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Eastern Sierra Fall Color Observations

Monday, September 13th, 2010

With 2010 moving towards autumn, fall colors are on many photographers’ minds.  Just this weekend, Phil Colla published on his blog a very helpful list of fall color resources.  I won’t repeat them all here, but I did want to add some of my own observations.

We hiked into the North Fork of Big Pine Creek on 9/10-9/11.  Below 9,000′, there is no fall color yet, with all the aspen still being green.  However, above 9,000′, and up to 10,000′ there is color starting to appear.  Some trees have beautiful golden or red sections, and a few (read: very few) trees have already turned completely.

Fall colors on Aspen (populus tremuloides), Sierra Nevada California

Early Fall Colors, September 2010

The above photo illustrates well what we observed between 9,000′ and 10,000′ elevation.  I would guess that in 2-3 more weeks the colors will really be hopping at higher elevations, as well as moving down in altitude.

As a sidenote, some of the cottonwoods in the Owens Valley appear to be losing some of their color, but nothing striking yet.

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The King

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

Here’s another photo from our recent family outing to the San Diego Zoo.  I think its difficult to photograph a lion in a pose when he doesn’t look absolutely regal, however it is easy to see why he’s earned the name, “The King.”

African Lion (panthera leo) at the San Diego Zoo in California

African Lion (Panthera leo), August 2010

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(Mis)adventures in Joshua Tree

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Last week, a friend and I headed out to Joshua Tree National Park to continue our search for kangaroo rats.  Also, partly due to the hot temperatures in the Mojave Desert (110°F+), we also were treated to some magnificent thunderstorms over the mountains and desert.  Indeed, it felt really good being back in some weather.  At times, thunder and lightning were within 1/2 mile of us, and I had forgotten how much I missed the smell of a summer thunderstorm.

A thunderstorm in Joshua Tree National Park, California

August Thunderstorm, Joshua Tree National Park, 2010

As the sun neared the horizon, I got what I had been hoping for: a magnificent sunset.  Even though the light show didn’t last long, it was one of my favorite times as a photographer: a state of suspended animation where time seems to slow to a halt.  It was one of those times when you almost forget to be a photographer and stare at the sky with your mouth open.

Dramatic, fiery sunset in joshua tree national park, califronia

Fiery sunset I, August 2010

Fiery, dramatic sunset in joshua tree national park, california

Fiery sunset II, August 2010

After the show ended, we started a drive through the park, hoping to find some critters along the road…kangaroo rats, snakes, toads, or anything else.  Indeed, we found something very interesting (and unexpected): Common Poorwills (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii).  Poorwills are nocturnal birds that roost on the ground, flying straight upwards to catch insects.  We found several Poorwills in a short distance and decided to use my car to drive close to them, hoping to photograph them.  It was at this point we added the “mis-” to our adventure.

In trying to get the Poorwills to cooperate, I had my car engine off for five minutes but left my headlights on.  Yeah, you can see where this is going.  Or can you?

After doing that, i started my engine and drove around for a few minutes.  I shut my engine off again a few minutes later (headlights also off), while we photographed a Poorwill along side the road.  However, when I tried starting my engine again, nothing happened.  It simply didn’t make sense, but I could only assume that I hadn’t run the engine long enough for the alternator to recharge the battery.  Maybe the starter motor had broken.  Whatever was happening wasn’t good–it was late (about 9:30pm) and we were not on the main park road.

We managed to get the car into neutral and to the main road.  After this, we waited.  It took about 1.5 hours for someone to drive by.  Unfortunately, he didn’t have jumper cables, and I had moved mine to my wife’s car only a few days before this trip.  The gentleman who stopped did offer to call our wives once he had cell service.  At least they wouldn’t flip out when they woke up the next morning to missing husbands!

My wife did call a wrecker, which showed up at our location about 2 hours later.  The driver gave us a jump start, and we were on our way, laughing about lessons learned, arriving home about 3am, without photos of kangaroo rats.

What does one do when waiting for help in the middle of the night?  This photographer takes photos.

night scene in joshua tree national park, california

Waiting for a tow, August 2010

Oh, and just to prove there actually was a nocturnal bird at fault for our misadventure, here you go:

Common Poorwill, Phalaenoptilus nuttallii

Common Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii), August 2010

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Photo of the Month–September

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

As I learn more post-processing techniques, I’ve been enjoying going through several of my older images on this website and adding some “finishing touches” to them.  This is a nice exercise because it allows me to re-evaluate images, as well as take my own trips down memory lane.  If I combine this with the fact that several close friends have taken trips to southern Utah in the last few months, I am reminded how I feel about that place.  So, September’s photo of the month is from the summer of 2009, when I visited the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Zebra Canyon is a fantastic slot canyon located in the northern part of the monument, and is extremely photogenic.  Shooting in Zebra Canyon was something I envisioned for almost 2 months before the trip, so I was happy to finally get the chance to visit the location in August 2009.

zebra slot canyon, grand staircase-escalante National monument, utah

Zebra Canyon, August 2009

You can see all of my photos from the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by clicking here.  Here’s to trips down memory lane.

