Uploads from Darvin Atkeson, tagged travel, with geodata

Winter Magic - Yosemite National Park, California

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Sun, 19 May 2013 15:30:12 -0700

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Well it looks like I will be moving out of the Bay Area and it's looking more and more likely I will be returning to the foothills near Yosemite. We are excited about it but man I hate moving so I decided to bum this one back up on my photostream. This is one of my first and still most popular shots. Can't wait to be back in the woods.

If you have chosen to enter Yosemite from the south entrance along Highway 41 you will first get a few fleeting glimpses around the bends of the Valley that will cause you to wonder if what you just saw was real. It seems too big, too distant. Surely your eyes are just playing tricks on you. The trees will quickly obscure your view and you will drive along directly into the face of the mountains via Yosemite's longest tunnel. Because it's such a long tunnel and you may begin to relax but grip the wheel tight as you approach the exit for the view you are about to see will wrench your eyes from the road in disbelief!

There is good reason for the flashing yellow light warning you to slow. Suddenly before you lies an impossibly massive scene of snow topped granite towers, soaring waterfalls and pristine forests. Possibly the most photographed icon of nature lies before you an impossible view simply called Inspiration Point though some refer to it as the tunnel view. A "U" shaped glacier valley lies a thousand feet below you. To the left of the image, the impressive, largest single piece of exposed granite called El Capitan is the most dominate object in Yosemite Valley. Early explorers, unable to believe their eyes, estimated the rock at only 900ft above the valley floor. They simply could not fathom it's real height. Modern measurements eventually put it well over three times that height at nearly 3000 feet above Yosemite Valley. To the right, a towering waterfall whipped by the blowing winds in the narrow canyon appropriately named Bridal Veil Falls. While not the tallest, it is definitely one of the more beautiful waterfalls in Yosemite. In the far distance, another seemingly impossible large chunk of granite cut in half by the glaciers appropriately named Half Dome rises above the valley. But it's not over yet, you have only begun the start of a dream like drive that will take you all the way up the valley past numerous waterfalls, the meandering Merced River and lead you to Yosemite Falls which will makes Bridal Veil Falls look like a tiny trickle of water. If you are a photographer, you could easily spend your day at the entrance as the scene will change by the minute, especially in winter, but push on, as there is much to see.

Winter and early spring in Yosemite are a quiet time and possibly the best for photography if you don't mind driving on cliff walls in the snow. The summer crowds have yet to arrive. The campgrounds are empty and except for a few cars driving though the valley the roads are clear. And though you may stick to the outhouse seats there are few drawbacks to visiting during this time of year provided you bring the proper gear for you and your car. If you can, plan your visits to coincide with the breaking of a winter storm. Yosemite staff are good at keeping the roads open and you have a good chance of getting the proper conditions for some stunning photography as the clouds break. I spent 5 years of my life living just outside the park. My only regret is that digital photography was only in its infancy at the time.

Darv

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New Year's Eve Fireworks - San Francisco Style

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 23:07:23 -0800

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NOTE: 2013 UPDATE.... I am sad to report that tonight we discovered that this area is now off limits! Please be aware if you access the area as described below you may be issued a ticket, fined, have your car towed and small possibility of being arrested. Trespassing fines in California are $1000 so proceed at your own risk. The security patrolling the area were quite nice about it and ultimately we did get some new shots (soon to be posted) but they firmly let us know we would not be allowed to return to the area. It's sad as this is one of the more spectacular views of the Bay Bridge.

Happy 2013. I'll have new D800E images uploaded soon.

Red, White and Blue shells burst over San Francisco during the 2012 New Years Eve celebration as seen from atop Yerba Buena Island. Last year I spent most of my New Years day sitting in the dirt atop a cold wind blown cliff on just above the Bay Bridge on Yerba Buena Island. I came away with so many great shots of the fireworks, the city and the beautiful Bay Bridge and these remain some of my most popular shots.

If you are considering doing this for yourself, here are a few things you will want to know that I wish someone had told me.

