See It: Just a 30 minute drive from central Tucson, Arizona, USA, is the beautiful Tucson Mountain Park. Here you can see hundreds of the famous, tall, and long-lived saguaro (səˈ(g)wärō) cactus. One of these beauties happened to grow right next to a tall … Continue readingBirds-eye View
See It: How do you feel about compositing? What compositing? You, know, taking two photos and stitching them together in an editing tool like Adobe Photoshop. Hate it? Why? Not a problem? Why? Why do I bring this up? Because normally at this point in the … Continue reading‘Nuther Day in Paradise
See It: Spending multiple days in the same place (preparing for the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse) gives one the luxury of seeing some of the moods of the location, moods that change throughout the day, moods that change from day to day. I … Continue readingEarly Start
See It: Occasional wildfires are a natural part of any forest and the beautiful Willamette (“Will-AM-it”) National Forest near Detroit Lake, Oregon is no exception. I had a few days before the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse to enjoy this exceptional area, as well … Continue readingAbove the Fray
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: Getting away from city lights at night can quickly change your perspective on life. Suddenly, that heavy burden you were carrying lightens in comparison to the quiet solitude, the diverse planet, the expanse of universe and stars. “What? Me worry?” … Continue readingSky Fire
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: Tucson Mountain Park is amazing and convenient, just 30 minutes from central Tucson, Arizona, USA. Here you can see hundreds of the famous, tall, and long-lived saguaro (səˈ(g)wärō) cactus. There are several pullouts along the highway where you can park … Continue readingOld Among Ancient
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: If you find yourself in the beautiful Salem or Bend, Oregon areas with a high-clearance vehicle and five hours to invest, take a drive into the tree-studded Willamette (“Will-AM-it”) National Forest to serene Detroit Lake. Take a printed map, as … Continue readingDaybreak
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: While preparing for the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse, I noticed that, with good focus and exposure, I could capture a few sunspots on the surface of the sun. As I practiced taking consistently good images of the sun … Continue readingSolar-Go-‘Round
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: Did you see the total solar eclipse this past Monday, August 21, 2017? I drove 10 hours from my Northern California home base to Central Oregon to access the path of ‘totality’; the path on the earth’s surface where the … Continue readingFlame Thrower
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: Here’s a shot that gives you the feel of sea otter play in Morro Bay. This location was very easy to access from the flat walking path along the bay, northwest of central Morro Bay, California, USA. There were numerous sea … Continue readingWho Turned Out The Lights?
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: Moth or butterfly? Large or small? Generally it’s easy to distinguish a moth from a butterfly, regardless of size. Butterflies usually have thin antennae with clubbed ends, while moths’ antennae are feathery. Some 18,500 species of butterflies are distributed throughout … Continue readingWay Station
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: Less than 30 minutes from central Tucson, Arizona, USA, you can be seriously deep in the desert. Seriously deep, as in many, many cactus thorns stuck in your shoes, hands, rear-end, or anyplace else you are not careful to look … Continue readingLonesome Highway
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: Approximately 70 species of haircap mosses cover nearly every part of the globe. Scientific name, Polytrichum, comes from the ancient Greek polys, meaning “many”, and thrix, meaning “hair”. These tiny samples were along a very humid forested trail in the White Rock … Continue readingStar Sprout
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: This flower is easy to find and enjoy in North America. The brown-eyed Susan (also known as black-eyed Susan and Rudbeckia hirta) is native to eastern and central North America and can now be found in all 48 contiguous United States … Continue readingBreezy
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: Just around the bend is the surprising little village of Undredal, Norway, home to fewer than 100 Norwegians and 500 goats. However, to get to the bend, you’ll need to make the trek to the Aurlandsfjord, a branch of the … Continue readingSmall Town
Coming to the 2017 Sonoma County (California, USA) Fair I’m very happy to announce my entries into the 2017 Sonoma County (California, USA) Fair professional photography competitive exhibition, on display August 3-13 (excluding Mondays), 11AM-11PM in the E.C. Kraft Building at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. If you … Continue readingFair Thee Well
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: This flower is easy to find and enjoy in North America. The brown-eyed Susan (also known as black-eyed Susan and Rudbeckia hirta) is native to eastern and central North America and can now be found in all 48 contiguous United States … Continue readingPrairie Prize
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: An hour drive northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, you will find another planet. Or at least it seems that way. Everywhere you look at Valley of Fire State Park are fantastic ‘Seussian’* landscapes – one after the other – … Continue readingLeading Lines
I talk to a lot people who are not happy with their photographs. “Ahh, too dark!” “Oops, out of focus…” Newsflash: Try as I might, I get lousy pictures too. To get good shots, you need to expect some duds along the way. With digital … Continue readingWhat’s Wrong with Your Pictures?
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: You’ll need to make the long drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon (about 80 miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona, USA), but the views a short walk from your car are guaranteed to take your breath away. Having … Continue readingGolden Hour
Go Play Outside! 😎 See It: This location was very easy to access from the flat walking path along the bay, northwest of central Morro Bay, California, USA. There were numerous sea otters swimming, diving, resting, and playing in the water near the path. I … Continue readingPaddle Buddies
Some reading this may remember the time when children played outside. Not just a little bit. A lot. In a good sized city, you had 3 or 4 TV channels, maybe 8 radio stations. And the boundless Outside. Most TV and radio was boring; you watched … Continue readingGo Play Outside: Behind ‘Behind the Shot’