This is a still from a motion control time-lapse sequence taken during the Fall of this year. While ancient Bristlecone Pine trees are old they look young compared to the stars up above. I was particularly fond of the juxtaposition of the two subjects and I’m eager to see how my lengthy time-lapse sequence comes out. If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years how man would marvel and stare. &
Atop the White Mountains, along the eastern border of California, lies the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. This area is known as the home of the worlds oldest trees including the oldest tree, Methuselah, whose age is 4,750 years. The last time I took the time to visit this remote area I was a dedicated film shooter. On a recent visit I took advantage of the latest DSLR technology to photograph astro-landscapes whil
Ancient petroglyphs are amazing to see, but one question that always comes to mind is, “What were their significance?” In the case of Sky Rock I’ve often wondered if they reflected an interest in the stars, represented every day things, told a story, or were the musings of someone who was just passing the time. It is this curiosity coupled with their distinct artistic and historical qualities that m
Day 1 of the partial U.S. government shutdown just happened to fall on the day I left for my fall photography and new moon astro-landscape trip. My first stop was Yosemite National Park which was a high profile casualty of the shutdown. All highways were open to the park so as to drive through, but visitors were asked to refrain from stopping. Quite ironic that the public was and still is being advised to avoid using
It’s time again to explore… after a week of wandering I’ll be back to post again. Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. – John Muir
While it can be enticing if not blinding over time to chase golden hour light I’ve come to savor the moments I can explore a foggy landscape. While photographers will often use depth of field and lighting (ex. rim lighting, naturally occurring spot lighting, back lighting, etc.) to place an added emphasis of focus on a subject fog provides a naturally occurring means of doing the same thing. Fog both obscures a
The Bisti Badlands of New Mexico is one of the most intimidating yet beautiful landscapes I’ve visited. This open arid expanse quickly puts you in your place or rather makes you realize how out of place you are walking around. Extreme weather can dominate the area (heat, sand storms and extreme winds), but it is this harsh combination that has made many of the geological features there including t
One of my favorite techniques to tame the chaotic beauty of the ocean into a smooth surreal scene is to take long exposures. Earlier in the year I decided to buy and test the Singh-Ray 10 Stop Mor-Slo filter. One of the big features I liked about this filter over the Lee Big Stopper filter is that it was actually available and Singh-Ray makes an amazingly high quality product that produces minimal color cast. I was