Rising Water Levels at Millerton Lake ll

Rising Water Levels at Millerton Lake

Started my day off today greeting the sun at Millerton lake. The road I expected to travel on to get to my spot was closed: naturally I walked to another park of the lake where a small inlet of water trickled in. Compared to my last visit the water levels had risen considerably, which is great, but my composition was completely different that I expected it to be. With time running short I fit nicely between two rocks with the water beneath. I made this image risking equipment and sacrificing a few peanuts to the lake but was well worth the trip. It goes to show that spontaneity produces interesting results even if you have to get all photo man split stance in the water to make it happen.

Wake Up!

I was going to wax poetic about how we are destroying this planet but I think it's kinda like beating a dead horse. So wake up! - It's Earth day again do something helpful!

Wild Flowers off the Highway 41

I noticed these fellows the other day driving home, I ultimately decided that a soft sunset would complement these colors and that I should go back. The photograph made here was the second trip, the first being much too windy to render the flowers sharp. It did take some time to choose a shutter speed with two dilemmas present: if it's too slow the flowers would blur from too much movement, too fast and the crawling clouds would look more harsh. Here the clouds win. Although there is a bit of movement in some areas with flowers, I am pretty happy with these complimenting colors. Keep your eyes peeled for exploding colors on the landscape! I'm stoked on color this spring!

What will you find?

There is always a plethora of photographic opportunities at our fingertips, everywhere we turn something beautiful is bound to be seen, especially in the natural world. John Muir once said: "When one tugs at something in nature he finds it connected to the rest of the world" I believe this statement to be pretty accurate. When I become an observer of nature, I am opening up to the channels of calming and spiritual benefits this earth has to offer (even if simply studying a flower) These channels are ones that we often can't tune into due to the busy schedules and chaos that is our modern condition. This image was made from a cluster flowers growing from what seemed to be a dead tree in our backyard. To isolate the flowers I underexposed them on a black background using window light. Being that it was a white subject, shooting in raw came in real handy when recovering harsh highlights: one of the reasons raw is absolutely essential at all times. It was nothing more than a wonderfully fragrant plant until I later discovered it to be a white lilac. Lilacs flower on old wood, and produce more flowers if unpruned. If pruned, the plant responds by producing fast-growing young vegetative growth with no flowers, in an attempt to restore the removed branches; a pruned lilac often produces few or no flowers for one to five or more years, before the new growth matures sufficiently to start flowering. A very interesting plant that is bisexual, with fertile stamens and stigma in each flower!. Symbolizing love and hardy character, this guy was unknown to me until I took a second to stop and open up my senses. So I challenge you to seek out something beautiful and learn more about it. Open your eyes, it's the greatest show on earth!