My Favorite Photographs of 2016
WOW! I can't believe it's May already!
Taking advantage of a rainy day here in Southern California and getting a few things done inside the house including finishing up creating and posting to You Tube my annual slideshow that showcases some of my favorite photographs that I created the prior year (2016).
Below is a small sample of some of my selected photographs. I have also uploaded the slideshow to my YouTube Channel which you can find HERE or you can use the link at the bottom of this page.
The Hunter
A slow morning at the wetlands. That's part of the adventure. You never know what to expect. Some days it's non-stop action and others (like today) there's just not a lot to choose from and you may have to wait a very long time between opportunities.
Still relativity early in the morning, mostly cloudy, soft diffused light and little breeze which offered up some nice reflections. Here I created a rather unconventional photograph of a Great Egret.
Yosemite Valley - Autumn Snow, Upper Yosemite Fall
Five minutes prior to me releasing the shutter and creating this image there was nothing to see except for a dense layer of grayish-white low hanging clouds. There were no details in the cliff face( you could not see the cliff face.) You could not see the tree tops high on the ridge. The water fall was only a faint roar (if you listened carefully.) If this was your first visit to this area and you just arrived you would have no idea of the majesty that was currently hidden from view.
It's amazing how quickly things change as storms arrive and clear. You can stand in one place and have a very different composition every couple of minutes or so! My reward for being patient (standing around and drinking coffee) was this dramatic scene!
Waters Edge
I came upon this scene and was immediately mesmerized by the sharpness of the reflections and knew I had a special opportunity.
This quickly proved to be a awkward place to work. I was four or five feet above the river and the section of the bank that I NEEDED my tripod to be on in order to create this composition was falling apart and spilling down onto the rocks below. There was also a rather unfriendly tilt to the contour of the bank that seemed to be teaming up with gravity both wanting to topple camera and yours truly into the slow moving icy waters below. On top of all of that I had three pine trees at my back that seemed to want to give me a little "nudge" in what was obviously the wrong direction. This photography stuff can really be a pain in the ass sometimes! :)
The minor inconveniences were worth it! I really like how this came out and the peacefulness that it conveys.
Washoe County Courthouse Pillars and Ceiling
Laying on my back at the top of the steps of the Washoe County Courthouse. A wide angle lens offers an interesting perspective of this beautiful historic building.
Fall Colors - Lake Sabrina Morning Light
Early morning light - nearing the end of the morning golden hour.
I moved down to the water's edge in order to change my perspective and improve the positioning of the reflections. The light was fantastic and the peaks reflected very nicely on the lake surface which I knew would help distract from the boring cloudless sky. Then the miracle I was hoping for occurred - the breeze died down and the lake surface that moments ago was awash in small distorting ripples turned almost completely calm with glass like clarity revealing the submerged rocks which I instantly new were the perfect foreground objects. Without hesitation I grabbed my tripod and repositioned a couple of times until I had a composition that I liked. CLICK!
-Peace
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