Crystals of Cold

Crystals of Cold

BERK07D-15

January 14, 2007

My first winter with a digital camera, I was stationed up in the hills of Tilden Park on the eastern side of Berkeley.  While the bay area isn't known for winter wonderland status, a very cold morning allowed me to track some small macro shots of ice crystals formed on the vegetation.  They weren't the perfect crystals you come to think of for winter ice, but they were beautiful, tracing the major veins of the leaf.  I love the out of focus areas of the image, despite my general hatred of those silly tilt-shift photographs, cuase here it concentrates you to a slim section of the leaf.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 f/2.8

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: 1/13 @ f/8, ISO 200

Post-processing: Cropped down with contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Ruined Brothel

Ruined Brothel

DEVA07D-55

March 30, 2007

So I got caught up in the spirit of the long weekend (aka doing as little as possible besides lab work), and completely missed the Monday posting.  My apologies.  Today's post comes to us from Death Valley National Park, or rather just outside in the town of Rhyolite.  This ghost town was, like many cities in the West, fueled by mining that didn't last.  Although it once had a population approaching 10,000, today it has a whopping populace of zero.  It is interesting to wander through the town and see the ruined buildings, and ghost towns always make for interesting photography.  This is a shot through the window of a ruined brothel.  Some of the color is still on the walls (surprising, a brothel that is painted red), and as you can see, some of the previous visitors have not been so kind to the walls.  Still, the rich light and contrast made it an interesting scene.  I liked this image, the angle looking through the doorway and window, with the side lighting.  And it did win the Champaign County Camera Club's spring 2009 contest Windows.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-35 f/3.5-4.5

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/25 sec @ f/10, ISO 100

Post-processing: Saturation, curves adjustment in PS4 & LR1.4

Peacocks Fighting

Peacocks Fighting

SFRA07D-38

April 8, 2007

This scene was grabbed at the San Francisco Zoo.  Peacocks are usually seen as such docile creatures, strutting around with their iridescent necks and big plummage.  They kind of just walk around, without much fuss.  But these two males clearly had it in for each other.  They stalked round and round in a circle, and then all of a sudden they ranged up and clashed, squawking and flapping at each other.  It was quite a unique scene, their long tails draping to the ground as the leaped at one another.  They clearly have some good hops too, they're probably 4 feet off of the ground below.  But I was lucky to be there at the right moment, and it has since become my most viewed image when I posted it on Flickr ages ago (despite it not being my best image ever created).  I guess people just love a good cock fight.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 80-200 f/2.8

Focal length:  200 mm

Exposure: 1/2000 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 200

Post-processing: Minor curves adjustment in PS4 & LR1.4

Lembert Dome Sunset

Lembert Dome Sunset

YOSE07D-57

July 14, 2007

This scene is from the less-visited yet stunning Tuolumne valley in the northern reaches of Yosemite National Park.  Lembert dome is a granite mound that juts up above the surrounding pine forests, and has a perfect westward facing slope.  This day we were lucky to catch it just as the sun dropped down, highlighting the storm that had been threatening to gather, and turning the whole scene a vibrant warm tone.  

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-55 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  26 mm

Exposure: 1/6 sec @ f/8, ISO 800

Post-processing: Minor curves adjustment in PS4 & LR1.4

The Rain and the Sun

The Rain and the Sun

PLAN07D-37

April 7, 2007

Macro photography can be so challenging, and yet so seemingly simple, all at the same time.  We try to capture this tiny, magnified slice of life, usually a flower, insect, or texture, and it is really an endeavor to enlarge our own perspective.  We spend our time going by so quickly, not (to use the cliché) stopping to smell the roses, and sometimes the details can be lost.  I think that macro photography is about re-centering my vision, concentrating on something so small and seemingly insignificant, yet that is detailed and beautiful in its own right.  This flower, the color change, the detail of the stamens, the dew drops on the leaves; in an ordinary photograph this would pass as just a smear of color in a larger scene, barely worthy of note.  But here, letting it take center stage, highlights all of those aspects, and makes me more aware of what is around me as I hike, or walk through a city, or pick up a camera.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 f/2.8 micro

