Postcard from Tucson–Book Fest

The annual Tucson Book Festival is probably my favorite event in Tucson. Too bad it only happens once a year. In only its third year, the event is now the 3rd largest event of its type in the nation. This year, over 400 published authors, many extremely well known, came here for the two day celebration of books of all types.

As you can see, there are a plethora of tents all over the mall area where you can purchase books, attend seminars, meet authors, get your books autographed, and visit many other publishing-related vendors. The photo above shows you just some of tents outside…there are many more off to the right.

For me, the best part of the festival are the author talks and workshops that occur in classrooms and tents on the University of Arizona campus. There are hundreds of them, but sadly you can only do five a day as they are held in the same time slots. When the lists come out, I spend a few hours going over them and narrowing down the ones I want to see…then make my final selections. Sadly there are always two or three events held at the same time and I have to make a hard choice. This year, I carried the list on my new Droid X phone, so I knew where to go for each event. Love that phone!

The second photo shows you one seminar I attended called, “Scene of the Crime: Place as Character.” The mystery writers there include Martin Cruz Smith, on the far left (Gorky Park, Polar Star, and many more)…and Cara Black, center, author of the Aimee LeDuc mysteries that take place all over Paris. It was held in one of the large tents set up on the mall.

Other events I attended were on such diverse topics as science fiction, constitutional law, astronomy, puzzles, writing, sports and more. I got to meet and speak with folks like the famous sports writer Frank Deford and the writer of many great thrillers, James Rollins. 

Like last year, C-Span 2 was also here showing live book talks on both Saturday and Sunday. I attended two of those and saw the camera pointed at me a couple of times, but have not seen the videos yet. 

In such a short space, it is difficult to explain how much I enjoyed this festival. If you are an avid reader such as me, look for a festival like this somewhere near you.  Or next year, plan to come down to Tucson and see this one.  By the way, the weather was perfect, right around 80 degrees.

Postcard from Mt. Rainier

This photo, taken in Mt. Rainier National Park, is the base of Narada Falls. And yes, the rocks are really that gold color. They really do look like large chunks of gold, made even shinier by the water. 

I remember this trip to Mt. Rainier as it was my one and only visit to this great park in the Northwest. Imagine that, living for 15 years in Washington State and only visiting this natural wonder only one time. And here’s another dirty little secret…I never made it to Mt. St. Helens.

What makes this trip even more memorable for me, was it was my first expedition into the wilds with my first, brand new digital camera, an Olympus E-300. I remember shooting on the first day in the park and not being really pleased with my shots. So I took a hotel room outside the park’s western entrance, got out the camera manual and read it in depth and discovered where I went wrong. (You know the old saying about electronic gadgets…when all else fails, read the manual). The next day’s shooting produced much better photos.

This shot of Narada Falls was done on the second day. The falls are just a short walk from the main highway and worth every step. I did shoot the entire falls, but like this one the best as it highlights the gold rocks, which, to me, are just as important as the falls. When one is shooting a scene like this, one should always shoot at different angles, as well as wide angle and close-ups. You never know what may jump off the screen at you when doing post-processing.  

Postcard from Tucson–Wishing for Spring

It won’t be long now…it’s early March and Spring is about to be sprung. Here in Tucson, it feels like Spring already…temperature in the 70’s and low 80’s, plenty of sunshine, baseball underway…but no flowers yet, like the ones you see in this photo.

I shot these lovely flowers last year in early April at the Tohono Chul Park here in our fair city. That park is dedicated to Southwest plants and flowers and no doubt I will be out there again in a couple of weeks. I showed you some of the flowers from there last year. But, like most of you, I am getting impatient for the real Spring to kick into gear again.  If you live in the north climates, you must be more than ready.

Don’t ask me the name of these flowers as I don’t have a clue. Remembering the names of flowers is not my strong point. So I just enjoy the beauty they bring to our lives…and thanks to photography, I can enjoy them all the time.

Postcard from Newport

The Oregon Coast is a wonder of nature and is always there for all to appreciate. I’ve driven it a few times, always with my camera because there is so much to enjoy and capture forever.

This photo of a beach near Newport, Oregon is a simple, yet expansive photo of the drifting sands caught in one moment of time. Go to this spot today, and it is an entirely different sight. When I saw this scene, I was reminded of some images I’ve seen of the sands of Death Valley and White Sands, NM. In these photos, it is all about patterns and texture.

I had no doubts when I photographed this scene it would be rendered in black and white. The sand is brown, but as I have said here before, color can distract the viewer from seeing the true intent of the photographer. By rendering the scene in black and white, you see what I want you to see and the image becomes more emotional. The patterns and textures jump out at you. Add to that, a classic S-Curve, and you have instant depth.

But enough of the photo lessons for now. Just enjoy the view.

Postcard from the Goosenecks

Last time, in my postcard from Mexican Hat, I briefly mentioned Goosenecks State Park. It’s an interesting place with a great view. I’ve never shared any photos of the place, because, quite frankly, my few pictures of the place were terrible.

The original images are the perfect example of why you never shoot at midday and you never shoot into the sun. I have worked hard to clean up this photo to make it presentable for viewing, but it is definitely not on my masterpiece list. I show it to you only because I want you to see part of the incredible views at this Utah State Park.

I stopped here briefly to eat lunch while on my way to Canyonlands National Park further north. I was amazed by the view and so sorry that I didn’t make it here at a better time of day, photographically speaking.  The river you see here meandering through the 1,000 ft. deep chasm is the San Juan River (I incorrectly identified it in my last blog as the Green River…sorry).  The river meanders back and forth, flowing for more than five miles while progressing only one linear mile toward the Colorado River. From this viewpoint, there is another gooseneck off to the right…just could not fit it all into the lens.

As I said, the only way to photograph the scene was to shoot almost directly into the sun, which accounts for the flares you seen in the photo. Still, it was a nice place to have lunch.