You will need to arrive early. The earlier the better. Most if not all parking will pretty much have been taken by dark which arrives early during the winter at around 5PM. I also shot the sunset so I arrived around 4PM and sat there in the dirt till well past Midnight . If you arrive late, I recommend against trying to get on the island as the wait on the Bay Bridge may mean you miss the show completely.

This particular vantage is somewhat hard to get to and it's a fairly steep drop to the road below so be careful and plan on there being a number of other photographers on the narrow trail. The easiest way is from the top of the hill but the parking is limited to residents. I climbed up the sandy cliff but I strongly recommend against this.

You will absolutely need a tripod and a remote camera release. Your lens should be able to do the equivalent of about 50mm. A bit wider and you can also get the Transamerica tower in the shot but keep in mind the fireworks will be much smaller.

Bring a blanket or something to sit on that you don't mind getting dirty. There are eucalyptus trees that hang down into the shot so you will need to be right on the ground to keep them out of the shot. The area is popular year round and there are no restroom facilities so expect a strong odor of eucalyptus and urine.

Layered clothing is a must as this area is windy and moist and mostly dirt. Last year had been pretty dry to this point so I suspect due to the rain this year the area will be muddy and slippery.

But, with all this comes one of the best views of San Francisco's beautiful skyline with a fantastic fireworks show at eye level. The only fireworks show to top this one was the one held this year at the Golden Gate Bridge for the 75th anniversary celebration but we won't get another one of those for at least 25 years. Shots of the Golden Gate Bridge Anniversary can be found in my Photostream.

If you go, and this post was helpful, shoot me a note so I can see what you captured.

Be safe and be sober.

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Autumn Splendor - Lost in the High Sierra

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 01:17:48 -0700

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Somewhere high in the Sierra we turned on a small dirt road not sure where it would lead. Once in the canyon, I lost GPS as the road twisted and wound around the hills and deep in to an aspen grove that ran alongside a small creek. The further we went, the more the color changed from yellow to gold and finally to orange. Eventually the road ended abruptly deep in the aspen forest with no place to turn around. The road was lined with golden leaves that had fallen from the grove of aspen. I took as many shots as I could before trying to back out which didn't go well.

Trying to turn the truck around at the wrong spot, I quickly became stuck between a rock and a hard spot, with the hard spot being a large aspen trunk and less than 6 inches to spare. It took quite some time but eventually I got the truck un-lodged and headed back down the road backwards nearly the entire way. It may have taken more time that I would have liked, but the pictures were nothing short of golden.

Sometimes the best adventures are unplanned.

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The Fire Trees of Grant Lake

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:36:21 -0700

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June Lake Loop never ceases to amaze with brilliant colors. Just as soon as you round the turn over to Grant Lake this amazing red orange grove of Aspens appears on the ridge down towards the lake. Probably the most colorful grove we spotted on the entire trip. Nearly every single car slams on its brakes as the grove appears then begin searching for the few limited spots to pull off the road. The hill was extremely steep and covered in tall thickets of thorny bushes.

I knew the real shot was down alongside the grove and not from the road. The first trick, find a place to pull off the road as nearly every spot was taken. To do so I drove quite a ways and past another grove of aspen that went all the way down to the lake. There I spotted a small deer trail and proceeded down a steep incline. I was able to crawl my way though the first aspen grove which was still fairly green, over a number of downed logs, branches, thorn bushes and across a small creek that fed the grove and just then, the stunning orange red grove was laid out before me in this perfect shot.

I was able to get the lake, canyon and some other color in the shot and the and the extra effort paid off. People above me on the road looked down looking for a way to join me but thought better of heading down and eventually settled for shooting alongside the road. Still, the hardest part remained, climbing back up to the truck. In the end, it wasn't as bad as I originally thought it would be and I was glad I made the extra effort.

