Tag: nature

Photography Class on Mt San Jacinto

I recently taught a photography class for the Mt San Jacinto Natural History Association.  At an elevation of 10,834 feet, San Jacinto is the second highest peak in Southern California.  The Natural History Association operates in conjunction with the Mt San Jacinto State Park and has a rich program of mountain activities.  I was fortunate to be invited to teach the first-ever photography class for the association.

The class would consist of lectures and demonstrations, and be conducted in one of the meeting rooms in the mountain station of the Palm Springs Ariel Tram.  We would have a morning and afternoon shoot in nearby Long Valley,

In preparing for the class, I anticipated that there would be a large cross-section of experience and abilities, with gear ranging from smart photos to high-end digital cameras,  And that proved to be true.  So rather than getting into the technical aspects of photography, the emphasis was on the creative.  This normally consists of talking about light and composition which we took a bit of time to cover.  But the main emphasis was On Seeing.

I wasn’t sure what there was to actually See in Long Valley.  It was always something to pass through on the way to more exciting places like Round Valley or the summit,  So, to find worthwhile things to photograph, our quest became to find and capture the essence, the soul of Long Valley.

And here’s what we found…

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Dewitt Jones Said It All

I was reading an article by Dewitt Jones in the latest Outdoor Photographer last night.  I always enjoy reading him; he is so positive and full of enthusiasm.  The title of the article was Don’t Prove…Improve!  He was recounting his experience when he got hired on as a National Geographic Photographer.  Dewitt was a little intimidated.  His new boss, Bob Gilka, gave him some advice that applies to us all.  He told Dewitt, “You don’t have to prove yourself, not to me or to the other photographers.  What I do demand that you do is improve yourself.  Every day….”

Dewitt goes on to write,

“[Gilka] understood that when we shoot from our own unique vision, there’s no reason to ‘prove’ ourselves…. There’s only one person on the planet who can do what we do, see as we see.

“Improve ourself?  That’s a different story.  There’s so much for all of us to learn to make our vision clearer, stronger, sharper.  And Gilka knew that the fastest way to learn is to trust and share rather than compete.”

Yep, I always enjoy reading Dewitt’s comments.  He is so positive.  And right on.

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24 Hours in Yosemite

It had been way too long, too many years, since I was last in Yosemite Valley.  I’ll tell you how long it was.  I didn’t even have a decent camera at the time.  So a chance to spend just one night there was, well, something I was not going to pass up.

It was late Saturday afternoon when we arrived in the valley.  The sky was clear with a few scattered clouds.  My wonder at the immensity of the walls was reawakened as I drove to Curry Village.  There was enough time to check in and make it back to Tunnel View for what was to prove to be a very nice sunset.  It wasn’t one of those million dollar sunsets but nice nevertheless.

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Inspiring Quotes – William H. Johnson

When I start out for a day, I usually have something in mind, but I don’t fixate on it.  Finding subject matter is the process of narrowing down the possibilities.  I’m always open to whatever nature provides me.  I can be driving in the middle of nowhere and see something that attracts my eye, something that makes it special, and I have to listen – even if it’s not on my list.

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Latourell Falls

Latourell Falls is one of many falls along the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge.  It is particularly beautiful because it takes a long slender down a spectacular basalt cliff.  I was shooting up there over the Memorial Day weekend and have these three different views of the falls to share.  Each is distinct and carrys its own unique message.  Enjoy

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