Postcard from Mexican Hat

Yes, there really is a place called Mexican Hat. It is in southern Utah, on US Highway 163, just north of Monument Valley and the Arizona border. Population 88, at the last census. It gets its name from Mexican Hat Rock, a distinctive rock formation located just outside of town (see below).

The town has a big celebration every year on March 8, commemorating the fact that the US Census Bureau has officially named it as a “census designated place.” Everyone in town who can make it shows up wearing…you guessed it…a Mexican Hat.

The hills pictured above are also just outside of town. When I first saw them, a few years ago, they reminded me of a Navajo blanket, for some reason. Probably because I had just left the lands of the Navajo Nation behind me when I first came into town. But, they are also similar to the Painted Hills of Oregon, which you have also seen here before.

So, besides the Mexican Hat Rock, located nearby is Goosenecks State Park, a wonderful place to see the Green River flowing through a series of goosenecks….and not far north are the fascinating red rock formations of the Valley of the Gods. As you may have noticed through my blogs, southern Utah is a beautiful place and worth many sightseeing trips.

Postcard from the Painted Hills

I came across this photograph taken a couple of years ago in the Painted Hills of Oregon and realized I had never shared it here. Neglectful of me, for sure, as I think it is a good photo.

I don’t have much more to say about the Painted Hills that I haven’t already shared with you before. It’s located in North Central Oregon and if you live in the Northwest as so many of you do, you definitely need to go there someday and enjoy the exquisite colors. Although it is part of a National Monument, there is no fee to get in. Just go, already!

Postcard from Chicago–Navy Pier

Welcome to Navy Pier, one of Chicago’s most popular landmarks and tourist attractions.  Extending nearly 2/3 of a mile into Lake Michigan, the pier houses dozens, if not more, tourist attractions, such as the carnival rides pictured here.

It took two years to build and opened to the public in 1916. It was designed as both a pier to handle shipping and as a public gathering place for Chicagoans. And that is what it did until the era of motor transportation began hitting the shipping companies hard.   By the late 1930s, the pier was used as more of a summer playground, with recreational facilities that included picnicking areas, dining pavilions, a dance hall, auditorium, and children's playground.

During World War II the pier returned to serious marine purposes, as the city leased the pier to the U.S. Navy as a training center. The Navy's air group training arm docked a pair of converted flattops at the pier to use as freshwater training carriers. During this period, some 60,000 sailors and 15,000 pilots, including President George H. W. Bush, trained at the pier.

Moving forward several years, the pier was rebuilt in the 1990s, and now includes fast-food kiosks, shops, a ballroom, a concert stage, and convention exhibition halls. Other attractions include a 150-foot Ferris wheel (pictured here), an IMAX theater, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Amazing Chicago's Funhouse Maze, the Chicago Children's Museum,  and the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows.

There are also several different kinds of excursion boats docked on the pier that will take you for specialized trips around Lake Michigan. For example, I took an old schooner sailing ship for an hour’s cruise on the lake. Quite fun, actually.

If you are ever in Chicago, no doubt you will visit Navy Pier as it is listed as the #1 tourist attraction in this great city. Definitely worth of visit. Be sure and stop in at the Billy Goat Café so you can hear the cooks yelling out, “Cheesebourger, Cheesbourger, Cheesbourger.” That alone is worth the trip.

Postcard from Yosemite–The Smallest Falls

Yosemite Valley is home to dozens of gigantic falls, some of which I’ve previously detailed here. With the valley being around 4,000 feet deep, the giant falls have a long spectacular drop. There is Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Falls, Ribbon Falls, and many others to numerous to name. And in springtime, there are even waterfalls that have no names.

But, in a quiet corner of the valley lies Yosemite’s smallest waterfall…called Fern Springs. Mostly ignored by tourists, it is actually quite easy to get to as it sits right by the road. There is even a small turnout to park your car.  As you enter the valley proper, the road splits in two and becomes one-way in each direction. Cross the Pohono Bridge and it is on your right. 

It is a natural spring bubbling up out of the earth. The water is quite drinkable. Like all Yosemite water, there is less of it in the autumn than in spring…and obviously this photo was taken in autumn…late October to be exact. And there is actually a second set of small falls just below what you see here.

Like all falls in this great valley, water from Fern Springs eventually flows into the Merced River. I hope someday I can go back in the springtime and photograph it again when the falls are full. 

Postcard from Southern Arizona

Sunrises and sunsets are a photographer’s bread and butter. We mostly concentrate on the quality of that more gentle red-shifted light on particular subjects. But, occasionally, we focus on the sunrise/sunset itself, as I did in this photo.

Sunsets are usually better than sunrise, because the ground has heated up during the day and there are more airborne particles in the air to help bring out more color. Such was the case for this photo.

The sun is actually in a different location than where I pointed my camera for this shot. The photo was taken at what we sometimes call “second sunset”…when the sun is below the horizon, but its red light affects cloud formations in all directions. The foreground, while not very spectacular, gives the viewer a point of reference. Remember, if you shoot sunset or sunrise photos, always give the sky either 1/3 or 2/3 of the image…never 1/2. Decide what is more interesting, the ground or the sky…then make your decision.

I took this image about 2 years ago in the Coronado National Forest, in the Mt. Wrightson Wilderness Area, about 40 miles due south of Tucson. I camped out there for a couple of nights and was rewarded with a spectacular evening light show. We do have some spectacular sunsets here in the Southwest. 

Postcard from Oregon

I came across this photo while searching through my archives.  I took it a few years ago with my first digital camera. The location is Astoria, Oregon…at the Northwest tip of the state.  It is here that the fabled Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.

It is here where Lewis and Clark finished their amazing westward trek from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. In fact, nearby there is a replica of their winter fort.

This is one of the Columbia Lightships that marked the entrance to the Columbia River at the Pacific Ocean.  The first Columbia lightship took its place in 1892. This one served from 1951 to 1979. It was the last Columbia to be decommissioned on the west coast. WLV 604 is now a museum piece and open to the public at the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

The ship is made of steel and is 128 feet long, 30 feet wide, and draft of 11 feet. The ship was powered by a diesel engine made by Atlas Imperial. The lighting system on the WLV 604 was a 375mm lens visible for up to 13 miles. Fog warning was provided by two diaphone signals on either side of the ship. It was replaced by a lighted navigational buoy. It was eventually retired as well.