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Mirror of Autumn

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:33:20 -0700

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As the sun recedes toward the south the nights grow longer and the temperature drops Autumn arrives in the Eastern Sierra and the bright colors of Fall descend down from the high country. Early morning at one of the many beaver dams creates a mirrored surface perfect for picking up the brilliant colors of the distant aspen trees and high Sierra peaks in Lundy Canyon just north of the small sleepy town of Lee Vining California located on the edge of Mono Lake. In this shot, you can see the perfect construction of a beaver dam in the lower left. It made a near perfect line across the creek and was amazingly efficiently constructed.

This year I dragged the wife and dog along with me to the annual trip to the Eastern Sierra for the Fall color. We got so many great images that it is hard to know what to post first so I start here with the very first picture we took at one of the many ponds created by beavers which make for some awesome reflections not seen on Lake Lundy.

It was hard to resist the urge to stop while traveling over the Sonora Pass, color was still everywhere, but the first planned destination was Lundy Canyon which had proved one of the better spots to shoot from in previous years. We arrived just before dark and quickly grabbed a campsite and got settled in for the night. The very next morning, it was up before dawn to shoot the ponds. And yes, before my very first shot I managed to step in to the creek and soaked both my new shoes. My wife wasn't surprised but at least I got a number of good shots.

The entire trip was glorious and the color much more than we had expected based on reports we were seeing on line. Unfortunately the trip was cut short due to an incoming snow storm that threatened to close down the high mountain passes so we had to leave a day or two earlier than we wanted but as fate would have it, leaving early proved to provide shots in Yosemite that I never imagined getting including a Great Grey owl. So if you like the first shot, wait till you see what will follow over the next few weeks.

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Sunshine Falling Down

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 20:08:51 -0700

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Unicorn Peak (left) and Cathedral Peak (right) stand above Tuolumne Meadows as light dances quickly across the meadows and deep forest of pines. Above it all, a torrent of rain begins to fall keeping the meadow lush and green during much of the summer days. On this particular morning, dawn broke with pristine blue cloudless skies that dominated the scenery. But by high noon small clouds appeared and just an hour later had formed up in to massive thunderstorms that overtook the skies forcing us to chase the light back down to Yosemite Valley.

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Yosemite High

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 09:18:40 -0700

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The shapes of the clouds seem to almost mimic the shape of this very old Sierra Juniper which has clearly been stuck by lightning and stripped bare of its bark on one side. It now grows twisted and gnarly on the still living side.

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Framing and American Icon

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 12:08:39 -0700

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The vista from Glacier Point of Half Dome is a classic shot and one that is perhaps over done however the sheer size of scene is so mind boggling and the light changes so dramatically it always makes for a perfect shot to the end of the day. When the last light of the day is catching the top of Half Dome and the peaks of the High Sierra in the distance everything just lights up. Even the deep chasm below takes on beautiful blues and purples from the reflected light above.

During this sunset the obvious vistas were taken and a park ranger was providing a discussion session with the many tourist lined up against the walls of the path. I was forced to try and find another location down below the rocks. I was working my way down off the trial when by chance I found a location just below a large tree. If I knelt down a bit it I was able to use a gap in the surrounding trees to gain a somewhat uniquely framed vista of the special scene before us.

Half Dome glowed brightly with the sunset and the last remnants of the thunderstorms earlier in the day added a special bit to the scene. The tall pine trees caught the last bit of light slipping over the ridge behind us. Off in the distance, just to the left of Half Dome and behind Clouds Rest looked especially nice. I sat for a while with the wife and the pooch and just tired to relax and take in the whole scene. But after a few minutes I had to jump back up as the scene had changed. At the end of the day we were extremely tired but with a special contentment brought on by the scenes of the day. I never regret going to Yosemite. Even if it's for a day and means getting up at 3AM and not getting to bed till 4AM the next day.

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Cathedral Peak Lightning - Yosemite National park

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 08:58:58 -0700

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Majestic Cathedral Peak rises high above the biggest alpine meadow in the world, Tuolumne Meadows. High in the Sierra Nevada the wet air from the Pacific Ocean is pushed upward giving birth to massive summer thunderstorms.

