A Painted Landscape

A Painted Landscape

SDAK09D-8

July 3, 2009

It was amazing, when first encountering the Badlands of South Dakota, how similar they were in some respects to the other canyons in the southwest, especially Bryce Canyon.  The striations, the unevenness and seeming random arrangement of the formations, all seem familiar.  Of course, they are totally different landscapes, when you get down to it, but still it is interesting to consider, on this Friday morning, when I'd rather be out hiking either one with the incredible Sarah.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: NIkon 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  85 mm

Exposure: 1/10 @ f/16  ISO 100

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

A Small Zion Cascade

A Small Zion Cascade

ZION06D-52

December 27, 2006

Waterfalls are such a diverse set of creatures, and yes I mean that they are alive in their own way.  They twist, turn, carve through rock.  They evolve.  This little waterfall is situated along a side canyon in Zion National Park, Utah.  It does not have a name, it is just one of several rocks that the water trickles over on its way down to the Virgin River.  But it is beautiful in its own way, the double cascade and the coolness of the water contrasting against the larger rocks to the side.  Enjoy.

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens: Nikon 28-105 mm f/3.5-4.5

Focal length: 90 mm

Exposure: 4.5 sec   f/29 ISO 100

Post-processing: Scanned using a Nikon Coolscan 5000, slight texture,toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Marine Still Life

Marine Still Life

WASH07D-17

December 25, 2007

Sticking with Washington today, this time a silly little still-life from the coast.  While out hiking near on the Dungeness Spit, Washington, there was this riot of kelp along the sand.  Masses of algal tubes and fronds were intertwined on the shore, and there was this single blue stone, obviously having spent some time in the ocean with its toupee of seaweed still clinging to the top.  But I thought the contrast in color made a great little still-life of the sea, and so here it is for you to admire and think of the vast Pacific ocean.  Enjoy.

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 85 mm

Exposure: 1/60   f/5.6  ISO 800 

Post-processing: Slight texture,toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Destinations: Mount Roraima

Destinations: Mount Roraima

Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela
5.1433, -60.7625

(Note: this is a new part to this blog... I've been wanting to try and incorporate more of the 'wandering' into A Wandering Lens, talk about places I've been, as well as places I want to go.  This is the first installment of the latter, with images that are not my own since I haven't been there yet.  I hope you enjoy it.)

There are certain places that are simply otherworldly, beyond what you imagine a landscape to be, and Mt. Roraima fits that classification.  It is located in the tepuis, a plateau of blocky landscape in the southeastern portion of Venezuela, and marks the triple point between the countries Guyana, Brazil, and Venezuela.  It is part of the region known as the Gran Sabana, and the tepuis are almost permanently shrouded in mist and clouds, where rainfall is common on a daily basis. And unlike a conventional mountain chain, the tepuis are isolated table mountains that have been thrust up and then resisted the weathering over millions of years, forming these islands jutting into the sky.



This is an area that defies explanation.  First witnessed by Sir Walter Raleigh in the late 16th century, this area wasn't really explored until the 19th century, when explorers made the first hiking ascent of the mountain to the strange top.  The sheer promontory makes climbing exceedingly difficult, and the appearance of the mountain, sticking like a block out of the lush jungle, was reportedly the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World.  And, more recently, the team from Pixar used Mt. Roraima for ideas of Carl Fredricksen's destination in the movie Up.
 
While Mr. Roraima is the most famous of the tepuis, and the highest (2,772 m), there are certainly others worthy of visiting.  The highest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls (or Salto Angel) falls from Auyan-tepui (2,460m) a 435 square mile heart shaped table mountain first discovered in 1937 by the pilot Jimmie Angel.


This sort of area is so strange, it is no wonder it has inspired books and movies since its exploration by Europeans.  It looks like something created for a video game almost, I could see it as a landscape from Myst back in the day.  While it is fairly barren on top, with little vegetation, the high sheer cliffs provide a base for beautiful, lacy waterfalls that dangle over the side.  The only way to hike it is a long mountain path that was first climbed by Everard Im Thurn, an English Botanist,with Harry Perkins in 1884.  The eponymous route is now the only way to hike to the summit.  Climbing is even more difficult, as the cliffs of Roraima are inverted and very sheer (not to mention the permits and authorizations that go into climbing in a National Park in South America).

Roraima has a haunting quality that just begs to be experienced first-hand.  It doesn't hurt that it is in the middle of the South American jungle either!  But Mt. Roraima is firmly on my list of destinations to see one day, and I wanted to share it with you all.  Enjoy. 

Waves of Stone

Waves of Stone

ZION030007

August 2003

Again touring the southwest today, this image comes from the eastern side of Zion National Park, beyond the eponymous canyon.  Here the landscape opens up a little, and the sandstone that marks the red rock of Utah pulls away from the trail in gentle curves.  It looks like a wave, gathering power and height, though we know it will never burst upon us.  Still, a beautiful abstract image for a Thursday.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon N80
Film: Fuji Velvia 50

Lens: Nikon 28-105 mm f/3.5-4.5

Focal length: 28 mm

Exposure: 1/200   f/4.5 

Post-processing: Scanned on a Nikon Coolscan 5000, texture,toning and curves adjustment in PS4

The Sentinel of Priest Rock

The Sentinel of Priest Rock

ALAK08D-94

July 24, 2008

This small monolith is on the outer reaches of the bay in Unalaska, next door to Dutch Harbor, and marks the entry point to the harbor.  In previous eras, this rock marked the sign that sailors had reached their home again, and it was always a welcome sight.  I love the way the stone stands, in this image it seems in defiance of the incoming clouds and storm, remaining a beacon for those wayward travelers.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens:Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 22mm

Exposure: 1/125   f/16   ISO 100

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4