We love to shoot tree bark. This redwood is a hazard at Baywood’s Golf Course. It has magical properties visually and biologically. Redwoods don’t suffer the pest infections now commonly seen in many trees on the North Coast.
This pine tree lives near the Metolius River near Bend, Oregon. At about 7000 feet above sea level the bark seems to have a unique glow. The yellows show better on screen than what we have been able to print on the Canon Pro-1 printer.
Some tree barks appear surreal when wet. These Australian transplants do well in California and are found all over the State. We think the barks are very interesting and print well for wall decorations.
These geometric shapes are found on a red cedar tree that grows half way up the Oregon Coast. Apparently, someone had the good sense to protect these giant trees from being cut with the expansion of Rockaway Beach. Not as tall as Redwoods, these trees are magnificent and worth a visit.
Madrone or manzanita? From my limited reading of the matter, the Madrone tree is a local evergreen that is characterized by its yellow, skin-like, flaking bark. The Manzanita are evergreen shrubs or small trees that feature orange or red bark and twisting branches. We see both in our area and try to photograph the bark when it is peeling. To me, the bark looks like chocolate shavings.
Sometimes the combination of tree and moss produces the most interesting image. In the coastal swamps the fallen trees get covered quickly and decompose into the ground.
Clouds for rain. We have had the driest Fall and Winter in anyone’s memory. By now the North Coast should have over 8 inches of rain. We are waiting for the first inch.
We have a red-tailed hawk that visits a large pine tree regularly. The tree sits on the bluff’s edge and provides a great spot to survey the beach and bluff at the same time. Waiting for the hawk to fly so I can capture its tremendous wingspan is an arduous process. In part, the task is more difficult because I have to shoot with a telephoto lens that becomes heavy after a few minutes of lifting
Tulips, according to Wikipedia, were prized in Persia long before they became identified as a product of the Netherlands. In Persia, the gift of a yellow or red tulip was regarded as a declaration on love. The flower’s black center organs represented a heart burned by passion. These are strong thoughts and images to think about. In Turkish culture, the tulip was a symbol of paradise on earth. In the Netherlands, it represented the briefness of life. We are lucky to have a bulb farm in the neighborhood that provides tulips in January. Tulips are fun to photograph. They are dramatic. They lend themselves to macro work.
Baywood Golf and Country Club is located on the east side of Arcata, California known as Bayside. Joe and I played a round using the Promo coupons he got at Costco. The membership at this private facility has not been growing so I think they made coupons available. The course is a gem because the original back nine shows off old growth redwood stumps that serve as hazards. The game was played in the fog, which is not unusual on our North Coast.
Bandon Crossings is a modestly priced golf course about 10 miles south of Bandon, Oregon. We played a round on New Year’s Eve with Rex Dunham, the Golf Pro at our home course, Beau Pre in Mckinleyville, California. The $60 fee covered 18 holes green’s fees and a cart. The course is usually our warm-up round for a four day golf outing at the Bandon Dunes golf complex. I took shots from the tee boxes, fairway and greens. I enjoy playing the course. As a bogey golfer, I usually lose a couple of balls in the rough as the fairways require more accurate shots than I can make consistently. The course plays remarkably well for this time of year. Even after the seasonal rains, the balls roll out because of the excellent drainage on these old sand dunes. The Bandon Crossings pictures provide me with little visual reminders of the holes where I scored well, as well as, the ones that I must play better on my next visit.
Sunrise and sunsets always get photographic attention. The Eureka Slough does not inspire me to hike up on the bridge on the 101 in the freezing cold to get a shot except if I get there about a half hour before sunrise on a mildly cloudy day. The pictures we got were stitched together in Photoshop to create a panoramic view.
Sunrise at Big Lagoon on a clear morning is frustrating to photograph. The sun hits the mountain and for second there is light and color. No clouds for reflection. The next moment the sun is glaring at the lens and there is no contrast or color. It was very cold on this morning. A very long hike in the sand and a very brief moment to photograph.
The surf next to Big Lagoon is pretty daunting. This morning was cold. The camera was fogging up. My fingers were useless without gloves. I saw the crab boat just off shore heading out for a day’s work. Brrr!!
To get the Godwit wings in focus, I had to have a fast shutter speed. After many frustrating shots I got to review pics shot at 1/1000 to 1/2000 of a second and found the sharpness I was hoping for. The light has to be good, usually directional, as in morning or afternoon, to allow my camera to click at these speeds. These birds do some amazing dances, as seen in the shots of birds gathering and flying over the Bay. One has to stand there by the Bay to believe that what they see is real.
