a four way stretch. The stretch is important to me as I always find myself rock scrambling as well as hiking.

They were $89.50 and that seemed a bit expensive but compared to what other pants are going for, I guess they are reasonably priced. They have zipper pockets-I love zippered pockets. They also have ankle zips for easy on and off. They are not super attractive but as waterproof rain pants they are better than most of the ones I have. I bought a size Medium- they fit perfectly over a pair of pants.

Fjallraven Nuuk Insulated Parka - Women's

I got this jacket for my upcoming Svalbard trip in June. It’s waterproof/breathable, windproof and received lots of good reviews. But mostly, I liked the fit. it runs a bit large, I had on a bulky sweater when I tried it on and a Medium fit me perfectly, both in arm length and body length. Its a pretty heavy jacket at 3 lbs. 4.2 oz. Some folks online complained about the zipper-I have not found that to be an issue. If it becomes an issue my tailor will replace it-I love the jacket that much!

I also received $50.00 off by signing up for their newsletter. They included free shipping and their return policy is 30 days. If you run into any issues with the discount please contact the company directly, I have no affiliation with them. I’m just sharing my finds.

They advertise: Wind, rain and freezing temps are no match for the women's Fjallraven Nuuk insulated parka, which features a fixed fleece-lined hood with detachable faux fur and spacious bellow handwarmer pockets.

Yes to all the pockets!!

Exterior pockets: 2 fleece-lined handwarmer pockets; 2 chest pockets; 2 top-loading bellow pockets; 1 media pocket on sleeve.

Interior pockets: 2 large stretch mesh storage pockets; 1 media pocket with foxhole and cord holder; 1 safety pocket.

Garmin inReach Mini

Lightweight and Compact 2-Way Satellite Communicator-

I got this device as a Christmas gift from a good friend. It’s perfect for me because I travel so much- well usually. This device will allow me to text with my friends and family and it can be used in emergency situations. I can text from anywhere in the world- beyond cellular range with any cell phone, email address or inReach device (satellite subscription is required).

Some of the features include:

INTERACTIVE SOS

SEND AND RECEIVE TEXT MESSAGES TO SMS AND EMAIL

SEND AND RECEIVE TEXT MESSAGES TO OTHER INREACH DEVICE

EXCHANGE LOCATIONS WITH OTHER INREACH DEVICE

MAPSHARE COMPATIBLE WITH TRACKING

VIRTUAL KEYBOARD FOR CUSTOM MESSAGING

SEND WAYPOINTS TO MAPSHARE DURING TRIP

SEND ROUTE SELECTION TO MAPSHARE DURING TRIP

INREACH REMOTE COMPATIBLE