Yosemite and More

  If you think Death Valley is a featureless landscape you'd be sadly mistaken.  This was my second trip and was awed just like the first time. I went to some places I missed and returned to others. (see my previous post from some sand dunes) To get to the valley you get to go up and over. Then you start to see some real interesting formations And different layers Lots of examples of what formed the various features One of the 'must sees' is the Devil's Golf Course.  An area formed by various salts deposited by rains into the valley, it's a huge area A closer look gives you some idea of what the formations look like Some large Some small and very interesting Next up is the lowest point in the United States, Badwater Basin, so named after a  prospectors mules wouldn't drink from the water. The little white sign on the hill  is sea level, 282 feet above the basin. The salts in the basin are mostly NaCl, yup, table salt. This is from the Artists Palette section. I ...

 Red Rock Canyon is a California State Park off of Highway 14 in eastern California that I didn't spend enough time at, wanting to get to my final destination of Death Valley. The area was once an inland lake and was filled in with sediment from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The movement of competing tectonic plates pushed up to reveal the various layers. The red comes from the rusting of iron ore in some of the layers This one reminded me of a bunch of people holding up the roof. This is a good one to show the 17° angle of the tectonic plates.  Obviously changed to black and white. I like how the lower rock is worn away into a pattern  leading up to what looks like a castle on a hill. Go, See, Enjoy, Stay Safe and Photograph Dave

Let's see this is the 4th post from my trip to Death Valley. With one more to come showing some plants and such. Golden Canyon is an iconic hike. I actually went there twice, though I didn't take the longest route. As with most of the park the best times for photography is in the morning and evening when the shadows are most prominent. Winter helps because the sun is lower on the horizon, plus it's cooler. The colors and shapes throughout the park surprised me. Seemed like everywhere I looked there was color, shape and texture. Golden Canyon was a great  hike for all three.  Caution later in the morning I saw a line of about 15 people waiting for the PortaPotty. The visitors center is only a few miles away so you might stop there first. In fact stop there anyway, it's a great place for information and very knowledgeable staff. The formations were formed by several forces;  rain/water, volcanic action and most importantl...

As you may or may not know I am semi-retired. My part-time job required that I make a 'quick trip' to South San Francisco the other day. On my way back home I decided to do something spontaneous, not my usual frame of mind.  I passed my usual Highway 152 exit and kept going. I headed for one of my favorite places to photograph. Point Lobos State Park. I love the North Coast for the great waves and interesting features. I'm not a beach person. Unfortunately the sea was a low tide and the waves were almost non-existent.  So I shot a lot of other stuff. Oh, and also had a great time. These two kept me company for quite a while. I'm sure both were looking for a meal. This one seemed happy to hunt for himself. I think it's a Great White Heron though I don't recall seeing such a pronounced Mullet on one. For those of you who are skeptical about the presence of Aliens, what else but a  Alien rocket ship could produce s...

One of the things I like most about Point Lobos is that there's more to see and photograph than just the waves.  Part of the park consists of forest, tide pools, islands and small beach areas. You  may see seals, sea otters, whales, and a variety of birds. If you look around and down, the rocks, tide pools and plants provide a wide variety of photographic opportunities. The ocean does a wonderful job exposing the various  layers of rock. Some of those layers are at interesting angles The beach area is full of interesting stuff washed up from the ocean and a wide variety of pebbles and rocks. There's even a sign asking you to not 'collect' anything.  If you like lines and contrast it doesn't get much better than this. I thought this one looked like the back of a turtle. Go, See, Enjoy and Photograph Dave