Kate and I went to shoot sunrise photographs yesterday morning. The sky was to be clear. This is the North Coast and the weather is not that predictable. Clouds hid the sunrise but let us capture another local scene. Godwits are featured during their celebration in April. The shore birds are around in December and still do their morning dance. It is more difficult to get their profiles or silhouettes in sharp focus without good light.
Another deer in the weeds picture is the fawn “ Hi” image that reminds me of the summer to come. During the dark winter months with so little daylight, images of summertime perk me up. We have a lot of spring and summer photographs on our walls, which serve as daily reminders that life on the North Coast, is not all fog and rain.
I was delighted by all the supportive comments we received after posting the “Photo of the Day” on the Lost Coast Outpost. I am motivated to capture local scenery more than ever. I wrote about weeds the other day. I am reminded that they get a bad rap. Yet, scenes of weeds in bloom remind me of the days we will have in a few months. The picture of the “Two Point Buck” was taken in June, 2008. The buck with velvet on the antlers is coming through a colorful sea of weeds.
Northwest Weeds by Ronald Taylor is a great reference for me because it has good pictures of common weeds found in the Northwest. I have no formal botanical training and feel uncertain of naming a weed even when I find a visual match for the image in a photograph. I think that the blue, yellow and white weeds we photograph in our backyard are members of the wild radish or mustard families. The morning dew on the Coast holds the pedals still so we see the details clearly. Macro-lenses allow the image to be sharply focused.
Dahlias at the Mendocino Gardens were a pleasant surprise for us this year. We visited in August on the way home from San Francisco. The Dahlia garden had just opened and was magnificent. There are many types that begin to bloom at the end of the summer season. The pompom and ball varieties are particularly interesting in color and shape. We will place the lavender (or chocolate), yellow, yellow/red, and red balls in square frames in series. Striking.
Why Rodeo?? Cause our friend Cindy barrel races and we went to see her at Orick, California. What I did not expect was a picture like this one entitled “Around the first barrel”. The rider’s expression is pretty easy to comprehend. She is going to ride and she is determined to win. The real surprise for me was the emotions expressed by her horse. What a buff, determined and focused animal. A great athletic team! It was real fun for me to review this set of images.
Golf Trips are arranged by our golf pro Rex. These treks may have 20 people going to Half Moon Bay, California for two days of golf or over 80 players venturing north to Bandon, Oregon in order to tackle five of their courses in four days. These players often spend thousands of dollars to experience the challenge of playing venues that are more difficult than their home courses. A few play well enough win money during the arranged tournaments. Most players struggle with their performance to keep their scores near their handicaps. Everyone returns with memories and stories of how they played the game. We have taken pictures of players during their play, as well as, shots of the terrain to prompt memories of where they have been.
Humboldt Bay was the place to unload lumber and mined products when they had to be shipped to San Francisco by boat. Narrow gage railroads sprung up to provide transport. Some of these tracks remain in skeletal form around the County. I am amazed that elevated portions of track could handle these heavy loads.
Dungeness crab season is heralded by the loading of traps in Eureka. Fishing boats transport them off shore where the crustaceans feast on the bait. The fishermen haul the heavy, crab laden, traps back on board with winches and haul them back to harbor where we get to feast on them through the Holidays. From shore, I can see the flood- lights mounted on 30 foot masts bob up and down in the huge swells common during December. I have shot some eerie images of lights on the horizon. These are particularly dramatic when the moon is setting.
The Redwoods keep light on the ground to a minimum. Trilliums or Cat’s Ear flowers can be found during the spring. This variety is very intriguing because it is complex and textured. Shot on April 15, 2007 on Friday Ridge road in Humboldt County, California. We used a Canon 10D camera equipped with a 100mm macro lens.
Amanita mushroom shot on November 1, 2007 near our house in Humboldt County, California. These fungi are very attractive. They are toxic to man and beast. They produce stunning photographs. This picture was shot with a Canon 5D camera and 50mm lens.
The red poppy at Luther Burbank Gardens in Santa Rosa, California was photographed on May 4, 2013. The gardens exhibit many flowers and plants cultivated by the 19th century botanist, Luther Burbank. The poppy collection is unique because it shows off the many variations created by the botanist. This picture was shot with a Canon 10D camera equipped with a 50mm macro lens.
