Archive for the ‘California’ Category
Visiting the CIA
February 2nd, 2010 | Author: albert
The CIA, in this case, stands for Culinary Institute of America, which has a campus in Napa Valley (St Helena to be more precise). Linda and I visited there this last weekend and this place has some great opportunities for HDR photography.
This front view of the institute for example, shows up really well with the dramatic clouds above it. Gives it a bit of a spooky look.
Inside was great for HDR shots. The lobby (I assume that is what it is called) has this staircase that leads up and forms a great contrast with the brick walls, both in color as well as in look. The stone giving an old and majestic feel while the steel staircase is modern and utilitarian.
There were some renovations going on and they were putting up these really interesting wall designs, two contrasting colored wood panels. A great subject for some abstract shots.
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Yosemite – In-between Seasons
December 19th, 2009 | Author: albert
Early December in Yosemite – color was well past it peak, but no snow yet. Clear skies, soft, even light, but cold. Those were the conditions we found in Yosemite. Disappointingly, Glacier Point road had been closed for the season, but we were determined to take advantage of all that Yosemite Valley could offer us.
Old City Cemetery of Sacramento
November 22nd, 2009 | Author: albert
Visited the Old City Cemetery recently for a photoshoot.
The Sacramento City Cemetery was established in 1849 after a donation of 10 acres by Captain John Sutter (who was later buried there himself). The cemetery follows the Victorian Garden style, popular throughout the mid and late 1800’s. It is perhaps no wonder that this cemetery provides some wonderful photographic opportunities.
The gardens are maintained by volunteers and the 150 year old place is kept in immaculate shape. It has character, in so far a cemetery can have character. It is a place for reflection, remembering lost friends and family and sadness, yet it is beautiful and makes for a great place to go for a quiet walk, with or without camera.
The shot below was taken in November, towards the end of fall color, but the way the sun hit this tree caused every last bit of remaining color to blaze out in all its glory. Published here as an HDR.
A drive through Hope Valley
November 20th, 2009 | Author: albert
It was one of those Saturdays, nothing planned, not wanting to sit at home, kind of strange weather, not bad, but not particularly good either. What to do? So a friend and I decided to drive towards Lake Tahoe and see if there was anything worth shooting.
Rather than taking the freeway, we decided to go the back roads and took the Emigrant Mormon Trail and then Hwy 88 through Carson Pass and Hope Valley. The higher the elevation, the colder it got. At 8000 ft it was 37 degrees and this was only October!
In many ways it was kind of boring. Fall color was gone and no snow yet, that in between kind of day.
We spotted an area with interesting trees and rocks and decided, considering we’d come all this way anyway, to get out and shoot something, ANYTHING!
This is the result of that outing, kind of cool actually and I am quite happy with the results and it shows that there are photo opportunities hiding almost everywhere.
California Gold Rush
October 27th, 2009 | Author: albert
Here are some shots of Coloma, in California, the very location along the South Fork of the American River where James Marshall first found gold in 1848. This of course was the start of the famous Gold Rush of 1849.
This site was where John Sutter and James Marshall built a sawmill and re-directed the water from the river to power the mill. The water washed away sand and dirt, exposing the gold. The rest, as they say, is history.
Seen here are the sawmill and some details of the structure. The little building is Marshall’s first cabin.
Coloma is only about 45 minutes drive from Sacramento, where I live. It is a great place for an afternoon outing, a stroll and a picnic. One of the old buildings there used to house a cafe and served awesome coffee and peach pie, but it seems that budget cuts have not left this place unaffected and the park is in fact in danger of being closed altogether. Such a shame…
Exclusive Wine Tasting
October 25th, 2009 | Author: albert
This is the area to go taste Robert Mondavi’s exclusive wines. The open door leads into the cellar where the wines are poured and you can take your glass and wonder around the gardens. This is of course, Napa Valley, where outdoor activities are possible almost all year round.
Linda and I visited here mid October and the weather was nothing short of wonderful and a perfect day to go exploring the valley and vineyards. Some great photo opportunities too.
This shot is an HDR, comprises of 3 shots, each 2 stops apart.
Another shot comprised of 3 images is this next one. Linda and I were quite impressed as there is a photographer selling prints similar to this one, at $250 a pop, non framed. That is quite a lot of money for a photo, a good shot mind you, but we couldn’t help but wonder how many were actually sold at those prices.
Pow Wow – Indigenous music, dance, food and art
October 17th, 2009 | Author: albert
Attended a PowWow today, held in Auburn, California.
What a colorful event this is! While some tribes do not allow you to photograph them, many do and, with a bit of patience, you can be rewarded with beautifully vibrant pictures of Native Americans in traditional costume.
The music is basic, but with an amazingly catchy beat. It is hard to sit still and before you know it, your feet are tapping in sync and you start moving your head and body to the beat. A look around at the crowds and you see you are not alone with most people moving some part of their body to the beat. The main drummers were “Northern Eagle” and “Red Buffalo”
The event was organized by the Auburn Big Time Pow Wow Committee, celebrating Native American art and Culture.
Tribes represented included: Cree, Choctaw, Blackfeet, Miwok, Apache, Shawnee, Kiowa, Shoshone, Lakota and Aztec.
Picnic in the High Sierras – Overlooking Kings Canyon
October 15th, 2009 | Author: albert
Finally got around to looking at my Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon pictures, places I went to with my son Rens.
We found, quite by accident, this magnificent picnic spot, overlooking the Sierras and King Canyon.
As you can see, we sat on a rocky ledge with a magnificent view spread out in front of us. I could have sat there all day, just absorbing the splendor of this view.
Just to the left of the bushes you see here on the left side of the picture, was this view seen below.
The canyon you see just to the right of the tree is Kings Canyon. We didn’t actually go there that day, so it is still on the “to do one day” list.
This shot is an HDR comprising of three shots, –1, 0 +1 EV apart. The HDR treatment added extra drama to the sky.
Long forgotten
October 15th, 2009 | Author: albert
I just heard from a friend that the road to Bodie is closed due to snow. He was very disappointed as this probably means Bodie will be now closed until spring.
This inspired me to post some of my favorite shots of Bodie as I was there just a few weeks ago. As you can see from the blue sky, snow was the last thing one would expect to see just a few weeks later.
I really like this first shot, I couldn’t resist shooting through the old wagon wheel. I was lying on my belly for this one.
The second one is one of my favorites. I just love these old rusted cars. They just tell a story I find and I end up wondering who drove it, where they went in the car. Great to let your imagination run off.
Emerald Bay Sunrise
September 26th, 2009 | Author: albert
Emerald Bay is part of Lake Tahoe and is designated a National Natural Landmark for its brilliant panorama of mountain-building processes and glacier carved granite. It is found in the South West corner of Lake Tahoe and is an inlet that can freeze over in a severe winter due to its shallower water.
This is a location I’ve been wanting to shoot for a long time and finally got around to doing it. This was taken about 30 minutes before sunrise from a rocky ledge at Eagle Falls. My plan had been to get the gushing water of Eagle Falls in the foreground, but alas, it’s September and the falls were just a trickle. Besides, at this time of the morning, it was too dark to see anything in detail.
The island you see in the middle of the picture is called Fannette Island and is the only island found in Lake Tahoe
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