I liked this image because of the two bow lines and anchor chain leading from the dock to the front of the ship. The clouds were also a great help. I am very glad I have so many pictures of the great Northwest to remember my time there.  

Postcard from Autumn–Forest Floor

I love these small scenes of nature, as you may have noticed. This was shot in Autumn, late October actually. Where? It doesn’t really matter, I guess, as its just another small, tiny piece of nature in the fall.

Actually, it was photographed in Yosemite National Park…not in the Valley, nor in the high country…but about halfway between…off of the Big Oak Flat Road. I just wandered into the forest and found this little scene. I didn’t arrange anything, just shot it as is. On that safari, I got to the park at exactly the right time.

What is better than wandering in nature, taking in the beauty? Most of the time it is not worthy of a prize-winning photo. But, never-the-less, it is peaceful and glorious to behold. It can restore our souls and wash away the noise and confusion of everyday life. But, it does help to have a camera nearby when you run into a beautiful little scene like this.

In my last blog, I showed you the grand sweep of Bryce Canyon from high on Inspiration Point. By way of contrast, I show you a tiny part of Yosemite here, but no less beautiful than the Canyon.

But, like the last blog where I told you to check out my updated Bryce Canyon photos on the Web, today, I am promoting my updated Autumn photo site on my Web pages. Again, this site has many new, never-before-scene photos, like this one…as well as some reworked images from other Autumn locations. I invite you to see it, at your convenience.

Postcard from Bryce Canyon

You’ve seen this photography before. I shared it with you just over one year ago. I am showing it again because my new blog writing software allows me to show photographs in a much larger size than ever before.  You may have noticed in recent blogs that many of the photos took up the entire top of the blog...like this one.

This is my favorite photo from Bryce and is also one of my favorite photos of all time. And now I can show it in a much bigger version. A year ago, the photo was just too small to really enjoy.

It shows the view of the aptly named Amphitheater in the north section of the park. The view is from high up on Inspiration Point, a rugged bit of a vertical climb. The trail is easy, but at 8,000 feet, you really give your lungs a workout. But on this day, it was worth it.

If you ever go to Bryce Canyon National Park, be sure an be ready to take photographs at sunrise. The canyon walls face east, so the morning light on the hoodoos is spectacular. In close-up photos in many areas, the sunlight bounces of the back walls of the canyon, giving shadow areas a wonderful glow. 

I have a second reason to show you this photo again. I’ve completely redone my Web page section on Bryce…removing several photos, redoing others, and adding several new photos never shown before. I invite you to take a look.

Postcard from the Cascades–Autumn Cartoon

As I have written here before, the Cascade Mountains of WA yield some of the finest autumn colors on this planet. Some years, of course, are better than others. Still, the Cascades are a photographer’s paradise in October.

I completed this image only today and wanted to share it with you right away. I’ve been working lately on upgrading my Web site images, adding new ones, and replacing those I’ve fallen out of love with. These last two days, I worked on some of my autumn images, which is always a labor of love. The colors…my God, how could you not love working on photos from autumn?

As is sometimes my habit, I played with a new, recently acquired Photoshop filter, called Cartoon. I was just experimenting, but loved what showed up. So, of course, I named it, “Autumn Cartoon.” I don’t consider it one of my paintings per say as I just applied a filter.  It does look like one and if I were still doing art shows, I might just put it out for sale.

I hope you enjoy it and in these dog days of winter, a little extra color is always to be savored.

Postcard from Bryce–Three Vultures

I will admit, I am not much of a wildlife photographer. But when three birds pose for me in a tree, how can I go wrong.  These birds are, if I am not mistaken Turkey Vultures.

I took this photo on my last photographic expedition to Bryce Canyon National Park. I believe I was high up on Inspiration Point just after dawn. After shooting down into the canyon, I turned around and there they were…three birds also taking in the morning view (or waiting for me to die). So I lifted the camera and started shooting. Thank God I had a zoom lens on the camera.

To quote from an article about these birds on buzzle.com:

“Turkey vultures are widely found in North America and are also known as turkey buzzards. The adult turkey vultures can weigh up to 6 pound, reaching the length of 25 to 32 inches. The wingspan of the vultures can be about 6 feet. The name turkey is given to them due to the bald, red head that closely resembles that of a wild turkey. Their feet closely resembles the feet of a chicken, which they cannot use to lift or carry food. Instead, their feet are especially designed to hold food in place while eating.

Vultures are basically scavengers, that feed on carrion or carcasses of dead animals. So, like other vultures, turkey vultures too survive on carrion and cannot kill their prey. They usually thrust their heads inside the carcass. Here, their bald head serves an important purpose, while they eat carrion. The fact that their head is bald keeps it clean, while they stick their head inside the body cavity of the carcass. Turkey vultures have an extraordinary sense of smell, which enables them to find out a carcass just within 24 hours of its death. They are also empowered with a sharp eye sight, which helps them to search food. If need arises, turkey vultures can also live on vegetation.”

And that’s the fact, Jack!

Postcard from Tucson–Palm Pond

I took this picture some months ago in Agua Caliente Park, a small park located on the far east side of Tucson, up against the Rincon Mountains. The original image lent itself nicely for a black and white treatment.

And as I have said here before, black and white is not as easy as it looks. In fact, in so many ways, it is harder than working in color. It is why I admire all the pre-digital black and white photographers who worked their magic in the darkroom. Fortunately for me, I don’t have to do that to create good black and white images.  No more messy and smelly chemicals, or manually dodging and burning, or timing printer exposures perfectly. I can do it all now in the digital darkroom.

Still, it takes a lot of work, as well as study and practice to come out with decent black and white images. Often, I must spend more time creating the black and white image than I do with color. In color photography, the colors are predefined, whereas in black and white, I must experiment with many shades of gray to find the right combination for a good image.

