On, Now Off, the Road

A few days after presenting my photography workshop, I headed to the southwest on a roadtrip. Along the way, I followed the advice I tout in my photo workshop "7 Steps to Make Your Photos 10x Better" (see previous blog post)

Step 1. "Take Lots and Lots of Photos"...

Along the way we checked out:

• Gateway Arch National Park
• White Sands National Park
• BOTH sections of Saguaro National Park
• Then I spent three days on the Grand Canyon National Park south rim
• A couple days of "rest" in Sedona

After that, we had the long drive home.
The first day we drove quickly through Oak Creek Canyon,
then just a little more leisurely through Petrified Forest / Painted Desert National Park.
The final two days included just a pause to say hello to friends in St Louis.
...all the above are just the highlights.

I took over 1800 photos on a 17 day trip when a number of those days were just pure driving. I'm just beginning to wade through them all, but at first glance, here's some of my favorites:

Sunrise, Gateway Arch National Park, St. Louis MO

White Sands National Park, NM

Sunset, Saguaro National Park, AZ

Sunrise, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Sunrise, Sedona, AZ

Petrified Forest / Painted Desert National Park, AZ

The Joy of Oversleeping

For much of nature and landscape photography, the general rule is be early...earlier than you think is early.
Stay late, later than you think is late.
Many types of wildlife (I'm thinking birds right now) are more active at the crack of dawn and then again at dusk.

For landscapes, nice colors, skies, and shadows are also more prevalent during the "golden hours" just before and after sunrise and sunset.

With those thoughts in mind, I set my alarm to get up early and get to the Magee Marsh boardwalk shortly before sunrise and hopefully see some birds.
Except I forgot to hit save. So I woke up just minutes before sunrise, 45 minutes later than planned. I rushed out the door of our hotel for the 25 minute drive, the sun was already on the horizon. And then, a mile down the road I saw this:

Port Clinton Lighthouse at Sunrise, Port Clinton Ohio

I still managed to be the first one at the popular birding boardwalk, and did capture a few bird photos, but the photograph that made my day was that sunrise.

Cape May Warbler, Magee Marsh Wildlife Area

Great Egret, Magee Marsh Wildlife Area

Green Heron, Magee Marsh Wildlife Area

Out the Window

This post is a reaction to something I read/hear a lot. (actually a reply to my reply on a tweet set me off)

I'm always surprised, that people are surprised, when I book a window seat, and...
...
wait for it...
...
Keep the window open...
Why?
Because I want to look out the window!


I'm tired of seeing articles, social media posts, etc that go on and on about how you're supposed to close your window when you're on a plane. Why would you get a WINDOW seat if you don't have a window? I've been told that there's nothing to see from 30,000 ft (or whatever altitude). Well, I've seen all kinds of things when there is "nothing to see" - cool clouds, neat geographical features, aurora borealis, sunrises, sunsets and on and on. To top it all off, on the long international flights, my body has some clue as to what time it is, so I don't suffer jet lag. I've been told by more than one person after flying 1/2 way round the world, that I am a freak of nature...No, I keep the F%$#(ing window open so I know what "time" it is.



Mt. Hood

Ice

Snow

The Big City

Mountains

Necropolis Glasgow

The Necropolis in Glasgow was worth the visit. We caught it in the late afternoon and then I went back at sunrise.

Curved Path - Necropolis, Glasgow

Necropolis, Glasgow

Necropolis, Glasgow

Necropolis, Glasgow

Necropolis, Glasgow

Necropolis, Glasgow

Making the Cut

A few days back, Elesa talked me into doing the "photo a day" type thing at 365 Project
I've been dutifully taking and posting at least one photo everyday. You can see my daily photo HERE or via the link on the right. I worry a bit about becoming mundane, especially when we're in the midst of another move. On the other hand, it is prompting me to take photos I've thought about taking for a long time, but have been too lazy to actually get out and take.

This morning I took a few photos, the sunrise (just fortuitous), and then two traffic circles I see on my way to work, a mini version of the Kuwaiti Towers and a giant version of a brass tea pot. I've been wanting to get photos of them on a clear morning for at least a year now. The daily photo project, and my impending departure finally made me get off my duff and get the photos. The Towers made the today's cut for my photo. Here are versions of the other two. I'm on the laptop now, no color calibrated monitor and GIMP vice Photoshop. I hope the colors aren't too whacked out


Kuwaiti Sunrise

Tea Pot

The Last Bit of Alaska

Here is a misc. collection of photos from our Alaska trip that I've never posted...enjoy (I hope)



One Man Town...I Don't Know Where, Alaska





Picnic TableSan Juan Island, Washington




LavenderSan Juan Island,Washington





Old Russian CemeterySitka, Alaska




SunsetNear Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska





DawnGlacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Iraq Sunrise

One of my favorite things about my new room is a window. I celebrated by taking sunrise photos the past two days. In a coincidence, exactly 10,000 photos ago, and 3 years ago (30 December 2006), Shelby and I were on top of Mt Sinai taking sunrise photos....


Sunrise from My Window - Iraq 29 December, 2009




Sunrise from My Window - Iraq 30 December, 2009

Via the "Way Back" Machine

From June of 2006, the early days of my digital camera, what sunrise used to look like...

Volcan Pacaya - Guatamala City

Sunrise

From a couple weeks ago. The color only lasted a minute or two, time enough to get my camera, turn off the alarm, open the door and take one shot.

Sarajevo SunriseNovember 2008

An Early One...

Volcán de Fuego Erupts at Sunrise - Antigua Guatemala
(Image 0032 taken 14 April 2006)