Have a great month!

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Some Zoo Creatures

Monday, August 30th, 2010

After nearly a week of 100°-110°F temperatures at our house, we took advantage of a very autumnal day (mid 70s) and went to the San Diego Zoo yesterday.  With a heavy cloud layer that didn’t lift until mid-morning, it allowed for some great photography, without having to worry about high contrast situations.  By noon, however, the sun came out, and so did the crowds.  However, with a 2 1/2 year old, we were ready to leave, have a picnic lunch, and head home by then anyway…

lesser spot-nosed guenon Cercopithecus petaurista

Lesser spot-nosed guenon (Cercopithecus petaurista), August 2010

Su Lin the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), san diego zoo

Su Lin the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), August 2010

Of course, I can’t go to the zoo and just visit the charismatic megafauna.  Some of the lesser-visited attractions are some of the most pleasant for me.  One in particular I like is the exhibit on local (to southern California) rattlesnake species.

Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus, speckled rattlesnake at the san diego zoo

Speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus) August 2010

*As a technical note on the above photo, I handheld that with my 300/4 + 1.4x teleconverter and focused through glass.  The image was pretty sharp, but it did take some help in Photoshop to make it look presentable.

Finally, a visit to the hummingbird aviary was in order, before leaving the zoo for the day.

hummingbird in aviary, san diego zoo

Hummingbird, August 2010

All in all, it was a pretty good day!  Even on a family-oriented trip to the zoo, there are many opportunities for photography available.  With so many opportunities, it is a good time to practice refining your skills with flash and exposure so when you’re in the field and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arises, you can draw on the knowledge you gained.

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Kangaroo rats galore!

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

In my opinion, kangaroo rats are among the most charming of all animals.  Their cheeks–usually stuffed full with seeds–and their huge hind feet make them adorable in my opinion.  Those namesake feet are also useful: when combined with their long tails, kangaroo rats can be extremely fast and agile, which is useful when you are avoiding predators like owls and rattlesnakes.

I gained an appreciation for kangaroo rats when I was helping one of my professors in graduate school trap Ord’s and Panamint kangaroo rats for a project he was working on.  When we released the animals, they would sit in our hands, almost not wanting to leave.  Indeed, it was hard to walk away from those big black eyes, and that cute face.

In southern California, we have several species of kangaroo rats, and they can be fun to photograph.  Near my home, the most common are the Dulzura (Dipodomys simulans) and the Stephen’s kangaroo rats (D. stephensi).

Dulzura Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys simulans)

Dulzura Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys simulans), August 2010

Stephen's Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys stephensi)

Stephen's Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys stephensi), July 2009

Yeah, I know, they look pretty much the same.  Most species of kangaroo rats do.  In fact, if an expert on these little creatures hadn’t confirmed their identity for me, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.  These photographs were taken less than one mile from each other; the Dulzura k-rats like rocky country, and the Stephen’s k-rats like open, grassy areas.  In fact, the chosen habitat of the Stephen’s kangaroo rat is probably partially responsible for the fact that its Federally-listed as an endangered species.

You see, open grassy areas are also the preferred habitat of housing developers.  As huge areas of land have been cleared for new housing in southern California, habitat is being taken away from these small creatures.  While some people had serious problems with the idea that a ‘rat’ was being protected by the Federal government, I hope you can see that this little creature is much more interesting and charming than your typical rat.  To see all of my Stephen’s kangaroo rat images, click here.  To see all of my Dulzura kangaroo rat images, click here.

If you venture further into the Mojave Desert toward Joshua Tree National Park, you’ll find the Merriam’s kangaroo rat (D. merriami).  Again, you’ll see there’s not much difference between this species and the other locals, but apparently enough genetic distance exists to warrant the creation of a new species.

Merriam's Kangaroo Rat, Joshua Tree National Park

Merriam's Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys merriami), November 2009

While photographing nocturnal creatures can take a bit of getting used to, and may take one or two tries until you figure out a system that works for you, the rewards are definitely worth it–fantastic photos of these charming little rodents!

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Thousand Island Lake

Monday, August 9th, 2010

After leaving Garnet Lake, we hiked to Thousand Island Lake to spend the night.  While it was a busier place than we’d have hoped to settle down for the night (due to the convergence of the Pacific Crest and John Muir trails, as well as its proximity to Agnew Meadows for weekend backpackers), it surely is a gorgeous lake, and we were happy to camp on a little bench overlooking the water, giving us time to ponder whether there really are 1,000 islands.

Thousand Island Lake moonrise, Ansel Adams Wilderness

Moonrise, Thousand Island Lake, July 2010

Since we were camped a little above 10,000′ elevation, we also encountered the first marmots of our trip.  As a side note, our trip thus far had been surprisingly sparse of any wildlife sightings, with very few if any mammals.  I spent some time in the evening trying to photograph a couple of marmots near our campsite to no avail, but I did enjoy some of the patterns present in the talus, and think they work really well as black and white images.