Mind you, I am not bitching…I am just making you aware of the work it takes in case you want to try it for yourself. I love trying to create the perfect black and white image. I doubt I will ever do it, but it is fun to try.

Postcard from Tumacacori

In the last blog, I promised you a photo of an even older mission that San Xavier De Bac….and here it is. It is called Tumacacori, although its official name is “ San José de Tumacácori.” It lies about 30 miles south of Tucson and is part of the Tumacacori National Historical Park.

The name "Tumacácori" may have derived from two O’odham words, chu-uma and kakul, having reference to a flat, rocky place. The Jesuit priest, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino established it as a mission in January 1691, making it the oldest mission site in Arizona. For many years, though, it was a visita or visiting station of the mission headquarters at Guevavi. It was until the early 1800’s that the church was actually built. The Franciscans began work in 1800 on an ambitious undertaking - a church that would match the frontier baroque glory of the celebrated Mission San Xavier del Bac. It never quite made it.

Since 1917, over $20 million has been spent on the preservation and ruins of this now-famous mission.  And, it is a great place to roam around with one’s camera, especially io the lovely afternoon in winter and early spring. Try it sometime.

Postcard from Tucson–Mission at Sunset

(Note: computer and monitor issues prevented me from doing any Postcard blogs for the last week. But all is right again in that area and you will being seeing this blog again on a more regular basis.  Thanks for your support and patience – JRC)

Its been a while since I’ve shared any pictures from Mission San Xavier del Bac. To refresh your memory, this lovely old mission church (and school) lies just south of Tucson…in fact, only a few miles from my home.  On this particular day, we had some amazing clouds in the skies and it turned out to be a fantastic night for shooting sunset shots.

While this image is not a picture of the church itself, the San Xavier Mission was founded as a Catholic mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692. Construction of the current church began in 1783 and was completed in 1797. It is the oldest intact European structure in Arizona.

On my last visit, the church’s west tower was under renovation and was surrounded by scaffolding. That is gone now and I look forward to going back to photograph again…when the skies are just right, of course.

In my next blog, I will show you an even older mission church that is not quite in as good of shape.

Postcard from the Painted Desert

This lovely scene is from the Painted Desert in eastern Arizona. It is part of the Petrified National National Park. If ever in this part of Arizona (about 115 miles east of Flagstaff), it is easy to get to as it sits right on Interstate 40.

As one writer describes it: “It took millions upon millions of years for nature to create this natural canvas of unimaginable design that some describe it as a multi-colored layered cake. The Painted Desert draws upon the earth’s indecisive nature. From shifts in the earth’s crust brought about by temperamental volcanoes and earthquakes to complete inundation by fresh and sea waters alike, a veritable host of elements have breathed life into this area. Colorful sediments of bentonite clay and sandstone, stacked in elegant layers, feed off the setting Arizona sun in an ever-changing display of colorful splendor.”

Could not have said it better myself.

Postcard from Tucson–Massacre

It was a tragic Saturday morning here in my adopted city. A deranged gunman, shot our Congresswoman, then proceeded to shoot 19 other people. Six of them died…a federal judge, a nine-year-old girl, an aide to the Congresswoman, and three senior citizens.

No one knows the motive yet and maybe if we did, we wouldn’t understand it as it possibly comes from a mentally unbalanced mind. And according to witnesses, the killer was not done yet…he was changing magazines when he was knocked down and captured by a few people at the scene. The new magazine had 31 more bullets in it.

It was hard to watch the NFL playoffs that day as I kept switching channels looking for more information. I was shocked like most people and was looking for updates and answers as to why it happened. As more and more about the accused comes out, the answers may wind up being well beyond our logic.

The shooting took place just a few miles from where I live. I often shop in that area, so the killing ground is very familiar to me. I didn’t know about the “meet and greet” event scheduled there and would not have gone even if I did. Congresswoman Giffords represents the 8th District, and through a quirk of gerrymandering, I am just outside that district. But no matter. This was something that happened in my town and it makes me sad for my town, my state, and my country.

I find myself especially saddened at the death of the 9 year old girl, Christina Green. She went to learn more how government works as she was just elected to her grade school student council.  So ironic and sad. Such a promising life, snuffed out by a deranged gunman.

On Sunday, I took my daily walk over by the University Medical Center, on the campus of the University of Arizona, where Congresswoman Giffords is recovering. I took these pictures at the scene with my small pocket camera. The photos are not my usual pictures of beautiful places, but have an emotional impact never-the-less.

Our local sheriff started the inevitable rhetoric about political hate and violence and how Arizona has become “the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.” I found his comment despicable and not helpful at all. Of course, the news media has carried that ball and made it worse. This was not a hate crime nor a politically motivated one. It was the product of a sick mind and should be isolated from any such conversation about politics.

It is true that our political debates have become quite polarized and filled with unbelievable rage on the left and right. The fact that Gabrielle Giffords was on Sarah Palin’s “Hit List” with a bull’s eye target next to her name has outraged Democrats. Trust me…the Dems have done things just as bad. You see, this is an era when using rage is how one gets elected.  Both sides use this tactic, thereby promoting reactionary anger in electorate. And rage is what drives up TV ratings, so it is widely used in the dissemination of news and reaction.

Did all this anger and rage affect the accused killer? Perhaps some of it wound up in his sick mind being twisted all out of logical proportion…it would not be the first time. Nothing good ever comes out of hate and anger. Will this kind of tragedy happen again. No doubt it will. To paraphrase a quote from the Bible…”As you sow, so shall you reap.”

Postcard from Chiricahua

It’s been a while since I showed you any images from Chiricahua National Monument in Southeastern Arizona. This wonderful, but way-out-of-the-way park features rocks of all kinds in strange formations or just by themselves.

I found this one on a trail and just liked how it stood out by itself, surround by bushes and pine trees. The clouds against a lovely blue sky helped make it a marvelous image. Notice the smaller pine tree growing out of the base of the rock. To quote a line from the movie Jurassic Park…”Life always finds a way.”