This bee is caught harvesting a sage flower. Photographs of bees on flowers will fill a book by the time I stop shooting. I have an irresistible fascination and compulsion to capture images of these hard working insects. They gather pollen for food and, in the process, perform the important task of transferring pollen so that the plants will bear fruit. This picture was shot with a Canon 5D camera equipped with a 50mm macro lens on May 5, 2013.
Mendocino Botanical Gardens is a gem location for flowers aficionados. This dahlia was shot on August 2, 2013 at 10:21 am with a Canon 5D equipped with a 50mm macro lens. The Dahlia garden was in full bloom. Most of the flowers had bloomed this late in the season. This flower seems to be made of chocolate shavings.
The red colored rocky cliffs are characteristic of the landscape in southern Utah. This view at Zion National Park was shot with a Canon 24-105mm Zoom lens mounted on Canon 10D camera at 2:47 pm. The temperature had dropped into the freezing range and Kate found me some gloves with hooded fingertips so I could manipulate the camera without freezing skin onto the metal parts. The mountaintop is covered with fog that is freezing into ice and snow.
We love to spend time in Bend, Oregon. We photographed these trout at the Metolius Hatchery with a telephoto lens set at 85mm. The 5D Canon camera settings were iso 100, f 5.0 and 1/200 shutter speed.
Humboldt Bay at sunset taken from Arcata marsh on December 13, 2007 with a telephoto lens mounted on a Canon 5D camera. I tend to be an opportunistic photographer. This was shot while returning from work in Eureka, California at 4:43 pm.
Geese migrate through Humboldt County and can be seen in this photo silhouetted against the morning sky. Taken with a Canon 5D camera outfitted with a telephoto lens on November 11, 2007 at 7 am near Clam Beach.
In April, Humboldt County, California celebrates Godwit Days. Myriads of shore birds migrate to Humboldt Bay and perform ritualistic dances that are visible from the shore. I have photographed these displays for several years and am still looking for the best way to capture their maneuvers short of resorting to video. This shot was taken with a telephoto lens mounted on a Canon 10D camera at 1/250 shutter speed on March 3, 2006. Slower shutter speed blurs the image.
For several years, a doe we named “Limpy Lady” brought her twin offspring to feed in our backyard. She had acquired a shoulder injury, which left her front leg gimpy but did not prevent her from producing offspring and being an effective protector from bucks and does competing for food and turf. The young family often fed at early and late light; hence the picture was named ‘let’s get dinner’. It was shot on August 31, 2006 at 7pm with a Canon 10D camera equipped with a telephoto lens.
Kate and I continue to be enthralled by the sight of fawns that approach our house with an expression of innocent curiosity. We enjoy the yearly visits of fawn white tailed deer, usually twins, who romp in the tall grass during August and September. This guy was captured with a telephoto lens on a Canon 10D camera. The picture is entitled “Hi”.
The little swallow was photographed through my home office window with a Canon 10D camera equipped with a telephoto lens on July 10, 2004. It appeared on the railing and seemed to be in distress wanting to be fed. I literally saw it in the corner of my eye, focused the ‘ever ready’ camera, and clicked a few frames before it took to flight like a mature bird. I now recognize this seemingly ritualistic, posturing with birds that signal the more successful bug gatherers for a handout.
The quail picture entitled ‘No’ was shot through our utility room window on May 5, 2005. It won a blue ribbon at the Humboldt County Fair. The judge asked me several times, half joking, how I got this sentry to pose while watching over his covey. At the time I had no experience photographing quail that are extremely skittish and seem to detect movement even in the house. They are delightful to watch, especially when the very young birds run across the yard or driveway in single file. We have coveys of 30 to 40 quail during the summer.
During the morning of May 30 2009 I was on top of Fickle Hill, above Arcata, California looking for wild flowers to photograph. I heard thuds on the ground behind me and saw the three black horses (Friesians) appear in the morning fog. The sun barely illuminated their frames. I took a series of handheld shots with the Canon 5D equipped with a 24-105 mm lens. I did not know if the images would register as the lighting was marginal. The black horse picture was instantly popular with my friends who turned out to be horse aficionados. The print was hung at several local galleries.
There are a few perfect minutes when the afternoon sun comes through our windows and backlights our begonia blossoms. The ‘Yes’ photo was shot at 4:39 pm on 1-14-2007 with a Canon 5D and a Sigma 50mm lens. I did not see the final image until I reviewed the days photos and cropped down to frame the blossom. It’s heart shape and red coloring appeared as a perfect Valentine’s Day image. Orm