When we arrived, there wasn't a single cloud over the Sierra for as far as you could see. Then, a few minutes later, one little puff appeared. I made the statement to a few folks up at Glacier Point that they would turn in to huge thunderstorms. They looked at me as if I were nuts. But I had seen this many times before.

We took off from Glacier Point headed towards the Tuolumne Meadows about a 2 hour drive. By the time we got there, the sky was dark and just as I walked out onto the meadow, crack lightning started striking all around us.

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Delightfully Twisted

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:16:29 -0700

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A delightfully twisted and gnarly Sierra Juniper clings to the granite surface of Olmsted Point in the High Country of Yosemite National Park. The tree had been hit by lighting, blown by high winds and even survived deep winter snow. In the distance, I thunderstorm builds miles in to the sky over Clouds Rest as the sunshine sneaks under and reflects brilliantly off the sheer granite wall of the valley. The whole scene contrasted nicely off the deep cerulean blue sky in the clean mountain air.

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Springtime at Pigeon Point Lighthouse

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:38:05 -0700

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Brilliant flowers cover the fields near California's Pigeon Point Lighthouse along the popular scenic route Highway One. At one time, the field was farmland but is now part of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse State Park and has grown in with wildflowers that bloom early each spring.

Sometimes it seems that we landscape photographers focus so much on getting that golden hour shot that we often overlook or just don't go out during the bright daylight hours. This day was originally just planned as a sunrise shoot of the Bay Bridge but we got shut out by low clouds. I stuck it out for the entire day and came away with a number of great daytime shots and my luck held and was treated to a stunning sunset as well.

I spent a couple of hours shooting the springtime flowers at Pigeon Point Lighthouse. I am pretty sure the flowers mid screen are wild mustard. There are some light purple flowers mixed in here and there.

I am not sure of the name of the bright yellow trumpet shaped flowers in the foreground. If you know, drop me a note below.

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City Lights - San Francisco, California

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:17:39 -0800

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There are few things as impressive as a city skyline just after dusk. Sparkling lights and the glow from many street lamps and cars are set against an indigo sky. It sure can make for great images.

San Francisco's skyline is arguably the most stunning of all California cities. You can't aim your camera without getting a famous landmark in the skyline.

In this shot the most dominate feature is the Transamerica Pyramid rising 48 floors before it is capped off by an illuminated facade.

On the lower right you can just catch the twin spires of Nuestra Senora De Guadalupe Church (Our Lady of Guadalupe Church). The church was build in 1906 and then rebuild in 1912 at the foot of Russian Hill on Broadway and Mason. The Powell-Mason cable car will take you right to it. I did as much leaning to the left as was possible to try and get these unique structures into the shot.

Of course, off in the distance is San Francisco's second most famous suspension bridge known simply as the Bay Bridge. Unlike the Golden Gate Bridge, its mainstay cables are illuminated with a chain of bright lights and can be seen for miles.

The big dark tower on the right is the Bank of America Center. A 52 story skyscraper it's San Francisco's second tallest building. It's been renamed to 555 California Street when BOA moved its headquarters across the country but most people here still know it as the Bank of America Tower.

To the lower left, the neon glow of San Francisco's red-light district (technically more of a pink-light district) illuminates Broadway street with its many strip clubs, night clubs and bars. A touch of the Barbary coast remains nestled just off the Embarcadero.

This is just a small sample of the interesting views San Francisco has to offer at night.

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San Francisco's Famous Skyline

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:32:23 -0800

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One last flash of sunlight illuminates the city of San Francisco as the day comes to a close. From this vista in Ina Coolbirth park you can view many famous landmarks of San Francisco.

On the left, famous Coit Tower (built in 1933) rises 210 feet to just touch the edge of the sunset from its perch atop Telegraph Hill. Telegraph Hill so named dates back to when it was used to send visible signals to dock workers as to the nature and type of ships arriving in San Francisco Bay. In the center you can see the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge.