Postcard from the Olympic Rainforest

Yes, this is a simple photograph, no great sweeping vistas or raging rivers, or even spectacular sunsets. Just a photo of a small piece of nature along a trail in the Olympic National Park rainforest on the west side of the park. It was a trail, deep in the park, that led to a lake, whose name I forget.

I never did get to the lake as I was stopped by large pools of water along the trail. I was able to traverse a few of them, but not the big one about 1/2 mile from the lake.

I took a few pictures along the way, scenes similar to this. These photos attempt to convey a peacefulness and solitude that can be found in places like this…a quiet rainforest where you can only hear the wind rustling through the trees and a few birds chirping their songs.

While photographers like Ansel Adams influence my works when doing grand vistas, its another photographer, the legendary late Elliot Porter who inspired me to look down and see the quiet little corners of nature to appreciate what they are. You might remember his name the next time you are in a bookstore or library and want to see some beautiful photos.

Postcard from YPG–The Rocket Launcher

Here is another photo/sketch from the outdoor military museum at the Yuma Proving Grounds.  This is a portable rocket launcher that looks as if it was ready to go. Of course, it isn’t.

If you remember back a few weeks ago, I published a similar image from YPG…a tank, from those bygone days of war.  I had fun out there this one day around Thanksgiving photographing this ancient military hardware…then playing around with it in some of my filters inside Photoshop.  One never knows what one will get when one starts to experiment.

Happy New Year to you all. 

Postcard from Tucson–Merry Christmas

Wishing You A Very Merry Christmas

Postcard from Arizona–More Rocks

It’s been a while since I have shared any of my rock photos with you, although I guess you could say almost all the photos I show from the Southwest are rock pictures.

But these rocks were in a large barrel in a rock shop in Quartzite, AZ. I stopped there about three years ago on my way to Yuma and started shooting rocks in a barrel (even easier than shooting fish in a barrel…sorry, could not resist).  Anyway, I just loves the colors in these rocks.

If you remember, Quartzite is that small town in the middle of the desert that gets over a million visitors a year…thanks to rock shows, RV shows, and on-going shows of all kinds. I am sure it is in full swing now as it is snow bird season. There, our friends from the north camp out in RV’s in the desert with no water, sewer, cable, or even electricity.  Generators supply the juice, and trucks come in every so often fill up their water tanks and empty the waste tanks. Satellite dishes supply the entertainment. It’s quite a life style and fun to see.

If you are ever down this way, be sure to stop in Quartzite and enjoy the “wild life.” It is located at the junction Arizona Highway 95 and I-10, very near the CA border. It is worth a visit in the winter months. 

Postcard from Yosemite - Tenaya Lake

When I get nostalgic, I somehow always return to Yosemite. I when I get real nostalgic, I think about Ansel Adams and his many years of photographing the park in black and white. So, I guess I am feeling nostalgic.

Tenaya Lake sits right on the Tioga Pass Road, at 8,150 feet in Yosemite’s High Country, on the North side of Yosemite Valley . (FYI, Yosemite Valley’s elevation is right at 4,000 feet). So its easy to get to, at least when the Tioga Pass Road is open. It is not maintained in the winter and shuts down as soon as the first snowflake falls. Just a few days after I took this photo, the first snowflake did fall and the road was closed. I would love to shoot the lake in winter, but I don’t ski.

The lake is supplied by a network of creeks and springs. Water exits the lake on the southwest side and becomes Tenaya Creek. From there it flows directly down Tenaya Canyon into Yosemite Valley. Its first stop there is famed Mirror Lake, directly below Half Dome. Eventually, it merges with Merced River, the main waterway through the valley.

Tenaya Lake is named after Chief Tenaya, who met the Mariposa Brigade near the shores of the lake. Tenaya protested that the lake already had a name: Pie-we-ack, or "Lake of the Shining Rocks." This original name is now attached to a granite dome to the east of the lake.

On two separate days, I hiked around the lake (where I could) and took several different shots. I have shown you a couple of the colored ones here before as there was a variety of quality colors in the shots. This one had limited colors, so I chose to do it in black and white…a good decision I think. I used a digital red filter to darken the sky and the lake.

If you ever travel the Tioga Pass Road and see the lake, be sure to park, get out and do some hiking. The best views are off the road.

Postcard from Island in the Sky–Green River Overlook

As you know by now, my friend and fellow photographer Dave Forster and I were up in Moab, UT a couple of weeks ago, shooting the beautiful landscapes that are all around this southeastern Utah city. Late one afternoon, we were high up in the Arches National Park scanning the sky trying decide where we wanted to be at sunset.  It did not look promising.

The places we had on our list all needed direct sunset light, but the clouds in the west were becoming thicker and thicker. Our prospects looked bleak. Then Dave came up with the brilliant idea of going to the Green River Overlook in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park. This is the same park where we shot Mesa Arch two mornings prior. With all the clouds in the sky, we might get lucky and have a fiery red sky at sunset…and this overlook is one of the most scenic in the park.

We drove about 40 miles to get there and arrived well before sunset. We scouted for the best view, then set up our cameras on tripods and just waited…and waited and waited.

The problem with shooting this scene was the canyon itself was already in deep, deep shadows before the sun even set. And if the sky lit up liked we hoped, the values between light and dark would be huge, far more than the camera could capture.  We both set up split neutral density filter…a glass plate that is very dark on top and clear on the bottom.  This allows less bright light into the camera helping with the exposure with no loss of colors. I also decided to shoot multiple exposures of each shot with a range of +1 to –1.  As it turned out, even these settings and filters were not enough.

After a long wait, the sun finally set, but the light still wasn’t right.  We had to wait even more to see if the sky would light up at what we call “second sunset.” Our patience was rewarded with a fierce red and yellow sky that looked like the entire sky was on fire. Both Dave and I shot, and shot, and shot until the fire died away after about 10 minutes. It was well worth the trip and a beautiful site to see.