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: 1/250 sec @ f/16, ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor curves adjustment in PS4 & LR1.4

The Lake of Mono

The Lake of Mono

MONO07D-1

July 14, 2007

It is fitting, perhaps, that this image was made in monochrome, as it is the infamous Mono Lake in California.  Sitting just a hop away from the eastern edge of the Sierra, this lake has crazy rock formations jutting up from the center, reminiscent of the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon.  The water has been drained for irrigation, showing more and more of the rocks that had been submerged for centuries.  The image, with the clouds and the seeming monotone of the rocks, was perfect for a black and white composition.  The strong skies above helped accentuate the mood of the lake.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  26 mm

Exposure: 1/80 sec @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Desaturation, minor curves adjustment in PS4 & LR1.4

Sprialing Succulent

Sprialing Succulent

PLAN07D-29

April 7, 2007

Ah, the cactus.  Champion of the prickly touch and the CAM photosynthetic pathways, a terrific evolutionary organism.  And, in certain lights, they are quite pretty as well.  This particular cactus was captured on a morning after a rain and a heavy dew, with the droplets sprinkled over the lobed leaves.  He's quite pretty, and I wanted to bring the spiral of spines and water back out into the light.
** 1st place, Champaign County Camera Club, Spring 2009, "Flora"

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 f/2.8 micro

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: 1/100 sec @ f/8, ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor curves adjustment in PS4

Spring Morning Over the Valley of Death

Spring Morning Over the Valley of Death

DEVA07D-80

March 31, 2007

A friend of mine is planning a visit to Death Valley National Park, and that prompted me to go back through some photos of the time I was last there, just over four years ago.  The park is a strange concoction of barren austerity and the vibrance of life, how it struggles (and even flourishes) against all odds.  Death Valley regularly posts some of the hottest temperatures in the country, and among the highest in the world.  It is also the lowest point in North America.  But despite the sand, and the heat, wildflowers can about after a brief spring rainfall, and in the cool morning light, even the immense dunes take on a gentle, welcoming appearance. 

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: NIkon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: 1/80 sec @ f/8, ISO 100

Post-processing: Minor curves adjustment in PS4

Springtime for Mexican Pine

Springtime for Mexican Pine

PLAN07D-21

April 7, 2007

One cloudy, rainy April day, I set off to the University of California Botanical Gardens, located up the hill behind the university.  A fabulous place to venture out and browse, it has a vast array of plant life, and the conditions are ideal for macro photography (not too many visitors, secluded area with usually low wind).  I came across this Mexican Yellow Pine (Pinus patula), which was putting out a new set of cones.  The moisture from the night's rainfall were hanging on the yellow cones, making it a captivating shot, and the curve of the branch turned the photo nicely, drawing your eye across the scene.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 f/2.8 micro

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: 1/30 sec @ f/13, ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor curves adjustment in PS4

Lights Along the Beach

Lights Along the Beach

CALI06D-14

December 23, 2006

Summer is in full swing in North Carolina, with the twin devils of high heat and high humidity.  These warm days bring to mind a number of classic summer images, and the fair is one of the definite highlights of summer to a kid (or most adults).  That carefree atmosphere, the food, the games, and the rides.  Garrison Keillor wrote a terrific piece for the National Geographic reminiscing about the state fair and all that it entails.

This photo, which to me invokes these ideas of nighttime hi-jinks and fairs, was taken in the dead of winter.  Being Los Angeles (Santa Monica, specifically), it of course never gets cold, and the ferris wheel lights up and runs all year long.  The image at night was begging for monochrome, and the winter sky kept the humidity and the haze away, leaving this long shot along the pier, with the lights of Santa Monica in the distance.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 18 mm

Exposure: 2.5 sec @ f/8, ISO 200

Post-processing: Desaturation,  curves adjustment in PS4