Light Harmony - Photo of the Month

My Desert Evening shot from our recent trip to Death Valley has been selected as Photo of the Month on Light Harmony. It rained for two days, and these fantastic storm clouds rolled in and out the whole time we were there. I'm sure there were many who cursed the weather that weekend... but I wasn't one of them. I couldn't have been happier! :)

I know I always say this - but if you have some time, please take a look at some of the gorgeous photos on Light Harmony. We are a group of 19 photographers from around the world. The collection of images is stunning. I'm really proud to be a member of the group, and it's an honor to have one of my photos chosen for POTM. LH members nominate their favorites from all the photos that are posted that month, and then we vote... giving our favorite image three points, our second choice gets two points, and our third pick gets one point.

-Varina

Gorgeous Skies

We got lucky today. Beautiful skies everywhere we went. After shooting near the Toadstools in the morning (and failing in our attempt to get a permit to the wave for tomorrow) we visited the Land of the Sleeping Rainbows. Then, we spent a few hours driving a dirt road to Paria Canyon overlooks - we found some excellent locations to return to at sunrise or sunset. After lunch, we visited the Hanging Garden and Lake Powell. And we shot the sunset at Horseshoe Bend. Not a bad set for the day. :) We had a great time with our friends - they suggested the Hanging Garden location... which was truly beautiful.

We're just finishing up our dinner, now - and then we're going to head to bed. We did download today's shots while we waited for our dinner. I can't wait to process them.

Tomorrow? We'll shoot the sunrise wherever the sky is the most impressive - and then we'll head for buckskin gulch. Our last attempt to travel this slot canyon was foiled by deep water and thin ice, so we're hoping we'll make it this time.

Rocky Shore

This image was taken at Ruby Beach. The water made such intricate patterns as it worked its way through the pebbles... and then this beautiful stone with such a distinct white ring. I took the shot with a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of the water among the rocks. It's a miniature landscape. I've been taking more detail shots since our trip to Utah with our friend, Jim. I'll be able to put up a new gallery on my website before long - it won't be large, but it will be a start. I'll let you all know when it's up and running. And I'm hoping to get a chance to add some new images to my website as well.

We are leaving for Arizona tomorrow morning. I'll try to post updates when I can - but as usual, I can't promise anything. We're hoping to get a permit to visit The Wave again, and we'll be hiking to Antelope Canyon, and possibly the Subway. Can't wait!

Excellent lighting - and missed opportunities...

Here's another shot from our trip to Olympic. The lighting was just beautiful that morning. The skies over the Olympic Peninsula Region were expected to be clear. Clear is all well and good if you are having a nice picnic, or spending the day sunbathing. But photographers want clouds. Not heavy, overcast gray of course... we want big, beautiful, puffy clouds that make the sky interesting. And that morning - we were getting none of it. But - we though we might be able to find some mist hanging over the lakes, and you can see that we did find it. When the sun rose, it lit the mist and mountain behind with soft, warm light. The right place at the right time. That's what it's about.

But the day before yesterday, we found ourselves in the wrong place at the right time. The sky went absolutely nuts, but we were driving down a major highway - surrounded by construction on all sides... no lake or mountain or beautiful landscape anywhere nearby. We had planned to get a couple of local shots, since the sky was so beautiful. Unfortunately, it wasn't beautiful over the pond, or over the park, or over the ledges... It was beautiful over I-271 at Route 8. And so - we came home with nothing to show for our efforts.

Yesterday we did our short run - about 5 miles. I think I swallowed more bugs than usual. They were everywhere - I'm considering getting a mask to run in - or one of these great hats bee-keepers wear. :)

Gnarled Lace

This beautiful, fallen log made an unusual foreground for a shot at crater lake in Olympic. The mist was heavy over the mountains in the background. I used a neutral density filter to reduce the amount of light entering my lens - this allowed me to use a long shutter speed. A 13 second shutter speed created a smooth, milky effect on the surface of the lake. You can't see the ripples or small waves... only a smooth surface that seems almost misty.

The gnarled roots of this fallen tree remind me of lace. Not quite so white and clean... but certainly intricate. Not made by man - but by nature... in as complicated a process as that which produces the most delicate lace.

"Rapture on the Lonely Shore"

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep Sea, and music in its roar:
I love not Man the less, but Nature more.

-Lord Byron


I waited for a long time to get this shot just the way I wanted it. The beach surrounding the rock was covered with footprints and bicycle tracks, and I waited until the tide was high enough to wash the shore clean... and then I waited until the water receded enough to allow me to capture the rocks and the pool - plus the reflected light on the wet sand. I wanted to be positioned so that there was a separation between the two large rocks in the background - and also between the two foreground rocks. The tide was coming in fast, so I almost didn't get the shot - the waves would come up and wash the shore, and then receded - but not fast enough. As they receded, the next wave would come in and cover the beautiful depression around the rocks. Eventually, the waves pulled back enough to allow me to capture the shot as I wanted it - just when I though it wasn't going to happen. You can see the next small wave coming in to fill my little pond. :)

I love this place. It was so hard to leave!