After getting back to Tucson, I started working on the multiple exposures to try and create one HDR image. It turns out my exposure corrections were not quite enough.  Through the magic of Photoshop, I had to create a 4th and 5th exposure and combine them into one. It still was not enough to create the perfect picture, at least in my view. The canyons below were still too dark…which of course, gives them a bluish cast. 

So I played and played with some of my other filters to create the image you see above. It isn’t exactly what I had in mind, but I do like it a lot.  It stands on its own. The ground picked up some of the red from the sky, which came out through the filters. And, of course the sky itself is amazing. But, at the time I shot this image, the ground was in total darkness to the naked eye. I am just glad the camera was able to pick up some light. PS: It took over three hours of playing to create this image.

And by the way, this is one of the best overlooks in the park. Don’t miss it if you happen to be in the area…sunrise, sunset, or any time in between.

Postcard from the Arches–Double Arch

I know that I’ve shown you Double Arch before in this blog…that being from my trip two years ago. This image was taken only a couple of weeks ago on my most recent trip. Not much has changed here in two years, except the sky. Still this arch remains my favorite of them all.

Double Arch was formed a bit differently than most of the arches in Arches National Park. It is what is known as a pothole arch as it formed by water erosion from above rather than more typical erosion from the side. The largest opening has a span of 148 feet and a height of 104 feet. It was also seen briefly in the film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” although the cave seen in the film behind it does not exist.

It’s only a short 1/2 mile walk from the parking lot to it and there are no barriers to going under the arch or all around it. And as you can see, I am also almost directly underneath it.

Since the last time I showed you Double Arch was in color, I decided to give you a black and white treatment this time.

Postcard from the Arches–Balanced Rock

Sometime ago, I shared a photo of Balanced Rock at sunset. In that image, you could only see the profile of the rock set against a fiery sky. So, I decided to show you the rock in daylight, although it is getting towards sunset in this image. It is quite a remarkable sandstone formation and is one of the most famous landmarks in Arches National Park.

Balanced Rock is about 128 feet high, with the balancing rock rising 55 feet above the base.  Until recently, Balanced Rock had a companion…a similar, but much smaller balanced rock named "Chip Off The Old Block", which fell during the winter of 1975. You can see the pedestal where it stood to the right of Balanced Rock. One day, its big brother will fall also. Such is nature.

Getting to the rock is easy as it sits right by the main park road. There is a parking lot there so you can hike all around it if you wish. The snow covered mountains in the distant background are the LaSalle Mountains.

This is another in my experiments with HDR photography.

Postcard from Chicago - Legs

If you ride the #6 bus into downtown Chicago, as I’ve done many times, you turn onto Michigan Ave. from Roosevelt Road. There on the corner, in the lower section of Grant Park, are 106 headless and armless cast iron sculptures. It is a sight that first amazes, then intrigues the first time tourist to Chicago.

It is called “Agora,” by its creator, Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz.  The name Agora refers to the meeting places of the Ancient Greek city-states. Each sculpture is about nine feet high and weighs about 1,800 pounds. They were cast in Poland over a two-year period, then transported to Chicago. Installation took place in November of 2006.

The figures are similar in general shape, but differ in their details. Models for each figure were made by hand. The surfaces of figures are like a tree bark or wrinkled face expressing a different individuality of each sculpture. They all appear to be walking in different directions. As Mayor Daily once pointed out, one really needs to walk through it to understand and feel its meaning…and I agree with him.

Chicago is filled with such interesting works of art, many of which you have seen here, from crazy shaped bridges, to giant lattice works, legs, and even eyeballs. I have said it before, it is a wonderful place to just wander and see the diversity of people, neighborhoods, and, of course, art. Definitely put in on your to-do list if you have never been there.

Postcard from the Arches–The Fiery Furnace at Sunset

This picture was taken on my trip last month into the Arches National Park. It shows a very small part of the Fiery Furnace section of the park, set against the LaSalle Mountains.   For two days, we were very fortunate to have a haze-free unobstructed view of the mountains…not always possible.

The Fiery Furnace is a large series of small canyons, many of them dead-ends, set inside many, many fins.  Inside you will find both small and large arches. It is highly recommended for newbies that you take a ranger-led tour inside the furnace.  Having done that, I will tell you it is the only way to go. It would be so easy to get lost in there.  If I went back in, I would still only go with a ranger. Its an arduous hike through there, and some time I will tell you about my experiences, but what is inside the furnace is well worth the hike.  By the way, on a hot summer day, it’s the coolest place in the park, in spite of its name.

For this photograph, I again experimented with HDR photography, using 5 separate photos to come up with a composite photo that shows the best exposure values for each part of the photo. Only this time, I didn’t shoot 5 exposures on site…I only shot one.  In Photoshop, I created 5 separate images using a full one stop value for each. In other words the exposures went from –2 to +2, with the original photo as the 0 point.  Then using a program called Photomatix, I combined all five into one shot.

Of course, the final image had to be tweaked again in Photoshop as they never come out of Photomatix perfectly. I like some of the things I can do with HDR and will be experimenting with it more in the future.  Stay tuned for more in the future.

Postcard from Yuma–Swastika Bridge

Travel about 20 miles northeast of Yuma on Laguna Dam Road to where the pavement ends. Travel just a few hundred feet past that point, and you will find this bridge, covered in swastikas.  Not painted mind you, but cast in concrete on both sides of the bridge.

Swastika on an American bridge? How can that be? The mind boggles with possibilities. Was it built by German prisoners of war during the Second World War as there were POW camps nearby? By Nazi sympathizers prior to war’s outbreak?

Actually, the truth is stranger than fiction.  You see this bridge was completed in 1907. Hitler was only 18 years old so the Nazi Party wasn’t even conceived yet. That was at least 21 years in the future.

No, this bridge was built by the United States Government…specifically the Department of the Interior through the Bureau of Reclamation (then called the U.S. Reclamation Service). This bridge spans a now-unused agricultural spillway that was part of the first dam ever built on the Colorado River.