Just behind Yerba Buena Island you can spy the top of the new section of the Oakland side of the Bay Bridge currently under construction with one of its construction cranes protruding just above the foothills of Oakland. And if you look closely enough, you can just make out Mt. Diablo, one of the Bay Area's tallest peaks just peaking over the eastern most tower on the Bay Bridge.

To the right, the sky line of downtown San Francisco is dominated by the famous Transamerica Tower and other financial district skyscrapers.

I have to thank Mike Oria for showing me this location which he had first filmed earlier in the day. I managed to convince him to go out and shoot the sunset and he suggested going back to the park.

The park isn't easy to locate. It's a tiny park dominated by multilevel homes on the south side and an apartment tower just left of screen. We had to scamper up a little hill to get above the walkway to pick up the detail of the many buildings all crammed together below.

Off in the distance we could see the lights of Broadway street just beginning to glow. The little park has a great view of the city.

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Cosmic Jellies

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:13:35 -0800

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Gently pulsing though the glitter like plankton these stunning Jelly Fish look like space faring starships on a long voyage though the cosmos. Their space of course is the Pacific Ocean and they are but one of the many amazing exhibits at California's premier Monterey Bay Aquarium. About the size of my hand, they moved quickly though the cylinder tank which added to the complexity of getting this shot.

A member of the White Spotted Jellyfish this particular species has a brilliant natural blue tint. The stinging tentacles varied from white to a yellowish tint. No doubt the bright spotted markings are telling potential predators that they might want
to rethink this as their lunch special.

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Half Dome

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:52:16 -0800

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Storm clouds part to illuminate the tall grass of Ahwahnee Meadow. The contrast with the darkened sky and deep evergreens seems to cause the edge of the meadow to glow. Half Dome, Yosemite's most famous granite monolith towers nearly 3000 feet above the lush evergreens in the background. The scope of the size of this is difficult to comprehend even while standing on the edge of the meadow. You can take in this view daily as a row of cabins opposite the shot host a year round web cam. The cabins and this stunning view are enjoyed daily by park employees for the time that they work in the park. I am sure they have tough jobs but WOW, what a few to wake up to.

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Afternoon in a Redwood Forest

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:35:25 -0800

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Occasionally as the run reaches lower angles its rays will extend to the forest floor and illuminate the ferns that grow hundreds of feet below the redwood canopy high above. By afternoon the normally cool forest has warmed. The fog from the Pacific just a short distance away has dissipated and turned in to a light haze in the forest and is illuminated by the sunshine. If you look up, you can see many cob webs of little spiders hanging in the trees. Their illuminated webs glistening in the sunshine.

Occasionally a monarch or swallowtail butterfly floats though the canopy using the forest to retain heat during winter months. Brown salamanders can be found on the forest floor alongside giant banana slugs. By this time of year, mushrooms have sprung up beside the path and range from bright yellow to bright reds. Some are striped with various colors of reds, tans and deep browns. There is plenty to take pictures of here so it's a favorite place to hang out on a nice afternoon.

Darv

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Pigeon Point Lighthouse

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:19:32 -0800

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Pigeon Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse built in 1871 to aid ships sailing along the rocky Northern California coast heading in to San Francisco Bay after a number of ships, most notably the Carrier Pigeon for which the lighthouse is named, sank on the shallow rocks just off shore. It is the tallest of the lighthouses in California and along the western cost of the United States standing at 115 feet (35 Meters). It's proximity to San Francisco, easy access from historic California Highway One and the remarkable scenery surrounding the Lighthouse makes it the most popular and picturesque lighthouse along the entire Pacific Coast. The first-order Fresnel lens which illuminated the New England style tower with 24 beams of light has currently been removed while the upper portion of the tower undergoes restoration. The lighthouse still functions with a smaller Coast Guard Beacon mounted on the exterior of the lighthouse.