Talus near Thousand Island Lake, Ansel Adams Wilderness

Talus abstract, July 2010

Of course, the big photographic attraction at Thousand Island Lake is a fantastic sunrise view of Banner Peak (Mt. Ritter is hidden behind Banner), and although this mountain has been photographed many times, I couldn’t resist getting up early the following morning to enjoy another fantastic sunrise in the Sierra Nevada.

Banner Peak, Ansel Adams Wilderness

Banner Peak at dawn, July 2010

After dawn, we ate breakfast and packed up, facing a long day.  This would be our final day in the Ansel Adams Wilderness; our plan was to cross over Donohue Pass and into Yosemite National Park.  More on that in my next post.  To see all of my Sierra Nevada Photos, click here.

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Rosalie & Garnet Lakes

Friday, August 6th, 2010

After leaving our fantastic campsite on Minaret Lake, we rejoined the John Muir Trail and headed north.  For about six miles after the junction with the Minaret Lake trail, the JMT has to skirt a large volcanic ridge in order to get anywhere.  The trail isn’t difficult to follow, but it is all uphill, and its about 6 additional miles to a small, secluded lake–Rosalie Lake, where we decided to camp for the night.  This made for about a 12-mile day.  Unfortunately, the mosquitoes were much worse than we’d seen, and I’d even say they were maddening.  Of course, if there’s a mosquito within 100 miles, it’ll find me.  It just goes to show that a tent can not only be shelter, but sanctuary.

I got out the next morning to photograph sunrise on Rosalie, and got some nice images of the volcanic ridge we’d been hiking around lit up in the early morning light.

Rosalie Lake, Ansel Adams Wilderness

Rosalie Lake and Volcanic Ridge at dawn, July 2010

After eating breakfast and packing up, we headed down the trail to Shadow Lake, which is easily accessible as a day hike from Agnew Meadows.  We walked around Shadow Lake and headed on to Garnet Lake, which is a bit iconic, but still very pretty.  Garnet Lake offers fantastic views of  the northern Ritter Range, especially Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak.  I thought some submerged logs in Garnet would make a great foreground for this image.

Garnet lake and submerged logs, Ansel Adams Wilderness, California

Garnet Lake, July 2010

At Garnet Lake, I also found a great example of what can happen if you look underfoot.  The rocks here were fantastic, and had gorgeous bands of what I think is olivine (maybe serpentinite?) embedded in them.  I couldn’t help but photograph these rocks.  I used Tony Kuyper’s luminosity masks to really make the colors glow.

olivine

Garnet Lake Rocks, July 2010

We would continue on to Thousand Island Lake to spend the night.  That’ll be the subject of my next blog entry.  In the meantime, check out all of my Sierra Nevada photos by clicking here.

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Minaret Lake

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

“To the south of Mount Ritter are some grand pinnacles of granite, very lofty and apparently inaccessible, to which we gave the name of ‘the Minarets.'” –California Geological Survey, 1868

I’ve always loved the view of the Minarets from Minaret Summit, behind Mammoth Mountain.  When the opportunity came up to hike into Minaret Lake, at the base of these fantastic spires, I jumped on it.  The Minarets are an arête, a high, thin ridge formed when two glaciers work toward each other, back to back.

The hike into the lake is somewhat demanding, gaining about 2200 vertical feet over 7.8 miles.  We arrived in Mammoth about 1pm, and after catching the shuttle to Devil’s Postpile National Monument, we were able to hike into the lake by 7pm.  Unfortunately, we weren’t able to spend much time, as this was a spur trip from our goal of hiking the last 1/3 of the John Muir Trail.  We had to leave again by 9am the following morning, giving me time to photograph only one sunset and sunrise.  I would have liked to spend a few more days at this location alone!

Minaret Lake, Ansel Adams Wilderness, California

Minaret Lake evening, July 2010

Minarets, Ansel Adams Wilderness, California

The Minarets at night, July 2010

Minarets and hiker, Ansel Adams wilderness, California

Self-portrait, Minaret Lake, July 2010

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Photo of the Month–August

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

We’ve just returned from our trip along the last ~1/3 of the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada.  It was pretty fantastic, and I think the “mozzies” could have been a lot worse than they were (this is good news for someone who once had the nickname “Skeeter Bait!”).  I’ll be writing a lot about this trip in the next few weeks, but I thought it only appropriate to choose an image from the Sierra for my August Photo of the Month.

This image is from our first campsite on our journey, Minaret Lake, which is behind Mammoth Lakes, California.  At dawn, I found a great little cascade to use as a foreground element while the morning light illuminated the Minarets in the background.  It certainly is rugged country up there, and I like the way this image displays that.  Hope you enjoy it!

Minaret Lake at dawn, Ansel Adams Wilderness, California

Minaret Lake Cascade, July 2010

Over the next few days, I hope to update albums with some new images–stay tuned!

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