To make a long story short, because of existing geological considerations, the design for the dam was taken from an existing dam in India. While there, U.S. government representatives heard the story of the ancient Hindu God, Indra, who at one time, represented thunder, lighting and rain. Indra (who had four arms and was represented by the swastika with its four arms) had the power to control water. 

There were those in the U.S. government who thought the swastika would be a fitting symbol for the Bureau.  During its early years the United States Bureau of Reclamation used the swastika for its symbol. The swastikas on Laguna Dam are a legacy of that period. The Bureau also designed a Reclamation flag with a large swastika at its center with the U S R S letters in the four corners.

During WWII, guards had to be posted round the clock to protect the bridge as local citizens threatened to destroy the bridge, or at least remove the swastikas. Today, the bridge is the only government project left standing in the United States where swastikas are an integrated part of the structure. 

As I said, it is a strange, but all to true tale of our past. I thank my son Eric who first told me about this bridge and did the initial research.

Postcard from Yuma - Tank

While this photo may look like it was taken during the North African campaign in 1942, in fact, I took it less than a week ago at the Yuma Proving Grounds, a large military testing facility (1,300 square miles) located just north of Tucson. There, just off of Highway 95, there is a large collection of tanks, rockets, and artillery on display for anyone to see.

The YPG has been around since 1942. Much of the equipment on display here has seen action in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and even the Gulf War. They were all tested here prior to being put into action.  If you go there, you may notice a lot of dust off in the distance from moving vehicles…more than likely current model tanks on training missions…and don’t be surprised if you hear some rather large booms as they also test artillery and bombs here.

I just could not resist this shot of one of the older tanks with a longer gun barrel, using a wide angle lens. Now you may notice that this photo looks a little different than most photos. That is because I processed it using some new Photoshop filters that recently acquired. It gives it a bit of a painterly appearance, although, in my opinion it remains a photograph. Once I began playing with this new filter, I started doing some other photos, some of which may appear here in the future.

I really like this picture very much. If you ever get down to the Yuma area, be sure and visit the YPG’s display of military hardware. Also, look to see if you can spot the secret airbase that the Army says does not exist.

Postcard from the Canyonlands–Mesa Arch

Every morning, exactly at sunrise, something special happens at Mesa Arch. For a few minutes, the bottom of the arch takes on a bright orange glow, giving photographers who get there early enough, a chance to take a special image they will treasure forever.

On this day, only a few days ago, I got my second chance to see the glow. Two years ago, I was there, but the sun rose behind some clouds, giving the glow a very muted glow. But on this day, the sun rose in all its glory, unobstructed by clouds, or anything else for that matter…and Mesa Arch lit up.

Mesa Arch is located in the “Island in the Sky” section of Canyonlands National Park, on the edge of a cliff that overlooks some marvelous Canyonlands scenery. It is off the road by about 1/3 of a mile and requires a hike in darkness to get there before sun-up. My friend Dave and I made the hike and arrived in plenty of time to set up our tripods, mount the cameras, and select our lens and image settings. We were not the first to arrive as another photographer had beaten us there and was set up, ready to go. Before the sun came up, we were joined by 8 other photographers.

You see, Mesa Arch is not unknown in the photography world.

Never-the-less, we were ready for the sun to make its appearance…and it finally did, in all its glory. The arch lit up and soon thereafter, the canyons below also got enough light to make a great image. We all shot and shot and shot until the glow finally started to fade.

It was a glorious morning made better by the fact I got the shot I always wanted to get. By the way, this was Dave’s 4th attempt to get the shot and he was happy also to finally achieve his goal. Life is good.

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Postcard from the Arches–Turret Arch

 

I am back in Tucson after a nearly week-long photo expedition to the Moab, Utah area. With this comfortable little city as our base, my friend and fellow photographer Dave Forester and I traveled to both the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Both of us have been this area before, but it is always great to come back here for the beauty and to capture specific images that we did not get before.

We did the greatest portion of our shooting at sunrise and sunset, the so-called “Golden Hours” of photography. On some days, the light didn’t work out…on others, it happened exactly as hoped. So, all-in-all it was a successful trip. And you will be seeing some of the results here.

One of the things I wanted to experiment with was HDR photography, which stands for High Dynamic Range. This is a relative new area of photography, made possible by special software and multiple exposure shots. 

To be more specific, HDR is the post-processing of a series of images, combining them, and adjusting the contrast ratios to do things that are virtually impossible with a single shot. To accomplish the photography part, you take anyway from 3 to 5 exposures of the same scene at the same time, each one at a different exposure. In my case, I shot 3 quick exposures…one +1 stop, one at –1 stop and one at the normal exposure. I let the camera’s on-board light meter determine the exact exposure.

This is Turret Arch at sunrise, right after the sun’s rays first fell on the arch. Again, I combined all three exposures to come up with this photo…and in comparing it to a perfectly exposed single shot, this is a much better image. The big difference is that a one shot photo could not capture the brightness of the sky with so much of the ground in shadows. The ground would be way too dark or the sky way too bright.

It is close to what I saw with my eyes that morning…remember a single digital photo only can capture an image with a variance of 3-4 stops…while the human eye has a range of 10 stops.  That is quite a difference. HDR photography allows one to make an image close to what the eye sees.

There will be more HDR photos coming your way soon, so stay tuned.

Postcard from Chicago–The BP Bridge

Another fascinating architectural wonder of Millennium Park is the BP Bridge, a 935 foot-long pedestrian bridge that snakes it way up from the Park, across Columbus Parkway, then down to Daley Bicentennial Plaza, Grant Park and Lake Michigan.  And snakes is the operative word here as it winds its way up over and down.

It is difficult to photograph the bridge as a whole unless you are in an airplane or helicopter…so I can just show you parts of it here. I find it to be a photographers dreams because of its unusual construction and its twists and turns.  Its fun to create images from different angles both on and off the bridge.

For a pedestrian bridge, I found it quite wide as you can see from the second photo. The walkway is covered with weather-resistant Brazilian hardwood boards.  It has a gentle 5% grade which makes it easier on folks with handicap issues and there is no railing along the sides. The sides of the bridge are made of stainless steel.