Upon our arrival the entire area was covered in cloud when finally the sun broke from beneath the clouds at just the right angle to create a glow on the clouds above while still illuminating the lighthouse, rocks and breaking waves. The deep orange hues of the setting sun caused the red rock and fence to almost glow in red light. Yet there was still enough white light to bring out the blue waves below. This didn't last very long and scenery was constantly changing causing us to dash around the lighthouse to try and get the best angle on the ever-changing light. Days like these are hard to come by. The lighthouse is usually covered by fog or in stunningly clear
skies. But every so often, you get one of the most spectacular sunsets you will witness as the sun slips below the horizon of the Pacific.

No, those are not specks of dust to the right of the lighthouse, but seagulls and pelicans soaring high above the cliffs in a light ocean breeze. They show up nicely in the full 36Mpixel version. The green just below the lighthouse is actually ice plant that hangs from the rocky bluffs like
brilliant green and red curtains. I wish I could do more than just describe the soft smell of the salt air, the sound of the waves breaking on the rocks below in order to make the scene inclusive.

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Peaking Through the Aspens

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:38:21 -0800

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It was late afternoon but the air was quite still. Only a couple of diehards fishing for trout disturbed the otherwise smooth reflection of the lake creating concentric rings around their tiny one man boats. The sticker on the back bumper of the truck next to me read "Those that don't know how to fish work" and I found some amusement in this as the gentleman proceeded to lug the pontoons section down to the lake and assembled them then came back for the electric motor, the over sized car battery, fishing gear, waders.... I began to wonder if all the fuss and cost was worth the few small trout he would catch on the lake. Perhaps I should print up some stickers that read "Those who don't know how to photograph, fish".

We spent the afternoon on this small lake just off the road up to lake Sabrina. The Fall Aspens made a great subject in the foreground and the colors across the lake helped illuminate the fishermen as they cast their flies upon the lake in long sweeping arcs. Every so often a trout would jump next to their boat and they'd turn around to face the new direction. A number of people fished the shores and it seemed they were having better luck just sitting on the side of the lake with nothing more than a pole and some salmon eggs. It was one of those locations where a sense of peace falls over you as everything seems so calm. This is the reason Fall is my favorite season. In two days this spot would be covered with the winter white of snow.

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Last Minute at the Golden Gate

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 08:53:15 -0700

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The tide was out further than normal allowing us to slide down the rocks to the where the waves were breaking on the roads below the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge would only break though the fog at the last glimmer of twilight. The fresh smell of exposed kelp filled the salty air. While foggy the atmosphere seemed quite dry which is quite unusual for a foggy day at the Golden Gate. The fog horn sounded from across the Gate echoing across the hillside above as ships passed under the bridge headed out to their long voyages to distant and mysterious lands. Just a few minutes earlier and the entire bridge was hidden from view but the unusually dry fog promised an opening.

It was getting late in the afternoon when I gave Matt Granz a call to see if wanted to make a dash to the coast as the clouds looked impressive. But upon arrival we were greeted with low fog and nearly cloudless skies over San Francisco. We drove up to Hawk Hill, Battery Spencer and even out to Rodeo Beach which was remarkably drenched in sunset. Thinking the fog wouldn't last long we headed back up to Hawk Hill and finally settled for the Coast Guard station at Horseshoe Bay. We'd only get a few shots, but that would be all we would need.

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Somewhere along the California Coast

nobody@flickr.com (Darvin Atkeson) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:39:37 -0700

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The sun was setting and it was time to get set up for the grand show. I passed a parking lot with no name and no real indication there was a access down the cliffs to the beach. The beach isn't even marked on Google Maps so I had no idea what I would get. I've found a few shots that indicate that this is called Greyhound Rock Beach for a large grey rock nearby.

They should have named it Dead Man Beach. Though a paved path leads to the beach it's very steep and quite slick after a rain storm. Guard rails, several benches to rest on and even what appears to be speed bumps for ATVs used by the rangers. But if the walk down doesn't kill you, the walk back up hoofing several pounds of camera gear just might. Actually the trail is one of the safer ones but quite steep to be lugging a bunch of gear down.

It's a nice beach with a number of rocks and distant golden cliffs but I suspect that we just lucked out as it was during low tide. Google Maps show much of what we saw is typically under the pounding surf.

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