Photo Stories – Page 26

January 18, 2010January 14, 2013

Twin Giants (Photo of the week)

Twin redwoods stretch toward the forest's upper canopy, Muir Woods National Monument

This photo was taken last week on a quick visit to Muir Woods National Monument, a short drive north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate bridge. The trails of Muir Woods merge with those in Mt. Tamalpias State Park, giving visitors many miles of hiking full of beautiful old growth coastal redwoods and stunning vistas of San Francisco and the surrounding coast line.

Although you can’t tell from this photo, it can be quite dark at the forest floor, requiring long shutter speeds (which means tripods are essential). Also essential (or at least highly desirable) in forest scenes is the polarized filter. While there may be no water to reflect or sky to darken anywhere in sight, the forest vegetation itself can reflect a lot of light, especially any plants with a waxy surface. Using a circular polarizer brings out their true green color and makes them pop.

The two trees in this photo were huge specimens, stretching side by side to disappear into the upper canopy of the redwoods and Douglas fir.

December 29, 2009January 14, 2013

An Ornery Curlew (Photo of the week)

A long-billed curlew snaps at a gull, chasing it away

Most of the time, many different avian species coexist in relative harmony, going about their business while generally ignoring one another. However, as this week’s photo can attest, there is occasionally some friction. I’m not sure what caused this curlew to snap at the gull, but there was quite a flurry of activity before the gull was chased off. It wasn’t until I reviewed the photos later that I saw the curlew defending his territory.

December 22, 2009January 14, 2013

Steller’s Jay On Fir (Photo of the week)

A Steller's Jay perches in a fir tree, Lassen National Park

This photo was taken in late summer in the early morning. Sometimes getting a “nature” shot can be as easy as wandering around a busy campground. Campgrounds can be a great place to find common birds, especially the loud, bold, and sometimes irritating Steller’s Jay. While they can be a nuisance when you’re trying to eat, they are a quite striking bird, especially in the right lighting conditions. Try to shoot them either in early morning or late evening, or with a polarizer – they’re feathers tend to reflect a lot of light in harsher lighting situations. To go for a more natural look, I made sure to shoot away from tables, benches, and fire pits. Zooming in tight allowed me to isolate this jay in a more natural environment.

I wish everyone a safe, happy, and relaxing holiday season. Here’s to a new year full of excitement, exploration, and of course, many more photographs!

December 15, 2009January 14, 2013

Lakeside Solitude (Photo of the week)

A backpacker sits in the early morning sun, enjoying the peace and quiet of a mountain lake.

This week’s photo was taken on a backpacking trip this summer to one of my favorite lakes. Boundary Lake in northern Yosemite is one of those perfect High Sierra lakes with smooth granite dropping off into crystal clear water. Thanks go to my brother Jake for offering to act as my model for this shot.

With this photo, I was attempting to capture the feeling of waking up in such a beautiful, quiet place, and the promise of the warmth of the morning sun as it rose over the eastern crest. There is nothing quite like brisk dawn air, a hot cup of coffee, and no sound other than the gentle lapping of water against the rocks.