Photo #3 shows the bridge crossing Columbus Parkway and how close it is to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion…and how the bridge and the pavilion designs blend together.

After the park opened, some of the bridge's foibles became apparent. The bridge has had to be closed during the winter because freezing conditions make it unsafe. Since the bridge is over an expressway-like trench of Columbus Drive, shoveling the snow onto passing cars is not an option and the Brazilian hardwood would be damaged by rock salt. The city not only mandates that the bridge be swept and washed daily, but also that the parapets be wiped free of fingerprints.

It is called BP Bridge as British Petroleum (of gulf oil spill fame) paid $5 million for the naming rights.  Believe me, there was some controversy over that.

If you would like more in-depth information about the bridge, its design, construction, aerial photos, and controversies, check out the interesting article on Wikipedia.

Postcard from Chicago–More from Millennium Park

 

In my last entry, I showed you the Chicago skyline as seen through the trellis works of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Now, here are 2 photos of the pavilion itself:

The first photo shows the pavilion as seen from the Great Lawn. Now, you can see how the trellis connects to the stage…and by having people in this photo, you get a better feel for its immense size. As I said last time, the Pavilion itself seats 4,000 people and the Great Lawn, under the trellis, accommodates an additional 7,000 people. The Pavilion stands 120-feet high, with a billowing headdress of brushed stainless steel ribbons that frame the stage opening and connect to the overhead trellis of crisscrossing steel pipes. It was designed by Frank Gehry.

The second photo, which I photographed last spring on my first visit (which explains why there are tulips in the photo), is the side of the pPvilion.  The structure which rises above the stage needs to be seen from all angles to be appreciated.

As I wrote this blog, I suddenly realized how much a role architecture played in my last visit to Chicago. Besides Millennium Park, I saw photos on display at the Chicago Institute of Art of the many buildings designed by Louis H. Sullivan as well as architectural remnants from his buildings that have been demolished over time. But, I also got to see a few of his buildings that still exist today. Amazing structures…way ahead of their time.

In addition, I also visited the home of another famous Chicago architect and one-time apprentice to Sullivan, none other than Frank Lloyd Wright. A future blog will cover my visit to his home in nearby Oak Park. 

Postcard from Chicago–Millennium Park

Millennium Park in downtown Chicago is an architectural wonder…amazing structures that defy description and must be seen to be believed! You have seen some of those wonders here before…the Fountain with the changing faces of Chicagoans, the Bean (of course) and a few others I have not shown you (but will).

I love this picture of part of the Chicago downtown skyline as seen through part of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, home for concerts and music festivals. In a future edition, I will show you the stage which deserves its own blog to be really appreciated. What you see here is a huge trellis that connects to the stage. The trellis supports the sound system, which spans the 4,000 fixed seats and the Great Lawn, which accommodates an additional 7,000 people.

Enough of the explanations…just enjoy this photo…the vertical straight lines of the Chicago skyscrapers as seen through the curved lines of the pavilion's trellis. It’s a photographer and artist’s dream…straight lines offset by beautiful proportional flowing curves, with some lovely autumn colors thrown in for fun…so pleasing to the eye.

Such a beautiful downtown.   

Postcard from Chicago–Marathon

We were up early and out the door by 7:00 AM on Sunday Morning, 10/10/10. My friend Susan and I took a bus to a Green Line elevated train station, then headed north into the Loop to transfer to a Pink Line train.

So what were we doing up so early to get a Pink Line train? We were off to watch the Chicago Marathon from the Pilsen Neighborhood as the runners came by at mile 19. Chicago’s Marathon is one of the biggest and most important marathons in the world (one of the five top marathons)…38,000 runners competing to run 26+ miles in the fastest times possible. Of course, only a handful of world-class runners are part of that crowd and they are in it for the money, competition, and glory. The rest are just amateurs who want to push themselves to the limit of their endurance and better their existing times.

In Chicago, the Marathon is a big deal…streets are shut down, bus routes are changed, a hundreds of thousands of people line the 26 mile raceway. For us, it is an exciting and moving experience to see this event, and even in our small way, to participate. More on that later.

As we rode the elevated train through The Loop, we could see thousands of runners crossing the Chicago River on the LaSalle Street bridge heading north on the first part of their journey. That in itself was amazing to see.

We chose to go to Pilsen as it is mainly a Hispanic section and we were told they really put on an extravaganza for this event….and our information was correct. Pilsen residents were cheering, banging on drums, holding signs encouraging their favorite runners and celebrating this major event.

We got there just in time to see the lead runner heading down 18th St. As I said earlier, the runners had already done 19 miles when we saw them. We joined in the crowd cheering them all on. Most looked in pretty good shape, but a few showed signs of exhaustion. Ambulances and police were there to assist any runner who needed help.

Soon, the number of runners passing us got larger and larger. Walking down 18th Street, we came to the Gatorade and water stations where runners could refresh themselves.  There were a ton of volunteers to help with that.

Soon, we came to a number of large children’s swimming pools, filled with water and sponges…and volunteers handing out water-soaked sponges to any runners that wanted them. They appeared to be short of volunteers, so Susan and I grabbed some sponges and started handing them out.

That morning, we gave out hundreds of sponges to runners. Some of them had enough energy to thank us, which I found amazing. For that moment in time, I was part of the Marathon and part of Chicago…and it felt very good.

The Marathon itself lasted long into the day. We even saw runners down on 33rd St. as we headed home in the late afternoon on the El. Of the 38,000 who participated, just about 36,000 finished. All 23 of the wheelchair participants also finished…as did 8 runners from the Achilles Team of Wounded Veterans. The first nine finishing runners were from either Kenya or Ethiopia. Those guys can run.

It was very special to see these runners and wheelchair participants from all over the world. It was a highlight of this Chicago trip, for sure. When I get some extra time, I will post some of the best photos from the Marathon into an album and post them to the Net. Will let you know when it is done.